Chapter 91 - 43: Protection

Chapter 91: Chapter 43: Protection

In the afterglow of the setting sun, tendrils of cooking smoke curled into the air. Compared to days past, Willow Alley seemed much less lively today.

Just as the aroma of the Fang Family’s dinner began to waft out—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

A series of urgent knocks rang out.

"That’s not our door. Is it next door, at Third Sister’s place?!"

Fang Rui walked to the window to look.

He saw a burly man of about thirty or forty, dressed in simple gray and black clothes, knocking on the closed door of the Third Lady’s house.

"Third Sister!"

Fang Rui thought for a moment, then called the Third Lady out from the kitchen. "Do you know this man, Third Sister?"

"It’s him?!"

The Third Lady frowned. "That Military Leader’s surname is He. He’s an Eighth Grade Muscle Strengthening Martial Artist and one of the most powerful people in the business network I built."

"However, I mostly dealt with the women of the families in the past and had little contact with the military leaders themselves. I don’t really know what he’s like..."

"I wonder why he’s here today. Did he come for the silver coins he thinks I might have held back? Or maybe he wants me to manage his businesses for him?" she guessed.

"Couldn’t it just be for you, Third Sister? In my eyes, you’re the greatest treasure of all," Fang Rui said with a smile.

"Brother Rui, you’re the only one who treats me like a treasure!"

The Third Lady was self-aware enough to know her looks were average—probably not enough to make a man like him come all this way just for her.

"But no matter what, I’ve caused trouble for you, Brother Rui." Her face was full of apology.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Third Sister? I’m your man. It’s my job to handle this. Don’t worry, just leave it to me!"

"Wait, Brother Rui, I’ll go with you. After all, this is about me. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t go!"

Beyond that, the Third Lady had another thought: going out to meet him face-to-face would also prove that she was aboveboard and had no special relationship with the man.

Fang Rui appreciated the Third Sister’s thoughtfulness, and his affection for her grew even stronger. "Of course I trust you, Third Sister. But you have a point. Alright, let’s go together!"

...

"Third Lady, you..."

When He Jun saw the Third Lady, the stunned admiration on his face was impossible to hide.

If, in the past, the Third Lady was like a fruit ripened in midsummer, quietly exuding its fragrance on the branch, content and admiring its own solitary beauty;

Then now, she was that same fruit after a gentle rain, washed clean and glistening, revealing a startlingly bright color—pure, beautiful, and so vivid it seemed ready to drip.

Indeed, a ’pure and saintly face’ and a ’bewitching, mature charm’ now coexisted in her alone. She radiated two contradictory yet harmonious auras—one as ’ethereal as an Immortal,’ the other as ’seductive as a Demon’—and this extreme contrast bloomed into an ineffable allure.

This was especially true of the new confidence on her face and the worldly-wise innocence in her clear, autumn-water eyes. Every glance held a life of its own, like a dragon whose eyes had just been dotted in, bringing her to life, vibrant and vivid, as if she had stepped right out of a painting.

He Jun’s expression was complicated as he looked at Fang Rui. "And this is...?!"

"My surname is Fang!" Fang Rui cupped his fist. Seeing the envy and jealousy on the other man’s face felt like drinking a glass of ice water in the middle of a scorching summer.

In a word: satisfying.

A woman is the best accessory for a man. What could prove a man’s capability more than having other men covet and be stunned by his woman?

Of course, they could look, but anything else was out of the question! Fang Rui didn’t have any weird fetishes.

’Good thing a woman like Third Sister fell for me and I snapped her up first,’ he thought to himself.

As if sensing Fang Rui’s thoughts and wanting to give him face, the Third Lady, who had been standing a step behind him, moved forward and gently took his arm. "Brother He, this is my man. He’s also a Martial Artist. If there’s anything you need, he can make all the decisions..."

This gesture was quite bold for the era, something only a mature woman in her late twenties like her could do so openly.

Seeing this, He Jun felt even more bitter. "Well, uh... I just came to see if you needed any help. I didn’t expect..."

He truly had come to help.

After all, from He Jun’s perspective, with the Third Lady having sold off her businesses, her network in pieces, and the Taiping Bandits on their way, the city was in chaos. She must be having a very hard time.

As for his motives beyond just helping?

The Third Lady had guessed correctly.

He Jun had his suspicions about the silver coins the Third Lady might have held back, but he didn’t care too much about that. What he truly valued was her natural talent for business!

In comparison, her looks were the last thing on his mind—if he could have her, all the better, as it would build more trust. But if not, it didn’t matter.

Of course, that was what He Jun had thought before. If the Third Lady had been as stunning back then as she was today, perhaps her looks would have ranked just as high as her business talent.

’I don’t get it. The Third Lady’s face hasn’t really changed much from before, so why does she look like a completely different person...?’

No! To be precise, He Jun knew exactly why!

With his worldly experience, he could naturally tell that the Third Lady had been... ’nourished’. It was clearly the work of this fellow right in front of him!

"So, what brings Brother He here today?" Fang Rui asked.

Possessing real strength, he had nothing to fear and could remain calm and composed. Even if this man came with ill intentions, he could be dealt with in the snap of a finger.

"This..."

To be called a Martial Artist meant he had at least reached Entry Grade. Furthermore, the coveted flower now had an owner. Normally, He Jun would have left directly without taking any risks.

But for a dignified Eighth Grade Martial Artist like himself to be scared off by the mere title of "Martial Artist" would be a huge loss of face.