From Yichen’s place to Shiyue’s, it took five minutes to reach the riverside, another ten along the water to the old district, and a final five to her door.

Shiyue never left Yichen’s after 9:30 PM. The streets stayed busy then—safe. But now, past 11 PM, the riverside was empty. Only dim streetlights and the jarring chirps of insects in the riverside grass broke the silence.

Shiyue edged closer to Yichen.

“Turns out it’s kinda scary here when no one’s around.”

Yichen glanced at her. She was scanning the shadows, tense.

“You… can hold my arm if you want.”

“Huh? …Okay.”

Shiyue shivered slightly. Then she wrapped both arms around his, pressing close. Yichen stiffened, unprepared. Unlike Zixuan’s proud aloofness, Shiyue’s clinging warmth stirred his urge to protect.

They walked in silence. In this dim, quiet world, only they existed.

“Yichen.”

Shiyue whispered his name.

He knew it was time to part. Reluctance tightened his chest.

The insects’ chirps grew louder. The air thickened. Yichen’s breath hitched.

A man’s voice sliced through the tension.

“Hey hey hey—what’re you two doing out this late?”

The tone was mocking, aggressive.

Yichen and Shiyue turned. Five youths grinned like hunters closing in. Their clothes and tattoos screamed delinquents.

Yichen stepped in front of Shiyue.

The group halted before them. A guy with bleached-gold hair and a black jacket stared at Yichen, shocked.

“Whoa?! Yichen? Small world! Long time no see, bro!”

“Yichen… who is he?” Shiyue murmured.

“Someone I used to hang out with. Before I met you.”

Yichen met the guy’s gaze. “Chen Hao. What do you want?”

“Aw, don’t be like that! We’re brothers, right?”

At “brothers,” Yichen’s face darkened. Memories flashed.

“What’s that look for?” Chen Hao sneered. “You just ghosted us. Now I get it—you’re chasing high school skirts? Out this late? Gonna hook up in the wild?”

“Chen Hao! Don’t talk nonsense!”

A black-haired thug beside him leered at Shiyue. “Damn, this chick’s asking for trouble.”

The others burst into crude laughter. Chen Hao whispered to them. Their grins turned vicious.

He suddenly feigned heartbreak. “Yichen, bro… I missed you every damn day after you left. You know that?”

Yichen frowned, silent. What’s his game?

Chen Hao stomped hard. His face twisted. “How you gonna make it up to me? Huh?”

“Make up for what? I owe you nothing. We’re done.”

Yichen sensed danger. He whispered to Shiyue: “Can you swim?”

“Yes.”

“When I block them, run to the river. Swim across. Get away.”

Shiyue’s eyes widened. She shook her head fiercely. “No! I won’t leave you!”

Yichen forced calm. “I’ll be fine. I’m a guy. They won’t kill me—just beat me up. But if they catch you…”

“HEY! What’re you whispering?!” Chen Hao barked.

They were surrounded.

“Haha! Trying to ditch her first? Underestimating us, bro!” Chen Hao yelled. “We want her! Get ‘em!”

The five lunged.

Yichen dodged, slamming a fist into the nearest thug’s face. The guy stumbled back, clutching his nose. Yichen sidestepped a kick, grabbed another’s swinging fist, and yanked him face-first to the ground. But Chen Hao seized the opening—stepped in, drove a fist deep into Yichen’s gut.

“Ugh!”

Yichen doubled over. He could fight, but five against one? Ten hands against two?

His eyes flicked to Shiyue. The thugs had all turned on him. She stood forgotten.

In a split second, Yichen rolled toward her. Mid-roll, he kicked a thug’s shin—sending him sprawling.

Free of the circle, Yichen grabbed Shiyue’s hand. “RUN!”

“Got it!”

They sprinted.

“Damn it—CHASE THEM!” Chen Hao roared.

Yichen was fast. Shiyue was athletic. Hand in hand, they outpaced the thugs—briefly. But Shiyue was tiring. The gap narrowed.

Yichen yanked her into an alley beside a derelict house. As they entered, he shoved a trash cart blocking the entrance. Two thugs crashed into it, tumbling into garbage. They cursed, shoving the cart aside—but Yichen and Shiyue had vanished around a corner.

Chen Hao slammed his foot down. “Shit! They got away!”

A fat thug chuckled. “Relax, boss. I know these alleys. Most dead-end. They can’t escape this maze.”

“Split up! Fatty, Biao—you’re with me. Rat, Chenming—you two together. Grab that girl. Tonight’s gonna be fun.”

Chen Hao’s grin was cruel. The thugs scattered.

***

“Damn it—all these alleys are blocked!”

Yichen dragged Shiyue through twisting passages. High walls sealed every exit. They circled endlessly.

Shiyue slumped against a wall, gasping.

“Too tired?” Yichen asked.

“I can keep going.” She shook her head, lifting her face.

Streetlight caught her flushed cheeks, sweat glistening on her neck and collarbone. A bead traced down, vanishing into the shadow between her breasts.

Yichen’s face burned. He looked away. *I can’t let them catch her. Not after what they’d do.*

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

They ran again. Still trapped. Every near-escape forced detours when thugs’ voices echoed nearby.

Shiyue’s grip tightened on his hand. He glanced back—her breath came in ragged gasps, exhaustion etching her face. Her pale legs trembled.

“Yi…chen… I can… run…” she panted.

“Stop it. You’re done.” Panic clawed at him. He scanned for hiding spots.

Footsteps rounded a nearby corner.

*(Them!)*

Yichen shoved Shiyue into a side alley, pinning her against the wall. They held their breath. The steps faded. Yichen relaxed.

Then he noticed Shiyue’s flushed face. Her brows were knotted, dark eyes wide and fixed on him—pain flickering in them. He realized his posture: he still had her pressed against the bricks.

His hand, flat against her side, sank into unexpected softness. He squeezed reflexively.

“Mmph!”

Shiyue bit back a whimper. Yichen froze. His palm was cupping her breast. He yanked his hand away.

*When I pushed her in… I grabbed without thinking. Squeezed hard.*

*Her chest… way fuller than I thought. My whole hand couldn’t cover it.*

“Shiyue… did that hurt?” he stammered.

“A lot.”

“Sorry.”

She shook her head, cheeks crimson. “It’s… okay.”

*Thud-thud-thud.*

Footsteps—close. The same two thugs! Distracted, they hadn’t heard them approach. Escape was impossible. The alley dead-ended. No cover.

Yichen’s eyes darted. Brooms leaned against a wall. He snatched one, ripped off the bristle head. A wooden pole remained.

Shiyue slumped against the bricks, eyes wide with worry. Yichen flashed a reassuring smile.

He gripped the pole, crept to the corner. As the thugs emerged, he swung hard at the first one’s head.

*Crack!*

“ARGH!”

The thug crumpled, blood streaming from his scalp.

*Shit—the pole’s too light!* Yichen realized. *Won’t knock him out!*

The second thug’s fist flew. Yichen dodged, grappling.

“THEY’RE HERE!!!” the bleeding thug shrieked, scrambling up.

Panic surged. If the other three arrived, he was dead. *Take these two down. Now.*

“Ugh!”

A kick slammed into Yichen’s waist. He ignored it, eyes locked on the standing thug. *One at a time.*

He caught the thug’s fist, surged forward, and drove a punch into his gut. The guy doubled over. Before he could recover, Yichen drove his knee up—*crunch*—into the chin. The thug rolled his eyes and collapsed.

*Thwack!*

The pole cracked against Yichen’s skull. Warm blood trickled down his temple.

He turned. The first thug stood there, gripping the pole.

Yichen grinned, bloody and fierce, and stepped forward.

"This stick's too light. It won't knock anyone out."

"Huh?!?!?!"

The thug let out a short, pitiful cry under Yichen’s murderous glare. His legs trembled, his will to fight nearly gone.

Suddenly, he spotted Shiyue slumped weakly against the wall. Like finding a savior, he lunged toward her.

"Damn it!"

Yichen yelled and charged. But the thug had already grabbed Shiyue from behind, clamping a hand around her neck and using her as a shield.

Yichen stepped forward slowly.

"Take one more step, and I’ll strangle her!" the thug shouted. He tightened his grip. Shiyue gasped in pain.

Yichen had thought that without a weapon, he might rush in and save her. But seeing the thug’s thumb and index finger sink deep into the pale skin of Shiyue’s neck, he froze. One hard squeeze could pierce her throat.

"Yichen, don’t—me—ugh!"

Shiyue tried to speak, but the thug’s grip choked her off into a whimper.

Damn it! What to do? What to do?

Yichen’s heart burned with panic. If his friends arrived now, he’d have no chance left.

Just then, Shiyue thrust both hands up, lifting the thug’s arm to her mouth. She opened her small mouth and sank her pearly white teeth in hard.

"Waaahhh!!!"

She bit with all her strength, nearly tearing flesh. The thug shrieked and stumbled back. Yichen surged forward, kicking him down. He crouched over the thug, glaring fiercely, and slammed his fist into the thug’s face again and again.

Yichen stood and turned to Shiyue.

"Yichen, your face... it’s terrifying," Shiyue said worriedly.

Yichen realized he still wore that furious expression. He forced a smile.

"Shiyue, let’s go."

"Okay."

Shiyue nodded. Yichen grabbed her hand and they sprinted out of the alley. They had to move fast.

After just a few steps, Chen Hao and his two thugs appeared around the corner ahead.

"Nowhere to run!" Chen Hao roared, leading the charge. Yichen and Shiyue spun and fled the other way.

Shiyue had regained a little strength. Yichen pulled her hard, weaving through alleys, choosing wider paths to avoid dead ends. They knocked over crates and trash to slow their pursuers.

But soon, Shiyue was panting heavily again. Her stamina couldn’t match the boys’.

"Yichen, leave me. Just go," she gasped, loosening her grip on his hand.

"No!"

Yichen shouted sharply, tightening his hold so she couldn’t let go.

They rounded a bend—and Yichen’s blood ran cold. A high wall blocked the way ahead.

He turned. Chen Hao’s trio stood at the alley entrance, blocking escape.

"Brother Yichen, brother Yichen," Chen Hao sneered, catching his breath as they advanced. "You made us run quite a chase."

Yichen instinctively pulled Shiyue behind him.

"Yichen, give me... to them. They want... me," Shiyue whispered, trembling, stepping forward.

"No way!"

Yichen whipped around, glaring at her. His gaze pinned her in place, freezing her completely.

He faced Chen Hao. "Let her go. I’ll stay with you."

"Hah!? What do we want with you? You can leave. But the girl stays!"

Chen Hao had seen his two buddies flattened by Yichen. If possible, he’d let Yichen walk away and keep Shiyue.

"How. Could. I."

Yichen clenched his fists, each word deliberate.

"Hey, Yichen, don’t be stingy! We’ll return her after we’re done. Just lend her to us for a while. We’ve never seen such a pretty girl."

"You’re dreaming. Think carefully—if you fight me, you’ll end up like your two friends."

Yichen forced confidence into his voice. He needed time to recover and find an escape.

Chen Hao’s face darkened, then twisted into a sneer.

"Yeah, yeah. If it were just us three and you weren’t hurt, we’d back off. But look at you—pathetic. What makes you think you can talk tough?"

"Hmph. Those two were just warm-ups."

Though he knew Yichen was bluffing, Chen Hao felt a flicker of unease. He’d had enough talk—every second let Yichen regain strength.

"Take him down."

Chen Hao’s voice turned icy. All three charged. Yichen braced and met them head-on.

"Yichen!!!"

At Shiyue’s cry, fists flew. Yichen landed a solid punch on Chen Hao’s face, staggering him. But he couldn’t dodge the other two. A fist slammed his chest; a kick struck his side. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Yichen stepped back, steadied himself, and lunged again.

From the wall, Shiyue watched Yichen take blow after blow yet refuse to fall, fighting back desperately. Her heart ached—she wished she could swap places with him.

She scanned the alley for anything to help.

The fight grew brutal. All three thugs were bleeding—Chen Hao’s nose was crooked from Yichen’s punches. But Yichen was worse off. For every hit he landed, he took two or three.

Every inch of his body screamed in protest. But he held on. He couldn’t accept failing to protect one girl. What kind of man would he be then? How could he ever catch up to his sister?

He had to make it a draw—at least leave them too weak to grab Shiyue.

Suddenly, a fist aimed for Yichen’s temple. He realized too late—if it landed, he’d black out. No time to dodge!

A figure darted in, arm raised high. "Crack!" The brick smashed onto the thug’s head. He crumpled, motionless.

Yichen glimpsed Shiyue holding the brick. Hope surged. He seized the distraction, punching another thug’s temple—knocking him out cold.

"Tch!"

Chen Hao jumped back, glaring furiously at Yichen.

"Hah... hah... I told you... you’d end up like them," Yichen panted, grinning at Chen Hao. Shiyue stood beside him, brick raised.

Yichen expected Chen Hao to flee. Two against one—even battered, they had a fifty-fifty chance.

But Chen Hao’s crooked face twisted into a manic grin. His hand slipped behind his back.

"Hahaha! Die!"

He lunged, laughing wildly.

"What?!"

Yichen charged, not seeing the motion. Too late—he spotted the knife in Chen Hao’s hand. He couldn’t dodge. Yichen’s fist smashed Chen Hao’s face again, but the knife plunged into Yichen’s abdomen.

"Yichen!"

Shiyue cried out, rushing forward. Chen Hao kicked her away.

"Ugh!" Shiyue fell, dazed from exhaustion and pain.

Yichen clutched his stomach, stumbling back to one knee.

"You... bastard..."

"Hahaha! Thank god I remembered my knife! My own dad never hit me like this, Yichen. You’ll pay!"

Chen Hao, nose crooked and bleeding, advanced with a sneer.

Yichen knelt, barely upright. Blood soaked his shirt. Every wound throbbed; he could barely stand.

Worse—footsteps echoed. Four new thugs Chen Hao had called arrived behind him.

(Damn it... anyone... help us... Why hasn’t anyone come? Sister... I still couldn’t protect...)

Yichen’s thoughts blurred with blood loss. As Shiyue screamed his name, he collapsed.

The moment Yichen hit the ground, two figures clad in black dropped from above, shouting: "Found them!"