Chapter 26: Offering Herself in Marriage
“Damn it, all of you, attack! Beat this pretty boy to death!” The leader spat and charged forward first.
Ling Hanmu said dismissively, “Stop the nonsense. All of you, get to work for this Young Master. Don’t you know villains die from talking too much?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Hanmu charged forward with the momentum of a fierce tiger.
Xia Minglan’s eyes widened in terror, her heart shattering as she looked at Ling Hanmu. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the ground!
“Ling, Young Master Ling…” she murmured the words, her mind consumed by a single thought: It’s over, this time it’s really over!
Xia Chenge had expected to witness a great battle, but who would have thought that this rabble would not even last five minutes against Ling Hanmu before all falling down.
“I’ve barely warmed up, and it’s already over?” Ling Hanmu stepped on the chest of the leader. “With your skills, you dare to act like a boss?”
“Little brother, spare me! I was blind and didn’t recognize your greatness. I’ll kowtow and apologize.” The leader was so scared he wet himself, his previous arrogance completely gone.
Ling Hanmu kicked him. “When you were bullying the weak and defenseless, why didn’t you know you were wrong? This Young Master hates scum like you who bully the weak the most. However, this Young Master is also a kind person, so it’s not impossible for me to let you go…”
“Big Brother, tell us, we’ll do whatever you say.” The man readily agreed.
Ling Hanmu glanced at the trembling Xia Minglan, and Xia Chenge immediately understood his intention. Xia Minglan, seeing his gaze, felt her vision darken and nearly fainted.
She opened her mouth to beg for mercy but couldn’t utter a single word.
“It’s very simple. Whoever sent you, you’ll beat her up severely for this Young Master, and then this matter will be over. Otherwise, do you think the Ling family doesn’t have the ability to keep you in jail for life?” Ling Hanmu asked slowly.
Upon hearing the name Ling family, the man finally recognized Ling Hanmu. “Ling, Young Master Ling, we’ll do it right away, right away!”
Hearing this, Xia Minglan looked in despair as the group of thugs she had hired surrounded her, her mind buzzing.
“Help!” Before Xia Minglan could even shout these two words, the group began to attack her, and sharp screams of agony erupted.
Ling Hanmu watched the scene with a smile, but the smile that didn’t reach his eyes made one’s hair stand on end.
No matter how Xia Minglan cried out, Ling Hanmu remained unmoved, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
Xia Chenge, looking at Ling Hanmu through the iron gate, was deeply shaken. She saw a familiar bloodlust in Ling Hanmu’s eyes – the look of someone who had been bitten by a zombie, was mutating, and had lost all recognition of their kin!
No, she must have been mistaken! Xia Chenge reassured herself and looked again. Ling Hanmu still had a cold, excited look.
Why was this happening? Xia Chenge’s heart sank. Looking at Ling Hanmu like this, her mood was indescribably complex.
Xia Chenge took a deep breath, steadied herself, and walked over to stop the attackers. “All of you, stop!”
If this continued, Xia Minglan would lose her life, and she didn’t want Xia Minglan to have such an easy end.
“Little brother said to stop, so let’s stop.” Hearing Xia Chenge’s voice, the bloodlust in Ling Hanmu’s eyes disappeared, and he returned to normal. He waved his hand, letting Xia Minglan go.
If she hadn’t seen it clearly herself, Xia Chenge would have thought it was just an illusion. Recalling how Ling Hanmu had managed to capture her, Xia Chenge slowly frowned.
Xia Chenge trusted her intuition; Ling Hanmu must be hiding some secret!
“Take her to the hospital. If she dies, you’ll be in serious trouble. You know what to do about the rest, right?” Ling Hanmu was still the arrogant Young Master who was overbearing in front of others.
“Yes, yes, Young Master Ling, you are right. We’ll go immediately.” The group bowed and nodded, not daring to disobey Ling Hanmu at all. They dragged the half-dead Xia Minglan away quickly.
The farce ended just like that. Xia Chenge opened the main gate and walked towards Ling Hanmu. “Thank you.”
“Great kindness needs no thanks. If you want to thank me, offer yourself to me.” Ling Hanmu leaned in with a grin.
Xia Chenge stared at Ling Hanmu without blinking.
After a moment of being stared at by Xia Chenge, a blush of unnaturalness spread across Ling Hanmu’s handsome face. “What are you looking at me like that for? Is there something on my face?”
Xia Chenge was confused. Ling Hanmu seemed perfectly normal, not infected with any zombie virus. Was she overthinking things?
“What’s wrong, little brother?” Seeing that Xia Chenge didn’t react to his words, Ling Hanmu waved his hand in front of her.
Xia Chenge batted his hand away. “It’s nothing.”
“You were quite harsh just now!” Ling Hanmu deliberately steered the conversation towards what had just happened.
“Was she ever polite to me?” Xia Chenge retorted.
“No!” Ling Hanmu said without hesitation. “But being too ostentatious easily attracts attention, making it difficult to lie low.”
Xia Chenge was startled by his words. Meeting Ling Hanmu’s gaze again, his eyes were as deep as the sea, filled with a seriousness that brooked no doubt.
“You can be like this Young Master. This Young Master will be your backing!” Ling Hanmu said with a playful air. “Let’s form the Haicheng Duo, specializing in drawing swords to help those in need. What do you say?”
Xia Chenge’s heart grew solemn. She knew Ling Hanmu wasn’t just a pampered young master who relied on his family’s influence; his mind was terrifyingly meticulous!
Even after only a few days together, he had seen through her completely. If it were the original owner, she would have had no secrets left in front of this young master.
“You’re so capable.” Xia Chenge replied calmly. “If you’re so capable, why are you still stuck at Yan Sheng High School? You should go to the First High School and shine, letting the whole world know Ling Hanmu, not just Young Master Ling.”
“Little brother, can I interpret this as you worrying about me and being disappointed in my lack of progress?” Ling Hanmu blinked.
Xia Chenge rolled her eyes at him. “Self-infatuation is a disease, and it needs treatment!”
“Do you have the medicine?” Ling Hanmu asked back.
Xia Chenge… Forget it. She shouldn’t waste her energy arguing with this guy. She couldn’t win against this “Ling Big Duck”!
“I helped you out, aren’t you going to invite me in for a cup of tea?” Ling Hanmu looked inside and said plaintively.
The servants were still standing in the courtyard watching them. Xia Chenge waved them off to attend to their duties, then said to Ling Hanmu, “My house is small. I’m afraid Young Master won’t be used to it.”
Hearing this, Ling Hanmu cheerfully entered on his own. “I don’t have a rule about not going to small places.”
Xia Chenge… Is this guy genuinely foolish or just pretending? Didn’t he hear her subtle refusal?
However, considering how much he had helped her, she would be magnanimous and not hold it against him.
Ling Hanmu showed no signs of being a guest. He led Xia Chenge around the Xia family courtyard, talking non-stop. “Although your house is a bit small, it’s much more lively and comfortable than mine.”
