Zhao Chun was dumbfounded, standing there motionless. He even started to wonder if this woman had so kind of problem—why did she suddenly throw herself into his arms? And she was hugging him so tightly that his chest almost couldn’t breathe.
All he did was save soone, so why was he being taken advantage of?
He was a good person, but not a pushover.
He really wanted to pick this girl up and toss her into the corner, but then she suddenly started crying. Her sobbing escalated into full-on wailing, which left Zhao Chun completely at a loss. One hand still held onto his jacket, frozen midair; he didn’t dare toss her aside anymore.
He thoroughly looked like a ss—both hands half-raised like he was surrendering. Logically speaking, since the girl was upset, he should probably pat her back and offer so comfort.
But these noble hands of his had already helped her today, and giving her back a few more pats? That was asking too much; after all, he still needed these hands to cook dinner later.
This girl was really frightened; it was her first ti encountering those thugs. She thought about how no one else helped her on the street except this one man. In that mont, all she could do was cry—cry and cry so more. She forgot who he was, forgot the differences between n and won, and clung to him like he was her lifeline.
Tears stread down like pearls from a broken string. They soaked into Zhao Chun’s clothes, leaving blotches everywhere.
People walking by stopped to take a curious glance.
Zhao Chun couldn’t take it anymore. His handso face flushed bright red. "Hey, miss, stop crying already. They’re really gone now. Look—people are all staring at us."
These words jolted the girl back to her senses.
She released her grip on Zhao Chun, wiped her tears, her nose still red. "Sorry, and thank you." The apology was for hugging him so suddenly, and the thanks were for saving her.
Finally, she loosened her death grip, and Zhao Chun inhaled deeply, lifting his chin slightly. "It’s fine, it’s fine. I saw you were in danger and couldn’t just stand by. But in the future, you should be more careful. It’s best not to go out alone."
The girl didn’t reply, her swollen, red eyes resembling a pair of peaches.
Zhao Chun asked, "Where’s your ho? I’ll walk you back."
The girl, still shaken, thought for a mont before nodding in agreent.
Zhao Chun followed a few steps behind her, and the girl continually turned around to check, her fear still lingering.
Zhao Chun found it amusing. "I’m right here."
Halfway through their walk, they saw a group of patrol officers escorting several n into a police car. Though it was getting dark, they could still recognize that these were the n from earlier.
Zhao Chun let out a low chuckle, muttering, "Those bastards got caught—serves them right."
The girl glanced over briefly before turning her gaze back to Zhao Chun. His confident profile, the slight tilt of his lips, his straight nose, his long, curved eyelashes—his eyes weren’t visible, but she knew they were as bright as stars.
"My na is Jin Zhi." She bit her lip and asked softly, "And you?"
"My na’s Zhao," Zhao Chun paused, his interest piqued. "Your na is pretty unique."
"You don’t happen to have a sister nad Yuye, do you?" He noticed how demure and graceful this girl seed.
Jin Zhi lowered her head, staring at the ground, as if feeling embarrassed.
"My last na’s Jin. My sister’s na is Jin Yu, and my brother’s na is Jin Ye."
So that’s what it ant.
Zhao Chun nodded thoughtfully. "There seem to be a lot of police around the streets recently. If you ever run into sothing like this again, just call for their help. You don’t need to worry about encountering more trouble; the security in Beijing is decent, just a bit chaotic lately."
Jin Zhi responded with a soft "Mm." She had seen many police officers in the city over the past few days. She’d heard people say that sothing serious had happened higher up, but as a commoner, she had no idea what it was.
She could tell from his polished appearance that Zhao Chun must have co from a good family. Yet, despite her curiosity, she was too timid to ask, afraid she would annoy him. After all, they were just two strangers who had crossed paths by chance.
Zhao Chun, however, was quite inford about the recent situation in Beijing. Lu Chi’s father, Lu Lixing, had suddenly disappeared and had been missing for a long ti. The esteed leader of the East Sea Military Region didn’t go missing in East Sea. For a while, he had been recovering from injuries in Yunnan, but then the insiders discovered that he was not there at all. No one, not even his subordinates, knew where he had gone or why he had concealed his location. As a result, the military had mobilized teams all across the country to search for him.
Of course, the prevailing theory was that he might have encountered a terrorist attack.
Zhao Chun walked Jin Zhi to her residence.
Filthy, chaotic, and reeking of decay.
Far from the bustling, prosperous western district of the city.
In the completely opposite direction.
He had heard of this place before—it was the poorest, most disorganized area of Beijing. The buildings here were all run-down two-story structures. Stray cats and dogs road around the alleys, howling and barking, with trash scattered everywhere and flies and mosquitoes buzzing incessantly.
Zhao Chun raised a hand to rub his nose.
Before entering the stairs, they passed a gang of idle punks casually playing cards.
"Jin Zhi’s back. Hey, who’s this with you?"
Jin Zhi’s face turned pale. Looking back nervously at Zhao Chun, she asked softly, "Can you co in with ?"
Zhao Chun, seeing the situation, helplessly nodded.
"He’s my boyfriend," Jin Zhi blurted out to the group.
The punks looked annoyed but didn’t challenge her further. After they went upstairs, one of them sneered, "Looks like she found herself a sugar daddy."
"Tsk, just a fake goody-two-shoes playing the part."
Jin Zhi’s place was on the second floor. The upstairs hallway was no better than downstairs, littered with trash and reeking of unpleasant slls. Jin Zhi kept her head low, her face burning with embarrassnt.
She pulled out her keys and unlocked the door, murmuring quietly, "Thank you for today."
Zhao Chun stood inside the tiny, cramped room, feeling like he could barely breathe. The entire space had only a single bed and a table—there wasn’t even a wardrobe for clothes.
The only place to sit was the bed.
Zhao Chun asked, "Do you live here alone? Why are you staying in a place like this? Where’s your family?" Then he realized his words might’ve been inappropriate. What other reason would there be for living here, if not a lack of money?
Still, this area didn’t seem safe. Without family or acquaintances, it would be very easy for her to be taken advantage of—just like those punks downstairs.
Jin Zhi replied, "I’m from the countryside. I ca here to find work. It’s my first ti in the city, so I didn’t know anyone and could only afford this kind of place. My family is still back ho. Jobs in Beijing aren’t easy to find." She had worked briefly in so small shops that paid very little, not enough to support her entire family. Her limited education also made it hard for her to secure better opportunities. Stuck between aspirations and reality, she was on the brink of running out of options.
She looked utterly defeated.
Zhao Chun sighed. "Have you found any work yet?"
Jin Zhi shook her head. "Not yet."
Suddenly, Zhao Chun seed to rember sothing. "I have a friend who’s hiring recently. Maybe you can give it a shot."
A faint glimr of hope lit up Jin Zhi’s teary eyes.
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