Excessive Defense

Filming was halfway through, but the atmosphere on set grew increasingly eerie.

Although Zhao Manman's screen time had been cut due to her earlier scandal, the capital behind her was still stubbornly propping her up. Every day on set, she not only threw her weight around but also vented all her resentment on Li Xingruo.

Today's scene involved Li Xingruo playing a female police officer tracking a suspect on a rainy night, while Zhao Manman, playing the female second lead (a bribed prostitute), was supposed to cooperate in a chase and brief physical confrontation.

For realism, the scene was set in a real old alley on the outskirts of the film base, with several large water trucks brought in to create the effect of a heavy rainstorm.

The early winter rain was bone-chillingly cold.

“Action!”

As the clapperboard fell.

Li Xingruo sprinted through the pouring rain, completely soaked, mud splattering her leather jacket. She brought an actor's professionalism to the extreme, her eyes sharp and anxious.

According to the script, Zhao Manman was supposed to suddenly dash out from the corner of the alley, knock Li Xingruo over, and then the two would tussle in the mud for a bit.

Li Xingruo reached the corner, just about to make a dodging move.

Zhao Manman suddenly rushed out from the shadows. Her movements completely deviated from the rehearsed choreography. Instead of pulling back, she threw her full body weight onto Li Xingruo, and her elbow covertly but viciously aimed straight at Li Xingruo's chest!

If that hit, Li Xingruo would definitely be winded or even suffer rib fractures.

Li Xingruo's expression changed. She tried to dodge, but on the slippery mud, she couldn't maintain her balance and could only watch helplessly as Zhao Manman crashed into her with a smug sneer.

At the critical moment.

“Bam!”

Zhao Manman didn't hit Li Xingruo. Instead, she slammed heavily into something like a reinforced concrete wall.

She let out a scream, the recoil knocking her onto her back in the mud, her wrist numb as if broken.

Nor did Li Xingruo fall; a strong hand steadily supported her lower back.

In the heavy rain.

Qi Lie had somehow appeared between them. Still dressed in black, without even an umbrella, rainwater dripped down his stern face. He held one arm across his chest, precisely blocking Zhao Manman's sneak attack, and using the “deflection and rebound” technique in martial arts, made Zhao Manman suffer the consequences of her own action.

“Cut! Cut! Cut!”

Director Chen shouted angrily behind the monitor, “What's going on?! Why did you deviate from the marks?! How did the bodyguard get into the shot?!”

Zhao Manman sat in the mud, soaked and disheveled. She held her reddened wrist and pointed at Qi Lie, shrieking, “Director! Li Xingruo's bodyguard hit me! He deliberately crashed into me!”

The entire crew immediately gathered around.

Li Xingruo steadied herself and looked at Zhao Manman, who was playing the victim first, trembling with rage: “Zhao Manman, have you no shame? Just now you deliberately deviated from the marks to try to hurt me!”

“I did not! The ground was too slippery, I slipped!” Zhao Manman stubbornly denied, instantly squeezing out a few tears, “It's your bodyguard who rushed out and hit me! Director Chen, you must get justice for me!”

Zhao Manman's several bodyguards, seeing their employer wronged, immediately gathered menacingly, trying to pressure Qi Lie with their numbers.

“Kid, you dare hit our boss? You won't leave this alley in one piece today!” the lead bodyguard threatened viciously.

Facing a few burly men, Qi Lie didn't even lift an eyelid.

He stood in the rain, coldly watching Zhao Manman as if she were a clown.

“First, I didn't hit you,” Qi Lie's voice cut through the rain, calm, professional, devoid of any extra emotion. “According to Article 7, Clause 12 of the Security Regulations, when an employer faces an obvious physical impact injury and cannot avoid it, security personnel have the right to take 'passive defense' measures. What I just did was merely create a stationary physical barrier.”

He paused, his tone dripping with extreme sarcasm.

“You crashed into me yourself. Your skills are lacking; you didn't hurt anyone and even injured yourself. Is that my fault?”

The surrounding crew were stunned.

This bodyguard... how could he recite the security regulations so fluently? And what he said was absolutely devastating!

“You're full of crap!” Zhao Manman was furious. “What are you waiting for?! Get him! Break his legs!”

Those bodyguards had long disliked Qi Lie. Hearing their boss's order, they immediately clenched their fists and rushed at him.

“Manager Qi, watch out!” Li Xingruo cried out, instinctively trying to step in front of Qi Lie.

Qi Lie pulled her behind him.

He didn't assume any flashy fighting stance, just stood there casually.

When the first bodyguard's fist came swinging.

Qi Lie didn't even throw a punch. He just sidestepped slightly, using the opponent's forward momentum, deftly hooked his right hand around the bodyguard's wrist, and then guided it along.

“Bam!”

That bodyguard, weighing over 180 jin, fell flat on his face into a mud puddle as if blown by a gust of wind, unable to get up for a long time.

The second bodyguard tried to grab Qi Lie's waist from the side for a takedown.

Qi Lie remained expressionless. He suddenly pulled his left foot back and used his knee to strike the opponent's thigh acupoint in a very covert move.

“Ow—!”

The second bodyguard screamed, his legs going weak, and he knelt right in front of Qi Lie.

What followed was like a grown-up teaching kindergarten kids a lesson.

Qi Lie used only one hand the entire time, not even moving his feet more than half a meter. Using extremely professional close-quarters combat techniques like “deflection,” “borrowing force,” and “pressure point control,” he had all four of Zhao Manman's bodyguards lying in the mud in various comical and painful positions, moaning, in less than ten seconds.

No obvious punches or kicks, no bloody scenes.

But that absolute dominance left everyone present feeling creeped out.

This was the strength of a top-tier retired special police officer! Without a lethal threat, he couldn't even be bothered to go for the kill; he used the most efficient, professional way to make you lose face and unable to fight back!

“This... this is too much?” Xiaoya watched nearby, her jaw nearly dropping, her eyes full of admiration.

Director Chen and the other crew members were also dumbfounded.

Zhao Manman looked at her bodyguards writhing on the ground, her face pale as paper, her legs trembling uncontrollably.

Qi Lie slowly walked up to her.

He looked down at the mud-spattered woman, no warmth in his eyes.

“If you don't want to get hurt again, next time you act, you'd better be more professional,” Qi Lie said in a low voice, audible only to the two of them, with a cold warning. “If you ever touch her again, I promise you'll spend the rest of your life acting from a wheelchair.”

Zhao Manman was terrified by the real murderous intent in his eyes, unable to utter a word of rebuttal, only frantically backing away.

“Director Qi,” Li Xingruo stepped forward, coldly looking at Zhao Manman. “Call the legal department. Have the footage from the monitor saved as evidence. If Ms. Zhao thinks my security staff used excessive defense, we can settle this in court anytime.”

With that, Li Xingruo ignored the farce and turned to walk toward the rest area.

Qi Lie followed behind her like a loyal and cold guardian.

A scheme that could have injured Li Xingruo was completely thwarted by Qi Lie in a highly professional and humiliating manner.

...

In the evening.

Back at the “Yunding Tianchen” apartment.

Li Xingruo took a hot shower and changed into dry pajamas, but still felt cold hands and feet. The early winter icy rain was no joke.

As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, Qi Lie stuffed her into the warm blanket.

Qi Lie held a steaming bowl of ginger soup and sat by the bed.

“Drink it.” His tone was still the same businesslike coldness as during the day, but his deep eyes couldn't hide his concern.

Li Xingruo obediently took the ginger soup and took a big sip. The spicy warmth instantly spread through her body.

She looked at Qi Lie and suddenly laughed.

“What's funny?” Qi Lie frowned slightly, reaching out to touch her forehead to make sure she didn't have a fever.

“The way you were on set today.” Li Xingruo put down the bowl, leaned over and hugged his arm. “Manager Qi, you recited that 'excessive defense' theory quite smoothly. Not only did you avoid giving them an excuse, but you also pissed off Zhao Manman. So cool!”

Qi Lie looked at her bright smile, and the tension that had been tight all day finally relaxed.

“If I weren't worried about causing you trouble on set and affecting your filming,” Qi Lie said in a low voice, his fingers gently stroking her cheek, “do you think she would have walked back on her own today?”

Li Xingruo knew he was telling the truth. If it were on the battlefield or without restraints, Qi Lie had a hundred ways to make Zhao Manman wish she were dead for trying to hurt her.

“I know you've held back a lot for me,” Li Xingruo said tenderly, holding his hand and pressing her face to his palm. “Honey, thank you.”

Qi Lie's eyes instantly darkened.

He grabbed her wrist, and with a slight pull, Li Xingruo was in his arms.

“Miss Li, you've violated the rules again.”

Qi Lie's low, husky voice sounded above her head, carrying a dangerously seductive warmth.

“Today in the alley, in front of so many people, you wanted to block the punches for me. Did you forget the 'Plan' that says the employer must never interfere with the security director's actions?”

Li Xingruo blushed, recalling her instinctive move that afternoon. How could she watch others hit him? Even though she knew he was strong.

“Then... how are you going to punish me?” Li Xingruo lifted her face, her eyes showing a hint of unconscious provocation and anticipation.

Qi Lie looked at her fair cheeks tinged with pink from the bath, and those bright, sparkling eyes.

His Adam's apple bobbed sharply.

“Punish you...”

Qi Lie suddenly flipped over and pinned her beneath him, his burning kisses falling like a storm.

“Tonight, you're not allowed to beg for mercy.”