The Qiaonan area of Wushui County remained undeveloped, stretching out with nothing but farmland and ordinary villages as far as the eye could see.
The further west one went toward the dam, the sparser the population became. Aside from a vocational high school a few kilometers away, there was hardly anyone in sight.
Liu Yutong paid the tricycle driver three extra yuan to drop her off near the vocational school.
Then, she followed a narrow path from the dam down to the riverside woods and settled on a clean patch of grass.
She took out some snacks she had bought—popcorn and the like—and began eating while admiring the scenic river view, as if she were on vacation.
"That girl sure knows how to enjoy herself," Liu Hao couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
Just as Liu Yutong was about to open a bag of chips, Liu Hao swaggered down from the dam with a few of his lackeys and Zhao Zhu in tow.
Liu Yutong had noticed them long before but deliberately feigned surprise, turning to face them with a frightened expression.
"Wh-who are you? What do you want?"
"Zhao Zhu? Why are you here too?"
"What do you think, Liu Yutong? Did you enjoy snitching on me at school? Scared now, huh?" Zhao Zhu glared at her viciously.
"I... I don’t know what you’re talking about," Liu Yutong replied, putting on an innocent, pitiful act. Paired with her deliberately understated yet calculated "no-makeup" makeup look, she appeared genuinely heart-wrenching.
Even Liu Hao, a street thug, felt a pang of sympathy.
Though he was part of the underworld crowd, he was barely in his twenties—an age prone to impulsiveness and thinking with his lower half.
Of course, Liu Yutong’s acting skills played no small part in this.
She might not have been on par with professional actors, but with her looks and her ability to play the scheming damsel, handling these people was a breeze.
"Stop pretending!" Zhao Zhu raised her hand, ready to slap her.
"Ah!" Liu Yutong flinched and turned her face away.
But before the slap could land, a man’s hand caught Zhao Zhu’s wrist.
It was Liu Hao.
"I don’t think she’s faking it. There must be some misunderstanding between you two."
"How about this? I’ll play mediator today, and we’ll let bygones be bygones."
Zhao Zhu: "???"
Her eyes widened in disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe those words had come from Liu Hao’s mouth.
"Bro, how can you take her side?!" Zhao Zhu snapped.
Liu Hao adopted a big-brother tone. "Listen, little sis, you’re classmates. You should get along. I’m doing this for your own good."
Liu Yutong seized the moment to nod meekly, her face the picture of obedient agreement.
Seeing her so docile, Liu Hao’s machismo swelled even more. He figured that with his authority, a girl this beautiful and compliant would be easy to win over.
"Let’s settle it like this. Who knows? She might even be your future sister-in-law. You really think it’s okay to talk to her like that?"
Zhao Zhu was livid. "Liu Hao! I brought you here to back me up, damn it! Are your eyes stuck in your pants or what?!"
"She’s obviously faking it! She’s a scheming little bitch!"
Liu Hao’s expression darkened instantly, and he slapped Zhao Zhu across the face.
"You pushing your luck?!"
Zhao Zhu was stunned, clutching her cheek. "You hit me?! You hit me over some outsider?!"
Liu Hao knew he’d acted rashly—Zhao Zhu had been with him for a long time, and hitting her in front of everyone wasn’t right.
But he couldn’t help it. The sight of Liu Yutong’s pitiful act made him lose control.
Maybe it was because he was used to those flashy, tacky, wannabe-rebellious girls. Suddenly seeing someone so pure, with just the right hint of allure in her makeup, his resistance plummeted.
Then he looked back at Zhao Zhu and her friends—their wild, dyed hair, heavy makeup, the whole delinquent aesthetic.
And then at Liu Yutong.
The contrast was brutal.
Right then, Liu Yutong delivered another masterfully "green-tea" performance. With her calculated makeup and trembling voice, she whispered, "Brother, please don’t be mad at Zhao Zhu. She’s my classmate… there must be some misunderstanding…"
Liu Hao’s heart clenched. All he could think was, "This girl is too kind!"
His lackeys behind him echoed the sentiment in their minds: "She’s right! She’s absolutely right!"
"Shut the hell up!" Zhao Zhu shrieked, nearly hysterical. "I’ll beat the crap out of you, you bitch!"
She lunged forward, ready to teach Liu Yutong a lesson.
Liu Yutong quickly ducked behind Liu Hao, her voice still sugary and trembling. "Brother, did I do something wrong? Why does Zhao Zhu want to hit me?"
Liu Hao felt like his heart had been struck. He blocked Zhao Zhu and reassured Liu Yutong, "Don’t worry, little sis. As long as I’m here, no one’s laying a finger on you!"
"Liu Hao, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Zhao Zhu's eyes burned with fury, as if they could devour him whole.
"Nothing much, little sis. Let’s just drop this for today, and I’ll gift your in-game character a few outfits later," Liu Hao said, his tone a mix of coaxing and veiled threat. "If you refuse, you’re disrespecting me as your big bro!"
Seeing Liu Hao genuinely angry, Zhao Zhu—the self-proclaimed "queen bee"—felt a flicker of fear.
Her bravado outside school had always relied on Liu Hao’s backing.
Now that Liu Hao was siding with Liu Yutong, she didn’t dare act recklessly.
At the same time, she realized she’d severely underestimated Liu Yutong.
What a scheming bitch!
If she couldn’t take her down now, she’d find another chance at school—where Liu Hao wouldn’t be able to protect her!
Just as Zhao Zhu was about to storm off in a huff—
Liu Yutong suddenly flipped her off from behind Liu Hao, mouthing the word: "Trash!"
That was the last straw.
A surge of rage exploded in Zhao Zhu’s head, and she charged forward without thinking.
"Liu Yutong, you filthy slut! I’ll tear your face apart!"
Liu Hao’s expression darkened completely. After everything he’d said, she still dared to attack? She was outright spitting on his authority!
This time, he didn’t hold back. He kicked her to the ground.
Zhao Zhu scrambled up, ready to fight Liu Hao with everything she had—her mind completely consumed by fury.
The outcome was predictable.
She was just a girl, no match for Liu Hao.
Within moments, her face was bruised and swollen.
Her two lackeys trembled in fear, too smart to step in for their "boss."
Meanwhile, Liu Yutong sat nearby, munching on chips with relish, thoroughly entertained by the brawl.
Only when Zhao Zhu was sobbing and begging for mercy did Liu Hao finally stop, panting heavily as he stood up. He spat at her. "Disgusting! I gave you face, and you spat on it!"
"If I ever see you around the internet café strip again, you’re dead!"
The bond between the once-close sworn siblings was now shattered.
Liu Yutong clapped mockingly, grinning. "Bravo! Truly spectacular! It’s been ages since I’ve seen such an entertaining dog-eat-dog show!"
All traces of her earlier pitiful act were gone, replaced by a smirk of amusement.
Even Liu Hao wasn’t stupid enough to miss it now—Liu Yutong had been playing him from the start.
"You fucking tricked me!" he snarled, fists clenching.
But before he could lash out—
Liu Yutong gave a small, casual clap.
In an instant, over a dozen young men—far more hardened and street-savvy than Liu Hao’s crew—descended from the embankment.
Their gazes were sharp, their presence intimidating.
As they reached Liu Yutong, they bowed in unison.
"Miss!"
"Miss!"
"..."
