Chapter 238: You Are the One I've Been Looking For

"Ah?" Anxin immediately tensed up, about to glance around nervously, when Xiang Ri pulled her close and whispered, "Act natural. Keep walking." 

"Alright," Anxin nodded obediently. Having once faced an assassination attempt with him, she managed to remain relatively calm. 

Moreover, her trust in Xiang Ri filled her heart with a sense of security that far outweighed the faint tension she felt. Her thoughts drifted to the night he had risked his life to shield her, taking a bullet in her place. 

Xiang Ri felt a quiet sense of relief. If not for his casual glance earlier, he might have missed the presence of those tailing them. He was certain they weren't the operatives codenamed "Black" and "White"—their tracking skills were far too sophisticated to be detected so easily. 

But if it wasn't them, who could it be? Xiang Ri couldn't figure it out. 

For now, he decided to remain passive, observing their actions. Yet, knowing he was aware of their presence would surely thwart any plans they had. A cold smile tugged at his lips as the thought crossed his mind. 

Outwardly, Xiang Ri appeared indifferent, holding Anxin closely as they walked forward. In truth, he kept a sharp eye on the movements behind them. The trackers, while not amateurs, showed enough skill to stay partially concealed. 

After observing for a while, Xiang Ri noted no unusual behavior. To force their hand, he quickened his pace slightly. 

At that moment, a short man suddenly dashed toward them from the front. Xiang Ri's attention was drawn to him because, if the man didn't change direction, he would inevitably collide with Anxin. 

Though uncertain whether the man was allied with those following them, Xiang Ri was sure of one thing—this seemingly careless individual harbored ulterior motives. 

With calculated simplicity, Xiang Ri stepped forward as the man approached. Casually, yet deliberately, he pressed his left hand onto the man's shoulder, causing him to stumble in confusion as Xiang Ri calmly walked away. 

The maneuver was so swift that even Anxin failed to notice it, assuming he had merely pushed aside someone about to bump into her. The gesture left her feeling both sweetly moved and shy. 

Meanwhile, the short man stood frozen, stunned and immobile. Moments later, another short man rushed up to him and eagerly asked, "Well? Did you get it done?" 

"Get it done, my ass! I can't move!" The first man cursed, wincing as pain radiated from his shoulder. 

"What happened?" The second man, realizing his partner wasn't faking, quickly asked. 

"I don't know! He touched my shoulder, and now my whole arm's gone numb. Quick, take a look at my shoulder!" Panic colored his voice as he shouted, his face pale with a growing realization of the possible damage. 

The second man hastily pulled aside his partner's collar. His eyes widened in shock as he saw a distinct five-finger imprint on the shoulder, now swollen and bruised, with skin and flesh visibly sunken in. 

"How bad is it? Tell me!" The first man dared not move, the excruciating pain keeping him rigid. 

"See for yourself, Mao!" The second man didn't answer directly, instead urging him to look. 

Hearing his tone—akin to seeing a ghost—the first man turned his head despite the pain. The moment he caught sight of his shoulder, his eyes bulged in disbelief. "How... how is this even possible?" 

"Mao, who did this to you?" the second man blurted out, oblivious to the tension in the air. 

"That guy," Mao growled through gritted teeth. "I was about to make my move, and he hit me like that! Damn it, it hurts like hell!"

"You can't be serious! That guy with glasses—the cripple? Impossible!" the second short man exclaimed dramatically. 

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you calling me a liar?" The first short man, known as Mao, turned his head and glared menacingly at him. "If you hadn't said it was an easy mark, would I have bothered to handle it myself? Damn it! Next time, open your eyes and look carefully!" 

"Yes, yes, Mao," the second man hastily apologized. Just as he was about to speak again, the light around them dimmed abruptly. Only then did he realize that the two of them had been surrounded by four towering, muscular men. 

Facing these hulking figures, each at least two heads taller than themselves, the two short men panicked. It was Mao who, forcing himself to calm down, managed to stammer, "W-we didn't realize... May I ask, gentlemen—" 

Before he could finish, the leader of the four cut him off sharply. "Which one of you is in charge?" 

"I... I am," Mao replied, his voice trembling under the weight of the man's cold, commanding tone. 

"You?" The leader's gaze grew icy. Without warning, he grabbed Mao by the collar and hoisted him effortlessly into the air. "What were you planning to do just now?" 

"I... I..." Mao struggled desperately, but his feeble resistance was utterly futile against the overwhelming strength of the man holding him, like a helpless dog caught by the scruff. 

"Here's some advice," the leader growled, his voice low and chilling. "Stay away from that man and woman. Otherwise, I'll snap your neck." Without giving Mao a chance to respond, he threw him to the ground and led his men away, heading in a specific direction. 

"Ahhh—" Mao exhaled a long breath as the intimidating group disappeared into the distance. For a fleeting moment, he had genuinely believed he might be killed. The lingering fear coursing through him made his hands tremble. 

He was, after all, merely the leader of a petty pickpocket gang. Compared to these true underworld figures, the difference was as stark as that between lambs and wolves. And in this equation, he was unmistakably the lamb, destined to be prey. 

"Mao, are you okay?" The second short man cautiously approached, his face pale, clearly still shaken by the encounter. 

"I'm fine," Mao muttered, still catching his breath as he struggled to process the terrifying ordeal. 

"But, Mao," the second man stammered nervously, "who do you think that couple is?" 

"How would I know? But anyone who has bodyguards like that isn't someone we can afford to provoke. Listen, go inform Ming and Xiao Hei that today's business is off. We don't want to cross those big shots and end up dead without even knowing why." 

"Understood, Mao," the second man replied quickly, then hurried away to deliver the message. 

Meanwhile, Xiang Ri had also noticed the commotion behind them, though he mistakenly assumed the two groups were working together. Seizing the moment, he planned to use the confusion to lose their tail. 

However, just as he began to act, the phone in Anxin's pocket started ringing unexpectedly. 

"My phone! It's my phone!" Anxin cried in alarm. Since she was nestled in Xiang Ri's embrace and her phone was trapped between them, retrieving it required freeing one of her hands. 

Xiang Ri, quicker on the draw, reached into her pocket first and retrieved the phone with a cheeky grin. "I'll get it for you," he said. 

To him, answering his wife's call was perfectly natural. Besides, her anxious reaction only made him more eager to answer it himself. 

"Don't!" Anxin glared at him, reaching out to snatch the phone. "Don't answer it! I'll do it myself! What if it's—" 

Before she could finish, Xiang Ri deftly held the phone out of her reach, pressed the answer button without even glancing at the screen, and said mischievously, "If it's one of your old flames, even better! I'll make it clear to them that Anxin belongs to me!" 

Then, placing the phone to his ear, he adopted a provocative tone. "Hello? Who's calling?" 

For a moment, there was stunned silence on the other end, as if the caller hadn't anticipated a man's voice. After recovering, the voice roared with excitement, "Perfect! You're exactly who I was looking for!"