Chapter 8 Meng Yanxi, please!
"Let me go! You scum! You beast! Your mother was born from someone else's mouth!"
"Smack—"
"Slut! [Sex!] Hold her down!"
The faint sounds of a girl crying and cursing could be heard from the dark, damp alley.
Jin Zhao's mind was buzzing, her head was throbbing and dizzy. She was both afraid that Wu Nian would be hurt and also afraid that the bottomless insults between the man and woman would make Meng Yanxi feel disgusted and walk away indifferently.
"Let go."
Meng Yanxi stepped onto the skateboard and looked down at the hand that was tightly gripping his clothes.
The boy's eyes were cold and sharp. Jin Zhao's fingers twitched, and more tears streamed down his face, mixed with cold sweat.
She could understand Meng Yanxi's reluctance to get involved in trouble, just like when she overheard Wu Nian and He Yu's endless insults in the bar and wanted to turn around and run away. But she couldn't abandon Wu Nian.
She awkwardly tried to explain to him, "No, she's not a bad girl, she..."
Meng Yanxi coldly pushed her hand away with an irresistible force.
Jin Zhao's heart sank for a moment, but then he saw the boy turn around, step onto the skateboard with his other foot, bend his knee slightly, and the skateboard rushed into the dark alley like the wind.
Many years later, Jin Zhao still remembers this scene.
The alley was dark and filled with a damp, rotten smell. A narrow, dark passageway stretched as far as the eye could see, from which came the sounds of men and women cursing and fighting.
The boy, wearing a black T-shirt and white shoes, rode his skateboard and charged forward without hesitation. The wind billowed his oversized T-shirt, and his back view was clean and sharp.
Like fireworks exploding, the brightest star in the sky bursts open, its light spilling into the alley.
The skateboard was going very fast. Meng Yanxi suddenly jumped off, landing and stomping on the back of the board. The skateboard flew forward due to inertia, accurately colliding with the red-haired thug who was pinning the girl to the ground.
"Bang!"
"ah--"
With a scream of agony as Red Hair clutched his head, the sounds of fighting, screaming, and cursing abruptly ceased, and Meng Yanxi simultaneously drew all the attention.
Although Meng Yanxi was a boy and had a natural advantage in physical strength compared to Jin Zhao, he was still only a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, and there were three of them on the other side, who were carrying sticks.
When the first blow came down on him, Meng Yanxi slightly turned to the side to dodge, and at the same time raised her hand to grab the other's wrist and twist it hard.
"Crack—"
"ah--"
The sound of bones dislocating and screams rang out simultaneously. The other party released their grip, the long stick fell to the ground, and Meng Yanxi reached out to snatch it away.
But at the same time, another person behind him was also hitting him on the back of the head with a stick.
"careful!"
Jin Zhao ran in and saw this scene from afar; his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
Upon hearing her voice, Meng Yanxi caught the stick and reflexively bent to the side, simultaneously raising her hand to block the attack from behind.
But he was still a step too slow. Just as he raised his arm, the other person's stick came down and hit his forearm hard.
The boy let out a muffled groan.
At the same time, the thug with dyed red hair also swung his fist at him.
Jin Zhao quickly shouted, "I've already called the police, they'll be here soon!"
When Hongmao heard the police, he paused, but Meng Yanxi was not bothered at all. She grabbed the back of the neck of the man who had hit his arm and dragged him fiercely towards the head of the Hongmao thug.
"Bang--"
The two men's heads collided, and they both clutched their heads and screamed in pain.
Facing three opponents alone, Meng Yanxi initially held the upper hand. Jin Zhao even claimed to have called the police.
Surprisingly, these people weren't afraid of the police at all. The red-haired man, with a rough and hoarse voice, shouted, "Fine! Let's beat up the police and go to the police station together! This woman who cheated us out of our money will make her spit it out in front of the police!"
Jin Zhao was unaware of their past grievances, and the three of them were still fighting with Meng Yanxi.
Judging from Meng Yanxi's fighting style, he must have received systematic training; his attacks were quick, accurate, and ruthless, even his fighting was clean and beautiful. In contrast, the three opponents were completely disorganized, clumsy, and wielding their sticks haphazardly. Meng Yanxi made a clean dodge, and one of them hit his own man on the head with his stick.
But when it comes to fighting experience, the other party is obviously much more experienced than Meng Yanxi. They took advantage of their numbers to surround him. Two of them held Meng Yanxi back, while the red-haired man pounced on him from behind, trying to jump on his back and choke him.
"careful!"
Jin Zhao had never seen a fight before; the sound of fists and sticks hitting flesh felt like it was hitting her heart. Her eyes were wide open mechanically, her face pale, and her whole body trembling.
Meng Yanxi rolled on the spot to avoid the chokehold, and at the same time, his long leg swept across, tripping a person who was hitting him with a stick.
The man fell to the ground, and his long staff flew out, landing at Jin Zhao's feet.
Jin Zhao, his hands trembling, quickly picked up the stick.
Taking advantage of Meng Yanxi falling to the ground, the three of them pounced on him together, trying to subdue him with their physical strength.
Throughout, Meng Yanxi avoided physical contact with these people. His movements, whether dodging or throwing a punch, were clean and swift, each strike landing precisely without any provocation. Jin Zhao couldn't tell if it was a self-defense tactic or if he simply disliked their scent and was trying to keep them away. At that moment, Meng Yanxi rolled on the ground, causing two of the men to miss their target. The red-haired thug landed on his knees, then pounced on Meng Yanxi, pinning him down and simultaneously reaching for his neck.
Jin Zhao rushed forward, staring at the red back of the head, and raised the long stick in his hand.
When Meng Yanxi, who was lying on the ground, saw her, she narrowed her eyes, raised her leg, and used her knee to forcefully push against the red-haired man who was pressing down on her.
"Aww—"
The man's most vulnerable spot was attacked, and the red-haired man screamed and rolled around, clutching his groin.
At the same time, Meng Yanxi used the strength of her core body to stand up without using her arms for support, and quickly snatched the stick from Jin Zhao's hand.
At this moment, the other two rushed up. Meng Yanxi pulled Jin Zhao behind her with one hand, and at the same time kicked one of the men in the back of the knee with her long leg. The man was kicked to his knees with a "thud". Meng Yanxi held the long stick horizontally and locked his throat.
"Want to fight again?" Meng Yanxi coldly rebuked.
He swung the wooden stick with force, and the face of the man whose throat he was holding instantly turned bright red.
Of the three, one was writhing on the ground in pain, another was kneeling with a wooden stick choking him, and the last one had a large bump on his head with blood streaming down his face. He faced Meng Yanxi, still holding the stick, but his eyes already showed fear and hesitation.
The man kneeling on the ground struggled to break the wooden stick, his throat uttering muffled pleas for mercy: "No, stop fighting, stop fighting... We lost."
Meng Yanxi was also straightforward; upon hearing the other party admit defeat, she threw down the stick in her hand.
With a "thud," the long stick landed at the opponent's feet.
This action made Jin Zhao's heart leap again, fearing that they might pick it up and continue hitting it.
But the slightly chubby man opposite him only glared at Meng Yanxi with hatred, then he and his companion helped the red-haired man up from the ground, and the three of them ran away together.
*
Wu Nian sat on the ground, hugging her knees, her blond hair standing on end in a mess. The straps of her tank top were torn open, revealing a large expanse of fair skin.
Meng Yanxi picked up the skateboard from the ground and turned to walk away.
Jin Zhao stepped forward, took off his shirt that he was wearing over his vest, and draped it over her.
"It's alright, let's go back." She hugged Wu Nian tenderly.
Wu Nian didn't say anything, but tears fell silently. After a few seconds, she forcefully wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand.
"I'm fine, you can go back first." Her voice was a little hoarse, but it conveyed a forced calmness and toughness, making her sound like a female warrior who would never surrender.
After what just happened, how could Jin Zhao let her go back alone? She said gently, "Let's go together. We live in the same neighborhood."
"I'm not going back tonight." Wu Nian stood up, picked up her bag that had fallen into the sewage pit, and looked down to find her phone inside.
Jin Zhao asked, "Are you looking for He Yu?"
Wu Nian had already dialed the number. She coldly said to the person on the other end of the line, "Come pick me up. It's in that alley over there. I'll go to your house tonight."
He Yu arrived in ten minutes on his motorcycle.
Throughout this process, Jin Zhao kept trying to persuade Wu Nian to go home with her. In her view, He Yu and those thugs from earlier were essentially the same.
But Wu Nian remained unmoved.
Not far away, Meng Yanxi, with her back to them, made a phone call and whispered a few words.
Wu Nian thought he was calling the police, and frantically grabbed Jin Zhao's hand: "Quick, go tell him not to call the police!"
Jin Zhao didn't know how to start the conversation. Meng Yanxi turned around and glanced indifferently at Wu Nian's blond hair: "Don't worry, I never meddle in other people's business."
Jin Zhao: "..."
He doesn't meddle in other people's business, but he gets really into fights.
She remembered what the thugs had said about Wu Nian cheating them out of their money. Given her position, she couldn't offer any advice, and carefully chose her words, saying, "I..."
Wu Nian, as if she had foreseen the future, coldly interrupted: "Don't beat around the bush about borrowing money from me. I have a boyfriend, and my boyfriend can make money."
Jin Zhao wants to ask, how does he make money? Does he make money by buying lottery tickets?
She ultimately said nothing.
Meng Yanxi suddenly took a step and walked out.
Jin Zhao thought he was leaving, and her eyes immediately followed him anxiously, only to see that he had left the skateboard behind. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Meng Yanxi returned quickly, carrying a coat. She walked straight up to her and handed it to her.
A black windbreaker.
Jin Zhao didn't understand and looked up blankly.
Jin Zhao gave the shirt he was wearing over his clothes to Wu Nian, leaving only a pale yellow tank top underneath. The tank top was sporty, similar to a camisole, but with slightly wider straps, revealing slender shoulders and neck, delicate collarbones, and a large expanse of dazzlingly white skin above the chest.
The boy's gaze swept over them: "Put them on."
Jin Zhao didn't realize anything at first; she used to dress like this in the dance studio when she was still dancing. It wasn't until she suddenly heard the roar of a motorcycle coming from the alley entrance that she came to her senses.
At least in this place, you absolutely cannot dress like that!
She glanced gratefully at Meng Yanxi and quickly took the windbreaker.
She unfolded her coat, and a familiar scent of cold mountain pine mist enveloped her.
Jin Zhao immediately realized that it was Meng Yanxi's coat.
His clothes clung to her bare skin, enveloping her body.
He was empty-handed and didn't have a backpack, so she assumed he had just gone out to buy something.
The windbreaker's fabric was smooth and soft, carrying a slight autumn chill, yet Jin Zhao's blood was burning hot.
It felt like there was a little deer running rampant inside my body.
*
He Yu also brought a friend with him. In the end, He Yu took Wu Nian away on his motorcycle, while his friend rode away on Wu Nian's electric scooter.
Before leaving, they asked Jin Zhao if he wanted a farewell.
Jin Zhao didn't dare look at them. Standing behind Meng Yanxi, she whispered, "Thank you, but no need."
A Rolls-Royce was parked at the alley entrance. When Meng Yanxi came out, the driver, dressed in a suit, got out of the car and opened the back door for him, bowing slightly and looking very respectful.
Jin Zhao recalled the phone call Meng Yanxi had made earlier; it turned out she was calling for a driver to pick her up. That explained the windbreaker – she'd taken it from the car.
Jin Zhao gripped his coat tightly, his gaze falling on the man's arm. His skin was fair, and after taking such a solid blow, his forearm was swollen, a patch of bruises and congestion.
"I'm sorry," Jin Zhao apologized softly.
If his car hadn't come to pick him up, she could still buy him medicine, but since his driver had already arrived, he probably wouldn't need the medicine she bought.
Meng Yanxi's indifferent peach blossom eyes looked behind her.
A motorcycle and a small electric scooter were parked at the intersection ahead. For some reason, He Yu and his two companions hadn't left yet and were watching them from a distance.
"I'm leaving now. Thank you for tonight, and for the clothes..." Jin Zhao said goodbye to him.
"Get in the car," Meng Yanxi interrupted her.
The girl looked up, a blush rising on her fair skin: "No, no need to trouble yourself, we're not going that way."
Meng Yanxi raised her hand and put it on Jin Zhao's shoulder, then leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Get in the car if you don't want to be targeted by thugs."
Jin Zhao's eyes widened.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom slowly drove past the intersection, the Spirit of Ecstasy emblem reflecting an expensive glow under the lights.
Through the one-way tinted glass, Jin Zhao saw He Yu and his friend parked by the roadside. He felt a faint sense of relief, but then suddenly felt a sense of fear.
Perhaps she shouldn't have come tonight.
“You are not from the same world, so there’s no need to try to save anyone,” the aloof young man said suddenly, sitting down beside her.
Jin Zhao looked at his chin, where there was a scrape from the fight; the bruise was deep red under the pale skin, but it was much better than his arm.
Jin Zhao knew he was referring to Wu Nian.
She couldn't help but say, "We're not from the same world."
She and Meng Yanxi were from different worlds.
Meng Yanxi turned her head, her dark, peach-blossom eyes looking at her. Two seconds later, she nodded: "You're right."
Jin Zhao: "..."
Meng Yanxi: "But there are not only two worlds in this world. You can make friends with like-minded people."
Jin Zhao: "Then why did you save her? They are worlds apart."
But you still went to save her alone, risking your life to save her.
Even if her vulgar language makes you frown, even if you don't even think she's a good person.
Meng Yanxi turned her head away and didn't say anything.
Jin Zhao silently curved her lips into a smile.
She suddenly realized that the aloof and cold-looking boy actually had a passionate heart.
She was still worried about him taking that blow, and asked softly, "Does your injury hurt?"
Meng Yanxi glanced down at her forearm, not saying whether it hurt or not: "If you encounter this situation again, don't get involved."
Jin Zhao thought he was asking for help and explained, "Nian Nian will be bullied..."
“I mean, don’t do anything.” Meng Yanxi looked into her eyes.
Jin Zhao suddenly remembered that she had picked up the stick from the ground and tried to help him. But Meng Yanxi didn't let her do it and instead pulled her away.
Puzzled, she asked, "Why?"
“You have no grudge against them, at most you're just doing what you should do. But if you hit them, have you ever heard of revenge begetting revenge? You'll be entangled with them from then on.” Meng Yanxi looked quietly at the girl’s clear and sweet face. “It’s not the thief you should be afraid of, it’s the thief who has his eye on you.”
Jin Zhao felt a chill run down his spine.
Then, suddenly realizing what she had done, she exclaimed in horror, "But you hit them!"
The arrogant and privileged young man scoffed, "Then let them come and try to find me."
He was a passionate young man, but deep down he remained arrogant and frivolous.
A note from the author:
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Happy Qixi Festival, my darlings! [kiss]
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