No one on the field paid any attention to Zheng Yingxiong; instead, they were all staring intently at Tiantian.
“Anything?” Old Fang smirked as he stepped forward. “Little girl, you’re too naive. Do you even know what’s about to happen to you?”
“I know,” Tiantian replied firmly. “Whatever it is, I’ll accept it—but you have to let this child go first.”
When the men didn’t respond, she repeated, “No matter what, I’m the one who’s most useful to you, right? Keeping him here serves no purpose.”
“But if you don’t behave…” Old Fang began groping Tiantian, only to find she didn’t react at all.
“Behave?” Tiantian frowned in confusion. “This was my idea. How am I not behaving?”
“You—” Old Fang faltered, then turned to look at the man in the suit and the younger man, as if he’d never encountered a girl like this—she was far too compliant.
The middle-aged man in the suit had been watching Tiantian with a furrowed brow, clearly trying to figure out her motives.
Finally, the tall young man, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. His expression was uneasy. “Uncle Fang… Uncle Liu… Maybe we should stop. What’s the difference between this and being animals?”
“Damn it!” Old Fang snapped. “We’re the animals? Didn’t you eat and drink the stuff we stole?”
“I—” The young man was momentarily speechless. “Uncles, I’ve tried to stop you from stealing so many times, but you always shut me down with your ‘experience’ and ‘seniority’… Fine, that’s in the past. But now? Robbery, rape, murder?”
“Xiao Cheng, stay out of it,” Old Fang said coldly. “Crime is crime, but here, no one’s gonna stop us. If the victims die here, passersby won’t even spare a word of pity. We’ve lived miserably enough in the real world—should we keep suffering here too?”
He turned back to Tiantian, reaching out to stroke her face. “How many of you have ever slept with a girl this fine in the real world, huh? The opportunity’s right in front of you, and you’re too cowardly to take it? You’d rather escape, go back to being losers, and regret later, ‘Why didn’t I do it when I had the chance?’ Huh?!”
“No… That’s not right,” Xiao Cheng muttered, his brow furrowed. “No matter how you spin it, forcing someone is wrong. She’s a person, not a tool!”
“Forcing her?” Old Fang’s hand slid to Tiantian’s neck, his fingers lightly gripping her throat. “Girl, am I forcing you?”
Tiantian had seen this act too many times. She closed her eyes slowly and said, “No. I’m willing. As long as you let this child go, whatever happens next is my choice.”
Her words made the three men hesitate again.
They’d never seen anything like this in the dramas they’d watched. Why was she being so cooperative?
“She’s definitely scheming,” the man in the suit said. “Tie the kid up, or she’ll try to run.”
“What—?” Now it was Tiantian’s turn to be baffled. “Are you insane?! I’ve already agreed to everything—and you still won’t let him go?!”
“It’s… it’s okay, sis…” Zheng Yingxiong struggled to his feet, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. “I’ll protect you…”
Countless thoughts raced through Tiantian’s mind. Was there any way left to save Zheng Yingxiong and escape unscathed herself?
“No… I don’t need to escape unharmed…” she murmured to herself.
Zheng Yingxiong shakily raised his newspaper sword again. “I’m… a hero…”
“Damn brat!” Old Fang, who clearly hated kids, glared at Zheng Yingxiong with fury. “I’ll break your legs today—”
He lunged, but at the last second, Zheng Yingxiong dropped his sword, grabbed Old Fang’s arm, and bit down hard.
“Ow!”
Old Fang howled in pain, but before he could retaliate, Zheng Yingxiong rammed his head straight into the man’s groin.
In just a second or two, the small boy had taken the overweight man down.
Tiantian froze for a split second before grabbing Zheng Yingxiong’s hand. “Run!”
They bolted for the door. The man in the suit, realizing the danger, jumped up to chase them—but Xiao Cheng quickly blocked his path. “Uncle Liu! Maybe we should—”
“Get lost!” The man called Uncle Liu kicked Xiao Cheng to the ground, snatched up a wooden rod, and sprinted after them.
Tiantian and Zheng Yingxiong, already exhausted, were overtaken within seconds. Uncle Liu swung the rod straight at Tiantian.
With a cry, Zheng Yingxiong turned and leaped, slamming into Uncle Liu’s chest.
But Uncle Liu was far stronger than Old Fang. The impact only halted his attack momentarily before he took half a step back.
He hesitated briefly, then raised the rod again—this time bringing it down on Zheng Yingxiong’s head.
The boy couldn’t dodge in time. The rotten wood shattered against his skull, but somehow, he remained standing, swaying unsteadily. Blood streamed down his forehead, obscuring his vision.
Tiantian gasped and stepped in front of him. Though taller than Zheng Yingxiong, she was still dwarfed by Uncle Liu’s towering frame.
“Dammit…” Uncle Liu gripped the broken rod, glaring at Tiantian. “I knew you’d try to run. Don’t you get it? If I let you leave, you can leave. If I don’t, you die here.”
“I was wrong… brother…” Tiantian trembled as she shielded Zheng Yingxiong. “We won’t run… He’s already hurt. Please don’t hit him again. I’ll do anything you want.”
When the man didn’t react, she frantically tugged at her clothes. “Look, brother, I’ll do anything—anything at all.”
Her hands shook violently, the earlier composure completely gone from her eyes.
“Interesting.” The man tossed aside the broken rod, studying Tiantian’s disheveled state with amusement. “Why protect that kid so much? What’s he to you?”
“We just met by chance,” Tiantian said. “He saved me once. I’m returning the favor.”
“Sis… don’t worry about me,” Zheng Yingxiong whispered behind her. “I’ll protect you… I can die here… Just run… I’ll stop him…”
Tiantian whirled around, wiping the blood from his forehead. “Why are you so stupid? Why would you protect someone like me? It’s not worth it…”
“Sis, I told you already,” he murmured weakly. “Because… I’m a hero.”
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