I turned my head to look at her. The night wind lifted her dark hair, and at that moment, I suddenly felt this was the perfect opportunity — I needed to come clean. There were things I could no longer afford to keep hidden. Just as I was about to speak, my phone rang, piercing the silence of the vast sports field like a sharp blade. With a sigh, I answered. It was HOUZI.

  "Where are you?" His voice came at me like a hammer, sounding urgent.

  "At the sports field, with Lin Ke'er," I replied.

  "Move away, I need to talk to you alone."

  "If it's about borrowing money, forget it," I joked, casting a glance at Lin Ke'er and giving her a subtle signal before walking off toward a quieter spot. Once I was sure she couldn't overhear, I spoke into the phone. "What's up?"

  "What's going on between you and Wang Yao?"

  My heart sank. I should've known — if HOUZI noticed, things were serious. I could lie to Zheng Wu, but never to HOUZI. So I admitted reluctantly, "It's exactly what you saw."

  "When did it start?"

  "A long time ago."

  "Does Lin Ke'er know?"

  "Not yet."

  HOUZI fell into a long, heavy silence before finally speaking, "Damn, you're something else — daring to go after the boss of the Thirteen Roses."

  I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic, so I simply replied, "It just happened."

  "Happened my ass! Do you have any idea what kind of mess you're stepping into? Do you know what Wang Yao's brother is capable of?"

  "I'm not afraid." Standing in the dark, I straightened my spine, my voice steady. "I’ve never been afraid of trouble."

  "Fine, then tell me — what’s your plan? Playing both sides?"

  "Of course not. I was just about to come clean with Lin Ke'er."

  "And Wang Yao’s on board with this?"

  I thought about Wang Yao's cold demeanor tonight and answered, "No. She actually hopes I can stay with Lin Ke'er."

  "Exactly. I knew it. Wang Yao's not the type to steal her sister's boyfriend. Which is why you can't do this."

  "Whether Wang Yao agrees or not, I have to come clean with Lin Ke'er."

  "Listen to me carefully," HOUZI said, his tone sharpening. "If it were just about Wang Yao, I'd leave you to handle your mess. But it’s not."

  "What do you mean?"

  HOUZI didn't answer directly but asked instead, "Do you remember the key factor allowing us to take on Ding Sheng and his crew?"

  "Wang Yao's protection," I replied instinctively.

  "Exactly. As long as Wang Yao's got our backs, Ding Sheng wouldn't dare touch us. But if you go confessing to Lin Ke'er and exposing your relationship with Wang Yao, it’ll humiliate her. She won't just reject you — she might disappear entirely out of shame. And if she’s gone, we're dead meat against Ding Sheng."

  "...So what are you suggesting?"

  "I'm saying you keep your mouth shut. At least until we've taken care of Ding Sheng and his gang."

  I clenched my fists, shame washing over me. I'd almost sabotaged everything for my own selfish reasons. "...I understand now."

  "Good. That’s the first thing. Now, the second."

  "Go on." I instinctively braced myself.

  "Can you lend me five bucks? My internet cafe membership is about to expire."

  "...Hello? Hello?" I slowly pulled the phone away from my ear. "Ah, bad signal. Can’t hear you. Gotta go now."

  I hung up and made my way back toward Lin Ke'er, relying on memory since the field was now engulfed in darkness. After walking some distance, I realized I couldn't see her. Panic surged in my chest. "Lin Ke'er!" I called out, my voice echoing across the empty field, but no response came.

  Fear gripped me, and I broke into a run, scouring the field. My breath came in heavy bursts, my heart pounding wildly. Halfway across the field, a chilling scream cut through the night.

  "Help—!"

  I froze, then tilted my head, straining to locate the source.

  "Zuo Fei—!"

  Without hesitation, I sprinted toward the northwest corner of the field. Two faint figures emerged in the distance, and as I drew closer, their voices became clear.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Let go of me! Zuo Fei is nearby!"

  "Hah! Him? He's probably half-dead after Ding Sheng’s last beating. You really think he'd have the guts to come save you now?"

  Yi Zhen!

  A blaze of fury ignited within me. I charged like an enraged beast, my footsteps thunderous against the ground. Yi Zhen turned his head, startled by the approaching noise, and sneered. "Zuo Fei, you still dare to—"

  Before he could finish his sentence, I launched a powerful kick straight into his abdomen. His body flew backward like a ragdoll. Without giving him a chance to recover, I pounced on him like a lion, my fists raining down in a storm of rage. Yi Zhen curled into a ball, shielding his head as he cursed through gritted teeth.

  "You think you can touch her and walk away unscathed?!"

  "You’re dead, you hear me?! Ding Sheng will kill you—"

  "Then I'll kill you first!"

  I didn’t hold back — every punch, every kick landed with raw fury. Yi Zhen’s arrogant demeanor crumbled under my assault until he couldn’t even muster a scream. Only Lin Ke'er’s desperate voice, trembling and frightened, finally stopped me.

  "Stop... stop it! You're going to kill him!"

  I finally released my grip, my chest heaving with anger. Yi Zhen lay sprawled like a beaten dog, covered in dirt, barely able to move. I crouched down and, mimicking HOUZI’s signature tone, sneered, "Listen, kid. If you don’t have the guts to act tough, don’t pretend to be a thug. Now run home crying to daddy."

  Yi Zhen, despite his battered state, still had the audacity to glare at me with defiant pride. "You lowlife scum... we'll see who has the last laugh."

  I almost lunged at him again, but Lin Ke'er clung to my arm, her grip trembling. Yi Zhen staggered away into the darkness, and only then did Lin Ke'er collapse into my chest, her body trembling uncontrollably.

  I held her close, stroking her back, my voice soft. "It’s okay now… I’m here."

  She cried without restraint, soaking my shoulder with her tears. My heart ached as I listened to her helpless sobs. When she finally calmed down, I gently asked, "What happened?"

  It turned out that shortly after I walked away, Yi Zhen had appeared out of nowhere. Without hesitation, he had grabbed Lin Ke'er, his hands wandering all over her. She had screamed for me, insisting I was nearby, but Yi Zhen had merely laughed, forcefully dragging her toward the northwest corner of the field.

  My blood boiled. "How did he know you were here?"

  Lin Ke'er looked at me, confused. "I don't know..."

  Suspicion flared in my chest. I gently touched her sleeve and, sure enough, discovered a small, metallic clip attached to it — a civilian-grade GPS tracker.

  "What’s this?" Lin Ke'er gasped.

  "A tracking device," I growled. Without hesitation, I threw it to the ground and crushed it beneath my heel. My rage burned hotter than ever. This was no coincidence. Yi Zhen had been tracking her all along. That bastard!

  Only a spoiled rich kid like him would stoop to such despicable tactics. And this time — I vowed — there would be no mercy.

  It seems that he tracked Lin Ke'er to the large sports ground and followed her there. Coincidentally, I had just stepped away to answer a call, and he must have assumed she was alone. Driven by his vile audacity, he attempted to commit some despicable act. Fortunately, I was nearby—otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

  First harassment, then a tracking device—how could Lin Ke'er, a delicate girl, endure such torment? She was utterly petrified, clutching my arm with trembling hands, her face as pale as a frightened lamb. I tried to lead her away, but her legs were so weak that she could not take a single step. Left with no choice, I carried her on my back, striding out of the sports ground, my heart ablaze with fury.

  I carried her all the way to the dormitory building, only to be stopped by the dorm manager, who firmly refused to let me in. Reluctantly, I set Lin Ke'er down and pulled out my phone to call Wang Yao. I dialed three times, but she refused to answer. I had no choice but to call Liu Yina instead, who quickly came down. After I explained the situation, she was instantly enraged, cursing incessantly and vowing that Yi Zhen must have lost his mind to dare provoke someone from their "Thirteen Roses." She insisted that Wang Yao would make him pay heavily for his offense.

  In the end, I entrusted Lin Ke'er to Liu Yina and returned to my dormitory. Lying in bed, my mind replayed the events of the night. A lingering fear crept over me—thank goodness I was nearby, or the consequences would have been unthinkable. I also couldn't help but feel relieved that I managed to destroy that wretched tracking device.

  The next morning during the first class, Liu Yina approached me with a mischievous grin, whispering, “Don’t go to the assembly after the second period. There’s going to be a good show.” I immediately understood—Wang Yao was planning to deal with Yi Zhen. My anticipation surged. I quickly called HOUZI and Huang Jie, urging them to come back and witness the spectacle. As expected, they were still at the internet café—those two habitual truants had long since given up on school, and the teachers had all but abandoned them.

  Besides notifying them, I also spread the word to anyone I could—Zheng Wu, Yang Zecheng, Li Baiyu, and many more. My desire to see Yi Zhen utterly humiliated was simply too overwhelming to contain. Oh, and I also told my little follower, Ma Jie, inviting him to join me after the second period to watch the drama unfold. Ma Jie was ecstatic—perhaps because it was the first time I had ever included him in such thrilling gossip.

  Out of curiosity, Ma Jie asked why Wang Yao wanted to beat up Yi Zhen, so I briefly recounted the events of the previous night. He nodded in understanding and then casually remarked, “No wonder you kept calling out Lin Ke’er’s name in your sleep last night.”

  “What?” I froze. “I did?”

  “Yeah, you called her name at least ten times.”

  I nodded, trying to remain calm. “Well… after what happened last night, it’s normal for me to worry about her.”

  “But you usually call her name in your sleep anyway,” Ma Jie added innocently.

  “…” My mind went completely blank. “I… do?”

  “Yeah,” he confirmed, his tone nonchalant. “Oh, and you didn’t just call Lin Ke’er’s name—you also called Wang Yao’s name. You switched back and forth, one moment calling Lin Ke’er, the next calling Wang Yao.” He delivered the final blow with deadly precision.

  Horrified, I immediately clapped my hand over his mouth, my voice filled with dread. “Shut up! Don’t say another word!” My heart was pounding wildly, as if someone had just ripped my clothes off in public.

  I never imagined that this hidden secret would be discovered by Ma Jie in such an embarrassing manner.

  Enraged, I hissed, “Why the hell were you eavesdropping on me in the middle of the night?”

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping!” Ma Jie mumbled with his mouth covered. “It’s just that your voice was so loud I couldn’t ignore it!”

  I quickly withdrew my hand. “Did… did anyone else hear it?”

  “I don’t know,” Ma Jie shrugged.

  “Damn it,” I muttered through gritted teeth, my scalp tingling with shame.

  “What’s wrong, Fei-ge?”

  “Nothing! Just… don’t tell anyone about this, okay?” I felt as if I was teetering on the edge of a public execution.

  “Why not?” Ma Jie looked puzzled.

  “Why do you think?!” I snapped, balling my fist and waving it menacingly in front of him.

  “But I really don’t get it,” Ma Jie whined, his face filled with confusion. “I don’t see what the big deal is. I mean, you didn’t just call their names—you also called HOUZI’s name.”

  “…What?” I froze again. My mind was now flooded with the image of myself in my sleep, switching from Lin Ke’er to Wang Yao, and then somehow calling out HOUZI’s name. The sheer absurdity of it made my entire being collapse inward.

  A thousand wild horses trampled through my mind.

  What the hell was wrong with me?!