Xue Zhiqiang was about to reach Xin Jia'er's apartment building when he saw a car parked under the big tree. Xu Lang, looking weathered and tired, stood by the car, shouting up at the building, "Jia'er, I was wrong—"
"Hey, buddy, it's late at night. Aren't you afraid of someone complaining about you?" Xue Zhiqiang walked over.
Xu Lang didn't look back, his tone impatient, "What's it to you?"
Xue Zhiqiang, tall with long legs, closed the distance to Xu Lang in a few strides. He was half a head taller than Xu Lang, and with his regular gym workouts, Xu Lang appeared weak and small in comparison.
"Xin Jia'er is my woman. I'm telling you to scram now."
Xue Zhiqiang warned in a deep voice. His voice wasn't loud, but the intimidation in his tone sent a chill down one's spine.
Xu Lang turned his head and saw Xue Zhiqiang, the same person who had beaten him last time. For a moment, he felt fear, then sneered, "It's you! I knew Xin Jia'er wouldn't be so heartless; turns out she hooked up with you! Haha, and you have the nerve to talk about me cheating? Looks like she was the first to get restless..."
Bang!
Xue Zhiqiang threw a punch!
The fist was hard and fierce. Xu Lang's face was directly askew, blood streaming from his nose. He grimaced in pain, "Damn it... hiss..."
Xue Zhiqiang was fierce and not one for many words. He asked again, "Scram or not?"
Xu Lang looked into Xue Zhiqiang's dark, gloomy eyes and felt a sudden chill. He covered his face, glared fiercely at the building upstairs, and got into his car.
Xue Zhiqiang scoffed, a coward!
Xin Jia'er was secretly watching from behind the curtain upstairs. When she saw Xue Zhiqiang hit Xu Lang, she feared they would get into a brawl, but she hadn't expected Xu Lang to leave after taking one punch.
He left?
She was a bit bewildered, but the worry and fear in her heart gradually subsided.
Before long, Xue Zhiqiang knocked on the door.
Xin Jia'er opened the door, facing this handsome man who exuded boyfriend material. Her heart was a mess.
On one hand, she resented him for taking her virginity;
On the other hand, she knew it was a shared responsibility, and Xue Zhiqiang had helped her twice...
"Come in, come in," Xin Jia'er stepped back and poured some tea, placing it on the coffee table.
Xue Zhiqiang stepped inside, looking around. It was clearly a young woman's dwelling, filled with soft colors, cartoon stickers everywhere, and little teddy bears, reminiscent of Su Xiaorui's former bedroom.
"Didn't Ding Ding come?" Xin Jia'er's tone was a bit awkward.
"Yeah, isn't it okay for me to come protect you?" Xue Zhiqiang raised an eyebrow, his demeanor very natural.
In truth, he was feeling quite uncertain himself, but seeing Xin Jia'er's awkwardness somehow put him at ease.
Xin Jia'er was wearing a cartoon pajama set with ears on the hood. She was bare-faced, her fair and tender skin giving her a youthful, pure, and cute appearance.
"I don't need you to protect me," Xin Jia'er said, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, her small face tense.
"Do you know what I said to Xu Lang?" Xue Zhiqiang suddenly asked.
"What?" Xin Jia'er glanced at him sideways, her face full of defensiveness.
"I said, you're my woman, tell him to stay away from you." Xue Zhiqiang watched her with a smile.
Xin Jia'er's face immediately turned red. She thought he was implying they had been intimate, and she became embarrassed and a little angry!
"Don't say such things," she said huffily.
"Okay," Xue Zhiqiang nodded, took a sip of tea, "I reckon Xu Lang will come looking for you again. You shouldn't stay here anymore; why don't you come stay with me for a couple of days?"
Xin Jia'er frowned, "Why would I go to your place?"
Xue Zhiqiang said earnestly, "You're a young lady, it's very dangerous. I can protect you."
He actually wanted to make amends as much as possible. Although Xin Jia'er didn't require him to take responsibility, he still felt a bit apologetic. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you."
"Why should I believe you? I don't believe you!" Xin Jia'er stated bluntly.
"Are you planning to just stay home like this?" Xue Zhiqiang asked.
"Mm," Xin Jia'er's voice grew a little weaker.
"What if he comes and picks the lock while you're sleeping? What do you think would happen?" Xue Zhiqiang's voice turned cold and serious.
Xin Jia'er's face turned pale, her doe-like eyes staring at him, moist.
Xue Zhiqiang asked again, "You'll be followed when you go out, and you have to constantly guard against him attacking you at home. How long can you live this life of constant apprehension?"
"I..." Xin Jia'er was speechless.
"Or you could go back home. The Xin family still has some standing in Jiangcheng," Xue Zhiqiang suggested.
"No, I don't want Dad to worry about me anymore. He's been working late recently, dealing with company matters. I don't want to distract him."
After speaking, Xin Jia'er suddenly looked at Xue Zhiqiang again, "You really won't do anything to me?"
Xue Zhiqiang nodded helplessly.
...
In the following days, Su Ding finally managed to gather five million and transferred it to the designated account.
The heavy stone weighing on her heart finally lifted. The debt from five years ago was settled, and Xiao Rui was her daughter alone, unrelated to anyone else.
What she didn't know was that the moment she transferred the money, Jin Ye had already sent people to investigate. xxs1
That night, Su Ding slept soundly. Suddenly, she felt a man embracing her from behind, his warm hand caressing her slightly bulging belly.
"Mm, you're back."
Su Ding's voice was husky as she languidly turned over and snuggled into Jin Ye's embrace.
Jin Ye looked at her with heartache, comforting her with a gentle stroke, and softly said, "Sleep."
Su Ding had been frequently using her funds these days, appearing anxious and uneasy, which was no doubt related to Wang Yan last time. However, they hadn't been able to figure out what they had discussed in the room afterward.
As long as they could trace that receiving account, everything would be resolved.
His little wife still didn't trust him enough.
...
In the next few days, Su Ding received no further harassment from Shao Lin or President Wang, and her mood improved.
One day, she arranged to meet Xin Jia'er for a meal.
After dinner, the two went shopping. They happened to pass a maternity clothing store. The styles inside looked very fashionable and new, like a custom boutique from a major foreign brand.
Xin Jia'er spotted a maternity dress set in the window and her eyes lit up, "Ding Ding, look at that one."
Su Ding looked back and smiled lightly. It was indeed quite beautiful.
"Let's go, let's go, you try it on," Xin Jia'er urged her inside.
"It's still too early for me," Su Ding felt a bit shy about her finances, especially since she had just paid out five million and didn't want to use the card Jin Ye had given her earlier.
Xin Jia'er, thinking she was just being modest, smiled, "Just try it on, you'll look great in it."
Su Ding was still hesitant, but seeing Xin Jia'er's excitement, she didn't want to dampen her spirits.
"Okay."
As soon as they entered the store, Xin Jia'er surveyed the clothes on the racks, full of enthusiasm, "This one is nice too. Let's try them all on later."
Su Ding was about to take one when she was suddenly startled by a sharp voice!
"Don't touch anything carelessly! Can you afford to pay if you break it?"