Mu Yuting didn't want to stay for even one more minute. He held Xiaonuan tightly and delivered a beautiful side kick straight to Lu Yuan's head.
The speed was so fast and the power so great that Lu Yuan had no time to dodge, let alone fight back.
In the instant the kick landed, he completely lost his balance. If the wall hadn't been there, he would have been sent flying…
Humiliated beyond belief, the searing pain from his head followed instantly, making his face twitch in agony.
Even so, he stubbornly propped himself up, trying to retaliate.
As if that were possible…
Some people had no sense of self-awareness—it was terrifying.
Ignoring the scoundrel, Mu Yuting carried Lin Xiaonuan toward the hotel lobby.
"Sir, please put me down. I can walk on my own."
Xiaonuan was still in a state of extreme fear, her mind completely blank, and hadn't yet recognized who was holding her.
It was only when they left that dark corner and entered the bright lobby that she came to her senses.
When Mu Yuting set her down, she was about to thank him—until she looked up and saw the man's face.
"You… nouveau riche… It's you?"
After parting ways that morning in room 1818, Lin Xiaonuan had sworn she never wanted to see this man again.
Correction—never, ever, in any lifetime.
Yet less than a day later, here she was, letting him see her in such a pitiful state again.
Humiliation beyond words…
Mu Yuting's brows furrowed slightly. After all this time apart, this silly woman only just now realized it was him. All that heroic flair earlier… wasted.
A faint trace of disappointment crossed his heart.
Xiaonuan, of course, couldn't read the cold and proud young master's thoughts. She only felt that, although she disliked him intensely, he had saved her this time, and she should thank him—basic manners shouldn't be forgotten.
"Well, thank you for just now. I'll repay the favor someday."
Mu Yuting's thin lips curved into a graceful arc, his tone laced with interest.
"Repay? How?"
His voice was low, yet magnetic.
Xiaonuan was momentarily tongue-tied. "I… I'll think about it… Anyway, I don't want to owe you anything…"
"How about this?" Mu Yuting leaned in closer, a provocative glint in his eyes, and whispered in her ear, "Marry me?"
She had thought that while he wasn't a good person, at least he wasn't evil.
But clearly, he was just another shameless scoundrel.
Had she just escaped the wolf's den, only to fall into the tiger's lair?
Last night's entanglement between them had been an accident—today, she would not let him have his way again, no matter what.
Xiaonuan hurriedly pulled her collar closed, her delicate features betraying nervousness… with a touch of endearing charm.
"Don't flatter yourself. A woman like you? I'm not interested." The man mocked.
Relieved, Xiaonuan turned to leave.
But after a few steps, something came to mind, and she walked back to Mu Yuting.
Lowering her head, she took the bank card from her bag—the one he had left in the hotel that morning.
"Your card, I'm returning it to you."
Mu Yuting didn't take it.
"If you don't take it, I'll just toss it right here in front of you."
Seeing her stubborn and serious expression, Mu Yuting took the card obediently.
Muttering to himself, "Who refuses money? Hmph, what a silly pig."
"You're the pig! Stupid nouveau riche pig…" Xiaonuan muttered under her breath.
She shot him one last glare before storming off. "Good! Bye!"
"Pfft… you mean—goodbye forever," she corrected herself as she passed the front desk—only to be stopped by a smiling hotel employee.
"Miss, please wait, you forgot to pay the bill."
Xiaonuan froze—Ding Kexin had gotten a call that her boyfriend was in trouble and had rushed off, leaving without paying.
"How much?"
"With a pleasant smile, the staff member said, "Altogether, 1,238 yuan, miss."
So expensive? However, it was a high-end restaurant, so it made sense.
She checked her phone—between her account and her bank card, she barely had 1,000 yuan left, savings from her part-time jobs this semester.
Still… not enough.
"Could I pay 1,000 now, and bring the rest tomorrow?" she asked carefully.
The staff was stunned. At this restaurant, customers never lacked money—sometimes the tip alone was more than that.
This girl wanted to run a tab? What was going on?
Studying her, though simply dressed, her fair skin, delicate features, and elegant air didn't suggest poverty.
The staff didn't know her background and didn't dare offend her, so they politely explained, "I'm sorry, miss, we don't have such a policy. Please don't make it hard for us."
"Oh…" Xiaonuan fidgeted with her phone, at a loss. She thought about calling Ding Kexin for help, but felt it was inappropriate.
In four years of university, whenever they ate together, Ding Kexin never let her pay. Now, with her friend having left for an emergency, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
"How about I wash dishes for you? I've done this job before—I'm good at it…"
The staff had never seen anything like this before. "Miss, please, don't make things difficult for us."
Mu Yuting, who had been watching her leave, naturally saw the whole scene.
This woman—was she missing a screw? Washing dishes to pay for a meal? What was this, a TV drama?
He walked over to the staff, his voice cold: "Let her go. Put it on my tab."
"Yes, sir." The staff dared not say more. Anyone working at this hotel knew him—though young, every time he came, the owner would personally greet him, open the car door, and fawn like a lapdog.
No one dared offend someone whom the boss himself treated that way.
…
Today was beyond humiliating—he'd seen her embarrassed yet again. Lin Xiaonuan wanted to dig a hole and hide.
"Thanks… and don't worry, I'll pay you back," she said, forcing herself to sound calm.
She looked flustered yet pretended to be strong.
He noticed a faint smile flickering at the corners of his lips.
This little woman… interesting.
"You owe me twice now…" Mu Yuting held up two fingers before her.
Seeing his smug expression, Xiaonuan angrily pulled out paper and pen, writing an IOU at the counter.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan had been on the floor for a long time before finally getting up. If not for his good physical condition, he might have been in a wheelchair for life.
He had always prided himself on knowing some martial arts, but being sent flying by Mu Yuting's single kick in that dark corner had deeply wounded his ego.
Unable to swallow the humiliation, he grabbed a wine bottle and hid it behind his back, quickly approaching Mu Yuting from behind.
Xiaonuan, busy writing, didn't notice until she tore the page from her notebook and handed it to Mu Yuting—then she saw Lu Yuan raising the bottle toward his head.
"Watch out!" she cried, pushing Mu Yuting aside before the words had fully left her mouth.
Unprepared, Mu Yuting stumbled slightly, and blood instantly streamed down Xiaonuan's forehead.
He reacted in a split second—catching her before she fell with one arm, clenching his fist with the other. His gaze toward Lu Yuan was full of murderous intent.
Lu Yuan, intimidated by Mu Yuting's presence, involuntarily took two steps back.
Two bodyguards rushed in from the entrance. "Young Master, let us handle him—no need to dirty your hands."
Seeing the injury on Xiaonuan's head, Mu Yuting had no interest in fighting. He carried her straight toward the luxury car outside the hotel, but as he was leaving, he unexpectedly ordered,
"Let him go."
The bodyguards were surprised—anyone who dared attack Young Master Mu usually wouldn't live to see the next sunrise.
But if Young Master Mu said so, there had to be a reason—they always obeyed orders.
"Understood, sir."
Lu Yuan, sensing his chance, scurried out the back door like a rat.
Mu Yuting's gaze was icy cold. Anyone who dares touch her… I'll settle the score myself.
But at the moment, his mind was entirely on her.
…
"Drive. To He'en Hospital," Mu Yuting ordered, his voice betraying a trace of anxiety.
He'en Hospital was the best private hospital in Jiangcheng—80% of its shares were owned by the Mu family.
"Yes, sir."
The car sped away from the hotel.
Inside, the spacious interior was quiet. Mu Yuting laid Lin Xiaonuan on the wide seat, took out a first aid kit, and gently dabbed at the blood near her forehead with a cotton swab dipped in iodine.
He had received professional field-dressing training in the military and moved efficiently, but his hand was a little heavy.
Half-conscious, Xiaonuan furrowed her brows in pain.
Mu Yuting felt a pang of guilt and distress, cursing softly, "Idiot, rushing into danger like that?"
This unlucky woman—she was already foolish enough, and now she'd injured her head. Would she become even more silly?
He examined the wound carefully—still a bit of bleeding. He found a piece of sterile gauze and pressed it to stop the bleeding.
In the past, when tending to his teammates, he never worried about hurting them—they were tough.
Now, he couldn't decide—press hard and risk hurting her, press lightly and risk not stopping the bleeding.
Though outwardly calm, his long, slender fingers were a bit unsure.
From the rearview mirror, driver Mu Yuan observed a mix of surprise and relief on his face.
He had grown up with the young master. In business, Mu Yuting was always decisive and commanding—never showing panic, not even in the gravest crises… except once.
Over the years, countless stunning, voluptuous women had schemed to get close to Mu Yuting, only to be dismissed with a cold "Get lost."
Rumors spread that Young Master Mu didn't like women—some even claimed he was physically incapable.
Mu Yuting scoffed at the gossip, never even bothering to bring a female companion to social events for appearances' sake.
Yet now, before this woman, Young Master Mu seemed utterly distracted.
Strangely enough, ever since leaving the hotel that morning, he'd been acting… different.
Watching Mu Yuting's uncharacteristically clumsy way of holding the gauze, Mu Yuan thought of a saying: When you care, you lose your cool.
He almost reminded him that there was medical tape in the kit so he wouldn't have to hold the gauze in place, but when he caught Mu Yuting's cold gaze, he swallowed the words.
Holding it by hand was fine—it wouldn't fall off easily, and it might even help foster… closeness.
Besides, if the young master didn't mind the trouble, who was he to interfere?
Mu Yuting tapped a screen beside his seat a few times, connecting a call to He'en Hospital's Director Zhang.