Chapter 34: I Injured the Heroine

The shrill wail of sirens filled the air. After a brief exchange with Wang Xiaoqian, the policewoman began a meticulous search under the scrutiny of countless eyes. Soon enough, the results were clear: none of the items reported missing in the case were found.

“Hmph, I told you already, the things aren’t here. I’ve been wrongly accused. Now do you believe me?” Wang Xiaoqian spun around in front of the man leading the group, her tone taunting.

“Hmph, just don’t let me catch you again next time!”

Watching the police car and the men in black suits drive away, Wang Xiaoqian stuck out her tongue and clapped her hands playfully. “Alright everyone, scatter. Nothing to see here.”

The crowd burst into laughter; the notorious female thief was indeed clever. As the onlookers dispersed, Li Xin was about to head back to the hotel when Wang Xiaoqian caught up to him.

“Hey.”

“What is it, Lady Knight?”

“Hmph, even an outsider like you knows about me. Seems my reputation as a heroine is pretty widespread,” Wang Xiaoqian quipped, poking fun at herself.

Li Xin shook his head with a wry smile. “Is there something you need from me? If it’s thanks, it’s unnecessary. It was nothing.”

“Thanks? Please,” Wang Xiaoqian stuck out her tongue. “I’m here to get something from you.”

“Get something? I don’t recall taking anything of yours,” Li Xin frowned, puzzled.

Wang Xiaoqian wasn’t surprised. She pointed at his pants. “Check your pocket.”

Still confused, he reached inside and was stunned. Where his wallet had been, there was now a small, square box.

No need for explanations—she must have slipped it in when he helped her earlier. If this box could send a team of highly trained security guards into a frenzy, it must be valuable.

Li Xin, just a stranger in this town and not wanting trouble, handed it over.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going. Don’t worry, I won’t say a word. Whether you get caught or escape, it’s your own fate.”

With that, Li Xin turned to leave. He wasn’t fond of Wang Xiaoqian’s streetwise bravado.

“Hey, hey, hey, did I say you could go?”

Wang Xiaoqian blocked his path again.

“What else do you want?”

“You haven’t given me your phone number yet. A heroine ought to reward her benefactor.”

“Sorry, no need. Thank you.” Li Xin smiled faintly, sidestepped her, and walked on.

This time Wang Xiaoqian didn’t follow, instead she stood there, frowning, touching her lips as she watched his slightly chubby silhouette disappear, deep in thought. Suddenly, she burst out laughing, radiant as a daffodil in bloom. “Oh, you little rascal, you must think I’m a villain. Hmph, you refuse, but I insist on giving you something.”

She became a gust of wind, chasing after him.

...

“What a strange woman,” Li Xin sighed, shaking his head as he recalled the unruly “Lady Knight.” He pushed open his room door and entered. Just as he was about to close it, a slender, pale hand slipped through the crack.

“Damn!” Li Xin let out a startled cry, slammed the door shut, and darted inside. He’d been afraid of ghosts since childhood, and now, a woman’s hand suddenly appearing late at night nearly scared him to death.

“Aaah—”

A scream echoed through the hotel corridor, sending chills down the spines of everyone nearby.

Li Xin paused. Do ghosts feel pain?

Wait—that voice belonged to the Lady Knight.

Hurriedly, he opened the door. Wang Xiaoqian was curled up on the floor, clutching her right forearm with her left hand, trembling violently, cold sweat beading on her forehead—clearly in agony.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” The hotel owner squeezed in through the crowd, and upon recognizing the infamous Wang Xiaoqian, his heart skipped a beat. He asked with genuine concern.

“Miss Wang, what’s the matter?”

“My arm, my arm…” Wang Xiaoqian sobbed, stomping her foot, tears blurring her beautiful eyes. In a rush, the tears streamed down like broken pearls, splashing on the floor. At the same time, a large patch of bright red blood oozed from her pale wrist, dripping onto the ground, crimson and almost sinister.

“What’s going on here?” The owner barked, worried sick. Wang Xiaoqian was not someone a small hotel owner could afford to offend. Looking up, he saw Li Xin standing by, bewildered, and immediately inferred that this outsider must be responsible.

“Damn it, kid, are you tired of living?”

Just as the owner was about to lose his temper, Wang Xiaoqian interjected, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I was careless. He’s a friend—he’ll take me to the hospital.”

The crowd suddenly understood. So that’s how it was.

Though still confused, the owner had no choice but to comply. Li Xin finally regained his composure, feeling both grateful and apologetic, and took Wang Xiaoqian to the hospital.

The doctor examined her thoroughly—fortunately, it was only a superficial wound; no major arteries or bones were damaged. After an injection for the pain and a proper bandage, Wang Xiaoqian was much better.

Looking at the pale, beautiful woman, Li Xin was overwhelmed with guilt, apologizing repeatedly. He had always been awkward around beautiful women, stumbling over his words. Even during the peak of his career, when he spent time with Lin Guo, their conversations were brief. As his retired friend Zhao Zekai once said, Li Xin was like a stewing chicken—quiet and reserved.

The atmosphere in the car was tense and suffocating. Wang Xiaoqian broke the ice with a laugh.

“I have to say, you’re quite amusing.”

“Me?” Li Xin frowned. “I’m not nearly as interesting as you.”

“Tsk, tsk. You’re an outsider, but you’re pretty entertaining.” Wang Xiaoqian’s voice carried a hint of intrigue as she glanced around.

Suddenly, her gaze stopped, eyes flickering with excitement.

It was the poster for the championship tournament.

“What’s this? Even the Lady Knight knows about it?” Li Xin teased, a little confused. Despite Wang Xiaoqian’s streetwise swagger, he had seen her ID at the hospital registration: born in 2010, making her only 21.

So young, yet with such experience and reputation—she was remarkable.

“Hmph!” Wang Xiaoqian frowned, a gesture she seemed fond of.

“Is it strange that I know about this? I’m participating too.”

Hearing this, Li Xin’s interest was piqued. “You play these games? They were already outdated when you were born.”

“So what? I like playing them, alright?” Wang Xiaoqian didn’t bother arguing further. Women, after all, only need to sound reasonable and insist to win.

“Uh…”

“‘Uh’ what? You dress decently, drive a nice car, must be a small boss, right? I thought someone as reserved as you wouldn’t like games.”

“Who says I’m reserved? I only went to junior high,” Li Xin replied, glancing at her.

Wang Xiaoqian was speechless. He looked so cultured, yet he’d only attended junior high?

For some reason, she suddenly felt a strong curiosity toward Li Xin, determined to explore further.

“No, no, my wrist hurts, and I’m hungry. You have to treat me to dinner.”

“Alright, what do you want to eat?” Li Xin couldn’t bring himself to refuse her theatrics; he even found her antics rather amusing. Still, he was a stewing chicken, oblivious to the subtext in her words.

Wang Xiaoqian wasn’t disappointed; the less experienced, the more fun to discover. She grinned, “Street food—let’s have two bottles of soju, how about that?”

“No, you’re injured, you shouldn’t drink.”

“I’m going to drink anyway. Who are you to stop me? People like you are the worst—always stern, like a math teacher.”

“Uh…”

“‘Uh’ yourself. Hurry up, or the food stalls will be closed.” Wang Xiaoqian gave Li Xin a hard knock on the head, making him grimace in pain.

As the car drove into the night, laughter and chatter filled the air inside, creating a warm, harmonious atmosphere.