"Huuu—"
Another icy gust swept past. Li Mo had lost count of how many shivers had wracked her body.
"*Achoo!*"
An uncontrollable, beer-scented sneeze burst out. That did it. She shot to her feet, fuming.
Where the hell was Tang Zhe? Did he drop his phone down the toilet after taking it to the bathroom? How long could one pee break take? No reply to her messages either.
Infuriating.
She should’ve saved his number earlier. Then she could’ve just called to check if he’d actually fallen into a ditch.
*SLAM!*
Eleven o’clock.
Streetlights snapped off like clockwork. Darkness swallowed the road. The last bus from campus had left at eleven too—no chance of catching it now.
Ugh! This guy was never on time!
Li Mo puffed her cheeks, genuinely angry now. She turned on her heel and marched away, determined to hail a cab. She’d just beg Mom for extra allowance tomorrow.
*Screw waiting for him ever again. Let him walk home alone every day!*
But luck wasn’t on her side.
At the alley’s mouth, facing the main road, she saw not a single taxi—or even a rickshaw. How was she supposed to get a ride?
Damn it. Now she’d have to download a ride-hailing app.
Fingers jabbing impatiently at her phone, Li Mo opened the app store and grabbed the first car-booking app she saw. She never traveled far, and spare cash was tight—she’d never bothered installing one. Now she regretted it. The signal outside campus was slightly better than inside, but the damn signal jammers still choked the connection. The app crawled forward at kilobytes per second. *This’ll take ages.*
"Hey, little sister? Where you headed? Need a lift?"
Just as she decided to walk while waiting for the download, a car that had been crawling beside her finally stopped. A wave of alcohol fumes hit her face.
*Ugh.*
Li Mo could drink when necessary, but her stomach rebelled against it—especially beer. She hated the smell. The moment the driver spoke, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
*Great. Drunk driving.*
"Thanks, but no. My family’s coming to pick me up soon."
Strangers. Drunk strangers. She couldn’t be bothered correcting his "little sister" mistake. She waved him off firmly.
"Aw, c’mon! Don’t trouble your folks this late. My car’s got space. Where d’you live? I’ll take you!"
The man gestured earnestly at the backseat. *Oh, fantastic.* Two more drunkards slumped there—she’d thought there were only two total.
"C’mon, sis! Don’t be shy! Just hop in!"
The backseat passenger yanked the door open and slapped the empty space beside him.
"Really, I’m fine. Thanks, guys. Appreciate it, but my phone’s dying. My family’ll worry if they can’t reach me."
*Unbelievable. Of all the rotten luck!*
Li Mo cut off further arguing. She sidestepped to the inner edge of the road and quickened her pace, hoping to lose them.
But misfortune loves company. These weren’t decent drunks. When sweet talk failed, the potbellied middle-aged men gunned the engine, mounting the curb to block her path. Two stumbled out of the backseat, ready to force her in.
"You’re insane! I’m a *guy*!"
Panic ripped through Li Mo. Before she could finish shouting, rough hands hooked her shoulders, dragging her toward the car.
She wouldn’t go quietly. A sharp uppercut—*THWACK!*—landed squarely between a man’s legs. He howled, crumpling to his knees, hands clamped over his groin.
"Flat chest or not, sweetheart, no guy instinctively kicks a dude in the balls. Prove you’re a boy if you’re so sure!"
His buddy, still gripping Li Mo, didn’t flinch. He just grinned wider. No matter how she twisted, she couldn’t break free. His free hand slid toward her collar, fingers probing beneath the fabric.
"Get off me—"
"Stay still, you brat! We’re being nice!"
Frustrated, he slapped her—*CRACK!*—the blow snapping her head sideways. Her eyes glazed over. Her struggles slowed to a stop.
"Wouldn’t have gotten that if you’d just cooperated."
"STOP! I’VE CALLED THE POLICE! LET HER GO!"
A furious shout cut through the night. The man turned. A teenager sprinted toward them, phone pressed to his ear.
*Police?* The drunk snorted inwardly. *By the time they crawl here, we’ll be long gone.*
"Kid," he drawled, "didn’t your parents teach you not to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?"
"Shove your ‘minding business’ up your ass! She’s *my brother*!"
Tang Zhe didn’t waste words. He lunged, fist flying. The drunk never saw it coming. He released Li Mo’s limp body, arms flailing uselessly—too late. The punch smashed into his face. He staggered back, dazed and confused, then collapsed.
*Too late… idiot…*
Seeing both buddies taken down by high schoolers, the driver scrambled out, face twisted.
Li Mo tried to stand, but her legs buckled. She sank to her knees on the pavement, yanking her torn collar shut over the thin strap beneath.
*Thank goodness…*
Tang Zhe was more reliable than she’d thought.
He must’ve trained over the years. Even against drunk, bare-handed thugs, he held his own—though a bruise was already swelling on his cheek.
Finally realizing how vicious this kid was—and with only one unconscious woman left in the car, plus the distant wail of approaching sirens—the thugs retreated. They peeled away, tires screeching.
Tang Zhe had sobered them up fast. Drunks might’ve just rammed the car into them otherwise.
*Tomorrow. File a report. Let the cops track these drunk drivers through the cameras.*
"You okay, Li Mo? Can you stand?"
With the danger gone, Tang Zhe’s attention snapped back to her. "Sorry I’m late. The homeroom teacher caught me grabbing my phone after overtime in the office."
"Mm."
Li Mo shook her head mutely. With his help, she rose unsteadily. "I’m fine. Thank you."
"Pfft. Brothers don’t say thanks! I’ve had training. Those clowns? Easy."
Tang Zhe puffed out his chest—until Li Mo’s fingers brushed his bruised cheek. He yelped, doubling over in pain.
"I’m sorry…"
Watching her friend wince, guilt crashed over her.
*This is my fault. If I hadn’t wandered off… hadn’t been careless…*
*Right now… I really am just an ordinary girl. Weak. Helpless.*
