Mrs Fox Heinous Revenge: Can You Love A Villainess like Me?
Chapter 182: Bloodied Knuckles

Chapter 182: Bloodied Knuckles

She didn’t care whether Su HaiTan’s joke was funny or not. She knew that the man in front of her was dangerous, someone who reminded her of the people back in her high school. She couldn’t dismiss his attitude that had demanded for her hands to Elder Hua after watching first hand how the old woman had disrespect her.

While the old woman mocked women, what did this man do other than nodding and smiling? He didn’t diffuse the situation, he didn’t deny, and he remained smiling and agreeing to everything Elder Hua said. Though Elder Hua might have been an elder and it would be rude to chastise her, to know that he didn’t completely disagree to how woman’s position is lower than a man was enough to put her at ill ease to just stand beside him.

Not to mention he didn’t respect that she had already made it clear that she didn’t had a lover.

"I can explain-"

Su HaiTan couldn’t complete his words as from behind, Li ZiChen had pulled AiLin’s hands and shoved him backward, pushing him with such force that his back slammed against the wall. "What part of ’let me go’ that didn’t go to your head?"

AiLin felt a sudden relief upon seeing Li ZiChen’s face right beside her head. His brown eyes had darkened, anger overtook him when he lifted her wrists and found it red with the five fingers hand marks. It wasn’t only that this bastard had held her hands regardless of her wishes, he had pressed down hard enough to promise bruises beneath his fingers.

Still startled by his presence, which felt like a sudden balm easing her pain, AiLin’s wide eyes fixed on him, lingering as if to confirm that Li ZiChen was truly there. She barely noticed the storm brewing in his expression and how tightly his furrowed brows were; the blaze of fury in his piercing gaze, and the vein throbbing along his clenched jaw as his eyes fell on the bruises marring her wrists.

"How are you... you’re here," she muttered, her lips pursing into a smile as she couldn’t describe the awe she felt upon seeing him here right as soon as she had told him in what position she had fallen into.

"I stopped the meeting the moment I saw your text," he said, his tone steady and calm. Yet, the anger etched into his expression betrayed him. His furrowed brows and tense jaw revealing the rage he struggled to contain. Despite it all, he softened his voice, careful not to let his anger rattle her. "Can you move your fingers? All of it?"

AiLin nodded as she squeezed her palms open and shut. She saw him smiling and how he gently patted her head as if praising her for doing good. Though she felt like a child, she does feel comforted and could only look at him who was smiling so well which made her feel a bit tickled. He was akin to a fresh of breath air, a relief to her pain, and a haven on earth.

"Stay behind me," he then said as he waled forward and she saw how Su HaiTan who saw him seemed to have lost his smile for a good two minutes. Not much was said between them but it was enough for AiLin to tell that they knew each other and had never been able to like one another’s nerves. I always knew you were a disrespectful bastard, Su HaiTan. A liar, yes—but now? Now, you’re the kind of man who hurts a woman for sport?" His voice was razor-sharp, surprising AiLin as he sounded like a delinquent when he usually spoke in a tender tone and polite manner to her. It seemed he was really pissed.

"She asked you to let go. Repeatedly. Didn’t you hear her? Or do bruises speak louder than words to you?"

"You? Teaching me about respect, Li Zi Chen? The irony is really amusing. But don’t flatter yourself—I’m not here for a lecture from you. My business isn’t with you." His eyes shifted coldly past him. "Miss AiLin let me explain myself. I would hate to have you dislike my presence."

"There’s nothing to dislike," she said at once, her voice cut through the delusion he had in his head. "I just simply can’t tolerate your presence and this is the last time I’ll see you."

"If this is because I ask for your hand from Grandma Hua, then it was only a joke," he said, shaking his head as if she was the one overreacting the entire thing.

"Stop talking to her," Li ZiChen pulled AiLin behind him, "You want to talk to her? Over my dead body. You’ve already crossed the line once, Su HaiTan. You think I’m going to let you get near her again?"

"Do you think she’s your property, Zi Chen?" Su HaiTan scoffed, his smile curling sarcastically. "Don’t act like you’re her knight in shining armor. We both know your interest in her isn’t exactly selfless. Did you forgot what you did six years ago? I’ve heard it all from Grandma Hua."

All of a sudden AiLin could see the steaming anger radiating from Li ZiChen’s entire body. She could see his eyes that shook in a raging anger as this was the very first time he looked extremely pissed off.

"Watch your mouth," he growled, his voice laced with warning. "You don’t know what you’re about to start."

"What I’m about to start? Why? Are you scared AiLin will find out?"

That was it. Li Zi Chen’s restraint snapped. His fist collided with Su HaiTan’s jaw with a sickening thud, sending him stumbling back. The room fell silent except for the echo of the blow. Everything moved in matter of seconds and by time AiLin had noticed it, she found Li ZiChen striding with fast speed, clutching tight to Su HaiTan’s collar shirt, causing the young man to choke but he didn’t stop there as he slammed his fists a couple more time across the latter’s jaw.

He made sure to shut Su HaiTan’s mouth, sealing it shut by making it bleed without recognition. AiLin could only snap out of her daze after a while as she pulled his shirt in haste. She realized that she couldn’t stop him no matter how hard she tried, showing to her that all this time it wasn’t her who had managed to stop him, but Li ZiChen’s own will.

"Stop! That’s enough- Li ZiChen! I’m okay now! Stop it, don’t kill him!"

Li ZiChen saw her panicked eyes and he seemed momentarily stunned as he knew how much she despise seeing blood. His knuckles that were briefly bleeding stopped mid-air and he sighed, inhaling and exhaling to calm his nerves. He didn’t want to act harmfully around AiLin and cause her either mental scar or physical harm as his elbow could have hit her.

Taking one step backward, Li ZiChen scoffed at Su HaiTan, "Always the way you are. Aren’t you embarrassed? You always seem to want everything that I have Su HaiTan. Is your life so pathetic that you need to rob other people’s happiness to only feel a spec of delight in your empty ugly heart?"

Su HaiTan wiped his mouth, his fingers coming away smeared with blood. For a moment, he looked stunned—then his expression darkened, his eyes burning with rage. "Says the hypocrite who have done more harm to others yet still wish to be perceived as a good person." When he tried to stand by pushing his elbow down the floor, he swayed slightly and almost fell forward. He saw that when he moved one step forward, AiLin immediately jumped between them, stretching her hand to protect Li ZiChen.

Seeing this, Su HaiTan’s smile vanished entirely, replaced by a simmering bitterness that festered into an aching need to shatter the happiness around him.

"Be careful AiLin, I really wanted to simply be your friend and perhaps more and maybe you think that I’m worse than the man behind you that you’re trying to protect- but know this. He’s far worse than me. He had done things that you wouldn’t even want to hear. You can ask him for everything in details and see," he tipped his chin as he looked at how Li ZiChen’s face were shrouded in gloom as he seemed to despise having to tell his past to her too. "That is if he would even answer you truthfully."

Having enough said, Su HaiTan wiped his jaw, angered when he saw the dropped of blood again but then proceeded to retreat to the restaurant room where he was with Elder Hua. AiLin was blown away by what have happened but she turned to Li ZiChen who seemed all quiet, like a child ready to be admonished for his mistake.

She could tell that he also had secrets that he would rather not say to her and though she was very curious of what could be inside her head, she decided to not ask him as she knew not everyone wishes to say everything about themselves. To be vulnerable and open to someone isn’t as easy for people whose past was covered with many choices.

"Thank you," she instead said, her words hanging in the air and startling him as much as they did herself. She saw how progressively light entered his darkened eyes, his pale red lips seemed to have opened in an awe and his jaw slack from a sudden surprise attack she had caused. He expected her to become suspcious and demand for an answer but it didn’t happen as she instead had thanked him.

"For protecting him from that bastard," she shrugged her shoulders then, as if she hadn’t said anything, "Eugh, you don’t know what I had to endure sitting in that room. Elder Hua is not only evil but sarcastic. I feel like she would be someone who say backhanded compliments and she always have this hatred against woman as if it’s rooted in her. Do you know what had made her act that way?"