Chapter Twenty: Arrangements

Chapter Twenty: Arrangements

At the same time, Shen An pressed his advantage relentlessly. After kicking his opponent away, he strode forward and planted his foot firmly on the man's chest, freezing him in place just as he tried to rise.

“Who sent you?” Shen An asked coldly, his gaze sharp.

“What?” The man's face twisted in fear. His eyes shifted away instinctively, unable to meet Shen An’s piercing stare.

Bang!

Shen An increased the pressure, delivering a savage kick to the man's ribs. The victim let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Shen An had kicked him while pinning him down. His right foot pressed the man's chest, while his left struck his ribs. The crowd watching had already erupted in screams, terrified by the bodyguard’s domineering, ruthless strength. Panic and shock rippled through the onlookers.

“What did you do to him?”

“Shen An, don’t let this get out of hand,” Zhou Wang said, his face grim as he approached. He glanced at the man lying motionless on the ground, uncertain how to proceed.

“Someone, take him to the police station,” Zhou Wang commanded, not waiting for objections as he shouted to the security personnel nearby.

Several guards stepped forward. The man’s ribs had been broken by Shen An’s kick, leaving him utterly powerless.

To Shen An’s surprise, the man’s physique was stronger than that of an ordinary person. Though he sensed no unusual energy on him, Shen An frowned, uncertain what this implied.

Chu Yuxi and her companions had already been ushered offstage. After such an incident, the organizers, concerned for their safety, had them rest backstage.

When the situation was resolved and public relations managed, Shen An returned to the backstage area. A group of young women chattered excitedly about the recent events; some faces were pale, others flushed with excitement.

Saying nothing, Shen An sat quietly in the corner, sipping a glass of water.

“Everything alright?” came a voice. He looked up to find He Zhouzhou had settled beside him.

“It’s fine,” he replied coolly. “Funny, we run into each other again so soon.”

“Indeed. Who would have thought, just yesterday we met, and today here we are again. By the way, who was that man just now?” He Zhouzhou recalled the incident at the buffet yesterday, wanting to ask Shen An but unsure how to phrase it.

She sensed that those men were far from normal. Though they had acted ordinary afterward, their earlier behavior still made her uneasy.

“Just a crazed fan. What else?” Shen An didn’t want to elaborate. He feared the truth might cause panic, so he kept it to himself.

During a break, however, he quietly approached Han Feng.

Shen An nodded at Han Feng, and when Han Feng glanced his way, Shen An gestured toward the door, then walked out without another word.

Han Feng watched Shen An leave, then got up to follow him outside.

They stood together, smoking.

Han Feng took a drag. “What’s so secret?”

He knew Shen An wouldn’t call him out unless something important was at stake.

He still felt the ache from being knocked down by the so-called fan earlier. Han Feng’s taekwondo skills were competition-level, good enough to win championships. Yet he’d been knocked over by a random fan—even if he’d underestimated him, he’d truly felt the man’s strength.

If they’d gone head-to-head, Han Feng wasn’t sure he could win. This troubled him deeply.

Today alone, two people had bested him: Shen An, standing before him, and the fan from earlier.

“What do you make of that man?” Shen An blew a smoke ring, then asked.

Han Feng looked at him in surprise, noting Shen An’s calm demeanor. After all, Shen An had nearly killed that guy. Compared to him, Han Feng felt utterly inadequate.

“He’s stronger than me,” Han Feng admitted honestly.

Shen An stubbed out his cigarette and turned to face him. “I meant, what do you think his motive was?” His expression grew serious. “Didn’t you feel his intentions were suspect? He wasn’t really a fan of Chu Yuxi, and I doubt he was acting alone.”

Hearing this, Han Feng suddenly understood. His eyes widened. “You mean—”

Shen An nodded, and Han Feng’s expression turned grave.

“So Chu Yuxi’s in danger.”

“That’s why I came to you. Among the bodyguards, your word carries weight.”

“It’s no use telling me. You should talk to Captain Lao—he’s in charge of our team.”

Shen An smiled. “I’m not joking. I don’t trust Captain Lao.”

“What do you mean?” Han Feng looked at Shen An again, questions in his eyes. The day’s events had left his mind spinning.

Noting Shen An’s earnest expression, Han Feng fell silent, pondering.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll arrange extra security, and bring in more people if needed.”

Shen An nodded without further comment, and the two returned backstage.

It was as if nothing had happened. The program continued in orderly fashion. Shen An stayed close to Chu Yuxi, never straying from her side.

Even the host, trying to approach Chu Yuxi, was blocked by Shen An. This left the host awkward, and he felt some resentment toward Shen An. Yet, faced with a superstar, he didn’t dare say much—only praised Shen An’s professionalism.

Ordinarily, Shen An wouldn’t have been needed to protect her at such a formal event, but he insisted on being present. The earlier incident with the so-called fan was proof enough. Now, no one questioned his presence.

The tedious, uneventful day finally drew to a close. Nothing unexpected seemed to have happened.

Shen An joined them for dinner, then was assigned a room in the hotel.

He had to admit, the hotel rooms were spacious.

Lying on the bed, Shen An let his consciousness slip into the spatial realm.

Since discovering the space could freely absorb and release items, he’d stored many things inside. The mutated wolf meat and wild boar had been roasted into slices and kept in the space.

Within the spatial realm, Shen An had placed a cabinet dedicated to storing food.

There, his consciousness had a body—though not truly physical, it felt as real as his own.

He plunged into the lake for a bath, feeling his mental exhaustion fade away. Then, he studied the ironwood tree for a while, but found nothing new, so he exited the space.

At that moment, Shen An sat up in bed.

Chu Yuxi’s room was next to his.

For her safety, Shen An remained alert, constantly attentive to any sounds from across the hall.