"Bastards! What the hell are you doing?!" A foot slammed into the face of the man pinning Ning Caiwei down. He flew backward in a perfect arc.

"Huh?" Ning Caiwei slowly opened her eyes. Golden strands shimmered before her—Ouyang Qianxue stood over her.

"W-why... are you...?" Tears welled in Ning Caiwei’s eyes as she gazed at the golden-haired girl.

"Damn, that hurts!" The kicked man clutched his face, struggling upright.

"Ugh!" He spat a bloody glob onto the ground—two teeth mixed in.

"Boss, you okay?" The other two thugs rushed to support him.

"You little bitch! You knocked out two of my teeth! I’ll make you regret this!" He snarled, lifting his head—then froze. Ouyang Qianxue’s face stunned him. Her beauty momentarily erased the pain in his jaw.

"Oh? Thought it was some hero saving a damsel. Turns out another freebie walked right in. Cuter than that idol too—shame about the chest size." His lecherous gaze raked over Ouyang Qianxue.

"Disgusting creep. Targeting me now?" Ouyang Qianxue’s lip curled in contempt.

"*Disgusting*? You dare insult me after kicking out my teeth? I’ll break you so badly, you’ll wish I’d never been born!" He lunged. Ouyang Qianxue sidestepped smoothly, tripping him face-first with her right foot.

"Careful! She’s trained!" The other two thugs tensed instantly.

"Both of us—now! She can’t handle two!" They charged together. Ouyang Qianxue stepped forward, side-kicking the first thug straight into a dumpster. The second swung a fist at her face as she retracted her leg—but she slid aside effortlessly. Her spinning back kick cracked against his skull. He crumpled, unconscious.

"You okay?" Ouyang Qianxue offered a hand to Ning Caiwei, still sitting dazed on the ground.

"I’m f—LOOK OUT!" Ning Caiwei’s eyes widened. The first thug was lunging at Ouyang Qianxue from behind.

Arms locked around Ouyang Qianxue’s elbows from behind.

"Gotcha now! Can’t move, huh?" The thug grinned triumphantly.

"Hit her! Knock some sense into her!" he yelled to his dumpster-bound partner.

The second thug scrambled out of the trash, fist drawn back for Ouyang Qianxue’s stomach—

Ouyang Qianxue stayed calm. She kicked backward without turning. Her heel smashed into the thug’s face behind her. He dropped like a sack. The remaining thug panicked, grabbing a broken plank from the trash. He swung it at her head.

Ouyang Qianxue didn’t flinch. Her kick shattered the wood mid-swing, slamming into his face. He flew backward like a kite with snapped strings.

"S-so cool! Amazing!" Ning Caiwei breathed from the sidelines.

"Hmph~ ╰(*´︶`*)╯" Ouyang Qianxue puffed up proudly at the praise. *First time anyone’s called me handsome since going undercover... and saving her feels incredible—*

"B-but you kept kicking... your skirt flipped up a lot."

"W-what?!" Ouyang Qianxue yanked her skirt down. *Right—the summer uniform’s a short skirt!* Panic clawed up her throat. *If she saw—*

"You’re weird. We’re both girls—why be shy about a little peek? Though..." Ning Caiwei wiped her tears, giggling now. "Your fashion sense sucks. Wearing sports shorts under a skirt?"

"None of your business. I like it."

"Still... thank you. Really." Ning Caiwei suddenly hugged her tightly. "I was so scared... if those monsters had... I wouldn’t have wanted to live anymore." She sobbed again.

"I’m sorry. All my fault. I caused you trouble fighting for School Beauty... dragged you into danger. I’m disgusting."

"It’s over now." Ouyang Qianxue patted her back gently. "Why come to this deserted place anyway? An old scavenger at the alley entrance tipped me off."

"I heard there’s a quiet café nearby. Needed to clear my head."

"Oh! That one? I go there too. Let’s go together. As for these losers..." Ouyang Qianxue glanced at the groaning thugs. She wanted to call the police—but feared scandal would ruin Ning Caiwei’s idol career. She strode to the only conscious thug, grinding her shoe into his face. "If I ever see you again, I won’t hold back." She pulled Ning Caiwei away.

"I’ll remember you! You’ll pay for this!" The thug glared after them, recognizing the Cherry Blossom Academy uniform. *Can’t beat her fair... but next time, I’ll use drugs. Then that pretty face—*

"*Then what*?" A cold voice cut him off. He whirled around. A long-haired youth with an icy expression stood behind him—Bai Yuxuan.

"I knew that naive fool wouldn’t report you for Ning Caiwei’s sake. But I’m different." Bai Yuxuan snapped his fingers. Shadowy figures in sunglasses emerged behind him. "Make them understand true fear. Teach them who they shouldn’t touch. And since they can’t control their urges..." He tossed a pair of pliers to the men. "Fix that for them."

Screams tore through the alley.