Trigger

Red hair. Deep, gentle voice. A smile that embedded itself in his lost memories. Churong had always seen such a silhouette in his dreams and nightmares—the biggest screen in his mind, where this person's face was always covered by a shadow.

It's him.

In his dream, this person gave him a bouquet. In his nightmare, he saw this person's mocking smile.

Churong's adrenaline rushed as his body subconsciously screamed for him to run. But the last bit of his rationality kept him stunned in place, unable to decide what to do with someone who was part of the memories he didn't want back, especially when he was in public at a party arranged solely for him to find Tian's match.

He didn't want to cause a scene.

"Miss Churong."

The guy waved his hand gently across Churong's face, hoping to catch the beauty's attention. She jerked in surprise and looked at him with wide eyes. How adorable~

Her dazed and glazed eyes scratched at his heart, giving him the urge to squeeze her cheeks. His thoughts rapidly calculated as his fiery eyes locked onto their target. He smiled sweetly.

"You weren't listening, were you?" he giggled teasingly—his voice a perfect timbre.

Churong didn't know how to react. At this moment, the image of the guy from his memories and the guy in front of her were overlapping. She tried very hard to smile in reply, but her jaws were stiff. Her clenched hands unconsciously tightened, and her long nails scratched at her palm, causing it to bleed slightly.

The guy chuckled. "As I've said, my name's Hao Ming. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Churong."

Thunder rang in Churong's ears as her heart skipped in fear at the name. Hao Ming...?

Hao Ming noticed the girl in front of him slipping back into a daze, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. He raised his hands cautiously, intending to pat her blonde, wavy hair.

Churong saw the outstretched hand that had haunted him for so long in his nightmares and was greatly shaken.

In his panic, he slapped it away and backed up. His heart raced, and his breath shortened. His vision grew blurry, and he struggled to stay conscious. In the end, his lack of oxygen caused him to faint.

The last thing he remembered was falling into a warm embrace.

Chen Yi had caught him just in time. He took seven lightning-fast steps from across the hall and, thankfully, managed to catch the falling Churong. He embraced his fainted lover with great care, his narrowed eyes shooting icy daggers at Hao Ming.

Meanwhile, Hao Ming's wrist was caught by Uncle Liang, who wore a scary smile. A silent crack was heard as Hao Ming's forehead became drenched in cold sweat.

"Back off."

The words were spoken in a low, dangerous tone that made everyone who heard them hold their breath.

Hao Ming couldn't utter a word of complaint, the weight of two heavy pressures bearing down on him. When Uncle Liang finally released his throbbing wrist, Hao Ming gripped it with his other hand, gritting his teeth in pain.

Even though he wanted to cry out in grievance, he couldn't. His gut told him the man who had broken his wrist was incredibly dangerous.

"What happened?!" Mrs. Fengli threw aside her composure and ran as fast as she could when she heard that Churong had fainted. Mr. Fengli trailed behind her, doing the same, their worry clearly written on their faces.

It had only been a few days since they met the girl but they had bonded with her like they were her daughter. The concern on their faces were hung heavily.

Chen Yi scooped Churong up in a princess carry, being extra careful as he placed her head against his chest to avoid hurting her lifeless neck. "Aunt, I'll be taking her back." His cold tone froze the defenseless people around him.

Mrs. Fengli paled at the sight of the unconscious Churong and waved her hands erratically. "Go, go, go! And be very careful."

Chen Yi didn't wait another second and strode out with long, calm steps.

In a mere second, he had already exited the ballroom, heading straight for Churong's car, where the driver patiently awaited them. The driver hadn't expected them to be out so soon, but when he saw Churong in Chen Yi's arms, he immediately opened the door, closed it right after, and sped off toward the Cao manor, calling for Churong's private doctor at the same time.

Chen Yi took Churong to his room and placed him carefully on the bed. His face was unsightly as he gazed at Churong's tightly closed eyes and pursed lips. He looked like he was having a nightmare.

That bastard Hao Ming! What the hell did he do this time?!

Chen Yi could not suppress the boiling rage inside him and wanted nothing more than to wring Hao Ming's neck.

You've already had your chance and you threw it away! Who gave you the right to come back and steal him from me again?!

His hands clenched the bedsheet on either side of Churong, and his eyes were bloodshot with anger. When his gaze landed back on Churong, he closed his eyes, trying to quell the rising emotions. He didn't want the other to wake up and see him in this state. That wouldn't be good.

If Churong ended up becoming scared of him because of it, he wouldn't know what to do. Chen Yi had decided never to let him go again, so he feared he might force himself on Churong if that happened. Ah, I've really become hopeless.

He opened his now calm eyes, renewing his resolve once again. That bastard ought to die. He gently patted Churong's soft hair and bent down to kiss his forehead.

Taking his phone from his pocket, he dialed Auntie Cao's number, one he had long memorized.