Chapter 53: The Most Vulnerable Place in a Man

Watching the waiter approach with a steaming stone pot of bibimbap, Xu Anan couldn't help but frown and lean back. Lin Jiaojiao beside her did the same. Yet, the unexpected still happened.

The waiter, who had been carrying the stone pot steadily, was suddenly tripped by something, and the bibimbap flew toward Xu Anan!

"Aah!" Lin Jiaojiao screamed.

Jiang Li suddenly reached out with both hands, catching the scalding stone pot and slamming it onto the table, severely burning his hands.

Xu Anan's pupils contracted. Her mind hadn’t yet processed what was happening, but her body acted first. She hurriedly dragged Jiang Li to the restroom, made him rinse his hands under water, then dashed to the pharmacy next door to buy ointment and supplies for burns.

Though the weather wasn't hot, Xu Anan ended up sweating profusely from her frantic run. "Quick, let me apply the medicine!"

"It's just a minor injury, can't I endure it?" Jiang Li pretended to be nonchalant, but sweat beaded on his brow, and his hands felt as if they were being roasted—he almost wished they could be chopped off immediately. It was as if he were enduring the ten tortures of ancient times.

Xu Anan smeared burn ointment all over Jiang Li’s hands. "This is just emergency treatment. You really need to go to the hospital."

"No rush."

Jiang Li asked Xu Anan to take his phone from his trouser pocket, his gaze deep. "What just happened was definitely not a simple accident. We need to investigate."

He’d seen clearly—the waiter was carrying the pot steadily. How could he have been tripped so suddenly?

Xu Anan asked which pocket and reached in. Perhaps too hastily, she touched something she shouldn’t have, making the man gasp. "Could you be gentler? That’s a man’s most vulnerable spot."

"Ruining it does you no good," Xu Anan’s cheeks flushed crimson.

She decided to ignore Jiang Li’s words and retrieved the phone. "What now?"

"Facial recognition unlock."

"Alright."

Jiang Li had Xu Anan open the contacts and find Assistant Wang. She discovered that the first contact in Jiang Li’s list was herself, simply marked as "An."

She scrolled further and found Assistant Wang’s number. "What should I say?"

Just then, she glanced at the chat history between Jiang Li and Assistant Wang.

Almost all the messages were from Assistant Wang.

Assistant Wang: [Second Master, I’ve found a few more wonderful domineering CEO novels recently. Did you read the ones I sent before?]

Assistant Wang: [Trust me, after you finish them, you’ll benefit greatly, and you can even put what you learn into practice.]

Xu Anan wanted to scroll up and see what Jiang Li had said. Why would Assistant Wang send CEO novels to Jiang Li? The contrast was too shocking!

"You’re invading my privacy," came a faint voice from above her head.

Xu Anan laughed awkwardly. "Should I ask Assistant Wang to check the surveillance?"

"Not entirely foolish."

"If there really is a problem, who could it be?" Xu Anan sent a message to Assistant Wang, temporarily holding Jiang Li’s phone for him so he wouldn’t miss the reply.

Actually, she already had a suspect in mind. Besides Lin Jiaojiao, who else could it be? If not for Jiang Li, she might have been disfigured today!

What a terrifying woman.

Knock, knock, knock.

A hurried knocking sounded. Outside, Lin Jiaojiao’s anxious voice called, "Ali! How are your hands? Let’s hurry to the hospital!"

The two exchanged a glance.

One after the other, they went out.

Gu Yang was still there. After all, since something had happened, he couldn’t just leave and had postponed his afternoon plans.

The staff and the manager were both anxious and worried.

"The ambulance is here," Gu Yang said.

"No rush," Jiang Li replied calmly, as if unmoved even in the face of calamity.

"How can you not hurry? If you delay any longer, your hands might be ruined!" Lin Jiaojiao cried in desperation. "Why are you so foolish? That stone pot wouldn’t have hit me, so why catch it? How can I ever repay you! Only by giving myself to you!"

"Ali, rest assured—even if your hands are ruined, I’ll never leave you!" Lin Jiaojiao’s words moved even herself.

The other three were all left speechless.

Ding!

Assistant Wang was fast and efficient.

Xu Anan quickly unlocked Jiang Li’s phone with his face and opened the surveillance video Assistant Wang sent.

It was clear: Lin Jiaojiao had suddenly stretched out her foot and tripped the waiter.

"How do you explain this?" Xu Anan demanded coldly, confronting Lin Jiaojiao.

Lin Jiaojiao was stunned, her guilty eyes flickering. "I—I was a bit scared, maybe I accidentally stretched my foot?"

"And why would I purposely trip the waiter? What if the stone pot hit my face?"

Xu Anan sneered. "And what did you just say?"

She repeated Lin Jiaojiao’s earlier words: "You said ‘That stone pot couldn’t have hit me.’ Everyone here heard it clearly. If you hadn’t planned it, how could you be so sure it wouldn’t hit you? Admit it—you wanted to ruin my face!"

Lin Jiaojiao was terrified and began to sob. "Ali, don’t listen to her nonsense. I’ve only met her twice…"

"Save it for the police," Jiang Li’s hands felt as though thousands of ants were gnawing at them—he couldn't stay any longer.

Seeing Jiang Li’s condition, Xu Anan didn’t bother arguing further. She brushed aside those blocking the way.

"Let’s go!"

Watching the two board the ambulance, Gu Yang was thoughtful.

Lin Jiaojiao tried to flee, but Gu Yang said calmly, "Go on, run if you wish—but you can’t escape justice. Surrender now, and you might receive leniency."

Exposed, Lin Jiaojiao was furious.

"How can you still meddle with me!"

"Don’t you see your girlfriend is only interested in another man? Your pride is shattered—aren’t you going after her?"

Gu Yang smiled wryly, pushing his glasses up. "Miss Xu and I are just friends. You and Second Master are just friends, too."

"But I like Second Master!"

"And then? Just because you say you like him, you think you can harm others?"

"I…"

Just then, the manager arrived with the police to apprehend Lin Jiaojiao. Gu Yang followed to give his statement.

Lin Jiaojiao tried to deny everything, but Gu Yang’s testimony, combined with the surveillance footage, sealed her fate.

At the hospital.

Jiang Li had just finished treatment when Old Lin called, but he motioned to Xu Anan not to answer. "If they hadn’t spoiled Lin Jiaojiao to this extent, today wouldn’t have happened. She needs a harsh lesson."

Jiang Li was the victim, so his word was law.

But Xu Anan glanced at him disdainfully.

"If you know what kind of person Lin Jiaojiao is, why meet her at all? Did you really need to drink with her?"