"What the hell are you doing!"

Seeing his beloved motorcycle kicked to the ground, someone immediately rushed forward to teach Hu Ming a lesson.

But before he could touch Hu Ming, a punch slammed into his face. Then a kick sent him sprawling onto the dirt.

Hu Ming pulled a White Rabbit milk candy from his pocket.

A gift from the orphanage kids.

"I’m not really good at fighting," he said calmly. "It feels like something kids do."

He kicked the man at his feet aside and walked slowly toward the group.

"Debts have their rightful owners. Go after whoever owes you. But targeting two elders? That’s just pathetic."

The men charged anyway. They didn’t care about his words.

Clearly, Hu Ming had crossed their line.

But they’d crossed his too.

Under the faint moonlight, only three figures remained standing on the wasteland.

Kangxin’s face was blank as she stared at the scene—at the boy who’d crushed them all underfoot. She suddenly realized she’d never truly known Hu Ming.

*How could he do this?*

Even the tattooed man, who’d dismissed him earlier, now watched Hu Ming with grim focus.

Muscles tensed under his shirt, the tiger ink glaring.

"Who *are* you?"

"You don’t need to know. Just remember this: if you bother these people again, I’ll come for you personally."

"I can see you’ve got skills. But talk that big? You might choke on your own words."

"Only the powerless hesitate. In strength, you’re beneath me. In status? Even lower. Why would I fear you?"

The man’s face darkened.

He swung a fist at Hu Ming’s face—but Hu Ming dodged with a sharp tilt of his head. In one motion, he grabbed the man’s face and slammed it into the ground.

The speed left no time to react.

When the man blinked back to awareness, a steel pen pressed against his neck.

Cold metal kissed his pulse, freezing his blood through the skin.

Moonlight glared behind the boy, blinding.

Hu Ming’s empty eyes stared down—like looking at a corpse.

Ice flooded the man’s spine. His pupils shrank. Breath turned ragged.

He hadn’t understood why he lost—until he saw that gaze.

*He really wants to kill me.*

One thrust deeper, and he’d meet his great-grandmother tomorrow.

"Old folks shouldn’t see blood," Hu Ming murmured in his ear. "Leaving your corpse here? Bad luck."

The man snapped back to reality.

His limbs went numb. Strength vanished.

*If I could redo this… I’d run.*

"Go after whoever owes you. Leave these elders alone. Understood?"

"Y-yes."

Satisfied, Hu Ming stood.

Night had fallen. Returning to the Khan residence now was pointless.

He turned to Kangxin.

"Take the director and his wife to the hospital. I’ll wait here."

"Yes, Young Master."

Kangxin didn’t question it. She obeyed.

She helped the elders up, calmly soothing their guilt and worry.

For the first time, she felt utterly safe leaving this to the Young Master.

...

Thankfully, the elders were unharmed. They returned to the orphanage that night.

As they left, they gripped Hu Ming’s hands, voices thick with shame.

"Ah, Ming… troubling you again! How did we birth such a beast?!" The old director’s voice shook. His wife stood beside him, supporting his trembling frame, tears in her eyes.

Hu Ming sighed softly, a faint smile on his lips.

"Grandpa Director, it’s nothing. If trouble comes to the orphanage again, just call me."

"Ah… these old bones can still fight awhile longer."

They refused to burden him.

Hu Ming didn’t push. He’d have Kangxin watch closely and report back.

Stars speckled the night sky.

The car glided down a quiet road. Silence filled the cabin.

Hu Ming scrolled through news on his phone.

Kangxin sat rigidly beside him, untouched by the earlier chaos.

The driver glanced back. He couldn’t hold it in anymore.

"Young Master, I’ve already told the master you’d be late. He knows."

His first day on the job—and he’d witnessed *that*. Excitement buzzed under his skin. Respect for this Young Master burned bright.

The villa staff had called Hu Ming arrogant, heartless. He’d doubted them. Now? They didn’t know him at all.

Hu Ming’s eyebrows lifted slightly. A faint smile curled his lips.

"Thanks. Though I doubt it’ll matter much."

"Really?"

The driver didn’t understand. Neither Hu Ming nor Kangxin explained. He wisely stayed quiet.

The car sped up. Streetlights flickered against the dark road.

...

When Hu Ming reached home, Kangxin opened the car door for him.

Before stepping out, he asked the driver’s name.

"Lan Jun? I’ll call you Brother Jun from now on."

Before Lan Jun could react, Hu Ming was out, pushing open the villa gates.

Inside the hall, a woman’s sharp voice cut through the air.

"Five o’clock dismissal! It’s nearly eight, and he’s not back. Making the whole family wait for dinner—no sense of time at all!"

Madam Han’s brows were knotted, her face tight with displeasure.

"Enough," Han Litian said flatly. "This dinner was meant to bring us together. Complaining ruins it."

He clearly disliked her words.

"Can’t I speak my mind? Shuyi knew this meal was for Hu Ming. He’s been waiting since early evening. But *he*? Off gallivanting somewhere!"

Madam Han’s glare at Hu Ming turned venomous.

*Adopted children never measure up to your own.*

"How flattering, Madam Han, to be so missed by you."

Hu Ming’s voice drew every eye. He strode in, hands in his pockets, a calm smile on his face.