Chapter 22

The man, furious at being treated this way, pointed at Lin Tian and shouted, “Who do you think you are, meddling in other people’s business? And who gave you the right to hit me? Get out of front of my girlfriend immediately, or don’t blame me for being rude.”
Lin Tian had charged forward too quickly for Chu Ci to react before. But now, seeing the man pointing at Lin Tian, he quickly stepped in front of the two women, his face serious. “Sir, even if she is your girlfriend, she still has personal freedom. She can go wherever she wants. My wife simply disapproves of your behavior. Please don’t point at her like that.”
He stood in front as a shield while the two women whispered behind him.
Lin Tian asked quietly, “Is he your girlfriend?”
The girl shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “I really don’t know him, sister.”
Hearing this, Lin Tian naturally believed her.
From behind Chu Ci, Lin Tian whispered, “He’s a human trafficker. Grab him quickly.”
Already feeling guilty, the man knew trouble had arrived when Chu Ci appeared. Pretending to remain calm, he said, “Since you insist on interfering, there’s nothing more to discuss.”
Just as the man tried to leave, Chu Ci set down what he was holding, grabbed his wrist, and said, “Sir, we haven’t finished talking. Why are you running?”
The man panicked further, cold sweat pouring down his face. “I’m in a hurry to go home for lunch! Let me go!”
Chu Ci naturally wouldn’t release him. Unexpectedly, a man and woman from the crowd stepped forward to help him, saying, “Doing this in broad daylight, have you no law?”
They tried to pull Chu Ci off him, but Lin Tian sensed something was wrong. She pushed the rescued girl aside and instructed, “Go quickly to the department store and call the police.”
The girl wiped her tears and ran off without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Lin Tian, relying on some self-defense skills from her past life, quickly grabbed the woman trying to pull Chu Ci. With two people against three, they couldn’t let them escape.
The onlookers looked bewildered, not understanding how the situation had suddenly escalated. They didn’t know whom to help and could only watch as Chu Ci grabbed the nearest man’s hand, twisted it behind his back, and kicked his knee, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground.
Chu Ci handed the man to one of the bystanders, took a coin from his pocket, and said quickly, “Watch him. I’ll give you two more later.”
The man didn’t know who the real good guys were, but money was money.
He nodded. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Chu Ci quickly turned to deal with the other male accomplice. Moving fast, he kicked the man down before he could react.
Meanwhile, Lin Tian swiftly grabbed the woman by the hair; she screamed in pain and tried to strike, only to be kicked and fall. At this moment, the onlookers finally understood.
“These three are human traffickers. Don’t be fooled by them,” Lin Tian shouted. With her rosy lips and bright white teeth, she was strikingly beautiful, and Chu Ci was also outstanding in appearance. Ordinary people wouldn’t fight on the street like this unless the situation was serious.
Realizing the truth, a few strong young men stepped forward to help subdue the traffickers. Even the man who had taken Chu Ci’s coin earlier felt embarrassed and returned it. Chu Ci didn’t refuse, simply saying, “Thank you earlier.”
The young man smiled, no longer flustered, and waved his hand.
When the girl returned, she found that Lin Tian and Chu Ci had handled everything. All she had to do was wait for the police.
Lin Tian waved at her, and once the girl came forward, asked, “Did you call the police?”
The girl nodded, lowering her head. “Thank you.”
“No need, it’s my duty,” Lin Tian said. She detested human traffickers completely and would rather overdo it than let them go. That was why she had acted decisively at the girl’s call for help.
Soon, the police arrived. After hearing the girl’s account, they arrested all the traffickers. The three men, who had just been denying everything, turned pale at the sight of the police. They knew they were finished.
Before leaving with the police, the girl gave Lin Tian her name: Zheng Yunlan. She sincerely asked for Lin Tian’s family address to thank them in person.
Lin Tian and Chu Ci exchanged a glance, realizing that the girl their aunt had mentioned as a possible match for Jiang Nan shared the same name. They smiled at each other, finding the coincidence remarkable.
They gave Zheng Yunlan the address. Whether she was the same person or not would soon be clear.
The police had initially wanted Lin Tian and Chu Ci to accompany them to the station to be thanked, but they declined, eager to return home to their children.
Chu Ci picked up the items he had dropped earlier, and the two rode home.
Once home, they put the things down and checked on the children before finally discussing what had happened.
“You were really daring just now,” Chu Ci said, a note of disapproval in his voice.
“What else could I do? Watch you alone with no one helping? I’m your family; I can’t just stand by,” Lin Tian retorted. She wasn’t acting impulsively without a plan.
Chu Ci sighed, finally understanding why Lin Tian had been so bothered when he had saved someone while amnesiac. He hoped that next time, she would avoid rushing into danger.
For the first time, he admitted to himself he had selfish thoughts.
“Were you scared?” he asked.
Lin Tian thought for a moment. “A little, but I wasn’t thinking much.”
“Next time, if I’m not there, don’t act rashly. Lin Tian, think about me and the kids,” he warned.
He had never expected her to be heroic; he only wished for her safety.
Lin Tian, on the other hand, finally understood why Chu Ci couldn’t ignore such situations in the past. She had let go, realizing this was the world she now had to live in, and could treat him more like an ordinary person.
She was about to speak when Chu Ci lifted her chin with his hand to stop her. He sighed. “Didn’t it hurt? You got scratched on the neck.”
Looking at the faint, but striking, scratch, Chu Ci felt a twinge, he even regretted not knowing more fighting techniques.
Lin Tian shook her head to signal him to release her. Once he did, she said, “It doesn’t hurt. Is it deep? Will it scar?”
“I’ll find some medicine at home to treat it,” Chu Ci reassured her.
Lin Tian nodded, feeling relieved.
After finding the ointment, Chu Ci carefully applied it to the scratch on her neck. He was close enough that his breath brushed her collarbone, tickling her slightly.
Lin Tian knew she couldn’t move.
Finally, once he finished and put the medicine away, Lin Tian watched him for a while, captivated.
When Chu Ci called her several times, she realized and asked awkwardly, “What’s wrong?”
Before she could finish, he embraced her. “Lin Tian, never get hurt again.”
Lin Tian froze, her mind blank, then instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist.
Two days later, Zheng Yunlan, along with her mother, came to thank them.
Her mother, Zhu Xiuxiu, was very talkative. Upon learning that her daughter had almost been abducted in public, she nearly fainted from fear. Once Zheng Yunlan recounted the events, she cursed the traffickers and thanked Lin Tian and Chu Ci repeatedly.
Her and Old Zheng only had this one daughter, whom they had raised like a treasure, never letting her do any chores. Thinking about the situation of girls who had been trafficked, if it were her own daughter, she would have rushed to the police station and wanted to beat those people herself.
This made her even more fond of Lin Tian. Her daughter said that among so many people at the scene, Lin Tian was the first to come to her rescue.
Zhu Xiuxiu had originally planned to wait for Old Zheng to come along, but he wouldn’t be back for another half month. Two days later, she could wait no longer. She brought her daughter, carrying many gifts, and went to Lin Tian’s house.
Zheng Yunlan had always been a bold girl, but after this incident, she was now somewhat afraid to go out.
Still, it was just a visit to Lin Tian’s house, so she forced herself to go with her mother.
When Zhu Xiuxiu saw Lin Tian and Chu Ci together, she understood what it meant to be a perfect couple.
After introductions, Zhu Xiuxiu looked at Chu Ci, feeling he seemed familiar. Surprised, she said, “You’re Mingshan’s nephew! Do you remember Aunt Zhu? When Yunlan was little, she always followed Jiang Nan around. It’s unbelievable, family members not recognizing each other.” Then she turned to her daughter, Zheng Yunlan. “Yunlan, do you remember your elder brother Chu Ci? Jiang Nan’s cousin, you used to like Jiang Nan so much as a child.”
Zhu Xiuxiu was delighted, while Zheng Yunlan blushed. Of course, she remembered Jiang Nan; she had been eight or nine at the time. Recalling these childhood memories now felt a little embarrassing.
Chu Ci also remembered Aunt Zhu; she had always had a loud voice, and that hadn’t changed. She still spoke with strong energy. He quickly clarified, “Aunt Zhu, I remember you. What a coincidence! But the credit really goes to my wife, Lin Tian. She noticed something was wrong, and that’s why I was able to help.”
Mentioning Lin Tian, Zhu Xiuxiu immediately spoke up. “Ah, I got so excited seeing someone familiar. Yes, I must properly thank your wife. Tiantian, you don’t mind me calling you that, do you?”
“No problem, Aunt Zhu,” Lin Tian replied with a smile.
Seeing her like this, Zhu Xiuxiu’s fondness grew. The three of them began chatting comfortably.
When talking about Zheng Yunlan’s ordeal, Zhu Xiuxiu couldn’t help but get emotional in front of the younger women. She only had this one precious daughter, and her greatest wish was for her to have a good life. Without Lin Tian and Chu Ci, just thinking about it made her feel hopeless.
Indeed, this couple could be considered saviors for their entire family.
Zhu Xiuxiu expressed endless thanks and promised Lin Tian she would help with anything she needed.
Lin Tian didn’t refuse; when saving someone, she hadn’t thought about such things. She wouldn’t reject the tangible benefits afterward either. As a businesswoman, she understood the value of connections.
Of course, Chu Ci’s family connections were available to her, but her own would be even better. Naturally, this was just a pleasant surprise.
Seeing her mother getting along with Lin Tian, Zheng Yunlan gradually warmed up and joined the conversation. The three women chatted happily while Chu Ci tended to Ling Ling and Manman.
Zhu Xiuxiu then remembered that Chu Mingshan had mentioned her nephew had twins. Being fond of children, she asked, “Tiantian, may I see the two babies?”
Lin Tian thought for a moment and didn’t refuse. She led them to the children’s room.
At that moment, Ling Ling and Manman were drinking milk. Their tiny, moist mouths sucked eagerly, looking extremely adorable.
Zhu Xiuxiu, loving everything related to her daughter, naturally adored the twins as well.
But she had good manners; after praising the babies for a while, she stepped back.
They had expressed their thanks thoroughly, and it was nearly noon. Staying longer would be inappropriate. Zhu Xiuxiu took Zheng Yunlan and left, firmly refusing to stay for lunch. Lin Tian and Chu Ci didn’t insist.
Before leaving, Zhu Xiuxiu held Lin Tian’s hand, reluctant to let go. “Tiantian, I’ll come see you again when I have time. Or, maybe Yunlan will visit you in a while.”
She noticed her daughter’s unease and could only let her recover slowly; this couldn’t be forced.
Lin Tian politely replied, “Aunt Zhu, you’re welcome to visit anytime.”
Chu Ci also said, “Aunt Zhu, take care.”
Finally seeing them off, Lin Tian returned to the children. Ling Ling and Manman were growing quickly; even a single day apart brought noticeable changes. Thinking about her upcoming busy schedule, Lin Tian became more reluctant to leave them and spent most of her time with the twins.
Ling Ling and Manman could already roll over. Lin Tian still remembered her initial emotions upon seeing them: excited, tearful, wishing they would grow up quickly, yet hoping they could remain carefree like this forever.
Thinking of Aunt Zhu’s visit, she gently held the babies’ hands. She wondered how she would react if Ling Ling and Manman ever faced such danger.
Looking at Chu Ci beside her, she suddenly said, “Chu Ci, I don’t blame you anymore.”
Chu Ci understood immediately what she meant. His heart warmed, and he looked down, smiling.
Lin Tian was wonderful; every day he liked her more. Chu Ci didn’t remember their past, but every day now was vivid in his memory.
As the New Year approached, it was nearly New Year’s Eve. Chu Ci and Lin Tian had promised their aunt they would celebrate at her house.
Lin Tian gave Aunt Miao and Sister Xie the day off so they could also return home for the holiday. Early in the morning, the couple set off for their aunt’s home with the twins and a pile of supplies.