Volume One, Chapter 74: Boss, I’d Like a Room!

"I think you're looking for trouble!" The man sprang up suddenly; at the same time, the shotgun beside him exploded with a thunderous bang, making everyone around too terrified to open their eyes.

They could already imagine Jiang Chen's head blown open at this moment.

After all, no one could possibly dodge a bullet.

The man flashed a satisfied smile, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"You idiots, aim properly!" he roared.

Jiang Chen stood perfectly still, yet the bullet curved and missed its mark.

"Are you finished? Or would you like me to take a turn?" Jiang Chen brushed the dust from his clothes impatiently.

"Give me the gun! Hand it over, let me see if he can dodge this time!" The man snatched the weapon from his subordinate and, from barely two meters away, aimed it squarely at Jiang Chen's forehead.

A smirk tugged at his lips. "If you want someone to blame, blame yourself for provoking the wrong people. Maybe you'll be a better ghost in your next life!"

Bang—

But the scene everyone imagined—shotguns dismantled like handguns—did not happen.

The gun fired.

"Where is he?" The man looked around, only to find the shattered bar counter and not a single person in sight.

"No, seriously—where is he?"

As he spiraled into panic, he realized his henchmen behind him had gone completely silent.

Suddenly, he felt a presence at his back.

"Uh, looks like your buddies are a bit tired. I just let them sleep for a while, should be fine," Jiang Chen scratched his head, looking utterly harmless.

The man was terrified. Even with blood on his hands, he'd never seen anything like this.

Not only could Jiang Chen dodge bullets, he could teleport. Was he even human?

Backing away in fear, the man pleaded, "Please, master, I was wrong. Spare me, master!"

"Spare you? Sure, you can leave." Jiang Chen spread his hands.

The man, uncertain, asked, "R-really?"

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Of course. I never lie. Go ahead, but leave the gun."

Crack—

The shotgun was thrown to the floor. The man turned to run from this cursed place. But as he moved, the bar's door slammed shut, sealed tight.

"Boss, didn't you say you'd let me go?" The man's voice trembled as he saw a crowd blocking the exit.

"I said I'd let you go, but they didn't agree. Why don't you ask if they're willing?" Jiang Chen spoke, then walked over to Jiang Ning.

Cheng Zhuang, still sprawled on the floor, struggled to get up and tried to stop Jiang Ning.

Jiang Chen tapped his waist twice, and Cheng Zhuang immediately felt drained, his whole body limp and powerless, unable to muster any energy, let alone move. All he wanted now was to sleep.

"You’re Jiang Ning’s friend, right?" Jiang Chen fixed his gaze on Chen Shu.

Chen Shu responded stiffly, "Yes, I’m her roommate."

Seeing Jiang Chen, Jiang Ning’s body relaxed completely, sinking into his arms as if all her defenses melted away at the sight of him.

"Jiang Chen, hehe, what are you doing here? Did you come looking for me on purpose?" She lay against his chest, soft and fragrant.

With resignation, Jiang Chen draped his jacket over her. "Since you’re Jiang Ning’s friend, you should be protecting her. But I don’t think your actions were really motivated by money, were they?"

That single sentence left Chen Shu unable to utter a word.

From the moment Jiang Chen met Jiang Ning, he noticed that her roommate, Chen Shu, came from a wealthy family—money was never an issue. Though not as beautiful as Jiang Ning, she carried a mature air.

So her betrayal was not out of malice, but jealousy.

"Because Jiang Ning is prettier than you, you became so vicious," Jiang Chen pressed.

Chen Shu, her secret exposed, dropped all pretenses. "Yeah, so what? She acts so innocent, all the guys like her, and because of that, all the attention goes to her!"

The human heart is both hard and fragile. Chen Shu had always lived in the spotlight, expecting to continue basking in admiration at university. But things turned out differently.

All the flowers and applause she expected were snatched away; it seemed as though, in the eyes of all those men, only Jiang Ning existed.

How could someone once considered a precious jewel accept becoming a mere spectator?

That was what she simply couldn't accept.

Jiang Chen told her, "Before Jiang Ning wakes, disappear from Qingcheng. Don’t let me see you again. And don't say I didn't give you a chance—if you’re still here when the time’s up, rest assured, everything you rely on will be taken away."

Chen Shu clenched her fists, wanting to retaliate, but a glance at Cheng Zhuang, barely alive on the floor, crushed that thought instantly.

This man before her was nothing she could contend with.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ning, nestled in Jiang Chen’s arms, was still giggling, innocent as a child.

Jiang Chen sighed, talking to himself, "How can you be so naive? You don’t even notice when people mean you harm."

Though asleep, Jiang Ning’s lips still curled in a smile.

Jiang Chen called Li Jing Shou, then carried Jiang Ning out.

Li Jing Shou could handle everything, so there was no need for Jiang Chen to intervene further.

The age gap between Jiang Chen and Jiang Ning wasn’t much—Jiang Chen was eighteen, but after all he’d been through, people had forgotten his youth. Yet, after half a lifetime away, he returned still eighteen.

At his age, he had long shed the innocence of eighteen, replaced by shrewdness. But Jiang Ning was different—she grew up in a blissful family, sheltered from the harsh realities of human nature.

She lived every day happily, carefree, thanks to her father's protection.

Qingcheng was deep into autumn; Jiang Ning’s body shivered with cold, so she clung tightly to Jiang Chen’s arm for warmth.

"What…what should I do now," Jiang Chen muttered, troubled. He couldn’t just carry her home—if he did, Ning Rou would surely tear him apart and feed him to the dogs.

But if not home, where else could he take her?

Maybe…

A hotel.

Jiang Chen awkwardly comforted himself. There was nowhere else to go; he certainly couldn’t leave her here.

He had considered going to Li Jing Shou’s house, but if Chong Li saw them, who knew how she would feel? To avoid misunderstanding, Jiang Chen decided…

Three minutes later—

"Boss! I need a room!"