A neatly dressed woman with short hair led a large group of police officers as they charged in.

"Yuanyuan! Yuanyuan, where are you?"

Tian Yuanyuan waved her hand.

"Sister K! Over here!"

Seeing the chaotic scene in the bar and the black-clad men wailing on the ground, Sister K felt her heart leap into her throat. She hurried over to Tian Yuanyuan, pushing Xia Liang aside in the process.

"Let me see, let me see! Are you hurt anywhere?"

Tian Yuanyuan was jostled about like a toy but wore an expression of resigned helplessness, the kind one shows toward an overly concerned relative.

"Sister K, I'm not a child anymore. What could possibly happen to me?"

If only she hadn't said that. The words instantly made Sister K's expression darken.

SMACK—

She gave Tian Yuanyuan's bottom a sharp pat.

"And you have the nerve to say that!" she scolded. "I'm working myself to death preparing a celebration banquet, and you decide to just disappear on me! You say you're not a kid, but you haven't even gone to college yet, so stop pretending to be a grown-up! If you ever sneak out again, don't blame me for showing up at your future college dorm to pester you every single day. We'll see how you go wild then!"

Tian Yuanyuan shrank back in fear.

"I know I was wrong, okay? Besides, I'm fine. Look, here's my knight of the night, Mister Xia, the Black Flash."

"Hello, big sister—"

"Who's your big sister! Who are you calling big sister?"

Sister K was only in her early thirties, a sensitive age for many women. "Auntie" was too old, but "little sister" was just awkward.

Xia Liang was speechless. What am I supposed to call you then? Big Auntie?

"All unrelated personnel, stay where you are and don't move!" one of the Protectors ordered, flashing his badge. "I have reason to believe someone has been deliberately starting trouble and causing injury. All persons involved will come with us."

When the officer saw Xia Liang, his eyes lit up. Before Xia could even speak, the Protector waved his hand dismissively.

"Enough talk! Take him away!"

Li Weixu didn't move. With so many people watching, there was no need to step forward. He could just wait for an opportunity to pull some strings later. Besides, Xia Liang had connections with the Bai Family.

But Tian Yuanyuan didn't see it that way.

"Sister K, he did all this for me tonight. He can't be taken away."

Though a bit naively sweet, Tian Yuanyuan was not without a sense of responsibility. In the end, everything that happened tonight was because of her. If she hadn't sneaked out, Xia Liang would never have clashed with Guo Qianzhong. Their paths might never have crossed in their entire lives.

"Silly girl, I've got this," Sister K said, before turning to the lead officer of the Protectors. "I hope you'll treat our friend well. Our on-call lawyer will be there overnight. If anything happens to our friend, you will bear full responsibility."

The Protector's ears were practically calloused from hearing such threats. He was actually here to protect someone, but he hadn't expected the person he was supposed to protect to have already laid out the entire opposition. An order had come directly from above: he was to make sure to take this colleague with him.

With a wave of his hand, he had Xia Liang escorted away.

Once inside the car, the Protector spoke up.

"Brother Xia, Yun Hall sent me. Just pick a spot, and we'll let you off."

"No problem. Thanks, brother."

"It's nothing," the Protector said with a wave.

Although Yun Long hadn't really been much help, it was the thought that counted. Xia Liang made a mental note to thank him when he got the chance.

They hadn't driven far before Xia Liang found a place to get out. The drop-off point was just outside a pedestrian street, and he briefly wondered if he should go back for his motorcycle.

The long street was lined with shops selling clothes, shoes, and toys, with the occasional cold drink and snack shop dotted in between. Countless fashionable young couples walked hand-in-hand, drifting from one store to the next, creating memories that would one day be sweet or sorrowful.

After strolling for a bit, he started to feel hungry. Spotting a spicy hot pot restaurant by the side of the road, Xia Liang walked in.

"Boss, a bowl of spicy hot pot, please. Extra spicy and extra hot."

"Boss, I'll have a bowl of spicy hot pot, too. No spice and no heat."

Tian Yuanyuan walked in, followed by Sister K, who took out a tissue to meticulously wipe down a chair and table before sitting down with an elegant posture.

"What are you two doing here?" Xia Liang asked, touching his nose.

"Delivering your Black Knight, of course. You can't just leave such an expensive motorcycle parked with a bunch of electric scooters, can you?" Tian Yuanyuan said, playfully dangling the keys from her finger.

She was still wearing the baseball cap and large sunglasses, but that didn't stop all the men in the restaurant, young and old, from staring with wide eyes. It was her charisma—something money couldn't buy. Though Tian Yuanyuan's stunning face was hidden, her beautiful figure and vibrant aura were simply irresistible to men. Seeing her was like being reminded of that perfect girl from your school days, the one everyone wanted to pursue.

"This place doesn't really seem like your scene, does it?" Xia Liang said with a smile, glancing at the covetous gazes of the men around them. "And you ordered it with no spice or heat. You just want it served cold?"

"Aside from being a better singer and dancer, I'm just a regular girl."

That sentence alone made Xia Liang's opinion of her improve significantly. Any other celebrity would have demanded an entire platoon as an escort, terrified that people wouldn't recognize their status, let alone set foot in a noisy little diner like this.

"Besides, your mission for tonight isn't over yet, is it?" Tian Yuanyuan added, pointing at her phone.

"No way, sis. We've raced, we've drank, we've fought. You're still not satisfied?"

Beside them, Sister K hesitated, a worried look on her face. When she had followed them earlier, she was shocked to see Xia Liang respectfully dropped off by the police car and had nearly driven her own car into a ditch. She knew a little about Guo Qianzhong's background. The Guo Family Young Master was currently in the ICU, yet the man responsible wasn't in any trouble at all. All the signs point to Xia Liang being a dangerous person, someone we should stay far away from, she thought. But no matter how much she tried to persuade her, Tian Yuanyuan was completely spellbound, insisting that she had to see Xia Liang. Sister K sensed a major red flag. Everyone was young and reckless once. A girl who just became an adult has absolutely no defense against a man who's dangerous, a good fighter, and ridiculously handsome.

Perhaps because Tian Yuanyuan's presence brought in more customers, the restaurant owner upgraded her small portion to a gigantic one. It was piled high with meatballs, eggs, and other ingredients until it looked like a small mountain.

"Are you afraid of getting fat?" Xia Liang asked.

"Of course, I am! I always keep my weight under ninety pounds," Tian Yuanyuan replied, revealing her secret stats without a second thought.

"Good to know," Xia Liang said with a slight nod, before promptly using his spoon to scoop a generous amount of the best ingredients from her bowl into his own.

HISS—

The surrounding men gasped, looking like they wanted to grab a kitchen knife and charge him. That kid's got some nerve. Just hearing the voice of a girl this perfect was enough to make a man's head spin, yet this guy was taking her for granted.

To their dismay, Tian Yuanyuan just maintained her sweetly innocent smile. She was even worried Xia Liang wouldn't have enough, and she enthusiastically pushed more of the good stuff from her bowl over to his.

This left Sister K sighing in exasperation. Oh, kid, you're falling for him way too fast.

"Seeing as you've been on your best behavior, I guess I'll clock out a little later tonight," Xia Liang said, patting his full stomach. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere nice."

Sister K quickly stepped in to stop them.

"Fun is fine, but we are not going to a hotel!"

Xia Liang was at a loss for words.

He walked out of the restaurant without another word. As they got to the vehicles, Tian Yuanyuan refused to get into Sister K's van, insisting on riding with Xia Liang. Her reason was that it was "cooler" on the back of the motorcycle. Sister K's teeth itched with irritation. It was already autumn; what was so "cool" about riding on a bike in the middle of the night?

But in a moment's distraction, Tian Yuanyuan had already hopped onto the Black Knight, excitedly patting Xia Liang on the shoulder.

Xia Liang grinned, shot Sister K a "catch-me-if-you-can" look, and roared away into the night.

Chase them? Not a chance.

「Near midnight, atop a small, hilly platform.」

All the tourists had gone down the mountain, so at this hour, there was no one else around. It was just the two of them.

"For a birthday, a celebration needs fireworks. It just so happens the New Year is only four or five months away, so think of this as an early greeting," Xia Liang said, holding a large bundle. It was full of fireworks, long and short tubes of all kinds. He ripped open the packaging and handed one to Tian Yuanyuan.

"The birthday girl goes first."

Tian Yuanyuan smiled sweetly.

"Then I'll wish you a Happy New Year in advance, too."

Xia Liang nearly stumbled over his own feet. Her choice of words is...unfortunate.

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