Chapter 99: A Midnight Encounter at Baying Lake

When he arrived at the gate of Baying Lake Xiangshan Garden Phase 1, it was already midnight.

From a distance, he spotted a thinly clad girl crouched under a streetlamp at the entrance. Next to her, a man wearing a black short-sleeve T-shirt and patterned shorts was talking to her.

As he got closer, he noticed that the man’s arms and chest were adorned with blue tattoos.

His face was oily and far from handsome; in fact, he looked menacing and vicious.

His eyes burned with a fierce intensity.

Zhou Can walked over, and the man merely glared coldly at him.

The girl crouched on the ground had a perfect figure that, due to her hunched posture, didn’t draw much attention. Yet, her flawless, pale skin glowed beautifully under the light, and her delicate features were lowered in a subtle timidity.

Zhou Can couldn’t quite figure out the relationship between Su Qianqian and this man.

Maybe he was her boyfriend or something similar.

He thought to himself, Su Qianqian is stunning and exceptionally talented—how could she be dating a lowlife?

Then again, some artists enjoy dressing like street toughs to stage their own form of performance art.

Especially small-time directors, who love sporting long hair, a thick beard, and an unconventional style.

It’s their way of showing off a unique aesthetic.

“Miss Su!”

Zhou Can called out to her.

She slowly lifted her head, a joyful expression lighting up her face as she quickly stood and approached him.

“You’re here!”

Her look was pure delight, as if a savior had arrived.

“Who’s this?”

Noticing her unusual tone, Zhou Can immediately became wary of the unfamiliar man.

“I don’t know him! I already told you, my boyfriend would be here soon. He wouldn’t believe me and kept insisting I join him at the bar in front. I ignored him.”

Having weathered the harsh realities of society, Su Qianqian, now a third-tier celebrity, had seen it all.

When harassed by men, she had her own methods of handling it.

For instance, she would claim that her boyfriend was about to arrive.

This tactic helped scare off those with bad intentions.

At midnight, with barely any passersby on the street, a beautiful young girl alone in thin clothes could easily become prey.

It was a very dangerous situation.

Yet, she was shrewd.

By choosing to crouch near a security booth and claiming her boyfriend was on his way,

she successfully intimidated the tattooed man, preventing him from taking any further action.

He was deterred from forcibly dragging someone away.

The thug glanced at Zhou Can and clearly dismissed him.

Zhou Can, with his clean-cut, scholarly appearance, looked every bit the refined gentleman—a stark contrast to the rough and tumble types.

Meanwhile, the thug’s bulging biceps looked ready to down several frail men like Zhou Can with one punch.

“Dude, your girlfriend’s not half bad! I just like a girl like her. No hidden agenda, I just want to be friends,” the thug sneered, his eyes gleaming like an eagle eyeing its prey as he glared at Zhou Can.

He intended to unsettle Zhou Can psychologically.

Had he been an average young man fresh to society, he might have been intimidated.

Zhou Can had been training in Taekwondo since the age of five and Sanda from eleven.

To him, this amateur thug was nothing more than a walking, talking wrecking ball.

Of course, those trained in martial arts knew to control themselves and wouldn’t act rashly.

That was called martial virtue.

A threatening glance was often enough; he wouldn’t just blow someone away with a punch.

“Is there anything else?”

Zhou Can asked coolly.

Seeing his timid look, the thug assumed Zhou Can was cowed by his ‘macho aura’ and grew even bolder.

“When you first met her, you called her ‘Miss Su.’ Is she really your girlfriend?”

The thug stared into his eyes.

Who said that men who roam the streets were all simpletons, only knowing how to swing a machete?

Just from Zhou Can’s choice of address for Su Qianqian, the thug already sensed a flaw in his act.

Street thugs turned out to be far more shrewd than one might imagine.

They were masters at reading people and adapting to the situation.

When dealing with the weak and defenseless, they resorted to threats and coercion for easy gains; but when facing the powerful or even the police, they would put on a friendly face and act submissive.

“My boyfriend likes it when I’m called that—what’s wrong with it?”

Su Qianqian cuddled up like a little bird against Zhou Can, linking her arm with his.

He could feel her grip tightening nervously, her hand trembling ever so slightly.

By the time Zhou Can had delivered the key, she had probably endured more intimidation from this man than she cared to admit.

“Got anything else?”

Zhou Can’s tone grew firmer.

“Are you out of your mind? Have some decency!”

The thug snapped, his mood instantly souring.

His face darkened as his features twisted into an even more vicious, threatening snarl—he seemed ready to punch at the slightest provocation.

“D-Don’t you dare mess around! Or I’ll call the cops!”

Overwhelmed by fear, Su Qianqian’s heart pounded; as a girl, facing such a brutal man filled her with terror.

She wasn’t intimidated by the refined thug.

Directors, producers, and sponsors who used to try and take advantage of her, she always had a way of shaking them off.

But facing this lowlife, whose actions knew no regard for consequences, she had every reason to be scared.

“Ha, call the cops? Why don’t you find out for yourself—I’m well-connected on both sides here. Little lady, tonight all you have to do is join me for a couple of drinks at the bar, and nothing else happens. Otherwise, I know where you live, and I could easily bring a few of my boys over to make your life a living hell.”

The thug laughed unabashedly, his arrogance on full display.

He then fixed his gaze on Zhou Can, threatening him furiously, “Kid, where do you think you’re from? Why don’t you get lost? Don’t mistake playing the fake boyfriend for something you can handle. Believe me, I could wreck you in no time!”

As he spoke, he intentionally flexed his muscular arms.

That display nearly made Zhou Can burst out laughing.

A true fighter wouldn’t need to show off his muscles.

One should rather assess the opponent’s stance, posture, and eyes, and sense whether their aura was steady and formidable.

People who flaunt their muscles are often all show.

Even an ordinary person could flip them over with a single well-placed move or a powerful leg strike.

“Scram!”

Zhou Can replied with a single word.

His force and presence were no less than his opponent’s.

“Looking for death?”

The thug, completely enraged, threw a punch directly aimed at Zhou Can’s left cheek.

He intended to teach this inexperienced kid a lesson on street life—that some guys were not to be trifled with.

Zhou Can dodged the near-surprise attack by tilting his head.

Always hanging around with this thug just waiting for him to act, the moment had finally come and there was no room for courtesy.

In a flash, he countered with a punch of his own.

Bam!

His blow struck just below the thug’s ear.

That spot, when hit forcefully, not only causes excruciating pain but also affects a cluster of vital nerves and blood vessels behind the ear. A heavy impact there could knock someone unconscious instantly.

A seasoned fighter wouldn’t normally target someone’s temple while unarmed, fearing unwanted complications.

A strike to the side of the face, near the earlobe, rarely does severe damage,

yet it’s effective enough to incapacitate an opponent.

The thug, taken aback, didn’t even groan—he just collapsed straight to the ground.

“Ah…”

Su Qianqian let out a terrified scream.

“Don’t be afraid, he won’t die,”

Zhou Can quickly reassured her, lightly patting her delicate back.

The spot he patted, close to her waist, was an important acupoint known to help ease tension when gently tapped.

Traditional medicine held that stimulating this area could help relieve bladder pressure and reduce adrenaline secretion.

After all, if she kept screaming in the middle of the night, people might think a murder had taken place.

Zhou Can was here only to return her key—he had no desire to see himself on the headlines the next day.

After a brief blackout, the thug gradually regained consciousness.

He slowly crawled back to his feet.

Not far away, someone was on the phone, apparently calling the police: “There’s a fight at the entrance of Baying Lake Xiangshan Garden Phase 1…”

“Screw you! Say one more word and I’ll kill you,” the thug roared.

Instead of retaliating against Zhou Can, he directed his anger toward the young couple caller,

causing the young man’s phone to nearly drop from his hand.

The couple quickly fled into the residential area.

After threatening the callers, the thug turned his gaze back to Zhou Can.

“Kid…”

“Beat it!”

Zhou Can didn’t give him a chance to speak and barked back a single word.

Handling men like him required just two words from Zhou Can—ruthless and cold.

His icy demeanor and ruthless resolve left a deeply intimidating impression—a lesson taught to him by his father.

Growing up in a family with a business, he often encountered troublemakers.

His father had ample experience dealing with such individuals and had instilled this wisdom in him since childhood.

Unfortunately, as Zhou Can grew older, the two of them rarely sat down for a real conversation, each keeping their distance.

The thug didn’t dare say another word and slunk away in defeat.

“Don’t worry—if he dares to show up again, I’ll hit him every single time,”

Zhou Can said, ostensibly comforting Su Qianqian, but his words were clearly meant for the thug.

The thug staggered, almost falling, and quickly bolted away.

Losing a fight was already embarrassing enough, and now, faced with Zhou Can’s cold, merciless demeanor, he was thoroughly terrified.

“Let’s go inside,”

Zhou Can led her to the entrance of the complex.

The security guard looked at him with awe.

The guard had witnessed Zhou Can’s knockout punch and was clearly impressed.

Using his access card, Zhou Can swiped past the first gate and led her inside.

Only then did Su Qianqian let go of his arm.

Before entering the complex, she had been worried that the thug might realize Zhou Can wasn’t really her boyfriend, which is why she clung to him all along.

“Dr. Zhou, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I would have had to call the cops,”

she said gratefully.

“No problem—it was nothing. But you’re so beautiful, it’s best not to go out alone at night. It’s just not safe. If you must, have your boyfriend or even your manager or assistant accompany you,”

Zhou Can offered his advice, hoping every tenant could stay safe.

At the mention of ‘boyfriend’, Su Qianqian’s cheeks flushed slightly with a hint of embarrassment.

In the heat of the moment, she had asked Zhou Can to pose as her boyfriend, which left her feeling a bit uneasy.

“I don’t have a boyfriend! I only asked you to pretend to be one to shake off that guy. Sorry about that,”

she said, running a hand through her hair and pushing stray strands from her face.

That exquisite face of hers shone even more clearly in Zhou Can’s eyes.

“No way! Someone as stunning and talented as you can’t have a boyfriend? I wouldn’t be surprised if men were lining up around the block just to get a chance at you,”

Zhou Can expressed disbelief.

“Oh, please!”

She covered her mouth and laughed, bending over with amusement.

“It’s not that exaggerated. Besides, as if I were money, you think I’d go around collecting offers?”

“Hehe, I bet you’re even more popular than money,”

Zhou Can remarked, noticing her newfound warmth.

They say that rescuing a damsel in distress is the fastest way to grow close to her.

Once, he had thought it was just a TV trope, but now that he’d experienced it firsthand, it felt all too real.

“Seriously though, next time you go out shopping in the middle of the night, it might be better to have your assistant or manager with you. Being so beautiful, you attract trouble wherever you go,”

Su Qianqian’s delicate nose crinkled as she playfully retorted, “Hmph! Who made you the slanderer of a lady?”

Her tone warming up, Zhou Can’s conversation took on a more humorous air.

People are like that—you’re too aloof, and everything remains strictly business.

Be a bit more easygoing, and others will find it easier to get along with you.

Back when he was an intern at Tuyu, Zhou Can had rotated through nearly every department. In the beginning, he knew nothing and, despite his dedication to patients, ended up pleasing no one—getting scolded by senior doctors and criticized by patients.

Eventually, he grew smart.

When welcomed with a smile by polite patients, he would take good care of them, but when dealing with patients who fussed over even a cotton swab or a piece of gauze, he made sure to account for every little expense.

After all, come morning, the bill would be out and all he had to do was collect the payment.

Last time, Su Qianqian had guarded him like a thief. Although he said nothing, he was keeping account in his mind.

This time, with the taxi receipt for the key delivery in hand,

he even planned to ask her for reimbursement after she opened the door.

Now, with all that commotion, Zhou Can felt too embarrassed to bring it up.

He took out his key and opened the front door.

Inside, it was pitch black.

In the middle of the night, he wouldn’t dare step into a female tenant’s room uninvited.

Instead, he stood politely outside, waiting for her to enter and switch on the lights.

“It’s a bit messy in here. Want to come in and sit for a while?”

Her invitation was merely a gesture of courtesy.

“No, no—I still have work tomorrow and it’s getting late. I need to go back and sleep. By the way, where did you put the key? I must take the spare set with me,”

Zhou Can shook his head in refusal. “Look, the key must be on the bedside table.”

He glanced over and quickly guessed the situation.

Women often have a few days each month when they feel off; sometimes a ‘relative’ might unexpectedly show up. Without a spare, it forces a last-minute shopping trip.

“How about a bottle of yogurt on me? I don’t have any other drinks at home,”

she said, retrieving a bottle of Anmuxi yogurt from the refrigerator’s secure compartment and handing it over to Zhou Can.

“Also, thank you so much for coming to deliver the key at this late hour. How much was the taxi fare? I’ll transfer the money to you.”

She knew how to be considerate—offering to repay him for the expense.

From this, it was clear she wasn’t the type to scrimp on little expenses.

“The taxi fare is 51 yuan one-way. Give me 100 yuan,”

Zhou Can replied. Money was no object for him—when a favor this great was done, he had to collect what was owed.

After all, it wasn’t normal for a non-relative to foot the bill for a return journey.

Nor would he ever fawn over a pretty actress like a sycophant.

He treated her no differently from any other tenant.

“I’ve sent you a red envelope, please take it! Thanks again for tonight,”

he added.

She brought her hands together in a grateful gesture, thanking him sincerely.

People with a bit of standing usually express their thanks in this way, while ordinary folks might just say a simple thank you or give a small gift.

When Zhou Can opened the envelope, he found 150 yuan inside.

“You gave too much! The round-trip fare is at most 102 yuan,”

he remarked, teasingly.

“The extra 48 yuan is just a small token of my appreciation—please enjoy some fruit,”

she said with a smile.

This generous gesture only increased Zhou Can’s favorable impression of her.

Though the money wasn’t much, it revealed a lot about her attitude towards it.

“100 yuan is enough. I’m sending back the extra 50. Please accept it. And next time, remember to bring your key. I had to rush over from the hospital dormitory—it’s really far. If I had been on a late shift tonight, you’d have been in real trouble,”

Zhou Can was currently working alongside Dr. Xu. He no longer had to work overtime and was always on the early shift.

It was pure bliss.

Back in his intern days in General Surgery, there was a time he had to pull two back-to-back shifts—one lasting a grueling 36 hours.

Most resident doctors at the hospital lived far tougher lives than he did.

But his good days might not last much longer.

The hospital required trainees to rotate through multiple related departments.

Some key departments required at least a three-month rotation.

If attendance wasn’t enough, failing the residency exam was inevitable.

Zhou Can had witnessed firsthand the consequences when a trainee in General Surgery arrived late and left early 18 times in a month. After Chief Resident Fang reported it, the head of General Surgery pulled that trainee from the program immediately.

Zhou Can never saw that fellow again.

That incident left an indelible impression on him.

Even now, among the residents, he was considered one of the better ones. Director Zhu and Deputy Director Bai had good impressions of him—at crucial times, Bai even lent a hand.

Additionally, Director Lou and Dr. Xu took special care of him.

Furthermore, Director Tan and Director Yin from Internal Medicine held him in high regard.

Having such high-level resources as a resident was a ticket to unlimited success.

Yet, Zhou Can had never cut corners.

He always kept a low profile, believing that humility was the key to lasting success.

Too many talented geniuses became arrogant, ended up offending important figures, and eventually faded into insignificance.

It’s all about character—the lesson his parents taught him from a young age.

After leaving Su Qianqian, he rode in a taxi, his mind lingering on one thought: Su Qianqian not only needed a place to live but was oddly evasive about her manager and assistant.

It seemed that her career might have taken a downturn after that disastrous stage collapse.

Even celebrities have their struggles, and he sincerely hoped she’d bounce back soon.

He had listened to the album she gifted him many times over.

He eagerly awaited the day she would release a new one—a change in tune.