Chapter Sixteen: Instilling Fear

“Lin Jie, when did you get back?” Lin Tian asked as he saw Lin Ruyu enter through the door.

“Just now,” Lin Ruyu replied lightly, but a subtle, unusual gleam flickered in her eyes.

It seemed those two kids really did have a good relationship...

For a moment, she felt a pang of envy.

After finishing lunch, Lin Tian brought up the idea of being discharged from the hospital.

Seeing that Bai Yun still seemed doubtful, he reluctantly asked the nurse to bring the examination report from last night.

Only after seeing with her own eyes that the report stated Lin Tian’s body was fine did Bai Yun agree to discharge.

During this time, Lin Ruyu quietly took care of the payment for Lin Tian’s medical expenses.

“Lin Jie, thank you,” Lin Tian said gratefully as he held Lin Ruyu’s arm upon leaving the hospital.

Although the medical fees could be reimbursed through Director Zhou of the Heart Department, whom he admired, or he could afford it himself for now, her warm and thoughtful gesture still moved him deeply.

“Oh, don’t be so formal,” Lin Ruyu said, patting Lin Tian’s shoulder with a sincere tone. “Little brother, once you graduate and start working, don’t forget about Bai Yun. She really cares about you.”

Lin Tian’s gaze grew resolute as he answered, “Even if no one tells me, I definitely won’t forget her!”

Lin Ruyu felt a strange warmth swell in her heart.

She increasingly believed that her decision to act out and come here was a very wise one.

Just then, Bai Yun, walking ahead, suddenly let out a startled cry.

“What’s wrong?”

Before the words finished, Lin Tian had already dashed swiftly to a nearby fork in the road, eyes fixed intently on a man urgently tugging at Bai Yun.

“Girl, just listen to me. Let me take care of you and cherish you, alright? It’ll definitely be better than living in that orphanage!” the man urged.

“Let go of me! If you don’t, I’ll call for help!” Bai Yun’s face flushed red as she pressed against the convenience store wall, clearly distressed by the man’s increasingly aggressive approach.

Seeing that he showed no sign of stopping, Lin Tian stepped forward and roughly pulled him away.

The man, caught off guard, was flung several meters and stumbled to his knees.

“You brat!” he snarled as he stood with a dark expression. “If you dare interfere again, I’ll make sure you regret it!”

At that moment, Lin Ruyu approached, her presence commanding without anger. She shot the man a fierce glare.

“Who do you think you are? You better leave before I lose my temper. Otherwise, this will be the last day you enjoy your freedom!”

Remarkably, just the disdainful look in her eyes made the man break out in a cold sweat.

“What a powerful glare…” he muttered.

But he wasn’t one to be so easily intimidated. He knew it would be unrealistic to let a mere glance ruin his plans.

“Hmph, and who are you? This isn’t your business. Get lost! Or I’ll deal with you too!” he spat.

Seeing the man’s stubbornness, Lin Ruyu’s patience snapped. All the negative emotions she had bottled up over the past few days exploded.

In a swift motion like a gust of wind, she leapt into the air and delivered a fierce one hundred and eighty-degree spinning kick.

This was a skill she had learned from Brother Li just yesterday, originally intended for self-defense, but now perfectly suited to deal with this shameless brute.

She kicked with all her strength, without holding back.

The man was flustered, clearly not a trained fighter, hastily raising both arms to block.

But it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. His effort was futile, and he ended up with his arm brutally broken by her kick, screaming in agony.

Even more humiliating, the force sent him flying backward, landing heavily on his backside.

“Ouch…”

Now, he finally quieted down, no longer daring to speak, only casting a disdainful glare at Lin Tian and Bai Yun.

“So that’s why she refused me—she’s got a protector!” he sneered.

Assessing the situation, regret washed over him. “If only I’d been bolder the first time we met, asked for more... maybe things would’ve been different.”

They say a wise man doesn’t suffer the same loss twice. He relented, “Fine, I admit defeat this time.”

Just as he was about to leave, Lin Tian blocked his path, expression cold and hands clenched into fists, cracking audibly.

“Did I tell you to leave?!” Lin Tian growled.

The man nearly knelt again, struggling to speak. “Kid, I admitted defeat. What more do you want?”

Lin Tian stepped closer, eyes fierce, teeth gritted as he said, “You owe her for what you did earlier... and it’s time to pay.”

With that, he threw a heavy punch that sent the man flying seven or eight meters away.

Not only was the man’s heart filled with despair, but Bai Yun and Lin Ruyu also struggled to calm their racing hearts.

To reach Lin Tian’s level, no ordinary person could achieve it no matter how hard they trained in a lifetime.

“When did Little Lin get so good at fighting?” Bai Yun instinctively covered her mouth.

Lin Ruyu nodded thoughtfully, connecting the dots with what she had witnessed earlier.

“Just his strength alone suggests he has stepped into the realm of martial artists, maybe even higher.”

Lin Tian wasn’t about to give the man any respite. Just as he prepared to strike another punch to his head, Lin Ruyu stopped him.

“Xiao Tian, that’s enough. If you keep going, he might really die.”

As she said, blood trickled from the man’s mouth. His chest looked sunken, his entire body weak and lifeless.

Though Lin Tian’s anger wasn’t fully spent, he didn’t want to cause a fatal incident, so he reluctantly stopped and walked over to Bai Yun.

“Did I scare you?”

His tone was gentle, completely different from the fierce stance he had just shown, as if he were a different person.

Bai Yun nodded rapidly, pressing her lips together. “Brother Lin, you looked so scary just now. I was really frightened.”

Lin Tian was unaware how terrifying his bloodshot eyes and violent aura had appeared, so he was momentarily stunned.

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