Chapter 23
Lu Chi woke up to the pungent smell of disinfectant. After the anesthesia wore off, the pain in all ten fingers felt like it pierced his heart, causing his eyes to redden in an instant. Thinking back on his twenty-something years of life that had always gone smoothly, the only thing he hadn’t achieved was winning over Lin Mengyao. Just when he thought Mengyao was his first and last setback, Xu Ke appeared.
Not only did Xu Ke ruin his plans, but he also beat him into that condition. If he didn’t avenge this great hatred, he wouldn’t deserve the surname Lu. Consumed with anger, Lu Chi slammed his fist onto the bed board, inadvertently hitting the wound on his hand. The sudden pain made him howl out loud, waking up his mother who had just dozed off.
“Xiao Chi, what’s wrong? Tell your mom where it hurts?” Mother Lu was startled awake, seeing Lu Chi sweating from pain, leaving her at a loss. She stood there helplessly, not knowing what to do as tears uncontrollably streamed down her face, looking nothing like the usually decisive and formidable businesswoman.
“My hand, my hand, call the nurse.” Holding both of his hands, Lu Chi gritted his words out through clenched teeth, his hatred for Xu Ke rising another notch.
After a chaotic bout, Lu Chi received a shot of painkillers and had his splint readjusted, finally stabilizing his condition.
“The patient’s hands are already severely injured, they must not endure another blow like just now, otherwise there could be a risk of permanent disability,” a doctor advised with a somber expression.
“Then… will what happened just now cause any issues? Will there be any lasting effects in the future…” Mother Lu, her eyes red and teary, asked with a trembling voice.
“The splint was adjusted in time, and since the impact wasn’t strong, there shouldn’t be any serious problems, but this must not happen again, or we can’t promise the patient’s hands will be alright.” Having said everything that needed to be said, the doctor left with the nurse, leaving just the mother and son in the VIP room.
“Xiao Chi, tell your mom who did this to you. I’ll get revenge for you. I’ll skin him alive, make sure he never dares to return to Luocheng,” Mother Lu spoke with a fierce glint in her eyes.
“Mom, you don’t need to step in for this. I need to handle it myself, or I won’t be able to relieve the hatred in my heart,” Lu Chi forced out his words through the gaps between his teeth.
Lu Chi waited for several days. Although eager for revenge, the pain stopped him from taking action. It wasn’t until today that he could leave the hospital, leading a group to block the culprit who landed him there for so long.
“How about that? Didn’t expect to meet me here, did you?” Standing in the center of the crowd, Lu Chi shouted at Xu Ke, his voice filled with unmistakable excitement and pride.
“Sure didn’t expect it. Didn’t think the last lesson wasn’t enough, you’d still have the strength to come out and make trouble for me.” Xu Ke was wearing a black shirt today. As he unfastened his sleeve buttons, he rolled up his sleeves bit by bit, revealing his veiny arms. The oppressive movement made the people opposite him back away half a step.
The thugs invited by Lu Chi exchanged glances, reassessing Xu Ke. Even though he hadn’t made a move yet, as people accustomed to dealing with violence, they could gauge who could fight and who couldn’t with a single look. Xu Ke’s appearance was deceptively innocent, not at all like someone who could fight, but his aura and the strength of his arms suggested he was no easy opponent.
“Last time I was careless, that’s why you pathetic loser succeeded. This time I’m fully prepared. See these people? Today I’m going to show you what it’s like to be ground to dust. I want you to spend the rest of your life in despair, trembling at the mention of my name,” Lu Chi roared, abandoning his usual gentlemanly demeanor.
The hospital could give him painkillers but couldn’t do so 24/7. So, in times without the medication, the shattered bones in his fingers tormented him mentally. In just a few days, his cheeks had sunken, his eyes dark, losing the polite and courteous appearance he had when they first met. Now, mouth agape, his roaring made him seem like a madman.
“Ha, just with these people? Do you think I’m trash like you?” Xu Ke raised an eyebrow, spitting out words laced with icy sarcasm, mercilessly provoking Lu Chi’s fragile nerves.
“Aaaah, I’m going to kill you. Attack them, I’ll take responsibility for any consequences.” Lu Chi shouted like a distraught woman, commanding the hired thugs with raised voices. Yet, he stood firmly in place, not daring to step forward, his feigned anger making Xu Ke sneer as he focused on dealing with the advancing thugs.
The Xu Family, an old-established family in Shangjing, provided elite education from a young age. Besides cultural and artistic cultivation, courses like combat and horseback riding were mandatory for Xu Family members, with Xu Ke being among the most outstanding.
His skills had become a bit rusty since arriving in Luocheng, but dealing with these thugs was still more than manageable. Xu Ke stretched briefly before charging toward the thugs, directly confronting them.
The first person to face Xu Ke was a man with slicked-back hair. Xu Ke sidestepped to avoid the punch aimed at his face. Grasping the man’s arm, he brought his knee up, forcefully hitting the man’s ribs, resulting in a loud crack. The man with slicked-back hair knelt with both knees on the ground, his face turning ashen.
Lu Chi, who had run to the alley entrance, inadvertently made eye contact with Xu Ke, who had just lifted his head. Xu Ke’s exquisite face, emanating coldness and brutality, made Lu Chi feel like he had fallen into an ice cellar. All his movements froze, his mind occupied only with the fear from that day dominated by Xu Ke. Even though the painkiller’s effect hadn’t worn off, Lu Chi felt the wound hurt as if it were about to split open. Cold sweat soaked his clothes.
Regardless of what Lu Chi thought, the battle with Xu Ke continued.
The fall of the first thug caused a momentary pause among the others. However, being longtime partners, they quickly exchanged glances and adjusted their strategy. Two muscular men maneuvered to Xu Ke’s sides, intending to attack his legs simultaneously from left and right, aiming to disable him for further action.