Gang Zi immediately shook his head. “I can’t guess.”

“Then let’s just wait and see,” Ming Kai said, dropping the matter and turning to carefully brief Gang Zi on the precautions to take after heading to An Cheng.

That night, Gang Zi, fresh from beating up someone, returned to his room utterly exhausted and with a few minor injuries. He promptly stripped off his shirt and headed for the bathroom.

Before he even switched on the light, he caught a strange scent and instinctively clenched his fist, smashing it in the direction of the source of the odd feeling.

But just then, the bathroom light flicked on.

His menacing fist came crashing down—right into a face he could never have anticipated.

Li Ci!

It was Li Ci!

She had hidden herself in the bathroom of his room, her eyes red and swollen, staring at him with an utterly pitiful expression.

Gang Zi instantly retracted his fist, his face darkening. “What are you doing in here? Trying to get yourself killed? If you want to die, stay far away from me—don’t drag me into jail!”

“Did you go fight?”

Li Ci stood rooted to the spot, completely still. It was clear her little face had turned deathly pale, and her voice trembled as she spoke.

Gang Zi’s face grew even darker. Instead of answering her question, he pointed sternly toward the door and barked, “Get out! Don’t make me lay a hand on you!”

But Li Ci didn’t move. Instead, she asked Gang Zi, “Are you really going to keep selling your life for him like this? You actually believe him when he says he treats you like a good friend, like a brother? Don’t you think he’s only keeping you around because he’s useless and can’t do without you—that’s why he has to coddle you and deceive you?”

“Your heart is filthy; everything you look at seems dirty!” More dark lines appeared on Gang Zi’s face as he suppressed his voice and temper, pointing once again toward the door. “Li—let me say it one more time: get out, right now, immediately, and hurry up! Just because I don’t like hitting women doesn’t mean I won’t hit them!”

“It seems you don’t trust me—you trust him instead! Have you ever thought about what he’ll do to you once he’s avenged his great grudge? Don’t forget, you’re the one who knows all his secrets! With his nature and methods, do you really think he’ll let you live? Can he really let you live?”

Gang Zi’s fists clenched, looking ready to strike.

Though thoroughly frightened, Li Ci mustered her courage and took two steps forward, almost pressing right up against Gang Zi.

She gritted her teeth, then decisively reached out and gently placed her hand on his broad chest, her tearful lashes fluttering as she said, “Gang Zi, to him, we’re both the same. You’ve seen what happened to me—can’t you imagine what might happen to you? Why not leave yourself a way out?”

“A way out? What kind of way out?” Gang Zi ground his teeth as soon as her hand touched his chest, then seized her wrist, yanking her hand away from his chest, his voice laced with murderous intent.

Li Ci decided to go all in. Bravely enduring the searing pain of her wrist being nearly crushed, she didn’t cry out or flinch. Instead, she leaned right up to Gang Zi, wrapping her other arm around his lower back, pressing her face directly against his chest and softly caressing that hot skin. “Of course it’s a way out—for us to stay alive! Do you really want to hand over your life to him? He needs you now, but maybe not tomorrow! So let’s join forces, okay? I know you care deeply about him—you don’t want to hurt him—but we’ve got to think about ourselves, too, don’t we?”

End of Chapter 173: Counterattack 99