Back Then, I Adored You

But if I leave this guy behind, Wu Hao can deal with him… He’s more than capable…

A stream of blood started flowing down the corner of Lu Bancheng’s mouth as a result of his fight. He turned his head laboriously and gazed at Xu Wennuan, who was still unconscious. In the instant that his gaze landed on her, the look in his eyes grew exceptionally gentle and tender.

I wanted to just leave everything behind and never come back after getting to America, but I’d never anticipated something so drastic happening tonight. I’d thought that the two of us would lead our separate lives in different countries and never have any form of contact again, but who would have thought that our final parting would be one caused by… death?

I was neither unwilling nor reluctant… I just felt regretful. All along, I’d never been able to treat her nicely in an explicit manner… All I could do was sacrifice and do things for her behind her back. But that’s a good thing, too. If something bad really happens to me tonight, it’s best that she doesn’t know anything at all.

Compared to her living the rest of her life feeling guilty and apologetic, I prefer her to live at ease without knowing a thing.

The corners of Lu Bancheng’s blood-stained lips curled into a shallow smile. In the subsequent second, he retracted his gaze from Xu Wennuan’s body. His own battered body suddenly felt like it had been reborn, and he was brimming with energy, letting him stand back up, determined. Within a minute, he shoved the man who had been kicking him forcefully toward the window. Without waiting for the man to return to his senses, he summoned all the strength remaining in his body and pounced on the man. With this momentum, the two of them fell outside through the window and rolled down the bank and into the icy river, creating two chilling splash sounds.

Lu Bancheng was fearful that the man would climb to the bank and make his way to the room where Xu Wennuan was, so he gripped his foot tightly. The man’s survival instincts caused him to kick around wildly, landing numerous blows on Lu Bancheng and causing excruciating pain. Yet, Lu Bancheng resolutely held onto a last thread of consciousness, refusing to let go until he felt the man’s strength gradually diminish and his body start to sink. Only then did Lu Bancheng slowly release his leg.

In his altered state, Lu Bancheng seemed to hear a vehicle approaching.

Is Wu Hao here? That means Nuannuan will be safe now, right?

The heavy load in Lu Bancheng’s heart finally began to lift as he floated down the river feeling like a completely liberated man.

The car had not even come to a stop yet before Wu Hao grabbed a baton from under the car seat, pushed open the door, and leapt out. He ran through the twisty path and then sprinted all the way to the entrance of the abandoned factory. When he saw the illuminated room across the yard, Wu Hao went flying over. He raised his baton and kicked open the door after readying himself in a defensive position.

The danger and threat that he had expected were nowhere apparent. Instead, a motionless man was collapsed on the ground, and another man was kneeled over and clutching his abdomen, while Xu Wennuan remained lying on the ground like a rag doll. She was still deeply unconscious.

What on earth is happening here?

Wu Hao knitted his eyebrows and swept his gaze across the entire room to get a sense of what was going on.

Who stepped in before me to rescue Xu Wennuan?

As Wu Hao contemplated, the man with the injured abdomen swayed as he stood up suddenly and then dug out the switchblade from his pocket and rushed over to Xu Wennuan to stab her.

Wu Hao shot forward like an arrow being released by a bow and, just as he was about to deal the man a flying kick, his movement suddenly halted. Thereafter, he draped himself over Xu Wennuan’s body and used his shoulder to block the oncoming blade. Wu Hao inhaled in pain. He stood up, pressed the wound on his shoulder, and raised his leg to kick the man, who immediately fell to the ground.