The next morning, Shen Qiong was on his way from home to the shop when he discovered a crowd gathered outside. Normally, he would have strode toward them with his head held high and an air of confidence. But in this situation, it didn't take much thought to realize they were there to cause trouble.
Shen Qiong quickly pulled out his phone and was about to call Ren Tianxue to tell her not to come, but she wasn't picking up.
The crowd outside the shop began to stir, and Shen Qiong grew anxious. Had that girl come in early today?
At that moment, Ren Tianxue was surrounded by the troublemakers who had come to the shop. She had wanted to arrive early and discuss what she'd overheard the day before with Shen Qiong, but she hadn't expected to run into this kind of trouble.
As Shen Qiong drew closer, he saw that she was indeed trapped. The crowd was a mixed bunch, and some were even taking advantage of the chaos to sneakily grope Ren Tianxue.
That was absolutely unacceptable! Shen Qiong swore, "What the fuck?" and charged into the crowd.
She spotted Shen Qiong amid the chaos and hurriedly shouted, "What are you doing here? Get out of here! They're all here for you."
Shen Qiong's face darkened. This is bad! In an instant, everyone's eyes turned toward him.
She cried out, "Ah!" as the surging crowd knocked her to the ground.
Seeing this, Shen Qiong completely lost it. He summoned all his strength to shove through the crowd and help Ren Tianxue up, his face full of concern as he asked, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Ren Tianxue rubbed her calf through the pain and murmured, "I think I twisted it!"
"Damn it, what's wrong with these people? If they've got a problem, they should come after me! Why pick on a woman?" Shen Qiong cursed.
Angry voices rose all around them. "Who are you calling crazy?"
"So you're that bastard, Master Shen?"
"Get him, everyone! He thinks he's some kind of hero saving a beauty? He should take a good look at himself first."
In an instant, fists and feet rained down on them. Afraid that Ren Tianxue might get hurt, Shen Qiong turned to shield her, only to be kicked down onto one knee. He took the beating with his own body.
It wasn't as if it didn't hurt. Shen Qiong's face twisted with pain as he gritted his teeth. The crowd had no idea how to hold back; they were practically trying to beat him to death.
Shen Qiong wanted to run for it, but he couldn't—not with Ren Tianxue in his arms. Wait—in his arms? He was surprised to realize he'd somehow ended up holding her.
Ren Tianxue looked terrified. She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid to look...
Another heavy kick landed, and Shen Qiong couldn't help letting out a howl of pain!
Just then, a shout came from a distance: "Stop! What are you doing?"
The troublemakers turned to look and saw seven or eight burly men in sleeveless shirts, their arms covered in tattoos, rushing toward them.
"Run! Those guys are dangerous."
One timid fellow took off, and the others fled after him. After all, they were in the wrong for beating someone up outside his own shop.
"Cough, cough!" Shen Qiong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked up. It turned out Zhu Deshou's men had arrived. He sighed inwardly. So that protection fee really was worth paying!
Brother Li, Zhu Deshou's top henchman, was a huge fan of Shen Qiong. When he saw that the person who'd been beaten was Master Shen, he flew into a rage and yelled, "Grab your weapons, boys! Damn it, let's beat the crap out of those bastards!"
Shen Qiong quickly raised a hand to stop them. "No! Don't let this get out of hand."
Brother Li said furiously, "They've already come here to beat someone up. What's there to worry about? This is our turf. We'll take on anyone who comes, and if a whole gang shows up, we'll take them all on."
"Right! When have we ever been afraid of anyone on Shili Street?"
Shen Qiong gave a bitter smile. "The public opinion's against me right now. If this ends up at the police station, it might not do me any good."
"So we're just supposed to let it go? I can't swallow this." Brother Li was furious that Shen Qiong had been beaten on his own turf.
"Brother Li, how about we stay here with Master Shen? Damn it, let's see who dares come back."
"Sounds good!"
Shen Qiong nodded. That would work. If anyone else came to cause trouble, he really wouldn't be able to take it.
Ren Tianxue helped him slowly to his feet. Shen Qiong grimaced and cried out, "Easy, easy."
She looked worried. When she lifted Shen Qiong's shirt, she saw that his back was covered in bruises, red and purple all over.
"Ah!" she cried out in distress.
Shen Qiong gritted his teeth and squinted. "How bad is it? Is it a horrible sight?"
She bit her lower lip and nodded repeatedly, unable to bear looking at him.
"As long as you're okay." Shen Qiong forced a smile.
She shot him a reproachful look, then led him into the shop. "Sit down. Do you have any medicated liniment?"
As it happened, he did!
Shen Qiong pointed to a drawer under the bookshelf. "In there, the one on the far right. That's it!"
Ren Tianxue carefully applied the liniment to him. Shen Qiong let out a howl like a slaughtered pig.
"Hurt, doesn't it? That's what you get for playing the hero and charging into the crowd," she teased.
"Of course it hurts! If you'd been hurt, I would've been worried sick." Shen Qiong answered without thinking.
He hadn't meant anything by it, but she took it to heart. Her heart warmed, and she smiled as she continued rubbing in the liniment.
"All done! Be careful. You might have to sleep on your side," Ren Tianxue reminded him.
Shen Qiong nodded as he leaned back in his chair, but the pain made him quickly straighten up. He didn't dare lean against the backrest again.
Someone else walked into the shop. It was the internet café owner. Shen Qiong asked awkwardly, "You saw that?"
The internet café owner smiled. "I'm right nearby. With all that commotion, how could I not know?"
Shen Qiong let out a sigh. It really was a disaster. He hadn't expected to end up in such a state.
"Those people were way out of line. If Brother Li hadn't arrived in time, this scrawny body of mine would've ended up in the hospital," Shen Qiong said with a bitter smile.
Brother Li shook his head. "I still got here too late. I was worried yesterday, so I made a point of passing by today. I just didn't expect anyone to actually show up and cause trouble."
The grocery store owner came over to "check on" Shen Qiong too. "Master Shen, are you all right? I really didn't dare step in when I saw that crowd. I'm so sorry!" he apologized.
Shen Qiong nodded. "I understand, I understand. If this girl hadn't been trapped, I wouldn't have dared show my face either." As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Ren Tianxue to indicate that it was all her fault.
Ren Tianxue knew she was in the wrong and stuck out her tongue.
Seeing her adorable expression softened Shen Qiong's heart. How could those people bring themselves to lay a hand on such a beautiful woman? They're insane.
"I think Master Shen should just stay home and rest for the next few days, until things die down," the grocery store owner suggested.
Ren Tianxue quickly nodded. "Right. Once Yuan Jiancheng recovers, he'll be able to clear your name. Besides, yesterday I found out that his wife didn't deliberately slander you. Someone was egging her on from behind the scenes, trying to get kindhearted people to donate money to them."
"Ah, people these days will really do anything for money. We all know what kind of person Master Shen is." The internet café owner looked at Shen Qiong and continued, "Don't worry! The neighbors are all on your side!"
Shen Qiong took out his phone and looked at Yuan Jiancheng's information. He had checked yesterday and seen that Yuan Jiancheng's Health Value was 53. Today, it had risen to 55.
Shen Qiong smiled. It looked like Yuan Jiancheng would be back up to 60 in another two or three days. He'd probably wake up then.
"No! I can't close the shop. The more outrageous they get, the less I can let them push me around. I won't back down," Shen Qiong said firmly.
The internet café owner and the grocery store owner knew how stubborn Shen Qiong could be. They exchanged glances and smiled helplessly.
Brother Li was equally fired up. "Like hell we're closing! We'll leave the doors wide open and wait for them to show up. If they dare come back, we'll take them down!"
Ren Tianxue knew Shen Qiong's stubborn streak well and realized there was no talking him out of it. "With Brother Li here, you should be fine," she said.
Shen Qiong looked at the girl. "You don't need to come in. I doubt there'll be any business over the next few days. Even if there is, I won't be in the mood to tell fortunes."
She puffed out her cheeks. "No."
"Are you the boss, or am I?" Shen Qiong asked with an amused look.
"I said no, and I mean it," Ren Tianxue said firmly.
Shen Qiong gave a bitter smile and rubbed his head. This girl was just as stubborn as he was; neither of them could talk the other around. Then he had an idea and said, "I'm telling you to go home and keep working—take my fans and those who slander and mock me to task. I'm not telling you to go home and rest."
"Oh." She answered reluctantly.
Before you continue