"Jing… Huang Jing! Come out quickly—someone's hurt!"Just as Huang Jing was wondering why Liu Dan was taking so long to pick her up, his anxious voice echoed outside. She rushed out without hesitation.
She saw Liu Dan approaching, supporting a woman. The way he held her so closely stirred an inexplicable emotion in Huang Jing's heart—something faint, bitter, and unfamiliar. She couldn't quite name it. But when she saw the woman's face clearly, she gasped in surprise, "Sister Qianru?! What happened to you?"
Liu Dan was completely worn out. Escorting Zhou Qianru over had been more exhausting than fighting off Huo Zijian. He suspected that this woman might be a divine punishment sent specifically to torment him.
After chasing Huo Zijian off, Liu Dan hadn't had the heart to leave her behind, so he'd supported her all the way to the campus clinic. But the moment he helped her up, she looked at him and whispered, "You're not trying to cop a feel on your teacher, are you?"He fought the urge to drop her right then. "Ms. Zhou, please bear with it. I'm just taking you to the clinic."She stared at him so intently that Liu Dan began to feel self-conscious. Just as things quieted down, she asked, "Liu Dan, do you think your teacher is beautiful?"His face turned red as a cooked lobster. Resisting the urge to bolt, he muttered, "Yes… you're very beautiful. Few could compare.""Then how about making me your girlfriend?" she said with a smile.Liu Dan nearly fainted. She's going to corrupt every teenage boy at this rate.Thankfully, his parents had raised him well. Respecting teachers was second nature. So, instead of lashing out, he just stared helplessly at this devil in angel's clothing.
Luckily, the walk from the woods to the clinic wasn't long. In just a few minutes, his suffering ended.
As she was teasing Liu Dan again, Zhou Qianru suddenly heard someone call her name. She looked up and blinked in surprise. "Jing? What are you doing here?"
Huang Jing walked up and took her other arm. "Sister Qianru, did you forget I'm doing my internship here? I'm in my third year."
Zhou Qianru patted her forehead lightly. "Right! My memory's getting worse."
Huang Jing frowned. "What happened to you? You're bleeding!"Zhou Qianru's expression dimmed. "It's nothing, just a scuffle," she said, nodding at Liu Dan. "If it weren't for him, you might never have seen me again."
Huang Jing blinked. "What does Dan have to do with this?"
Zhou Qianru looked surprised. "Dan? So you know Liu Dan?"
Liu Dan, who had been quietly listening, turned to Huang Jing and asked, "You know Ms. Zhou?"
"Ms. Zhou?" Huang Jing chuckled.
Liu Dan looked at her, puzzled. What's so funny?
Zhou Qianru playfully warned, "Jing, don't ruin my image."
Huang Jing stifled her laughter and introduced them: "Sister Qianru is one of Fengqin's best friends. I met her through Qin. Dan here is our designated chef."
Zhou Qianru's eyes lit up. "That's perfect! They say the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach. That just makes me more determined to make you my boyfriend."
Huang Jing, long used to Zhou Qianru's outrageous comments, still couldn't help but laugh.
Wait, Liu Dan thought, isn't it the way to a man's heart that goes through the stomach? But there was no way he'd say that out loud. He valued his life.
Thankfully, Huang Jing came to his rescue. "Okay, sis, stop teasing him. Let me give you a proper check-up."
Zhou Qianru pouted. "Alright, since you're already getting jealous, I'll stop."Huang Jing blushed furiously. "Sis! Don't say weird things!"
Liu Dan sighed inwardly. Yep. She's definitely a little demon sent by heaven to torment him.
Zhou Qianru quieted down and let them help her into the exam room so Huang Jing could perform a check-up.
Outwardly, there were no obvious injuries. But the palm strike from Huo Zijian had caused internal damage, and she was bleeding inside.
After the examination, Huang Jing said, "It's just internal bruising. No need to stay overnight, but you'll need a week or two of bed rest."
Zhou Qianru sighed. "Looks like I've got no choice but to listen."
Huang Jing thought for a moment. "You live alone, right? You're in no shape to take care of yourself. Why don't you stay with us for now? Let Fengqin and I look after you."
Zhou Qianru shot Liu Dan a mischievous look. "I wonder if someone will mind me moving in."
Liu Dan groaned inwardly. Living with this devil woman? Peace was officially over. But aloud he said, "Of course not. Having a beauty like you join us is an honor. This place is turning into a beauty dorm."
Zhou Qianru looked at him as if he were a newfound treasure. "Liu Dan, you're surprisingly witty."
Liu Dan was truly at a loss.
They split up after that—Huang Jing took Zhou Qianru's key to fetch some clothes, and Liu Dan was in charge of escorting her home.
By the time he got her to the apartment door, Liu Dan let out a huge sigh of relief. He had never met a more exhausting patient. The whole experience was more grueling than a Red Army long march.
Once inside, he helped her onto the couch and went back to close the door. When he returned, he heard Fengqin exclaim, "Qianru? Why are you lying there?"
Zhou Qianru lazily replied, "Caught you red-handed, didn't I? Hiding your little darling and not telling me!"
Liu Dan couldn't understand. How was this woman the same elegant goddess revered across campus?
Fengqin gently asked, "Qianru, calm down and tell me what happened."
Liu Dan sat down at his usual spot.
Zhou Qianru pointed to Liu Dan and said proudly, "He saved me." Then she gave Liu Dan a triumphant smile.
Liu Dan sighed and recounted the events from earlier.
After hearing the story, Fengqin said quietly, "So you know martial arts… No wonder that one time…"
Liu Dan quickly clarified, "It's not real martial arts. Compared to Sister Qianru and the others, I'm still far behind."
Fengqin laughed. "Since Qianru is your teacher, you don't have to call her 'Ms. Zhou' anymore. Call her 'Sister Qianru' like we do."
Just then, Zhou Qianru, who had been lost in thought, chimed in, "Yes! That's settled. You'll call me Qianru, and I'll call you Dan."
Liu Dan sighed inwardly. As if I have a choice.
Then Zhou Qianru suddenly asked seriously, "Dan, your power's impressive, but your moves were pretty clumsy. What's going on?"
Is that a compliment or an insult? Liu Dan thought. Still, he explained the doubts he had while training.
After listening, Zhou Qianru nodded. "Your style is quite different from mine. I'm not sure either. Let me recover first—then we'll figure it out together."
At that moment, Huang Jing returned with Zhou Qianru's clothes and essentials.
Knowing the three women would want to chat, Liu Dan said, "You're probably all hungry. I'll make dinner."
Even from the kitchen, he could hear their voices:
"Qin, where did you find this gem? He can fight outside and cook inside. Are you planning to sell him? I'll buy."
Fengqin laughed. "Only you would call him a gem. If you can steal him, be my guest."
Zhou Qianru chimed in, "With that confidence, I will steal him!"
Huang Jing added, "Qin, she even said she wants Dan as her little boyfriend."
Fengqin scolded playfully, "You're his teacher! How could you say that?"
Zhou Qianru declared boldly, "So what? Teacher-student romances are trendy these days!"
Liu Dan shook his head in the kitchen. What kind of teacher is this?
Soon, dinner was ready—three dishes and a soup: stir-fried goose liver, braised tofu, steamed bass, and a medicinal chicken soup specially prepared for Zhou Qianru. Each dish was exquisitely made.
Zhou Qianru took one look and said, "Dan, how about coming home with me? I'll fatten you up nicely."
Fengqin laughed so hard she couldn't breathe, and Huang Jing was clutching her stomach in tears of laughter.