Chapter 30: An Unexpected Hand in Mine

“Boss, the bill, how much is it?” Chen Fan gathered the toothpicks he’d cleaned off, thoroughly satisfied, and let out a hearty belch.

“That’ll be fifteen yuan. If you pay with WeChat or Alipay, you’ll get a ten percent discount.” The owner of the barbecue shop was a good-natured man, sporting a pair of bushy, old-fashioned mustaches. His clothes were spotless, not a trace of grease or smoke, making him a respectable businessman.

“That’s great. I’ll pay with WeChat then.” Chen Fan fluently pulled out his phone, scanned the code, and completed the payment with a tap.

“All right, payment received. Thank you for your patronage—please come again!”

Chen Fan tucked his parcel under his arm. While he’d been enjoying his barbecue, the streetlights outside had already come on. He wasn’t sure how safe it was outside the school at night, so he thought it best to head back early.

“That rascal Wei Youlong is probably off on a secret date somewhere. Hopefully, I won’t run into him—nothing good ever comes of that.” Chen Fan stopped at the intersection, waiting for the cars to pass.

...

“Hui, how about we find a couple of college girls tonight, unwind a bit? We’re already here, might as well have some fun before we go,” said the short, tipsy Qiang, his flushed face bobbing before the three gleaming bald heads.

Bald Hui wasn’t drunk, though. He joked, “You sure we’ve got enough cash? College girls don’t come cheap these days. Those young things know their worth—some of them charge as much as those high-end models.”

“No kidding! One of my boys tried it last time—left a Red Bull in his car, waited the whole day, nothing happened. In the end, he gritted his teeth, swapped it for a Starbucks, and finally got a bite. Tried out her skills that night—turned out she was a virgin, too. Ha!” Qiang boasted, unashamed of who might overhear.

“Doesn’t matter. After a few drinks, you’ve got to find a place to let off steam. Toss a few bills their way after, take it or leave it. I’m in,” he said, eyes hungrily tracking the flash of a pink spaghetti strap, the lace underneath stoking their criminal urges.

“Right? Look at these fine girls, all so well developed. Just one touch and it’s a home run,” Qiang said, rubbing his hands together, suddenly reaching out blindly around him.

“You pervert, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”

A leather handbag swooped through the air and landed a solid blow, the decorative metal chain smacking Qiang square in the face.

“Ow! This little lady’s got quite the voice, though her temper could use some taming. Let me teach you a thing or two,” Qiang grumbled, rubbing his face, trying to see who had struck him.

“Hey there, pretty boy—your girl’s a bit unruly. Want us to help you out? I’ve got plenty of experience,” Bald Hui said, picking up an empty beer bottle and waving it threateningly in front of Wei Youlong.

Sensing danger, Wei Youlong shrank behind Xu Ying, tugging at her sleeve. “Xu Ying, let’s just apologize. These guys are clearly thugs—we can’t afford to mess with them.”

“Can you stop being such a coward? We live in a society governed by law. The police will handle them. They’re the ones who harassed me in the first place. Why should I put up with it?” Xu Ying replied, her anger barely contained, gripping her bag tightly.

“It’s not worth risking your life over these unreasonable people. Just apologize and get out of here—if a fight breaks out, we’ll both be in serious trouble.” Wei Youlong’s voice trembled as he eyed the fierce look on the bald man’s face.

“Make your boyfriend kneel and drink three shots as a show of respect, and pay me a thousand or two for medical expenses. Then I’ll let you go,” Bald Hui said, opening a fresh beer.

“A thousand or two? Why don’t you just rob us? You’re the ones who harassed me. If this keeps up, I’m calling the police,” Xu Ying shot back, fearless.

“I’m not her boyfriend. Big brother, please—don’t come after me. If you want to settle scores, take it up with her. I have nothing to do with this,” Wei Youlong said, pointing frantically at Xu Ying, desperate to distance himself.

“Well, well, trying to run already, are you, little turtle? It won’t be so easy to get away,” Qiang sneered.

Around the university district, snack streets and youth hostels were everywhere. Chen Fan strolled leisurely, enjoying the lively scene. As a devoted foodie, he kept an eye on which shops were popular, already planning his next culinary adventure.

“Why is there such a crowd around that barbecue stall? Doesn’t look like they’re eating—could there be an acrobat show or something?” Chen Fan squinted into the distance, but couldn’t make out what was happening in the thick crowd.

Driven by curiosity, he joined the onlookers, pushing through to see for himself.

“So it’s just a quarrel. Here I was thinking it was something more dramatic,” Chen Fan finally squeezed to the front, disappointed to find only a drunken squabble rather than the spectacle he’d hoped for.

“Wait—that looks like Wei Youlong and Xu Ying. How did they get tangled up with drunks? Are they being extorted?” He could only see their profiles and wasn’t completely sure, so he shifted to a different angle.

“Yep, it’s definitely them. So the kid’s finally getting his comeuppance. Still, I can’t just stand by and let a girl get dragged into this. I’d better call the police first,” Chen Fan thought, pulling out his phone to dial 110.

Wei Youlong, desperate, spotted Chen Fan and suddenly had an idea. He pointed at him and shouted, “That guy—he’s her boyfriend! This has nothing to do with me. If you want to fight, fight him!”

Chen Fan was still on the phone when someone grabbed his arm sharply. Before he knew what was happening, Xu Ying had taken his hand.

It was the first time Chen Fan had ever held a girl’s hand—the soft, delicate feeling was just as he’d dreamed all his life. The ideal he’d yearned for since childhood had come true today.

But it had happened so suddenly, he had no idea what was going on.

“Where’s Wei Youlong?”

Chen Fan scanned the crowd, but only Xu Ying remained; Wei Youlong had vanished.

A sudden tension hung in the air, and Chen Fan realized two thuggish men were glaring at him menacingly—one of them bald.

“So you’re the guy—her boyfriend, right?” Bald Hui tapped the beer bottle in his hand, the dull thud sending chills down one’s spine.

Chen Fan, who had seen enough action movies to keep his composure, forced himself to sound calm. “What do you want?”

“Nothing much. Kneel down, drink three shots, pay me a thousand or two for medical expenses, and it’ll all be over,” Bald Hui said, toothpick dangling from his mouth, supremely confident.

Qiang squinted at Chen Fan, as if recalling something. “Hui, this is the punk who spit on your head back on Old Street that time.”

“No way—that’s some coincidence. Ran into you again, even after all these miles,” Chen Fan thought, feeling a sense of dread. He protested, “What spit? That was just me sneezing by accident.”

“Damn you, it really is you. This time, you’re not getting away,” Bald Hui spat, grinding his foot hard into the ground.

“Oh, come on, what luck is this—running into an old enemy right at the school gate,” Chen Fan muttered, shooting Xu Ying a look, signaling her to run back to campus while he held the thugs off. After all, dragging someone else would only slow him down; splitting up gave them at least a sliver of hope.

Xu Ying nodded and darted into the crowd.

“Hey, that girl’s pretty quick on her feet. Don’t let this kid get away, either,” Bald Hui barked, hurling a beer bottle at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan dodged sideways and bolted in the opposite direction.

“Don’t let him escape this time. Catch him and give him a good beating,” Bald Hui shouted, grabbing another beer bottle and chasing after him with Qiang close behind.