Kaden found himself innocently caught in the crossfire, staring speechlessly at the fierce little boy in front of him.
Zuri chuckled and patted the boy's head. "No one can bully me."
Fu Siyuan looked up and noticed the cut on her cheek. "Who did this?"
"I accidentally scraped myself."
"Really?" Fu Siyuan was unconvinced, casting suspicious glances at Kaden, as if he were a prime suspect.
Kaden felt the veins on his forehead throbbing. If it weren't for the boy's close relationship with Zuri, he would have been tempted to teach him a lesson and show him why roses are red.
"Really," Zuri affirmed with a nod.
Fu Siyuan knew she was hiding something from him, but since she didn't want to talk about it, he decided to play along. "Zuri jie, if anyone ever bullies you, you have to tell me. I'll stand up for you."
"Okay."
She wouldn't let herself be bullied in this lifetime.
"Let me treat your wound."
Before Zuri could refuse, the boy had already run inside and returned with a worn-out first aid kit, deftly disinfecting the wound and applying a bandage.
"All done." Little Fu Siyuan looked satisfied with his handiwork and warned her like a little adult, "Don't get it wet, or it will scar. You need to stay beautiful, Zuri jie."
"Okay."
In her previous life, she kept a terrifying scar on her face to constantly remind herself that she owed him a life, and the Lin family owed him a life.
She had only planned to see him, to make sure he was doing well. Until the Lin family was dealt with, she didn't want or dare to contact him. She feared bringing disaster upon him again.
But the wound on her face felt like Pandora's box had been opened, flooding her mind with memories of him lying in a pool of blood, unsettling her deeply.
There was a moment when she felt that if she didn't see him, she might never get another chance.
Seeing him alive and well, Zuri felt relieved.
Just as she was about to leave, the little guy's keen senses caught on.
Zuri turned to Kaden. "Do you have money?"
Kaden was taken aback and pulled out his wallet. "How much do you need?"
Before she could answer, Kaden handed her the entire wallet. "Take what you need."
Zuri opened the wallet, finding a thick wad of hundred-yuan bills, totaling at least two or three thousand. She pulled out the money and handed it to Fu Siyuan, advising him, "Keep this money safe, don't let your father see it. If anything happens, you can call me."
Fu Siyuan's father was a gambler and a womanizer. His mother had passed away three years ago. Without her care and with an irresponsible father, he had learned to be independent early on.
Shaking his head, he proudly said, "I don't need it. I have money. Yesterday, I made over a hundred yuan selling bottles."
He pulled out a crumpled wad of small bills from his tattered pocket.
"Look, jie."
Little Fu Siyuan proudly showed her.
"That's great," Zuri praised, ruffling his hair. But she still pushed the money into his pocket. "This is from your jie. If you don't take it, are we not close anymore?"
Caught by her words, Fu Siyuan reluctantly accepted the money.
"I have to go."
Fu Siyuan was reluctant but nodded. "Okay."
He walked them to the corner of the street. Suddenly, he stepped close to Kaden, lowered his voice, and warned, "Don't bully my Zuri jie, or I'll beat you up. Even if I can't beat you now, I'll do it when I'm older."
Kaden looked at the little kid, both amused and exasperated.
The two left the shantytown.
"Kaden, give me your account number. I'll transfer the money back to you."
"No need."
That amount was nothing to him.
"Please," Zuri insisted.
Reluctantly, Kaden gave her his account number and soon received a notification of the transfer.
"Kaden, could I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
"I know you have a lot of people under you. You must have someone in this area, right?" Zuri looked at him.
Kaden got the gist of her request. "You want me to keep an eye on that kid?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'll have someone make sure no one bothers him in this area."
"That's not necessary."
If people thought Fu Siyuan was associated with Kaden or the local gang leader, someone might target him, causing more trouble.
"I just need someone to check on him occasionally, to make sure he's okay. If there's any trouble, they should let me know first."
Until she dealt with the Lin family, Zuri wasn't planning on contacting him again. She feared dragging him into her mess again.
She still owed him a life.
Though he didn't understand why she couldn't do it herself, Kaden agreed readily. "Sure."
"Thank you."
Kaden smiled. "If you really want to thank me, buy me a meal."
"Okay. You pick the time and place."
Kaden thought for a moment. "I can't think of anything now. I'll let you know tomorrow."
"Alright."
At the crossroads, they parted ways.
At a certain entertainment venue, the door was pushed open, revealing a room filled with smoke. A group of burly, tattooed men stood up respectfully as Kaden entered, calling out, "Boss."
Kaden waved them off, in a good mood. He sat on a separate sofa, occasionally frowning and then smiling at his phone. His unpredictable expressions left his subordinates baffled.
One whispered, "What's up with the boss?"
"Is he possessed? Something seems off."
"Yeah, this isn't normal."
A slightly refined young man with yellow hair ventured, "I think the boss might be in love."
This comment drew everyone's attention, followed by a rain of fists, making the young man cry out.
After the beating, someone warned, "Kid, you can't say stuff like that. If you value your life, never suggest the boss is in love. Our boss isn't the type to get lovesick."
"Yeah, yeah. The boss is unbeatable, a man who can have any girl he wants. Lovesick? More like nightmare!"
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The young man with dyed yellow hair looked aggrieved. Kaden's expression clearly seemed like he was lovesick, but faced with a room full of menacing men, he chickened out and kept his mouth shut.
"Do you understand?" one of the men growled.
The yellow-haired youth nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes. Kaden is an incredibly charming man and wouldn't have something like lovesickness."
The crowd of burly men smiled in satisfaction.
"Now that's more like it!"
Kaden, lost in thought, suddenly snapped back to reality. He glanced at his subordinates in the room and asked, "Do any of you know which restaurant has the best food?"
"Wang's stir-fried dishes are great; they have a homely taste," one suggested.
"Boss, don't listen to him. If you want to eat well, go to Tianxiang Lou for their private dishes. I went there once and couldn't stop thinking about it. But it's hard to get a reservation," another chimed in.
"For a feast, go for seafood! Jiweixian's seafood is the best in Oceanic City. It's the most satisfying," a third added.
The room erupted in suggestions, making Kaden's head throb.
"Quiet!" Kaden's sharp voice cut through the chatter, bringing silence.
The yellow-haired youth timidly spoke up, "Boss, can I ask, are you planning to go alone or take a friend?"
Kaden's eyes lit up. He waved the young man over.
Overjoyed, the youth hurried to Kaden's side.
"Taking a friend. Where's a good place for that?" Kaden asked.
"It depends if the friend is male or female. The places you take them to are different," the youth explained.
Kaden's interest grew. "Tell me more."
"If it's a guy, any of the places the brothers mentioned would do. But if it's a female friend, you need to find a place with ambiance and charm. Girls like those kinds of places."
"A place with ambiance and charm," Kaden repeated thoughtfully, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You're pretty good."
"All thanks to your guidance, boss," the youth beamed.
Kaden stood up and walked out, realizing these burly men weren't much help in matters of taste and elegance.
Once he left, the room was filled with astonishment.
"Holy crap!"
One of the men exclaimed, expressing everyone's thoughts.
Kaden was in love!
This realization dawned on them all simultaneously.
On the other side of town, Zuri had just returned home, greeted by the sound of laughter from inside. This scene was all too familiar to her. Stepping into the living room, she glanced around casually but froze, eyes wide in surprise at the man sitting in the center.
Leo!
What was he doing here?
Aaron, seeing Zuri, quickly called out, "Zuri, come say hello to your Brother Leo."
Zuri walked over and greeted him politely, "Brother Leo."
Leo responded with a nod, his gaze fixed on the wound on her face. "You're hurt?"
Only then did Aaron and the others notice the injury on Zuri's face.
"Go call Doctor Wang to take a look," Aaron hurriedly instructed Arianwen.
Her face couldn't be damaged!
Leo stood up and turned to Zuri's parents. "I need to head back anyway, so I'll take Zuri to the hospital."
Aaron couldn't refuse. "Thank you so much, Mr. Ye."
"Mr. Lin, no need to be so formal. Zuri calls me 'brother,' so I should take care of her," Leo replied with a smile.
"Of course," Aaron agreed, beaming with pride.
And so, Zuri was whisked away by Leo.
In the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Zuri sat quietly to one side. Leo glanced at the bandage on her face, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
"Does it hurt?"
His low, rich voice drifted into her ears. The two simple words carried a hint of concern.
Zuri was momentarily stunned, her expression calm. "It doesn't hurt."
She was used to pain far worse than this.
Pain was something she had grown accustomed to.
Leo looked at her, recalling his nieces and nephews, all pampered and fussed over for the slightest scratch. They would make a scene over any little discomfort.
Pain? It's just that no one cared enough to notice.
"You're allowed to hurt."
Zuri felt a tremor in her heart, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes. The fortress around her heart seemed to crack just a bit.
Allowed to hurt?
She wasn't sure.
After spending so much time alone, licking her wounds, she had grown numb.
Did she want to? Yes.
But she didn't dare to hope again.
The lessons of her past life were enough.
She didn't want to go through it all again.
"It really doesn't hurt," Zuri smiled.
Leo watched her, seeing the toughness and loneliness beneath the surface. Even though she tried to hide it, he could see it all too clearly.
"Hmm," Leo responded softly.
The car wasn't headed to the hospital but to Lake Island. On this cold winter night, snow began to fall, making the already chilly night even colder.
To many, snow was beautiful. But to Zuri, it only brought cold.
Despite the warmth inside the car, the sight of snow made her shiver involuntarily.
Suddenly, a warm cloak was draped over her shoulders.
Leo instructed the driver, "Turn up the heat."
The driver immediately adjusted the temperature.
Zuri looked at Leo. "Thank you, Brother Leo."
Hearing her call him "Brother Leo," a hint of joy flashed in Leo's eyes.
The car drove into the heart of Lake Island. Once they arrived, a family doctor was already waiting. The wound was re-cleaned and treated.
Only after seeing Zuri enter the guest room did Leo head back to his own room.
In his bedroom, Leo called Mr. Qin. "Mr. Qin, which scar-removal ointment did Yu'er use last time? Get a bottle and bring it to Zuri's room."
"Understood," Mr. Qin responded without question.
Ten minutes later, Zuri opened her door to find Mr. Qin holding an exquisite gift box.
"Miss Zuri, this is a cream Mr. Ye asked me to bring. It's for pain relief and scar prevention."
"Thank you."
"Good night."
"Good night."
After closing the door, Zuri held the box, feeling its weight. There is a kind of care that permeates silently, seeping into the heart.
Zuri hadn't realized this yet.
She looked at the ointment and smiled softly.
In the days leading up to the New Year, the stock exchange was bustling rather than quiet. With the trading hall closing soon, investors were cautious.
In the VIP section of the stock exchange, reserved for clients with assets over ten million, an exception was made for a young "little stock god" who had recently risen to prominence in Oceanic City. In just a month, he had earned over 90 million, becoming a legend among the city's investors.
This is my new book “The Superstar Wants To Slack Off”
Please give me your strong support, everyone!
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