Chapter 6: The Wild Man

Taking the elevator up to the room, Lin Fan placed the woman on the bed. He squinted slightly, surveying the space, preparing to take a shower, when he noticed that as the woman rolled over, an identification card slipped from her body.

Lin Fan picked it up casually, his brows knitting together. "Zhao Ying—who would have thought I'd bring home a female police officer? The thought alone is amusing."

After a quick wash, Lin Fan collapsed beside the woman. Lying down, he soon drifted into sleep.

In the hazy realm of dreams, Lin Fan felt something warm pressing against his face—soft, fragrant, and tinged with the smell of alcohol. Unable to resist, he kissed it, slowly sucking, and gradually his body responded. He rolled over, tightly embracing the source of warmth... Just as he was about to take things further, a sudden chill swept through him as if cold water had been poured over his head. His whole body stiffened; he hurriedly opened his eyes and rushed into the bathroom.

Lin Fan was never afraid of sleeping with a woman—but what he feared was the responsibility afterward. The woman before him was clearly not someone to be trifled with; otherwise, she wouldn't drown her sorrows in alcohol or criticize the failings of men before Lin Fan. If he slept with her and she clung to him afterward, it would be a terrible bargain. Though she was beautiful, Lin Fan was not a man to act on impulse.

Goodness, he nearly made a grave mistake. This woman was a police officer, after all. Fortunately, he pulled back at the crucial moment. Thinking of what almost transpired, Lin Fan shuddered. They say drunk women are dangerous—how true that is.

...

The next morning, Zhao Ying woke with a pounding headache. She vaguely remembered drinking with a man last night, but recalled nothing afterward. Frantically, she threw off the covers and discovered her clothes were still on. Relief flooded her heart.

At that moment, Lin Fan emerged from the bathroom, bare-chested. Seeing him, Zhao Ying blushed involuntarily, but managed to avert her gaze after stealing a few glances. Her eyes flickered with surprise, and soon her look turned to shock.

Lin Fan’s back was covered in scars—so many wounds that she couldn’t count, gunshot marks among them, not to mention other injuries. With her years of police experience, Zhao Ying knew this man was anything but ordinary. A surge of caution rose in her heart.

Yet his arms and chest were flawless, unmarred by any scar—smooth, firm stomach and a chest that could only be described as perfection.

What does this man do? Suddenly, Zhao Ying felt a keen interest in Lin Fan.

"Have you seen enough? If not, I can strip completely for Chief Zhao to have a proper look," Lin Fan said with a sly curve to his lips, pretending to unbuckle his belt.

Zhao Ying’s blush deepened, but only for a moment. The next instant, her expression turned wary. "How did you know I’m a police officer?"

"It says so right here," Lin Fan replied, tossing her police badge from the table.

"What’s your name, and how did you get all those injuries?" Zhao Ying asked, frowning as Lin Fan pulled on his clothes.

"My surname is Lin, given name Fan—as in ordinary. What, do you take me for a fugitive? Are you planning to 'invite' me to the station?" Lin Fan’s brow arched coldly, his tone suddenly frosty. He’d been decent enough not to touch her last night—was she now going to drag him in for questioning?

Zhao Ying was taken aback by his sudden shift, but recovered quickly. "Hmph. You’d better not end up in my hands someday, or I won’t let you off."

"Yes, yes. As long as Chief Zhao doesn’t tempt me into crime, that’s fine. I’m a man, after all—I can’t resist your repeated seduction. Next time, if I do something beastly, don’t blame me; I’m no saint," Lin Fan retorted, lips twisted in a wicked grin, his gaze fixed shamelessly on the barely concealed curves of Zhao Ying’s chest.

"You…" Zhao Ying was speechless, cornered by Lin Fan’s words. Last night, she’d indeed been too reckless. Her boyfriend had repeatedly cheated; though she wasn’t deeply attached to him, their relationship was known throughout the station. The memory infuriated her, prompting her to drown her sorrows at the bar, indulging for once, only to meet Lin Fan. Thankfully, nothing happened between them; otherwise, Zhao Ying wouldn’t know what to do—marry Lin Fan? Clearly impossible.

Seeing her flustered, Lin Fan felt that teasing a beautiful woman from time to time was its own pleasure. "Come on, I’ll take you to the station," he said, glancing at his watch.

...

In the car, Zhao Ying studied Lin Fan seriously. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the image of his scars. A breeze drifted in through the window, lifting his fringe and revealing the faint marks on his forehead. She realized that the man who drank with her last night, yet didn’t take advantage, was so compelling, so full of masculine charm and an aura of security. For a moment, she found herself lost in him. She was certain—this man had stories.

Not far from the station’s entrance, they got out. To Zhao Ying, since Lin Fan hadn’t taken advantage of her in her drunken state and had cared for her all night, she ought to treat him to a meal. With that thought, she turned to Lin Fan and said, "Let me buy you dinner sometime."

Lin Fan shrugged. "Sure—just as long as it’s not at the police station, I’m fine."

"You’re that afraid of going in?" Zhao Ying paused, smiling.

Lin Fan chuckled, saying nothing. He wasn’t afraid of the station at all—he’d only said it to tease Zhao Ying. After all, stories always portrayed female officers as passionate about justice and eager to make arrests.

As they spoke, a luxury BMW worth a million pulled up by the curb. A man, holding a bouquet of roses, ran over. Seeing Zhao Ying, his face lit up with a broad smile. "Ying’er, I was wrong before. Give me another chance—I promise I’ll change."

His words sounded sincere, but his expression betrayed not a hint of remorse.

"Wei Liang, tell me how many chances I’ve given you. And you? Relying on a few lousy dollars, you repeatedly fool around with other women. I’ve had enough. We’re finished, do you understand? And from now on, call me by my full name," Zhao Ying’s face twisted with disgust, her cold gaze dismissing him without concern for the onlookers.

"Ying’er…"

"Call me Zhao Ying," Wei Liang had barely started before Zhao Ying cut him off, her impatience evident.

"Fine, fine, Zhao Ying—think how long we’ve been together, yet you won’t even let me touch you. I’m a man—I have needs. You can’t…" Wei Liang spoke with the air of a scoundrel, utterly domineering.

Hearing this, Lin Fan understood at last. So this Wei Liang was Zhao Ying’s ex-boyfriend. Zhao Ying refused to sleep with him, so he went out and fooled around—more than once, it seemed—until Zhao Ying caught him, and they broke up. That explained why Zhao Ying went to the bar last night, drowning her sorrows, and met Lin Fan.

None of this concerned Lin Fan, who had no interest in interfering. He shrugged, about to turn and leave, when he heard, "Is it because of this pretty boy? So, you’ve been cheating on me all along. I always thought you were pure, but it turns out you’ve had a wild man on the side!"

Wei Liang clearly had no sense of his situation. He dared point his finger at Lin Fan—the renowned leader of Dragon Soul mercenaries, known as "Death"—and loudly insult him as a gigolo. Perhaps he was the first person in the world to call Lin Fan a wild man.