Chapter 139: I Will Give My Life For You

"She is indeed a person involved," Qin Xuan remarked.

Li Tianyuan had sent a team to other private rooms to look for hostages with influential backgrounds, but they were thwarted by Qin Xuan's accidental interference, leaving them with no hope of escape. Therefore, Shen Yina and her classmates were all considered parties involved.

"Very well, come along then. Rest assured, none of you students will be wronged," the middle-aged police officer said before boarding a police vehicle.

Qin Xuan and Dongfang Qingwan climbed into the backseat of one of the cars. Seeing this, Shen Yina hurriedly scrambled in as well, sandwiching Qin Xuan between her and Dongfang Qingwan.

The police vehicles started up, and a convoy of more than ten cars sped away. Many officers remained at the restaurant to maintain order and conduct a crime scene investigation. Soon, the police recovered the remains of five Type 54 pistols, placing them into transparent bags as evidence. They also collected samples of blood and other materials. Finally, the entire restaurant was sealed off, ensuring it would not be allowed to reopen in the near future.

The onlookers whispered among themselves.

"Wasn't that Shen Yina, the school beauty from the Foreign Languages Department?"

"It's her. I heard it was her birthday today and she was hosting a dinner here. Why would she voluntarily get into a police car?"

"Did you notice? Shen Yina seems to have a connection with Brother Jian. She went right up to talk to him, and in the end, she even sat in the same car as him."

"You guys are so shallow, only thinking about women. I, for one, admire Brother Jian. That series of gunshots earlier was terrifying, yet it looks like no one was injured. Brother Jian must have been behind it!"

The incident quickly became a hot topic on the campus forum. Unfortunately, Gao Tie, who usually led the forum's trends, had been sent to the hospital with a swollen eye and could not participate in the discussion.

However, the discussion on the forum did not last long; it was quickly hushed. When such a major incident occurred on campus, the university leadership panicked. Their first priority was to suppress the news, and the first target was the campus forum. Every account involved in the discussion was muted, and a directive was issued level by level, strictly forbidding anyone from discussing the matter in private. Subsequently, they notified the police and major media outlets, hoping to contain the spread of the event. If the incident were to become widely known to the public, the leadership of Jinling University would face significant trouble.

***

At this moment, Qin Xuan sat in the backseat of the police car, feeling somewhat awkward. On both his left and right sat a beauty of "school-beauty" caliber. He was already accustomed to Dongfang Qingwan, but he didn't know why Shen Yina had insisted on joining them. Most people would avoid such trouble at all costs, let alone voluntarily ride to the police station.

"Qin Xuan, thank you," Shen Yina said again.

"As long as you're okay," he replied.

"Mm. My name is Shen Yina, a sophomore in the Foreign Languages Department," she introduced herself.

"Oh." Qin Xuan nodded, offering no further reaction.

Shen Yina watched him, and seeing that he didn't seem to pay much attention to her, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. A glance at Dongfang Qingwan, who was still clutching the hem of Qin Xuan's robe, made her feel as though she understood the situation, leaving her feeling dejected.

Qin Xuan sensed Dongfang Qingwan's grip. He turned his head, smiled slightly, and whispered, "It's really alright now. There’s no need to be nervous."

"Mm..." Dongfang Qingwan nodded softly.

"Come to think of it, I should be the one apologizing to you both," Qin Xuan sighed. "These people were after me, and you were dragged into it."

Dongfang Qingwan knew this, so she said nothing. But Shen Yina, upon hearing it, felt surprised. So, these people were targeting Qin Xuan?

"So you don't need to thank me. I should be the one apologizing to you," Qin Xuan said to Shen Yina with a smile.

That smile made Shen Yina feel much better, and she quickly waved her delicate, fair hand. "It's fine, really. Regardless, I should thank you."

At that moment, she wasn't thinking about the ins and outs of the incident, but rather the heroic and graceful figure Qin Xuan had cut earlier. When she thought of the persistent Mao Jialiang, the contrast became immediately apparent—one was like heaven, the other like earth. Mao Jialiang not only lacked ability, but he didn't even step up to protect her in a crisis—though given the guns, perhaps that was understandable.

The unforgivable part was that he had been so terrified he lost his nerve, even urging the thugs to take her as a hostage. It was clear that someone like Mao Jialiang couldn't be relied upon; this incident had finally allowed Shen Yina to see his true character.

The backseat of the police car fell silent. After a long while, Dongfang Qingwan whispered, "Qin Xuan..."

"Hmm?" Qin Xuan turned to look at her, only to find her face flushed like a ripe apple, though he wasn't sure why.

"What you said earlier... was it true?" Her voice grew quieter, filled with embarrassment.

"Which part?" Qin Xuan asked, puzzled.

"That is... that is..." Dongfang Qingwan wanted to explain, but couldn't find the words, and her gentle, pretty face grew even redder with anxiety.

Seeing her like this, Qin Xuan smiled, deciding not to tease her anymore. He knew, of course, that she was referring to the line, "She is my only one."

"At the time, I just wanted to know who that person was; I didn't think too much about it. But as I’ve said before," Qin Xuan said, a touch of determination in his eyes, "trust me, I will risk my life for you. It's just that these people weren't worth me having to truly risk my life."

Dongfang Qingwan understood his meaning immediately. These were just minor players; Qin Xuan was in no real danger dealing with them. If he ever truly had to risk his life for her, it would only be a matter of training, not because of other sentiments.

Dongfang Qingwan felt a slight sense of relief. She wasn't sure how she would respond if that had been a confession of love; she wasn't ready for a boyfriend, largely due to her Mysterious Yin physique. Yet, while she felt relieved, she also felt a strange emptiness, a sense of quiet disappointment she couldn't quite explain.

Though they spoke in whispers, Shen Yina heard them.

"I will risk my life for you..."

Her heart skipped a beat. Their bond was so deep; it seemed there was no place for her to step in. She only wondered if she would ever encounter a man in her life who would be willing to risk his life for her.