When morning sunlight filtered through the mottled glass window into Yang Chen's room, he stirred groggily and shook his head. Just as he was about to sit up, he suddenly felt something wrapped around his body.
Fully jolted awake, Yang Chen looked down—and there she was: the woman he'd brought home drunk the night before.
She was fast asleep, pure and faintly innocent, her otherworldly stunning face taking his breath away. Yang Chen couldn't help but marvel—of all the women he'd ever seen, this one would easily rank in the top three.
As he gazed at this heavenly work of art, his peripheral vision caught a streak of bright red on the sheet at the foot of the bed!
His heartstrings jangled. Frowning, he glanced at the still motionless woman, stunned… He hadn't expected the woman who'd been so wild the night before to be untouched.
In hindsight, everything fell into place. Yang Chen quickly realized her advances had likely been triggered by something the bald thugs had slipped into her drink.
If he hadn't driven them off by a stroke of luck, this exquisite beauty would have become their prey.
He cursed himself for being careless. He'd drunk too much later that night and hadn't noticed anything amiss when they'd gotten into bed.
As he sat on the bed, wondering how to handle the situation, the woman lying on him finally woke up.
She blinked awake with a hint of confusion, lifted her head gently, and found Yang Chen staring at her calmly.
The man before her was a stranger, yet somehow familiar. The air around her was thick with his masculine scent.
She struggled to piece together what had happened, and fragmented scenes from last night flooded her mind… She understood everything at once!
Knowing she wasn't a loose woman, Yang Chen was curious about her reaction—would she scream, lash out, call the police, or blackmail him?
If she did any of that, he'd feel no guilt. She could do as she pleased. If not for him, she would have been violated by a group of men. She could only blame herself for being careless and walking into a den of wolves.
Yet the woman's reaction was unusually calm.
Her eyes flickered with light and shadow, her thoughts completely unreadable—like a pair of mysterious black gemstones shimmering with an unspoken glow.
After a long while, she slowly sat up. The sight of her back took Yang Chen's breath away instantly.
Bathed in sunlight, her figure looked hazy and luminous to Yang Chen, as if veiled in a soft mist. The moment felt mysterious and utterly captivating.
It was a charm that emanated from within. Even without saying a word or moving a muscle, the allure in her bones was enough to make Yang Chen hold his breath.
The woman got out of bed without a hint of embarrassment, remaining eerily quiet.
But this cold calmness suddenly weighed on Yang Chen's heart. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'm sorry."
The woman was turning to put on her underclothes. At the three words, her movements paused for a moment—but she didn't reply or turn around, continuing to dress.
Yang Chen said no more, but a heavy stone weighed on his chest, making it hard to breathe. For years, he'd never felt guilty about being with a woman.
In his past life, women had mostly been mere comfort for his wounds, hardly sentient beings with their own minds.
Suddenly tangled in complex guilt over a one-night stand, Yang Chen wondered if he'd grown too relaxed and lost his mind.
In less than five minutes, the woman was fully dressed. She tidied her appearance slightly, hiding any trace of dishevelment. Then, still silent, she walked toward the door.
Watching her leave without a word, Yang Chen couldn't help but say, "Do you know the way? Do you want me to walk you out?"
This time, she didn't even pause. She walked out on her own and closed the door behind her.
Yang Chen stared blankly at the closed door, smiling bitterly. She was truly one of the most extraordinary women he'd ever met. But just as he was about to get up, Yang Chen—who possessed superhuman hearing—caught a soft sob drifting from the hallway…
So she had cried after all, just not where he could see or hear. Unfortunately, she didn't know his hearing was far beyond ordinary, so she hadn't managed to hide it from him.
Thinking of how she'd held back her tears all that time, Yang Chen's guilt intensified.
After a quick tidy-up, Yang Chen remembered he had his kebab stall to open. Though the stall earned little money, he'd always loved watching the crowds pass by in the busy market, observing the myriad faces of life. Money never mattered much to him.
Pushing his single-wheeled cart to his stall, he found Old Li—who sold fried sausages nearby—grinning at him. "Little Yang, you're late today. Did you go on a date last night or something?"
Yang Chen thought, No date, but a one-night stand. Aloud, he said casually, "Nothing like that. Don't overthink it—I just overslept."
Old Li chuckled, looking content. "My Jingjing's home from her internship! She told me yesterday she'll never forget your kindness, Little Yang!
If it weren't for you, with my wife's medical bills and Jingjing's living expenses for her internship in a faraway city, our family never would've made it."
Old Li and his wife had their daughter Li Jingjing late in life, doting on her endlessly. She'd just graduated from university and interned at a company in another city for two months before coming home.
Yang Chen had met the girl twice—she was a classic delicate beauty from the water towns of Huinan.
Truth be told, girls as beautiful as Li Jingjing who were also hardworking and down-to-earth were rare these days. The old couple was endlessly proud of her.
Of course, she was a friend's daughter. Yang Chen only admired her, with no ulterior motives.
"Heh, what kindness? Just let me mooch a meal off you when I'm broke someday," Yang Chen joked.
"Done!" Old Li nodded abruptly. "I almost forgot—my wife and Jingjing both want to invite you over for dinner to thank you properly. Tonight!"
"That… no need. Your family's already struggling. Why go to the trouble?"
Old Li feigned anger. "How much can a simple meal cost? Just home-cooked food. If you don't come, you're looking down on us."
Yang Chen had no choice—he couldn't refuse the stubborn old man. He nodded in agreement, and Old Li beamed.
But just then, a few shady figures appeared in the busy market. Spotting Yang Chen and Old Li, the lead thug smirked maliciously.