So, she had to focus only on the two-meter stretch ahead, driving while constantly monitoring the road conditions. Yet, the worst thing still happened—her hands, already numb from the cold, lost control of the steering wheel. The car slipped and got stuck in a low-lying area, sinking deep into the mud. No matter how hard Xie Ningbing pressed the accelerator, the vehicle wouldn’t budge. The wheels slid heavily, throwing up thick clods of mud that left the body of the car messy and disheveled. Xie Ningbing’s elegant car was now completely transformed, looking utterly unrecognizable. The car was stuck, sliding helplessly—what could she do? She sat inside, deeply anxious. The sound came from outside the car. When Xie Ningbing looked, she was stunned—two men, one tall and one short, one stout and one lean, their appearances ugly and fierce. The short, stout one was the younger brother of the tall, lean one. Clearly, they had encountered robbers. What could she do? Call the police! She reached for her phone to make a call, but it had been soaked in rain and wouldn’t answer. "No! Don’t come near me!" Xie Ningbing cried out. "I insist! I insist!" The short, stout man’s lustful gaze was terrifying. "I’m calling for help!" Xie Ningbing said, trembling with fear. "Hey, little girl! Just shout! Use all your strength! I won’t take you for granted today!" The short, stout man remained unmoved—there was no one to hear or respond in this situation. "Help! Anyone! Help!" Xie Ningbing actually began to shout. "Shout again! If you don’t, I’ll stab you!" The short, stocky man produced a two-edged triangular spear, brandishing it with fierce determination. "Shen Ningbing was stunned. She wanted to cry, yet found no voice; with a painful, desperate closure of her eyes, two clear tears traced their way down her beautiful cheeks. She couldn't believe that her innocence had been destroyed by these two assailants! The two thugs were overjoyed, their faces glowing with exhilaration—having already been starved for food, they had long since settled on the idea of fulfilling their animal instincts within the vehicle. They had already removed her outer garment, revealing her inviting breasts, and their gazes grew even more greedy, like two starving wolves closing in on her graceful form. Meanwhile, Shen Ningbing remained as still as water turning to ice—her heart completely frozen, her spirit utterly defeated. Yet, a miracle unfolded. The two thugs, as if swept away by a sudden breeze, fell to the ground, one after another. Shen Ningbing, curious, opened her eyes of despair and noticed someone familiar—oh! It's him! He's here! A warm surge of emotion, excitement filling him. "You little sneak! You've got me on the defensive!" The short, stocky man picked up a two-edged triangular spear from the ground and charged straight at him. He dodged and slipped, evading the attack. The tall, lean man also rose, holding a brick, and swung it directly at him. He tilted his head and shifted his body, successfully avoiding the blow. But the short, stocky man raised the spear again, driving it straight into his chest—blood spilled out, staining his shirt. Yet he showed no fear, as if he'd forgotten the pain. He leaped forward, kicked hard, and struck precisely at the short man's jaw—clattering to the ground. The short man cried out, writhing in pain. The tall man still charged, but the strong, powerful roundhouse punch landed squarely on the tall man's temple, sending stars bursting across his vision and a loud hum through his head, nearly sending him staggering. "Brother, this young man has real talent. Let's go!" the short man instructed the tall one. "Go!" "You'll see!" the short, stocky man said, and then the two vanished into the vast darkness. "Xiao Long! How are you? Is the wound still painful?" Xie Ningbing had already dressed in her outer robe, now looking at Gao Liang whose chest still bled, her heart aching. "Ningbing! I'm sorry I arrived late and made you worry!" Gao Liang completely ignored his own injuries, instead showing genuine concern for Xie Ningbing, which deeply touched her. "The car got stuck in the mud and won't budge—what now?" Xie Ningbing frowned, troubled. "Ningbing, let me try! You drive in front, I'll push from the back!" Gao Liang reached to the rear of the vehicle. "Alright!" Xie Ningbing nodded, knowing there was little else to do. "We can't move it! The engine won't start!" Xie Ningbing kept trying to start the engine, but the car remained motionless—indeed, the engine hadn't started at all. "Ningbing, don't worry. Let me have a look!" "Highlight indicated to Xie Ningbing not to worry, carefully inspecting and analyzing the cause of the fault." "Ah! It's the relay!" Highlight removed the main relay supplying power to the ignition system's igniter, held it up in front of Xie Ningbing and said, "Ningbing, do we have a spare relay?" The question stumped him himself—after all, how could there be a spare relay available under such circumstances! Of course, Xie Ningbing shook her head in disappointment. With no spare relay available, they only had time to remove the plastic housing of the relay and examine it closely, discovering that the internal solder joints at the two terminals had loosened and were dampened by rain. "Do we have a soldering iron? If we have one, we can fix this!" Highlight asked Xie Ningbing. Xie Ningbing, however, was a senior manager at the company and had never actually used a soldering iron before. So she shook her head, expressing her disappointment. "Ah! I remember now!" Shen Bing—what a blessing! I remember that day when I took my grandmother home. I placed the electric soldering iron from my office onto your car. Shen Bing, check under your seat—do you see it? There’s still a coil of solder wire wrapped around it!" Gao Liang became excited. Under Gao Liang’s prompt, Shen Bing easily located it and handed it over. After Gao Liang securely soldered the connection, the fault was resolved. The car started up. Shen Bing tested it, but due to continued slipping, it still wouldn’t move. What to do? It had to be pushed! Gao Liang knew this was essential. "Shen Bing, let’s work together!" Gao Liang pumped the gas. "Yes! Xiao Long! Let’s work together!" Shen Bing and Gao Liang pushed together. "One, two, three…" Gao Liang exerted all his strength pushing from behind, but the car remained motionless. It was deeply embedded in the mud, uphill, and quite heavy—plus, only one person was pushing. How could it possibly move? Gao Liang calmed down. He realized that anxiety was of no use. Suddenly, he remembered the time he and Dong Mengyao had drawn a lucky big wheel at the Binhai Park, where he had felt a surge of strength—driven by confidence, enthusiasm, and his inner resolve. The wheel, as if responding to his heartbeat, began to spin in rhythm with his pulse, and finally, he won the grand prize—a new model Lenovo laptop. Now, would it be the same with this car? Would he need to use his inner strength to push it forward, rather than just his hands? After all, his hands alone could hardly move it. He decided to try. With his eyes closed, he focused his mind, gathering all his inner strength. "One, two, three… go!" He called out with full confidence. And then, miracles happened—the car finally began to move. Meanwhile, Miss Xie Ningbing, the beautiful manager, was both astonished and carefully started the engine, gradually increasing the throttle. It moved! It moved! It rose! Rising slowly, steadily. "Success! Xiao Long! We've done it!" Xie Ningbing shouted excitedly! Finally, they could go home! "Get in, Xiao Long—you've been so tired today!" Xie Ningbing watched Hao Liang, gasping for breath, and felt genuinely sorry. Today, it hadn't been for him, she would have both herself and the car ruined. After passing through that dreadful construction zone, Xie Ningbing's expression transformed from gloomy to bright, and the sunlight seemed to shine even more brilliantly. She drove smoothly and steadily toward her home—the Tianwai Tian Villa. Tianwai Tian Villa—Xie Ningbing's home. *Eighty Electronic Books | Zei8.com Electronic Books* When Grandma learned that Hao Liang had sustained injuries to his chest while rescuing Xie Ningbing, she was deeply moved. She was truly amazed by Hao Liang's selfless bravery and unwavering courage—what a wonderful Xiao Long! To have overlooked everything for our Ningning, and nearly lost our lives—since the blade was so close to the heart. Had it been any closer, the young Gao Liang would have been completely finished. In that case, neither I nor Ningning would ever find peace. Such a wonderful young man—our very first chance to repay his kindness would have been lost. That would have been truly regrettable. Therefore, it was Grandma who felt most deeply about this incident. After all, she had seen so much of life at her age! As for Xie Ningbing, as a direct witness, she naturally felt the deepest gratitude. She arranged Gao Liang on a soft sofa bed and willingly helped him remove his outer garments. The strong, solid muscles of his chest revealed themselves—this was the embodiment of masculine strength and vitality. Seeing this, Xie Ningbing blushed deeply, her heart fluttering like a little rabbit’s, yet knowing that saving his life was the priority. She gently stroked his wound, fetched emergency medicines from the family medicine cabinet, applied them, and then carefully bandaged the injury. Xie Ningbing was well-versed in these medical basics, having studied at a medical university for one year. Originally, she had intended to become a doctor. However, due to her parents running companies abroad and the domestic shareholding company being poorly managed at home, she was encouraged to switch to a major in business management, and upon graduation, she was assigned to the current company. "Thank you! Xiao Long!" Xie Ningbing was so moved she almost cried, never having felt someone so thoughtful before. "Ningbing! We're the closest friends. Friends don't say thank you—Ningbing, I feel truly honored to serve you, even if I get hurt. As long as you're safe and sound, a little injury from me is nothing!" High Light's words deeply touched Xie Ningbing. "Ningbing, I just feel so happy when you're healthy and safe—when you're well, I feel truly at peace!" High Light continued, speaking with heartfelt emotion, and Xie Ningbing was completely enchanted. How warm and sincere those words were! "Xiao Long, do you know? Besides my parents and my grandmother, you're the one who cares about me most!" Xie Ningbing finally shared her heartfelt thoughts. "Do you know why I care so much about you?" High Light looked at her, asking with deep sincerity. "Why?" Xie Ningbing widened her eyes. "Because…" High Light paused. "What?" — "Xie Ningbing asked. "I love you, truly. I really, really love you!" After a pause, Gao Liang finally gathered the courage to say it. "Xiao Long, you've finally found the strength to say it. In fact, even if you don't say it, I've always felt it deeply." Xie Ningbing nodded eagerly. "Ningbing, promise me—starting now, be my girlfriend! I'll treat you well, truly. I won't deceive you!" Gao Liang spoke with heartfelt emotion, his voice rich and resonant. "Yes!" Xie Ningbing nodded slightly, shyly, her voice soft and her cheeks flushed. "Though I can't offer you much right now, I'll work hard to make you happy. With my heart, I promise you—forever, forever, I love you, and that love will never change." Gao Liang pledged, knowing that if one truly loves someone, one must make them happy. "Xiao Long, you're an excellent man. My boyfriend. We're truly meant to be together!" Xie Ningbing was truly moved. "Ningbing, do you know why I've been working so hard to become better?" Gao Liang gazed at Xie Ningbing, asking. "Why?" Xie Ningbing wanted to know, eagerly awaiting Gao Liang's answer. "He changed because of a girl. When he was at the brink of giving up his job search, it was this girl who gave him one final chance. She consistently recognized his potential, provided him with a platform and space for growth, and inspired him to keep becoming stronger and more outstanding. So, for this beautiful girl, he has been striving and constantly surpassing himself, gradually becoming more and more excellent. In truth, he wasn't naturally outstanding—his excellence stems entirely from the motivation and support she has given him. Without her, there would be no present-day him. He has completely transformed for her. Now, he cannot do without her—he deeply needs her." Gao Liang expressed his feelings for Xie Ningbing with the magnetic warmth of his own voice, completely captivating and making Xie Ningbing deeply enchanted. He continued, "And this girl—right before me—is my Miss Xie! My Xie Ningbing! My beautiful friend! I love you, Ningbing! Even if you reject me, I will still love you! I will love you for ten thousand years—my sincerity will never change!" "Xiao Long! Xiao Long! I'm so touched!" Tears streamed down Xie Ningbing's eyes as she could no longer contain her excitement. She rushed into the arms of her beloved boyfriend, Gao Liang, and wept happily. Gao Liang, in turn, gently stroked her hair, deeply moved. After all, Xie Ningbing, the esteemed company manager and beauty, had finally become his girlfriend—making him, by right, her official boyfriend. How difficult that had been! Thinking back on all the effort he had poured into it, he had never expected any return—yet he knew that as long as he kept striving, he would surely reap rewards, at the very least, progress. Yes, no matter how hard we try, perfection is never guaranteed. Yet we must never give up hope, never stop striving. As long as we give our very best, and do our utmost, even if we fail, we can face it without regret. Of course, good things happen to those who persevere—effort always pays off. Eventually, that reward will come. Indeed, today we've been injured, even bleeding—something we haven't experienced before. The wound hasn't healed as smoothly as in past instances. Yet this time, our lovely manager has been deeply moved. Because the sky has its own plan, not merely my personal will. Thus, our efforts are truly rewarded. On a flight from the United States to Binhai City, a beautiful young woman sits by the window, gazing at the clear blue sky and white clouds outside. In her hands, she holds a faded six-inch color photograph. Softly, she murmurs, "Xiaolong, Xiaolong. Zhao Yuyan, finally back where you belong. Where are you now?" Zhao Yuyan finished reading and instantly fell into deep reminiscence: the memories trace back nine years. At that time, Xiao Yuyan was just a nine-year-old girl, while Gao Liang was a twelve-year-old boy. In her childhood memories, Xiao Yuyan’s family had always been prosperous and well-off. She grew up happily under her parents’ constant care and affection, enjoying a life of comfort where everything was provided for—her meals and clothes came effortlessly. At home, she was always a proud little princess. However, nine years ago, a sudden turn of events occurred. Her father, due to business setbacks and financial difficulties, had to flee debt and was abruptly transferred from a prestigious elite school in Binhai to a remote, rural village—a place so backward! It was truly a mountain village with no access to water or electricity, completely isolated from the vibrant world beyond. Dad and Mom rented a modest village home, living a simple life indistinguishable from that of the local residents. Xiao Yuanyan attended the local elementary school, which had only three part-time teachers and was housed in a dilapidated warehouse inherited from the village. From Grade 1 to Grade 6, all students shared one large classroom, resulting in a disorganized management system. The village children, naturally wild and mischievous, often teased and bullied the new girls, especially the young ones. Xiao Yuanyan, having received a solid education at a prestigious private school, immediately enrolled in the sixth-grade class, becoming the youngest student there. Her intelligence quickly drew envy from many of the village children, who then began to target her. One day, while reading her textbook, Xiao Yuanyan discovered that her Chinese textbook had been completely smudged with ink by one of the mischievous students, making the text nearly unreadable. Just then, the Chinese teacher called on her to read aloud—what could she do? Xiao Yuanyan suddenly became so anxious that her tears were about to stream down. At that moment, a big boy gently pulled at her sleeve from behind. When she turned around, it was Gao Qiang from her childhood. He immediately offered her his Chinese textbook without hesitation, which deeply moved Xiao Yuanyan.