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.....

With both men observing her, Jiao Jiao's eyelids flickered. She tensed and cried, "Save her, please, someone save her!"

Li Qian cradled her face and whispered into her ear; the sound was a soft melody that calmed Jiao Jiao's frightened heart.

"She's safe, Jiao Jiao, we've saved her. Now you need to come back to us, hmm? It's time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

As her eyelashes fluttered and her gaze met his, relief and affection flooded his expression. Her eyes filled with tears, and he tenderly wiped each crystal droplet from her skin as it fell.

"Shh, it's okay. You're safe now." He continued reassuring her as she struggled to sit up and tucked her knees under her dress.

Song Junhui poured a glass of water and held it out to her. She watched him warily from her little protected ball until finally, Li Qian took it in her stead and placed it in her shaking hands.

Li Qian ran a gentle hand down her hair to catch her attention, and she glanced at him. "Jiao Jiao, this is Song Junhui. He's the one that brought you here. He's like a big brother to me, so you can treat him the same way, okay?"

Jiao Jiao gave a tiny nod and took a sip of water from the glass. Passing it back to Li Qian, she tipped her chin down and said, "Hello, Brother Junhui."

She sat for a moment; then her eyes widened in alarm. She grabbed Li Qian's arm and asked, "Brother, did you save the woman? There was a mean man, he was standing over her... she was so scared, I couldn't save her, did you find her..."

Li Qian knelt in front of Jiao Jiao and cupped her face. "Shh, shh, we got her. We saved her, Jiao Jiao. And that man is gone. We called someone, and everything's okay."

Their gazes were locked, his eyes reflecting the affection and protection that surged within him. Her eyelashes brushed against his thumbs with each blink, a delicate flutter that felt like wings brushing against his heart. As her breathing settled, he pulled his hands away and looked at her carefully.

"Tell me, how did you end up in that room? You were talking to Ling Xue before you left. Did she tell you to go there?"

Jiao Jiao startled as if remembering something, then looked away. "I want to go home, Brother Qian. Can I?"

Li Qian was about to press again, but Song Junhui pulled his arm back and shook his head. 'Let her be,' he mouthed.

Sighing heavily, Li Qian stood up from the couch. "I'll take you home. Can you walk okay, or do you need me to carry you?" He reached down to help her stand, but she avoided his touch as she unfolded herself from her little ball.

"I'm okay, Brother Qian, thank you."

After parting from Song Junhui, the pair returned to Jiao Jiao's apartment. As he left her with a final reminder to call him if she had any problems, Li Qian banged his head against the headrest in frustration.

He sent a message to Chen Fan: 'Get me all the CCTV footage from Jade Dynasty Lounge tonight, ASAP!'

.....

Weeks passed, and Jiao Jiao settled back into her routine. Her schedule filled up more and more, busy preparing for midterms, helping Jing Mei with new pieces for her art show, practicing for the talent show, and tutoring twice a week with Li Qian. Ling Xue had also left messages for Jiao Jiao, pushing for a commitment about the BrightSmart role, but she'd been avoiding those with a guilty heart.

The knowledge of their engagement cast a shadow over her relationship with Li Qian, and she replayed their interactions repeatedly. The longer she avoided the topic, the more her mind twisted every interaction they had until she was filled with embarrassment. Ling Xue must have thought she was just a silly little girl with a crush on her fiancé, so she helped stop her little heart from growing more attached.