Resolve Trouble, Ye Xin Xia

This group of thugs was gathered around a stone table in the park, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, drinking and playing cards, having an absolute blast.

Ye Xin Xia's wheelchair lay toppled on the ground. One thug had his foot on the wheel, his right hand slapping down two cards. "Pair of twos! One card left!"

"Joker bomb!"

"The hell, you're a farmer too, why are you bombing? I already said I've got one card left!"

"Heh heh, boss, I just wanted to make Rat lose a bit more... A three."

"...Pass."

"Boss, it's just a three?"

"I'm not blind and I'm not deaf. Can you not see or hear? I said pass!!!"

The other thugs: "..."

Just as they were struggling to hold back their laughter, an angry female voice rang out from a distance.

"Hey, Xu Bing, give the wheelchair back right now, or when Xin Xia's brother gets here, you'll be in for it."

Lin Yun Er directly invoked Ye Xin Xia's brother, trying to scare these thugs.

Unfortunately, Xu Bing and his crew weren't afraid at all.

"Hahaha, that brother of hers is as weak as a twig. If he comes, he'll just be my human punching bag."

Xu Bing let out a loud laugh, tossed his 'three' aside, and led a few thugs toward the two girls.

"It's so late, why aren't you going home?"

"Don't you have a place to stay? How about coming to big brother's place? I'll make sure you eat well and drink well—ah!"

Before he could finish, Xu Bing suddenly let out a miserable scream. His entire body flew backward, slamming straight into the big banyan tree at the center of the park.

"Boom!"

The force was so great that the whole tree shook, dead leaves raining down and swirling through the air.

"Hiss~"

The thugs sucked in a breath of cold air, their faces full of disbelief.

After a blow like that, even if Xu Bing didn't die, he'd be severely injured. If things went badly, he might end up paralyzed from the waist down.

Just whose subordinate was this, striking so fiercely?

"Since you like wheelchairs so much, you'd better get a good taste of one from now on."

A clear voice rang out. Everyone turned to look and saw a handsome, spirited youth.

The thugs were confused. Lin Yun Er was confused too.

Ye Xin Xia's eyes lit up, and she called out in surprise, "Brother Qin Yuan!"

At these words, the corner of the thugs' mouths twitched violently as they stared dumbfounded at the unconscious Xu Bing.

Damn it. Where was the weak, frail brother they'd been promised?

You call a youth who kicked a grown man twenty meters away with one blow weak and frail? Then what did that make them?

A thug in ripped jeans steeled himself and stepped forward, stammering, "Bro... brother, we..."

"Take him and get lost."

Qin Yuan said casually.

"Thank you, brother! Thank you, brother!"

"We're going now, right now!"

"Thanks, big brother!"

The thugs breathed a sigh of relief, dragged Xu Bing away by the arms and legs, and headed off—presumably to the hospital.

Given how Xu Bing was foaming at the mouth, he really did look like he was on the verge of kicking the bucket.

It was only because Qin Yuan had held back that Xu Bing wasn't already a corpse.

Of course, whether the now-disabled Xu Bing would survive depended on how many people he'd offended before and how ruthless they were.

[Ding, arrived at Bocheng. Check in?]

"Check in."

Qin Yuan moved his mind and silently uttered the command.

[Ding, check-in started. Estimated time: one hour...]

"Xin Xia."

Qin Yuan smiled slightly, then turned to Lin Yun Er and said, "Hello, I'm Xin Xia's friend, Qin Yuan."

"You... hello." Lin Yun Er's eyes darted away, a little shy.

She hadn't paid much attention before, but now that Qin Yuan was close, she realized he was a good-looking guy with an impressive aura.

Still, shy as Lin Yun Er was, she wasn't the kind to turn into a lovesick fool.

It can only be said that there was fondness—appearance might not be the most important thing, but it always gave others a good first impression.

"Then Xin Xia is in your hands."

"Xin Xia, I'll go first. See you tomorrow."

"Mm, see you tomorrow."

The two women waved goodbye.

Only after Lin Yun Er had walked far away did Ye Xin Xia withdraw her gaze, turning her head with a slight smile. "Brother Qin Yuan, you haven't been to Bocheng in a long time."

In the past, Qin Yuan came to Bocheng once a month, but this time it had been as long as three months, so Ye Xin Xia was a little curious.

"I had a lot going on recently. I only finished up a few days ago."

Qin Yuan patted Ye Xin Xia's head and said with a faint smile, "Let's go. I'll take you back first."

"Mm."

Ye Xin Xia gave a sweet smile, then got up from the swing and sat down in her wheelchair.

Although the two hadn't seen each other for three months, there was no awkwardness between them—after all, phones weren't just for show; video chats were a thing.

Qin Yuan pushed the wheelchair and headed out.

As it happened, it was quite a coincidence.

The single apartment Qin Yuer had found for Qin Yuan was right near Inscribed Girls Middle School, in a place called Ruiguang Residential Area.

If he remembered correctly, it seemed Ye Xin Xia also lived there with her aunt, Mo Qing.

"Brother Qin Yuan, Ning Xue came back too. She visited me yesterday and brought me a lot of things."

Ye Xin Xia said.

She and Mu Ning Xue had a pretty good relationship. They were childhood best friends who had grown up together, and even after Mu Ning Xue moved far away to the Imperial Capital, they still kept in touch.

Qin Yuan had gotten to know Ye Xin Xia thanks to Mu Ning Xue's introduction.

"Mm, I know."

Qin Yuan nodded and said with a light smile, "Ning Xue mentioned it to me recently too. We talked about it—next time I come to Bocheng, the three of us will find a time to get together again."

In the past, when he came to Bocheng, Qin Yuan would always have dinner with the two women. Occasionally, Mo Fan and the others would join in too.

But compared to his relationship with Mu Ning Xue and Ye Xin Xia, Qin Yuan's connection with Mo Fan and the rest was only that of ordinary friends—it hadn't developed to the level of life-or-death bonds.

"Okay."

Ye Xin Xia nodded her little head and smiled softly.

When she was young, she had always preferred playing with Qin Yuan and Mu Ning Xue rather than Mo Fan.

It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Mo Fan, but as the 'child king' back then, his circle of friends was very wide, and they were all boys.

Ye Xin Xia's legs made it hard for her to get around. Even if Mo Fan and Zhang Xiao Hou didn't find it troublesome, others were different—they carried a bit of disdain, more or less.

For these two reasons, aside from her brother Mo Fan, Ye Xin Xia only had Mu Ning Xue as a close friend.

It wasn't until Qin Yuan appeared that Ye Xin Xia gained another confidant. But whether that friendship would change in nature was hard to say.

Qin Yuan pushed the wheelchair, taking Ye Xin Xia out of the park.

"Xin Xia! Xin Xia! Xin..."

Suddenly, from an alley between two houses ahead, came a series of urgent shouts.

The two looked over and saw a figure running out of the alley. It was a slim, somewhat roguishly handsome young man.

"Brother."

Ye Xin Xia called out.

Qin Yuan also nodded at him in greeting. "Mo Fan."

"Hey, it's Qin Yuan." Mo Fan was startled for a moment, then quickly recovered and asked, "Xin Xia, are you okay?"

"Those thugs—take me over there. If I don't knock their teeth out this time, I'll write my name backwards."