When Xia Xia regained consciousness, her head was throbbing with pain.

Before she could open her eyes, she heard a familiar elderly woman’s voice in the hospital room saying, “Our Yuan Tai acted heroically to help someone in need. You shouldn’t interrogate him like a criminal.”

The female police officer responded gently, “Please don’t worry. We just need to ask him a few questions. The man we caught won’t admit to the assault, and since this young lady hasn’t woken up yet, we can only get information from Yuan Tai.”

As her initial headache subsided, Xia Xia gradually recalled what had happened earlier.

Xia Jun hadn’t remained intimidated for long. When he saw her recklessly trying to smash her head with a stone, he became panicked.

Xia Xia showed no signs of joking, and the fierce look in her eyes terrified him. He had no doubt she would kill herself right there.

When Xia Jun tried to grab the stone, Xia Xia struck him on the head with her other hand.

He endured the pain and wrestled the brick from her grip, cursing loudly, “If you want to die, don’t drag me into it. I’m not falling for your tricks!”

Just as he finished speaking, someone knocked him to the ground with a punch from behind.

The last face Xia Xia saw before losing consciousness was Liang Yuan Tai’s.

…

Xia Xia kept her eyes closed as she listened to their conversation, gathering some information.

Liang Yuan Tai and his grandmother lived in that area of single-story houses. He had come out to fetch water when he saw a man beating someone, and he rushed over to stop it without hesitation.

When Liang Yuan Tai saw Xia Xia lying unconscious with blood covering her head, he used his strength to beat Xia Jun in black and blue. He suffered some scrapes himself and was taken to the hospital along with Xia Xia for treatment.

The female police officer asked several questions, all revolving around who had caused Xia Xia’s head injury.

Liang Yuan Tai insisted firmly, “He’s the one who did it. He nearly beat Xia Xia to death.”

Hearing this, Xia Xia formed a plan in her mind.

Her fingers hanging over the bed’s edge twitched slightly. After letting out a few painful groans, she struggled to open her eyes.

Seeing her awake, the female police officer quickly called for the duty doctor to examine her.

She asked gently, “Are you feeling any better?”

Xia Xia responded in a soft, weak voice, “Sister, my head hurts so much.”

The police officer said, “The doctor says this is a normal reaction after waking up. Rest a bit, and we’ll need to ask you some questions later.”

Xia Xia murmured in agreement. She turned her head to look at Liang Yuan Tai on the neighboring bed and asked, “Are you hurt?”

Grandmother Liang said, “He just got some scrapes on his arm.”

“Yuan Tai, thank you for saving me,” Xia Xia said. Her face was pale from blood loss, and her breathing was labored with pain.

The young girl lay there looking so weak and pitiful.

Liang Yuan Tai blushed and said, “Don’t mention it.”

The female police officer sat beside her bed with a notebook and asked, “Xia Xia, who caused your head injury?”

Xia Xia’s bed had been raised so she could sit up, with a bandage wrapped around her head.

After hearing the police officer’s question, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

Before the female officer could say another word, tears began streaming down Xia Xia’s face.

The police officer said, “You shouldn’t cry with your head injury. If you’re feeling too emotional, we can talk later.”

Xia Xia wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and said, “Xia Jun did it. He used to beat me often when I was young. Once he hit me with a wine bottle and gave me a concussion.”

“Another time, when I accidentally spilled his alcohol, he hung me up and beat me.”

Grandmother Liang was furious upon hearing this: “What kind of monster is he? Officer, you can’t let this person go free.”

The female officer’s pen paused briefly before she asked, “Can you tell us what happened this time?”

Xia Xia said between sobs, “That day he came to my school demanding money, threatening to tell everyone about our relationship if I didn’t pay. I’m a poor student who has to work to pay for my tuition. I couldn’t come up with that much money…”

“I wanted to report him to the police, but I had no evidence of his extortion, so I brought a voice recorder to try to get him to admit it…”

“…but he discovered the recorder.”

The police officer asked, “You made a distress call to Xie Huai during this time. When exactly was that?”

Xia Xia said, “After he destroyed the voice recorder, I called Xie Huai which angered Xia Jun. He tore my clothes and tried to rape me.”

A flash of sympathy appeared in the police officer’s eyes as she closed her notebook. “The details all match up – the broken voice recorder at the scene, the phone call to Xie Huai. Last night, many South University students saw Xia Jun beating you outside the dormitory. But what I don’t understand is that Xia Jun keeps claiming innocence, saying you caused your injuries.”

Grandmother Liang said angrily, “Who does he think he’s fooling? Even a beast wouldn’t hurt themselves this badly!”

Xia Xia’s eyelids twitched slightly.

The police officer agreed, “Exactly. Even without Yuan Tai as a witness, we wouldn’t believe Xia Jun’s story. Hurting yourself this badly just to frame him? Only a psychopath would do something like that.”

Xia Xia’s eyelids twitched so much they were almost cramped, so she closed her eyes and pretended her head was hurting.

Grandmother Liang went to see the police officer out. Next door, Liang Yuan Tai quietly got out of bed.

Xia Xia opened her eyes when she heard movement and saw him crouching beside her bed like a puppy.

“I heard you talking to him,” Liang Yuan Tai said, his eyes wide and round. “I also saw you hit yourself with the stone.”

Xia Xia froze and asked, “Then why didn’t you tell the police?”

Liang Yuan Tai said, “He dared to bully you, so I won’t let him off easily.”

He looked at Xia Xia pitifully and said, “Can you not hate me? A grandmother already scolded me last time and locked me up for a week.”

A glimmer of cunning flashed across Xia Xia’s brow as she said, “Then you have to promise not to tell anyone about this.”

Liang Yuan Tai agreed immediately, grinning as he crouched beside Xia Xia’s bed chatting with her.

His injuries weren’t serious, so after seeing the police officer out, Grandmother Liang took him home from the hospital.

Xia Xia was left alone in the hospital room.

She wore soft blue hospital clothes, while Zhu Zi Yu’s bloodstained clothes had been removed and set aside.

It was now the next morning, and Xia Xia was feeling hungry, so she decided to order takeout.

Just as she opened her phone, Xie Huai came in.

He was carrying a plastic bag with breakfast for her.

Xie Huai spoke angrily, “You still have the mind to order takeout? Do you know you almost gave yourself a concussion?”

Xia Xia: “…”

She played dumb: “Brother Huai, what are you talking about? That man beat me.”

Xie Huai set up the small table over her hospital bed and placed the food down.

He opened the food bag, releasing the aroma of meat buns and pumpkin porridge.

“Don’t pretend with me,” Xie Huai said. “I met Liang Yuan Tai downstairs, and he told me everything.”

Xia Xia: “…”

She shouldn’t have trusted a fool’s promise.

Liang Yuan Tai had been beaten by Xie Huai before, so he probably got scared when he saw Xie Huai and spilled everything.

Xia Xia stopped pretending, but she didn’t explain why she had done it. Instead, she took the porridge and began drinking it in small sips.

The pumpkin porridge was hot, so she blew on it a few times to disperse the steam.

Xie Huai said, “Xia Jun gets fifteen days in detention. Was trading your injuries for his fifteen days’ detention worth it?”

Xia Xia said, “University student medical insurance will cover most of the medical expenses, and Xia Jun will have to compensate me too. Getting him locked up for fifteen days without much cost – it was worth it.”

She spoke flatly, not counting her pain or potential future scars as part of the cost.

“What about after he gets out? Will he swallow this insult?”

“This trick might work once, but use it too often and not just Xia Jun, even the police will figure out what’s going on.”

Xia Xia remained silent.

“I spent last night at the police station and heard some of what Xia Jun confessed,” Xie Huai stood by her bed, looking down at her. “Do you hate him?”

Xia Xia spoke in a low voice: “I wish he could stay locked up forever.”

Xie Huai silently watched her.

The girl sat there, bathed in the warm morning sunlight, yet her cheeks were pale and lifeless.

Her lips were bloodless, covered in fine, flaking skin. She pressed them tightly together, her gaze falling to the steam rising from the pumpkin porridge.

Xie Huai said, “Is that all you can think of – wanting him locked up forever?”

Xia Xia asked sincerely, “Then if I want to kill him, will you help me?”

Instead of answering, Xie Huai asked, “Do you know why Liang Yuan Tai told me about this?”

Before Xia Xia could speak, he explained, “Last time when I stopped the car to beat him up, he thought I was your boyfriend.”

When Xia Xia heard the word “boyfriend,” her pale face flushed pink. “What nonsense is he talking about?”

“Nonsense?” Xie Huai said coolly, “Then who told Xia Jun I was her boyfriend?”

Xia Xia: “…”

Xie Huai stared at her: “Answer me.”

Xia Xia felt embarrassed under his gaze: “How would I know?”

“Taking advantage of me behind my back, thinking I wouldn’t know?” Xie Huai said, “Since you’ve already said it, you can’t take back calling me boyfriend.”

Exposed, Xia Xia gave up and said defiantly: “Well, you better be careful then. First you, then Liang Yuan Tai, and now Xia Jun.”

“I’m naturally toxic to men. Every man who’s shown interest in me has ended up locked up.”

Xie Huai stood by the window, the breeze ruffling his hair.

“Will him being locked up forever really satisfy your anger?” Xie Huai gripped Xia Xia’s thin shoulders, forcing her to face him. “I’ll only say this once, so listen carefully.”

“Dealing with trash like him doesn’t require you to hurt yourself as payment.” His calm gaze concealed deep emotions, softening as he met Xia Xia’s eyes. “There are plenty of ways to teach someone a lesson. You still have a lot to learn.”

“Once your wounds heal, Brother Huai will teach you personally.”

On the day Xia Xia was discharged from the hospital, Xie Huai waited for her in his car outside.

He sat in the driver’s seat with a lollipop in his mouth, his head leaning against the car window.

Xia Xia had recovered well and her spirit was better.

She got in the car, looked around the interior, and asked excitedly: “Brother Huai, you must have earned a lot of money recently. You even bought a car.”

Xie Huai tapped the steering wheel: “It’s Liang Yuan Tai’s car. During those days I didn’t visit you, do you know what I was doing?”

When she was hospitalized, Xie Huai often came to see her, bringing food and daily necessities.

When Xia Xia ate, Xie Huai would either play games beside her or chat with her about everything under the sun.

Without thinking, Xia Xia said: “Making money.”

Every day of Xie Huai’s life was simple and fulfilling – he was either making money or on his way to making money.

Xia Xia didn’t expect Xie Huai to come every day, but she still subtly looked forward to it. The hospital days were dull. On the days Xie Huai didn’t come, every morning when the hospital room door opened, she always felt like he would walk in the next second with breakfast.

Xia Xia didn’t quite understand her feelings. Perhaps it was as Xie Huai said – she was all alone in South City, didn’t contact her family even when hurt, and when she was bullied, only Xie Huai helped her. Only Xie Huai.

She thought that feeling must be dependence.

“I was looking for a convenient place to handle business,” Xie Huai’s lips curved into a smile.

Seeing his expression, Xia Xia thought his business must have reached new heights, and instinctively asked: “Brother Huai, are you looking for a storefront? What are you planning to sell? If you need a server, could you consider me first?”

Xie Huai: “…”

His smile vanished, and expressionlessly he said: “Just shut up.”

As night fell.

Xie Huai parked by the roadside, and Jiang Jing Zhou and Liang Yuan Tai got in the car.

Xia Xia: “Senior? Why are you here?”

Jiang Jing Zhou smiled but didn’t speak.

Instead, Liang Yuan Tai excitedly said: “Brother Huai called me to help make a scene.”

Xia Xia looked at him suspiciously, thinking what could Liang Yuan Tai do besides mess things up?

Xie Huai’s lips held a faint smile: “Don’t underestimate Yuan Tai.”

He turned the car into a small alley, parking in an inconspicuous corner.

Across the street was a hair salon with two large red lanterns hanging on either side of the door late at night. Jiang Jing Zhou and Liang Yuan Tai got out of the car and stood smoking in the shadows of the street corner.

Xie Huai didn’t get out. He rummaged through a bag under the seat, pulled out a lollipop, and stuck it in his mouth.

He casually turned on the music and closed his eyes, resting against the seat.

The melody was melodious, with a rough male voice singing softly.

“You and I are mere mortals, born into this world, toiling endlessly without a moment’s rest.

Since we’re not immortals, we can’t avoid distracting thoughts, putting righteousness aside while profit takes center stage…”

The car’s air conditioning was on, and Xia Xia’s nose twitched, catching a cool fragrance drifting from the incense.

Xie Huai dimmed the interior lights. He was hidden in the dim light, only half his handsome profile visible in the weak streetlight filtering through the windshield.

He noticed Xia Xia looking at him and waved his lollipop in front of her eyes: “Want some? Too bad Liang Yuan Tai only had one left. If you don’t mind my saliva…”

Caught looking at him for the second time, Xia Xia turned away pretending nothing happened.

She muttered: “That’s disgusting.”

Xie Huai put the candy back in his mouth and leaned closer to Xia Xia, his hand gently touching her hair: “Let me look at your wound.”

Xia Xia obediently lowered her head, feeling Xie Huai’s gentle touch caressing her hair: “It’s already healed.”

The wound on her head wasn’t deep, covered with scabs of varying colors. The blood marks on her neck had grown new flesh, and Xia Xia turned up her jacket collar to hide the scar.

Xie Huai moved the lollipop in his mouth, making clicking sounds against his teeth. His fingertips found an old scar under her hair: “What happened here?”

Xia Xia straightened up, smoothing her hair: “Hit by a beer bottle.”

“…How many heroes, enraged for beauty’s sake, how many birds of the same forest, now fly separate ways

Life is so short, why suffer in love, when the loved one’s gone, to whom can you complain…”

After a moment of silence, Xie Huai asked: “Xia Jun?”

Xia Xia felt cold from the car’s air conditioning and pulled her drafty collar tighter: “That day he was beating my mom. I tried to call the police but he caught me.”

Xie Huai turned off the air conditioning without comment.

A man walked out of the hair salon, and Xia Xia’s eyes narrowed.

He had lost weight in the half month since she’d seen him, and his face was still black and blue – Liang Yuan Tai had beaten him severely that day.

Jiang Jing Zhou and Liang Yuan Tai put out their cigarettes, pulled out a sack and a rope from behind their backs, and walked toward Xia Jun.

Xie Huai reached up and turned on the car’s interior lights, suddenly brightening the surroundings.

Xia Xia closed her eyes at the sudden light, and when she opened them again, Xia Jun had already been hooded with the sack and taken two punches to the stomach from Jiang Jing Zhou.

Liang Yuan Tai tied Xia Jun’s hands together with the rope. He was very strong and dragged Xia Jun toward them.

Xia Xia turned to look at Xie Huai.

Xie Huai started the car.

Chewing his lollipop, his expression unchanged: “Brother Huai is going to teach you a lesson today. Watch carefully.”