53: A frightened beautiful woman, the kind that throws herself into a man's arms!

"Sister Lan, don't busy yourself for now."

Su Mo took Qin Lan's soft, delicate hand, led her to sit on the sofa, and his expression turned serious.

"First, tell me, has something happened these past few days?"

Su Mo glanced at some things in the living room that didn't belong to him.

A pink women's water cup, a towel draped over the armrest of the sofa, and that faint, lingering fragrance of Qin Lan in the air.

All of these indicated that Qin Lan had been staying here during the days he was away.

As a single woman, she wasn't staying at her own home but had come to her tenant's apartment.

This in itself was very abnormal.

At Su Mo's question, Qin Lan's gaze suddenly darted away, and she forced a stiff smile onto her face, looking a bit rigid.

"No... nothing happened. It's just... it's just that I'm scared living alone, and seeing that you weren't here these past few days, I just... came over to look after your place and clean up."

"Sister Lan."

Su Mo's tone grew a bit heavier. He tightened his grip on Qin Lan's hand. "Do you treat me like an outsider? What exactly happened? Is someone bothering you again?"

Su Mo recalled something Qin Lan had mentioned to him before.

Ever since her husband died, a local thug named "Brother Long" had been eyeing her.

That Brother Long was the leader of the hooligans in this demolition zone, with over a dozen subordinates. He typically made a living by collecting protection fees and lending at high interest, committing all sorts of evil deeds.

He was attracted to Qin Lan's beauty and even more to the few buildings she owned.

He had repeatedly brought people to harass Qin Lan, using threats and inducements, wanting to buy the building at an extremely low price. He even shamelessly suggested that Qin Lan should "accompany" him.

Qin Lan had reported him to the police several times, but it was always useless.

The police would just give a verbal warning and then release the man.

It was said that Brother Long had connections, being a subordinate of a big shot in the city, so no one dared to offend him easily.

Over time, Qin Lan could only swallow her anger, living in constant fear every day.

With Su Mo's words hitting the mark, Qin Lan's psychological defenses instantly collapsed.

She could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls.

"Xiao Mo... Wuwuwu..."

She threw herself into Su Mo's embrace, crying loudly.

"That scoundrel surnamed Long... he... he's getting more and more out of line!"

"These past few days you've been gone, he's brought people to smash my door every day, splashing paint on it and writing those vulgar words..."

"I absolutely didn't dare to sleep alone at home at night, so I could only... only sneak over here to hide..."

"I really... I really can't take it anymore..."

Listening to Qin Lan's broken sobs, Su Mo's eyes grew colder and colder.

A chilling killing intent rose in his heart.

Brother Long, huh?

Very good.

He was just worrying about having nowhere to vent his powerful strength after returning to reality, and someone had voluntarily offered their face.

"Alright, Sister Lan, don't cry anymore."

Su Mo gently stroked Qin Lan's soft, long hair, comforting her in a low, gentle voice:

"With me here, no one will ever dare to bully you again."

"But... they have strength in numbers, and they're like mad dogs. We... we can't fight them." Qin Lan raised her tear-filled, pretty face, her eyes full of worry.

She knew Su Mo had some fighting skills, but the other side consisted of a dozen desperate thugs wielding knives and clubs!

"Don't worry! I have plenty of ways to deal with mad dogs."

He was no longer the naive young man who only knew how to throw wild punches.

Forget about a dozen small-time thugs; even if a hundred came, he could make them understand in minutes why flowers are so red.

Looking at Su Mo's confident and reassuring eyes, Qin Lan's sobbing gradually quieted down.

She didn't know why, even though the person in front of her was still the younger brother several years her junior, she inexplicably believed that he could do what he said.

Perhaps the days of living in constant fear had made her desperately need someone to rely on.

Or perhaps it was the powerful aura emanating from Su Mo at that moment that made her feel incredibly at ease.

"Then... then these past few days, can I... can I still stay here?"

Qin Lan asked softly, a little embarrassed, "Once... once this matter is resolved, I'll move out immediately."

It wouldn't sound good for a single woman like her to live with a vigorous young man; word would get around.

"Stay! Stay as long as you want!" Su Mo agreed without a second thought.

Are you kidding? How could he refuse such a good thing, a beautiful landlady with charm to spare, actively asking to live with him? It was like pie falling from the sky.

"Sister Lan, from now on, just treat this place as your own home."

Su Mo patted his chest and declared in a grand manner, "From now on, I'm in charge of your safety!"

"Pfft..."

Looking at Su Mo's 'little adult' demeanor, Qin Lan couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, gave Su Mo a playful glare, and chided, "You're such a sweet talker."

Even though she said that, her heart felt warm.

It felt so good to have a younger brother protecting her like this.

"Alright, no more crying, or you'll turn into a little calico cat." Su Mo reached out and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes with his thumb.

That tender gesture made Qin Lan's cheeks inexplicably blush, and her heart skipped a beat.

Only then did she realize how intimate her posture with Su Mo was.

She was practically lying in Su Mo's embrace.

Through her thin nightgown, she felt Su Mo's firm, hot chest and his strong, powerful heartbeat.

This younger brother... he seemed a little different from before.

His physique had become more solid, and he had an indescribable, mature masculine scent about him.

Qin Lan's heart began to race uncontrollably.

She quickly pulled away from Su Mo's arms, her face red, not daring to look into his eyes.

"Uh... I... I'll go make you dinner!"

With that, she fled into the kitchen as if escaping.

Watching her voluptuous figure hastily retreat, as if trying to escape something, a smile quietly spread across Su Mo's lips, carrying a hint of indescribable playfulness.

It seemed that this gentle landlady wasn't entirely without feelings for him.

A single man and a single woman, sharing a room... life from now on probably wouldn't be boring.