Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 46

Meng Tang helped Li Hanjin up and asked cautiously, “Are you okay?”

“Where are my glasses?” Li Hanjin, looking utterly disheveled, grabbed Meng Tang and demanded.

Wei Chuan couldn’t stand seeing his hands on Meng Tang, so he stepped forward, yanked Li Hanjin away, and pointed at the ground. “Over there.”

Meng Tang let go of Li Hanjin and picked up the glasses.

Wei Chuan intercepted halfway, snatched the glasses, and shoved them into Li Hanjin’s hand.

Li Hanjin trembled as he put them on, finally getting a clear look at Wei Chuan. Tilting his head back, his bruised and swollen face made for a somewhat comical sight.

Meng Tang pushed Wei Chuan aside and said to Li Hanjin, “Can you let this go?”

If Li Hanjin pursued the matter, Wei Chuan could face disciplinary action from the school, with the worst-case scenario being a suspension from competitions.

She understood this, and Wei Chuan naturally did too.

But he refused to let Meng Tang humble herself before Li Hanjin.

“I don’t need you to apologize to him. I’ll-”

Halfway through his sentence, Meng Tang turned and glared at him. “Shut up.”

Wei Chuan froze for a second, then grinned and said, “Okay.”

Meng Tang: “…”

Was he insane? Getting scolded and still happy about it?

Li Hanjin’s gaze flickered between the two of them, instantly recognizing that this guy named Wei Chuan had feelings for Meng Tang.

He winced and said to Meng Tang, “Of course I wouldn’t refuse you face, but is it really so hard to have a meal with me? It’s been four years since we last saw each other. You know how I treated you all those years before.”

“You, me, and Master relied on each other for survival. Even after I left, I still considered you family.”

Wei Chuan finally realized, this so-called expert was using this as an excuse to ask Meng Tang out to dinner.

He scoffed and said,

“What happened was my doing. There’s no need for this ‘expert’ to use it as leverage to force Meng Tang to eat with you, though I gather from your words that you two know each other.”

“If you were so close, relying on each other for survival, why are you playing the victim now?”

“You can report me to the school for hitting you, but it’s pitch black out here. From a distance, I saw you grabbing one of our female students, just acting on instinct.”

“If you want an apology, I’ll oblige. No need to drag others into it.”

Li Hanjin smiled too. “You hit me, that’s a fact. But I wasn’t harassing anyone. The truth is, Meng Tang and I have known each other since childhood. If this blows up, do you really think it won’t affect you?”

Meng Tang stopped Wei Chuan and recited a string of numbers to Li Hanjin. “This is my number. It’s late tonight. Can we talk tomorrow?”

Li Hanjin nodded slightly. “Alright, get some rest.”

After Li Hanjin left, Wei Chuan muttered under his breath, “Why did you bring him here?”

Wei Chuan, who had unilaterally decided this was their secret spot, was having a hard time accepting it.

“He followed me,” Meng Tang said. “I didn’t expect to run into you.”

“Are you really going to have dinner with him tomorrow?”

“I have class tomorrow.”

“Good. This was my doing. You don’t need to apologize for me. I’ll handle it myself.”

“Got it.”

Wei Chuan pressed his lips together, then asked casually, “Who is he?”

Meng Tang replied, “A former senior from my past.”

Wei Chuan’s heart skipped a beat. “You’ve known each other since childhood?”

Meng Tang hummed in agreement. “He was talented. He came to my house when I was seven. Four years ago, he made a mistake, and my grandfather expelled him from the school.”

Wei Chuan got excited: “Then his character must not be great. People who get expelled from their master’s tutelage either betray their teachers and ancestors or break faith and abandon righteousness. You should really stay away from him. The old man truly has sharp eyes.”

“…” Meng Tang stopped walking and turned to look at Wei Chuan.

Wei Chuan blinked: “Did I say something wrong?”

Meng Tang chuckled: “You really have strong opinions about him, but things aren’t what you think. He wasn’t kicked out for betraying his master or ancestors.”

Meng Tang’s defense made Wei Chuan feel uneasy, but he truly didn’t know the details of that past and didn’t want to jump to conclusions again, lest he annoy Meng Tang.

Meng Tang did have a class the next morning. Li Hanjin had invited her to dinner that evening.

The dimmer lighting at night would help conceal the injuries on his face.

Meng Tang agreed.

As Wei Chuan left the training center, Tian Yu caught up and asked, “Brother Chuan, want to grab a meal together?”

Shao Yiming laughed: “Are you dense? Your Brother Chuan has to go apologize to someone right now. Does he have time to eat with you?”

He had punched Li Hanjin the night before and reported it to the coach today.

The coach nearly tore him apart and threatened to suspend his training if the matter wasn’t resolved.

He managed to get Li Hanjin’s hotel address and private number from the institute’s administration.

The institute had planned to send a teacher along to help resolve the issue, but Wei Chuan didn’t want anyone to witness his humiliating apology and repeatedly assured them he’d handle it himself.

Just as he stepped out of the school gates, the coach, still uneasy, called and told Wei Chuan to wait, he’d accompany him.

“Co-co-co… Coach,” Wei Chuan’s voice trembled, “just wait for my good news, okay?”

What kind of international joke was this? If Old He went along and ended up in a fight, Wei Chuan’s apology would turn into a mediation session.

Did Old He even have any self-awareness?

Wei Chuan vented about this in the school team group chat, sending Shao Yiming and the others into fits of laughter.

When he returned to the chat page, he saw Meng Tang’s name and sent her a message: [Did Li Hanjin invite you out today?]

Meng Tang took her phone out of her bag and saw Wei Chuan’s message.

She paused, then replied: [No.]

Meng Tang smiled wryly at his response of [That’s good.]

Wei Chuan didn’t understand Li Hanjin at all. It was true that the man was highly talented, but he was also deeply vindictive.

As a child, Li Hanjin had been bullied. Too frail to fight back, he’d resorted to underhanded tactics instead.

For fourteen years, he grew up without guidance, relying only on dirty tricks and schemes.

Her grandfather had once said there was a dangerous, extreme side to his personality, shaped by his family environment.

But the old man valued talent too much to abandon such a promising student, so he patiently guided him.

Over two or three years, Li Hanjin changed a lot, becoming fiercely protective of those he deemed important.

But toward others? Meng Tang knew he had never possessed an ounce of kindness.

Wei Chuan had punched Li Hanjin, partly because of her. She couldn’t let Wei Chuan face disciplinary action for it.

“The youth woodcarving workshop at the museum, you were the one who went, right?”

Meng Tang froze, turning to look at Li Hanjin: “How did you know?”

Li Hanjin smiled: “I was originally supposed to go. Truth is, I knew you studied here and wanted to see you.”

Meng Tang: “No wonder the curator chased after me to ask if I’d be willing to share my contact info.”

“You’re still the same as before,” Li Hanjin said.

Meng Tang wasn’t here to reminisce. The restaurant was just ahead. She stepped onto the stairs and said to Li Hanjin:

“You know why I came.”

Li Hanjin: “I know. After dinner, I definitely won’t make things difficult for your friend.”

“Mm, let’s go in.”

Their figures disappeared through the entrance of Hexi Courtyard. Wei Chuan stood frozen for a full three seconds before realizing Meng Tang had lied to him.

After a brief pause, he followed them inside.