Page 128 of He Is My Bride

Both laughed, but Huang Xiang cut it short, “Let’s catch up on the yacht!”

“The what now? Ah, hello!” Li Ying stepped over to introduce himself to the models, not wanting to be rude and ignore them, so Huang Xiang addressed Hanjun:

“The promoter has arranged a secret party within the party on a yacht. You had to be on a special list, but I heard they have a few spots open for grabs, so why don’t you come with me? I’ll get you in! The yacht’s departing soon, we should go to the pier.”

“Thank you, Sir Xiang, I’ll ask Li Ying if she would like that.” Hanjun thought Li Ying might not want to be trapped on a boat, possibly for several hours, as he had already expressed some anxiety over socializing with these people, and with a limited number of them on board it would be even harder for him to slip away if he wanted privacy.

Huang Xiang’s smile didn’t waver, but Hanjun saw his gaze grow more insistent.

The man leaned ever so slightly closer while lowering his voice: “I rather think you two need to get out of here,” he whispered, and Hanjun was listening. “I saw Tang Xiuxiu, Wang Hao’s ex from the club. They’re not together anymore and there’s no way she would have an invitation in her own name, and she’s acting off. Something’s up.”

Hanjun looked into the man’s eyes and saw he was serious. Hanjun nodded.

“Li Ying,” Hanjun turned to call to him, but Li Ying had pranced off somewhere.

“He went to get us shots,” one of the models said and looked to the direction of the bar, where Li Ying had already disappeared into the crowd.

Hanjun strode to go find him, wasting no time.

Li Ying wanted to make friends with the models, figuring they would make for more relatable company on the yacht—he would get on a yacht!—so he had decided to make some ice-breaking toasts before they would go, so off to the bar he went. He was weaving his way suavely through the crowd when he saw a familiar face: it was Tang Xiuxiu, eyes nailed on him with an intensity that immediately set Li Ying’s instincts off in an alarm. His pupils dilated as he saw her hands take somethingout of her bag.

Chapter 27: Paon Au Sang

Tang Xiuxiu’s gloved hands pulled out of her bag and came into view: she was taking the lid off a small bucket. Something red, lumpy, and wet inside.

Before Li Ying’s brain could carry the order to his body to run and dodge, Xiuxiu had splashed the clumpy crimson mass his way. People around them were screaming and scattering… except for one, who ran straight into Li Ying and pushed him:

Lin Yong tackled Li Ying out of the way just in time. As Li Ying fell to the floor, he saw Lin Yong get splashed with blood and small pieces of viscera, filling the air with the smell of copper. Most of it had gotten on Lin Yong’s suit, with only a few small drops splashed at the side of his face, but seeing all the red on himself and the smell filling his nostrils made the man freeze in place.

People around them were gasping and exclaiming in shock, calling for security. A few ladies were turning away, retching. Xiuxiu stood there for a second, equally shocked that her attack had landed onLin Yonginstead of her intended target. Xiuxiu threw aside the bloody bucket, causing more screaming and rushing as people dodged out of its way and ran. No one stopped her; everyone stepped out of her way and let her flee towards the exit.

However Li Ying had already gotten up from the floor, and with an adrenaline-fueled surge of speed, he caught up with her.

“How many of your toes do I have to break, bitch!” Li Ying screamed with all the fury he could muster without losing his voice, and reached and got hold of Xiuxiu’s hair.

She screamed as she got caught and stopped in her tracks. Li Ying grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, and forced her around. She was powerless against Li Ying’s greater strength.

“Let go of me!” Xiuxiu screamed and tried to struggle free, but Li Ying fought to drag her back to the site of her offense.

There Lin Yong had finally found his faculties to strip the bloodied jacket off himself, and discarded it on the floor in disgust. Xiuxiu screamed louder, struggling in vain as she and Li Ying approached an errant puddle of blood and guts that had splashed on the floor.

“Li Ying!” Hanjun had found them and called to him while forcing his way through the crowd.

“Miss Li, please get out of there!” Hanrong came in his cousin’s tow, having joined him on the way when he had seen him running towards the source of the commotion.

“Ha!” Li Ying didn’t need to kick the back of Xiuxiu’s knees very hard to trip her to the floor. “I’m a doctor, you don’t think I haven’t seen blood before?!”

From there it was a short way to force Xiuxiu’s head down into the crimson puddle and whatever little bits lay in it. Nearby there was an entire bloodied head of a chicken, the single most intact piece of the animal that had been in that bucket.

The people around were more shocked by the moment as the events unfolded, but those among them with cooler heads had long since taken out their phones and begun filming.

“You think you could scare me?!” Li Ying hissed. “Youthinkyou could scare me withthis?!” He rubbed Xiuxiu’s face in the blood, andnow she was quiet, keeping her mouth well shut while it was being dragged along the bloody carpet.

“Li Ying, enough!” Hanjun commanded and grabbed him from under his arms, and Li Ying came off nicely when Hanjun pulled him away from Xiuxiu.

Li Ying was so angry he was barely keeping his feminine voice. “How tastes your own medicine, Xiuxiu?”

“Li Ying!” Hanjun’s voice was stern. He held Li Ying stronger against himself as he dragged him away from the people, away from the cameras.