Chapter 22: Ambushed Midway

Lin Xiao said nothing. His eyes locked onto the road ahead, sharp with intensity. He raised a finger and pointed forward.

Just around the bend, the road glittered under the faint light—scattered across the pavement were jagged shards of glass, each one sharp as a blade. Not only were they large, but their edges had clearly been deliberately honed. Worse, they’d been placed right at the curve—impossible to see until it was nearly too late.

Had he not reacted when he did, they would’ve hit the trap at full speed. A blowout at that velocity could’ve ended in disaster—or worse.

Wan Caixuan exhaled heavily, still shaken in the back seat.

“That was way too close…” she muttered. The irritation in her voice had faded, replaced by a palpable sense of relief.

Then her brows knitted. “Who the hell does something so heartless? Throwing glass on a public road like this?”

Lin Xiao didn’t respond. His expression darkened as his gaze swept the area. The bend, the placement of the shards, the emptiness of the road—it was all too calculated.

This wasn’t random.

“We should move them off the road,” Wan Caixuan offered, her tone gentler now. Lin Xiao’s reflexes had clearly saved them.

But as she reached for the door—

“Wait.” Lin Xiao grabbed her wrist, stopping her mid-motion. His focus sharpened, scanning the shadows.

“You—” Wan Caixuan turned, her eyes flashing with surprise at the sudden contact. But before she could finish—

“Get down!”

Lin Xiao’s pupils contracted. From a dark corner to the right, a faint glint had caught his eye.

A sniper scope.

Without hesitation, he lunged over the seat and threw himself onto her, shielding her body with his own.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out the moment Lin Xiao pulled Wan Caixuan down.

A neat bullet hole punctured the Rolls-Royce’s rear window. Another pierced the leather seat—right where Wan Caixuan had been seconds before.

Even with the elegant CEO pressed beneath him—her body soft and trembling—Lin Xiao’s mind remained razor-sharp. The shot wasn’t random. It was meant to kill.

Before he could fully assess the situation, nine figures emerged from the shadows.

Dressed entirely in black, their faces masked, only their eyes visible, the group split into formation and surged toward the car in a flanking maneuver. Three carried handguns. The remaining six held gleaming machetes nearly a meter long, their blades catching the light with a deadly glint.

Wan Caixuan shuddered.

She wasn’t clueless anymore. It was clear now—they were here for her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, voice trembling. “I dragged you into this.”

Lin Xiao didn’t flinch. “Dragged me? No. I’m your bodyguard. This is exactly what I’m here for.”

His tone was calm. Steady. Like nothing could rattle him.

“Stay in the car. Don’t move.”

Before she could answer, he was already gone.

He slid out of the back seat and shut the door firmly behind him, cutting off anything she might’ve said.

“Wait!”

Wan Caixuan reached for the handle but stopped herself. Through the window, she watched his back as he walked into danger.

A sigh escaped her lips. A small, bitter smile tugged at her mouth.

“Bravery means nothing against assassins who kill for money. You’re just one man.”

She knew he had skill—he wouldn’t have been hired otherwise. But this? Nine armed attackers?

He was unarmed. Outnumbered. Outgunned.

I was hopeless.

And yet… despite that knowledge, warmth bloomed in her chest.

Lin Xiao had only been by her side for a single day. But in this moment of life and death, he didn’t hesitate. No fear. No doubt. Only action.

True courage isn’t loud. It reveals itself when it matters most.

At this moment, Lin Xiao was her unwavering protector. He stood as the embodiment of loyalty and steel-eyed professionalism.

Recalling her prior intention to transfer Lin Xiao upon returning to the company, guilt welled up within Wan Caixuan.

Watching the figure of Lin Xiao outside, a lone warrior against insurmountable odds, she thought to herself, “Ning Xi, your choice was impeccable. He truly is extraordinary.”

Outside, Lin Xiao remained unaware of the emotions stirring behind the car window. His focus locked on the closing circle of enemies. A chill settled in his gaze—the same cold fire that had once burned during his days on the battlefield, guarding the borders with life and blade.

A long-lost sensation stirred within him. Excitement. Pure, unadulterated excitement.

His veins pulsed with the primal thirst for bloodshed, for carnage.

The enemy moved to surround him.

Lin Xiao didn’t wait. Like a hunting beast unleashed, he launched forward.

Bang!

Another gunshot rang out. One of the black-clad men, seeing Lin Xiao charge straight at him, pulled the trigger.

But Lin Xiao didn’t slow down. He twisted mid-sprint, his body moving with the grace of a dragon in flight. The bullet grazed his shoulder, whistling past before slamming into a rock behind him with a sharp, hollow crack.

The shooter’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. He raised his weapon again—but Lin Xiao had already plunged into the fray, engaging two of his comrades. Afraid of hitting his own men, the gunman froze.

Two black-clad attackers lunged at Lin Xiao from opposite sides, each wielding a meter-long machete.

Their blades flashed, both slashing toward his head with lethal intent.

Lin Xiao sidestepped, composure etched on his face. In a blur, he caught one man’s arm mid-swing. His fingers clamped down like iron, and a sickening crack split the night. The man’s arm snapped. He screamed, dropping his weapon as his face twisted in agony. Without hesitation, Lin Xiao ripped the machete from the falling hand, spun on his heel, and hurled it.

It whistled through the air like lightning.

The second attacker never even had time to react. The blade struck him square in the chest, burying deep into his heart.

He dropped without a word, his life extinguished in silence.