Chapter 8, Restless.

He laughed and said, "No, I often stay overnight in the lab." I was silent for a moment and replied, "I accept this. I still have work to do, so you should hurry back to your lab!" He leaned in with a flattering expression and said, "Xu Ai, I can also make other cosmetics, as well as dishwashing liquid and soap, which are much better than what is sold outside. What is sold outside is all commercial products diluted with water—" I glared at him and said, "Are you just idling around? I still have work to do, so you should hurry back to your lab!" He leaned in again with a flattering expression and said, "Xu Ai, I can also make other cosmetics, as well as dishwashing liquid and soap, which are much better than what is sold outside. What is sold outside is all commercial products diluted with water—" I glared at him and said, "Are you just idling around? What about your project, your research? Pursuing trivialities leads to a loss of ambition!" He left in a dejected manner after being scolded by me.

After getting off the car, I simply could not move. My ten fingers were so tightly bound that they turned purple, sinking in completely, and my hands were frozen to the point of being numb, resembling an ice sculpture from the Harbin exhibition. I took out my phone, but I couldn't even hold it steadily; with a "clank," it fell to the ground and rolled away. I picked it up haphazardly, shouting hoarsely against the howling wind: "Hurry up and send someone down to pick me up!" I'm not a donkey; it's too much to treat me this way.

He stood there helplessly, and I did not look at him. I would put the remaining clothes away later; right now, I was busy selling the goods from the stall. I felt irritated just seeing him, and in a fit of anger, I grabbed a large pile of hangers from the box, preparing to hang and iron the clothes. When I threw them all onto the ground, the iron hook on the hanger caught the back of my hand again. I frowned at the thin red line, which did not hurt but looked unsightly. I did not care, casually wiped it, and continued to hang the clothes. After all, I had plenty of such small scars on my hands. When I threw them all onto the ground, the iron hook on the hanger caught the back of my hand again. I frowned at the thin red line, which did not hurt but looked unsightly. I did not care, casually wiped it, and continued to hang the clothes. After all, I had plenty of such small scars on my hands. Doing this kind of rough work every day, could I still have hands as delicate as scallions and a mouth as if filled with vermilion?

He stammered, "Xu Ai, rest assured, I was very careful when weighing, everything is accurate to one decimal place. The quantities of the oil phase and water phase were calculated several times in advance, and there is no error. During the process, the temperature was well controlled, consistently around ninety-five degrees, and the acid-base neutralization was very good. Although I wouldn't dare to apply it on my face, it is absolutely fine to apply on my hands." I remained silent, gently pressed the bottle's opening, and the milky liquid poured into my palm. I observed it carefully under the light, nodding as I said, "The finished product appears milky white, shiny, and delicate, with a smooth application and a natural fragrance. It is indeed very successful." He seemed to receive a commendation and smiled happily. I asked, "Did you not sleep all night?" The process of making this product is not complicated, but it needs to be placed in an oven at forty degrees for twenty-four hours, so he must have been busy for quite a while.

At that moment, the mall manager called out from a distance: "Bos, where are you going?" I quickly retracted my head and forced a smile, saying: "I won't dare next time, I won't dare next time! Manager, could you overlook this once? Look at how much I am carrying." She did not reprimand me but simply said: "If you are carrying goods, then you should take the staff elevator." I nodded repeatedly in agreement. The mall has a rule that as long as one is wearing a work badge, they are considered staff and cannot use the passenger elevator. I nodded repeatedly in agreement. The mall has a rule that as long as one is wearing a work badge, they are considered staff and cannot use the passenger elevator. If one is serious about it, there could be a fine. I looked despondently at the staff elevator, which seemed to be a hundred miles away.

He reached out to my chin, lifted my face with ill intentions, and said, "You just want to leave like this? You really look down on us, don't you?" Seeing their demeanor, I realized that this matter would not end well. I calmed myself and asked calmly, "What do you want then?" He exhaled, smiled in a way that made me nauseous, and his hand began to wander near my neck as he lewdly said, "I don't want anything. Your skin is very fair and tender, and you are quite beautiful. Tsk tsk tsk, you have quite a stubborn personality." I suppressed my anger and said, "You should show some respect." He pinched my face, and asked calmly, "What do you want then?" He exhaled, smiled in a way that made me nauseous, and his hand began to wander near my neck as he lewdly said, "I don't want anything. Your skin is very fair and tender, and you are quite beautiful. Tsk tsk tsk, you have quite a stubborn personality." I suppressed my anger and said, "You should show some respect." He pinched my face, twisted it hard, snorted, and said, "Men and women, like this—hmm? Isn't that called respect?" I could no longer tolerate his hands-on approach and filthy language. After waiting for a while, I took advantage of his unpreparedness, used a clever move, broke free from his grip, stepped back twice, and clenched my fists tightly. My face turned green with anger, and at that moment, I really wanted to kill him myself!

He suddenly furrowed his brows, staring at me motionlessly, and said: "Lin Ai, do not think you can fool me. I know this knife, the latest model of Swiss military knife, measuring thirty-eight centimeters in total length, with an extremely sharp tip, featuring a retractable function, suitable for carrying on one's person." His gaze seemed to penetrate through me, to see through me, piercing my heart and lungs, captivating my soul. I felt a sense of nakedness, a furious embarrassment as if I had no cover to shield me.

I wiped my face, stifling the silent sobs, and calmly raised my eyes to ask, "What now?" He supported my body, helped me up, and coldly said, "These people have soiled my hands; hand them over to the police." I immediately retorted, "When the police arrive, they will want statements and records. The place I dislike the most in my life is the police station. Even if we hand them over, what difference does it make? They have their ways; they will just be locked up for ten days or half a month and then released! Let them go, and ensure they do not come to bother me again." He did not respond, simply picked me up horizontally. All the way, he threw me into his car as if there were no one around.

Cao Cao tugged at my clothes, and I impatiently said, "What are you still doing here? Hurry up and get out! You're in the way!" He reached into his coat pocket and took out a delicate glass bottle, mumbling, "Xu—Ai, this is hand cream I made myself. Do you want to try it?" I paused my work, shocked as I looked at the bottle, then asked, "Did you make this overnight in the lab?" He nodded and said, "Yes, I had nothing to do at night, so I stayed in the lab to conduct experiments. I noticed your hands were very dry, and since I had the equipment, I made a little bit—" I took it in my hand, twisted off the cap, and smelled it. A faint fragrance, the scent of Chanel perfume. Then I looked at the bottle, which had a Chanel label on it. When conducting this experiment, after obtaining the product, we would usually add a drop or two of essence, but the scent was unpleasant, and most people said it smelled bad, so they didn't add it. I took a deep sniff and said, "Did you pour out the perfume to use this?" The remaining scent in the bottle was just right. He didn't say anything, just looked at me awkwardly. How foolish, perfume is so expensive, and this is so cheap!

Before I could run away, someone grabbed my hair, causing me to grimace in pain. The person who caught me skillfully twisted my arm, and I nearly fainted from the pain, losing my ability to move. The gang leader slapped me across the face and shouted, "You little wretch! If I don't teach you a lesson today, I might as well not live!" My expression changed, and with all my strength, I kicked the person holding me in the knee. Caught off guard, he loosened his grip, and I broke free, standing aside and coldly watching them. I then slid the bag off my right shoulder and quickly pulled out a military knife about a foot long, pressing the button, and with a sharp sound, the gleaming blade sprang out.

I clearly felt his lips pressed against mine, twisting and sucking, bit by bit, again and again. My mind felt as if it had been submerged in water, beginning to malfunction. I first felt a chill, but then it turned into a heat, until it became scalding. His tongue teased along the edges of my teeth, and I became so entranced that I naturally relaxed. His tongue flowed like a babbling spring, omnipresent, even reaching into my throat, stirring countless ripples. I sensitively tasted the lingering flavor of coffee from his mouth, and I was unsure if there were other flavors in my own mouth.

At that moment, I heard the sound of a fight coming from behind me. Turning around, I saw Song Lingwei deliver a right hook to someone's neck, causing that person to crash to the ground. Another beautiful spinning kick followed by a jab left another individual crouching on the ground, clutching their abdomen. The movements were clean and swift, extraordinarily impressive. I looked at the person before me, whose face was so detestable, a creature worse than a pig or a dog! A beast in human clothing! Remembering how his hand had slipped into my shirt earlier, writhing like a snake on my body, I felt nauseated. I looked at the person before me again, his face so loathsome, a creature worse than a pig or a dog! A beast in human clothing! The memory of his hand sliding into my shirt, writhing like a snake within my body, made me feel sick. Such a person deserves to die! I felt somewhat extreme, fueled by anger, and kicked him hard on the shoulder, my left hand gripping his neck, my teeth grinding together, raising my right hand with a tightly clenched knife, and with a downward thrust of my elbow, I mercilessly aimed for his shoulder blade.

I just exerted all my strength, and now I am exhausted, no longer having the energy to compete with him. Tired, I asked, "What do you want? Do you want to be like them?" He said with a stern face, "Lin Ai, sit still. I have tolerated you for a long time!" I cursed, "You are crazy!" He snatched the military knife I was holding and pressed, "What is this?" I rolled my eyes and replied, "Can't you see for yourself?" He coldly asked again, "A girl carrying a knife at all times, what exactly do you intend to do?" I was taken aback and then said, "What's the big deal! It's for self-defense. It's just an ordinary knife! It's just to deal with situations like today."

I was gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. At first, they might have just wanted to humiliate me, but now it seemed more complicated; they appeared to be stirred into a ferocity by my actions. I felt a surge of anxiety, realizing the situation was turning against me, and I immediately turned around, desperately running forward. However, after just a couple of steps, I discovered that I was facing a wall. Cold sweat trickled down my forehead as I clenched my fists, intently watching their movements. One of them allowed me to struggle like a trapped beast and suddenly spoke: "You seem to have some skills. You two, be careful, don't let her escape." Upon hearing his words, I truly panicked and recklessly charged at one of them, trying to break through the encirclement.

My nose sniffled, and I looked up, forcing back the tears in my eyes. It was truly thrilling just now, and only upon reflection do I feel a sense of fear. What surprised me even more was that Song Lingwei stopped me from letting the situation escalate further, yet he himself walked up to that person, grabbed his right arm, and pulled it outward with force. I heard continuous screams, either a fracture or a dislocation. I stared blankly at Song Lingwei, startled, completely unable to comprehend, my mouth agape and speechless. I heard continuous screams, either a fracture or a dislocation. I stared blankly at Song Lingwei, startled, completely unable to comprehend, my mouth agape and speechless. I was ruthless, but he was even more ruthless

The staff elevator is used by workers for loading and unloading goods. I had no choice but to open the wooden door of the safety passage and squeeze inside. There were no heating pipes, and the cold wind from outside rushed in, making it particularly chilly. As soon as I entered, I shivered. The steps were quite generous, low and wide, but there were exceptionally many of them, layer upon layer, as if they would never end. Unable to withstand the cold, I ran up in one breath, so exhausted that I could not straighten my back. I leaned against the wall and rested for a while before slowly making my way to the counter. I took a glance at the front desk and asked, "Where is the goods I ordered?"

It was not any of my colleagues who came to meet me, but rather Cao. I had no time to be angry with him, so I grabbed my hair, which was flying all over the place, and said: "Come on, you carry two bags, and I'll carry two bags, let's hurry back, let's hurry back, I'm freezing like the telephone pole outside." He quickly picked up all the bags on the ground and said: "I'll carry them, you hurry back!" I turned around and asked: "Can you carry them?" He replied: "Of course!" I didn't hold back either, shivering as I crossed the road and ran into the mall. The warmth poured down on me from above, instantly penetrating my whole body. I comfortably exhaled a breath and stretched, saying: "Finally, I feel alive again."

However, he kept teasing me, advancing step by step, and I found myself cornered by his tongue, with no way to retreat or hide. In a moment of determination, I decided to engage with him. Our tongues intertwined, and I accidentally bumped against his teeth, feeling pain and discomfort. I frowned and pushed him away, but his hand moved to the back of my neck, his fingers weaving through my hair, massaging gently, which felt very pleasant. He carefully caressed my tongue, as if making amends. I thought to myself that it was nothing; I was not seventeen or eighteen anymore! It was just a kiss. I frowned and pushed him away again, but his hand returned to the back of my neck, fingers entwined in my hair, massaging gently, which felt very pleasant. He meticulously soothed my tongue, as if compensating. I thought this was nothing; I was not seventeen or eighteen! It was just a kiss. Although this kiss could not be described as perfectly harmonious and intoxicating, it still made my face flush, my ears hot, and my heart race.

He let out a sneer, his face gradually drawing closer, his hand casually resting on my shoulder, but I knew I could never break free from his control. I held my breath, my heart racing fiercely, trying to calm myself, and softly asked, "What do you want to do?" I realized I was nervous, my exhaled breath was warm. Suddenly, he laughed, the breath from his nose blowing directly onto my face, his voice lightly ringing in my ear: "Don't you want to do anything?" Then, in a flash, he kissed me. His entire upper body leaned against me, firmly sealing off my struggle. He suddenly laughed again, the breath from his nose blowing directly onto my face, his voice lightly ringing in my ear: "Don't you want to do anything?" Then, in a flash, he kissed me. His entire upper body leaned against me, firmly sealing off my struggle.

As usual, I went to work. Li Xin did not come, saying she had taken a leave and swapped shifts with someone else. She should be grateful she didn't come, although there is no solid evidence, I can guess a little. I am not someone to be easily provoked; having suffered a hidden loss, I will definitely seek to reclaim it. I heard that lions and cats look very similar when they are young, making them easy to confuse; she should keep her eyes wide open. I went to Wangjing to transfer goods, braving the cold wind, with four large bags of clothes in my hands. I patted my pocket and realized I had not brought any cash, only a bus card on me, which meant I couldn't take a taxi. I had no choice but to shuffle my way to the bus stop, and with the help of the ticket seller, I managed to load all the goods onto the bus.

I opened the glass door for the person behind me, rubbing my hands together and said, "I'll take two, is it heavy to carry?" He didn't let me, dodging away, and replied, "Isn't it heavy for you to carry?" Suddenly, I put on a stern face and said, "Why are you so shamelessly following me again?! You have no job, but I still have work to do! Aren't you annoying?!" I snatched the bag from his hand and hurriedly jumped onto the elevator. He chased after me, explaining, "No—I've brought something for you—" I flatly refused, saying, "I don't want it!" Was it something about the sweetest fruit in the world or something? I said, "Why are you so shamelessly following me again?! You have no job, but I still have work to do! Aren't you annoying?!" I snatched the bag from his hand and hurriedly jumped onto the elevator. He chased after me, explaining, "No—I've brought something for you—" I flatly refused, saying, "I don't want it!" Was it something about the sweetest fruit in the world or something? I won't buy it myself! I don't need him to please me!

Looking at the clothes scattered all over the floor, I angrily asked, "Cao, do you want to turn the storeroom upside down?" He, drenched in sweat, replied, "I want to sort them properly before putting the clothes back in." I retorted, "Do you even know how to categorize them?" He pulled out the tags from the collars and the codes, saying, "Do you see this? These numbers are the categories. What are you busying yourself with?" Then, without even looking, he picked up the clothes and stuffed them onto the shelves. No one knows better than I do where each piece of clothing belongs, what model it is, what color it is, and what size it is. In such a large storeroom, he knows nothing and still wants to help; doesn't he get tired of it!

He seemed unable to control his emotions, and unexpectedly collapsed onto me, gasping for breath. I hurriedly adjusted my breathing, regained my composure first, and pushed him away, saying: "Song Lingwei, is this all you want? And then it's over? Well, if that's the case, consider it repaying your favor." He slowly crawled off my body, returned to the driver's seat, and said fiercely: "Lin Ai, you are truly a woman with a heart of stone!" I raised an eyebrow and made a face. The atmosphere relaxed, and he indeed smiled, shot me a glance, looked ahead, and started the car. Returning to the driver's seat, he said fiercely: "Lin Ai, you are truly a woman with a heart of stone!" I raised an eyebrow and made a face. The atmosphere relaxed, and he indeed smiled, shot me a glance, looked ahead, and started the car.

Cao Cao stood to the side and asked, "What happened? Why can't you leave?" I vented my anger on him, saying, "Nothing good ever comes from encountering you!" He looked quite ashamed. I felt a twinge of guilt and realized that I was being unreasonable. He was genuinely trying to help, and no matter how one looked at it, he did not deserve such treatment. I sighed and instructed him, "You take these things upstairs and leave them in the outdoor sales area. I will use the staff passage. Hurry up, hurry up." He happily took the items upstairs, looking as if he had found treasure, as if he was not someone who was meant to be ordered around! He was not an employee here, so naturally, he could use the outside elevator.

I took out the perfume bottle and stared blankly at the liquid inside. How joyful it was to conduct experiments back then, with the electric stirrer making a whirring sound in the three-necked flask; now, thinking back, that noisy sound was surprisingly melodious, like a celestial melody. I could never behave, deliberately reaching my hand into the heating mantle to use it as a hand warmer. Some classmates even brought food in, lighting the alcohol lamp to cook and eat, filling the room with delightful aromas, and the teacher would come over with a smile to join in. Later, the equipment was upgraded; there were no more alcohol lamps or gas lamps, just electromagnetic heaters. The steam would puff out with a "puff puff" sound, and "whoosh" from the beaker... I shook my head, forbidding myself to think further, poured a little lotion, and slowly rubbed it along the back of my hand. The skin on my hand immediately became smooth and delicate, and I indeed felt much more comfortable.

I reached out and touched the shoulder bag, angrily saying: "You scum, all you know is to bully the weak and fear the strong! Three big men beating up one woman, is that considered skill?" He was rendered speechless, and then, in a fit of rage, he said fiercely: "Women like you will never know what to say and what not to say unless you are taught a lesson! You think you are the embodiment of justice!" He signaled with his eyes, and the two people beside him began to close in on me. He lunged at me.

As Lele was checking out, she smiled at me and said, "Your family member is in the storage room stocking up! Does he know what he is doing?" Upon hearing her choice of words, I felt a twinge of displeasure and replied with a stern face, "Who is his family member! Offering unsolicited kindness is either deceitful or thieving. What good do you think he has done? Haven't I suffered enough because of him?!" Lele looked up at me in surprise, and after a moment, she apologized, "Muxi, I'm sorry." I then smiled and said, "It's nothing, I was just momentarily confused and speaking nonsense. It's really too cold outside; perhaps it has frozen my brain." I then greeted her and went into the storage room.

Suddenly, my right arm was grabbed by someone. Turning around, I saw it was Song Lingwei. With a blank expression, he said: "Lin Ai, for someone like him, it's not worth it; there's no need to dirty your hands!" Upon seeing him, it was as if I had caught sight of the first ray of dawn in the dark night, and in an instant, I was enlightened and suddenly awakened. Once blood is shed, things become much more complicated. I reached out to touch my sweaty face, and in despair, I collapsed to the ground, my right hand still tightly gripping the knife in my palm. He said again, with no change in his expression: "Lin Ai, for someone like him, it's not worth it; there's no need to dirty your hands!" Upon seeing him, it was as if I had caught sight of the first ray of dawn in the dark night, and in an instant, I was enlightened and suddenly awakened. Once blood is shed, things become much more complicated. I reached out to touch my sweaty face, and in despair, I collapsed to the ground, my right hand still tightly gripping the knife in my palm. I turned my head and glared fiercely at the person curled up on the ground: "Consider yourself lucky!"

I clearly saw the flash of anger and cruelty in his eyes. Before he lunged at me, I spun around and delivered a side kick, my right foot striking downwards. He was completely unprepared and was hit hard on the left leg, toppling to the ground. The other two, sensing the situation was not in their favor, rushed forward. I dared not linger and took off running, with them hot on my heels. One of them suddenly pulled out a piece of metal from somewhere and threw it at the back of my head. I heard the sound of the wind and halted my steps, quickly dodging to the side. One of them seized the opportunity to block my escape route. I retreated to the left, but found myself surrounded, with the man I had kicked standing directly in front of me. His eyes reddened, and with a sinister expression, he said: "I have never suffered such a great loss at the hands of any woman. You have some skill. I will let you go today, but you won't be able to survive on the streets anymore!"

I calmly fasten my seatbelt. If I do not show you any ruthlessness today, there will naturally be a large number of people who will be ruthless towards me. There are some matters that I believe I can distinguish very clearly. Over the course of ten years, I have learned far too many lessons.

He walked over, crouched in front of me, and reached out to fasten the buttons of my shirt, as the first three buttons on my chest had come undone. Perhaps noticing the scratches on my chest, his expression changed. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over me. Then he stood up and walked towards the other two individuals. After a scuffle ensued, there were two loud cracks, the unmistakable sound of bones breaking. All I could hear in the underground parking lot was the wailing and howling of the injured. He returned, without saying a word, and slapped the leader of the thugs twice with great force. After another round of fighting, there were again two loud cracks, the same sound of bones breaking. The cries of the wounded echoed throughout the underground parking lot. He came back again, without uttering a word, and delivered two fierce slaps to the thug leader. I saw that man's face swell immediately, the corner of his mouth split open, and blood began to seep out slowly. His strikes were exceptionally ruthless.

"Song Lingwei, do not think that by being a hero saving a damsel in distress, I am obliged to offer myself to you. What exactly do you want?" He is no different; as a mere merchant, he should be like Cao Cao, pushed by others and tumbling down. He reached out his hand, his fingers brushing against my cheek, lingering at the corner of my eye, and slowly said: "Lin Ai, what else has happened to you?" I avoided his gaze and replied languidly: "Song Lingwei, we are truly different people now. It feels as if we are separated by clouds; you are the sky, and I am the earth." I did not want to look at him, nor did I dare to. A trace of sorrow welled up in my heart; the ends of the earth are no different from this. Now, we are close yet worlds apart.

No matter what I do, I cannot handle the three big men by myself. I pretended to be timid, lowering my head and cautiously slipping past them, hoping they would spare me for my weakness. As I slowly brushed past them, I noticed no movement and was just beginning to breathe a sigh of relief when the one who appeared to be the leader coldly shouted, "Stop!" As I watched him approach, I felt an overwhelming sense of pressure, as if a mountain were bearing down on me, making it hard to breathe loudly. He gestured with his right hand, and the other two immediately spread out, blocking my escape route. I tightened my pupils and silently stared at him.

They looked at me in astonishment, clearly taken aback. However, they still held the advantage; even with a knife in my hand, they were merely more cautious. Unless I were holding a gun instead of a knife at that moment. I was truly driven to desperation, losing my reason, and recklessly charged at their leader, thrusting the tip of the knife forcefully towards his chest. His face changed color as he attempted to seize my wrist. Gasping for breath, I raised my foot and kicked him hard in the groin. I was truly driven to desperation, losing my reason, and recklessly charged at their leader, thrusting the tip of the knife forcefully towards his chest. His face changed color as he attempted to seize my wrist. Gasping for breath, I raised my foot and kicked him hard in the groin. He let out a scream like a slaughtered pig, half-kneeling on the ground. I held the knife protectively in front of my chest, having made a desperate resolution.