Chapter 421: With People Like That, You Fight Fire With Fire!

Wang Yun looked at the girl before him, her face filled with worry, her eyes brimming with unease—all for his sake.

A sudden wave of bitterness welled up in his chest.

She was clearly the one who should be nervous, yet even now, she was still thinking of him. Still putting his feelings before her own.

What kind of life had she lived?

Or maybe… just how important was he in her heart to make her feel like she had to compromise herself?

In that moment, Wang Yun gained a whole new understanding of his own behavior and of Xiao Yanran’s attitude toward him. But before he could say anything, Xiao Yanran continued speaking, worried by his silence.

Just as she was growing flustered, scrambling for more ways to explain herself, a wide and warm embrace suddenly enveloped her.

A faint scent of tobacco curled around her.

A soft breath of warmth unfurled gently from all around, wrapping her up like a cocoon.

“Brother Wang Yun…”

Xiao Yanran froze.

Wang Yun held her close, resting his face against the crook of her neck. The fresh fragrance unique to her filled his mind, making him instinctively inhale deeply.

“Silly girl,” he murmured. “Don’t make things so hard on yourself. I’ve said it many times already; just be yourself when you’re with me. Say what’s on your mind. Don’t carry any burdens.”

As he spoke, he gently ran his fingers through her soft hair.

Wang Yun still didn’t know how to navigate romance. But when it came to Xiao Yanran, he understood one thing. He only needed to give her his sincerity.

This girl in front of him would never judge him for what he had or didn’t have.

On the contrary, honesty was the greatest gift he could offer her.

After he finished speaking, Xiao Yanran still said nothing. But her silence wasn’t rejection, it was her long response time.

She didn’t speak, but her body gave him all the answer he needed.

Wang Yun felt her slender arms wrap tighter around his waist.

That was all the response he needed.

She understood him. And she had found peace in his words.

After a long moment, Xiao Yanran finally whispered one single word, “Okay.”

“Alright, go home and get some rest,” Wang Yun said softly. “I’ll be out of town for a few days. I’m leaving Magic City for a bit.”

Xiao Yanran lifted her head from his embrace, clearly reluctant.

“You’re leaving again?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll find you as soon as I’m back.”

Just like that, the two lingered downstairs in front of her building for another half an hour, clinging to the moment, unwilling to part.

Only then did Wang Yun finally drive away.

As soon as he got in the car, Brother Hu called.

The man was so excited he couldn’t even sleep. Just thinking about reuniting with his boss had him hyped up like a newlywed. So much so that even Wang Yun found it a bit overwhelming.

“Alright already, I won’t be there for another eight hours,” Wang Yun said. “Why don’t you get some sleep while you wait?”

But Brother Hu clearly hadn’t caught the subtext, responding with full enthusiasm, “Eight hours is nothing! You’ll be driving all night, right? I’ll just keep you company the whole way.”

That was it.

Wang Yun didn’t give him another word.

With a flick of his wrist, he hung up the video call.

The drive from Magic City to Brother Hu’s place would normally take eight hours. But Wang Yun didn’t take the highway. He took the backroads, relying on his god-tier night vision.

What should’ve taken eight hours, he crushed in six.

By the time he arrived, it was four in the morning. The sky was still dark.

From a distance, Wang Yun saw a burly man standing by the roadside, slightly hunched. Wisps of smoke curled from something in his hands.

“Boss!”

The moment Wang Yun pulled up, Brother Hu beamed and shouted.

“Finally! I figured you’d be hungry on the way, so I hit the kitchen myself and made some steamed buns. Come on, get out, I’ll drive. You sit back and eat while they’re hot!”

Brother Hu circled around to the driver’s side and, without hesitation, shoved the piping-hot buns into Wang Yun’s arms.

“Damn, that’s hot!”

Wang Yun nearly flinched back, throwing open the car door.

“Haha! That means they’re fresh.” Brother Hu grinned as he plopped into the driver’s seat like he owned it.

Wang Yun watched his buddy’s familiar movements and felt a wave of emotion.

This was brotherhood.

These guys had the warmest hearts. Always saving the best for him, always going the extra mile.

The buns were scalding hot. Judging from the steam, they’d just come out of the steamer.

Wang Yun climbed into the passenger seat and saw the faint redness on Brother Hu’s palm. His heart was touched again. Even through his clothes, Wang Yun had felt the heat. Who knew how long Brother Hu had held onto them, just to keep them warm?

“You made these yourself?” he asked, biting into a juicy pork-and-cabbage bun.

“Yup. Had nothing better to do. How’s the seasoning?”

Brother Hu drove steadily, glancing sideways to check his expression.

“Mm. Tastes great.”

Wang Yun nodded while chewing.

It tasted like home.

Since coming to this world, this was the first time he’d eaten something so familiar, so grounded.

Simple food warmed the heart best.

After the meal, as they drove, Wang Yun told Brother Hu everything he’d dug up about Xiao Gang.

Brother Hu, being the emotional type, was practically vibrating with fury by the end.

“Fuck! That’s straight-up bullying. Do they even know who stands behind our Xiao Gang?! Boss, people like that… We’ve gotta be worse than they are.”