Chapter Thirty-Five: Cold Sweat (Second Chapter of the Day)

Chapter Thirty-Five: Cold Sweat

When Chen Xiao woke, it was already the middle of the night.

He awoke from a deep sleep with a jolt, his eyes snapping open as though startled from a nightmare. In an instant, he rolled over and sat up straight in bed!

The hospital observation room was almost empty. Since Chen Xiao had suffered no visible injuries and was simply unable to wake, and with all tests coming back normal, the emergency staff had simply left him there.

The first thing Chen Xiao did upon waking was to touch his head. Then, as if unable to believe it, he carefully checked his arms, his chest, his abdomen...

Once he had confirmed that he was completely unscathed, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

I clearly remember... At that moment, that car definitely hit me!

Clarity slowly returned, and as he forced himself to recall every detail, the more he remembered, the more the cold sweat poured.

The car rushed toward him, and he had been frozen in shock and fear, unable to dodge—even if he’d wanted to, there hadn’t been time. But as the car struck, he vaguely recalled a sudden surge of—what?—power from within him.

That power erupted almost explosively, a sensation surging through his entire body, as if he’d been electrified. Instinctively, he’d closed his eyes and hugged himself tight...

The car hit me, I was fine, and the car flew off? Chen Xiao’s mouth felt dry, his heart pounding again.

The young man began to realize, albeit faintly: his body must have undergone some transformation beyond his understanding!

He quickly remembered what that fellow, Lei Hu from the "Service Agency," had said to him. And also what Hei San—Yanni—had told him before she left:

I am already on the agency’s “observation list”!

What is this, exactly? Supernatural power?

Chen Xiao lifted his hand, examining his fingers closely. They were still long and slender, the result of years playing piano, though the callouses at the base of his fingers spoke to his recent years working odd jobs.

His hand was still flesh and blood; it was hard to imagine how, at that moment, he could have had the strength to send a speeding car... flying.

Lost in thought, he barely noticed the door opening.

Standing there was the mistress of his employer’s household, entering with a weary expression. Though well-maintained, her face now bore a large swelling on her forehead, etched with exhaustion and sorrow, though she forced a smile as she approached Chen Xiao’s bedside.

“You’re awake, Chen Xiao.” Her gaze darted away. “About today... thank you. Otherwise, I might not be alive right now.”

Chen Xiao’s mind was still in turmoil. He shook his head. “It’s nothing. Seeing that happen, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”

But even as he finished speaking, tears welled in the woman’s eyes. She sat at his bedside, covering her mouth with her hand, quietly sobbing.

Chen Xiao, kindhearted as he was, sighed softly and spoke gently: “About what happened today, you...”

“I almost wish I had died,” she interrupted, shaking her head, her sobs mournful.

“Uh... The driver—he’s your husband, right?” Chen Xiao scratched his nose. “You two...”

She wiped her tears and looked at him. “You saw and heard everything. I just never imagined he’d be so heartless...”

And so, as she wept, she told her story.

It was a simple tale, all too common. She and her husband had been married over ten years, life once peaceful. But in recent years, his career flourished and he paid less attention to the family; their relationship grew distant.

And, as the saying goes, wealth changes men. After his success, her husband’s temperament grew strange, his temper short, and he picked up bad habits: drinking, gambling, womanizing. He kept a mistress.

“I knew about all of it long ago,” she sighed, her eyes sorrowful. “But for my daughter, for Anqi, I endured it in silence. I didn’t want her to lose her family at such a young age. But lately, he’s gone too far...”

Chen Xiao watched her wiping her tears, momentarily stunned, before handing her a tissue.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice hoarse, eyes swollen. “We fought again today. He’s addicted to gambling now, and has lost a fortune. Just yesterday, he pawned a car. Today, he came back for more money, hoping to win it all back. He’s become reckless; he’s lost most of our savings. Even his company’s in trouble...”

“Does your daughter know about all this?” Chen Xiao asked carefully.

“Anqi doesn’t know,” she replied, her gaze softening. “I’ve always tried to protect her. She called today to say she’d be home late, and I thought, since it was just the two of us, I might talk to my husband, try to reason with him.”

Chen Xiao gritted his teeth. “To drive a car at your own wife—he’s inhuman!”

She shook her head, sadness all over her face, but forced a weak smile. “At least you’re not hurt. I can see you’re a good person, Chen Xiao. If you’d been injured because of my family’s troubles, I’d feel terribly guilty.”

He offered a comforting smile. “I’m fine, but, with things as they are...”

“Today’s chaos has made things clear for me,” she said, tears drying, her gaze growing resolute. “Now I see he’s beyond help. That crash shattered my last illusions.”

Chen Xiao sighed, saying nothing more.

At that moment, a knock came at the door, and two police officers entered.

“Sorry to disturb you. We need to take statements about today’s incident,” one said, his eyes lighting on Chen Xiao. He paused, then broke into a smile. “Well, what a coincidence—it’s you again?”

Chen Xiao recognized him—a thin, unremarkable-looking middle-aged man with sharp eyes. It was the same officer who’d taken his statement after the robbery, who’d even driven him home and left his number.

If he remembered correctly, his name was Xu...

“Officer Xu, hello.” Chen Xiao nodded politely.

Officer Xu seemed to outrank his companion. Catching sight of Chen Xiao, a curious look flickered in his eyes. He jerked his head at his colleague. “You go on ahead, I’ll handle this.”

The other officer made no objection and left.

“Chen Xiao, let’s talk about what happened today.” Officer Xu pulled up a chair and sat by Chen Xiao’s bedside, his gaze full of curiosity and interest. “It’s only been a few days, and already we meet again. Quite the coincidence.”

Under his scrutiny, Chen Xiao felt uneasy, forcing a smile. “Officer, it was just coincidence I was there today.”

“Let’s hear it.” Officer Xu opened his notebook. “Please describe in detail what happened today.” Then, to the woman, “And you as well, please. What exactly occurred?”

He paused, tone calm. “Your husband is still unconscious. But we have the test results; he was clearly heavily intoxicated before driving. That alone is a serious offense—he faces a lifetime driving ban and fifteen days’ detention. However, I do have some concerns about this case.”

The woman’s expression grew tense.

“I’ve seen the scene,” Officer Xu continued. “From the evidence, I suspect your husband may have deliberately driven at you. If that’s the case, it could be considered intentional assault—or, more seriously, attempted murder. Even drunk, the law is clear: intoxication does not exempt one from criminal responsibility.”

Assault? Attempted murder?

The woman seemed startled, her face paling. After a moment’s hesitation, she shook her head firmly. “No, Officer, it wasn’t like that. He didn’t try to kill me. He was just trying to drive away, and I tried to stop him...”

Officer Xu narrowed his eyes, studying her, then finally nodded. “Alright, if you say so.”

He turned to Chen Xiao. “And you? Can you describe what happened?”

Chen Xiao had already prepared his story. After a moment’s thought, he spoke softly. “I was on my way to this lady’s house—I work as an English tutor for her daughter. When I arrived, I saw the car about to hit her. I ran to save her and pushed her out of the way.”

A faint smile played on Officer Xu’s lips, his gaze sharp, half-amused. “So you pushed her aside? And the car didn’t hit you?”

Chen Xiao forced calm. “The car... didn’t hit me.” As he spoke, his story became smoother, his expression steady. “After I pushed her, the car came at me. I was terrified—thought I was done for. But then, the car suddenly swerved, passing by me without hitting me. Maybe the driver reacted in time. The car lost control and crashed into the landscaping.”

“So, the car turned on its own?” Officer Xu smiled, watching him carefully. Chen Xiao felt nervous, but could only nod. “Yes.”

“Then why were you unconscious for so long?”

Chen Xiao scratched the back of his head. “Uh... I must have been scared out of my wits. You know, extreme fear can cause people to faint.”

Officer Xu’s keen eyes lingered on him for a long while, his thoughts unreadable. But at last, he smiled and closed his notebook. “Alright, I understand.”

He stood, glancing at Chen Xiao and the woman. “You’ve both had a shock, so please rest. If there’s anything else, we’ll be in touch.”

At the door, Officer Xu paused deliberately, turning back to Chen Xiao with a half-smile. “You recover quickly, Chen Xiao. I saw you in the hospital after the hostage incident three days ago—you were in bad shape then.”

With that, he left.

Chen Xiao’s expression changed instantly.

Three days ago, after the hostage incident, he’d been in the hospital with his arm and chest wrapped in bandages, suffering from multiple fractures—barely able to walk! Officer Xu had seen it all! Yet now, just three days later, he was up and about, teaching lessons...

He looked at his bare arms—smooth, unblemished skin. Not a sign of injury.

He could not help but break out in a cold sweat.

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[Author’s Note: Some readers have mentioned that compared to my previous urban novels, this book’s style is quite different, making it hard to adjust. Many compare it to my earlier work, “Righteous Evil.” That’s certainly true. When I conceived “Righteous Evil,” it was meant to be a hard-edged urban novel—passionate, full of struggle, heavy atmosphere, and explorations of human nature. But this book was designed differently from the start; I didn’t want to repeat the same style. “Righteous Evil” was more realistic and serious, but this new book, “Heavenly King,” is intended as a ‘light novel’—less heavy, more playful. After all, this is an urban supernatural story, so it can’t be too realistic. The protagonist’s character is also completely different from Xiaowu in “Righteous Evil.” The previous protagonist was passionate, loyal, impulsive, and mixed up with the underworld. Chen Xiao, on the other hand, is outwardly cold but inwardly warm, kind, somewhat innocent, and mature for his age. Different concept, different positioning, different protagonist, so of course the feel of the story is different. And this isn’t a sequel to “Righteous Evil”; there’s no connection—the two are entirely separate works with distinct styles. This is a new story. I know many of you who mention this do so out of fondness for “Righteous Evil,” and I appreciate it. But I hope you’ll give this new story a chance. I believe you’ll come to enjoy it—and Chen Xiao as a protagonist—in time.]

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