EPISODE 20

As soon as Cen Wu got to Blue Night, he went looking for A Ling. When he finally found him, A Ling just shrugged and said, "He just left."

A Ling stepped outside for a smoke near the back door of Blue Night when he saw a group of guys hanging around. The leader had menacing eyes and elaborate arm tattoos, and he was flanked by a few others.

Although they didn’t explicitly say they were looking for Xie Guilan, A Ling’s intuition, sharpened by the rough environment, told him something was off. He immediately messaged Cen Wu.

"Alright, thanks," Cen Wu replied, not lingering any longer as he went to look for Xie.

The area around Blue Night was known for its rowdy crowd. Drunk patrons often ended up in dark alleys, where they were easy targets for muggings.

Even if they weren’t drunk, they could still get robbed.

Blue Night was close to Huai Jing No. 1 High School, and nearby No. 13 High School was notorious for its poor academic record and high number of delinquents. These kids often hung out with the local thugs.

Xie Guilan had some conflicts with them.

Xie Guilan had already offended both Xie Shangjing and the original owner of the body, leaving him without protection. As a result, he was frequently targeted by these delinquents, who knew he wouldn’t fight back.

A Ling was quite surprised. He had an agreement with Cen Wu that he only needed to inform him and didn’t have to get involved in helping Xie Guilan.

But Cen Wu’s temper was unpredictable, and A Ling wasn’t sure if he’d stick to their agreement. Tonight, A Ling had been testing the waters, but Cen Wu didn’t hold it against him.

His misty, beautiful eyes remained calm, unshaken by the chaos around him.

Cen Wu.

"..."

A Ling, biting his cigarette, narrowed his eyes. What had happened to make him like a completely different person?

Cen Wu left Blue Night and started searching the area. Near the back door, he ran into a waiter who was slacking off. The guy pointed down the street. "Xie went that way."

Xie Guilan had probably headed back to his rented place. Cen Wu headed toward the school, but as he walked, his pace quickened into a run, his heart pounding in his chest.

The night before had seen heavy rain, and now the moonlight felt cold and washed-out, casting long, eerie shadows that clung to his heels. Cen Wu looked up and finally heard some arguing in an alley.

Cen Wu froze for a moment, intending to rush over, but he stopped halfway, turned back, spun in a circle, and then grabbed a steel pipe. Only then did he cautiously peek out.

In the alley stood seven or eight people, their hair dyed in various colors, like feather dusters come to life. The leader had a flower tattoo on his arm.

"Bro, we don’t want to make things hard for you," the tattooed leader, holding a cigarette in his mouth, grabbed Xie Guilan’s school uniform collar and slammed him against the wall. "We just want some money for cigarettes. Why is it so difficult?"

"Yeah," the yellow-haired thug chimed in, stepping closer and grabbing for Xie Guilan’s backpack. "Just give us the cash, and we won’t have to rough you up."

The alley was dark and damp, lit only by a flickering streetlight. The bruises on Xie Guilan’s face, still fresh from the racetrack, stood out in the dim light. His cold, hard gaze betrayed no fear.

His arms hung by his side, the veins slightly bulging, but he showed no intention of fighting back.

He just watched as the yellow-haired guy rummaged through his backpack.

Nowadays, not many people carried cash. In Xie Guilan’s backpack, there were only a few hundred yuan given to him by the barbecue stall owner where he worked part-time.

The thugs crowded around, visibly disappointed. "What the hell? Is this all the kid’s got? He’s broke!"

The tattooed leader lost patience, sneering as he glanced at Xie Guilan. He raised his hand, ready to strike.

"Let him go!" Cen Wu shouted, his heart racing as he charged forward with the steel pipe. "I’ve already called the cops!"

The teenager had just gotten over a fever, and his voice was still a bit slurred and soft. But it was quiet in the alley late at night, so the tattooed leader and his gang all heard him clearly and turned around immediately.

Each thug had a cigarette hanging from their mouth, wore ripped jeans and heavy metal chains, and their slanted eyes gleamed with menace.

“...”

Cen Wu’s hand trembled, but he stepped forward. With a cold expression, he shoved the tattooed leader’s shoulder, placing himself between the man and Xie Guilan.

“I already called the cops,” Cen Wu’s calves were shaking, but his tone was colder than the moonlight that night. “You can still run away if you want to live.”

His eyelids were red and swollen from the fever, and a cooling patch still clung to his forehead. Despite his designer clothes, he looked far from intimidating.

The tattooed leader and his underlings exchanged glances and suddenly burst out laughing, hands on their hips.

They didn’t buy it for a second. Around here, no one ever bothered with the cops. Some rich kid thought a few words would scare them off.

Cen Wu: “...”

He felt insulted.

Even Cen Wu’s status as a rich kid didn’t mean anything to these thugs. In any high-end venue in Huai Jing, the managers would recognize his face and treat him with respect. But these locals had no idea who he was.

“Boss,” the green-haired thug waved his hand impatiently, “Forget the talk. Just beat them down!”

With that, he threw a punch at Cen Wu.

Cen Wu’s eyes widened in shock.

They’re attacking even after I said I called the cops? What kind of honor is this?!

Cen Wu wasn’t afraid of a fight. If it came down to it, these guys might not even be able to take him. But he had just recovered from a fever, his legs were shaky, and his reactions were sluggish.

Just as the punch was about to land, Cen Wu thought he was done for. But the fist never hit him.

When he looked up again, Xie Guilan had grabbed the collar of the attacker, pushed him away, and swung a fierce punch at the thug’s face. Blood spurted from the thug’s nose, and he collapsed, unable to get up again.

The tattooed leader was enraged. He rushed at Xie Guilan, but Xie Guilan, with his cold, pale, and slender arms—moving with the lean agility of a teenager—was quick and efficient.

He yanked the iron chain from around the tattooed leader’s neck and pulled it tight. The leader’s air supply was cut off before he could even scream, his lungs pumped dry, and he almost vomited blood.

Shaking, the leader clutched his neck, trying to run, but before he could even take a step, Xie Guilan wrapped the chain around his fingers and began pounding his fists into the leader’s face. Blood spilled with the first punch.

Xie Guilan fought with a cold, ruthless efficiency, and the tattooed leader couldn’t handle even one of Xie Guilan’s punches. He collapsed to the ground, his body trembling in pain, his eyes feeling like they were about to burst from their sockets.

A hoarse, wheezing sound escaped his throat, and when he caught Xie Guilan’s gaze, those eyes were as dark and unfathomable as a demon’s.

“...”

The remaining thugs’ legs went weak. They often robbed people around here and got into fights, but none of them had ever seen a scene like this before. The smell of blood hung in the misty air.

Who the hell started this BS?!

Didn’t everyone say this kid never fights back?!

The tattooed leader was covered in blood, his body twisted and limp on the ground, his chest barely rising and falling.

Xie Guilan didn’t allow anyone to cry out for help. He gave them the terrifying impression that even if they died right there, no one would know. Their hearts raced with fear, blood pounding in their ears.

But it was too late—no one had managed to escape.

The steel pipe Cen Wu had brought over wasn’t even used; the thugs were already lying on the ground. Xie Guilan’s eyes were cold and dark, his thin, pale fingers stained with blood that dripped down his hands.

"Y-you..." Cen Wu’s voice wavered.

Xie Guilan’s long lashes lowered, and he began to untangle the blood-soaked chain, giving Cen Wu a chance to run. But instead, Cen Wu, legs trembling, took a hesitant step toward him.

Cen Wu’s small face was pale, still clearly shaken. His fingers curled slightly as he hesitated, wanting to touch Xie Guilan’s hand but not daring to.

His eyes, always misty, seemed to hold both fear and something else—something like forgiveness that Xie Guilan couldn’t quite understand. Cen Wu leaned in timidly. "D-does your hand... hurt?"

Xie Guilan’s movements froze for a moment.

Cen Wu’s eyelids were red and puffy from crying, and he still had a fever patch on his forehead. He sniffled softly, waiting for Xie Guilan to say something. After a long pause, Cen Wu looked up and saw Xie Guilan mouth a word to him in the dim light.

Xie Guilan was silently calling him an idiot.

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