Chapter 40: The Return of Lightning

Li Yan lay on her bed, scrolling through her phone, restless and unable to sleep. She was torn between worrying about Cao Yang’s safety and enduring the lewd, high-pitched cries of the woman in the next room.

"Early in the morning, are you trying to kill someone?" Li Yan cursed, though she didn't dare knock on the door. As previously noted, she was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong; she only acted tough in front of Cao Yang, but was perfectly docile when dealing with strangers.

Dawn was approaching, and Cao Yang still hadn’t returned. Was she really going to have to take the money and head back to her hometown?

*Sigh...*

She sat on the bed, feeling deeply troubled.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but by the time the sky was completely bright, the wailing from the woman next door finally ceased. Li Yan got up, ready to leave, but decided to try calling Cao Yang one last time before heading out.

The moment the call went through, a ringtone sounded at her door.

Startled, Li Yan rushed to open it. Seeing Cao Yang standing there, she embraced him in a fit of excitement, hitting and scolding him all at once.

"Alright, alright, it’s fine now," Cao Yang comforted her, peeling her off him.

"You bastard! How come you didn't die out there?" Li Yan noticed the marks on his neck—several clear, bloody scratches. "Did they beat you?"

"No, there was no fight at all. Everything was resolved peacefully."

"Then where did those scratches on your neck come from?"

Cao Yang touched his neck; it did sting a bit. They were definitely from when he and Lei Yu had been "thundering" earlier—he had been so engrossed in the moment he hadn't even noticed.

"It's nothing, I scratched myself," Cao Yang said, ignoring Li Yan’s perplexed expression, and headed into the bathroom to shower.

Standing before the mirror in the bathroom, he took off his clothes and realized it wasn't just his neck; his entire back was covered in bloody nail marks from Lei Yu. These wouldn't heal for days. He marveled at how Lei Yu could have such a wild streak, never considering that perhaps his own intensity had made her lose all restraint.

After dressing and coming out, he saw Li Yan lying on the bed, beckoning him with a hooked finger.

"You know, there's a woman living next door. She was moaning all morning. That man must have been so fierce, he practically broke her!" Li Yan whispered into his ear, her implication obvious. She wanted to see if Cao Yang could be just as impressive.

She had been conflicted about whether or not to give herself to Cao Yang, feeling that even if she did, she shouldn't make it easy for him—she had to keep him dangling. But the appearance of Lei Yu had disrupted her plans. Fearing that if Cao Yang got involved with Lei Yu, there would be no room left for her, she decided to take the initiative.

Cao Yang felt a headache coming on. Sister Yan was being so blatant; if he didn't oblige, she would definitely be suspicious. But if he did, she would discover the scratches on his back, leading to endless questioning that he couldn't explain. He and Li Yan weren't a real couple, so he shouldn't have to explain anything, but he wanted to avoid unnecessary drama. She was relentless when she made a scene, and he couldn't just treat her like an outsider.

Just as he was caught in this dilemma, a knock came at the door.

Li Yan jumped, fearing trouble had arrived, and immediately clutched her money bag tight.

Cao Yang opened the door to find Lei Dian standing there, looking travel-worn.

"Cao Yang, thank you," Lei Dian said, giving him a big hug. "Where is my sister?"

"Your sister went back to her dormitory," Cao Yang lied through his teeth. If he told Lei Dian his sister was right next door, it would expose that the "fierce man" next door was none other than himself.

"Sister Yan, I’m going to accompany Lei Dian to his sister’s place. You should pack your things and head home; the trouble is resolved. The slot machines are waiting for you to open up—you’re losing a thousand a day!"

Knowing her obsession with money, Cao Yang made sure to remind her that every day she delayed meant a thousand less in her pocket, ensuring she wouldn't even be able to sleep.

"You can't—" Before she could finish, Cao Yang closed the door and left.

She punched the bed in frustration, but thinking of the lost income, she hurriedly got up to change.

...

Cao Yang led Lei Dian to the room next door, knocking while keeping a wary eye on Li Yan’s door, terrified she might emerge at that moment.

*Creak.* Lei Yu opened the door, bracing herself against the wall, limping slightly before retreating to the bed to lie down. She was in severe pain, every step causing a tearing sensation.

"What’s going on? Didn't you say she was at the dorm?" Lei Dian asked, puzzled, but no one answered him.

"Sister, are you okay?" Lei Dian asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Lei Yu shook her head, then began to scold him, blaming him for all the trouble he had caused. Lei Dian took the lecture like a grandson, head bowed in silence.

Cao Yang stood by, wanting to laugh, but before a sound escaped him, Lei Yu glared at him. The look was meant to blame him for being too rough and having no regard for a lady’s fragility, having ravaged her so thoroughly in just two hours. However, Lei Dian misunderstood his sister's intent, assuming she was just giving Cao Yang a hard time.

"Sister, show some respect to Cao Yang! He risked his life to save you!" Lei Dian complained.

"Stay out of it!" Lei Yu snapped at him, silently cursing her foolish brother—your sister has already been "had" by him, and you're still speaking up for him!

"Alright, alright, don't argue on my account," Cao Yang said, playing the peacemaker. He pulled a cigarette from his pack, offered one to Lei Dian, and began to puff away.

"What are your plans now?"

Lei Dian looked at Lei Yu and said, "I want to take my sister back to our hometown."

Cao Yang looked at Lei Yu too, feeling reluctant to let such a beauty leave; he was still savoring the memory of what had just happened. "Actually, there's no need to go back. The matter is resolved, and the Yihe Association won't bother you again."

"Really?" Lei Dian asked, turning to look at Lei Yu, still skeptical.

Lei Yu nodded, glancing at Cao Yang. "I don't want to go back either."

A ringtone cut through the air. Cao Yang pulled out his phone; it was Tie Xiong. He sneered and hung up immediately.

Soon, Tie Xiong called again. Cao Yang answered, his tone icy. "What is it?"

"Brother Cao Yang, what happened last night? We lost the signal right in the middle of our conversation."

"There's a signal everywhere in the world, except for yours."

"What do you mean by that? Do you think I didn't want to help you?" Tie Xiong continued. "You still haven't told me who they were. Is it resolved yet? If not, I'll bring some men to back you up."

"Thanks, but no need." Cao Yang prepared to hang up.

"Don't be so hasty, brother. There's a boxing match tonight, let’s go together."

"I'm not going, you son of a bitch!"