Ye QiuXue had never run this fast in her life. She knew very well that the consequences would be unimaginable if those people behind her caught up.
This feeling even reminded her of her childhood.
Back then, she excelled academically and was a model student in the eyes of her teachers.
But some classmates couldn't stand her and often would set her up in the dark.
They spread rumors about her family, saying she was a child unwanted by her parents. Some girls would block her way home after school, hurling insults at her.
Back then, she was frail and by no means whatsoever a match for those people.
So, she could only run. As long as she made it home, they wouldn't be able to lay a hand on her!
She kept running like that, and it hadn't changed even now.
Ye QiuXue gritted her teeth, feeling her strength waning. She turned her head to look at the boys behind her, still in pursuit.
There was an undeniable physical gap between boys and girls, and eventually, she would have to stop when her strength gave out.
Ye QiuXue had no idea who she had bumped into, only hearing the other person's yelp before they both tumbled to the ground.
Her palms scraped against the ground while the person opposite rubbed their backside, then lifted their head to meet Ye QiuXue's gaze.
Ye QiuXue stared at the other person, dressed tightly from head to toe, she found herself momentarily stunned.
The person's eyes also flashed with a hint of surprise when they saw Ye QiuXue.
She was the most beautiful girl she had seen since arriving in the city!
But then, her gaze shifted to the boys chasing after Ye QiuXue.
She stood up, walked over to Ye QiuXue, and asked,
Ye QiuXue stared blankly at the hand extended toward her, unable to react momentarily.
She could hear that the other person was a girl.
Quickly, she grasped the offered hand and stood up, turning to face the boys who had caught up.
The boys frowned, clearly not expecting anyone else to show up.
The girl wore a black baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask, concealing her appearance completely.
Though her voice was sweet, her tone was far from friendly.
"Why are you guys bullying a girl? Don't you have any shame?"
Hearing that she was a girl, the boys' expressions instantly turned menacing. They glared at her and said,
"This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!"
"Hah, I saw it, so now it does."
One of the boys tried to bypass the girl and go for Ye QiuXue directly, but the girl grabbed his arm and swiftly swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground.
The boy hit the ground heavily, a pained grunt escaping his lips.
Seeing this, the remaining boys rushed at her, but she picked up a nearby trash lid and smashed it over one of their heads.
Just after the sharp "clang!", she feigned a move to gouge another's eye but instead delivered a powerful kick to his weak spot.
The boy clutched his groin, collapsing to the ground.
In just a few breaths, the boys were all sprawled out on the ground, their faces twisted in varying degrees of pain.
"Looks like those self-defense classes really paid off. They're just perfect for dealing with scum like you!"
With that, the girl turned back to Ye QiuXue, whose expression was a mix of emotions.
She walked over to Ye QiuXue, patted her shoulder, and said,
"It's okay now! If these boys bother you again, you can call the police."
Ye QiuXue watched the scene unfold before her, a hint of envy creeping into her heart.
If she could protect herself like that, she wouldn't be in such a sorry state today.
Her fists clenched, teeth biting down on her lip.
But the girl didn't seem to notice Ye QiuXue's expression. She adjusted her cap, preparing to leave. Yet, in the next moment, her body suddenly wobbled, nearly collapsing to the ground.
Fortunately, Ye QiuXue's reflexes were quick, and she caught her in time.
"I'm... I'm fine, just haven't eaten all day..."
"..." Ye QiuXue blinked in surprise, then broke into a helpless smile.
"What, you don't recognize me either?!"
The two girls sat in a corner of a noodle shop, slurping noodles. Ye QiuXue glanced at the three empty bowls in front of the girl across from her, unsure what expression to show.
The girl had removed her sunglasses by now, and her appearance and demeanor had indeed stunned Ye QiuXue.
But listening to her tone, it seemed she was pretty well-known.
Ye QiuXue lowered her head and typed "Xia XiaoXi" into her phone. The search results surprised her.
It turned out that the girl in front of her was actually a campus idol, but Ye QiuXue had never been into that sort of thing, so she didn't know.
As the girl continued eating her noodles, she muttered about how she wasn't famous enough.
"That guy didn't recognize me, and now you don't either. Am I really so unpopular among high schoolers?"
She pouted, setting down her chopsticks, leaving not even a drop of broth in her bowls.
"Sorry, I'm not into following celebrities. But you should be pretty well-known at our school."
"Heh, no need to comfort me. But still, thanks for treating me to this meal. If my phone hadn't died, I wouldn't have had to go hungry all day."
Xia XiaoXi felt like her luck was downright terrible. She had forgotten her ID when she sneaked out, then spent half a day at a comic convention, only to realize that her phone had run out of battery at some point.
Just as she was about to head back to the hotel, she ran into this girl, Ye QiuXue. And this girl was beautiful and kind-hearted, treating her to three bowls of noodles.
She'd heard that the local roadside noodle shops here were awesome, but she wouldn't have known which one to choose without a local to guide her.
Besides, more importantly, the people around her would never let her eat this kind of food!
Sometimes, Xia XiaoXi felt like a bird trapped in a cage, forever confined, unable to spread her wings.
"I should be the one thanking you. You helped me out a lot."
Ye QiuXue nodded in gratitude, but Xia XiaoXi quickly waved her hand, saying,
"It's no big deal. Add me as a friend later, and I'll pay you back."
"No need; think of it as my treat."
The two girls sat in the noodle shop, politely declining each other's offers. Neither noticed the figure standing outside beneath a nearby utility pole.
HuMing's clothes had a few specks of dirt as if he'd just dealt with some trash.
He squinted, staring into the noodle shop at the two girls, his face full of confusion.
"Why is Ye QiuXue with Xia XiaoXi at this time? Shouldn't they be meeting later in the plot?"
Xia XiaoXi put her mask and sunglasses back on and then got up to leave the noodle shop.
But as she left, she couldn't help but feel that a certain figure in the distance looked a lot like the boy she had seen.
She sighed softly; she still didn't know his name.