Chapter 65 Qi Zhengqing's Retreat

"Qi Zhengqing, don't do anything reckless. If you dare lay a hand on anyone, I'll send everything that happened tonight to Young Master Su!" Zhou Wan held up her phone, her voice sharp and clear.

She was already recording a video.

If Qi Zhengqing ever found himself in conflict with some powerful young heir from Beijing, the heir would sneer, "You actually got into trouble with a nobody, a madman, over a woman? Shameful, isn’t it? How low can you go?"

How could he respond to that? It would be the ultimate humiliation.

It was like being a top graduate from a prestigious university, a math Olympiad champion, and then one day you storm into a kindergarten, point at a toddler still in diapers, and declare, "I’m going to challenge you in mathematics. Let's start with one plus one." Or getting into a duel with a little kid from kindergarten. Wouldn’t that be disgraceful? If you win, it’s embarrassing; if you lose, it's even worse. People would think there’s something wrong with your head.

Qi Zhengqing was like the top scholar, and Shen Xian was the kindergarten child.

"Zhou Wan, delete the video," Qi Zhengqing said coldly. "Otherwise, tonight, I’ll send Shen Xian to the bottom of the river!"

"As long as you promise not to touch him, I’ll delete the video," Zhou Wan replied seriously.

Qi Zhengqing straightened his clothes. "If the video gets out, no one can protect Shen Xian—not even me!"

"As long as anything happens to him, I promise this video will be in Young Master Su's hands instantly," Zhou Wan retorted.

Young Master Su was Qi Zhengqing’s sworn enemy. If he got his hands on this video, there was no telling how he’d use it against Qi Zhengqing.

"Delete the video, and I promise I won’t lay a finger on Shen Xian. You can even record me saying it," Qi Zhengqing said in a heavy voice.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Wan agreed. "Alright."

She then deleted the video in front of Qi Zhengqing, went into the recycle bin, and erased it completely.

"Take care of yourself," Qi Zhengqing said, giving Zhou Wan a deep look before casting a cold glance at Shen Xian.

Shen Xian weighed the kitchen knife in his hand, smiling.

"Let’s go," Qi Zhengqing ordered, swallowing his frustration as he left the room.

The two bodyguards followed in silence.

It was like punching into cotton—utterly unsatisfying. If Qi Zhengqing hadn’t been present, the two of them might have taught Shen Xian a lesson. But with him there, if the video were leaked, it would be truly disgraceful.

He got into the car, his expression stormy, replaying the scene in his mind. He wasn’t afraid of a real fight with someone of his own level—blows and bruises didn’t bother him. But this kind of situation with Shen Xian—that was what he truly feared.

"If either of you dares breathe a word about tonight, you won’t live to regret it," Qi Zhengqing warned.

"We should have just smashed Zhou Wan’s phone," one of the bodyguards muttered.

Qi Zhengqing shook his head. "I didn’t dare use force on her, so threats were my only option. You want to try snatching her phone?"

"She may look easy to bully, being a singer and all, but her father is someone you don’t want to cross. I can threaten her through her career, but I wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her," he explained.

...

Inside the apartment, Zhou Wan and Shen Xian fell silent.

Zhou Wan walked over and took the kitchen knife from Shen Xian. "I was really afraid you’d do something impulsive tonight," she confessed, putting the knife back in the kitchen. "Don’t just grab a knife whenever something happens. Do you carry one with you when you go out?"

Shen Xian chuckled. "When I’m out, I’ll buy a thirty-centimeter collapsible baton. Once I have a car, I’ll keep one inside. It’s flexible, doesn’t really hurt anyone, and isn’t considered a weapon. If a cop asks, I’ll just say it’s for personal use—it doesn’t qualify as a restricted item. Whether I’m up against a hulking brute or a seasoned thug, it works wonders. It won’t injure anyone, but just the sight of it makes people uncomfortable. And if it touches someone, their reputation is ruined forever."

"If someone messes with me, I’ll shove the baton in his mouth. And if someone catches it on camera, there’s no way to explain myself."

Zhou Wan’s face darkened; she broke out in a cold sweat and shivered involuntarily.

She couldn’t help but look at Shen Xian. How could such a gentle man come up with tricks like these?

"I’ve never seen Qi Zhengqing so outmaneuvered before," Zhou Wan said, almost laughing.

Shen Xian replied, "He wasn’t really outmaneuvered—he was weighing the consequences. If he fought me, the price would be too high. It’s like an emperor in ancient times brawling with a commoner—doesn’t it just tarnish his royal dignity? The imperial censors would rake him over the coals, and the historians would make sure it’s recorded for all time."

"It’s the same with Qi Zhengqing. He values his reputation on the internet and guards it closely."

Zhou Wan nodded thoughtfully, then glanced at her phone, a little wistful now that the video was gone.

That video really would have been something to keep.

Shen Xian caught her look. "Regretting you deleted it?"

She nodded.

Shen Xian shook his head, smiling. "Actually, it’s not really gone."

Zhou Wan paused, not understanding.

Shen Xian pointed at the lucky cat on top of the refrigerator, facing the doorway. "Latest facial-recognition surveillance. Everything just now was recorded perfectly."

Zhou Wan’s cheeks flushed red. "You installed surveillance at home?"

Shen Xian nodded. "Yeah, I live alone. For safety, it makes sense, right?"

She suddenly recalled herself on the couch, her nightdress being pulled down—was that caught on camera too?

"I want to see the footage," Zhou Wan demanded coldly.

Shen Xian handed her his phone. She replayed the footage and, sure enough, the scene of her nightdress slipping down was captured in full.

"Did you watch the footage while you were out just now?" she asked sternly.

Shen Xian quickly shook his head. "I swear I didn’t!"

Expressionless, Zhou Wan deleted all videos of herself, then handed the phone back. "Send me a copy of the video with Qi Zhengqing."

Shen Xian nodded with a smile. "Of course."

"Thank you for tonight," Zhou Wan said after a moment’s silence, genuinely moved.

The way Shen Xian stepped forward to shield her gave her an overwhelming sense of security. In that moment, he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

She had never been protected by a man before. Only now did she realize how wonderful it felt.

Shen Xian waved her off. "It’s late, get some sleep. You have a concert tomorrow—make sure you’re in top form."

Zhou Wan nodded. "Then I’ll be counting on you tomorrow, Qingqing."

The next day, the Voice of China Concert officially began!