Chapter 53: A Woman Adorns Herself for the One Who Truly Understands Her

Jiang Fan deliberately fixed his gaze, feigning a lecherous look, on Wang Wenyu’s chest and said suggestively, “This is my exclusive toy for life. We’ve only just begun—there are still so many things I haven’t enjoyed yet. How could I possibly have had enough so soon?”

In just over ten days away from campus, Jiang Fan had changed from a boy who blushed at the mere thought of talking to girls into someone sly and smooth-tongued. Besides the tough environment that had fostered his remarkable adaptability, the main reason for this transformation lay in the influence of campus romances during his university days and the example set by his roommates who had already tasted love. Bit by bit, these experiences had awakened youthful longings within him.

Before he entered society, the poverty of his family had forced him to work part-time just to get by, which bred a sense of inferiority that made him keep those budding feelings hidden deep in his heart.

But with Hao Meng’s guidance and Wang Wenyu’s indulgence, his self-doubt was gradually eroded, and the hormones that had been stirring within him quickly found fertile ground to grow.

Jiang Fan himself hadn’t realized it: almost without noticing, his temperament was changing, and the simplicity and innocence of his youth were fading away. His meager experience wandering the world was making him mature. He was no longer the despairing boy who panicked at every turn.

When he spoke of “a lifetime,” Wang Wenyu, experiencing her first love, was left somewhat dazed. She forgot all about differences in family background and social status.

Running her fingers through her wind-tousled hair, she gazed dreamily at Jiang Fan and said, “You rogue! You promised—a lifetime. No going back on it. And you’re not allowed to flirt with any other beauties.”

A woman’s beauty blooms for the one who truly appreciates her. To Jiang Fan, everything about Wang Wenyu—the rosy glow of her cheeks, the sparkling light in her eyes, even the way she tucked her hair behind her ear—was captivating.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and sincerely praised her, “You’re beautiful, my dear.”

Seeing Jiang Fan’s dazed expression, Wang Wenyu giggled, “No matter how beautiful I am, I’m still yours now, aren’t I? Aren’t you happy? You still haven’t answered me—are you thinking of chasing after other women? Is that why you won’t answer?”

Jiang Fan grinned mischievously. “I’m an honest man. I’d never do such things. You can rest easy.”

Wang Wenyu pouted and pretended to be angry, twisting the hand that encircled her waist. “Honest? You? In the hospital corridor, you dared do those things. And with Mengmeng, you weren’t exactly innocent either. How do you explain that?”

Seeing her tallying up his past misdeeds, Jiang Fan pressed his palms together in mock surrender and protested, “In the hospital, it was just that I missed my darling so much I wanted to get close to you. Is that so wrong?

As for Hao Meng, let’s call that water under the bridge. You’re the bigger person—can you let it go? Now that I have you by my side, I promise I won’t even look at another woman. Is that enough?”

When Jiang Fan surrendered, Wang Wenyu broke into a delighted smile. “Now that’s more like it. Go back to the factory tonight—I have something to take care of at work. Tomorrow morning, I’ll come by early, rent a place nearby, buy some pots and pans, and make you bone broth every day to help you recover.”

Finally together with the one he’d longed for, Jiang Fan’s restless heart was eager for release. He asked in delight, “So does that mean we can live together tonight?”

Wang Wenyu shot him a glare. “Is that all you ever think about? Even if we do live together, don’t you dare try anything.”

Jiang Fan lifted his bandaged left hand and pointed to his swollen, bruised face and ribs. “Look at me now—even if I wanted to get up to mischief, my body wouldn’t let me. As long as I can hold you while I sleep, I’m happy.”

Wang Wenyu thought for a moment, then said with a touch of pride, “That’s true. Once I find a place, I’ll move in to keep an eye on you and make sure you behave and recover properly.”

Moved by genuine admiration, she had fallen in love so quickly. The thought of moving in together right after starting their relationship filled her with longing and excitement, but also a bit of shyness. So she used the excuse of keeping watch over him to mask her complex emotions.

After Wang Wenyu left, Jiang Fan’s playful expression faded into seriousness. He didn’t return to the dormitory to rest but instead sat down on a large bluestone slab left from some building near the factory gate, deep in thought.

“Was I just imagining things, or am I being paranoid?” he muttered to himself.

During the fight with the security men yesterday, Jiang Fan had noticed that the guard who had kicked him in the ribs—the very blow that fractured his bones—used the exact same kicking technique that Li Jiuguan had taught him. At the time, he’d been too busy trying not to get beaten to think about it.

While recuperating in the hospital, he’d recalled the incident and realized the significance.

He tried to remember the details: after he’d thrown off the guard who had him in a chokehold, the one who used the side kick arrived. That man was the first to attack him, and because of the speed of his kick, Jiang Fan hadn’t managed to dodge it even face-to-face. That’s why the memory was so vivid.

After landing that kick, the guard never struck again, which made Jiang Fan suspect that he might actually be his senior apprentice, Li Haiyong.

Jiang Fan also thought: if it were a one-on-one fight, I might not be able to beat him. Did he also recognize my moves when I fought back, and that’s why he didn’t join the others in attacking me further?

Given that their master valued character above all and was extremely selective in choosing disciples—having accepted only two in his lifetime—how could his senior apprentice have ended up working in such a heartless place, doing the bidding of the wicked?

He agonized over this for an hour, but after causing trouble for the security team and now being injured, it wasn’t the right time to investigate. He shook his head helplessly and thought: I’ll wait until I’m better to confirm it.

Before four o’clock, he returned to the factory and saw a notice on the bulletin board—the paste was still wet—announcing a dismissal.

With millions vying for factory jobs, the abundance of labor meant that factories enforced rules with almost draconian strictness, and every day someone might be dismissed for any number of reasons.

Usually, dismissals weren’t posted publicly; to put up such a notice meant the factory wanted to highlight the reason, to make an example of someone and warn the others.

Jiang Fan walked over and read that the dismissal was for taking food out of the factory at lunchtime. What puzzled him even more was that Ah Zhen, who had just been promoted to team leader, was also on the list.

Even beggars have a few friends; those who wander rely on relatives and acquaintances to venture out together. There were too many drifters on the streets, and those who made it into the factories always hoped to help out their homeless friends and family. For them, a full meal was the most urgent concern.

It’s in times of hardship that the truest nature of people reveals itself. That’s why every factory had strict rules against taking food out, but it was a rule that was never truly enforced.

To prevent theft of supplies, there was an even stricter rule: no personal bags were allowed out of the factory. If a girl left with a purse, she had to show a pass and have her bag searched by security. If something went wrong, not only the security chief but also the higher-ups responsible for oversight would be held accountable. This rule was enforced even more harshly than the food rule.

Because they couldn’t carry bags out, anyone who wanted to sneak food could only hide their lunch box under their coat; it was like covering one’s ears while stealing a bell—hardly subtle. It all depended on how strict the security was. In some factories, the security chief was happy to act as the boss’s lapdog, and no worker dared risk sneaking food out when he was on duty—this was precisely why Jiang Fan had fought him.

Most security guards were more sympathetic. When faced with such situations, they would usually turn a blind eye. Occasionally, when forced to crack down by management, some would even discreetly warn workers. Besides, the workers weren’t fools; after someone got caught, the others would lay low for a while. It was unheard of for so many to be caught at once.