CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 25: RUTHLESS TO THE CORE (FIRST UPDATE)

Lawrence Winters sprinted over, grabbing Kenneth Osborne’s hand, and they took off running.

Hand in hand, the two of them dashed through the cold winter night like the wind and were inside the car within a single bound.

Kenneth Osborne immediately started the car, slammed his foot on the accelerator, and sped off in the blink of an eye.

Gregory Quinn heard the car engine and scrambled to his feet, trying to grab his phone to capture the license plate number.

But as soon as he stood up, he felt dizzy and nauseous, almost to the point of vomiting.

Not to mention reaching for his phone, he could hardly walk.

"...If I ever find you, you’ll regret it!" Gregory Quinn vowed silently, even planning to get someone to retaliate in a few days.

If he could figure out who had attacked him.

Leaning against the wall, he was bent over like a shrimp, his chest heavy with discomfort, wanting to vomit but unable to.

The back of his head hurt so much it felt like it was on fire, but when he touched it, nothing felt out of place, not even a bump.

It was just painful, nauseating, and utterly dizzy.]

Everything in front of him appeared doubled.

The lighting here was already poor, and combined with his dizziness, it took him a while to recover.

The first thing on his mind was to find his phone.

He reached into his pocket, but it wasn’t there.

He searched all over his body but couldn’t find it anywhere.

Could it have fallen on the ground?

He slowly crouched down, straining to open his eyes wide.

Finally, he saw a spot where a small light seemed to flash.

He reached over and found it was indeed a phone!

But it was a phone that had been crushed flat...

Tears suddenly welled up in Gregory Quinn’s eyes.

He had managed not to cry when he was attacked earlier, but now he couldn’t hold back.

His newly bought Apple phone!

...

Kenneth Osborne and Lawrence Winters soon returned to the underground parking lot of Tower A at Temple Court Residential Area.

They had a smooth trip back, encountering neither a shadow of a person nor even a stray dog.

Lawrence Winters got out of the car and quickly removed the covers concealing the license plate from front and back, tossing them into the trunk.

Kenneth Osborne took off his mask and pulled off his hooded pullover, checking his watch—it was 8:25.

"Nora, forget about tidying up, just hurry upstairs." He locked the car and walked with Lawrence to the parking lot elevator.

Once they were in the elevator, Lawrence whispered, "...Kenneth, how did you know Gregory Quinn was involved with another woman?"

Kenneth sneered contemptuously, his left lip curving into a harshly attractive angle, "...Someone like him, already having fathered an illegitimate child with another woman, do you think he’d only have one affair?—For men, there are either zero affairs, or countless ones, nothing in between."

Lawrence let out a long sigh, "So that’s how it is... No wonder he fell for your trick so easily."

Kenneth stayed silent for a moment, then admitted, "Actually, I was just guessing. I’m surprised he came down so fast."

Lawrence shrugged, sticking her hands into her down jacket pockets, confidently saying, "It’s just a shame, just a surface injury. Kenneth, you didn’t hit hard enough."

Kenneth chuckled, pinching Lawrence’s soft cheek, "Not hard enough? Check his condition in a few days and see. If his mind still works normally, I’ll admit I lost."

It was that final blow to Gregory Quinn’s head that was truly vicious.

After all these years of practicing The Spring Chant Fist, it wasn’t for nothing.

Lawrence brightened up at that, raising her little fist and waving it, "So, he deserved the beating; it was his fate, unavoidable."

Kenneth leaned back against the elevator wall, leisurely pinching Lawrence’s tender cheek again, "Hmm, Little Heavenly Master made a divine calculation, today he was meant to be beaten. We were just following heaven’s will, right?"

"Of course, abiding the will of heaven, punishing evil and promoting good, and upholding positive energy is a responsibility we cannot shirk!" Lawrence thrust her little fist in the air, pushing Kenneth’s hand away.

"Stop pinching my face! Do it again, and I’m flipping out!" Lawrence covered her face and scooted to the side.

Kenneth placed both hands on the elevator’s railing, gazing at Lawrence’s slightly chubby figure clad in a white down jacket, looking like a fluffy little white bunny, and felt content.

Amused, he extended an arm and without hesitation pulled Lawrence from the corner of the elevator to his side, "See, can’t help it. My arm’s long, and this space is small, an oops and I bump into you. Not intentional."

Then, he pinched Lawrence’s face again.

His fingers were long, straight, and knuckle-free, clean and warm, carrying a faint fresh scent, much like a quilt aired in winter sunshine.

Lawrence didn’t actually mind the scent.

She just disliked the connotation of having her face pinched.

She widened her eyes, looking at Kenneth discontentedly, "I’m not a child anymore, you can’t keep pinching my face."

Only children couldn’t resist getting their cheeks pinched.

Lawrence’s face had always been fair and soft, a perfect peach shape ever since she was young.

Countless people in her childhood would exclaim "kawaii" and then pinch her face...

Kenneth felt something stir in his heart, understanding a bit of what Lawrence meant.

He wanted to say "Alright, no more pinching your face," but the smooth and tender sensation of her skin lingered on his fingertips, softer and springier than anything he had ever touched.

He rubbed his fingers together, reluctant to give up this "perk."

Kenneth squinted slightly, laughing softly, "...Pinching your face isn’t directly related to whether you’re a child or not."

Lawrence: "..."

She understood every sentence, but didn’t get the meaning when strung together.

She furrowed her brow at him, "Then what is it related to?"

"Think for yourself." Kenneth grinned smugly, watching as the elevator reached the top floor before saying, "You’re here, go on in."

That’s when Lawrence realized Kenneth had escorted her upstairs.

Though he actually didn’t need to.

The duplex penthouse of this building was the only unit on the top floor, with an elevator opening directly into the home, making it very safe.

But she was still grateful Kenneth had done so.

It’s gentlemanly behavior, something many men, even if they recognized it, might fail to do out of laziness.

The difference between people often lies in just this step.

Lawrence’s mood improved immediately, no longer hung up on Kenneth’s earlier mention of "direct relation."

She waved playfully at him, winking her left eye, "I’m thrilled tonight; getting rid of a menace has completed my good deeds for the day!"

Kenneth winked back, as though they had reached a silent understanding.

In high spirits, he pressed the elevator button for his own floor.

...

Lawrence entered the hallway to change her shoes, finding her uncle and mother sitting in the living room, obviously waiting for her.

Seeing her come in, Gabrielle Winters stood up, gave her a once-over, and seeing she was alright, she waved her hand while heading for the stairs, saying, "Don’t tell me anything, just go get some rest. Kenneth Osborne will be here for tutoring tomorrow."

Lawrence: "???"

She suddenly felt as if she had fallen from heaven to hell.

She looked dejectedly at Nick Zeller, her voice teary as she asked, "Uncle, didn’t you say I had passed today’s trouble?!"

Nick Zeller drank a sip of tea, coughed lightly, and said, "Um, about that, you know how your uncle is?"

"...Feng shui reading, bone divination, and Ba Zi calculations only have a fifty percent accuracy rate!"

Lawrence: "!!!"

You’re really screwing me over!

She glared at Nick Zeller’s sheepish grin before huffing heavily, "Uncle! Have you thought about how to compensate me?"

Seeing Lawrence genuinely angry, Nick Zeller waited for Gabrielle Winters to head upstairs before whispering to Lawrence, "...Two red envelopes for Spring Festival?"

"No, I want your commission reduced by twenty percent." Lawrence held up two fingers appropriately, her big eyes glistening as she looked at Nick Zeller.

Nick Zeller waved a large hand, firmly rejecting, "Distinguished family relations are clear in business. The commission can’t change, think of other compensation."

Lawrence felt like she’d been hit in the chest by an arrow.

She’d done so many good deeds today, accumulating so much merit, yet it seemed... she hadn’t gained any benefits or rewards?!

The emotionally detached Little Heavenly Master expressionlessly opened the notepad app on her phone and seriously began logging:

[Today’s Loss: Debtor—Brooke Osborne: Recorded video, helped beat Gregory Quinn, no money received].

[Today’s Loss: Debtor—Kenneth: Free car, free clothes, free props, free effort to crush phone].

[Today’s Compensation: Made a tiny grass doll and cursed Gregory Quinn’s life unmanageable for five days.—First day].