Her lips brushed against his face, then separated quickly.
Xie Jing froze, the crimson in his eyes seemed to recede, replaced by disbelief and other complex emotions.
He suddenly looked at Qin Jiujiu, his gaze probing. Seeing that he had reacted, Qin Jiujiu cast aside her earlier shyness and pressed her advantage, "Young Master Xie the Second? Hand them over to the authorities!"
She didn't mention his earlier intention to kill, but instead suggested handing the two over to the officials. Xie Jing looked at Qin Jiujiu, thinking, why? Why did she not want to kill them after they had humiliated her so?
Although he couldn't understand, the strength in his hands gradually loosened until he let go completely. As Xie Jing's grip eased, Scarface and the fatty collapsed onto the ground.
Breathing in the air, the two men were enveloped by the feeling of having narrowly escaped death, their eyes fixed on the young man before them.
He wasn't human!
How could an ordinary person possess such strength? That sack earlier was already unusual, and this young man was even more extraordinary, like a monster!
But at this moment, they didn't dare to breathe too deeply, fearing they would anger the person before them again, let alone utter the word "monster."
They hadn't expected to encounter such a jinx today; their bad luck!
Seeing that Xie Jing had abandoned his murderous thoughts and seemed to have heeded her words, Qin Jiujiu quickly picked up the ropes the two had used to tie her and offered them to Xie Jing.
After a moment's thought, she realized that asking the villain to do such a task might lower his favorability towards her, so she retracted her hand that had been reaching out.
She glanced at the two on the ground. They seemed to be weakened from prolonged suffocation and were terrified of Xie Jing, so they likely wouldn't dare to cause any more trouble. She decided to go behind them and tie their hands.
"Come here, give it to me!" Xie Jing's gaze fell upon Qin Jiujiu, but it was no longer as cold as before.
There was no one else around, so he must be speaking to her. Qin Jiujiu obediently walked towards Xie Jing.
The distance was neither too close nor too far, a safe range. Qin Jiujiu extended her right hand, holding the rope, towards Xie Jing. He didn't immediately take it but suddenly leaned closer.
The distance was so close that Qin Jiujiu was enveloped by the familiar and comforting scent emanating from him, and she suddenly felt nervous.
Her confused gaze fell upon his face. From her angle, Xie Jing's high nose bridge, his lean and charming jawline were exquisite, and even his Adam's apple was remarkably attractive.
His Adam's apple bobbed. Qin Jiujiu's mind flashed with memories, and she blushed, lowering her head in embarrassment.
Why was this man so bewitched?
She lowered her head, her voice coming from below in a slightly hushed tone, "Here!"
Xie Jing, seemingly oblivious to Qin Jiujiu's averted gaze, took the rope and also lowered his head, leaning close to Qin Jiujiu's ear.
Suddenly, a bracelet appeared on Qin Jiujiu's hand. It was a silver bracelet with two bells strung to it.
Upon closer inspection, the bells looked familiar!
"Host, this bracelet is yours!" The system couldn't stand it any longer and couldn't help but chime in.
Reminded by the system, Qin Jiujiu remembered. This bracelet was indeed hers, just an ordinary one she had used to scare off a fox demon. Xie Jing had taken it later, and now he had returned it to her.
However, these small bells had been made into a bracelet!
She dared not assume Xie Jing had made it specifically for her!
System: No! You are thinking correctly! Don't doubt it!
Xie Jing explained, "I made this bracelet when I was bored. I had no use for it, so I'll give it to you..."
Qin Jiujiu looked at him. His eyes flickered, as if he were somewhat uncomfortable. Qin Jiujiu suddenly found Xie Jing's demeanor somewhat endearing. Although she didn't know why he would make this bracelet idly, she would accept it gratefully since Xie Jing had given it so casually.
Seeing that Qin Jiujiu remained silent, he added, "About that doll last time... consider this a return gift..."
Qin Jiujiu suddenly understood. So that was the reason. She had wondered why the villain would give it to her out of the blue. Everything seemed to be explained, and both of them felt a sense of relief.
In fact, as she heard Xie Jing's explanation, a strange, empty feeling arose in her heart, but she didn't dwell on it, and quickly replied, "Then thank you, Young Master Xie the Second!"
She pretended to shake the hand with the bells, feigning delight. Xie Jing suddenly became nervous, though he didn't show it. "Don't move!" Seeing Qin Jiujiu's puzzled expression, he stopped her hand and, letting out a sigh of relief, continued, "This is only to be used in emergencies..."
Upon hearing this, Qin Jiujiu examined the bells. Did they have some hidden mechanism? But she couldn't figure it out, so she gave up.
This was just an ordinary bell. Could it possess the same magical power as the bell Xie Jing had given the female lead in the original novel? But she quickly dismissed this thought, as the female lead's bell could only exist once in the world.
That bell had been nurtured by Xie Jing's own heart's blood. In the original novel, after realizing his feelings for the female lead, he had been nurturing that bell. In moments of crisis, when the bell was rung, Xie Jing's heart would react, allowing him to know when the female lead was in danger and rush to her rescue.
Qin Jiujiu looked at the bell on her wrist again, completely dispelling the thought.
System: ...
He suddenly spoke next to her ear, lowering his voice, "Why did you kiss me?" His hot breath brushed against her ear and cheek, and she felt her face burn intensely, instinctively dodging to the side.
"..."
Xie Jing didn't wait for her answer. As she looked at him in shock, he had already agilely moved behind the two men.
The melon-eating duo: ...
Xie Jing remained as if nothing had happened, his movements swift. He quickly tied the two men up. He said coldly, "Get up!"
The two men, who had been observing the scene, trembled as if hearing the voice of a demon upon hearing the young man's words. They didn't dare to delay and immediately stood up.
Seeing this, the boy in the corner quickly stood up and ran towards the exit. Qin Jiujiu noticed and shouted, "Hey, don't..." Run!
The boy only focused on running for his life and paid no heed to the shouts behind him. He disappeared into the crowd in a flash, disappearing into the maze of alleys with practiced ease.
Qin Jiujiu sighed. She had intended to hand the boy over to the authorities and help him find his parents, but he had run too fast, so she could only give up.
"Young Master Xie the Second, shall we take them to the authorities?" Her voice lacked confidence, as she was asking a favor from the great villain, and she had just kissed him!
However, on second thought, hadn't he kissed her before? Besides, in comparison, she was the one who had suffered more!
Xie Jing, pulling one man with each hand, shouted to Qin Jiujiu, "What are you waiting for? Let's go!" and walked ahead.
Qin Jiujiu quickly responded, silently remarking, "It seems the villain isn't bad!" and followed him. There were quite a few pedestrians on the street. Seeing the young man standing behind two ruffian-like men who were tied up, they couldn't help but glance at them more.
They even voluntarily cleared a path for the four of them. Soon, the news spread throughout the city.
Amidst the chatter, a handsome young man and a well-behaved-looking girl had apprehended two vicious criminals and escorted them to the authorities, becoming a beautiful tale that spread throughout the city.