Just as Lin Fan fled into the night, Shen Wuxiao returned to the Bay Villa.
Inside, Jiang Huaiyue was already on edge, pacing anxiously like a cat on a hot roof. She couldn’t sit still—her brows were furrowed, her steps restless.
At first, when Shen Wuxiao left in the morning, she didn’t think much of it. But by noon, she called him for some reason—and discovered that his phone was turned off.
She still didn’t panic then. Maybe he’d simply forgotten to charge it. But by evening, when every call still met with the same cold shutdown, her concern turned into unease. It was already close to midnight, and she still hadn’t heard from him.
She kept telling herself his phone had probably just died. But deep down, it didn’t make sense.
In this day and age, who forgets their phone? Especially someone like Shen Wuxiao?
The more she tried to stay calm, the more her imagination ran wild.
Was he hurt? Had he gotten into trouble while investigating something behind her back? What if those two dangerous masters had found him?
Jiang Huaiyue felt completely helpless. She didn’t know anyone in this unfamiliar city, and had no idea where to even start looking.
She tried to remain hopeful. Maybe… his phone’s just broken?Every few minutes, she walked outside to the villa gate, peering into the distance, hoping to see headlights.
Cars passed occasionally, but none of them stopped here. Each time she felt a flicker of hope, it was quickly crushed, and her anxiety deepened.
Finally, she made up her mind—she was going to search for him herself.
Shen Wuxiao wasn’t exactly an unknown name in Zhonghai. If she asked around, someone would know something.
She changed into a fitted black outfit, took her weapon, locked the villa behind her, and stepped out decisively.
But just as she took her first steps into the night, a familiar sports car slowly turned the corner and approached the villa.
Jiang Huaiyue froze. Her heart skipped a beat.
It was his car.
The moment she recognized it, her entire body trembled. But instead of relief, a surge of anger rose inside her.
Her beautiful face darkened, her fists clenched.
This bastard finally remembered how to come home!
Without hesitation, she walked straight toward the car.
Inside, Shen Wuxiao had already changed into his usual clothes and was driving at a relaxed pace, still lost in the excitement of the new weapon in his possession.
“That ‘Duke of Destruction’ revolver… it’s too damn cool,” he muttered to himself, still smiling.
Just then, his headlights illuminated a familiar figure walking toward him fast—it was Jiang Huaiyue.
Shen Wuxiao slowed down, rolled down the window, and greeted her with a teasing smile. “Yue’er? Out this late? Midnight snack run?”
Her face softened slightly with relief—but the fury returned in full force right after.
You absolute bastard. I was losing my mind over you, and you’re here grinning, asking if I want a snack?
She yanked the car door open.
Shen Wuxiao blinked in confusion. “Huh?”
Before he could react, Jiang Huaiyue reached in, unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed his arm—and pulled him straight out of the car.
“Hey—hey, wait!” Shen Wuxiao was completely caught off guard.
She slammed him against the car, raised her fist, ready to punch.
“Wait, wait, I surrender!” Shen Wuxiao raised both hands, pretending to be scared. But she didn’t truly want to hurt him. Instead, she gave him a firm punch to the chest—more angry than violent.
Her eyes were filled with grievance, and her voice trembled with frustration. “You had your phone off all day. What the hell were you trying to do?!”
“Huh?” Shen Wuxiao played dumb. “No way.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen was black.
He scratched his head awkwardly. “Uh… I guess I turned it off in the morning. I just wanted some peace of mind.”
“You—!” Jiang Huaiyue nearly exploded.
If he weren’t a martial artist, she might have actually hit him for real. Right now, she seriously considered it.
Shen Wuxiao turned the phone back on.
As soon as the screen lit up, three scam calls popped up—along with seventy-three missed calls.
All from Jiang Huaiyue.
She’d called every few minutes without stopping. It was like she was about to reboot the phone with her worry alone.
Seeing that, Shen Wuxiao was genuinely touched.
He looked at her with soft eyes, then gently pulled her into his arms.
Caught off guard, Jiang Huaiyue stumbled into his chest.
She tried to pull away at first, punching his chest in frustration. But eventually, she allowed herself to be held.
Her punches softened—not in anger, but in a way that was almost affectionate, like a sulky lover venting her emotions.
“It’s my fault,” Shen Wuxiao whispered close to her ear. “I won’t turn it off again. I promise.”
Hearing that, Jiang Huaiyue stopped struggling and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist.
She didn’t say anything dramatic. But her embrace said everything—she’d been deeply worried.
Shen Wuxiao held her a little longer, then slowly let go.
Looking at her flawless, stunning face, a wave of desire rose within him.
I want her.
“Yue’er, were you really worried about me all day?”
Jiang Huaiyue’s eyes widened slightly. She snapped back to reality, quickly pulled away from his arms, and turned her back to him.
Her lips pouted. “Who was worried about you? You can go wherever you want. What’s it got to do with me?”
“You’re saying one thing but thinking another,” Shen Wuxiao chuckled.
He stepped behind her, bent down, and in one smooth motion, scooped her up into a bridal carry.
“You—put me down!” she shrieked, squirming in his arms.
But Shen Wuxiao refused to let go and carried her straight back into the villa.
“What if someone gets blocked by your car?” she asked, still half-protesting.
“This road only leads to our villa. No one else is coming.” Shen Wuxiao laughed. The car could wait. Right now, he had more important things to do—strike while the iron was hot.
Inside, Jiang Huaiyue finally settled down, but she was still clearly annoyed.
She sat on the sofa and turned her face away, ignoring him entirely.
Typical girlfriend sulking.
Shen Wuxiao knew better than to bombard her with questions now.
Instead, he walked over and gently pulled her into his arms again.
She resisted slightly, shifting away. But he didn’t stop.
This time, he wrapped his arms tighter and pulled her onto his lap, facing him.
Their faces were inches apart.
Shen Wuxiao softly caressed her cheek. Then, without warning, he leaned in and kissed her.
“Hm—!”
It was sudden and intense, like a wave crashing over her.
The scent of his breath, the heat of his body—it overwhelmed her.
Her body froze, her mind went blank.
She instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders, wanting to push him away. But the warmth of his palm on the back of her neck made her limbs go weak.
As he gently parted her lips, she closed her eyes and kissed him back—completely surrendering to the moment.
She held him tightly, forgetting everything else.
The kiss was long. Passionate. Unrestrained.
By the time they separated, Jiang Huaiyue’s face was flushed red. She turned her head shyly, not daring to meet his eyes.
She never imagined things would progress this fast.
This… was their true first kiss.
She had come to Zhonghai for Lin Fan.
But somehow, she had fallen for Lin Fan’s so-called “friend”—and fallen hard.