C20 Lin Zimo

Chu Menghan was perched on the sofa, her body shivering uncontrollably.

Liu Xu knew that during a kidnapping, the fear wasn't as intense in the moment as it was afterward. It was when the ordeal was over that one's mind raced with terrifying possibilities.

He approached and took a seat next to Chu Menghan, offering a comforting pat on the shoulder.

She looked up, her eyes still shimmering with unshed tears, and gazed at the man before her. Reflecting on his assistance, she felt a surge of gratitude.

"Thank you. Without you, I can't imagine what might have happened."

"Don't dwell on it. It's over now. Once your family picks you up, a good night's sleep will do you wonders. Where are they, by the way?"

"My dad's away on business..." Chu Menghan's voice was faint.

"Are you here by yourself?"

Glancing around the spacious, empty house, Liu Xu could sense the fear it might instill in a young woman alone.

"Would you stay with me?" she asked abruptly.

"Uh..." Liu Xu found himself at a loss for words. He wanted to decline but couldn't bring himself to do so, looking at her fragile form. After a brief hesitation, he nodded.

Relief washed over her face, and she brushed away a tear.

Noticing the marks on Chu Menghan's wrist, Liu Xu spoke gently, "Should we put some ointment on that?"

She nodded. "I'll see if I can find some."

With that, she rose and headed to another room.

Left alone, Liu Xu mulled over the night's events. It seemed he was now entangled with this heiress, and the "danger" mentioned in his mission still loomed. To earn more points, he had to see the mission through.

As he pondered, the Husky wobbled in through the door, scanning the disarray with a shake of its head. "Where's my beautiful owner? Was there really trouble?"

"She's safe, just rescued," Liu Xu replied, casting a stern look at the Husky.

"And what good are you to her? You could have bitten the intruder."

"I was the one who alerted you, wasn't I? Without me, you might have just left, seeing no one at the villa."

The Husky scoffed, showing no shame in its last-minute escape.

"You really did make the best choice."

"Let me reiterate—we're not dumb!"

The Husky gave a very human-like eye roll.

Chu Menghan, hearing the dog bark, rushed in. Seeing the Husky squatting, she embraced it, repeatedly whispering, "Thank goodness you're okay."

"You owe it a big thanks. Without its warning, I'd still be in the dark about the trouble," Liu Xu interjected, earning a grateful woof from the Husky.

"Did you manage to find the Red Flower Water?"

"I did," Chu Menghan confirmed with a nod.

"I can handle the cut on my wrist, but my back... it's a bit sore from being hit."

"Hmm?" Liu Xu paused, perplexed.

The Husky then playfully barked at Liu Xu, "Bro, are you trying to take advantage of my beautiful owner?"

"Should I call you 'auntie' instead, or would you prefer a hospital visit?" Liu Xu offered.

"No, I'll just endure it. It's probably not too bad."

Chu Menghan, trying to demonstrate the injury's mildness, gingerly touched the sore spot through her clothes, wincing sharply.

"Looks like I'll be the one to help you," Liu Xu suggested.

"If you're okay with that."

"I don't mind at all. You've already helped me so much..."

Chu Menghan responded hastily, her voice trailing off as a blush crept across her cheeks. "I'll go change," she murmured.

Moments later, Chu Menghan returned in a loose-fitting shirt, handing Liu Xu the Yunnan Baiyao she had fetched, her face still flushed. "Here, thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Liu Xu turned his back to give Chu Menghan privacy as she settled onto the sofa. When he faced her again, her shirt collar had been pulled down to her waist, revealing her fair skin marred by a purplish-red bruise on her shoulder blade—clearly more serious than she let on.

As Liu Xu applied the Yunnan Baiyao to the wound, Chu Menghan let out a soft cry of pain, quickly biting her lip to stifle any further sounds.

"Just hang in there. It'll start to heal," Liu Xu reassured her, his heart aching at the sight of the bruise against her porcelain skin, gently wiping away any excess medicine.

The touch was ice-cold.

There was an awkwardness in the air. Chu Menghan, perhaps stifling her pain, made no sound, though tears glistened in her eyes.

"Kind of like a Thai massage, don't you think?"

Liu Xu blurted out the comment in an attempt to lighten the mood.

A smile broke through Chu Menghan's tears. Once she had finished tending to her wound, she straightened her clothes and, with flushed cheeks, turned to thank Liu Xu, who had already turned his back.

"Are you sure you're okay? Shouldn't you really get that checked at the hospital?"

Liu Xu inquired.

Chu Menghan was seated on the sofa, her oversized shirt draping over her knees, hinting at the shapeliness of her legs.

"I'm fine. If I need anything, I'll let you know."

Silence fell between them once more.

After a spell of quiet, Liu Xu stood and checked his phone.

"Don't forget to reach out if you need anything," he reminded her before getting ready to leave.

"Could you ask the security to get in touch with the renovation company for me?"

Chu Menghan rose to her feet. "I'll head to the bedroom; the door there is intact."

"Sure, just make sure to lock it," Liu Xu advised, sounding as though they had been roommates for years.

Shaking his head to clear the whimsical thoughts, he addressed the Husky, "Take good care of your owner, okay?"

The Husky responded with an enthusiastic wag and a few barks.

Stepping outside, Liu Xu saw the damaged door. After a brief word with the security guards, he set off towards the Pet Shop.

The villa was in a remote suburb, making taxis scarce. Liu Xu had no choice but to amble along the road, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed.

He quickened his pace and then spun around abruptly, but no one was there.

Pausing, Liu Xu whispered, "Stripey Mosquito."

Despite the summer heat and the presence of mosquitoes near the ditch, Liu Xu's unique talent allowed him to commandeer one of the insects to surveil behind him while he strolled nonchalantly forward.

Through the mosquito's eyes, he spotted a young woman in a police uniform stealthily tailing him. Clutching her cap, her short hair framed a makeup-free face that radiated a natural, striking confidence. She would hastily duck out of sight behind the walls of nearby buildings whenever Liu Xu turned to look back.

Liu Xu slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "I think I forgot to grab something!"

He then spun around and made his way toward where the policewoman was hiding.

Peering through the mosquito, he noticed the policewoman's growing panic. As they were separated by just a corner, she suddenly leaped out, tossing her hat aside before launching a punch at him.

In a rush, Liu Xu deactivated his Stripey Mosquito talent, absorbing the blow from the policewoman, which irked him. He silently invoked another talent, infusing himself with the Ant Talent.

His strength surged. As the policewoman's fist approached, he gently pushed her, causing her to stumble aside.

Yet she didn't fall. With an unusual maneuver, the policewoman regained her balance, took a step back to adjust her stance, and posed with a peculiar hand formation.

"What's going on here?" Liu Xu inquired.

"Cut the talk, fight first!" she retorted.

With swift footwork, she closed the gap to within half a meter of Liu Xu.

As Liu Xu threw his punch, aiming for her shoulder, he realized that going all out might be lethal. He pulled back slightly, but in that moment of hesitation, the policewoman ducked and slipped under his arm, reaching out from his side with astonishing speed.

Before he knew it, Liu Xu lost sight of her, and a sudden numbness at his elbow caused his strength to rapidly drain away.

Powerless as his strength ebbed, Liu Xu was ultimately pinned to the ground by a swift scissor kick.

The owner of the scissor kick seemed taken aback by the sudden drop in his strength, released her hold, and then bent down to help Liu Xu to his feet.

"What's the matter with you?" Liu Xu grumbled, dusting off the dirt from his clothes as he stood. To be honest, being bested by a girl despite having the Elf Pet System was a bit humiliating.

"It's you I should be asking," the policewoman chided. "Why did you suddenly go weak? You almost made me overdo it."

"Overdo it?"

Liu Xu massaged his neck, grumbling.

"Let me guess, you couldn't control your legs? We're strangers; why pick a fight with me?"

"Strangers, you say?"

The policewoman's voice was laced with amusement. "Think again."

Liu Xu just shook his head.

She laughed softly, offering her hand.

"I'm Lin Zimo. Pleased to meet you."

Liu Xu peered at the policewoman known as Lin Zimo. She did seem vaguely familiar. As they shook hands, a memory clicked, and he blurted out,

"You're the officer who was taking notes at the Chu family's villa, right?"

"Ah, you remember?"

Lin Zimo responded with a hint of surprise.

"You were busy with your notes, then left shortly after."

A lightbulb went off in Liu Xu's head. "But why follow me?"

"I inspected the Chu family villa's crime scene. There were clear signs of someone breaking in with their bare hands. The Chu family's daughter mentioned you came to her rescue. I thought you might be a martial artist and just wanted to test my skills against yours..."

Well, Liu Xu pondered, it looked like he was an innocent victim of circumstance.

"With such a natural gift, why not pursue martial arts? The ancient martial arts clans would be thrilled to have someone of your caliber."

"Not interested," Liu Xu replied, his lips twisting into a wry smile. His Elf Pet System was far more convenient than any ties to ancient martial arts clans.

But this encounter made it clear he needed to diversify his talents. Strength alone wasn't enough, despite the old saying that brute force could overcome any technique. Clearly, he had been outmatched.

Lin Zimo caught the contemplative look on Liu Xu's face and smiled warmly. "If you're ever interested, I could teach you..."

Her offer was cut short by the crackle of her police radio. "We'll have to continue this another time. I won't forget you..."

She didn't wait for his response, dashing off in the direction from which Liu Xu had arrived.

Watching her retreating figure, Liu Xu found himself intrigued. She was a force to be reckoned with, full of energy and spirit. No longer annoyed, he turned and made his way to the Pet Shop.

By the time he reached the Pet Shop in the afternoon, Huang Ziqi rushed over to him, anxiety written all over her face. "You're finally here. Ms. Yue is upset. You're going to have some explaining to do."

"I got held up with something, sorry about that."

Liu Xu pressed his palms together in an apologetic gesture toward Huang Ziqi.

"What good does it do to tell me? You can explain it to Ms Yue when she returns next month."

Huang Ziqi, unimpressed with Liu Xu's half-hearted response, huffed and turned her attention back to her tasks.

Liu Xu watched Huang Ziqi's annoyed face and chose to remain silent. Truth be told, there was something endearing about her irritation. He couldn't help but find a bit of joy in witnessing her small outbursts of emotion.