53: Chapter 53 Protecting Maki

When Cao Kun silently pushed open the ajar door, Zhao San had his back to the entrance, one hand already reaching toward the semiconscious Tian Zhenxi on the bed.

Hearing the movement, Zhao San whipped his head around, his face instantly turning deathly pale.

When he saw that the newcomer wasn't one of Tian Zhenxi's relatives but Cao Kun, he first breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately knitted his brows as a malicious glint flashed in his eyes.

"It's you..." Zhao San recognized Cao Kun. He had seen him at the funeral earlier that day and knew he was the Ji Family's future son-in-law from the city.

Zhao San's mind raced. He knew that if this matter blew up, he would definitely be in deep trouble.

His eyes darted around as he lowered his voice and said to Cao Kun, "Brother, you've come at the perfect time. I've drugged this woman. Let's do her together; I guarantee you'll have the time of your life. Her husband just died, and she's in need of a man's comfort..."

A cold light flashed in Cao Kun's eyes.

He could have shouted to attract everyone's attention, but on second thought, while that would catch Zhao San, Tian Zhenxi's reputation would be completely ruined.

In a rural place like this, if a widow had a man sneak into her room in the middle of the night, even if nothing happened, the gossip alone would be enough to drown her.

"You're looking for death." Cao Kun's voice was as cold as ice.

Before Zhao San could react, Cao Kun had already stepped forward.

Having received Mastery of Combat training, his movements were as fast as lightning as he landed a precise knife-hand strike to the side of Zhao San's neck.

Zhao San didn't even let out a grunt before he slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Cao Kun took a breath, glancing at Tian Zhenxi, whose face was flushed and eyes were glazed, then back at Zhao San on the floor.

Was the mission complete? The rogue had been subdued, and Tian Zhenxi was safe.

He was just about to turn and leave when suddenly...

"Hot... So hot..."

Tian Zhenxi let out an unbearable groan and actually began to stagger up from the bed.

At some point, she had pulled open the collar of her mourning clothes, revealing her fair neck.

Her eyes were unfocused, clearly still under the influence of the drug.

Cao Kun was startled and instinctively took half a step back.

Tian Zhenxi, however, lunged toward him as if grabbing onto a lifeline.

Cao Kun quickly reached out to support her. The unique fragrance of a mature woman mixed with a faint scent of soap nuts wafted into his nose.

Although she was forty-five years old—halfway into the 'Grave-bound Stage'—

She had maintained her figure well. Her waist was slender, and she was still full in all the right places. Now, she leaned softly against Cao Kun, her warm breath puffing against the side of his neck.

Cao Kun's entire body stiffened.

He remembered what Zhao San had just said—he'd drugged her.

Damn it! Whatever that bastard gave her certainly wasn't anything good!

"Help me... It hurts..." Tian Zhenxi's voice carried a sob. Her hands unconsciously gripped Cao Kun's lapels, her body pressing tightly against him.

Cao Kun's mind worked at high speed.

Should he just leave now?

Leave Tian Zhenxi here all alone?

But looking at her state, the drug's effects were clearly still peaking.

If she did something to hurt herself, or... ran outside and was seen, her reputation would be completely destroyed.

What would the villagers say if a woman whose husband had just died ran out in the middle of the night with her clothes in disarray?

But if he didn't leave? Was he really going to...?

Cao Kun felt his scalp tingle; it was a chilling predicament.

It wasn't that Tian Zhenxi herself made him feel uneasy.

In all fairness, although Tian Zhenxi was over forty, she was indeed a beauty. The fine lines time had left on her face only added a touch of charm.

Deep down, Cao Kun actually wanted to give it a try.

What truly made Cao Kun feel uneasy was the timing.

Tian Zhenxi's husband had just died today. His body wasn't even cold yet, and the coffin was in the very next room.

If something really happened between him and Tian Zhenxi tonight, even if it was to save her, it would be... too much to justify.

His sense of morality and the reality of the situation clashed violently in Cao Kun's mind.

Tian Zhenxi's breathing became more and more rapid. Her consciousness was clearly blurred; she was simply burrowing into Cao Kun's arms by instinct, her hands beginning to restlessly grope his back.

"Auntie, wake up!" Cao Kun grabbed her wrists, trying to calm her down.

But Tian Zhenxi couldn't hear him at all. Her eyes were clouded with a watery mist, her cheeks were crimson, and she mumbled, "Help me... help me..."

Seeing Tian Zhenxi's pained expression, Cao Kun grit his teeth.

To a rural woman, reputation was sometimes more important than life itself.

Especially for a woman like Tian Zhenxi, who had lived like a widow for twenty years and finally found release. If word of tonight got out, her twenty years of steadfastness would become a joke, and she would never be able to hold her head up in the village again.

Furthermore, the system mission was to protect Tian Zhenxi from being bullied.

If he walked away now and it led to her reputation being ruined, would that count as a mission failure?

After thinking it over, Cao Kun took a deep breath and made a decision.

He couldn't leave.

At the very least, he had to ensure Tian Zhenxi got through the night safely and make sure no third person ever knew about this.

Cao Kun looked around. He first dragged the unconscious Zhao San to a corner, tied him up tightly with strips torn from a bedsheet, and found a rag to gag him.

Only after doing all this did he turn his attention back to Tian Zhenxi.

Tian Zhenxi had slumped onto the edge of the bed, the collar of her mourning clothes wide open to reveal her white undergarments.

Her eyes were glazed and her body was trembling slightly, clearly struggling with all her might against the impulses brought on by the drug.

Cao Kun crouched down, looking her levelly in the eye, and said in as calm a voice as possible, "Auntie, listen to me. You've been drugged. I'm Cao Kun, Ji Guangli's boyfriend. I'm going to help you now, but you need to cooperate with me, understand?"

Tian Zhenxi looked at him blankly, seeming to understand a little, yet also seeming not to understand at all.

She suddenly reached out and grabbed Cao Kun's hand, pressing it against her burning cheek, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

Cao Kun's hand felt as if it had been burned, but he didn't pull it back.

...

Two hours later.

Tian Zhenxi's breathing gradually steadied, and the flush on her face began to fade.

She seemed utterly exhausted as she leaned against Cao Kun's shoulder and fell into a deep sleep.

Cao Kun carefully laid her flat on the bed and tucked her in. Moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating Tian Zhenxi's pale face, with traces of unshed tears still hanging at the corners of her eyes.

This poor woman, living like a widow for twenty years... It's lucky she ran into me today, otherwise an ordinary person really wouldn't have been able to handle this.

He stood up, walked to the corner, and kicked Zhao San, who was tied up like a zongzi.

Zhao San was kicked awake, his eyes widening in terror as he made muffled "wuwu" sounds.

Cao Kun crouched down and looked at him coldly. "Listen. If a single word about tonight gets out, I'll make you regret ever coming into this world. Tomorrow morning, get out of this village yourself and never come back. Nod if you understand."

Zhao San nodded frantically.

Cao Kun pulled the rag from his mouth. Zhao San gasped for air and pleaded in a low voice, "Big brother, I was wrong, I was really wrong! I'll leave tomorrow, I swear!"

"Get lost." Cao Kun untied the strips on his feet but left his hands bound. "Figure it out yourself. Don't let me see you again before dawn."

Zhao San scrambled and crawled away, not even daring to look back.

Cao Kun returned to the bedside and confirmed that Tian Zhenxi was still fast asleep, her breathing steady.

He checked the time; it was past three in the morning.

The mission should be complete now, right?

Sure enough, the system's notification sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Mission Complete: Protect the widow Tian Zhenxi and ensure she is not bullied.]

[Mission Reward: 300,000 yuan in cash has been issued to the host's account.]

[As the host has completed five system missions, an extra reward has been triggered: 5,000,000 yuan in cash, also issued to the host's Bank card account.]

Cao Kun was pleasantly surprised.

He hadn't expected to trigger an extra reward this time.

From now on, he was a multi-millionaire.

...