Chapter 4: Trouble, Teasing, and a Barroom Rescue

Over the next couple of months, I got a little braver—at least I didn’t get all jittery when Julian leaned in close. In fact, I started to find it kind of fun.

Rumor had it that Julian, cold as ice, was actually super shy. If I looked at him for more than a second, he’d blush from his ears to his neck. Before I knew it, teasing him became my new favorite habit.

One day, he looked at me with those clear, captivating eyes. The sunlight softened his usual aloofness, making him look almost approachable. I got lost staring, and he called out, “Autumn.”

I raised my hand to cover his eyes, finally asking the question I’d wanted to ask for ages: “Why do you always look at me like that?”

Julian gripped his pen tighter, but his voice stayed calm: “Because I think you’ll like it.”

I paused, lowering my hand. My voice was soft: “But I don’t like younger guys.”

His eyes dimmed, and he turned back to his computer, continuing his work. I felt a pang of regret, but then he said, still staring at the screen, “It’s okay. I’m still working on it. I’m only two years younger.”

Something shifted between us, but on the surface, nothing changed. I was still his tutor, and he still took care of me, not at all like a little brother.

I’d always thought he was the obedient type, but I never expected that the occasional rebellious streak was the real him.

One night at a bar, I got into trouble. I hadn’t had a drink in ages, but I was craving a quiet one. Unfortunately, I ran into a few sleazy drunks who tried to take advantage of me. I immediately called the cops, then called my best friend Mariah. Somehow, I accidentally dialed Julian’s number too.

Angry, I focused on cursing out the sleazy guys: “You slimy losers think a little booze makes you hot stuff? What’s wrong with you—mutating into idiots after a few drinks?”

The pot-bellied men leered at me. “Ha, ha, ha, we know you’re playing hard to get. You want our attention? Well, you’ve got it. Come hang out with us, we’ve got money.”

The stench of alcohol was overwhelming. I actually gagged and took several steps back in disgust. “Maybe try engaging your brain before you talk? Don’t you own a mirror? Looking like that and daring to come out and scare people?”

For some reason, these guys were really confident in their looks. After my words, their faces finally soured.

“Don’t know what’s good for you, huh? Just because you’re pretty, you think you can do whatever you want? We’ll teach you a lesson.”

My best friend arrived just in time, charging forward without a word. I yanked her back and grabbed a beer bottle from the table. The guys looked ready to fight, but I refused to back down. “Yeah, I’m talking about you. Sorry, I was born with a sharp tongue!”

Right before their hands came down, Mariah and I both closed our eyes—no idea why, but we gripped our bottles tight, closing our eyes in perfect sync.

The pain I expected never came. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was Julian’s broad back. My heart thudded in my chest.

The bar was dimly lit. Julian stood in front of me, wearing a white shirt. His clean-cut look clashed with the place, and his face was almost too good-looking. Under the lights, his eyelashes looked long, but his eyes were cold.

Mariah was pulled away by a sharp-looking guy with a buzzcut. Julian turned to me, frowning, and checked me over before finally relaxing. His eyes were intense, serious, almost fierce. The first thing he said was, “Thanks for calling me.”

I was still in shock when he bent down and patted my head. “Don’t be scared, Autumn. I’ll take care of this.”

He gently led me to a corner, ordered me a soda, and whispered, “Just wait a moment, I’ll handle it.”

I nodded obediently, not daring to argue—I could sense how hard he was holding back his anger. Sure enough, Julian turned around, his face darkening, and casually grabbed a chair, striding toward the men.

I’d never seen Julian this angry—he was like a bristling wolf. It was hard to believe this was the same guy I tutored.

Bang! The chair shattered, followed by the men’s cries of pain. Julian was a fierce fighter—the guys didn’t stand a chance. I watched, jaw dropped, as he single-handedly took down several of them, his eyes full of anger and a hint of frustration. “You actually tried to hit her?”

The bar was filled with their wails. They tried to explain, “Bro, seriously, you have to be reasonable! We didn’t even get a chance to touch her—you got here too fast! We didn’t even mess up her hair!”

Julian’s voice was low: “Her hand’s red.”

They protested even more: “She did that herself! She was gripping the bottle so hard—of course her hand’s red! It wasn’t us!”

Julian didn’t let up. “But you scared her.”

The men looked like they’d swallowed something foul. “Man, you’re impossible…”

I went from terrified to entertained, until the sound of police sirens snapped me back to reality. Oh, right, I’d called the cops. Great job, me.

I watched the door nervously. Julian came over to pat my back and calm me. “It’s okay. We were defending ourselves.”

I glanced at the men, their faces bruised, while Julian and I were spotless. When the police came in, my knees were shaking. “But… they look way worse than us.”

Julian was at a loss, not sure how to comfort me, but he said right away, “It’s okay, Autumn. I did it. It’s got nothing to do with you.”

I grabbed his hand, my voice trembling but determined. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you face this alone. I’m loyal like that.”

Julian stared at me, dumbfounded. I was worried sick, but he just looked at our joined hands, his eyes lighting up, a restrained smile on his lips.

As expected, we were both taken to the police station. Luckily, after hearing our side, the police said we could settle it privately if both parties agreed.

The men looked down their noses at us, waiting for us to beg. Julian walked over, and they immediately got nervous. “Hey, this is the police station—don’t try anything!”

Julian stopped in front of them, his tone calm: “I just want to let you know, I know you work in the Harper & Sons ad department. I’ve seen your photos. I’m Julian Whitaker. If you want to settle, we can do it however you like.”

The men went quiet for a moment, their eyes flickering with all kinds of emotions before settling on regret. They scrambled to agree: “Settle, settle! It was our fault, we don’t blame Mr. Whitaker for teaching us a lesson!”

Julian nodded. “I hope you won’t do this kind of thing again. Alcohol is never an excuse for bad behavior. Learn to respect women—remember, a woman raised you.”

They nodded quickly: “Yes, yes, we’ll listen to Mr. Whitaker.”

My heart skipped a beat. Standing behind Julian, it felt like he was the only thing I could see. He was glowing—not just his face, but his character. I felt like I was discovering a whole new side of him.

I had no idea that on top of all his studies, he also knew so much about every major company. He was really amazing.

On the way home, Julian and I walked in silence for a long time. I walked ahead, and he followed quietly behind.

Suddenly, I stopped and turned. “Julian.”

He stopped too, looking at me like a puppy who just got scolded, all traces of his earlier fierceness gone. “What is it?”

He thought I was scared by his fighting, so he hurried to explain: “I hardly ever fight. Usually, I…”

I cut him off with a smile. “I’m 23. Would you be into dating an older girl?”

The night breeze was cool and refreshing, ruffling Julian’s hair and making him look a bit softer. He froze, standing under the flickering streetlight, his strong features shadowed, but his eyes betrayed his nerves.

After a long pause, Julian looked at me, his voice serious: “I like it. I really like it.”

The night wind tossed my hair, but I felt unusually clear-headed. I looked straight at Julian and smiled. “How about we give it a shot?”

Julian’s eyes grew deeper, and when our gazes met, his clear eyes filled with laughter. He chuckled softly. “Okay.”

That low, gentle laugh sent a jolt through me, and I swear, my heart was doing cartwheels.