November 28, Saturday

Qinmu stood in the subway station passage, shivering as she breathed in the chilly air. Today, she’d bundled up tightly before stepping out—temperatures had dropped to just a few degrees. If she’d stubbornly worn a jacket instead, a cold would’ve caught her sooner.

Her destination was Sage Yu Street, seven kilometers away. Little did she know the subway didn’t reach Yunmu Avenue directly; she’d still need to walk about 1.5km. Qinmu felt utterly frustrated. Who’d made her rashly agree to Yufei Han’s terms yesterday? Now she was suffering for it. Still, she was deeply touched—during the sports meet, Yufei Han had gone so far out of her way to find her. That was real devotion.

Inside the subway car, the AC kept it warm. On QQ, Yufei Han had messaged: “Cutie, you must be on the train by now. Smooth travels! My place is prepped for a grand welcome. Don’t get too excited, okay?”

Only a ghost would be excited…

Qinmu just wanted the exact address fast. This girl rarely ventured far and knew little of River City’s tangled transit web. Getting lost was a real risk.

“Sage Yu Street has arrived. Please exit from the right-side doors. Thank you for your cooperation~”

Stepping out, Qinmu calmly opened her map app and set navigation to 64 Yunmu Avenue. Heaven knew where she’d ended up. She’d never heard of such a weird place name—not in over a decade living in River City. If word got out, she’d be a laughingstock.

“Turn right and walk straight 500 meters to Sage Yu Street intersection,” the app instructed. Qinmu couldn’t grasp what “left” or “right” even meant here. She followed her gut, walking to the end—only to find herself 1500 meters off course.

Seriously, her IQ was lacking.

She trudged back to the subway entrance and tried the opposite direction. Same result—now over 2000m off target. Qinmu gave up. This navigation was broken. Asking directions was smarter.

She stopped a headphone-clad teen striding past. He pulled off his earbuds, surprised. “What’s up?”

“Sorry,” Qinmu rushed, “how do I get to 64 Yunmu Avenue?”

“64 Yunmu Avenue? That’s the nearby residential zone. Just walk straight down that road—the houses have numbers.” He explained calmly. Seeing her nod, he slipped his headphones back on and strode off to the beat.

“Straight ahead? Duh. Why didn’t I think of that?” Qinmu grumbled. “All that wasted walking. Trash navigation. Trash map.”

“Little girl,” a smooth voice cut in. A handsome guy in a white shirt and suit pants smirked with a hint of disdain. “If you’re directionally challenged, don’t blame the app. Blame your poor comprehension.”

“Who are you?” Qinmu snapped. “I don’t know you. Don’t butt in—what’s wrong with you?” She hated people who mocked others to feel superior.

“Whoa, fiery temper,” he chuckled. “That uniform—Jintang High, right?”

“So what? None of your business.”

Qinmu sped up, crossing to the opposite sidewalk. She ignored random strangers.

But he caught up. “Don’t be mad, cutie. I’m Xiao Heng. Share your number? I like your spirit. Be my girlfriend?”

Qinmu realized she’d met a thug. Only a crowded spot could shake him off.

She reached a busy street. Xiao Heng still trailed her. Her patience snapped. “Stop following me! I don’t know you. I don’t want to know you. Just leave me alone!”

Xiao Heng grinned. “I adore tsundere girls. Embarrassed ’cause I’m too handsome? Clever act.”

Qinmu pitied his idiotic arrogance. He could’ve lived peacefully—why court death? Her karate and combat training weren’t for show. How else would she lead the sports department?

“Leave now,” she warned, “or I’ll shout for help. Let’s see who suffers more.” She offered an out—no fight if he backed off.

“Shout away,” he scoffed. “We look like a couple. I’ll just say my girlfriend’s sulking. Who’d believe you?” He felt clever.

“Fine. Don’t blame me for street violence. If I hurt you, I’ll tell police it was self-defense against a thug. Think they’ll care?” Qinmu’s usual gentleness vanished, replaced by a fierce glare.

Xiao Heng didn’t believe a girl 15cm shorter could threaten him. She’d be easy prey.

Qinmu seized his unguarded moment. She wrenched his right arm behind his back, then slammed her signature flying kick into his calf. He crumpled to his knees. Two hard punches to his back followed. He screamed.

Xiao Heng never expected such agility—her skills matched her beauty. Huge mistake. He’d planned domineering-CEO charm to win her. Instead, he got beaten.

Crowds stared as Qinmu pinned him down. She’d held back—no permanent damage.

“Help! Someone call 110! She’s attacking me!” Xiao Heng gasped. Onlookers murmured instead: “Tried harassing her, huh? Pathetic.” “Kick his ass harder—scum like him deserve it!” “Sis, you’re awesome! I adore you!”

Qinmu waited for him to rise, then left without a word.

“Heroine,” Xiao Heng groaned, pushing himself up with one hand, “I won’t dare again. Let me go?”

“Remember this,” Qinmu growled. “Next time I catch you harassing girls, I’ll beat you every single time.” He’d learned his lesson—trauma would stick.