533. The Assault
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Are young people today all so hot-headed?
When Chen Yao saw the other party pull out a kn*fe, he was completely dumbfounded.
Back in high school when he was all fiery and full of energy, he got into fights now and then, but he had never seen anyone whip out a kn*fe just because of a disagreement.
He was a bit dazed. The other diners at the two nearby tables also jumped up to diffuse the situation, some hastily finishing their barbecue and making themselves scarce.
“It’s no big deal, just put the kn*fe away.”
“Come on, man, let it go.”
“If this goes to the police, just calm down.”
Lin Nan hurriedly stood up, grabbing Chen Yao’s hand, and nervously urged, “Let’s get out of here, let’s go to another barbecue place.”
“Boss! We’re canceling the barbecue we just ordered!” She had never been in a fight before, and now she was in a total panic, pulling Chen Yao toward the alley.
She sensed something was off and didn’t want to stick around.
Chen Yao felt a bit cornered; after all, the other guy had a kn*fe, and cowardice was the way to go, but with his girlfriend right next to him, his inexplicable pride made it hard to back down.
Luckily, Lin Nan was pulling him along, letting him simply go with the flow and completely abandoning any thoughts of continuing the conflict.
“You’re too hasty…” Lin Nan wanted to comment on Chen Yao’s personality, but thought better of it. After all, it was just about a barbecue, this was clearly the other guy’s problem.
So she turned her attention to the thug from earlier: “That guy must be drunk or something! Who just pulls out a kn*fe for no reason?”
Chen Yao sighed in resignation; anyone who had a d*ath wish was not someone you messed with.
As they left the alley, Lin Nan noticed the altercation escalating behind them. She turned back in surprise, only to see the thug with a twisted expression, eyes bloodshot, struggling against his buddies as if he might leap forward at any moment with that kn*fe.
Lin Nan was taken aback by his fierce look, and Chen Yao felt a little intimidated; this guy clearly looked like an uncontrolled emotional wreck!
“Who lets a psycho out without supervision?” Chen Yao muttered, gripping Lin Nan’s hand, eager to escape.
When reasoning with such a lunatic, even if you won the fight you’d have to pay, and losing meant you’d get a whole mess of problems. No thanks, not worth it.
But just then, the thug suddenly broke free of his companions’ restraint, letting out a roar like a wild beast and charged at them.
Chen Yao instinctively wanted to run, but Lin Nan, who was always lacking in stamina, wouldn’t stand a chance if he left her behind.
He quickly glanced around for a weapon, found nothing, and instead grabbed a sturdy branch from a nearby tree.
This thing wouldn’t fare well in a fight, especially against someone with a kn*fe…
His heart was racing, and he worriedly told Lin Nan, “You run first and call the police!”
“I…” Lin Nan wanted to say she could handle it.
But the thug was already right on them. Chen Yao wielded the branch defensively, as the kn*fe sparkled ominously in the lamplight, making Lin Nan’s mind go blank.
Something’s not right…
Her eyes widened as she realized the thug was past Chen Yao, charging toward her.
He’s aiming for me!
A chill ran down her spine, and she turned around just in time to see a long black sword heading straight for her.
In an instant, she recognized that sword.
Lilith was backstabbed with that very sword.
Her eyes widened, her mind blank.
But her body reacted quickly, her magic grasping for the sword only for it to slip right through like a mirage.
The shadow lunged at her, the sword poised to pierce her heart.
But from the void hand, a slender arm shot out, pinching the sword’s tip, while another arm reached out and yanked the shadow right into the Void Hand.
Lin Nan was left dumbfounded. What just happened?
The thug, now brandishing the kn*fe, was about to strike when, fortunately, Chen Yao reacted, grabbing the guy by the shoulder and delivering a solid punch to his neck.
The thug crumpled to the ground, bewildered, unable to grasp what had just occurred.
Chen Yao then followed up with another punch to his face before kneeling down, gripping the thug’s wrists, and finally looking up at Lin Nan with concern, “Are you okay? This guy’s really out of his mind!”
“I’m fine…”
Lin Nan stared at the vanishing Void Hand, watching as the slender arm waved goodbye at her before she turned to Chen Yao, overwhelmed with emotion.
How did we end up in this kind of trouble?
The police arrived.
Two officers grabbed the thug by the shoulders, but he still looked bewildered, shouting loudly, “What did I do to deserve this? Why isn’t anyone doing something about the guy who hit me?”
“It was clearly them hitting me first!”
“Why the hell should I care?”
And then he was shoved into the squad car.
“Are you both hurt?” One of the middle-aged officers approached them with a wry smile, “We’ll need you two to come in for a statement.”
Chen Yao remained calm, asking, “Is this just a brawl or self-defense?”
“He pulled a kn*fe, so it’s self-defense.” The officer turned back toward the still agitated thug in the car, frowning, “You two just need to give a statement; it won’t take long.”
Lin Nan shyly hid behind Chen Yao, feeling intimidated as it was her first interaction with the police.
Her eyes were red from fright as she trembled, gripping Chen Yao’s arm while sniffling. Chen Yao gently patted her shoulder, hoping to comfort her.
Seeing her state, the officer couldn’t help but say, “It’s alright, you guys didn’t get hurt, and that guy was carrying a weapon in public—he won’t be out for a while.”
After giving their statements at the police station, they stepped out into the late-night air, only to find Uncle and Aunt waiting at the entrance, clearly having been worrying.
“Did you get hurt anywhere?”
“I told you not to go out at night! And yet you insisted on taking Lin Nan for barbecue!”
Aunt was holding Lin Nan’s hand, her lips pale with worry as she bombarded her with questions about what happened.
Uncle was busy wringing his hands over Chen Yao, who had no chance of escaping, only able to endure his anxious father’s flurry of complaints.
“It’s all alright…” Lin Nan spoke softly, looking down, feeling gloomy as she explained, “That person was mentally unstable, he got worked up and…”
“Mental instability should keep them in a hospital! How can they be loose on the street at night? Don’t they have anyone to look after them?” Aunt complained angrily, checking on Lin Nan’s condition, “You’re not feeling unwell, are you?”
“No, Chen Yao protected me.” Lin Nan forced a small smile.
“If that kid can’t protect you, I’ll have to give him a good talking to!”
Aunt noticed Lin Nan had been shaken and didn’t push any further, just held onto her wrist, trying to reassure her.
534. ???
That person was the assassin who killed Lilith.
However, after their brief encounter, Lin Nan unexpectedly realized that the guy didn’t seem very strong; otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the chance to respond.
The assassin’s magic was very subtle, blending into shadows like a born killer, different from what Kang De used, but Lin Nan couldn’t exactly put her finger on it.
The long sword he wielded was made of special material that made it immune to various forms of magic; her Void Hand had no effect on it.
She vaguely remembered how, just before Lilith died, she had been caught completely off guard by that sword, unable to activate any of her hundreds of passive spells, her magical energy completely stifled, pierced right through her heart by that ordinary looking sword.
She had almost repeated Lilith’s experience.
What puzzled her was why the Void Hand had managed to pull out two arms and saved her.
Once back at Chen Yao’s home, Lin Nan’s mood sank even lower.
That thug was clearly being controlled mentally. Although she hadn’t sensed any magic from him, she had picked up on some oddities through her constant vigilance.
If she hadn’t been prepared, things could have ended badly.
The fact was, if that interdimensional assassin had thought he could have a fair fight with Lin Nan, she would have been outmatched for sure, but he mistook her for Lilith, thinking she had strong powers, so he kept trying sneak attacks, which obviously backfired on him this time.
“Auntie will make you something delicious to cheer you up, okay?” Aunt looped her arm around Lin Nan, full of concern, “Tell me what you want; I’ll make it for you.”
“I’m not really hungry…”
Lin Nan lowered her head, her heart twisted in knots.
She almost got Chen Yao hurt…
Just a while ago, Chen Yao had definitely seen that shadow holding a long sword.
Aunt could sense Lin Nan’s feelings and gently stroked her hair, soothing her softly, “Why don’t you get some rest? A good night’s sleep will help.”
“Okay.” Lin Nan nodded, her steps a little unsteady as she made her way to her room.
Chen Yao worriedly glanced at his girlfriend’s back and gave a helpless smile to his mother, “Running into a lunatic—what can I say? This can’t be blamed on me, right?”
“Whether it’s your fault or not doesn’t matter! Get in there and comfort Lin Nan!”
After nearly having his backside kicked by his mother, Chen Yao hurriedly followed Lin Nan into the bedroom. Once inside, his smile vanished as he noticed Lin Nan sitting upright at the edge of the bed, looking slightly anxious.
Not knowing whether their parents were eavesdropping, Chen Yao stepped forward, choosing not to ask about the bizarre incident earlier. Instead, he sat beside Lin Nan, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him.
“It’s okay now, it’s okay.” Chen Yao held her tightly, pressing her head onto his shoulder. His voice was hoarse as he softly said, “This was my fault for not protecting you well.”
After going to the police station, Lin Nan’s emotions had somewhat stabilized, but the lingering fear was still there.
However, upon hearing Chen Yao’s words, her nose began to tingle, and tears welled up in her eyes.
A wave of grievances surged, making it impossible for her to hold back.
Why is she going through all this, when all she wanted was to be just a regular university student?
Her shoulders trembled slightly as she fought to control the emotions threatening to overtake her—grievance, fear, a tangled mess of feelings began to consume her.
“If something really happened to me…” her voice quivered, filled with unshed tears.
“Don’t say that kind of silly stuff.” Chen Yao tightened his hold on her, “I’ve got everything under control. Don’t worry, I’m here for you.”
“I won’t let you encounter such things again. Even if something were to happen, I’d stand in front of you.” He lowered his head, resting against Lin Nan’s small head, his voice growing deeper, “We’ll live to be old, hand in hand, buried together, and neither of us will come to harm.”
Lin Nan was momentarily stunned, weakly asking, “Is this a love confession?”
“Yep.”
“Ugh, so cheesy, it’s disgusting…”
Chen Yao gently brushed his lips against her forehead, quickly pulling away, for the soft figure in his arms didn’t excite him physically today—only feelings of compassion and guilt toward Lin Nan filled his heart.
If he had reacted a moment slower, Lin Nan might have really gotten hurt…
“Today’s events were a bit out of the ordinary.” He recalled the scene where she had stood facing off against the long sword.
“I…” Lin Nan lifted her head from his embrace, wanting to explain the magic.
But Chen Yao pressed her head back down into his shoulder with a laugh, saying, “It’s fine, let’s just focus on resting tonight. Don’t think too much, and don’t worry about explaining anything.”
“Wait until you’ve calmed down, and then decide if you want to talk about it.”
He was worried that discussing it would make Lin Nan’s feelings more volatile, oblivious to the fact that she had already explained it to him once.
“Okay.”
Lin Nan looked down, closing her tear-filled eyes, then turned to wipe her running nose right on Chen Yao’s sleeve.
He wasn’t mad, but instead smiled at her childish behavior.
His arms around her relaxed a bit as he felt her calming down, Chen Yao let out a long sigh of relief.
Unbeknownst to how long they stayed like that, Lin Nan eventually softened, leaning against Chen Yao, breathing steadily.
Chen Yao looked down at her delicate face, her long eyelashes glistening with tears, her cheeks adorably flushed, and a small bubble on her nose that grew larger and smaller with each breath.
He carefully grabbed a tissue from the nightstand, gently wiping her nose and face clean, banishing any remnants of tears and mucus.
She was definitely exhausted.
Chen Yao cautiously laid her down on the bed, careful not to disturb her, and let her lie on her side.
He covered her with a thin blanket and gazed down at her quiet, furrowed brow.
He could never tire of this view.
Stretching and yawning, he took out his phone, and suddenly all the gentle expressions from his face vanished.
He tiptoed out of the bedroom and headed straight outside.
“What are you up to again?” Chen Yao’s mother was still on the sofa, worried about Lin Nan’s emotional state.
“Just a little something; I’ll be back in half an hour.”
Chen Yao pressed his lips together, gripping his phone, and answered before stepping outside.
He didn’t go far; he simply made his way to the stairwell window, leaning against the wall as he dialed a number.
“Li Na! Tell me what’s going on with Lin Nan!”
“Eh? You found out?”
“Of course! After something like that happened, you thought I wouldn’t notice?” Chen Yao snorted softly.
“Alright, alright… Actually, Lilith and I, we’re from another world, and Lin Nan…”
“???”
Chen Yao dropped his phone, glancing at the contact name on his screen.
Yep, it’s Li Na, not some nutcase.
