"I... I really wasn’t thinking anything! Shanshan, look, has your brother gone crazy? My face is all swollen, quick, help me stop him!"

Wei Chengxi struggled for a moment, but he was no match for the other’s strength.

He spoke in a rush, his words tumbling out faster and faster.

As he spoke, he tilted his head toward Shanshan, hoping for backup.

"I was just looking out for you, wasn’t I? We’re in the same class, and you’re younger than me. Isn’t it perfectly normal for me to help you out?"

"Normal? You have the nerve to call this normal?"

Hearing this only made Ling Zhiwei even more furious.

"Stop pretending to be so high and mighty! Aren’t you just trying to use my sister to get in with our family? Trying to marry up and live the high life? So young, yet your head is full of crooked schemes. I’m going to teach you a proper lesson today!"

He clenched his fists again, the muscles in his arms tensing.

Just as he was about to throw another punch, Shanshan quickly grabbed his arm.

Her hand clamped tightly around Ling Zhiwei’s forearm.

She took a step forward, positioning herself between the two and creating distance.

"That’s enough, Zhiwei. Stop making a scene here. We’ll talk about this when we get back."

Her tone was softer, but it still carried a hint of reproach.

She knew Ling Zhiwei had a stubborn temper, but this was not the time to be aggressive.

"You’re still defending him?"

Ling Zhiwei whipped his head around to face her.

The furious expression on his face had yet to fade.

Ling Zhiwei turned back and glared at her, his eyes practically bulging.

"You’re yelling at me for some outsider?"

His voice rose, the words coming out as a sharp accusation.

His arm was still in Shanshan’s grasp, but he no longer struggled.

Shanshan couldn’t help but roll her eyes. ’Unbelievable,’ she thought.

’This guy is completely unreasonable, blowing such a small thing so far out of proportion.’

’He just had to solve things with his fists when they could have just sat down and talked it out.’

’Wasn’t she just trying to stop him from beating the guy to a pulp, only to get a thrashing from Grandma and Grandpa back home?’

An image of the old couple grabbing brooms and chasing Ling Zhiwei around already flashed through her mind.

When that happened, forget Wei Chengxi tattling—their family wouldn’t let him off easy just by seeing the bruises.

"He’s not a relative or anything, so what’s the point in beating him up? If he really goes home and tells on you, saying you hit him for no reason, just wait and see if Grandpa doesn’t grab the nearest object to thrash you with!"

"I knew it! Shanshan is just looking out for me!"

Ling Zhiwei’s expression changed in a flash, his previous ferocity vanishing in an instant.

He instantly changed his tune and loosened his grip.

Wei Chengxi collapsed bonelessly to the ground, nearly losing his balance.

"Shanshan..."

Wei Chengxi gasped for air, clutching the fabric over his chest.

His shoulders heaved slightly, and his breathing was ragged.

Ling Zhiwei stared at his pathetic display, and his stomach churned as if he had just swallowed a mouthful of spoiled food. It was utterly nauseating.

"Sorry about that, Xie. My brother misunderstood you. I’ll apologize on his behalf. Take this money as a token of our apology."

Shanshan’s tone was calm, almost casual.

As she spoke, she pulled a few crumpled bills from her pants pocket.

They were small denominations, fives and tens, with curled edges.

With a flick of her wrist, the bills made a soft RUSTLE as they slid precisely into the side pocket of Wei Chengxi’s schoolbag.

"Let’s go, Zhiwei. Come with me to buy a workbook, and I won’t tell Mom and Dad about this."

She beckoned to Ling Zhiwei and had already started walking away.

The sunlight shone on her face, her features relaxed and her expression natural.

"I was sticking up for you, and now you’re using this to threaten me? Wow, you’ve really grown a spine, haven’t you!"

Ling Zhiwei scolded her in a low voice, his tone a mixture of simmering anger and anxiety.

He shot her a glare from the side, but seeing her complete lack of remorse only stoked his anger.

But after the words left his mouth, he paused.

Realizing they were surrounded by people coming and going, he knew it wasn’t the place to say more, so he could only grit his teeth and swallow his words.

The two walked off one after the other, their figures receding into the distance.

Ling Zhiwei walked in front, his strides long and hurried.

Shanshan followed at an unhurried pace, swinging her schoolbag by its strap.

A distance of two or three steps separated them.

The leaves on the roadside trees rustled in the wind.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows at their feet.

Wei Chengxi remained seated where he was, his knees still throbbing with a dull pain.

He didn’t get up right away. Instead, he reached out and unzipped his schoolbag.

He reached into the side pocket, took out the bills still warm from her touch, glanced at them, counted them one by one, and then silently stuffed them back inside.

’Just a slip of a girl, and she can pull out this much spending money at the drop of a hat...’

’She doesn’t even bat an eye when spending it.’

’Her daily life is all about the finest things—designer clothes, the latest stationery.’

’While other classmates are still pinching pennies for lunch money, she can casually toss out dozens of yuan just to dismiss someone.’

’This money means nothing to her.’

’But for me, it’s enough to cover my living expenses for a whole month.’

’If I can just get her in the palm of my hand, won’t all of this be mine someday?’

He suppressed the sinister glint in his eyes and muttered in a low voice, "Fine, be impassive for now. Sooner or later, you’ll understand who is the one who’s truly good to you."

Meanwhile, as they walked, Shanshan was still trying to reason with Ling Zhiwei.

"If he wants to carry my schoolbag and haul my homework, then let him. It’s no skin off my back, and getting a free gofer is a pretty sweet deal."

She wasn’t joking; she had given this serious thought.

Wei Chengxi had taken the initiative to curry favor, and she had simply gone with the flow and accepted it.

It both lightened her own burden and didn’t make her seem too overbearing.

She saw no harm in letting this kind of relationship continue.

"But what if he has ulterior motives? What if he so much as lays a finger on you?"

Ling Zhiwei was still unconvinced.

His brow remained furrowed, his mind replaying the scene from moments ago.

’There was something off about Wei Chengxi’s eyes.’

’That venomous resentment he tried to suppress might have fooled others, but it couldn’t fool him.’

’If that hatred was ever directed at Shanshan, the consequences would be unthinkable.’

Shanshan stopped walking, a look of complete exasperation on her face.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned down in a pout.

"He can’t even win a fight against you, and you think he’d try to touch me? Do you think I’m made of paper?"

She genuinely didn’t believe Wei Chengxi had the ability to threaten her.

She had never felt a sense of danger around him.

Even if he got too close, she could push him away with ease.

"Er..."

Ling Zhiwei opened his mouth to retort but found he couldn’t think of the right words.

He had, in fact, subdued Wei Chengxi in just a few moves.

And Shanshan had been strong since she was a child, with quick reflexes to match.

Add to that her systematically trained combat skills.

At that moment, he finally understood why their uncle had insisted on forcing Shanshan to learn martial arts and combat.

He had once thought it was overprotective, even a little redundant.

Their family was well-off, they lived in a safe, gated community, and she was chauffeured to and from school.

Why would a girl ever need to learn how to fight?

But looking at it now, their uncle had been more far-sighted than anyone.

There were always people who, harboring ulterior motives, would approach the vulnerable under the guise of warmth and kindness.

They feign goodwill while actually plotting for their own gain.

Without the ability to defend oneself, one would sooner or later be trapped by someone’s schemes.

Shanshan was naturally strong, and that was on top of the self-defense skills their uncle had taught her.

An ordinary adult wouldn’t stand a chance of taking advantage of her.

Just look at Wei Chengxi’s scrawny frame, thin as a bean sprout.

The thought made Ling Zhiwei feel much more at ease.

Forget fighting, the guy would get winded like that just from running 800 meters.

With that kind of physique, if they really came to blows, he wouldn’t even be able to withstand a single move from Shanshan.

"Still, don’t get careless. If that kid ever dares to get handsy, you can’t go easy on him."