Officer Uncle stepped out first, leaving just the three of us. Xu Wei clung tightly to my arm, her voice trembling with worry. “Will we have to pay compensation?”

Her first thought wasn’t safety or who was right—it was the money. Hearing that made my heart ache.

“Don’t worry,” I said, pulling her closer. “Our boss is loaded.”

The little loli’s soft, sweet-scented presence lifted my mood a little.

But still… Boss Qin isn’t family. Would he really pay to “bail” us out? And even if he did, owing him felt deeply unsettling.

We were practically strangers—acquainted barely days—yet he trusted me so much, even footing the bill for my mess. Guilt swelled toward Qin Ning.

“Thank you, really,” I said to the girl with the single ponytail. “May I ask your name?”

Back then, if no one had stepped in, those thugs probably wouldn’t have dared kidnap us in broad daylight—but groping us? Guaranteed. If they’d succeeded, it would’ve left deep scars on both Xu Wei and me.

Especially me. Just imagining being manhandled by several guys made my skin crawl. For most girls, it’d be disgust. For me—a former guy—that disgust carried a sharp sting of violation, something foul and invasive…

“No problem! Anyone would’ve helped,” the girl laughed, scratching her head. “I’m Ye Xiaoshuang. Seventeen. My family runs a martial arts school.”

*Martial arts school… surname Ye? Don’t tell me it’s Wing Chun.* Though at seventeen, she was two years younger than me.

“Not in school?” I asked casually.

Ye Xiaoshuang’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Well… I’m not great at hitting the books, so I dropped out. Wanted to wander the martial world, but Dad said if I ever ran with a bad crowd, he’d break my legs.”

A slight tremor ran through me. *Bold family.* A dad threatening to break his underage daughter’s legs?

How harsh. Still… those legs—bare, pale, long—I glanced down and swallowed hard.

*Don’t run with a bad crowd, Ye Xiaoshuang. Breaking legs like that would be a shame.*

No wonder. Wing Chun. Wing Chun…

A thought struck me. “So… what are you up to these days?”

“Just killing time,” she sighed gloomily. “Bored stiff. I wander streets hoping for a chance to play hero.”

No wonder she’d fought so fiercely—she’d been itching for action.

“I’ve got an opening that needs exactly your skills,” I said. “How about working at our shop?”

This incident was a wake-up call: we needed strong backup. A capable fighter who’s also a cute girl? Rare. And here she was. Couldn’t let her slip away.

“Really?” Ye Xiaoshuang didn’t hesitate. “Yes! Absolutely!”

…Her trust caught me off guard. All my persuasive lines went to waste.

Well, truly a straightforward girl.

Just then, Officer Uncle returned—with the tall, thin officer from before and a shorter cop whose expression held zero warmth.

“Miss Su Xiaoxi,” the tall officer said gently, “they agreed to settle… but demanded compensation. I argued hard, but they held firm.”

“Five thousand?!” Ye Xiaoshuang’s eyes widened. “Are they robbing us? Even protecting a cute girl won’t save me—Dad’ll kill me!”

The short officer snorted. “Fifty thousand.”

The tall one pulled him back. “Honestly, it’s a decent outcome. A settlement reduces future trouble. You know the saying: a thief can strike anytime, but you can’t guard forever, right?”

I stared at the floor, silent. After a pause, he added, “Call your parents.”

I hesitated. “Wait outside, both of you. It’s fine.”

“But—it was mostly me who hit them!” Ye Xiaoshuang protested, voice cracking on “p-p-p-pay…” Her teeth chattered.

“Doesn’t matter who swung first. They came for *me*,” I nudged Xu Wei gently. “Just wait outside.”

I finally coaxed them out. Alone, I spoke quietly: “I have no parents. And no money.”

“Hmph,” the short officer sneered. “No money, yet holding a high-end phone?”

“They noticed my phone earlier.”

“It’s work-issued. My boss lent it to me.”

A flicker of apology crossed the tall officer’s face. “My mistake. I assumed… this wouldn’t be too hard for you.”

“No money, yet you hit that hard? Lives cost nothing to you?” the short one snapped. “Name someone who can pay. Or we contact everyone you know. Don’t want today’s drama going public, do you, little miss goody-goody?”

I bit my lip hard, swallowing the urge to slam the table. Powerless. Wrong. Broke.

The tall officer tapped his colleague’s back sharply. His tone softened. “Anyone who might help?”

“She’s lying to dodge blame,” the short man stood. “Su Xiaoxi? I’ll find your family myself.”

*If you actually could, I’d gift you a thank-you plaque on the spot.* I shot him a dry look, then met the tall officer’s apologetic eyes—and lowered my head.

At that moment, I’d already gone full *what-the-hell*.

I handed over my phone’s sole contact. “This is my boss… Maybe… just maybe… he’ll help.”