Lin Xiaoxiao realized she'd been careless. How could she forget how small Longbei was? It was inevitable to run into people she'd rather avoid.

Then there was Sun Ailing, the so-called "best friend" of the original owner—now engaged to Chen Wei. No doubt she'd been bad-mouthing Lin Xiaoxiao all over town, painting her as heartless and disloyal.

And these hoodlums followed Chen Wei largely because his father worked at the slaughterhouse. Every day after work, the man would sneak home with something—off-cuts, bones, sometimes even meat.

Chen Wei would then gather his friends for a feast. Over time, they'd started looking up to him as their leader.

The original owner had been drawn to Chen Wei for the same reasons: his pretty-boy looks and his gang of followers. He'd get into fights and swagger around, and to her, that had seemed impressive.

Lin Xiaoxiao eyed the group coldly. The one in front, with that androgynous haircut, was probably Lai San—surname Lai, the third son in his family.

The one behind him, skinny as a monkey—what was his name again?

Lai San crossed his arms and looked Lin Xiaoxiao up and down with disdain, then glanced at the man leaning on the crutch. He looked intimidating, sure—but so what? He was just a cripple.

Might as well break his third leg too, Lai San thought viciously, see how he steals other men's women then.

His tone grew even more scornful. "Lin Xiaoxiao, getting bold now, aren't we? Not like when you were all over Chen Wei."

Lin Xiaoxiao's mind raced. When did that happen? Sure, the original owner had dated Chen Wei, but relationships back then weren't so physically demonstrative—they hadn't even held hands.

They'd gone to the movies on his bicycle and shared meals a few times.

But the way this scumbag talked made it sound so sordid! And with Zhou Huai'an right beside her—what must he be thinking?

The angrier she got, the colder her expression became. "Lai San, you'd better watch your mouth.

If you dare spread lies, don't blame me for what happens next!"

Lai San let out a mocking laugh. "Oh? Got yourself a backer now, so you're tough? If Brother Gang hadn't been so kindhearted back then, he would've had you already. A used-up slut like you, still putting on airs—"

Furious, Lin Xiaoxiao lunged forward, ready to teach this trash a lesson.

But Zhou Huai'an caught her wrist, holding her back.

She turned to glare at him, confused. "Let go! He's insulting me and spreading rumors! I'm not letting him get away with this!"

Zhou Huai'an kept a firm grip on her wrist. He shot a cold glance at Lai San, then spoke to Lin Xiaoxiao in a calm voice. "Weren't you going to buy something? Let's get it and go home."

Lin Xiaoxiao tried to shake him off. "Let go! Are you scared? Well, I'm not afraid of these losers!"

In her anger, a fragment of dialect slipped out.

But Zhou Huai'an didn't release her. "If you're not buying anything, we're leaving."

Still holding her wrist, he leaned on his crutch and began walking toward the exit, his manner firm and his grip unyielding.

Lin Xiaoxiao was seething, but she had to be careful of Zhou Huai'an's leg. She couldn't risk him falling and getting hurt again.

The hoodlums grew even more brazen. "Hey! Weren't you gonna teach me a lesson? Weren't you gonna show me? Stay and fight!"

"Damn, a cripple's too scared?"

"Bet the cripple can't even get it up. Maybe you should go find Brother Gang tonight instead."

Their taunts fueled Lin Xiaoxiao's rage. She tried several times to break free—even if she couldn't take them all on, she could at least grab Lai San and make him regret every word.

As a child, Lin Xiaoxiao had been a tomboy. She'd often lost fights in kindergarten until her brother taught her: in a group fight, grab one person and don't let go until they're beaten black and blue.

Worried she'd cause real trouble, her father had sent her to learn martial arts.

Even though her current body wasn't as strong as her original one, she still remembered the moves. Taking down Lai San would be no problem.

But Zhou Huai'an dragged her all the way out of the department store. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. "Zhou Huai'an! Zhou Changsuo! Let me go! If I don't knock that bastard Lai San's teeth out, I'm not worth the name Sheng!"

Zhou Huai'an still didn't release her. His hand was like a vise around her wrist. "They're not worth it. You want to take the college exam, don't you? If you get into a fight and it goes on your record, you'll lose your chance."

He knew exactly how to get through to her.

His words drained the fight out of her. He was right—if she got arrested for fighting, she could forget about university.

But letting Lai San off still burned. She fumed all the way home, muttering the entire time:

"They're all liars. How dare they! That bastard, talking like he's swimming in sewage. Just wait—one day I'll knock every tooth out of his head!"

Zhou Huai'an walked quietly beside her, not saying a word no matter how much she ranted.

Back home, Lin Xiaoxiao downed two glasses of water before she started to calm down. Seeing it was almost time, she grabbed her books and hurried off to class.

After she left, Zhou Huai'an went to find Lin Zihao.

Lin Zihao was surprised to see him. "What brings you here?"

He quickly pulled out a chair. "You should still be resting that leg."

Zhou Huai'an got straight to the point. "I need you to look into someone for me. Name's Chen Wei, lives in the textile mill compound. Around twenty-three or twenty-four, about 177 centimeters tall. There's also one called Lai San—around 173 centimeters, shoulder-length hair, square face."

He gave detailed descriptions of both.

Lin Zihao looked puzzled. "What's this about? Trouble?"

Zhou Huai'an didn't explain. "Just find them. I need to know where they hang out—especially Lai San. I want to see him tonight."

Seeing Zhou Huai'an's determination, Lin Zihao nodded. "Want me to bring Lai San to you?"

He assumed it was related to some assignment, though he wondered what Zhou Huai'an could be working on in his condition.

It was their mutual understanding that if Zhou Huai'an was disinclined to explain, he would refrain from asking in the first place.

It never crossed his mind that it was personal.

That night, after Lin Xiaoxiao fell asleep, Zhou Huai'an got up quietly, grabbed his crutch, and slipped out, locking the door behind him.

He met Lin Zihao at the entrance of the alley.

Lin Zihao checked his watch. "Lai San and his buddies are at that makeshift dance hall in the old factory behind the bus station. Bunch of kids dancing around."

Zhou Huai'an nodded. "Let's go wait for him."

They didn't enter the rowdy, smoke-filled building. Instead, they stood near the main entrance under the moonlight.

Zhou Huai'an even asked Lin Zihao for a cigarette—a rare sight.

They waited until the moon was high, its clear light illuminating the ground.

Finally, Lai San emerged, flanked by two other thugs with his arms draped across their shoulders.

He stopped short when he saw Zhou Huai'an—standing cold and imposing under the moonlight, a cigarette in his hand, his crutch under his arm.