"Xi Jing, aren’t you leaving yet?"

The other employees from the dessert shop came out and saw Xi Jing standing at the door. Someone asked him.

"Someone’s coming to pick me up," Xi Jing replied.

"Be careful then, it’s not very safe around here at night."

"Mm." Xi Jing watched them leave, the boss locked up the shop, happily patted Xi Jing’s shoulder, then rode off on his little electric scooter.

It was already very late, and the nearby shops were mostly closed for the day.

Occasionally, a couple were still open, but they were packing up, ready to close.

Xi Jing stood outside the shop, idly looking at the light sign of the nearby store.

Pa—

The light sign went out, and the last shop on the street closed.

The light in Xi Jing’s eyes seemed to dim along with the extinguished sign. He held his phone but dared not make a call.

Xi Jing paced back and forth in the same spot, occasionally checking his phone, several times wanting to make a call but never pressing the button.

An hour went by unknowingly, and Xi Jing started to feel a bit cold all over.

Xi Jing sat on the steps nearby, resting an arm against his knee, burying his head in his arms.

Footsteps sounded in the distance, and Xi Jing’s ears twitched as he looked up. Several people were heading his way.

Their voices gradually grew louder.

Those people clearly saw Xi Jing, exchanged glances, and then walked over.

Xi Jing instinctively felt danger, got up, and watched them.

The people had obviously been drinking; they didn’t need to be close before Xi Jing caught a whiff of alcohol.

Xi Jing clenched his fists and turned to run in the opposite direction.

He bumped into someone, who steadied him, followed by a familiar voice by his ear, "Why are you running?"

Xi Jing looked up to see Chuzheng’s face close-up, his heart pounding rapidly.

The group of people saw someone appear and stopped simultaneously; yet, seeing it was a girl, they likely considered her to pose no threat and continued towards them.

Xi Jing pulled Chuzheng and started running.

Xi Jing ran swiftly, zigzagging through nearby alleys, quickly losing the pursuers.

Assured they hadn’t followed, Xi Jing supported his knees and panted.

"Why did you run?" Chuzheng asked inexplicably, just those few; she could have handled them in minutes!

"They..."

Xi Jing seemed to recall Chuzheng dealing with drunken troublemakers before, his face blushing slightly. He couldn’t say anything else.

He kept his head down, fidgeting with his fingers without speaking.

Chuzheng reached over, pulled him closer, half-hugged him, "Why didn’t you go back?"

"You... said you’d come to pick me up."

"If I didn’t show up, you wouldn’t know to go home by yourself?"

"..."

Xi Jing twisted his fingers around his clothing hem, looking a bit pitiful.

She did say...

Chuzheng grasped Xi Jing’s increasingly tense hand, placed it around her waist, and pulled him into a hug, "Something came up today, so I was delayed. Next time I’m late, remember to call me."

Xi Jing froze for a while, "Will you always come to pick me up from now on?"

"Do you want me to?"

"...Mm."

"I’ll come if you want me to." The Good Person Card said it; can I refuse? No!

Xi Jing’s other hand hung by his side, wrapped around Chuzheng’s waist, his face buried in her neck, inhaling her fragrance.

-

Back at the residence, the neighbor again was hitting their child, the child’s cries were thunderous.

Xi Jing frowned as he felt for his keys to open the door, the neighbor’s door suddenly opened, and a child was pushed out, then the door slammed shut.

The child stood outside crying heartbreakingly.

"Open the door, they’re too noisy," Chuzheng reminded Xi Jing.

Xi Jing opened the door, "I want to..."

He pointed at the child.

"Want what?"

"Her dad won’t let her back in." Xi Jing softly asked, "Can she come over?"

Such situations have happened several times to Xi Jing, he couldn’t bear seeing the child alone outside, so he’d let her stay here.

However, because of this, the child’s father wasn’t fond of him.

"You can’t even take care of yourself; why take care of others?" You still need someone to rescue you and have the mind to help others. Who gives you the guts?

"When I can help a bit, I want to help a bit..." Xi Jing slowly replied.

Is the Good Person Card really this kind-hearted?

Truly, the kinder they are now, the crueler they become after turning dark.

Chuzheng’s gaze lingered on the child banging the door, trying to get in, pondering something.

"If you want her to come, that’s fine too." Chuzheng leaned against the door, pressing Xi Jing against the door frame, "Kiss me once, and I’ll let her in."

"Huh?"

Xi Jing looked at Chuzheng in shock.

It’s his house, after all...

"Not willing?"

Xi Jing, "..."

"Then don’t expect to let her in." Chuzheng released him, "Go inside."

Xi Jing suddenly lifted his head, gave Chuzheng a quick kiss on her cheek, and turned away towards the child.

Chuzheng grabbed him.

Xi Jing panicked, "I... I kissed you." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Chuzheng squinted her eyes slightly, "You call that a kiss?"

"...Isn’t it? You didn’t say I couldn’t do it that way..." Xi Jing’s voice was weak, "You can’t go back on your word."

Chuzheng, "..."

Alright.

I’ll think of another way.

Chuzheng let go of him, Xi Jing promptly walked towards the child.

Probably because Xi Jing had sheltered her a few times, the child wasn’t very resistant, sobbing as she followed him.

Chuzheng leaned on the door, coldly watching the child hold onto Xi Jing’s hand, showing dependence.

This is mine!!

Chuzheng’s nails gouged the door frame, feeling extremely annoyed.

Xi Jing led the child inside, saw Chuzheng still standing at the doorway, hurried over, his cheeks slightly flushed, "Not coming in?"

Chuzheng extended a hand towards him.

Xi Jing, with a puzzled expression, wasn’t sure what Chuzheng meant.

Chuzheng didn’t say anything, just stretched out her hand, until after a while Xi Jing tentatively extended his hand to hers, holding her hand, Chuzheng finally came inside.

Xi Jing, "..."

Turns out she’s this childish.

Xi Jing couldn’t help but smile slightly.

-

Chuzheng sat to the side, watching impassively like watching a show as the child sobbed.

The child was clearly scared of her, shrinking toward Xi Jing and holding onto his clothes, sobbing intermittently.

"Did your dad drink again?" Xi Jing patiently wiped the child’s tears with a tissue.

"Mm..." The child nodded, "Brother, it hurts so much when he hits me."

"Where did he hit you?"

The child pointed to her arm and back.

Before Xi Jing could check the child’s injuries, Chuzheng tugged him aside, "I’ll do it."

The child, who had nearly stopped crying, upon seeing Chuzheng’s intimidating presence, instantly filled her eyes with tears.

"Cry again and I’ll send you back home."

The child was reprimanded, forcing her tears not to fall, looking pitifully at Xi Jing.

Chuzheng also looked over, clearly implying: If you help her, I’ll throw you out too.

Xi Jing, "..."