Nanya Secondary School

As soon as Chen Ye entered, she found herself securely guarded behind him. He was about a head taller than her, with the slender, upright figure typical of a young man, his waist slender and now stretched taut like a bowstring from exerting force. Her hands, instinctively wrapped around his waist, were swayed by his swift movements like an anchor in a storm.

Looking around, I found myself in a back alley wedged between old residential buildings and an abandoned auto repair shop. The dusky light was squeezed to a point of near-death, the air thick and hot, the sour odor of cheap cigarettes, rotting garbage, and steaming sweat assaulting my nostrils. The dull thud of fists hitting flesh, vulgar curses, and the clatter of chaotic footsteps filled my ears.

"Congratulations to the host for coming to Nanyang High School in the third world, triggering the first mission, and rescuing the male protagonist Xiao Qingqiu." A cold electronic voice sounded in Chen Ye's mind.

"Rescue? What happened to him?" Wu Shi asked instinctively, her gaze quickly scanning the narrow battlefield. Five or six thugs were besieging the young man who was protecting her, and another was lying on the ground, groaning. The scene was chaotic, but Chen Ye's eyes instantly calmed. A long-lost, combat-like sharpness quietly awakened in his blood—as if this body's instincts were returning.

"Isn't he right in front of you? Host, you forgot to read the character prompt." The system said with a hint of helplessness.

Character hint? Wu Shi then noticed the label floating at the edge of her vision. She locked onto the slender figure who was outnumbered and protecting her. A clear name tag hung above his sweat-soaked neck:

Xiao Qingqiu

He's the male lead? Chen Ye raised an eyebrow. Judging from the way he was acting, it was clear he was protecting her... Wait, the mission was called "rescue"?

As soon as the thought came to mind, the situation on the battlefield changed drastically!

A thug with a scarred face and the most ferocious eyes clearly saw Xiao Qingqiu's hesitation. He sneered, and instead of attacking, he ducked down, slipping eerily under Xiao Qingqiu's blocking arm. With a flash of cold light in his hand, a sharp switchblade stabbed Wu Shi in the abdomen! The angle was sinister, and the speed was swift!

"Be careful!" Xiao Qingqiu saw this from the corner of his eye, and his pupils suddenly shrank! His hands were being entangled by the other two people. He clenched his teeth and instinctively twisted his body, trying to block the knife with his own strength!

At the moment when the tip of the knife was less than half a foot away from Wu Shi's abdomen——

The hands that were around Xiao Qingqiu's waist loosened.

It wasn't a panicked release, but rather like a dormant cheetah shedding its disguise.

Wu Shi didn't even look at the incoming blade. Her body's instincts had long since transcended the limitations of vision. With the blade's tip within a foot of her abdomen, she slid sideways at an impossibly slight angle, her movements seemingly weightless. Her toes touched the ground, her sleeves fluttering, allowing the deadly icy light to glide past along the fabric. She knew it all—this body had perfectly inherited the martial arts essence of the last world. Taking on this street thug was a piece of cake, almost... boring.

The thought flashed through her mind, but her movements were even faster! At the moment when Scarface's center of gravity tilted forward due to the empty stab, Wu Shi exerted her strength on the spot, lightly tapping the ground with her toes. As if she had escaped the pull of gravity, she lightly leaped upwards! Instead of going straight up and down, she completed a neat turn in mid-air, her skirt drawing a cool arc. When she landed steadily behind Scarface, he hadn't even turned completely.

"What?!" Scarface felt a strong wind coming from behind him, and turned around in horror, only to see a foot wearing ordinary canvas shoes rapidly enlarging in his field of vision.

"Bang!"

A dull thud! Wu Shi's right leg whipped out like a steel whip, precisely sweeping across Scarface's wrist as he held the knife! The immense force made him feel as if his wrist bones were about to shatter, and the excruciating pain made it impossible for him to hold the dagger. The switchblade flew out of his hand, tumbling through the air, leaving a bright streak before falling with a clang a few meters away. Scarface himself was thrown like a broken sack by the immense force, stumbling and tumbling several meters before crashing into a pile of discarded tires, groaning in pain.

As for the two thugs who were trying to suppress Xiao Qingqiu? They had just witnessed the "tragedy" of their boss being kicked away in the face. Their brains were still in a state of shutdown, their bodies were stiff, and they even forgot to issue the order to escape.

Wu Shi dealt with Scarface and casually glanced over. Looking at the two faces, terrified and unable to move, a faint, almost playful smile curled the corners of her mouth. She didn't even bother to walk over. She simply leaned slightly to the side, her left and right hands casually touching and flicking at the two men's shoulders as if shooing away a fly!

"Go ahead."

The seemingly understated movement, however, contained a subtle force. The two thugs felt an irresistible force radiating from their shoulders, their feet instantly lifted off the ground, their entire bodies lifted as if grabbed by an invisible giant hand. They cried out in shock as they were "sent" forward, dancing through the air for several meters before landing solidly next to Scarface with two "thumps," raising a cloud of dust.

The entire process was fluid, from dodging, leaping, spinning, kicking the weapon-wielding individual away, to "sending off" the two minions through the air, all in the blink of an eye. Wu Shi even stood still, his hair barely ruffled, simply clapping his hands lightly, as if flicking nonexistent dust from his sleeves. That effortless effortlessness, that effortless demeanor, perfectly demonstrated absolute force and dominance.

Xiao Qingqiu froze completely. He whipped his head around, his gaze fixed on Wu Shi. Sweat dripped down his chiseled jawline, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. The precision, ruthlessness, and sheer power of a top-tier fighter, along with the incredible leaping techniques and teleportation techniques, couldn't possibly belong to an ordinary high school girl! When had she learned these incredible skills?! So... a hidden martial arts expert had just been hiding like a little bird behind this... uh, self-proclaimed fighting rookie?

The huge cognitive impact made Xiao Qingqiu's brain work rapidly, and then he came to an extremely clear conclusion - he who knows the times is a hero!

Almost at the same moment Wu Shi clapped her hands, Xiao Qingqiu didn't hesitate, his body reacting faster than he could think. He leaped forward, swiftly leaping behind Wu Shi! His movements were so smooth, his positioning so precise, it felt like he'd practiced them countless times. Then, he reached out and, without hesitation, tightly embraced Wu Shi's waist! He buried his face behind her shoulder, revealing only a pair of wary and slightly curious eyes as he stared at the three rolling gourds across from him.

Wu Shi was startled by the sudden weight and warmth behind her. Her body instinctively tensed for a moment, but then she felt the boy's warm breath brush against her neck and a slight tremor in his arms. She immediately understood—oh, the child had never seen such a scene before, and was he frightened? Or perhaps... was he impressed by his own heroic appearance?

Thinking of this, Wu Shi couldn't help but feel a little proud. The martial arts buff was so useful! This feeling of controlling the entire situation and crushing the opponent was awesome!

She tilted her head slightly, her cold gaze like an icicle, piercing the three scarred men struggling to get up. Her voice was low, almost flat, but it carried a chilling pressure that reached everyone's ears clearly:

"roll."

That one word, like a heavy hammer, struck the remaining three people hard in the heart, completely crushing their last shred of resistance.

Scarface clutched his aching wrist, barely standing up with the help of two younger brothers who were also bruised and in pain. He looked at Xiao Qingqiu's face, which was full of "I am proud to have a backer", which appeared behind the thin girl, and then met Wu Shi's emotionless eyes. A chill ran down his spine and into his head. His lips trembled, and he said something harsh in a cowardly manner, but his voice was distorted by fear: "Xiao Qingqiu! Wu Shi! You just wait! This matter is not over today! Our boss... our boss will deal with you!"

After leaving behind this unfounded threat, the three scar-faced men were like frightened birds. They rolled and crawled, supporting each other, and fled out of the back alley in a panic without even looking back. They ran so fast that it seemed as if there were evil spirits chasing them.

The alley was instantly silent, leaving only heavy breathing and the smell of rubber from discarded tires.

Wu Shi felt the arm still tightly around his waist, sighed helplessly, and patted the back of Xiao Qingqiu's hand: "Hey, everyone has run away, can you let go? It's strangling me to death."

"Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. Story progress is 10%, and the love ratio is 0%. Unlock the next mission and prevent the heroine Yu Mian from being bullied at school."

"System, was I just a hero saving the damsel in distress? Could it be that he has already secretly fallen in love with me?"

"Host, why are you still dreaming about this? Have you forgotten how difficult Qi Yiwen was in the first world?"

"But I feel like Xiao Qingqiu is a bit clueless and dull. I can definitely control him. And you want me to break up the male and female protagonists. Can't the male protagonist like someone else? In the first world, I was a cannon fodder supporting role. I watched Nan Ya High School and I was at least the fourth female lead. Don't I deserve it?"

"There's no CP here, the host can't fall in love, okay?"

"Then what is Xiao Yuhuan?"

"That's for the plot, don't add to the drama."

"All right."

Xiao Qingqiu instantly changed his status and became Wu Shi's younger brother, and began to flatter him. "Sister Wu, those moves you just made were so cool. Please accept me as your disciple."

"We live in a society ruled by law now. Don't always think about fighting. I won't take action again." Wu Shi was determined to establish good values for Xiao Qingqiu, the school bully.

"Then we're in trouble. They won't give up."

"Call the police!"

"System, I've thought carefully about the hero's early attitude towards the heroine in the original novel." Wu Shi's thoughts were clear. "That inexplicable targeting and bullying... Now it seems that it's probably 'incompatibility' at work, right? A very childish and awkward mentality - 'If I like her, I have to bully her to get her attention.' Tsk, typical teenage boy thinking, stupid and asking for a beating."

Her eyes subtly glanced at Xiao Qingqiu, who was still grumbling and chattering about "the gangster's revenge." At this moment, Xiao Qingqiu was no longer the sinister school bully described in the original novel. He was just a talkative and cowardly lackey.

A hint of a controlled smile crept onto Wu Shi's lips. "But now..." She looked at Xiao Qingqiu, who was begging for protection, and she was certain, "This future 'school bully' is practically my little brother. Without my orders, he wouldn't dare bully anyone, especially... the heroine."

"But there are others?"

"Are the people at Nanya High School so idle?"

"in case."

Under the dim streetlights, two people walked, one in front of the other. One was immersed in the grand blueprint of "how to establish the correct values of the male protagonist" and "how to protect the female protagonist," while the other was immersed in the practical anxiety of "how to hold on tightly to avoid being beaten to death." Shadows stretched and intertwined behind them as they walked towards the old residential building where they lived together.