Chapter 57: Hero Rescues the Beauty (2)

Lin Zhiwei placed the girl's hand on her own shoulder, supporting her as they made a swift retreat.

The surroundings were eerily silent. A black car was already parked at the rear entrance, its door sliding open to reveal Nan Yu's playful smile. “Little Lin, long time no see.”

Lin Zhiwei had no patience for banter. She quickly helped the girl into the back seat and barked, “Did you check the area?”

Nan Yu looked wounded. “With this setup? Come on, how little do you think of me? Back in the day, I—”

Lin Zhiwei cut off Nan Yu’s rambling immediately, “Enough, just drive.”

Nan Yu didn’t argue further and started the car at once.

The girl listened to their exchange, then drifted into a drowsy slumber, her head resting on Lin Zhiwei’s shoulder, her breath weak.

Nan Yu glimpsed the ambiguous scene through the rearview mirror, murmuring, “Little Lin, you’ve got quite the luck with women.”

Lin Zhiwei cradled the girl with one arm, her head supported by the other hand, gazing out the window. Her expression was distant and grave, silent.

The bite marks on her hand still seeped blood, but she paid no mind.

From the girl's vacant look and unfocused eyes, it was clear she was struggling to maintain her composure—she must have been drugged.

Suddenly, a name flashed in her mind—“Phantom World.”

It was a hallucinogenic substance once used by the ruthless Wudao Sect before Lin Qiongji wiped them out. An overdose would rob one of sanity, slowly turning them into obedient puppets; severe cases would lose their memories and become someone else entirely.

Lin Qiongji had once warned her that Phantom World might still circulate within Huaguo.

Her pupils narrowed, lips pressed tight. Could it be—right here in Huaguo’s entertainment industry?

A strange thought circled in her mind. She vaguely sensed that Ling Ziheng might know about this too—might even be seeking her out because of Phantom World.

Nan Yu glanced at Lin Zhiwei while driving. Though he wasn't used to her dressed as a man, her focused expression was oddly handsome.

Oh no, I can’t let myself fall for this...

Wait, she’s not a man anyway...

After they got out, Lin Zhiwei didn’t look back. “Go home. Don’t forget to switch the lobby surveillance,” she said, expertly lifting the girl and heading toward the lobby.

Nan Yu clicked his tongue, shot her a glare, and drove away. What kind of person was she? Not even a word of thanks, not even an offer for dinner.

Betrayed for beauty!

Pei Xi was already waiting in the lobby. Seeing Lin Zhiwei carrying the girl in, he hurried up. “Director Lin, let me.”

Lin Zhiwei shook her head, carrying the girl straight into the elevator. Her expression was icy; the lobby had been cleared of staff.

Pei Xi noticed the bleeding wound on Lin Zhiwei’s right hand and his heart skipped a beat.

If the young master saw this...

He hurried after her.

Pei Xi helped open the door, sensing the oppressive atmosphere around Lin Zhiwei. He kept silent but wondered—everything had gone smoothly. He’d watched from the sidelines as Lin Zhiwei dispatched two thugs in minutes, seamlessly arranging everything, swift and efficient.

That man, Nan Yu, had handled everything already; Pei Xi’s intervention wasn’t needed.

Inside, Ling Ziheng sat on the sofa, legs crossed, reading. He frowned slightly as Lin Zhiwei entered with the girl, his mood inscrutable.

She nodded to Ling Ziheng, careful not to wake the girl, and carried her into her own bedroom. She treated the wounds on the girl’s face and arms, covered her with a blanket, closed the door, and returned to the living room.

Ling Ziheng’s gaze locked onto the blood stains on her hand, his expression darkening, jaw clenched ever tighter.

This girl was truly selfless, embodying the hero’s rescue with no regard for herself.

Lin Zhiwei opened the fridge, took out a bottle of cola, cracked it open, and sat on the opposite end of the sofa, gulping it down, hands braced on her knees, a chill on her face. The room’s atmosphere dropped to freezing.

Moments like this, when she was so low-spirited, were rare. Ling Ziheng didn’t press her.

He opened the prepared medical kit and quietly sat beside her, taking her hand.

Before Lin Zhiwei could react, he was already carefully cleaning her wound, his expression grave yet gentle, head bowed as he softly blew on it.

Only then did Lin Zhiwei notice her own blood had half dried, the sting slowly creeping in.

“I’m fine,” she tried to pull her hand away.

“Don’t move,” Ling Ziheng said quietly, but with an undeniable firmness. “Bear with it.”

Lin Zhiwei glanced at his handsome, resolute profile, feeling slightly awkward and looked away.

Ling Ziheng’s touch was gentle, anxious not to hurt her, his heart aching. If he’d known she’d risk everything just to save a minor star, he ought to have stopped her.

He’d been worried that Lin Zhiwei’s intelligence would let her piece together the clues.

But now, seeing her cold demeanor and distant attitude, what unsettled him most was his place in her heart.

“Zhiwei, whatever you do next, don’t let yourself get hurt again.” Ling Ziheng spoke softly as he applied the medicine.

Lin Zhiwei paused for a moment, sighed softly through the mess in her mind, and replied, “Alright.”

Ling Ziheng saw her pale face and asked with concern, “Was it shocking to witness it firsthand?”

Lin Zhiwei nodded. At this moment, she realized the feeling of being protected within the nameless realm—it was Lin Qiongji’s shelter that had kept her and her parents safe.

Otherwise, she might have ended up like the girl in the room, tormented beyond imagining.

She had been too naive all along.

“You always knew, didn’t you?” Lin Zhiwei suddenly focused her gaze, asking seriously.

Ling Ziheng gently released her hand and said slowly, “Yes, I nearly fell victim myself once.”

Lin Zhiwei was stunned, speechless—Ling Ziheng?

She understood immediately. No wonder Ling Ziheng had struggled for so many years, always suppressed, at the heart of power but never involved in its transactions, naturally becoming a thorn in everyone’s side.

“But the Ling family...” Lin Zhiwei began.

The light in Ling Ziheng’s eyes dimmed, his tone mournful. “That’s another story. I’ll tell you piece by piece someday.”

Lin Zhiwei nodded obediently, unconsciously biting her lip.

Moments earlier, she’d even harbored suspicions about Ling Ziheng...

But if he were that kind of person, he wouldn’t need her help to achieve his aims—she’d been overthinking.