Huo Chen’s face flushed a deep red. He lowered his eyes and stammered out an apology. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Xu Ying was so furious she nearly kicked him—if she could. Seeing that he was just standing there and not helping her up, her patience snapped. “Pull me up already! My legs hurt!”
Huo Chen snapped out of his daze and quickly knelt beside her, his face full of concern as he reached out to check her injuries.
“Hey—gently! That hurts!” Xu Ying gasped, her brows scrunching in pain.
It wasn’t just her arms. Her calves had taken the brunt of the fall as well. If she had known that taking a shortcut meant ending up like this, she wouldn’t have been so lazy and stopped riding. Her one moment of carelessness had nearly left her crippled.
Huo Chen’s expression turned serious. He carefully rolled up the sleeves of her blouse and the legs of her trousers. Under the dim light, her fair, tender skin was marred with bloody scrapes and wounds. Her arms had been torn open by jagged stones, and a thin line of crimson traced its way down from the fresh cuts.
Her arms weren’t the only problem—her calf and ankle seemed to have been crushed under the weight of the bicycle. Though there was no visible wound, the area was swollen and tender to the touch. The pain she felt suggested more than just bruising—possibly a sprain or worse.
Huo Chen cradled her slim, delicate foot in his large hands, not daring to apply even the slightest pressure. His forehead broke into a nervous sweat, though whether from embarrassment or sheer anxiety, he wasn’t sure.
“Hold on. I’ll try to rub it for you. It… it might hurt a bit,” he said hoarsely.
Xu Ying bit her lower lip and nodded.
Huo Chen cautiously began to knead her ankle, using barely ten percent of his strength.
“Ahh! Softer! That hurts!” Xu Ying cried out, clenching her fists in pain.
Startled, Huo Chen immediately stopped and switched to a gentler motion, his hands trembling slightly as he massaged her ankle with the utmost care.
He had never been this nervous in his entire life.
—
Meanwhile, Wu Qingsong was cheerfully riding his bike toward Xujiacun after buying some things in town. Before heading home, he made a detour to the Huo household to see if Huo Chen had returned.
When he didn’t find him there, he grinned slyly, rubbing his chin.
This rascal! Out so long on a date? Well, well, Wu Qingsong thought smugly. When that kid comes back, I’ll definitely reward him—for not wasting the perfect opportunity I gave the two of them.
—
As for Huo Chen himself, he was seething on the inside.
The image of Xu Ying’s arms—covered in wounds, blood trickling down—made him feel like his chest was about to burst with fury.
He clenched his fists, silently cursing himself for being so useless. All he did was hold her hand for a second and he reacted like a fumbling fool. Pathetic!
—
At the same time, the Dong brothers—Dong Wenqiang and Dong Wenjie—stood shivering under the starless sky.
Spoiled and idle at home, they had never worked a day in their lives. But in the countryside, life was different. The work points they earned barely put food on the table. Their only salvation was the money sent from home.
But money couldn’t buy everything.
They didn’t even have warm clothes for the winter and were still wearing thin coats as the chill deepened by the day.
Dong Wenqiang turned to his brother, teeth chattering. “Did you pay attention earlier? It’s already this late. The state-owned restaurant closes by seven sharp.”
“I didn’t see Xu Ying at all,” he said with a frown. “She usually passes this road after work, doesn’t she?”
Dong Wenjie looked equally baffled. He scanned the dark path in vain. “What the hell? Could she have taken another road back to the village?”
“That’s impossible…” Dong Wenqiang grumbled, rubbing his arms for warmth. “Forget it. Wenjie, let’s go back. I’m freezing.”
Wenjie nodded reluctantly, and the two of them trudged back toward the village, their empty stomachs grumbling louder than their frustration.
—
Not long after they left, Huo Chen returned—carrying Xu Ying carefully on his bicycle.
At that moment, chaos had broken out at the Xu household.
Xu Ying’s parents had initially thought she was just working late. But when the clock struck eight and she still hadn’t returned, panic set in.
Xu’s father gathered the entire family and led them in a desperate search.
They had already scoured every inch of the back hills but found no trace of their daughter.
Anxiety gripped them like a vice.
“Mom, I couldn’t find Yingying anywhere!” Xu Ying’s elder brother returned, drenched in sweat and worry.
Her second brother’s face was red with panic. “I told you it wasn’t safe for her to work so late! What do we do now?!”
News spread quickly. The villagers, kind and close-knit, joined the search upon hearing that Xu Ying was missing.
—
At the Educated Youth Institute, however, things were different.
When Chen Yanran heard the news of Xu Ying’s disappearance, her face lit up with unholy glee.
Maybe—just maybe—those two Dong brothers had succeeded.
The thought of Xu Ying being ruined, her reputation in tatters, condemned to be a woman no man would marry… made Chen Yanran grin so wide her cheeks hurt.
This was karma, she thought, for daring to oppose her.
Dong Wenzhong looked a bit uncomfortable. But when he remembered how Xu Ying had caused him to be assigned hard labor, the guilt vanished.
Chen Yanran put on her best concerned face and suggested they help with the search. She rallied several people and led them straight to the road where Xu Ying usually traveled.
She was sure the Dong brothers would’ve acted there.
She even brought a crowd with her—so they could witness the ruin of Xu Ying’s reputation firsthand.
—
But just as they were heading down the road, they saw two familiar figures approaching.
Xu Ying sat on Huo Chen’s bicycle, pale and disheveled but very much unharmed.
Chen Yanran’s heart skipped a beat. She stared in disbelief, but quickly forced a sweet smile on her face.
“Xu Ying! Are you okay? It’s so late—your family is worried sick. You didn’t… get bullied, did you?”
Her voice was soaked with fake concern, but her words were barbed with accusation.
The others who had followed began whispering.
“What kind of girl goes out so late with a man? They were clearly meeting in secret!”
One of the female educated youths, who had a crush on Dong Wenzhong, sneered loudly.
Lu Daya arrived just in time to hear that insult. She was so furious she trembled all over.
“What are you saying, Liu Zhiqing? Stop spewing nonsense!”
She hurried to Xu Ying’s side like a mother hen guarding her chick.
Xu Ying calmly placed a hand on Lu Daya’s shoulder and stepped forward. “Liu Zhiqing, if your mouth is full of garbage, don’t open it. It stinks. I got off work late today and it was already dark. I couldn’t see the road clearly and fell off my bike.”
“And what about him?” Liu Zhiqing sneered, glaring at Huo Chen. “Why is he with you?”
She was just about to throw out another insult, but the look in Huo Chen’s eyes froze her to the spot.
He arched an eyebrow, and a cold, biting anger flickered in his gaze.
“Xu Ying saved me and Old Hui before. I happened to be in town today and saw her trying to ride back alone in the dark,” he said slowly. “So I brought her back. That’s it. If you want to talk about reputations, the clean are clean. I thought people from the Educated Youth Institute were educated. Turns out you’re just gossipy shrews, spewing nonsense.”
His words struck like a whip.
The gossipers immediately fell silent, their faces flushing red with shame and anger.
Even Liu Zhiqing didn’t dare talk back. She choked down her fury and stepped aside.
Xu Ying wanted to clap. She hadn’t expected this cold, quiet man to have such a sharp tongue.
Chen Yanran glanced around, still unwilling to believe what she saw. Where were the Dong brothers? Had they failed?
She stomped her foot in frustration.
Xu Ying, of course, noticed the change in her expression—and her heart sank with suspicion.
There was more to this incident than met the eye.
—
“Yingying, let’s go. Your parents and the village captain are still looking for you. They’re so worried,” Lu Daya said urgently.
Xu Ying turned to Huo Chen and lightly patted his shoulder. “Let’s go. When a dog bites you, there’s no point biting it back.”
Huo Chen nodded, his eyes darkening. “Mm. You’re right.”