novelraw Chapter 247 This Must Not Happen Again
Chapter 247 This Must Not Happen Again
The corridor was dimly lit, casting long, pale shadows on everyone.
Just around the corner, a man charged straight at her like a mad bull.
His goal was clear—Lu Xiran's belly.
In that instant, time seemed to slow down countless times. Lu Xiran saw the twisted malice on that face, saw his outstretched hands, and saw that she had no time to dodge. Instinctively, she turned to the side, covered her lower abdomen with her hands, and closed her eyes.
A figure flashed past from the side.
It was a black figure, as sharp and swift as a blade.
Qi Rui's right foot slammed into the ground, causing the carpet in the corridor to wrinkle. She didn't shout or make any unnecessary movements; she grabbed the man's outstretched wrist with her left hand and simultaneously placed her right hand on his elbow.
It was a standard grappling move, but she was too fast; the man's sinister smile hadn't even had time to turn into terror.
With a gentle pull, a twist, and a push.
The man's body flew through the air like a sack of cement, tracing a twisted arc—his arms were pinned behind his back, his toes were off the ground, and he had lost all his balance. Then came a dull thud as his face slammed into the ground, his nose hitting the marble floor with a sound like a chopstick breaking.
"Ah—!" A scream rang out, echoing back and forth in the corridor.
Qi Rui pressed one knee against his back, her left hand still locking his wrist, while a black restraint strap had appeared on her right hand. She expressionlessly cuffed his hands behind his back, her movements fluid and effortless, like tying a chicken's legs.
The other three bodyguards then came to their senses and rushed forward to pin the man down.
The whole process took less than three seconds.
It was as clean as a scalpel cutting through skin, as swift as a bullet piercing glass.
When Lu Xiran opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a man on the ground, his face covered in blood and convulsing in pain. Then she saw a pair of slender, fair hands—the hands were slowly loosening their grip on the man's wrists, and there wasn't even a trace of blood on the fingertips.
She looked up.
The girl was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with her hair tied in a neat ponytail. Her features weren't stunning, but there was an indescribable air of heroism in her eyes and brows, like contours sculpted by a knife—sharp, firm, and decisive.
She looked down at the person on the ground, a slight smile playing on her lips. There was no mockery, no anger in that smile, only a cold indifference that said, "You're not good enough"—like an adult watching a child playing in the mud.
"That push you gave just now, the angle was good." Her voice was soft, with a slightly hoarse quality, each word like metal polished by sandpaper. "You aimed for her stomach, right? It's a pity the forearm strength was too obvious, you're obviously not a professional. Professionals don't leave themselves evidence."
The man on the ground covered his face, blood seeping from between his fingers. He was in so much pain that he couldn't utter a single word, only letting out whimpering groans. His eyes were filled with terror—not from being caught, but from the fall that had left him no chance to react.
Hurried footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor, the sound of leather shoes clattering on the marble floor like a torrential downpour. Gu Yanshen practically ran over.
He was followed by Lin Chen and four security guards, each of them with a tense expression like a fully drawn bowstring.
The moment Gu Yanshen stopped in front of Lu Xiran, she saw his Adam's apple bob violently. His gaze first fell on her face—not looking, but scrutinizing, like a precise scanner, from her forehead to her chin, from her shoulders to her hands—to confirm that she was not injured, to confirm that she was not frightened, to confirm that she was still standing there safely.
In those brief few seconds, his pupils contracted and dilated repeatedly.
Then his gaze fell on the girl.
Qi Rui then calmly stood up from the ground, brushing off non-existent dust from her knees. She turned to Gu Yanshen, without fear, without obsequiousness, and without the restraint one would expect from a subordinate meeting their superior. She simply stood there, like a sword sheathed.
"Mr. Gu," she began, her voice not loud, but everyone in the corridor could hear her clearly, "he must have come prepared, lying in ambush here beforehand. He waited for a gap, when everyone had their backs to him, before rushing out."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the man on the ground who had already been supported by security. Her tone was as flat as if she were reading a report: "Judging from his starting speed and direction, his goal wasn't to push her down, but to directly strike the lady in the abdomen. With that force, if I hadn't stopped him—"
She didn't finish speaking.
Because she saw a glint of light flash in Gu Yanshen's eyes.
That wasn't anger; it was something deeper than anger. Like magma deep within the earth's crust, pressed down by hundreds of thousands of tons of rock, yet already glowing red-hot.
He didn't speak, only slightly turning his head to glance at Lin Chen. Lin Chen immediately stepped forward and, with his men, dragged the man away. The man's screams grew fainter and fainter, finally disappearing behind the door at the end of the corridor.
Lu Xiran stepped forward and walked up to Qi Rui. Her fingers were still trembling slightly, but her voice was steady.
"Thank you," she said, just two words, but they carried all the weight of her words.
Qi Rui smoothly unfolded a smile. That smile was not polite, nor was it ingratiating; rather, it was a frank and undisguised sincerity—like sunlight shining through the clouds, clean and without a trace of shadow.
"It's okay," she said. "It's my job."
Be generous and poised, neither humble nor arrogant.
Then she turned around and began to describe the details of what had just happened to the other security personnel—which direction the man came from, his build, clothing, shoe size, the angle and force of his attack. She spoke quickly and clearly, like an experienced instructor reviewing a drill.
Lu Xiran was escorted by Gu Yanshen towards the lounge. His arm was behind her waist, like an unbreakable barrier, keeping her away from all the dangers of the world.
"Who is she?" Lu Xiran asked, glancing back at Qi Rui's retreating figure.
"Qi Rui." Gu Yanshen's voice was very low, so low that only she could hear it. But his gaze kept sweeping over her, as if he was making sure she was alright—from head to toe, from her hair to the hem of her clothes. "One of your bodyguards, who was also retired before."
"Special forces?" Lu Xiran asked.
"Similar backgrounds. Lin Chen searched for a long time before finding her." Gu Yanshen gently pressed his hand on her back. The pressure was very light, but Lu Xiran could feel the slight tremor in his fingertips. "We owe her a lot just now."
"Yes." Gu Yanshen stopped and cupped Lu Xiran's face in his hands, his thumbs gently stroking her cheekbones. His eyes were fixed on her, as if she were a treasure he had lost and found again. "I will have someone make proper arrangements. This must not happen again."