Chapter 127: Give Me a Chance

"Damn it! A bunch of trash! Over a dozen of you couldn’t stop one guy! You bunch of useless sacks! Good-for-nothings!"

It wasn’t until Ye Xuan had left the bar with Yang Bingyu that the manager finally arrived at the room with his men. Zhang Kai lay on the floor in a miserable state, furiously cursing at the bodyguards. As soon as the words left his mouth, a piercing pain shot from his abdomen, making him sweat profusely and gasp for air.

The bar manager had to swallow his grievances, feeling incredibly wronged. The intruder had simply been too powerful. Over twenty of his men had been defeated in less than ten minutes. It wasn’t that his guards were useless; the man was just impossibly strong. By the time he had gathered enough reinforcements and rushed over, the man had long since vanished.

"Young Master Zhang, let me take you to the hospital first," the manager said in a panic, his forehead dripping with cold sweat as he helped Zhang Kai up from the floor.

"Damn it, go investigate! Find him at all costs! I want him dead!" Zhang Kai ground his teeth, clutching his injured abdomen.

Meanwhile, Ye Xuan, who had brought Yang Bingyu back to Yunju Mountain Villa, was completely unaware that Zhang Kai had dispatched men to search the entire city. He looked at Yang Bingyu, who reeked of alcohol, and shook his head helplessly. He considerately removed her makeup, changed her into clean clothes, tucked her in, and stepped out of the room.

"Dragon Chief, today’s incident was my dereliction of duty. I am willing to accept punishment." In the living room, White Snake knelt on one knee before Ye Xuan, his head bowed in self-blame.

He had only stepped out for a brief moment, yet Lin Aoxue had taken the opportunity to sneak out. As an assassin, this was an unforgivable mistake.

"Get up. You are not to blame for this." Ye Xuan wearily rubbed the space between his eyebrows, showing no intention of faulting White Snake.

In truth, this day was bound to come sooner or later. He hadn’t contacted Lin Aoxue or gone to see her. Knowing her personality, she would inevitably come looking for answers herself. Perhaps this was for the best—making her give up on him was the only way to better protect her.

"Dragon Chief, I think you should still explain things to Lin Aoxue. After I escorted her back to the hospital tonight, she locked herself in her room and cried for a long time." Recalling how Lin Aoxue had bawled under her blankets, White Snake couldn’t bear it and tried to persuade Ye Xuan.

"Don’t try to convince me. Let the matter rest here." Ye Xuan frowned, clearly unwilling to discuss this issue.

White Snake could only drop the subject. Matters of the heart were completely beyond his comprehension. Besides, the one thing an assassin should never touch was romance.

"Go handle the aftermath at Crescent Bar tonight. While you’re at it, find out the identity of the man who had ill intentions toward Yang Bingyu."

Although Ye Xuan had let Zhang Kai live, he knew the methods of these self-righteous rich heirs all too well. Having broken three of Zhang Kai’s ribs, he knew the man wouldn’t just let the matter go. Since a clash was inevitable, he had to thoroughly investigate his opponent’s background first.

White Snake nodded, and with a blur of motion, he disappeared.

Yang Bingyu slept until nearly noon. Clutching her throbbing head, she finally crawled out of bed. Seeing the familiar surroundings, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Although she had been dizzy last night, she still remembered fragments of what had happened. She knew Zhang Kai had tried to make a move on her, and she knew that Ye Xuan had arrived at the last moment to save her once again.

Looking down at the clean pajamas she had been changed into, a trace of sweetness welled up in her heart. But the moment she remembered that Ye Xuan was only staying by her side to ensure Lin Aoxue’s safety, her expression immediately dimmed.

"You’re awake? Here, drink some hangover soup." Guessing that Yang Bingyu was about to wake up, Ye Xuan walked in carrying a freshly made bowl. He smiled as he saw her sitting on the bed in a daze.

Hearing his voice, Yang Bingyu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly before she spoke in a sour tone. "Why did you save me? Did I ask you to meddle in my business? Don’t you love Lin Aoxue? Why do you keep messing with my feelings?"

Ye Xuan’s hand paused. He placed the tray on the nightstand, sat down on the edge of the bed, and took her hand. Meeting her gaze, he said earnestly, "First, I’ve never used you as a shield. I stayed by your side because there’s a mole in the Yang Family, and they want to harm you.

"Second, I know you definitely weren’t willing last night. Don’t ever leave my sight again. It’s too dangerous, and I will be worried about you."

Seeing his serious expression, Yang Bingyu didn’t know how to respond for a moment. Her previously jealous heart instantly lightened after hearing his explanation. She knew she had misunderstood him, but her pride wouldn’t allow her to swallow her ego and apologize.

"Alright, don’t overthink it. Drink the hangover soup first. You drank so much last night; you must have a headache."

Ye Xuan knew her temper well. He could tell she wasn’t angry anymore and was only staying silent to save face. Dropping the subject entirely, he brought the soup to her lips and gently fed her spoon by spoon.

Yang Bingyu drank the soup, feeling somewhat flattered, her heart bubbling with joy.

"There we go. Go wash up. I’ll make some food and call you when it’s ready," Ye Xuan said with a smile, gently ruffling her hair after finishing the bowl.

"Don’t go. Stay with me for a bit." As if driven by some unseen force, Yang Bingyu suddenly hugged Ye Xuan from behind, taking the initiative to ask him to stay.

"Silly girl, I’m not going anywhere. Just be good and go wash up while I make you something delicious." Ye Xuan turned around helplessly, lightly tapped the tip of her nose, and smiled.

"Ye Xuan, give me a chance, okay? Give me a chance to try and walk into your heart." Yang Bingyu didn’t let go; instead, she hugged him tighter, leaning into his embrace and speaking in a pleading tone. "Let’s try being together. What if one day you suddenly realize that I’m more suitable for you than Lin Aoxue?"

Ye Xuan didn’t know how to answer. He admitted that Yang Bingyu was a wonderful girl. She was beautiful, had a great personality, and came from a good background. But feelings weren’t something he could control; he couldn’t just choose to love or not love someone on a whim. Besides, he had already hurt Lin Aoxue; he didn’t want to hurt Yang Bingyu, too.

"Bingyu, can we take this slowly? I want you to think it through. I feel that what you have for me is more of a sense of dependence and possessiveness, rather than actual love.

"You might just be used to me treating you well, used to me being around you, and you’ve mistaken that habit for love.

"It’s also possible that I’m just a temporary novelty to you. Once that freshness wears off, you might not even like me anymore."