Chapter 9: An Unexpected Encounter

"Don't be so confident!" Dong Cheng, clenching the fruit knife in his hand, glared intensely at Ye Tian.

"Scare you? What if I do? You think you're tough? Aim right here at my heart if you dare." Ye Tian stood unafraid, convinced these people lacked the nerve to really attack him.

"Fine, you asked for it!" Dong Cheng gritted his teeth and lunged at Ye Tian with the knife. He aimed not for Ye Tian's heart but his thigh, lacking the courage for a lethal strike.

With a swift kick, Ye Tian knocked the knife from Dong Cheng's grasp. He then punched Dong Cheng in the stomach, sending him sprawling to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

Ignoring the groaning Dong Cheng, Ye Tian scanned the remaining gang members coldly, "Anyone else want a try?"

The others exchanged glances, then rushed at Ye Tian, hoping to overpower him with numbers.

Su Mei, who had just relaxed, tensed up again, but Ye Tian was already in motion. He kicked one assailant away, then grabbed another's wrist, dislocating it with a sharp yank. The last one, Liu Zi, terrified, turned and fled, abandoning his accomplices.

"Congratulations, you have successfully earned 50 dog food points."

Back in profit!

Hearing the system notification, Ye Tian momentarily forgot about the writhing men on the floor. He had not only recovered his spent dog food points but earned an extra ten, bringing him closer to a mid-level lottery draw.

Just then, Su Mei's admiring voice reached his ears, "Ye Tian, you're amazing!"

"Why 'Ye Tian' now? Weren't you calling me 'husband' just a moment ago?" Ye Tian teased, seeing the tear streaks on Su Mei's flushed face.

"That... that was just to play along with you. You took it seriously?" Su Mei, her face redder, punched him lightly on the chest.

Unfortunately, her fist landed right on one of the cuts Ye Tian had sustained from the glass, causing him to wince in pain.

"You're hurt! Let's go to the hospital!" Su Mei's concern flared upon seeing his reaction, gently touching the swollen area around the wound.

"It's nothing, just a scratch." Ye Tian waved it off, his cuts superficial despite their number.

But Su Mei's gentle touch quickened his heartbeat.

"Let's go to my place, and I'll apply some ointment. We don't want it to get infected." Su Mei insisted, pulling Ye Tian along before he could object.

They found the taxi driver's car unlocked with the keys still in it, a convenient escape. In less than half an hour, they arrived at Jingli Garden, the largest villa complex in Haicheng.

"You live here alone?" Ye Tian asked, looking at the sprawling, two-story luxury villa.

"I share it with my best friend, who's also a great beauty. Should I introduce you?" Su Mei's demeanor had softened considerably after the ordeal, her playful side emerging.

"How could I? I'm a married man now, and beauties are but passing clouds to me." Ye Tian feigned seriousness.

Su Mei blushed but didn't argue, inviting him inside the villa and implicitly agreeing to maintain the facade of their marriage.

Inside, Su Mei found the ointment after rummaging through some drawers. "Do you want to apply it yourself, or should I help you?"

"I... I'll do it myself..." Ye Tian, glancing at Su Mei's delicate hands, swallowed hard, torn between desire and propriety.

"Ha... You're brave but lack the nerve." Su Mei laughed lightly, then took the initiative to apply the ointment, "Consider this as my gratitude."

"Is this how you repay me?" Ye Tian looked even more conflicted.

"Do you expect me to repay you with my body?" Su Mei shot him a look, continuing to apply the ointment.

"That would be nice!" Ye Tian immediately agreed, but a sharp pain from his wound made him grimace.

"Hmph, serves you right! Do it yourself!" Su Mei pulled back her hand, playfully feigning indignation. It wasn't true anger; it was just that the rest of his wounds were on his chest, a place too intimate for her to touch.

"Don't stop now! You should finish what you started!" Ye Tian protested, grabbing her hand instinctively.

Just then, Su Mei, already exhausted from the day's events, felt dizzy from standing up too quickly. She stumbled and fell forward, landing right on top of Ye Tian.

Their eyes met, and Ye Tian's heart raced, his head feeling like it was about to burst. The proximity, the skin-to-skin contact, and Su Mei's partial undress overwhelmed him.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. They

 turned to see a young woman, about 20 years old, standing in the living room, staring at them in shock.