C12 The Celebrity Who Drank in the Middle of the Night

"Why did he run off?" Ruan Ruan enjoyed conversing with this simpleton.

"He went home to take his medicine," Dan Hengmo replied.

Ruan Ruan nodded in agreement. He definitely needed his medication. It's quite sad that his family would let someone his age run around like that.

Dan Hengmo gave Ruan Ruan a gentle pat on the head, signaling her to drop the subject. With money in hand, they were now free to have some fun.

Riding roller coasters was Ruan Ruan's favorite thrill. She had always been drawn to excitement since childhood, but her mother had discouraged her from indulging her adventurous spirit.

She never wanted to let her mother down. Her mother was a kind woman who never spoke ill of Ruan Ruan's father in her presence, mentioning his departure with a mistress only in passing.

To outsiders, it might seem that Ruan Ruan's mother didn't love her father. Yet, Ruan Ruan had witnessed her mother weeping over his photograph late at night. She knew her mother loved him deeply, but she herself had no desire to become a hysterical woman. She had always carried herself with grace.

Seeing Ruan Ruan's joyful expression made Dan Hengmo's own spirits lift. Happiness, he realized, could be so straightforward. It had been ages since he'd allowed himself such a genuine smile.

His life had always been shrouded in conspiracies and manipulation. Before meeting Ruan Ruan, he had existed in a perpetual gray haze, never distinguishing right from wrong because he embodied both.

He had lived powerfully and without constraints, yet without happiness.

Dan Hengmo took Ruan Ruan's hand, and she turned to him with a smile. She found it astonishing that the person who had been there for her through a heartbreak was an assassin with a skewed moral compass. The world was indeed full of wonders.

Maybe on her next visit to this place, she wouldn't think of Yuh Jinnian. Would she think of Dan Hengmo instead? Was that name truly his?

Ruan Ruan shook her head. Whether it was Dan Hengmo or Yuh Jinnian, they were merely fleeting figures in her life.

Ruan Ruan and Dan Hengmo spent the day together until dusk, and she couldn't have been happier. She was grateful to Dan Hengmo, as her perception of him had shifted slightly. He was no longer just a cold-blooded killer in her eyes, but a killer with a trace of humanity.

The setting sun cast a vintage hue, reminiscent of old tales, over everything it touched. Ruan Ruan gazed up at the man beside her, his features even more striking in the dimming light. His nose was straight and prominent. She lamented not being an artist; she would have loved to capture his beauty at that moment.

"I know I'm good-looking," Dan Hengmo remarked. Unbeknownst to Ruan Ruan, she appeared just as beautiful to him.

Rising from the bench, Ruan Ruan lifted her hand to the fading sun, its dying light casting a warm glow on her skin. She admired the sunlight filtering through her fingers, a unique beauty where darkness and light met.

"Dan Hengmo, thank you," she said, watching the light wane from her fingertips as the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving the world in a dim, gray haze.

Dan Hengmo remained silent upon hearing her gratitude. He didn't need thanks; his actions were always purposeful, and his kindness toward Ruan Ruan was not in search of gratitude.

"I'm not one for thanks," Dan Hengmo replied. "Offer something more tangible instead."

Ruan Ruan turned to face Dan Hengmo, still seated on the bench. If he weren't a murderer, if she hadn't met Yuh Jinnian, perhaps she could have fallen for him. But that was now out of the question.

"Not really my style. Let's head back," she responded. Despite the summer heat, the evening breeze brought a refreshing chill.

Dan Hengmo agreed and casually draped his jacket over Ruan Ruan's shoulders. She donned it without fuss, welcoming the warmth.

As they walked home, Ruan Ruan chatted incessantly with Dan Hengmo, sharing thoughts as they came to her. He listened intently, occasionally murmuring in acknowledgment to show he was paying attention.

Ruan Ruan became more talkative at night than she was during the day. She shared that when she used to walk alone at night, she would pretend to be on a phone call, which made her feel less afraid.

"Don't you have Yuh Jinnian?" Dan Hengmo inquired, his curiosity piqued about the role Yuh Jinnian played in her life.

"He was always so busy. I never knew what he was busy with, and I didn't pry too much. I gave him plenty of space, but in doing so, I lost him," Ruan Ruan admitted, her voice tinged with pain at the mention of Yuh Jinnian, yet she no longer cried without reason.

Dan Hengmo reached for Ruan Ruan's hand, seemingly fond of the gesture.

Ruan Ruan instinctively tried to pull away, but Dan Hengmo's grip tightened. She was unable to break free from his strong hold and resigned herself to letting him hold her hand, reasoning that it wasn't causing her any harm.

"One, two, three, four..." Someone was counting stars nearby. The dim streetlights obscured the woman's face, but her silhouette suggested she was quite attractive.

As Ruan Ruan and Dan Hengmo walked past her, a heavy scent of alcohol wafted from her direction, indicating she was likely intoxicated.

In this city, it was common for people to seek solace in alcohol. Ruan Ruan disliked the smell of alcohol and the substance itself, considering it a numbing agent, a toxic balm for the soul.

Suddenly, the woman began to sob uncontrollably. It wasn't unusual for Ruan Ruan to encounter weeping women; she had seen many.

A group of men had gathered around the crying woman, trying to get a good look at her face. If she was beautiful, they'd consider themselves lucky; if not, they'd settle for her figure. After all, a free woman was a find too good to pass up.

Ruan Ruan glanced back just in time to see the men making unwelcome advances. Such were the hidden sins of the city, where the night served as a haven for human desires and wrongdoings, with darkness veiling all transgressions.

"Dan Hengmo, are you confident you can take those guys down?" If Ruan Ruan were by herself, she would have definitely called the police, but with Dan Hengmo there, she felt she could lean on him for support.

Dan Hengmo nodded. "Just a few guys," he said dismissively. "Hardly a warm-up for me."

"You're still single, right? Here's your chance to play the hero," Ruan Ruan said, gesturing toward the woman in distress.

"No," Dan Hengmo flatly refused. He wasn't Superman, after all, and he wasn't about to get involved in every situation—especially when the woman in question meant nothing to him.

Ruan Ruan had anticipated his response, yet the sight of a lone woman being harassed tugged at her conscience. Could she really just walk away?

Better to call the police, she decided. She didn't want to get involved herself. She was a woman too, and she deserved protection.

Dan Hengmo, noticing her reluctance to ask for his help even as she dialed for the police, strode over and swiftly incapacitated the men. They looked up at him, bewildered—they hadn't even started and he was already there.

Just moments ago, he had refused to help, and now here he was, taking action. Was it possible for someone to be more contradictory? Ruan Ruan couldn't help but comment to herself.

But his prowess was undeniable. She had only ever seen such skill in movies. Dan Hengmo was impressively adept.

If she were still a teenager, she'd no doubt idolize Dan Hengmo like a deity.