"BANG!!!"
A deafening crash, like a thunderclap out of nowhere, shattered the quiet night sky over Chen Family Village!
Under Chen Lin's furious kick, the already dilapidated wooden door looked as though it had taken a battering ram head-on. Its panels splintered, wood chips flew everywhere, and even the frame groaned under the strain before crashing inward.
The cursing inside stopped abruptly.
Under the dim yellow light, the sharp-tongued Ma Lanhua had raised a cowhide whip high in her hand. Her face, twisted with anger, was full of vicious delight as she prepared to lash Li Xiaoyue, who lay curled up on the floor.
Li Xiaoyue helplessly cradled her head, her frail shoulders shaking violently. A vivid red handprint on her left cheek looked horrifying under the pallid light.
The sudden crash froze everyone inside.
Ma Lanhua's whip hand stopped in midair. She stared at the doorway in terror as a tall, straight figure, silhouetted against the cool moonlight, slowly stepped through the swirling dust and wood chips.
It was Chen Lin.
There was no trace of his usual warmth or teasing now. His handsome face was cold as frost, and his normally smiling eyes had become bottomless abysses, seething with towering fury and a chilling murderous intent that could freeze a person's soul!
Even the air around him seemed to solidify under the terrifying force of his presence.
"Chen... Chen Lin?" His frightening stare made Ma Lanhua's heart seize, and the whip dropped from her hand with a clatter.
But a moment later, the outraged humiliation of having her territory invaded overwhelmed her fear.
"You little bastard! How dare you kick down my door! You're trespassing! I'll call the police and have you arrested!" she shrieked like a vicious monkey whose tail had been stepped on, pointing at Chen