"You won't drink to a toast? Then drink the punishment wine!" The leader of the burly men in black saw that Ling Yao refused to back down. A cruel glint flashed in his eyes as he waved his hand, "Go! Grab her! Don't hurt Ling Yao!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than four black-clad thugs charged at Ling Yao and Su Wan, wielding batons that whipped through the air with a loud whoosh, their momentum fierce and threatening.
Ling Yao's eyes darkened as he pushed Su Wan further behind him. He spoke in a low, commanding tone, "Stay here, don't move, cover your eyes, don't look." Before the words had even left his mouth, he was already advancing toward the thugs.
Su Wan clenched her teeth, her lip trembling as she hesitated for a moment before not obeying his command to cover her eyes. She couldn't let Ling Yao face danger alone. Even if she couldn't help, she had to watch, she had to worry for him. Clenching her fists, her palms were slick with cold sweat as her eyes remained locked on Ling Yao.
Ling Yao's movements were so fast, they were almost unreal—nothing like the composed business mogul in a tailored suit. As the thugs swung their batons at him, he nimbly sidestepped and extended his long arm, accurately grabbing one man's wrist. There was a sharp crack, followed by the thug's agonizing scream, as his wrist was twisted violently, the baton slipping from his hand to the ground.
The other three thugs didn't back down at all; if anything, they grew more vicious. Ling Yao's eyes began to reveal traces of the wolf's mark, his nails lengthening and gleaming with a cold light. He stopped holding back his strength. Every strike came with the explosive power of a wolf.
One thug swung his baton at Ling Yao's back. It was as if Ling Yao had eyes on his back. He spun around sharply, his claws raking across the thug's arm, leaving deep bloody scratches. The thug let out a pained cry and staggered backward. Another thug saw an opportunity and tried to sneak up from the side, but Ling Yao smoothly dodged, lifting his leg and delivering a powerful kick to his chest. The thug flew backward like a broken kite, crashing into the wall with a heavy thud and falling unconscious.
In a matter of minutes, Ling Yao had taken down three of the burly men. Only the leader remained, his face pale, his legs trembling, too terrified to approach.
Ling Yao walked toward him, the air around him thick with cold, oppressive energy. His deep purple eyes flashed with the wolf's mark, like a wild animal on the verge of fury. "Tell me. Who sent you?"
The leader, terrified by his gaze, stammered, struggling to get the words out, "I—I don't know… Someone paid us, asked us to take Miss Su away…"
Ling Yao's gaze turned icy, and he was about to press for more information when he suddenly heard Su Wan gasp behind him. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned to her, "What's wrong? Did I scare you? Are you hurt?"
Su Wan shook her head and quickly walked to his side, her eyes falling on his sharp claws and the wolf's mark in his gaze. But there was no fear in her eyes, only deep concern. "Ling Yao, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?" She reached out with her uninjured hand to touch his cheek, but hesitated mid-motion, worried about getting scratched by his claws.
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Ling Yao's heart softened, and the coldness around him dissipated. He retracted his claws and the wolf's mark from his gaze, gently taking her hovering hand. His voice was soft and tender, "I'm fine. Don't worry."
Just then, the sound of police sirens approached. Ling Yao knew that it was Qin Yue's team notifying the authorities. He glanced at the groaning thugs on the floor and turned to Su Wan, "I'll leave this to the police. I'll take you home."
Su Wan nodded, tightly holding Ling Yao's hand, unwilling to let go. Despite the dangerous fight they had just gone through, seeing Ling Yao throw himself into harm's way to protect her filled her heart with gratitude and made her even more determined to stay by his side.
Ling Yao drove her home, the car ride silent. Su Wan leaned back in her seat, glancing at the side of Ling Yao's focused face as he drove. She softly asked, "Ling Yao, those men… were they sent by Ling Lie?"
Ling Yao's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his voice low and grim, "Most likely. No one else would go so far to harm you." He turned to glance at her, guilt flashing in his eyes. "I'm sorry. It's my fault I couldn't protect you, putting you in danger."
"This isn't your fault." Su Wan shook her head and gently took his hand. "It's Ling Lie who's gone too far. Ling Yao, don't blame yourself. I know you've been doing your best to protect me."
Feeling the warmth from her hand, Ling Yao's heart began to settle. He gently rubbed the back of her hand, his voice resolute, "From now on, I'll assign more people to protect you. I won't let you face such danger again. Since Ling Lie dared to attack me, I won't hold back next time."
The car soon arrived at the building where Su Wan's apartment was located. Ling Yao got out and opened the door for her, taking her hand as they walked to the entrance of the building. His eyes were filled with reluctance, "Go up and rest. Lock the doors and windows, and call me immediately if anything happens."
Su Wan nodded but didn't go upstairs right away. She looked up at Ling Yao's deep purple eyes, stood on tiptoe, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Ling Yao, be careful. I'll be waiting for you to let me know you're safe."
Ling Yao's heart raced, watching her blush and seeing the sincerity in her eyes. His own gaze softened with tenderness. He gently embraced her, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Okay, I will. Goodnight."
Su Wan turned and walked into the building. Ling Yao watched her until her figure disappeared, then turned and got back into the car. He pulled out his phone and dialed Qin Yue's number, his voice icy, "Have you found out? Were those men sent by Ling Lie?"
"Ling Yao, we've confirmed it." Qin Yue's voice came from the phone, "They were all desperate men under Ling Lie's command. He personally ordered them to kidnap Miss Su. Also, we've found out that recently, Ling Lie has been in close contact with several elders of the wolf tribe. It seems like he's plotting something."
Ling Yao's expression darkened, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes. "Good. Pass the word down. Tomorrow morning, I'll call an internal meeting for the wolf tribe. Also, increase protection for Su Wan. Send two teams to guard her apartment 24/7. We cannot afford another mistake."
"Understood, Ling Yao."
After hanging up, Ling Yao stared in the direction of Su Wan's apartment with determination. Ling Lie had crossed a line, and Ling Yao wouldn't give him any chance to harm Su Wan. Whether as the CEO of the company or the Alpha of the wolf tribe, he would protect his position—and his girl—at all costs.
Meanwhile, at the Ling family mansion, Ling Lie was enraged. Upon learning that not only had the men he sent failed to kidnap Su Wan, but they had also been taken care of by Ling Yao and even alerted the police, he slammed the documents on the table, shouting, "Useless! A bunch of useless fools!"
His subordinates lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
Ling Lie took several deep breaths, barely suppressing his fury. He walked to the window, staring out into the night, his expression darkening further. "Ling Yao, do you really think you can protect that woman? How naive." A cold smile curled at the corners of his lips. "If soft methods don't work, then we'll go harder. The wolf tribe's sacrificial ceremony is in half a month. When that time comes, I'll ruin both you and that woman, stripping you of everything!"
He picked up his phone and dialed a number, his voice chilling, "Tell the elders to come to the mansion tomorrow night for a meeting. I have something important to discuss with them."
After hanging up, Ling Lie's eyes were filled with scheming. He knew the sacrificial ceremony was his best chance to seize the position of Alpha. If he could expose Ling Yao's "crime" of associating with humans during the ceremony and join forces with the elders, he would successfully take the throne and gain control of the Gu Group as well.
As night deepened, the neon lights of Xinghai City continued to flicker. But the schemes and dangers hidden behind this vibrant city only grew stronger. Both Ling Yao and Su Wan knew a bigger storm was quietly brewing. They had to prepare thoroughly, ready to face the challenges ahead, side by side.
Su Wan returned to her rental apartment, washed up, and lay down in bed, but sleep eluded her. The image of Ling Yao