Erin Lowell raised her head. The moonlight shone down, casting a glow on his face. She could see him clearly. For some reason, his eyelashes were trembling, and his dark eyes were impossibly deep.
Seeing she didn't answer, Zane Jennings's brows furrowed slightly. His voice was a little urgent. "Are you hurt?"
"No."
Her breath was a little warm. As she spoke, it brushed across his hand. Against the evening breeze, it left an unusual warmth on his palm.
Erin Lowell looked down at the back of his hand. The skin was broken and dripping blood. Helplessness filled her eyes. "Your hand?"
He lifted it for a look. He had just scraped off a layer of skin. "It's no big deal."
The men on the ground, having recovered, began trying to get up. The person she was waiting for hadn't arrived yet, and she didn't want to drag an innocent person into this. "It's too dangerous here. Why don't you run first?"
Zane Jennings didn't move. He stared into her eyes with a smile, wiping the back of his hand on his shirt. "Running away is so lame."
Ken Shaw got to his feet behind him, drawing closer and closer.
Erin Lowell acted decisively, shoving him hard. "Watch out behind you!"
Zane Jennings turned. The man behind him had raised his club. He lifted his arm to block the blow, letting out a muffled grunt.
A curse escaped Erin Lowell's lips. She raised her foot and, without hesitation, kicked Ken Shaw between the legs.
The man's eyes shot open. He stood stunned for a long moment, then let out a loud cry and collapsed, clutching his midsection. His face turned beet red, unable to utter a single word.
Erin Lowell picked up the scalpel that had fallen on the ground, grabbed Zane Jennings, and ran, weaving past the group of men collapsed on the pavement.
They ran for two blocks, only stopping when they reached a bustling, crowded street. Erin Lowell looked back, panting, her messy hair stuck to her face.
Zane Jennings glanced at his captured wrist, the corners of his mouth turned up. His breathing was even as he asked with a smile, "Why did we run?"
Hearing his voice, Erin Lowell pulled her gaze back. They were only half a step apart. She looked up, her expression polite but distant. "Why wouldn't we run? We couldn't have beaten them."
'Those guys were skilled. They weren't paper tigers. They were hired thugs; their competence depended on how much they were paid.'
'You wouldn't see that kind of life-or-death ferocity unless there was some deep-seated hatred involved.'
Zane Jennings didn't answer right away. In the light of a distant streetlamp, he finally got a good look at her. She was strikingly beautiful, but her brows held a fierceness they shouldn't. Her features were exceptionally pretty, just a little cool and aloof, making her seem unapproachable.
Her style of dress was casual, too.
Erin Lowell grew uncomfortable under his intense stare. She subconsciously clenched her hand, only to realize she was still gripping his wrist. She let go as if shocked. "Um, thank you for just now."
'If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed.'
Zane Jennings didn't look away. He simply moved the hand she had just released behind his back. "How are you?"
Erin Lowell's eyelashes fluttered. "Huh?"
He smiled. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head instinctively. "No." The only sound was the wind. Erin Lowell wasn't good with words around strangers and felt a little awkward. She could only ask back, "What about you?"
The light by the roadside was dim. With his hand hidden behind his back, Zane Jennings's expression was hard to make out. "I'm not hurt either."
'That's good.' She breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze wandering. "Thank you for today."
'I don't believe there are truly good people in this world. But maybe he is. To help a stranger in this self-serving era... not many people would do that.'
Zane Jennings stared at her silhouette. He had so many questions for her, but on second thought, he felt he had no right to ask. It had just been a chance meeting and a verbal promise. It was normal for her to have forgotten.
"You don't have to thank me." He lowered his gaze to meet hers, asking casually, his true intention hidden deep. "Where do you live?"
"Huh?" Erin Lowell met his gaze, startled by his question. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times, but she quickly composed herself.
"This is Brindleton. It's not safe for a girl to be out this late. I might as well see my good deed through to the end and take you home."
The fallen leaves on the ground RUSTLED in the wind. A gust swept by, stirring up ripples.
"That's not necessary."
After a long pause, Zane Jennings didn't insist. He gave a slight nod. "Okay."
'I was trying to fish for her address, but being direct doesn't seem to work.'
Erin Lowell thanked him again, very sincerely, which also served as a farewell. She walked to the curb to hail a cab back to her hotel, but she suddenly felt a wetness on her hand. She lifted it and saw her palm was covered in scarlet.
She wasn't injured.
'This hand was just holding his wrist, so...'
A taxi pulled up in front of her. Erin Lowell turned back, her gaze cutting through everything to land on him. After a few seconds, she turned back to the driver and said in English, "One moment, please."
After speaking, she walked over to Zane Jennings. Without a word, she pulled out the hand he had been hiding behind his back. A layer of blood had congealed on his wrist, and there was more on the back of his hand. His cuff was soaked.
Erin Lowell looked up to meet his eyes, her brow furrowed. It was only then that she remembered he had blocked a club with his arm for her. "You're hurt. Why didn't you say anything?"
'Was he afraid I'd blame myself?'
She found it strange. The doubt in her heart grew stronger. They were clearly strangers, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that he had some other motive. The way he looked at her in the bar... it always felt like she owed him something.
Zane Jennings didn't pull his hand back. "It's not serious. I'll just wash it when I get back."
"Wash it?" she said. "A wound like this could get infected if it's not cleaned properly." Fearing she wasn't being convincing enough, she added, "I'm a doctor."
Zane Jennings knew that. Back then, she had said, 'I'm studying medicine. After I graduate, I'll probably be a surgeon, saving lives.'
Her face had been radiant then, so proud. Not like now, where there was more somberness to her.
'It's only been four years. I wonder what she's been through!'
"Oh," Zane Jennings played along. "Then what should I do?"
Erin Lowell thought for a moment. It was the middle of the night, so a hospital was out of the question. And while she had a first-aid kit at her hotel, bringing a man back there seemed even more inappropriate.
An idea struck her. "I have a first-aid kit where I'm staying. It's not far. Should I help you clean it up first?"
Zane Jennings raised an eyebrow, hiding a hint of triumph. "Me, a man, going to your place... wouldn't that be a little inappropriate?"
Erin Lowell nodded and grunted in agreement. "It would be."
"..."
Just as he was thinking he shouldn't have played coy and was wondering how to get the opportunity back, the taxi driver honked the horn, urging them along.
Erin Lowell called out in response, then looked back at him. "Let's go. There won't be any cabs later."
"Alright, then." Zane Jennings dropped the act and followed her toward the car.
On the streets in the dead of night, the light was dim. A gentle breeze brushed past, as if it were laced with sugar.
Once in the car, Erin Lowell sent out a few messages, replying back and forth with someone.
About ten minutes later, the car stopped in a villa district.
The villa was rented by Jocelyn Lawrence. The security system was excellent. She was filming abroad and didn't like staying in hotels. In her own words, it was to "keep the paparazzi guessing whether she was out of the country for work or on vacation."