Zhou Xiaoling couldn’t bring herself to scold him. Instead, she softened her voice. “I was held up, that’s why I was late. But if you run off like that, do you even know the way home? What if a bad person tried to hurt you? Do you know how to fight?”

Lin Zihao wasn’t sure if he could fight or not. After a moment’s serious thought, he answered, “If anyone bullies you, Sister, I’ll hit them.”

Zhou Xiaoling sighed and turned to thank the old sweet potato vendor.

The old man waved a hand genially. “No trouble at all. This lad’s quite clever, really. He wouldn’t answer any of my questions—not even his name. Just kept saying he had to find his sister. I was afraid he’d get lost, so I called him over to warm himself by the fire. Told him his sister would probably come buy a sweet potato soon, and then she’d take him home.”

The vendor was a kind soul. He’d noticed that although the young man was dressed too lightly, his clothes and shoes were clean, his face was handsome and well-kept, and there was a bandage on his head.

He guessed the boy might have suffered a head injury that affected his mind. Worried he’d disappear for good, the old man had coaxed him to stay, planning to take him to the police station when he packed up. He never expected the sister would actually show up.

Zhou Xiaoling thanked him repeatedly, then insisted on buying every last roasted sweet potato he had—at least several dozen pounds.

The vendor firmly refused, but Zhou Xiaoling had already started stuffing the sweet potatoes into a large sack. Lin Zihao, catching on quickly, hoisted the heavy sack onto his shoulder.

Zhou Xiaoling pulled all the loose change from her pocket and pressed it into the old man’s hand—she didn’t count it, but it must have been over twenty yuan.

The old man’s eyes widened in shock. As Zhou Xiaoling grabbed Lin Zihao’s hand and started pulling him away, he called after them, “Young lady, this is too much! You can’t pay this much! Come back!”

Zhou Xiaoling didn’t look back. She just kept running with Lin Zihao until they reached the street corner. Only then did she realize that in her hurry to avoid the vendor returning the money, she’d blindly followed Lin Zihao—and he’d run in the wrong direction.

They were now even farther from home.

Zhou Xiaoling didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She looked at Lin Zihao, still dutifully carrying the sack. “You… you don’t even know the way, and you led us running off? We’re getting further away from home.”

Lin Zihao, regardless of who was at fault, apologized first. “I’m sorry, Sister. I shouldn’t have run off.”

“It’s alright,” Zhou Xiaoling said quickly. “You were just worried about me. But next time something like this happens, ask someone at home first—don’t sneak out alone. Now we need to hurry back. The family is probably frantic, searching everywhere for you.”

She turned to lead him back the way they came when a low, mocking laugh came from the shadows beside the street.

Zhou Xiaoling squinted into the darkness. She hadn’t noticed two figures loitering there. “Who’s there?” she demanded.

The two men stepped into the dim light, clicking their tongues. “What, Zhou Xiaoling? Don’t recognize us?”

Under the faint glow of a distant streetlamp, she finally made them out: two of Geng Aiguo’s lackeys—Li Chunhua and Wei Guoqiang.

They were kids from the alley across the compound, from ordinary worker families. They normally didn’t mix with the children from the military compound, but Geng Aiguo, short on playmates, had taken up with them.

He often stole food or ration coupons from home to share with them or treat them to meals at the canteen. In return, they were fiercely loyal.

They’d been furious when Zhou Xiaoling knocked out two of Geng Aiguo’s front teeth and had been itching for revenge, but they’d always been wary of her.

It wasn’t that she was particularly tough, but she was from the compound. Kids from there were not to be messed with.

But now they’d caught her alone—with a simpleton. And hadn’t Geng Aiguo mentioned recently that a fool was staying with the Zhou family? This must be him.

Zhou Xiaoling frowned. “What do you two want?”

Li Chunhua looked Lin Zihao up and down with contempt. “Zhou Xiaoling, we always thought you were so high and mighty, walking around with your nose in the air. And now we find you with a half-wit.”

Wei Guoqiang chimed in, “Maybe she likes ’em dumb. Easier to keep the young mistress happy.”

Zhou Xiaoling’s face darkened instantly. She clenched her fists, glaring at Wei Guoqiang. “Say that again.”

Wei Guoqiang scoffed, utterly unfazed by the girl and the simpleton. He jutted his chin out defiantly. “You think I’m scared? I’ll say it again! What's the big deal? Is the idiot that good at keeping you satisfied?”

Lin Zihao didn’t understand the words, but from Zhou Xiaoling’s clenched fists and fighting stance, he knew they were insulting her.

Before Zhou Xiaoling could move, he swung the heavy sack of sweet potatoes hard into Wei Guoqiang’s face, then swiftly kicked Li Chunhua’s legs out from under him.

It happened so fast Zhou Xiaoling barely registered it.

By the time she reacted, Lin Zihao was straddling Wei Guoqiang, punching him repeatedly in the face. “Beat the bad guy! Dare to bully Sister! Beat you to death!”

His mind might be impaired, but his martial skills and strength were fully intact. Two punches were enough to cover Wei Guoqiang’s face in blood.

Zhou Xiaolong, terrified that Lin Zihao wouldn’t know when to stop and might actually kill the man, rushed to pull him off, but she couldn’t budge him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Li Chunhua get up and grab a thick wooden club, over a meter long. He swung it straight at the back of Lin Zihao’s head.

In that split second, one thought flashed through Zhou Xiaoling’s mind: He can’t get hurt again. She threw herself over Lin Zihao, shielding him with her own body.

The club landed hard across her back. A dull, crushing pain shot through her, so intense she felt her organs had been jarred out of place.

As Li Chunhua raised the club for a second strike, a hand grabbed him by the collar from behind and flung him violently aside.

Zhou Xiaoling, sweating from the pain, looked up and saw Zhou Hua’an. Relief washed over her. “Big Brother…” she managed weakly before collapsing.

Lin Zihao finally stopped his assault. Panic-stricken, he crouched beside Zhou Xiaoling, cradling her. “Sister! Sister!”

Zhou Huai’an moved to pick her up, but Lin Zihao refused to let go, insisting on carrying her himself.

A glance at Wei Guoqiang on the ground revealed he was barely breathing. Any later, and Lin Zihao might have beaten him to death.

It was past midnight when Zhou Huai’an returned with Lin Zihao, who was still clutching Zhou Xiaoling. The front of Lin Zihao’s shirt was spattered with blood.

Li Yunlan and Lin Xiaoxiao, who had been waiting anxiously in the living room, were shocked by the scene.

Li Yunlan rushed over. “Xiaoling! What happened? Whose blood is this?”

Zhou Xiaoling weakly patted Lin Zihao’s arm, signaling him to put her down, but he held fast. “Sister is hurt. She can’t walk.”

Zhou Huai’an’s voice was cold. “The man you beat is still fighting for his life.”