Hutongs are a defining feature of the capital.

Over seven thousand of them crisscross like scattered stars, seemingly leading to every corner of the city.

This particular hutong was barely more than a narrow alley.

Pitch-dark and unlit, it could only be navigated by the faint glow from the streets.

Worse, the path was so tight it barely fit one and a half people side by side.

So when Tiger Cub stepped inside, the claustrophobic scene made his heart skip a beat.

That kid wouldn’t be hiding in some shadowy corner, planning to ambush him, would he?

No wonder he thought that—he’d just been humiliated by Cheng Yu and instinctively feared more tricks.

…Whatever. Catching the kid mattered most.

If he escaped today, Tiger Cub would have no face left to show Blade Brother.

Gritting his teeth, Tiger Cub charged forward.

His brief hesitation had let Cheng Yu and Suzhan Yue vanish, but two people couldn’t run fast in these cramped alleys.

At a fork, Tiger Cub glanced around and instantly spotted a flash of white skirt to his left.

That striking color stood out even in the darkness.

He remembered—the girl with Cheng Yu wore a long white dress.

A smile crept onto Tiger Cub’s face. Lady Luck was on his side today.

Without a word, he turned left, shouting, “You two can’t escape!” and sprinted after them.

Clearly, they were much slower. Once he caught their fleeing figures, they couldn’t shake him off.

Every time he rounded a corner, that white skirt reappeared.

Tiger Cub’s fear faded. This felt like a cat-and-mouse game now.

And he’d catch these scurrying little mice.

After countless turns, the white skirt grew clearer. Tiger Cub even glimpsed the wearer’s profile several times.

Suzhan Yue’s face was etched with terror. They desperately tried to escape the pitch-black maze but found no exit.

Finally, under Tiger Cub’s intense pressure, he saw Suzhan Yue slip and crash to the ground mid-turn.

“Hey! Girl, are you okay? Get up!” Cheng Yu’s anxious shout only fueled Tiger Cub’s excitement.

The voice was so clear—Cheng Yu was still with her, not separated.

Which meant—

Tiger Cub sped up, legs pumping, chasing Suzhan Yue’s fallen form.

Catch this girl…

And he’d grab Cheng Yu beside her—

Tiger Cub froze.

Rushing over, he found only Suzhan Yue lying there. Cheng Yu was nowhere in sight.

Where was he? Had he abandoned the girl and fled alone?

Impossible! This hutong was too narrow to hide in.

…Unless…

Tiger Cub snapped his head up. Above him, unnoticed until now, was Cheng Yu’s face.

Cheng Yu braced himself with hands and feet against the alley walls, wedged right over Tiger Cub’s head, grinning down.

“Too slow, bastard.”

Cheng Yu released his limbs, dropping feet-first onto Tiger Cub’s back.

*Thud!* Crushed under the weight, Tiger Cub slammed face-first into the ground.

“Just stay asleep and don’t wake up.”

Cheng Yu stretched his aching limbs—he’d been braced against the wall for ages.

But he didn’t forget Suzhan Yue. He turned and pulled her up by the hand.

“Are you okay, Suzhan Yue? Your acting was so real—even I bought that fall.”

“It wasn’t acting…” Suzhan Yue said, tearful and aggrieved.

“I really fell.”

Cheng Yu paused, then burst out laughing. Suzhan Yue shouted angrily, “Stop laughing! I—I was already exhausted from running!

It’s all because you, Lin Jie, said you’d ambush him here! You made me run in circles, and worst of all, I had to let him see me so he’d keep chasing me…

Do you know how terrifying that was?

So when I saw you, I relaxed instantly, and then… then…”

Suzhan Yue pouted, her face full of displeasure. Cheng Yu cleared his throat, stifling laughter, and hurriedly consoled her, “Alright, alright, it’s fine. It’s over. You did great—trusting me and running that long wasn’t easy…”

“Lin Jie!”

Cheng Yu’s words cut off. He stared at Suzhan Yue’s panic-stricken face as she gaped behind him.

Cheng Yu instantly understood. His reflexes maxed out as he twisted to dodge.

But his stamina couldn’t match his speed. His body shifted barely an inch before Tiger Cub’s spinning kick slammed into his gut.

Cheng Yu flew like a broken kite, crashing into the wall. His stomach churned violently—he felt bile rising.

No time to react. Tiger Cub lunged, left hand clamping Cheng Yu’s throat, right fist punching his abdomen.

“Hurts, doesn’t it, brat?” Tiger Cub snarled. Cheng Yu gasped, pain like a gaping hole in his gut.

Yet he sucked in a breath, managed a smile at Tiger Cub’s twisted face, and said, “Good thing I didn’t kill you… or I’d be at a huge loss rotting in jail.”

“Still talking tough? You really don’t fear death, kid.”

Tiger Cub wasn’t unscathed either—blood trickled down his forehead from Cheng Yu’s earlier strike. He was dizzy, unsteady.

But undeniably, he held the upper hand.

“Too bad, kid. You crossed paths with Tiger Cub.”

A cold glint flashed in the dim alley. Suzhan Yue watched as Tiger Cub pulled a butterfly knife from his pocket.

“You’ve angered me time and again. Now you’re in my hands—I damn well won’t let you go.

Remember this when you go down, kid—if there’s a next life.

Don’t ever cross me again!”

Ruthlessness flashed in Tiger Cub’s eyes. He raised the knife and thrust it fiercely at Cheng Yu’s chest.

Suzhan Yue’s scream shattered the hutong’s silence.