Cheng Yu had fallen into a misconception from the very beginning.

In his mind, he was merely someone who’d gotten lucky—scaring off Tiger Cub through trickery. If a real fight broke out, he stood zero chance of winning.

So to him, there was no way out.

Yet he’d completely overlooked one thing.

This conclusion came solely from his own perspective.

Only when he shifted his viewpoint did he realize his earlier blind spot:

What did *he* look like through Tiger Cub’s eyes?

To Cheng Yu, his stamina and combat skills were those of a pushover. But to Tiger Cub, he was a masterful, unpredictable fighter who’d effortlessly humiliated him with dazzling moves.

That’s why Tiger Cub had never dared to confront him directly—not even resorting to kidnapping Suzhan Yue as leverage to force his surrender.

Once Cheng Yu grasped this, the solution became clear.

If he could fool Tiger Cub once with acting and tricks, he could do it again.

So he swallowed his panic, put on a performance, and after Suzhan Yue broke free, he grabbed her hand without a word and ran.

The only thing that caught him off guard was—

He stole a glance at Suzhan Yue. She clung tightly to his hand, gasping for breath, face flushed from running.

Cheng Yu wasn’t faring much better, but he still asked:

“You… seemed to know what I was planning back there?”

“I didn’t know…” Suzhan Yue panted, her small face crimson. Yet she answered politely.

“But I… sensed you were lying. So I believed you wouldn’t strike.”

“How did you know I was lying?”

“Because…” She hesitated, her voice thick with conflicted emotion.

“We’re… not even friends, are we?

I don’t think you see me as one. So when you called us ‘just acquaintances’… I realized you must be tricking him. Making him drop his guard…

That’s when I knew—everything you said was probably false. You’d never hurt him. You’d save me.”

She paused, then added softly:

“And… I still wanted to believe that’s the kind of person you are.”

Her whisper cut through her ragged breaths, startlingly clear.

Cheng Yu sighed inwardly. This silly girl—still this trusting, even now.

Yet it was precisely this trust that had given them their chance to escape.

He had no words to match it. Eyes fixed ahead, he murmured:

“I see.”

Their talk ended abruptly. Roars of fury echoed behind them—Tiger Cub was closing in.

Suzhan Yue’s expression flickered slightly. Instinctively, she asked:

“What now?”

“Expected. He realized he was tricked. Of course he’d chase us.” Cheng Yu clicked his tongue, frowning.

*Should’ve injured him earlier. Slowed him down…*

No use dwelling on it. What mattered was the next move.

As he pondered, a familiar sensation shot through his legs. Time froze. Options flashed before his eyes:

[Facing Tiger Cub’s pursuit, your choice is:]

[Option A: Run straight back to campus. Reward: Guaranteed postgraduate spot at Qinghua University, Capital City.]

[Option B: Reason with him. Reward: Membership in the Azure Blade Society.]

[Option C: Seek help from others. Reward: Superpower “Pitiable Charm.”]

[Option D: Defeat him. Reward: 1 random SPECIAL attribute point.]

*Azure Blade Society…*

Option B’s reward snagged his attention. He’d never heard this name before. But its appearance here… If he guessed right, this was the organization Tiger Cub and Blade Brother belonged to.

A useful clue from the system. He filed it away for later.

Option A warned him: ignoring Tiger Cub now would only invite future trouble for himself and those around him.

Option C’s “Pitiable Charm” sounded intriguing—but based on past experience, it was likely just a social skill boosting likability. Nothing decisive.

Option D—defeating Tiger Cub.

He hadn’t even considered *how* to pull that off. And the reward… another SPECIAL attribute point.

These were rare. The last time one appeared—back at the bar—it had caused endless headaches.

This Option D was clearly far harder than usual.

But Cheng Yu knew the system’s patterns. The last option was always the safest choice.

No matter how impossible the task seemed, his decision was made.

“…Suzhan Yue.”

“Y-yes?” She gasped, ankles aching. Her stamina was fading fast.

“Do you… still trust me?”

Her breath hitched. Cheng Yu’s expression was dead serious.

Something surged in her chest. The words tumbled out without hesitation:

“Of course I do.”

Cheng Yu’s lips quirked.

*Good.*

You trusted me once—I got you out.

Trust me again now—I won’t fail you.

He tightened his grip on her hand. “Left!”

They veered sharply into the capital’s shadowed alleyways, leaving the bright main road behind.

Tiger Cub’s roar chased them through the narrow lanes:

“You two can’t run forever!”