Just as the wooden club swung down, Lin Xiaoxiao sensed danger behind her. Instinctively, she threw herself forward and rolled aside.

The club, thick as a man's arm, struck the ground with a heavy thud.

The assailant swung again, viciously aiming for Lin Xiaoxiao—but this time, she couldn't dodge.

If she moved, the blow would land on the old woman behind her. Someone that age would never survive a hit like that.

Lin Xiaoxiao could only cover her head and brace for impact.

She heard a loud thud—but the expected pain never came.

Hesitantly, she lowered her arms to see Zhou Huai'an standing over her, his foot pinning the attacker to the ground. Relieved, she scrambled to her feet.

The old woman was badly shaken. She'd hurt her leg and now sat cursing and weeping on the ground.

Lin Xiaoxiao hurried over to check on her. "Auntie, where does it hurt? Your back... are you injured anywhere else?"

The woman pointed to her ankle. "It's nothing, just a sprain... Those heartless criminals!" Then she remembered the money she'd earned all day was gone, and began wiping her tears.

It turned out that Zhou Huai'an and Luo Caixia had just stepped out of the hospital when they saw Lin Xiaoxiao run toward an old woman on the ground—and then noticed a man sneaking up behind her with a club.

Zhou Huai'an didn't dare shout, afraid he might startle the attacker into acting faster. His heart leapt into his throat as he sprinted over—thankfully, he made it in time.

He hauled the attacker up—a man in his twenties—and demanded, "What were you trying to do?"

The man hadn't expected this stranger to be so strong. A kick to the chest left him gasping, certain his ribs were cracked. And now, intimidated by Zhou Huai'an's intensity, he stammered, "J-just wanted some money..."

Zhou Huai'an tightened his grip on the man's collar, eyes sharp. "Then why attack from behind? Tell the truth!"

The man's legs gave way. "N-no... I saw she was pretty... wanted to knock her out..."

Luo Caixia, who had come over, gasped hearing this. "Huai'an, the town hasn't been safe lately... There's been robberies, and young women going missing..."

The man wailed, "It wasn't me! This was my first time!"

Zhou Huai'an thought for a moment, then said to Luo Caixia, "Go get security from the hospital.

We'll send him to the police station."

Luo Caixia nodded and ran toward the hospital.

With practiced efficiency, Zhou Huai'an dislocated the man's shoulders and dropped him to the ground, immobilizing him.

After confirming the old woman's ankle wasn't broken, Lin Xiaoxiao watched Zhou Huai'an, still shaken. "Thank goodness you arrived in time. Who knows what would've happened to me tonight."

If she'd been knocked out, she could've been sold off to some remote mountain village as a wife. The thought alone was terrifying.

Then, remembering Zhou Huai'an's sudden movements, she jumped up. "What about your wound? Is it okay?"

Zhou Huai'an could feel warm liquid seeping through his abdomen, but he shook his head. "It's fine. "

Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't convinced. "I'll check later."

Luo Caixia soon returned with security. Zhou Huai'an reset the man's shoulders and let security take him away.

After they left, Luo Caixia finally recognized the old woman and knelt down in surprise. "Auntie Wu? Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Auntie Wu's day's earnings had been stolen; she couldn't afford a hospital visit. She waved a hand. "No, no. This young lady said it's not broken. I'll just rub some medicinal liquor on it when I get home."

Lin Xiaoxiao gently corrected her, "Auntie, you shouldn't use medicinal liquor for the first seventy-two hours. You need a cold compress. Wrap some snow in a towel and put it on the swelling."

Then she turned to Zhou Huai'an. "Don't we need to give statements at the police station?"

Zhou Huai'an shook his head. "I'll take you back to the guesthouse first, then I'll go."

But Lin Xiaoxiao was still worried about his injury. "Let's go together. Your wound must have reopened."

Even someone as tough as Zhou Huai'an was still flesh and blood—those moves must have strained his abdomen.

As they spoke quietly, Luo Caixia helped Auntie Wu up. "Huai'an, you two go ahead. I'll take Auntie home."

Zhou Huai'an frowned, hesitating. Lin Xiaoxiao immediately understood: night had fallen, the streetlights were dim, and many areas had no light at all. They were in the west of town, but Luo Caixia's shop was in the east. After two violent incidents in one night, how could he let two vulnerable women walk back alone?

She spoke up quickly, "Let's all go together. We can't let you two go alone—what if that man had accomplices?"

Zhou Huai'an gave her a grateful look. He really was worried about their safety, but he also couldn't just leave Lin Xiaoxiao.

In the end, Auntie Wu sat on the cart while Zhou Huai'an pushed it, with Luo Caixia walking alongside to steady her.

Lin Xiaoxiao, not wanting to push, simply followed with her hands behind her back, glancing now and then at Luo Caixia and Zhou Huai'an. She couldn't help wondering: What a coincidence tonight had been. The area near the hospital wasn't even that remote—how could two such scary things happen so close together?

She caught up to Luo Caixia. "Sister Caixia, has the town been unsafe lately?"

Before Luo Caixia could answer, Auntie Wu sighed from the cart. "It certainly has! Just a few days ago, the Wang family's daughter—only eighteen, worked as a timekeeper at the brick factory—always got home before dark. But the other day, she never came back. Her family searched everywhere..."

Luo Caixia added softly, "The factory said she left on time that day, but she just vanished. The police still haven't found any leads."

Auntie Wu went on, "And that's just someone we know. I've heard about other girls going missing too. No one knows if they're alive or dead."

Lin Xiaoxiao was shocked. "How can they be so bold?"

Weren't people in this era supposed to be more law-abiding? Especially after everything they'd been through. How could anyone dare to commit such crimes so openly?

They chatted all the way to the east of the city. Luo Caixia's tailor shop was right by the street, with a wooden sign hanging on the door bearing the name "Caixia Tailor Shop" painted in red brushstrokes.

Auntie Wu asked Zhou Huai'an to let her off by the roadside. "It's fine, really. I'll leave the cart here and walk back slowly. You've all done enough—go and get some rest."

They couldn't persuade her otherwise, so they watched her limp into the alley.

Luo Caixia gazed at her little shop. Under the streetlight, the sign looked especially clear. She smiled and said, "Huai'an, you're the one who taught me how to write the characters on this sign. Do you think I've improved?"