The remaining thugs hurriedly scrambled down the riverbank, wading in to fish Buzzcut Bro out of the water.
Only then did Xu Fei turn to Duanmu Qing on the ground, reaching out to help her up.
“Are you okay?”
It was meant to be a simple question, but it left Xu Fei momentarily stunned.
Buzzcut Bro, driven by his baser instincts, had acted fast, already tearing open the front of Duanmu Qing’s shirt.
As Xu Fei bent down to pull her up, his eyes inadvertently caught a glimpse of a faint pink beneath.
Duanmu Qing snapped back to reality, realising she’d accidentally exposed herself.
With a soft yelp, she quickly rebuttoned her shirt, grabbed Xu Fei’s arm to stand, and brushed the dirt off herself.
“N-No… I’m fine, Doctor. By the way, you saved me this time, and I don’t even know your name yet?”
She’d intended to say something grateful, but mid-sentence, Duanmu Qing realised she didn’t know who he was.
So she asked outright, and Xu Fei scratched his head, replying,
“I’m Xu Fei, no need to keep calling me ‘Doctor,’ it’s kind of embarrassing!”
Duanmu Qing flashed a sweet smile, easing the awkwardness between them.
“Alright then, I’ll call you Brother Fei. Let’s move the barricade and get going!”
Xu Fei nodded, quickly clearing the roadblock, and they got back in the car to continue their journey.
As the car rolled on, Xu Fei noticed the scenery outside shifting again.
Soon, deep in the mountains, a village came into view.
Following the village road, Duanmu Qing eventually parked in front of a small courtyard.
“Come on, Brother Fei, this is my home, let’s head inside and talk.”
Xu Fei followed Duanmu Qing into the courtyard.
The moment he stepped in, a chorus of barking erupted.
Hearing the dogs, a middle-aged woman inside the house rushed out to see what was happening.
Spotting a handsome young man in the yard with her daughter beside him, she instantly assumed he might be her future son-in-law. She shouted back into the house,
“Hey, old man, stop hiding inside watching TV, come out here quick!”
At her call, Duanmu Ming emerged from the house, looking up to see his daughter and Xu Fei standing in the yard.
Duanmu Qing quickly began introductions,
“Dad, Mom, let me introduce you. This is Xu Fei, a doctor my cousin specially brought in from the provincial capital to treat Mom’s back pain!”
Her mother, brimming with anticipation, waited for more, but when Duanmu Qing stopped there, she pressed,
“That’s… it? That’s the whole introduction?”
“Of course it’s done, Mom! Don’t just stand there blocking the door, let Doctor Xu come in and sit down!”
