A Ban quickly shifted his gaze, naturally looking elsewhere.
Su Su, sure that A Ban was no longer staring at her, turned her attention back to the stage. She heard the host strike the gavel forcefully, and the old record had been bought at a high price.
The next item for charity auction was a piece of jewelry, donated by the Xie family, a long-established wealthy family in Lancheng who started in the catering business. It was an emerald brooch. Besides the dazzling emerald gemstone, the surrounding gold wire filigree craftsmanship was also a major highlight, showing extreme meticulousness.
The audience below marveled, noting the Xie family's significant contribution to charity this time.
Su Su didn't know what was happening to her. Though her eyes were fixed on the brooch on stage, her heart was inexplicably still thinking about the bodyguard named A Ban, wanting to see if he was still watching her, yet she dared not look again in A Ban's direction.
...
After chasing out of the exhibition center, Xiao Anjing pursued them to the lobby of a nearby five-star hotel, but the figures of Director Zhao and Lan Yu had vanished.
He had to ask the hotel staff guarding the elevator, "Have you seen a man with a big belly and greasy hair holding a girl in a tight evening gown?"
"A man holding a girl did get into the elevator just now."
"Which floor did they go to, and what's the room number?" As he spoke, he slipped the staff member a stack of bills.
The staff member immediately leaned closer and whispered the floor and room number.
Xiao Anjing hurried into the elevator. The staff member, thinking he was a husband catching his wife in an affair, also got in and said, "Sir, even if you rush to that room door, you won't be able to get in without a room card."
"You don't need to worry about that." As he spoke, the elevator stopped at the floor he had pressed. He strode towards the room. Before the staff member could say anything else, he swiftly lifted his foot and, with a bang, kicked open the heavy room door.
The surrounding staff member was stunned speechless, as if the entire floor had shaken. It was terrifying; what if someone died?
The staff member who had leaked the guest's room number quickly ran to call hotel security.
Xiao Anjing burst into the room and saw Lan Yu, disheveled and handcuffed to the bed. Water was running in the bathroom.
It seemed Director Zhao was taking a bath. Xiao Anjing thought with amusement that this disgusting man was quite particular.
Lan Yu had not completely lost consciousness and was struggling with all her might. Her wriggling body froze abruptly the moment she saw Xiao Anjing break in, leaving her utterly humiliated.
Xiao Anjing saw that her wrists were bleeding. Because she had struggled so hard, the metal handcuffs were digging into her flesh. It seemed Su Su was right; she was unwilling.
Lan Yu didn't know why this man, whom she had never met, appeared here. Did he have the same intentions as Director Zhao?
Having experienced marital betrayal, she had long seen through all men and no longer held any hope for love, believing that no man in the world was good.
She only froze for a moment before starting to struggle with all her might before losing consciousness.
Xiao Anjing's heart tightened as he said, "Do you want to grind your wrists off? Where is the key?"
A wave of bitterness washed over Lan Yu, and tears flowed uncontrollably. She glanced at the scattered men's suits nearby.
Xiao Anjing immediately understood. He picked up Director Zhao's clothes and found the handcuff key in his suit pocket. Seeing Lan Yu crying on the bed, his heart ached slightly.
But he wasn't familiar with her; why should he feel sorry for her? He must be out of his mind.
Xiao Anjing used the key to unlock the handcuffs and said coldly, "Why are you crying? Weren't you willing to do anything for ten million just now?"
As soon as her hands were free, Lan Yu, trembling all over, immediately raised her hand and slapped Xiao Anjing.
"You get away too, don't touch me!"
Xiao Anjing was dumbfounded. He had come to save her out of kindness, and she had still hit him!
Lan Yu climbed off the bed, dragging her heavy body, and tried to escape.
Xiao Anjing came to his senses, grabbed one of her arms, and stopped her from leaving. He had never been so infuriated. This damned woman!
Lan Yu's eyes were red. "Bastard, let go of me!" The pain from her chafing wrists was what kept her conscious until now. She had to escape this room before she collapsed, otherwise she would... she would be... by these two men...
Xiao Anjing glared at this ungrateful woman, feeling the blood from her wrist flowing onto his fingers. He couldn't unleash his anger and instead flung her arm away, "A woman like you, who doesn't know her place, deserves it!"
Lan Yu ignored him and, feeling weak all over, leaned against the wall as she walked out.
At that moment, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Director Zhao emerged, wearing only a towel, his flabby body fully exposed.
Director Zhao suddenly saw Xiao Anjing standing in the room and was taken aback. He quickly became angry, "Director Xiao, you trespassed into my room. Do you want me to call the police and have you arrested!"
Xiao Anjing casually picked up a handcuff from the bed and threw it at him, "Call the police then. It just so happens I also want to call the police and have them arrest you!"
Director Zhao looked at the handcuff at his feet and chuckled, "This is a personal hobby. Can the police control that?"
"You drugged her, kidnapped her, and coerced her. That's more than just a hobby, isn't it?" Xiao Anjing said with a cold smile. "When the police arrive, we can ask them to review the on-site surveillance, and also let this woman wake up and ask her if she was willing to cooperate with your hobbies."
Lan Yu, leaning against the wall, had only taken a few steps before her strength gave out, and she slid down. Her eyes were vacant as she looked at Xiao Anjing, only vaguely seeing the two men talking. She couldn't hear what they were saying anymore and felt in despair that she was completely finished this time...
Director Zhao glanced at the now limp Lan Yu and said with a laugh, "Director Xiao, are you very familiar with this woman? Why are you meddling? I can afford ten million. How I want to play is my own business. Please leave my room!"
He was right. What relationship did this ungrateful woman have with him, Xiao Anjing? Even if he saved her, she would still treat him like a villain.
But she trembled, her hands and feet shaking, and knelt by the wall. Her bloodstains were already on the white wall.
He took a deep breath, his expression stern, and said to Director Zhao with a terrifying gaze, "Because she is my woman. If you dare to have any more ideas about her, save that ten million to buy your own gravestone!"
With that, he turned around, picked up the dazed Lan Yu expressionlessly, and carried her away in front of the arriving security guards and staff.
It was known that he hadn't been this fierce for a long time. He remembered the last time he had such a fierce gaze was many years ago when he was fighting black people abroad with Tianyi.
Director Zhao was startled by Xiao Anjing's expression. He could only consider himself unlucky. It wasn't worth completely falling out with Xiao Anjing over a cast-off woman who had been kicked out by the Xie family. He happened to have nowhere to vent his anger, so he roared at the hotel staff, "How is your hotel responsible for guest safety? You actually allowed someone to break into my room like this. I want to complain!"
The hotel staff member apologized cautiously, "We are very sorry, very sorry. We will change your room immediately and upgrade you to a complimentary deluxe suite..."