Chapter 3: A Hero Saves the Beauty
Blasting music, frenzied dancing—Lu Qingxiang stepped into the bar and traded the last of his money for the colorful cocktails in front of him. But the more he drank, the clearer his mind became. Echoing in his ears was the final and most ruthless line from his girlfriend—no, ex-girlfriend:
"If you can't land a contract today, don't bother showing up again!"
Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe just pain fermenting into laughter, but Lu Qingxiang laughed—louder and louder. She must have known he'd fail. She threw down that ultimatum just to have an excuse to leave. He didn't even need to call her to confirm it. She was probably already raising a toast in some rich guy's arms.
They had been together since their first year in college, the golden couple everyone envied. Everything was smooth—until three years after graduation. Armed with a prestigious degree and three years as a department manager at a Fortune 500 company, Lu Qingxiang decided to start his own business. He invented a smart system that could be applied to household appliances—even robots. But the cost was too high, and investors weren't interested. The dream stayed a dream.
At first, his girlfriend had supported him. But after working her way up to client manager at her firm, she caught the eye of the youngest heir on the board. Qingxiang had tried to keep her. She had hesitated. But no matter how talented he was, he couldn't compete with old money. Two years of struggle, apologies, betrayals, and tears had drained them both. Her ultimatum this afternoon—and the cold rejection from Manager Xue—finally marked the end of their decade-long love story.
"Hey there, handsome. Heartbroken?" A sultry woman slid next to him, trailing her manicured fingers up his arm to his shoulder. She leaned in, her breath reeking of liquor. "Buy me a drink?"
Lu Qingxiang swatted away her cherry-red lips in disgust. "Not heartbroken—bankrupt."
The woman's smile vanished. She got up and left without another word.
He sneered. Women. It always comes down to money. Gentle, kind, loyal? Only if you look like a good investment. Once you fall short, they kick you aside.
He checked his pockets—empty. His last coin had gone into these drinks. With nothing left to drown his sorrow, he drained the final drop and stumbled toward the restroom, hoping a splash of cold water could sober him up before the long walk home. He couldn't even afford a cab.
As he passed the second-to-last private room, a girl's scream pierced the noise. Qingxianglanced through the small round window on the door—and froze. That face looked familiar. A chubby hand was forcing liquor down her throat. His eyes shifted left—Fatty Xue. She had been the quiet girl sitting beside him this afternoon. On her other side sat a sleazy old man with slicked-back hair.
Qingxiang pressed his ear to the door.
"Sorry I left you alone last night," the man crooned. "But tonight, you'll officially be the lady of the house. Excited? I bet you've never slept on sheets this soft back in the countryside. Just wait—something even more exciting's coming next! I promise it'll send you straight to heaven! Hahaha!"
That voice wasn't Boss Deng. This must have been a private deal Fatty Xue had cooked up on the side. Qingxiang wasn't the type to meddle. He turned to leave—until the girl's desperate cries for help tore through the door again.
His fists clenched. Fueled by rage and alcohol, Lu Qingxiang kicked the door open. All his heartbreak and frustration exploded in a barrage of punches against Fatty Xue's face. When the old man lunged at him with a wine bottle, Qingxiang knocked him out cold, grabbed the girl by the wrist, and bolted.
They ran all the way to a nearby park.
Gan Qi clutched a tree and vomited violently. So many "firsts" in just two days in Shanghai:
Her first time in a big house.
Her first time drinking coffee at a café.
Her first time in a bar.
Her first time getting force-fed alcohol.
And she almost lost something else—forever.
Wiping her mouth with the tissue Qingxiang handed her, she stood up and extended her hand. "We didn't get to shake hands this afternoon. I'm Gan Qi. Thank you—for saving my life."
Qingxiang raised an eyebrow. "You remember me?"
Gan Qi nodded. "Of course. Who else would I call for help?"
She had seen him hesitate outside the door. Her cries were meant for him.
Qingxiang thought to himself that she wasn't completely stupid, and scoffed. "I didn't save you. That fat bastard just happened to be the perfect punching bag."
The chaos had sobered him up. He dusted off his hands and turned to leave.
Gan Qi panicked. It was dark. Her only bag had been left behind with Fatty Xue. All she had now was a flashy gold mini dress and broken gold heels. One strap looked ready to slip off, and the hem barely covered her thighs. The heel of one shoe had snapped during their escape, making her walk with a limp.
She staggered after him.
When she saw him quicken his pace without a backward glance, she kicked off her shoes and ran barefoot. Grabbing the sleeve of his shirt between her thumb and finger, she choked out, "I... I don't have money. I don't have anything. My luggage's still with Fatty Xue…"
Qingxiang glanced at her and replied flatly, "Sorry. I'm broke too."
"No—I'm not asking for money—I just…" Gan Qi trailed off. She wasn't begging for cash. She had nowhere to go. The wind cut through her thin dress. Her body trembled with cold and fear. She didn't know what to do. So she just kept following him.
Qingxiang thought he had shaken her off, but when he turned back near his apartment building, she was still trailing him—keeping a two-meter distance, barefoot, bloodied, shivering.
He felt nothing.
But a twinge of guilt pricked him. He did play a part in what happened to her. Fine—he'd let her stay for the night. Tomorrow, he'd return her to Fatty Xue.
Qingxiang brought her to his apartment—a modest one-bedroom place. It wasn't exactly clean or organized, but it had personality. The place was cluttered with electronic gadgets—robot dogs, robot cats, unfinished prototypes. Arms on the bed, legs on the sofa—hard to tell which parts belonged to which android. Every switch in the apartment was voice-activated. The whole space ran on smart tech.
Gan Qi looked around, amazed.
Qingxiang snorted. "Not quite the mansion you're used to, huh?"
She ignored him, too busy taking it all in.
He handed her a first aid kit. "Fix your foot. Here's a pajama set and slippers. Go shower. Use whatever you want in the bathroom."
Everything in there—matching toothbrushes, towels, rows of cosmetic bottles—reminded her this was a space shared with someone else.
He must've had a girlfriend.
And she must have broken his heart.
After a quick shower, Gan Qi stepped out in the pajamas. Her hair was still wet, droplets falling onto the fabric. For a moment, Lu Qingxiang stared—just two seconds—but it felt like his girlfriend had returned.
He shook it off.
"You can sleep on the couch tonight," he said coldly. "Blanket's right here."
Then he disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him.