Diary of Getting Rich Quick in the South

These words left me completely flustered, and my face instantly flushed.

This woman is definitely a public relations professional; she's incredibly bold to say that.

What do you mean by "should she take her clothes off first?"

Seeing that I was standing there motionless, Ruan Dong didn't stand on ceremony with me and grabbed my clothes, pulling them up.

"What time is it and you're still shy? Brother Qiang said that you jumped out of the car to escape kidnapping, and your back must be covered in injuries. I have to see."

Unable to resist her, I had no choice but to raise my hand and slowly take off my short-sleeved shirt.

As soon as the clothes were lifted, the hideous abrasions and large bruises on the back were instantly revealed.

The large areas of skin and flesh were bruised and red, and there were also patches of bruises from the impact.

It spread from the shoulders all the way down to the waist, and it looked shocking.

The moment Ruan Dong saw it, he froze completely.

She stared blankly at my back for several seconds without saying a word.

Her once bright eyes instantly turned red, her nose tingled slightly, and her voice was choked with emotion: "How did you get hurt so badly..."

"It's all my fault. I was unlucky enough to be bullied by Liu Ming last night, but you're the one who suffered and got into trouble from beginning to end."

She felt increasingly guilty as she spoke: "I thought it was just a small scratch on your forehead, I never imagined your back was so badly injured. I can only imagine how much pain you were in."

I shrugged casually, trying to downplay the incident: "It's nothing serious, just superficial wounds. It looks scary, but it'll be fine in a couple of days."

"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter'!"

Ruan Dong gently patted my back, as light as a feather, as if afraid of hurting me.

She put the gift box she was carrying aside, then rummaged through the lounge and found some anti-inflammatory and analgesic ointment, as well as clean medical cotton swabs and gauze.

These are essential items for working in a KTV.

After all, there are too many customers who get drunk and cause trouble, so most of the time it's the waiters who are on the front lines.

Only when the waiters can't handle the situation will the security guards step in; and only when the security guards can't handle it will the undercover officers come out to deal with the troublesome customers.

People like Liu Ming are exceptions.

"Don't move, sit still and don't wobble, or I'll pull your pants down!"

I:"……"

I sat obediently on the lounge chair, with my back to her.

Ruan Dong stood behind me, leaning slightly forward. Her soft breath gently brushed against my back, warm and making me feel uncomfortable, yet I couldn't bear to get away.

She opened the ointment and squeezed the cool, creamy substance onto a cotton swab.

When the cotton swab gently touched my broken skin, it felt slightly cool and a little bit stinging.

I subconsciously tensed my back muscles.

"Does it hurt? I'll be gentler."

Ruan Dong immediately stopped what he was doing and asked me cautiously.

"It's alright," I replied softly.

Only after I responded did she continue to slowly apply the medicine to me.

Her movements were incredibly gentle, carefully applying and rubbing the bruises, afraid of hurting me if she used too much force.

Slender, cool fingers would occasionally brush against my back, and each touch felt like an electric current, making my heart race wildly.

The atmosphere in the quiet room grew increasingly ambiguous.

As Ruan Dong applied the medicine, she murmured softly, "I'm so sorry, Chen An. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have offended Liu Ming, and you wouldn't have been hurt like this."

"I've worked in KTV for so long and seen too many customers cause trouble. Everyone just ignores it and doesn't want to get involved."

"Last night had absolutely nothing to do with you, yet you were willing to stand up for me and almost risked your life for me."

At this point, her voice trembled with tears: "In all my life, no one has ever protected me like this."

My heart softened slightly, and I turned to look at her sideways: "I already said it was just a small favor. I would have helped anyone if they were bullied. Don't take it to heart."

"It's not just a small favor."

Ruan Dong looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, her gaze fixed on me.

She was very close to me, close enough that I could clearly see her delicate features and smell her faint fragrance.

After applying the last swab to the bruise, she put down the cotton swab and gently ran her fingers across the intact skin on my back: "If Liu Ming dares to cause you trouble again, or cause me trouble again, just tell me."

She bit her lip and said earnestly, "Although I don't have much ability and can't help you much, I will never drag you down again. If anything really happens, I'll stand with you."

Looking at her red-rimmed eyes and sincere gaze, I felt a surge of heat in my heart.

To be honest, in all my years, apart from my mother, Su Wan, and Zhang Dongting, very few people have ever genuinely worried about me like this.

Just as I was about to speak, Ruan Dong suddenly took half a step closer, her warm breath brushing against my cheek.

She lowered her voice and said, "Chen An, I have nothing to repay you with... I'll do whatever you want me to do to thank you."

She was a public relations professional who had worked in the KTV industry for a long time. She was used to the scene and had a generous and open personality, completely lacking the shyness and timidity of an ordinary young girl.

My Adam's apple bobbed, and I felt my ears burning: "You actually took Zhang Qiang's joke seriously?"

Ruan Dong smiled faintly and moved a little closer.

The lounge was already small, and with her moving closer, we were even closer together.

"It's not all a joke."

She said earnestly, "In our line of work, I know best who is truly good to me. Those customers who are generous with their words are just putting on an act. They're eager to take advantage of me, but when trouble comes, they run away faster than anyone else."

"Only you, a chance encounter, almost lost your life on the road while protecting me, and were covered in bruises."

She leaned down slightly, her gaze sweeping over the dense abrasions and bruises on my back: "These injuries were all sustained for me. If I were to pretend to be innocent and gloss over them, I would be too heartless."

I sat up straight and casually picked up the clothes next to me to put them on: "It's really unnecessary. I just couldn't stand it at the time."

As soon as he reached out, she gently grasped his wrist.

Her hands were soft and warm, and though they weren't very strong, they held me down firmly.

"Don't move. The medicine was just applied and hasn't dried completely yet. If it sticks to your clothes, it will rub off and you'll have wasted your time."

She moved around to my side, squatted down, and looked me straight in the eye.

Up close, her features are delicate, her makeup is exquisite yet not gaudy, and her eyes are bright.

"Chen An, I know you didn't want my things. Those cigarettes and alcohol were just a small token of my appreciation, and they can't make up for the suffering you've endured."

"I don't have anything valuable, and I don't have the ability to help you deal with a big shot like Liu Ming."

She pursed her lips slightly, her temper flaring.

"But I can stay with you and cheer you up. You've suffered so much tonight, you must be feeling really upset. Anyway, there's no one in the lounge and the door is locked by Brother Qiang, so no one will bother you."