Page 45

This was a part-time job she'd been doing on and off since her freshman year.

The bookstore's owner was an alumna from her department. She was a local who'd inherited her family's bookstore after graduation, and she knew about Chu Keke's family situation. So every now and then, she'd ask Chu Keke to work part-time, which was also a way to help her out.

The alumna had gone on a date tonight, so Chu Keke had come to watch the store after lunch.

Perhaps because of the weather, hardly anyone had come in to buy books today. Chu Keke had picked out a Russian novel to read and pass the time.

It wasn't until closing time approached that she began cleaning the store at an unhurried pace.

Her home wasn't far away, just two streets over, and she had brought an umbrella, so she wasn't worried about the rain.

The alumna was a good person. Chu Keke figured that if she kept the store open a little longer, someone might come by and buy a book.

After straightening the books and mopping the floor, Chu Keke carefully locked the store before heading home.

It still hadn't started raining, but the wind had picked up, sending plastic bags tumbling away with a loud rustle. Silvery snakes of lightning flickered across the horizon, as if gathering their strength for one last burst.

Chu Keke had just turned the corner when she heard someone call her name.

"Keke."

Chu Keke turned around and saw a tall, slender young man coming up behind her. He was the son of a neighbor.

When she'd brought her younger sister here to rent a place, the neighbor had helped them a great deal. Sometimes, when Chu Keke went out to work, the woman would even let her sister come over to watch TV.

The woman's son, Wei Quan, was a good person too.

She still remembered the time her sister had fallen ill. Late that night, he'd carried her sister on his back and gone with Chu Keke to the hospital. To Chu Keke, he was just like an older brother.

Seeing him, Chu Keke smiled. "Brother Wei, what are you doing here?"

Wei Quan looked at the girl's adorable smile, his gaze softening. He revealed the badminton bag slung over his shoulder. "I was playing with some friends at the badminton hall over there. I just got back. What about you?"

"I just finished my part-time job too. Have you eaten? Why don't you come over to my place later? I'll make some noodles."

As she spoke, Chu Keke walked side by side with Wei Quan toward home.

Hearing her invitation and seeing her smiling eyes as she looked at him, Wei Quan couldn't help reaching out to ruffle her hair. "No need. Mom made dumplings tonight, and she saved a plate for you. Just come over to my place and eat."

"Dumplings!"

Chu Keke's eyes lit up. "Auntie's dumplings are the best."

"Really?" Wei Quan smiled too. "Then make sure you eat plenty."

"Mm, I definitely will."

The two chatted and laughed as they walked side by side through the gale heralding the storm. The wind stirred the ends of Chu Keke's hair and swept past Wei Quan's shoulder, while neon lights bathed them both.

What a sweet, lovey-dovey scene.

Behind them, Shangguan Min had just returned from a business trip. After taking care of the company's affairs, he'd rushed straight over to find Chu Keke. Now, sitting in a luxury car in the middle of the street, he stared at the scene with bloodshot eyes.

So that was why she hadn't replied to his messages or answered his calls. Was it because she already had someone else by her side?

Then what about him? What was all the love in his heart worth?

Chu Keke, you can only be mine!

Screech—

A black Rolls-Royce accelerated toward them, then suddenly slammed on the brakes and skidded across the road in front of them. Both Chu Keke and Wei Quan jumped in fright.

Wei Quan instinctively pulled Chu Keke behind him to shield her.

Soon, the car door opened.

[A tall, slender figure stepped out of the car. His sharply sculpted, breathtakingly handsome face was shrouded in a dark, brooding shadow. His eyes blazed, concealing a raging storm, as he fixed his gaze on the two standing intimately close together.]

["Chu, Ke, ke."]

[Shangguan Min called out the name of the person hidden behind the young man, one syllable at a time. His thin lips pressed together. "How dare you betray me!"]

[Chu Keke froze. "Shangguan Min?"]

[Then she thought of something, and her eyes dimmed. She said coldly, "What are you doing here?"]

["What am I doing here?" A trace of hurt flashed through Shangguan Min's eyes, only to be swallowed by anger.]

["If I hadn't come, how would I have known you had another knight in shining armor by your side?"]

[Chu Keke frowned. "What are you talking about?"]

[Shangguan Min didn't want to hear another word. Because it was her, he was willing to give her one more chance.]

[The dangerous, wolf-like man reached out toward Chu Keke. "Come here."]

Xiang Changge still hadn't come closer and couldn't hear what they were saying. But thanks to the very considerate system in her head, it started reciting the original text for her: "..."

Enough. Seriously, enough. Who didn't know this scene by heart already?

Up ahead, the three-way showdown was underway.

Seeing that the man who'd appeared out of nowhere was about to take Chu Keke away, Wei Quan naturally stepped in front of her.

The two tried to leave, but Shangguan Min wouldn't let them. Already burning with jealousy, he grabbed Wei Quan and punched him.

The two began to fight.

But how could the weak second male lead beat the male lead, who worked out year-round and had even learned some kind of karate as a kid? All he could do was take a beating.

Seeing this, Chu Keke hurried to stop them, and in the process, slapped the male lead.

She helped the battered, bruised Wei Quan to his feet and glared at the tall man in front of her with disgust. "Shangguan Min, what are you doing? Who do you think you are? Get lost!"

Shangguan Min stood frozen, his face turned slightly to the side. Disbelief showed in his eyes as he slowly turned to look at Chu Keke. "You hit me for him?"

A trace of anguish flashed through Chu Keke's eyes. She gritted her teeth and said nothing. Shangguan Min could no longer hold back. He rushed forward—

Just as the plot was about to reach the part where "the male lead forcefully kisses the female lead in front of the second male lead," something that wasn't in the original story happened.

"What's wrong with hitting you?"

A cool voice rang out amid the dazzling flash of white light across the sky.

In the instant lightning split the heavens, a tall, slender figure appeared out of nowhere, like a ghost.

The deafening thunder that followed the lightning seemed to explode in Chu Keke's mind. She stared in shock at the scene before her. Behind Shangguan Min's handsome face was the person who'd suddenly appeared—Steward Xiang?

"Steward Xiang, what are you doing here?"

Chu Keke asked blankly.

"I came to tell you," Xiang Changge said, tilting her neck and loosening up her muscles. She looked at Shangguan Min, but spoke to Chu Keke. "When someone comes out of nowhere and starts hitting people, you fight fire with fire."

"Who are you?"

Staring at Xiang Changge's face, Shangguan Min was sure he'd never met her before.

But she knew Chu Keke.

Who was she?

The question had barely crossed his mind when a fist flew straight at him.

Shangguan Min's pupils dilated. He tried to dodge, but the punch had already landed squarely on his eye.

What a fast punch!

Shangguan Min covered his battered eye, still unable to react, when the next moment, pain shot through his abdomen—

Chu Keke was truly dumbfounded this time.

Steward Xiang had suddenly appeared and was beating Shangguan Min—the man who'd just been pinning Brother Wei down—so badly that he was nearly driven into a crack in the wall by the roadside!

Wait, Steward Xiang could fight? And she was actually pretty good at it.

Hold on. That didn't seem to be the point right now.

Chu Keke let go of Wei Quan and hurried to pull Xiang Changge back. "Steward Xiang, Steward Xiang, please stop hitting him! He, he looks like he's about to die!"

Xiang Changge, who'd been enjoying herself, finally stopped. She let out a long breath and sighed, "Woohoo, that felt great."

Chu Keke: "..."

Steward Xiang seemed a little off tonight.

Shangguan Min, who was looking a little dead: "?"

No, who was she? Who the hell was she? Why was she sticking her nose into other people's business?

Wei Quan, still on the ground: "!"

How terrifying. He'd just stopped by to pick up the girl he liked after work. What had just happened?

"D-do you even know who I am?!"

With Xiang Changge no longer gripping the collar of his immaculate tailored suit and slamming him into the wall, Shangguan Min slid helplessly down to sit on the ground by the wall.

His mouth was swollen, and both eyes were red and puffy. His face was unrecognizable as he struggled to spit out a garbled threat.

Xiang Changge raised both hands and stretched her chest, replying with complete indifference, "No. Do you?" Then she turned to Chu Keke for the second half of the question.

Chu Keke fell silent for a few seconds before nodding. "He's the CEO of the Shangguan Group."

At that, Chu Keke felt her mind was in complete disarray.

"What do we do, Steward Xiang? He's powerful and influential, and you—you hit him, you..."

She looked worriedly at Xiang Changge, then at Shangguan Min, who'd never looked so battered before. Thinking of how vengeful he was, she was so overwhelmed she nearly burst into tears.