C15 Why Are the Flowers so Red?

The evening sky had faded to darkness, and the streetlights along the road began to glow, casting a warm light across the city.

A nonchalant young man sporting a black tank top and gold earrings approached Mu Qingyu, a towering bodyguard in tow. Upon spotting the poised Mu Qingyu, he excitedly rubbed his hands together and said, "Not bad, Mu Qingyu. You're quite punctual."

"I'm here. Please, don't go after my mother," Mu Qingyu pleaded, rising to face the young man. Her voice was soft, tinged with a hint of distress.

"Don't worry. As long as you do as you're told, we'll have no problems," he assured her.

The young man's name was Ma Tao, a privileged son of a government official and the epitome of a spoiled rich kid.

Ma Tao had stumbled upon Mu Qingyu a few days prior and was instantly captivated by her beauty. He had set his sights on her, but winning over a girl from Iris International was no simple feat. After several rejections, Ma Tao's patience wore thin, and he began to harbor sinister thoughts.

Upon investigating, he discovered that Mu Qingyu's mother had been in the hospital for an extended period. Knowing Mu Qingyu's deep filial devotion and gentle nature, he saw it as the perfect leverage to threaten her.

Mu Qingyu bit her lip in frustration, "Ma Tao, you're crossing the line!"

"Haha, relax. I won't go overboard. Just be a good girl and sleep with me eight or ten times, and I promise I won't bother you again. I'll even give you a sum of money. How's that?" Ma Tao proposed with a mocking grin.

"That's not happening!"

Before Mu Qingyu could respond, a voice laced with sarcasm echoed from a distance. Turning towards the sound, they saw the figure of Ye Fan becoming clearer.

"Ye... Manager Ye, what are you doing here?" Mu Qingyu gasped in surprise.

"I told you we were destined to meet, so here I am," Ye Fan quipped, then turned his attention to Ma Tao.

"So, Mu Qingyu, you've got the nerve to call for backup? You already have a man, yet you played the innocent with me. What a sham!" Ma Tao bellowed in anger.

Mu Qingyu quickly moved to Ye Fan's side and urged him with panic, "Ye Fan, please go. You don't need to worry about my problems!"

Mu Qingyu was well aware that Ma Tao was bad news, capable of anything. She didn't want to drag Ye Fan into her troubles.

"Don't worry, I've got this. Leave everything to me," Ye Fan assured her, his demeanor as serene as a cloudless sky.

Ma Tao sized up Ye Fan with a sneer. Ye Fan, in his early twenties, stood at 1.8 meters with a lean build and piercing eyes that twinkled like stars, exuding an aura of sharpness.

Ma Tao was irked to see Mu Qingyu involved with such a handsome man. He had a low opinion of today's youth, who seemed eager to impress, especially in front of beautiful women, but crumbled when faced with real challenges.

He figured Ye Fan was all talk, appearing ready to sacrifice everything for Mu Qingyu, but he believed a good thrashing would make Ye Fan hand her over without a second thought.

"Pretty boy, you sure you want to meddle in my affairs?" Ma Tao asked, his face twisted with scorn.

"Hey, why are you kids always so quick to say 'I'm your father'? You in a hurry to meet the Grim Reaper?" Ye Fan taunted.

Enraged by Ye Fan's boldness, Ma Tao exploded, "You son of a... You won't understand why the flowers are so red until I teach you a lesson!"

With that, Ma Tao stepped forward, aiming a slap at Ye Fan, intent on teaching the young man a lesson for crossing him.

"Smack!"

The sound of a crisp slap echoed. Before Ma Tao's hand could reach him, Ye Fan's own slap had already made contact with Ma Tao's cheek.

"Ah! Damn it!"

Ma Tao was floored, emitting a ghastly howl as his face swelled and his teeth nearly rattled loose.

"Boss, are you okay?" his bodyguard rushed over, quickly lifting Ma Tao from the ground.

"Ouch, damn, that hurts! What are you waiting for? Get him, cripple the kid!" Ma Tao howled in pain, pointing at Ye Fan and bellowing orders.

The burly bodyguard lunged at Ye Fan.

"You... stop, I'm calling the police!" Mu Qingyu, panicked, bravely positioned herself in front of Ye Fan.

The bodyguard shoved Mu Qingyu aside and seized Ye Fan by the arm.

Ye Fan made no attempt to evade.

The burly bodyguard sneered upon easily capturing Ye Fan, having expected to confront someone formidable, only to find a mere pushover.

Ma Tao, watching from a short distance, couldn't contain his glee and bellowed, "Take him down!"

He had brought a bodyguard not out of fear that Mu Qingyu might call the police, but rather out of concern that she might resist when it mattered most. And now, unexpectedly, a handsome young man had appeared and slapped him. How could he let this slide without exacting his revenge?

The bodyguard clutched Ye Fan's arms tightly, intent on executing a spectacular shoulder throw to impress his boss and simultaneously floor Ye Fan in one fell swoop.

With the plan in mind, the bodyguard applied his strength.

But his expression quickly turned to one of shock; no matter how hard he tried, Ye Fan's feet seemed glued to the ground, immovable.

The bodyguard's face reddened with exertion, yet to no avail.

"What are you doing? Take him down! Knock him down!" Ma Tao roared in frustration.

Despite turning a shade of purple with effort, the bodyguard still couldn't budge Ye Fan.

With a cold laugh, Ye Fan reversed the grip on the bodyguard's arm, and with a swift twist, he executed a flawless shoulder throw, sending the hulking figure soaring through the air.

"Ah!"

"Thud!"

A scream and the sound of the bodyguard crashing to the ground echoed in quick succession.

The man hit the ground and immediately passed out.

Ma Tao inhaled sharply at the sight, never having anticipated encountering such a formidable adversary. The skill of this so-called pretty boy was truly fearsome.

As Ye Fan strode toward him, Ma Tao instinctively backed away, now genuinely terrified. He cried out in panic, "Don't come any closer... My dad knows the chief of police around here. You'll regret crossing me!"

Ye Fan's gaze turned icy at the threat; he loathed being threatened more than anything.

"Smack!"

The sound of another crisp slap filled the air.

"I can't stand being threatened! Want to try that again?" Ye Fan challenged, his hand poised to strike once more.

Ma Tao clutched his face with both hands, pleading loudly, "Stop! Please, I beg you, don't hit me anymore! Big brother, I was wrong. Show me mercy and let me go."

While speaking, he actually knelt down, brought his hands together in a gesture of prayer, and bowed his head to Ye Fan.

Witnessing Ma Tao's seemingly sincere change of heart, Ye Fan responded icily, "I'll spare you this time. But if I ever catch you harassing Yuqing again, you won't be so lucky! Now get out of here!"

Terrified, Ma Tao's body shook uncontrollably as he scrambled out of the park, leaving his bodyguard behind without a second glance.

Mu Qingyu's hands fluttered to her chest, still rattled from the ordeal. She had never imagined that the manager, who appeared so witty and humorous, could display such a violent temper.

"Qingyu, are you okay?" Ye Fan asked, his voice laced with a smile.

Mu Qingyu looked at Ye Fan, eyes wide with disbelief that he could still find humor in the situation. Concern etched across her face, she said, "I'm fine, but Manager Ye, that man has a complicated background. You might face trouble because of this."

Ye Fan gently patted Mu Qingyu's shoulder, flashing a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Gazing into Ye Fan's eyes, as deep and bright as the night sky, Mu Qingyu felt a profound sense of safety, and her words retreated unspoken.

"What about him?" Mu Qingyu gestured toward the large bodyguard who had collapsed on the ground.

Ye Fan hadn't expected the burly man to go down so easily. Scratching his head, he said, "Don't worry, I'll handle it. You should head back."

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," Mu Qingyu murmured, biting her lip.

Seeing the vulnerability in her demeanor, Ye Fan's compassion surged. "No need to apologize. I came of my own accord. Don't dwell on it."

"But..."

"No 'buts.' Head home, and call me if you need anything in the future."

With Ye Fan's gentle coaxing, Mu Qingyu finally departed.

Her mother was still in the hospital, and with Ma Tao's recent mention of her, Mu Qingyu couldn't shake her concern and decided to visit her mother first.