Chapter 748: Tugging

Lin Yuan heard these words, his expression changed instantly.

He was too flustered; when he stood up...... he completely failed to notice the bathroom floor...... because water had accumulated from bathing.

Lin Yuan's slipper slipped under his foot, and he let out an "Ah!".

Lin Yuan lost his balance entirely and fell straight into the bathtub.

An Yunxi's body tensed instantly, her beautiful eyes widened, and she was completely dazed.

An Yunxi's mind went blank, even her breathing paused for a moment.

She never expected such an accident to happen.

Lin Yuan was also completely dazed, not daring to move a muscle.

Lin Yuan's nose tip......

Lin Yuan didn't even have the strength to get up.

An Yunxi's voice was as faint as a mosquito, yet gentle, she whispered:

"Brother, thank you for always accompanying and protecting me."

Lin Yuan heard this, his whole body shuddered......

Lin Yuan instantly snapped out of his daze, and the panic on his face instantly spread.

Lin Yuan feared that his movements...... would tug at An Yunxi's wound.

Lin Yuan appeared especially clumsy.

Her eyes...... flashed a hint of annoyance.

She endured the sting of her wound, reached out...... and picked up a clean dry towel from the edge of the bathtub.

An Yunxi gently handed the towel to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan hurriedly took the towel, then unconsciously coughed violently a few times to conceal his panic and embarrassment.

An Yunxi looked at his embarrassed state, a hint of gentle smile flashed in her eyes, and she said nothing more.

She took the towel from Lin Yuan's hand.

An Yunxi gently raised her hand and carefully wiped the water marks from his face.

He bit his lip, several times wanting to speak up and ask her to stop, but the words reached his lips only to be blocked by the earnestness in her eyes.

He could, through the misty steam, vaguely see the figure bending over behind him......

The girl's brows and eyes were gentle; she attentively washed his hair, her eyes full of earnestness, as if she were treating some priceless treasure.

"Your hair is a bit messy; you haven't been taking good care of it lately, have you?"

"From now on, when you're tired, just tell Sister and I'll fix it for you."

Lin Yuan's Adam's apple rolled hard, the fluttering in his heart surged completely, his whole body felt scorching, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

He had lived this long, and never had anyone cared for him as meticulously as An Yunxi did—down to washing his feet, scrubbing his back, washing his hair; each detail was an intimate, tender little thing, yet it struck deepest in his heart.

Soon, An Yunxi carefully rinsed all the foam from his hair, ensuring not a trace remained.

Then she took a soft dry towel, gently placed it on his head, and gently pressed to absorb water, her movements gentle, fearing that too much force would hurt him.

After a brief pause, she picked up the hairdryer from beside her, pulled out the plug, and set it to the gentlest warm wind setting.

Warm wind blew slowly, the fine sound of the wind gentle and soothing, with no harsh noise at all. An Yunxi slightly leaned forward, standing behind him, one hand lightly combing his wet black hair, the other holding the hairdryer, slowly drying his hair.

The warm wind carried a faint shampoo fragrance, enveloping Lin Yuan's head and cheeks, making his whole body feel relaxed and soft.

To avoid pulling his scalp, she repeatedly slipped her fingers gently through his hair, gradually untangling knots and smoothing them, her movements exquisitely gentle. Each time she raised her hand and leaned forward, her warm breath lightly brushed over Lin Yuan's ear tips and nape, carrying her unique fresh scent.

Lin Yuan sat stiffly on the stool, his heart racing so fast it felt like it might burst through his chest.

The two were too close; he only needed to lift his eyes slightly, and through the misty steam on the bathroom mirror he could see the girl's gentle brows and eyes behind him. Her long lashes drooped, focused on his hair crown, her nose small and exquisite, her lip color pink and soft—every detail made his heart flutter.

He clearly knew that she still had unhealed wounds on her body; each time she bent over or raised her hand, she silently endured a tearing-like hidden pain.

"An Sis... stop blowing, it's almost dry, you should rest." Lin Yuan's voice was low, barely hoarse, full of concern.

"Don't rush, the roots are still wet; if not dried properly you'll get a headache."

An Yunxi gently shook her head, her tone gentle yet stubborn, and her hand movements did not stop.

To tend to her wound, she could only slightly turn her body, deliberately avoiding using her waist and abdomen, simply lifting her arm to blow slowly; her shoulders ached slightly, the hidden pain in her wound came in waves, yet she continued to blow patiently and meticulously.

She gently lifted his bangs, dried the front strands, then carefully rubbed dry the hair at his temples, even the slightest moisture at the tips blown through, leaving his hair fluffy and soft.

The warm wind continued to sweep over, carrying her unique gentle aura, enveloping Lin Yuan's entire body.

In the bathroom the steam had not cleared, the warm light lingered, and in the cramped space only the soft sound of the wind and the two of their slightly hurried breathing remained.

When the blowing ended, An Yunxi turned off the hairdryer and casually placed it on the nearby shelf.

She slightly leaned forward, brought her face close to his crown, and gently smoothed the last strand of his hair with her fingertips; her warm breath happened to fall on Lin Yuan's head.

"All done, clean and fresh."

She murmured softly, her voice full of satisfaction, the tenderness in her eyes almost spilling over.

【The following scene can only be described with a poem......】

Endless grey clouds shroud the snow-capped mountains; the lone garrison city on the frontier faces the distant border fortress.

The soldiers have endured countless fierce battles, their armor worn through by yellow sand, and they swore an oath:

Unless we exterminate the bandits, An Yunxi, and recover the lost lands, Lin Yuan will never return home!

…

……

One hour later......

The steam in the bathroom still had not cleared,

The misty heat...... blurred the mirror.

In the air...... there still lingered the fresh scent of body wash......

Lin Yuan stood at the side, his whole body ill at ease.

Lin Yuan felt ill at ease all over.

The atmosphere remained somewhat awkward.

Silence fell for a moment.

Lin Yuan then said, "An Sis, uh... I'm leaving."

An Yunxi heard him, raised her head, and gave him a gentle glare.

In An Yunxi's tone... there was a hint of petulance and a hint of teasing:

"How come? You're leaving so soon?"

Lin Yuan's face instantly flushed red, embarrassed to the point of not knowing what to do with his hands and feet.

Lin Yuan hurriedly waved his hands, stammering in defense: "I... I didn't, An Sis, I didn't mean it that way."

An Yunxi watched his flustered appearance, a flicker of smile flashing in her eyes.

An Yunxi's tone softened a bit, yet carried an unquestionable meaning as she softly threatened:

"What happened today must not be spoken of, otherwise Sis will kill you, okay?"

She paused, her cheeks reddening a bit more.

In An Yunxi's tone... there was a hint of shyness and a hint of playful coquettishness:

"You little brat, Sis is still the first time helping you, helping you bathe and scrub your back... You must not overthink from now on, and must not push your luck."

Lin Yuan hurriedly nodded repeatedly, his tone urgent and sincere:

"I know, An Sis, I won't overthink, you can relax."

An Yunxi watched his obedient appearance, gave a soft hum, and reminded again:

"Remember. Moreover, none of tonight's events may be told to anyone, especially Qin Bore of the Divine Phoenix Group, got it?"

As she spoke, her eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a hint of playful threat:

"If you dare to speak out, Sis will kill you, okay?"

Lin Yuan's heart jolted, and he hurriedly nodded firmly.

Lin Yuan spoke firmly: "An Sis, I understand, I will absolutely tell no one, you can relax, I will surely keep my mouth shut."

After going through a series of tugs-of-war...

An Yunxi watched the still embarrassed Lin Yuan, suppressing her inner shyness and flutter.

Her tone carried a hint of petulance and urging:

"It's getting late, why aren't you leaving yet? I need to sleep."

Upon hearing that, Lin Yuan felt as if pardoned, his panic worsening, and he hurriedly nodded.

Lin Yuan spoke incoherently:

"Okay... okay, An Sis, I'm leaving now, I won't disturb your rest, get well soon, remember not to touch water and apply medicine on time."

Having said that, Lin Yuan dared not linger, staggered turning, flusteredly retreating from the bathroom, even closing the door seemed somewhat rushed...

Lin Yuan gently closed the bathroom door, then hurriedly headed toward the living room.

In the bathroom, An Yunxi remained seated at the edge of the tub, her tense body gradually relaxing.

Her pretty face... yet still red as a ripe apple, her chest slightly rising and falling, her breathing still uneven.

The recent ambiguity and flutter... still lingered in her heart.

An Yunxi's fingertips... seemed to still retain Lin Yuan's warmth, making her heart beat incessantly.

Until she heard the faint sound of the door closing outside, confirming Lin Yuan had completely left...

Only then did An Yunxi let out a long sigh of relief.

She raised her hand... gently rubbed her scorching cheeks, her eyes full of panic and complexity.

An Yunxi murmured to herself:

"You little brat... I never expected... just now..."

As the words fell, An Yunxi's mind...

An Yunxi's pretty face...

Her heart...

Otherwise, the relationship between the two would also become completely messed up.

Meanwhile.

Lin Yuan fled An Yunxi's house in a panic, his steps feeling somewhat unsteady.

He quickly walked to the elevator, leaning against the cold elevator wall, which slightly calmed his agitated mood.

Lin Yuan's ears still burned badly, his mind repeatedly replaying the scenes from the bathroom, embarrassment and a strange flutter intertwining, leaving his emotions unsettled.

The elevator reached the first floor; Lin Yuan hurried out of the residential complex and arrived at the parking lot.

He opened the car door, got in, slumped into the driver's seat, and let out a long sigh.

The midnight parking lot was empty and quiet, the surroundings desolate, with no pedestrians, only occasional streetlights piercing the deep night, casting through the car windows scattered specks of dim yellow light that fell inside, making it hushed yet somewhat oppressive.

The earlier lingering ambiguity and agitation gradually faded in this extreme quiet, replaced by a heavy sense of bewilderment and loss.

Lin Yuan raised his hand, took out his phone, lit the screen, unlocked it, and his fingertip precisely opened the WeChat chat with Qin Bore.

The input box was blank, his fingertip hovered above the screen, delayed, not dropping, repeatedly hesitating, ultimately not knowing how to start.

He had not seen Qin Bore for an entire night.

In the deep night, alone in the car, all complicated emotions faded, his doubt about Qin Bore completely occupied his thoughts.

He had always been clear that Qin Bore was the Phoenix God, the boss he had long respected, followed, and trusted implicitly, a top figure standing at the pinnacle of the Jiangnan business district.

But it is precisely such a person—someone who lives with him day in and day out, constantly by his side—who hides the deepest, having concealed it from him for so long.

They had known and accompanied each other for a long time, weathered countless storms, faced countless crises side by side, yet Qin Bore never revealed even a hint about the true identity of the Phoenix God from beginning to end.

This deliberate concealment was like a tiny thorn lodged in Lin Yuan's heart, impossible to say whether it was resentment, confusion, or an inexpressible sense of loss.

He remained silent for a long while; the hesitation in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by growing resolve.

Some things must be clarified.

Just as Lin Yuan was about to press send on his message, a piercing engine roar suddenly exploded from beside him!

The sound was violent and crude, carrying extreme force, shattering the dead silence of the midnight parking lot.

Lin Yuan's mind tightened instantly; he didn't even have time to look up or react before a black, rugged off‑road vehicle, like a berserk beast, surged forward with astonishing force and slammed into his car.

"Boom—!"

The violent impact deafened, and a piercing screech of twisting metal suddenly burst forth.

The powerful impact shoved the Tesla sideways, its side panel instantly denting and warping, the frame twisting, windows shuddering, parts shattering and scattering, hitting the ground with a chaotic clatter.

The tremendous force hammered the car body; even though Lin Yuan had braced himself momentarily, he was still jolted hard, his body swaying and his head swimming.

But his reaction far exceeded that of an ordinary person; the extreme danger instantly awakened all his vigilance.

Without hesitation, Lin Yuan shoved the car door open, used the lingering shake of the vehicle to flip out and land steadily on his feet, instantly escaping the damaged car.

As soon as he found his footing, the doors of the opposing off‑road vehicle flung open and two men in black, their faces cold and stern, leapt out.

Their movements were swift and silent, no wasted words; each gripped a black standard‑issue pistol, raised the barrel, and without hesitation aimed at Lin Yuan and pulled the trigger.

"Bang bang!"

Two sharp gunshots shattered the night's quiet, bullets whistling with lethal force straight toward Lin Yuan.

Faced with deadly gunfire, Lin Yuan's expression remained unchanged; his body flickered instantly, using peerless movement to dodge the bullets. The ground where the bullets struck kicked up fine stone chips, emitting sharp sounds one after another.

Before the two assassins could fire again, Lin Yuan surged forward with blinding speed, his form a fleeting shadow, instantly closing to their sides.

He struck with vicious precision, showing no mercy; he seized one gunman's wrist, twisted it hard, and with a crisp crack of dislocated bone, the man's wrist was ruined and the pistol clattered to the ground.

The other, seeing this, raised his gun to fire again, but Lin Yuan sidestepped, drove his elbow hard into the man's chest with brutal force, sending him grunting backward to crash heavily to the ground.

Within a few short seconds, both gunmen were subdued on the ground by Lin Yuan, utterly unable to resist, left writhing in pain as they lay helpless.

Lin Yuan stood over them, his aura icy and piercing, no warmth in his eyes, the night's shadow draped over his face, making his expression ever colder and sharper.

He leaned slightly forward, his voice cold and low, carrying an unquestionable pressure, and whispered his interrogation: "Who sent you?"