Chapter 10: Warning: Don't Touch Randomly

Actually, before that night, Lu Chen had already heard of Jiang Hanyan's great name. This woman also had a very badass nickname—the Flower of Fucheng.

Jiang Hanyan was the most beautiful woman in Fucheng, and the swarm of suitors chasing after her was as numerous as cow hairs. The most famous among them was Diao Dekai; he looked like a toad, but his father held immense power in Fucheng, so much so that even San-ge didn't dare to go against the Diao family.

Lu Chen knew very well why Jiang Hanyan was clinging to him: it was because he had once saved the life of Diao Dekai's father. Diao Dekai feared nothing in heaven or earth, except for his father; he was a total daddy's boy.

"I dress up all pretty just to save face for you!"

Jiang Hanyan retorted righteously. Lu Chen couldn't win the argument against her, so he urged her irritably, "Hurry up!"

"Dou Dou's clothes are too small. They don't even cover his belly button, and his pants are too short."

Jiang Hanyan picked up Dou Dou and placed him in the middle of the motorcycle. She sat easily on the back seat, chatting casually with Lu Chen. The quality of Dou Dou's clothes was actually quite good, they were just a bit small; whenever he stretched his arms or legs, his belly and calves would be exposed.

"We'll buy some in a bit."

Lu Chen looked back at Dou Dou and frowned; the clothes were indeed too small.

But buying a set of clothes would cost at least twenty or thirty yuan. He pinched the money in his trouser pocket, feeling a sense of gloom. He couldn't help but complain that the garment factories were heartless—why didn't they make clothes that could be lengthened or shortened? That way, one set of clothes could be worn for decades without needing a replacement.

"We need to buy shoes too. The shoes on Dou Dou's feet are peeling off, and we don't have any good shoes at home." Jiang Hanyan felt a bit guilty. The money Lu Chen had given her in the past was actually quite a lot, but the original owner of this body had squandered it all, leaving nothing for Dou Dou.

Lu Chen looked at her coldly. Though he said nothing, Jiang Hanyan could read his meaning and hurriedly said, "I was a bit muddled before, but I won't be anymore. Really, I promise!"

Lu Chen's expression was mocking. The thing he believed in least was a promise. Before his father ran away, he made promises every single day, and every once in a while, he would even hook his pinky finger and swear a blood oath. But after making a blood oath, he would still continue to drink, eat, gamble, and live a life of debauchery.

That debt of two hundred and fifty thousand was what his father had incurred to pay off gambling debts. His grandfather was well-liked and had made many friends; his father would go to these friends' houses and deliberately claim that Grandfather was gravely ill and needed money to save his life.

Without a second thought, Grandfather's friends would all bring out their savings—one would give a hundred, another two hundred, and some even gave dozens. Lu Chen truly admired his father; he had managed to scour all of Fucheng, not missing a single one of his grandfather's friends, borrowing from every single one of them.

His father even kept a notebook where every single transaction was recorded clearly: who gave a hundred, who gave two hundred, on what year, month, day, and hour it was borrowed. Not a single entry was missed. When he ran away, he didn't forget to stuff this notebook under his grandfather's pillow, leaving a small note telling Grandfather not to forget to pay back the debts.

Lu Chen clenched his teeth. He hadn't thought of his father for a long time, but today, many memories surfaced. If his father ever came back alive one day, he would fulfill Grandfather's dying wish: he would execute the family law upon his father and then drive him out of the Lu family.

Grandfather had said his greatest regret was not cleaning house in time, allowing this beast to implicate him.

But Grandfather had also said that these debts must be paid. As long as Lu Chen was alive, he had to pay them back.

Lu Chen started the vehicle, and the motorcycle began to sputter and roar. Jiang Hanyan gripped the back seat tightly and shouted, "Helmet!"

"Don't have one!"

Lu Chen snorted. He didn't even have a helmet; one helmet cost over ten yuan—a waste!

The vehicle sped away, leaving a cloud of dust. The cold wind whistled into their clothes. Without thinking, Jiang Hanyan hugged Lu Chen's waist, burying her face against his back. With Dou Dou sandwiched in the middle, the child wasn't caught in the wind.

Lu Chen's body stiffened. The softness at his waist caused his mind to wander slightly. He was wearing an old leather jacket with cracks at the shoulder blades, and denim jeans on his lower body. With broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tall, handsome, model-like build, he made these ragged clothes look like the ruggedly handsome style of a Western cowboy.

Jiang Hanyan's body wasn't cold anymore, but her hands were. She fumbled against Lu Chen for a long time, trying to find a place to shield herself from the wind. Her restless hands wandered about, touching his stomach one moment and moving upward the next. Lu Chen gritted his teeth hard, trying his best to ignore the strange sensation in his heart.

"Keep touching me and I'll break your claws!"

Lu Chen warned through gritted teeth, the tips of his ears flushed red. Just now, this woman almost touched his... how could she be so shameless!

"Why doesn't your clothing have pockets? I'm freezing... *achoo!*"

Jiang Hanyan was shivering from the cold, so she simply reached her hand inside Lu Chen's sweater. Through a thin layer of thermal underwear, her hand pressed against his abdominal muscles; they were hot and hard, and she finally felt warm.

"Take it out!" Lu Chen growled lowly.

"Let me borrow some warmth, don't be so stingy!"

Jiang Hanyan refused to move her hand, shamelessly continuing to touch. This guy was like a furnace; even though he was wearing so little, with his leather jacket hanging open to look cool, his body was still so hot.

"Focus on riding. The lives of Dou Dou and me are in your hands, Comrade Lu!" Jiang Hanyan reminded him.

Lu Chen didn't speak again, but his expression grew even colder. Those claws on his stomach were impossible to ignore; he found himself wanting to glance down at them from time to time. He wouldn't give this woman a ride ever again.

Absolutely not!

Before long, the vehicle stopped. Lu Chen swung his long legs over and got off. Jiang Hanyan looked up, her nose bright red and her eyes misty, looking as if she had been bullied.

She looked around; this wasn't the vegetable market!

Jiang Hanyan was too lazy to get off the bike. She sat on the vehicle holding Dou Dou, watching Lu Chen enter a jewelry store. He even pulled a jewelry box out of his pocket. The owner opened it, took a few bills from a drawer, and Lu Chen accepted them.

"Dou Dou, never be like your Uncle Lu, otherwise you'll definitely never marry a wife."

Jiang Hanyan took the opportunity to educate Dou Dou. She had a perfect negative example right in front of her; she had never seen a man so stingy, yet he happened to be so handsome.

Like colorful Yen notes—pretty to look at, but useless.

Dou Dou nodded blankly, but then he thought for a moment and made a few gestures. Unfortunately, Jiang Hanyan couldn't understand; Dou Dou's sign language was just him making things up as he went.

Actually, Dou Dou wanted to say that Uncle Lu already had a wife—and that was Auntie Jiang.

Lu Chen returned and restarted the engine. Jiang Hanyan's hand slid into his clothes again. He glanced down but said nothing; strangely, he had become accustomed to it.

The three of them arrived at the vegetable market. The market on the tenth day of the first lunar month was very lively. There were many small stalls at the entrance: balloon sellers, cotton candy and candied hawthorn sellers, ring toss games, air gun games—all sorts of things, surrounded by many people.

Lu Chen parked the vehicle and first picked Dou Dou up to get him off. But after waiting for a long time, Jiang Hanyan made no move. He raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit impatient.

"I'm frozen stiff. Help me up."

Jiang Hanyan looked at him pitifully. Her two legs were numb from the cold, and she let out a plaintive cry. She had heard elders say this phrase since she was a child, and today she finally understood it. Tight jeans looked good, but you couldn't wear long johns underneath; she was freezing to death.

(End of Chapter)