"Sorry I'm late. I still had reports to write at school. Hey, what are those looks for? I'll punish myself with three drinks, okay?"
According to Hu Rong, Su Ti's secret crush was actually their faculty advisor.
She was a twenty-four- or twenty-five-year-old female advisor with short black hair and a rather dashing air about her. Since she was close with Su Ti and his dormmates, they had a good relationship in private and often went out drinking together.
"Brother Xu, you're so late today. Our Young Master Su was getting anxious waiting for you."
"Fuck off, Hu Rong. Keep talking nonsense and I'll beat you up."
Carrying a faint fragrant breeze with her, Xu Jun naturally sat in the empty seat beside Su Ti. She picked up a lamb skewer and stripped it clean in one bite, then raised a glass to clink with everyone's. Tilting back her head, she gulped down a whole large glass of beer with impressive boldness.
Su Ti was also studying her. Strictly speaking, Xu Jun was a genuine southern beauty—pointed chin, big eyes, exquisite features. But because she was so carefree and her aura too sharp, her score dropped a little.
After all, men tended to prefer gentler, more delicate women. If he had to put it into words, Xu Jun was somewhat like Riven from the League of Legends in Su Ti's previous life. No wonder the fat guy always called her Brother Xu.
"Young Master Su, eat your food. Why do you keep staring at Brother Xu?"
Seeing Su Ti continually looking at Xu Jun, Zhao Xu leaned over and teased him.
"Cut it out. Drink up."
Noticing the fleeting blush on Xu Jun's face when Zhao Xu spoke, Su Ti changed the subject.
To be honest, no one knew who in the dorm had first claimed that Su Ti secretly liked Xu Jun. It was only because, when they had first met, Su Ti had looked at Xu Jun a little longer than the other three had.
But after it was said enough times, it became a running joke. Every time the two appeared together, the other three would tease them.
Over time, something that had never existed started to become awkward. At least in Su Ti's memories before this, the atmosphere between him and Xu Jun had always been strange. Whenever their eyes met, they would immediately look away, deliberately avoiding each other as if they had guilty consciences.
But there really was nothing between them. One was a student and the other a teacher. Aside from the five-year age gap, there was a vast difference in their family backgrounds, looks, and every other aspect.
Su Ti looked utterly ordinary, while Xu Jun was a stunning beauty. Her family was also wealthy; the car she normally drove cost over a million.
It was merely her personality that made her get along so well with Su Ti's group. In terms of family background, they were not even on the same level.
Xu Jun had also heard from Zhao Xu that something had happened to Su Ti's family. She had come today partly to see whether there was anything she could help with.
Su Ti had no choice but to tell the story of being kidnapped again. Xu Jun was equally astonished after hearing it.
The five of them drank and chatted about Su Ti's kidnapping. Before they knew it, the conversation had drifted all over the place, and everyone drank happily and spoke freely.
Of the five, everyone but Xu Jun could hold their liquor. After drinking for a while, only Xu Jun's face had turned a little red.
Perhaps her skin had become itchy after flushing, so she scratched through her short hair. The string of red agate beads on her wrist caught Yao XiaYu's attention.
"Brother Xu, that bracelet's pretty nice. Where'd you get it?"
"This? I took it from my dad. I think it's from the Hundred Kingdoms."
The moment she said that, Su Ti and the other three exchanged looks. Shock was written in all their eyes.
They were history majors. There was no way they would not know about the Era of Hundred Kingdoms.
"The Hundred Kingdoms were two or three hundred years ago, right? That's an antique."
Zhao Xu's face twitched as he was the first to voice his shock.
The world of rich people really was something else. At most, he wore walnut beads or vajra seeds. This woman just wore a centuries-old antique on her wrist.
"What else would it be? I thought it looked nice, so I took it out. My family has lots of things like this."
Perhaps she was a little drunk, but Xu Jun began speaking without restraint.
Hu Rong covered his face.
"Sometimes, being around Brother Xu puts so much pressure on me. I always get flexed on without even realizing it."
Yao XiaYu also put on a pained expression.
"Brother Xu, if you don't mind, why not just keep all four of us? It's not like you're short on money. From now on, us brothers will take turns serving you like oxen and horses."
"Fuck off."
Amid their laughter and horseplay, the roar of motorcycles suddenly sounded.
More than a dozen motorcycles lined up along the roadside. More than a dozen young men, reeking of alcohol and wearing floral shirts that exposed their tattoos, swaggered over cursing and sat down not far from Su Ti's group.
After those people arrived, the five of them unconsciously lowered their voices.
Zhao Xu glanced across the way and said quietly.
"It's Dragon Bro's bunch. Fucking bad luck. Let's finish eating and get out of here."
Yao XiaYu also took a glance and nodded.
"These idiots are drunk again. They might've even taken something. They look like they're itching to start trouble. Let's not provoke them."
By then, Xu Jun had sobered up a little as well. She nodded slightly.
Dragon Bro was the leader of a gang near Mingguang University. Since there were always bars around universities, they made a living working security at the nearby bars. Rumor had it they also sold drugs on the side and collected debts for people. Dragon Bro himself had supposedly chopped off someone's arm while collecting a debt. His reputation was notoriously bad.
In short, they were a bunch of scum and thugs. No one around Mingguang University dared provoke them. If possible, people avoided them.
After discussing it, Xu Jun immediately raised her hand.
"Boss, the bill."
Su Ti's group took turns treating each other, and this time it happened to be Xu Jun's turn.
The kind-looking owner came over with a smile plastered across his face.
"Sorry, sorry. The total is two hundred and thirty. Just give me two hundred. I'm really sorry they disturbed you."
"It's okay, boss. It's not your fault."
After Xu Jun scanned the code, she transferred three hundred yuan. She picked up her bag and was about to leave with Su Ti and the others when a tattoo-covered hand suddenly grabbed her fair arm.
Su Ti and the other four halted mid-step. Xu Jun looked up as well and saw that the person holding her was a gaunt young man with an unhealthy-looking face.
"Hey, beautiful. We just got here and you're already leaving. Aren't you disrespecting us?"
The man showed a mouthful of yellow-black teeth and pulled open his floral shirt, revealing an over-the-shoulder dragon tattoo inside.
"Dragon Bro."
"Oh? A beauty who knows me. That's fate. Come have a drink with us before you leave."
Xu Jun's delicate face, along with the rosy flush from her slight drunkenness, gave her a hint of vulnerability. She was indescribably alluring at that moment.
Dragon Bro's lust surged. He gave a sinister smile while his underlings rose from their seats. Zhao Xu, Hu Rong, and Yao XiaYu all tensed up, their faces stiff.
They had fought a few times at school, but facing a real conflict with people from the streets was different. It would be a lie to say they were not nervous or scared.
Thugs like Dragon Bro were especially intimidating to students still in school.
One of the underlings also brought over a glass of wine with a strange laugh. A tiny speck of white substance, almost completely dissolved, flashed in the glass.
The moment she saw it, Xu Jun's face darkened instantly. Yet in stark contrast to her expression, she said,
"I'll drink."
"Brother Xu!"
Zhao Xu had also seen the unknown substance in the glass. Just as he spoke, Xu Jun shouted in a low voice.
"Don't say anything! Give it to me!"
"That's more like it."
Dragon Bro gave a look, and his underling handed the wine to Xu Jun. Holding the glass and staring at the liquid inside, Xu Jun suddenly exploded into action. She smashed the glass into Dragon Bro's face and cursed furiously.
"Drink your mother!"
No one had expected Xu Jun's sudden attack.
Dragon Bro was caught completely off guard. Glass shards burst across his face. He screamed and fell backward, his face covered in blood.
Xu Jun grabbed her bag and turned to run.
"What are you waiting for? Run!"
"Right, right!"
Xu Jun's shout as she ran finally snapped Zhao Xu and the others out of it. They immediately turned and fled.
They would not have known if they had not started running, but Xu Jun had already gotten quite far ahead. What was even more infuriating was that Su Ti had silently ended up running beside her, and he even seemed slightly faster than her.
"You value women over friends!"
The three cried out miserably and immediately scattered in different directions.
They were not stupid. They knew the larger the target, the easier it was to catch. Splitting up gave them the best chance of escape.
Dragon Bro's group also came to their senses. Dragon Bro clutched his bloody face and looked at Xu Jun's fleeing figure with rage.
"Chase them! Fucking chase them!"
Wind seemed to blow beneath Su Ti's feet as he ran at top speed, with absolutely no intention of turning back to fight.
These thugs were naturally far weaker than professional underground fighters. As someone who had once defeated a professional underground fighter alone, Su Ti felt that in a one-on-one fight, his slightly enhanced physical abilities from the Dragon Shape Five Forms, combined with his mastered Comprehensive Fighting Techniques, would guarantee him victory.
One against two would be risky, but he would still have a good chance.
One against three meant more losses than wins. Even if he won, he would likely be seriously injured.
As for one against four or five, forget it. It would be hard enough to take down a few of them at the cost of his life, let alone fight more than a dozen. Better run.
Huff, huff, huff, huff.
Heavy breathing sounded beside him. Su Ti turned his head and saw that it was Xu Jun.
She was a woman after all, with less stamina, and she had been drinking. Her breathing was labored.
Her pretty face was flushed red and filled with pain. Clearly, she could not keep going much longer.
Slap.
Xu Jun's hand was grabbed. She froze slightly and looked at Su Ti, surprise in her eyes.
Without saying a word, Su Ti silently increased his speed.
But no one knew that at that moment, he was ten thousand times more shocked than Xu Jun.
Energy infusion in progress— 20%! 40%! 60%! 80%!
Su Ti was utterly stunned. The moment he grabbed Xu Jun's wrist, the modifier interface appeared. Energy, which had never increased before, suddenly began soaring on its own.
So I can obtain energy from women. No wonder I couldn't find a method after searching for days. Just holding her hand increased it this much. If I grabbed...
But the next second, Su Ti discarded that stupid thought.
Obtaining energy merely by holding a woman's arm was too unscientific, too illogical!
Even while running, he keenly noticed that Xu Jun's wrist felt different.
Cold, with a distinct granular texture.
He looked down, and sure enough!
It was the string of mysterious antiques from the Era of Hundred Kingdoms that Xu Jun had shown off during their drinking session!
"Stop!"
Xu Jun's scream interrupted Su Ti's thoughts.
He hurriedly slammed on the brakes, only to realize that a wall stood six or seven steps ahead!
He looked around and discovered that, because his mind had been on the modifier, he had unknowingly run into a dead-end alley.
If Xu Jun had not warned him, he would have nearly crashed into the wall.
"Get out of here."
Xu Jun said urgently. If Dragon Bro caught up now and trapped them in the alley, they would be turtles in a jar.
Su Ti nodded. But after taking only two steps toward the exit, the roar of motorcycles came from outside.
Immediately afterward, Dragon Bro emerged from the mouth of the alley, clutching his bleeding cheek with a face twisted in fury.
"Run, then. Why did you stop running?"
Before you continue