The Chef Rules the Last Days

Chapter 7 - 7 5 The Candle

7: Chapter 5: The Candle 7: Chapter 5: The Candle She left the residential area, but she didn’t immediately turn on her flashlight.

Almost no one could be seen along the way, except for the occasional flicker of flashlight beams.

Su Mo decided to proceed in the dark, as turning on the light would make too evident a target, and she wasn’t sure if she could get home safely in case of a robbery with no working emergency services.

She kept herself well-hidden within the darkness, and

She placed the candle at the doorway, took a deep breath, and edged sideways into the room.

Unexpectedly, the person sitting on her couch was none other than Lu Chen, with a man – gagged and trussed up – lying at his feet.

Lu Chen looked at her disheveled appearance, noting the blood not yet dry on her dagger, and stood to walk over to her, frowning as he asked, “What happened?”

Upon seeing him, Su Mo’s eyes instantly turned red and tears began streaming down her face.

The emotions she had suppressed over the last few days gushed out, “I went out to buy candles because we were out, then someone tried to rob me, and I stabbed him with a knife…”

Lu Chen listened quietly to her sobbing account and began to see her in a new light.

He truly hadn’t expected such a petite woman to stab a grown man.

Finally having someone to confide in and let her emotions out made Su Mo feel a lot better.

Only then did she turn her attention to the bound man on the floor, a face that seemed familiar.

“What’s with him?”

“Caught him stealing, happened to stumble upon him,” Lu Chen explained succinctly.

Su Mo crouched down next to the man for a closer look and remembered he lived on the third floor—Xin Lei, if she wasn’t mistaken.

She had spoken to him a few times before.

She pulled the foul-smelling sock out of the man’s mouth, recognizing it as her own…

As soon as he could speak, he pleaded, “I won’t ever dare again.

I just wanted to get some food and candles.

I’ve not eaten for three days.”

Su Mo kicked him in the face, raging, “Is that your excuse for stealing?

Couldn’t you have asked to borrow some?” Dissatisfied, she kicked him a few more times as he cried out in pain.

“Need me to deal with this?” Lu Chen’s voice was as cold as ice, chilling to the bone.

Su Mo turned to see him, not sure where he had pulled out a military baton that extended into three sections with a flick of his wrist.

Xin Lei was sweating bullets now, begging for mercy; hunger had clouded his judgment—he found this man terrifying.

Su Mo, equally frightened, quickly walked over to press down on the baton and said with an apologetic smile, “But killing him isn’t right, is it?

There’d be legal consequences.

He’s also driven by necessity, isn’t he?”

Lu Chen gave her a sidelong glance and mocked, “I was only going to hit him until he stopped coming around.

What were you thinking?” Accustomed to the military’s straightforwardness, he believed physical force should be used when it could spare unnecessary thinking.

“Oh,” Su Mo’s lips twitched, realizing this man’s actions could be easily misconstrued.

She released the baton, picked up the sock she had just pulled from the thief’s mouth, and stuffed it back in, grumbling, “Then don’t fight here.

Go into the stairwell.

I’ve just cleaned this carpet.”

Lu Chen: “…”

Xin Lei: “…”