Chapter 4（The Man Everyone Fears, and the One Who Won’t Leave）
2034 Words
Peace Community was a cluster of aging six-story apartment blocks, their concrete walls stained by time.
Su Wan’s grandmother lived in Building Five, Unit 101.
She had just taken out her keys when the door swung open from the inside.
“Well, well,” her grandmother said, holding a trash bag and staring at her in surprise. “Did the sun rise from the west today? You’re home this early?”
Su Wan had prepared her excuse long before arriving.
“Lin Fei has to rush back to work after lunch. I’ll take the trash—go back inside.”
Lin Fei was her best friend from high school. Two years ago, after graduating from college, she returned to Tong City to work at a bank—and, like Su Wan, had become a prime target for matchmaking among relatives.
Grandma didn’t doubt a word. She slapped Su Wan’s hand away.
“It’s just a few steps. Go in. Don’t get that white uniform dirty.”
With that, the old woman headed out herself. She was barely five feet tall, slightly plump, glowing with good health. Her hair was dyed a fashionable chestnut brown, making her look more than ten years younger than her real age. She was even the lead dancer of the community square-dance group.
Su Wan went inside.
The kitchen still smelled faintly of food. A pot on the stove was keeping warm—three servings of chicken soup.
She had eaten far too much at lunch.
Lu Feng hadn’t talked much. To avoid awkward silence, she’d kept eating nonstop—barbecue, pumpkin porridge, fruit, milk tea—nothing spared.
She replaced the lid on the pot, appetite gone.
Sinking into the sofa, her gaze drifted toward the window.
This weekend, she still had to have another meal with Lu Feng.
The head nurse had said that with the Lu family’s wealth, Lu Feng probably didn’t insist on being treated again just for the money. Most likely… he was interested.
Su Wan touched her face.
Lin Fei often joked that men were visual creatures. With Su Wan’s looks, Lin Fei claimed, even if she were dragging along three underage brothers, men would still line up.
It was exaggerated—but the previous six blind dates had all praised her appearance relentlessly.
Su Wan wasn’t someone who dragged things out. She had rejected those six cleanly.
This time, though, she herself had suggested splitting the bill. That single sentence had given Lu Feng an opening—and led directly to Sunday’s dinner.
She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Be polite. Agree to nothing.
After the meal, she’d let the head nurse explain everything clearly.
That would be the end.
She shook her head, forcibly pushing that face—one that could make children cry—out of her mind.
That evening, Head Nurse Li Mei also got off work early. Sitting in her car, she didn’t drive away right away. Instead, she called Lu Feng.
The phone rang three times before it connected.
“Aunt,” Lu Feng’s voice came through—low and steady.
Li Mei smiled. “Just got off work. How about you? Home already?”
“Yes.”
“How did lunch with Xiao Wan go?”
“That depends on how she feels.”
Li Mei caught the implication immediately and laughed.
“Oh? Is the iron tree finally blooming? You’ve finally met a girl you like? I remember—every blind date before, you’d just say ‘she’s okay.’ If the girl was scared, you didn’t even try to stop her from leaving. That always meant you weren’t interested. Today’s answer is new.”
“…Have you talked to her?”
Li Mei hesitated slightly. “Not yet. We see each other every day at the hospital. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
“The photo—”
“Oh, that,” Li Mei hurried to explain. “I just wanted her to understand your character first. I was afraid your… presence might scare her away.”
“If we met directly, she’d be more scared.”
Li Mei laughed awkwardly. “She didn’t cry, did she?”
“No. She was very polite.”
“That’s Xiao Wan. She’s a wonderful girl—her personality’s even better than her looks. That’s why I introduced her to you.”
Then Li Mei’s tone shifted, turning serious.
“Lu Feng, tell me honestly. If Xiao Wan decides she doesn’t want to see you again because she’s afraid, will you let it go like before—or… will you try this time? It affects how I talk to her tomorrow.”
The line went quiet.
So quiet that Li Mei thought the signal had dropped.
Then Lu Feng spoke, his voice even.
“I’ll try.”
Li Mei slapped the steering wheel in delight.
“Trying is good—but be careful. Don’t actually scare our Xiao Wan.”
“I understand.”
“Alright. I’m driving. Talk later.”
After hanging up, Li Mei leaned back in the driver’s seat for a moment—then called Su Wan.
Su Wan had just finished dinner. Her grandmother had gone out dancing again. Curled up on the sofa, she answered, her voice lifeless.
“Teacher Wang…”
At the hospital, she would never dare speak to the head nurse like this. But today was different—she’d been thoroughly set up.
Li Mei softened instantly.
“Poor Xiao Wan. Still upset with me?”
“I’m not angry…” Su Wan hesitated. “It’s just… he looks really scary.”
Li Mei teased her. “You think he’s ugly?”
“Not ugly. Just… he looks like he’s in the mafia.”
Lu Feng had that kind of presence—so overwhelming that no one even thought to judge whether he was handsome or not. Later, when Su Wan studied his photo closely, his features were actually good. Put together, though, they formed a full-on boss face.
“He does look like it,” Li Mei admitted. “But he’s not. You can’t judge by appearances. He didn’t choose to look that way. You don’t know how lonely he was as a kid—no one wanted to play with him. Even in school, no one dared sit next to him. His father had to pay a classmate to partner with him during school activities, or he’d be alone.”
Su Wan felt a sting of sympathy.
But sympathy was sympathy. She couldn’t sacrifice herself because of pity.
Dating was about comfort.
Lu Feng’s face was a hundred thousand miles away from that—let alone attraction.
She explained her plan for Sunday.
“After that meal, I don’t want to stay in contact. And please don’t mention me to him these days—I don’t want him to misunderstand.”
Li Mei sighed. “Alright. This one’s on me. I used an old photo to trick you. I’ll apologize properly tomorrow.”
“No, no,” Su Wan hurried to say. “You meant well. His family conditions are great. I’m just too timid.”
After hanging up, Su Wan suddenly froze.
She’d forgotten to ask what Lu Feng actually did for a living.
And that phone call at lunch—about “burying” something…
What exactly was he burying?
At the same time, Wang Hao was drinking with friends at a barbecue restaurant.
A group of men in their twenties and thirties crowded around a table, smoking, drinking, talking about work and women.
One friend nudged him.
“Hey, Hao. That nurse you posted in the group—any progress?”
Wang Hao couldn’t admit he’d been shut down with “I’ll call security.”
He downed a beer and grinned casually.
“Still chasing. Once I get her, I’ll bring her out for you guys to see.”
Someone slapped his thick arm and joked crudely.
“With your build, that little nurse won’t be able to handle you.”
The table erupted in knowing laughter.
Wang Hao felt smug and heated. During his hospital stay, every time Su Wan walked away from his bed, his mind filled with filthy images.
By the time he returned to his newly renovated apartment, it was already past eleven.
Staring at himself in the mirror, Wang Hao felt more confident by the second—his looks, his height, his finances.
If he just clung on long enough, she’d give in.
Good girls feared persistence. Old sayings existed for a reason.
Thursday was another long shift for Su Wan—eight in the morning to eight at night.
She arrived at the hospital at 7:30, changed into her uniform, and dove straight into work.
Li Mei was busy as well. They only had time to talk during lunch, sitting in the break room.
Since Lu Feng had shown interest, Li Mei deliberately acted as if the matter was already over.
Su Wan relaxed—and casually asked about the “burying” thing.
Li Mei nearly choked laughing.
“What do you think he was burying? A body?”
Su Wan flushed. “I knew it wasn’t… but the way he said it scared half the restaurant.”
Li Mei explained,
“He studied civil engineering. Works at his family’s construction company—general manager and engineer. Last year, they took a city project to turn an abandoned iron mine in the western suburbs into a park. Those pits had to be filled first, right?”
Su Wan went silent.
So it was landfill.
Li Mei tapped her forehead lightly with chopsticks.
“It’s fine to be scared, but don’t overthink. Lu Feng’s a legitimate engineer from a top university. If he weren’t so low-key, he’d already be listed as one of the city’s Outstanding Youth. And if he were really some ‘boss,’ would the city give him public projects?”
Su Wan obediently admitted her mistake.
That afternoon passed in constant motion.
After work, Wang Hao didn’t even eat dinner. He went straight to the hospital and waited outside the general surgery ward, telling the nurse on duty he was looking for Su Wan.
The nurse frowned. “She’s working. What do you need?”
Wang Hao turned and left.
The nurse found it strange and later sent Su Wan a voice message about it.
Su Wan listened and shrugged. As long as he’d gone, that was fine.
At 8:30 p.m., after handover and extra tasks, Su Wan finally took the elevator down with her colleague Li Wenjing.
“My waist is killing me,” Li Wenjing groaned. “I need a massage tomorrow. Wanna come?”
Su Wan shook her head. “I’m okay. I’d rather sleep.”
“Young people really are blessed,” Li Wenjing sighed.
“You’re only three years older than me.”
The elevator reached the first floor. Su Wan said goodbye to colleagues heading to the parking garage and stepped out.
Just as she passed the lobby—
Someone sitting on the ground looked up.
Su Wan’s heart dropped.
Wang Hao.
He smiled, pocketed his phone, and stood up.
“Why so late? I’ve been waiting since five.”
At nearly six feet tall, his presence pressed down hard.
Su Wan knew—people like this couldn’t be engaged.
She said nothing and walked faster.
Wang Hao followed two steps behind, hands in his pockets, eyes glued to her pale profile.
“I really like you. Give me a chance?”
“Want some late-night food? I’m starving from waiting.”
“I drove. I’ll take you home.”
She didn’t even look at the car he pointed to.
Instead, Su Wan hailed a taxi.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
“Just drive forward,” she said, glancing at Wang Hao outside the door. “I’ll tell you later.”
The driver said nothing and stepped on the gas.
Only when Wang Hao disappeared from the rearview mirror did she give her address.
The taxi merged into traffic.
Su Wan exhaled.
Yet the sticky sensation of being watched clung to her skin—
and refused to fade.
- Writer
