Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 122 - Attentive Care

Tang Jie’s chest churned violently, and he almost spat out another mouthful of blood. Forcing himself to endure the pain, he tried mobilizing qi but found he couldn’t muster even a shred of strength. The blow from Chen Feng earlier had been severe.

The masked man noticed Tang Jie’s condition but remained still. Behind Tang Jie, Chen Feng had already recovered some of his inner strength. Sensing an opportunity, Chen Feng prepared to strike again, intending to kill Tang Jie once and for all.

Tang Jie sensed Chen Feng’s intent from behind. Taking a deep breath, he leapt with all his remaining strength to the edge of the rooftop just as Chen Feng was about to attack. Seeing Chen Feng poised to follow, Tang Jie knew he couldn’t hold out much longer. Without hesitation, he took a deep leap and jumped down from the rooftop.

Landing below, Tang Jie coughed up another mouthful of blood. After struggling to regain his composure for a moment, he limped toward the gate and escaped.

“Why didn’t you finish him off?” Chen Feng asked the masked man harshly after Tang Jie had fled. Tang Jie had been in no condition to fight back; they could have easily killed him.

“Hmph!” The masked man let out a cold laugh, his eyes fixed on the direction Tang Jie had fled. In a chilling, sinister tone, he replied, “What’s the rush? Letting him die so easily would be far too kind. I want to torment him-to watch him die in agony!”

With that, the masked man slowly reached up and removed his mask, revealing a bloodthirsty and twisted face-Du Yu.

Du Yu looked at Chen Feng, his gaze icy and devoid of warmth, as if imbued with the haunted flames of hell. Tang Jie, I let you go on purpose this time because I want you to live in a state worse than death!

After fleeing the Chen family’s villa, Tang Jie staggered into a wooded area and leaned against a tree to rest. His chest throbbed with increasing pain. Turning back to look in the direction of the Chen family’s villa, he couldn’t shake the image of the masked man and those icy, cruel eyes etched with such a chilling expression.

Who was he? Why did he not dare face me with his true identity?

As the physical agony deepened, Tang Jie realized he had to get moving. If he delayed any longer, he might lose consciousness entirely. Worse still, if someone from the Chen family came after him, he would certainly be doomed.

When Tang Jie returned to the villa, he was on the verge of fainting. As soon as he stepped through the door, his body gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor.

When Tang Jie regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a bed in one of the rooms, covered with a blanket. The pain in his chest was still sharp and unrelenting. As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Chen Shuran sitting beside the bed, her face full of worry. Her eyes were red, as though she had been crying.

“Why are you crying?” Tang Jie forced a smile, tugging at the corner of his mouth. But the brief smile triggered a surge of pain in his chest.

Seeing his expression, Chen Shuran quickly walked closer, sniffing back more tears.

“What happened to you? Why are you like this? Where did you go?” Her voice trembled with a sob. Tang Jie realized it must have been her who brought him to the bed. Turning his head slightly, he noticed a bloodstained towel on the bedside table. Looking down, he saw he had been changed into clean sleepwear.

It became clear that Chen Shuran had done all of this for him. Watching her anxious and sorrowful expression, Tang Jie felt a warmth akin to familial care rise in his chest-something he had never experienced before. In the past, his interactions with Chen Shuran always carried a playfully flirtatious undertone. Because of Wang Qianya and the fact that his relationship with Chen Shuran was one of employer and employee, Tang Jie had always maintained a mental boundary. Outwardly, he played along, but inwardly, he kept his distance and never allowed things to cross the line.

But now, seeing Chen Shuran’s tearful, reddened eyes as she worried over his injuries, Tang Jie was struck with a feeling he couldn’t quite place-something tender, something warm.

“I’m fine. Don’t cry,” Tang Jie said gently, though he couldn’t suppress a bout of coughing right after, the taste of blood rising again in his mouth. He instinctively tried to sit up, and Chen Shuran hurried to his side to help him. Tang Jie picked up the towel from the bedside and spit out a mouthful of blood into it.

Chen Shuran froze at the sight. Then, with a sudden wail, she began crying uncontrollably.

“Tang Jie, what’s wrong with you? Don’t die on me! I’ll call a doctor right now. Wait here!” Chen Shuran exclaimed and bolted toward the door, but Tang Jie quickly caught her by the wrist.

Staring at her tear-streaked face, Tang Jie could tell that she truly cared about him. His heart softened, and despite his weakness, he forced a reassuring smile. “I’m fine,” he said. “It’s just an injury-I won’t die. There’s no need to call a doctor. I can heal myself.”

Chen Shuran seemed unconvinced, her tears still falling in streams. Tang Jie gently pulled her to sit down beside him. Seeing the sadness etched on her small, tear-stained face, he mustered all his strength to extend a hand and wipe the tears from her cheeks.

“I’m back, aren’t I? Don’t worry, I’ll be fine after a little rest,” Tang Jie said hoarsely, trying to comfort her.

Hearing his words, Chen Shuran quickly got up and went to the living room. When she returned, she was holding a glass of water. She handed it to Tang Jie, who took a sip. Once he finished, she took the glass from him and set it aside. Still worried, she looked at him with concern in her eyes and asked, “Are you sure we don’t need to call a doctor? What if you don’t recover properly?”

Seeing that she was still uneasy, tears still clinging to her face, Tang Jie decided to tease her a little to lighten the mood. “If I die,” he joked, “you can just hire a new bodyguard. Make sure he’s more handsome than me, okay?”

Chen Shuran’s tears started to fall even faster. She was on the verge of sobbing again but stopped when she noticed the playful smirk on Tang Jie’s face. Realizing he was only joking, she looked both angry and heartbroken. Raising a fist, she glared at him. But seeing how weak he was, she sighed and lowered her hand.

“I don’t want that. I want you. I won’t let you die-I won’t let anything happen to you!” Chen Shuran said, her words punctuated by sobs. Tang Jie saw that his attempt to cheer her up had backfired, making her cry even more. He quickly tried to reassure her.

“I’m really fine! I was just joking. I still need to stick around to be a bodyguard for a beauty and keep earning money,” Tang Jie said with a half-smile, trying to sound convincing.

“Really?” Chen Shuran asked, finally stopping her sobbing. She looked up at him with a naïve expression, her large, tear-filled eyes shining with sincerity. Seeing her like this, Tang Jie couldn’t help but feel a pang of tenderness.

“Of course,” he replied, then deliberately added with a teasing grin, “You’re the beauty here. Besides, I haven’t… slept enough with you yet.”

Tang Jie’s playful tone and mischievous smirk returned, even as he endured the pain in his chest. It was his signature carefree and roguish demeanor, though it was clear he was putting on a brave face.

His words had the intended effect. Chen Shuran finally broke into a smile, wiping away her tears. But almost immediately, her cheeks flushed, and she glared at him with faux annoyance. “You’re still in this state, and you have the energy to joke like that? Fine, then. From now on, you can sleep on the floor!”

Seeing her smile at last, Tang Jie exhaled in relief. Leaning back against the bed, his head tilted to the side as exhaustion crept over him, his fatigue becoming evident.

“Are you hungry? Did you eat dinner yet? Can you eat something now?” Chen Shuran asked, watching him closely. Seeing how drained he looked, she wanted to bring him something to eat but hesitated, worried about his condition after losing so much blood.

“A little,” Tang Jie admitted. “What do we have? Could you bring me something to eat?” Now that she mentioned food, he suddenly realized just how hungry he was. After exhausting so much energy tonight, he urgently needed to replenish his strength.

Chen Shuran immediately got up and headed to the kitchen. Tang Jie could hear her opening the refrigerator in the living room and rummaging inside. After some time, he heard her pick up the phone. It sounded like she was placing an order for delivery. From her tone, Tang Jie guessed there wasn’t much left in the fridge.

Tang Jie heard Chen Shuran instructing the person on the other end of the phone several times to deliver a bowl of hot porridge quickly. She was willing to pay double the price and would also cover the taxi fare.

A warm feeling began to surge within Tang Jie as he reflected on his upbringing. Apart from when the old man placed ice in his bed when he was a child with a fever who refused to take medicine or injections, he had never really felt this cared for.

Despite his serious injuries, what truly took him by surprise was Chen Shuran’s concern for him.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shuran returned to the room and, with an apologetic and sympathetic look, said, “I forgot to shop these past few days, and there’s nothing in the fridge. Just hang on for a bit; I’ve asked someone to bring us some food, and they should be here soon.” She looked at Tang Jie as if he were a child in need of care and she the negligent mother.

Tang Jie smiled, shook his head, and indicated that it was okay. He was already satisfied that Chen Shuran was taking such good care of him, and he felt his affection for her deepen even more.

“Just lie down and don’t move around.” Noticing the blood-stained towel still on the nearby table, Chen Shuran quickly picked it up and took it to the bathroom to wash. Soon after, she returned with a clean towel and gently wiped Tang Jie’s face.

“Did you change my clothes?” Tang Jie, noticing Chen Shuran’s beautiful appearance, which seemed lovelier than ever, couldn’t help but feel amused and asked with a smile.

“Yes, I heard noises, came out, and saw you collapsed at the door, your clothes covered in blood. I hurriedly helped you into the room and changed your clothes to check for injuries,” Chen Shuran said as she wiped his face, unaware of Tang Jie’s teasing smile.

“So, you saw everything while I was unconscious, taking advantage when I fainted. I really got the short end of the stick.”

Tang Jie said laughingly, watching Chen Shuran’s reaction. Chen Shuran paused, her movements halting as Tang Jie had anticipated. Her cheeks immediately flushed with annoyance, becoming as red as roses and exuding a sweet fragrance.

“You… stop talking nonsense. I’m not listening to you anymore!” Chen Shuran angrily stood up, trying to cover her embarrassment, and walked towards the living room. Tang Jie watched her leave, then deliberately groaned, prompting Chen Shuran to quickly return.