Xiao Xueer's Gasp

After shopping all afternoon, although An Yang had said he'd cover all of An You's expenses for the day, he bought almost nothing else. In the evening, An Yang found a hotel and invited the two girls who had just graduated high school to dinner.

An You was still somewhat embarrassed to face him, but as they went up the hotel stairs, she quietly said to him, "How much did Mom and Dad give you? Keep track of the extra—I'll pay you back later."

An Yang smiled lightly and said nothing. He understood this girl's personality somewhat—not only extremely strong-willed but also stubborn to a fault.

The three of them ordered a whole table of dishes. Xiao Xueer ate in silence while An You kept exclaiming it was wasteful.

"Hey, didn't you just lose your job? Why are you still throwing money around like this?"

An Yang glanced at her and said, "Can't even call me 'big brother' anymore?"

An You fell silent immediately.

Xiao Xueer ate daintily while curiously sizing up An You and An Yang with her eyes, as if she couldn't figure out what their sibling relationship was really like.

After the meal, An Yang paid the bill and asked the two girls, "Have you found a place to stay tonight? Want to book a room here?"

Xiao Xueer smiled and said, "No need, big brother. We booked a room yesterday—for several days."

An Yang smiled back, feeling that although Xiao Xueer's personality was somewhat cold and aloof, she was far better than his own sister. Look how sweetly she called him "big brother."

"Alright then. I won't keep you company in the next few days. With me around, you wouldn't have much fun anyway. Call me if anything comes up."

"Okay, thank you, big brother."

An Yang knew that given An You's personality, there was no way she would ever come stay at his place. And his rented room wasn't anything special anyway, so he didn't bother inviting them. After all, he'd only come out today to complete his mission.

Walking out of the hotel, An Yang was hailing a taxi on the road when he saw a bus pulling up. An You and Xiao Xueer were already waiting at the bus stop with change ready. He sighed and headed toward the bus as well.

He felt his bag—no transit card. He pulled out his wallet and checked—no change either. His face immediately fell into embarrassment.

"Um... An You, I don't have any change."

An You had just stepped onto the bus and dropped her change into the box. She turned to look at him, felt her bag, and frowned.

"I don't have any either."

Xiao Xueer had just put her money in as well. She lowered her head, opened her purse, pulled out two bills, and dropped them into the fare box.

"I have some."

"Thanks, Xueer."

An Yang grinned and finally stepped onto the bus.

An You twitched the corner of her mouth and looked at An Yang with disgust, feeling goosebumps all over.

All three sat in the back. Xiao Xueer and An You sat on the left side of the third-to-last row, with Xiao Xueer on the aisle. An Yang sat alone on the right side of the same row, by the window, looking out at the scenery.

Summer nights came late. It wasn't dark yet, but many roadside lights were already on. Shopfronts lit up their colorful signs, showcasing the dreamlike prosperity of the number one city in the southwest.

This was a highly developed city, one with a long cultural history. The pace of life here was far slower than in other cities of the same tier, which was why many people enjoyed living in it.

Having spent four years of university and one year of work here, An Yang understood this deeply.

A captivating city.

He had struggled and fought his way through this place, only to be kicked out for various reasons. His mood should have been dejected, but Heaven loved to toy with people—it had given him a chance to stand above everyone else.

Looking back now, his feelings were complicated.

After a few stops, the rush hour had long passed, but the bus gradually filled with people. The seat next to An Yang was taken by a man with glasses. Two men in vests covered in tattoos leaned against the aisle between An Yang and Xiao Xueer, blocking his view.

An Yang glanced at them but didn't pay much attention. This kind of thing was common on buses. Even after a few months as a special forces soldier, he didn't sense any danger from the vest-wearing men.

But he didn't notice how tempting Xiao Xueer looked in her white fitted dress—her full chest and slender waist, her long, fair legs pressed together on the seat, her face so young and delicate yet carrying an aloofness that kept people at a distance. She easily outshone An You beside her.

To ordinary people, this stunning sight was merely something to admire. But to those with ill intentions, it was a fatal temptation.

The moment Zhou Xiong and Wang Hu got on the bus, they spotted Xiao Xueer. Such a young, pretty girl with such a hot figure, and that thin layer of frost on her face only stirred a stronger urge to conquer. From their long experience, they could tell she was not only untouched but a rare gem. Perhaps in a few years, she wouldn't hold the same allure.

Veterans that they were, they could tell at a glance that these two girls were traveling together—maybe they'd just finished their college entrance exams. They had no friends around. This was obvious from their eyes; if they had any relatives or friends nearby, even if not sitting together, there would be occasional eye contact. But the two girls kept their eyes straight ahead, occasionally whispering to each other, but mostly looking out the window.

Wang Hu scanned their surroundings. In front of An You and Xiao Xueer sat two elementary school students. Behind them was an elderly couple. To the right was the aisle, and next to the aisle was a skinny office worker in glasses.

A golden opportunity!

With such a prime little girl and such a perfect chance, how could they let it slip?

They weren't big-shot gangsters or wealthy second-generation heirs with power. They didn't dare do anything that blatantly broke the law against Xiao Xueer. But some small tricks were fine—just getting a little hand action would be enough.

Normally, girls like this were extremely timid, especially when out alone with no one to rely on. They had thin skin and would barely dare to make a sound if harassed on a bus, afraid of provoking worse consequences. Even if this girl couldn't hold back and cried out, most of the people on this bus were office workers. The two brothers weren't afraid.

"A girl like this—who knows which rich pretty boy she'll end up with? Might as well let us brothers have a little fun first."

They exchanged a glance and quietly moved closer to Xiao Xueer. Looking around, one of them let his hand drop as if absentmindedly.

Xiao Xueer froze. A strange sensation ran through her body. She looked up, shifted her position, but the man's hand kept reaching out, growing bolder.

At first, she thought it was just an accidental touch, but she quickly realized she'd run into the legendary bus perverts. Seeing the tattoos on these two men, her face turned deathly pale.

Just as Zhou Xiong and Wang Hu had expected, Xiao Xueer only tried desperately to avoid their harassment, biting her lip and not daring to make a sound. She cast pleading looks around her, afraid that angering these two would bring even worse treatment.

Around her were only children and the elderly. The young people who had worked all day were mostly exhausted, staring down at their phones. No one paid any attention to her helpless gaze. Xiao Xueer felt a flicker of despair.

She did think about asking An Yang for help, but the aisle between them was completely blocked by the two men. An Yang was sitting on the far right, with a seat in between. And in her mind, even if she called him over, what could he do? How could he possibly be a match for these two tattooed men? He might even provoke them into doing worse.

Seeing this, Wang Hu grew even more emboldened. Ignoring the other passengers around them, he became even more brazen, leaning down to whisper in Xiao Xueer's ear:

"That's right, just like that. We won't do anything to you—but if you dare to scream, we'll drag you off and make you wish you were dead. You're still young, with plenty of good years ahead. Some things, you just grit your teeth and bear. Understand?"

Xiao Xueer's eyes were filled with terror. She pressed her hands against her chest, beads of sweat constantly dripping down her face.

It wasn't until An You noticed Xiao Xueer pressing closer and closer, squeezing her against the window, that she finally pulled her gaze away from the scenery outside and turned her head. "Xue'er, what are you doing? I can barely breathe..."

Before she could finish, she saw Xiao Xueer's pale face, her hands clutching her chest, while another pair of hands—covered in tattoos—were forcefully trying to pry her defenses apart and reach toward her.

She looked up and met a vicious face and a pair of warning eyes.

Xiao Xueer knew to endure, but An You had a more straightforward personality. She wouldn't care about any of that and called out directly.

"What are you doing?!"

Xiao Xueer's face turned even paler, her lips trembling uncontrollably.

She was just a high school graduate from Yan City, fresh out of school. She had never experienced anything like this before, and panic and fear overwhelmed her all at once.

An Yang was gazing at the night scenery outside the window, pondering the purpose of the time-space travel phone, when a loud shout from An You reached his ears, followed by a startled cry from Xiao Xueer. His expression shifted, and he immediately stood up.

"Excuse me."

Stepping past the office worker beside him, his eyes narrowed sharply. A tattooed man's hand was still pressed against Xiao Xueer, while she was frozen in terror, her face deathly pale.

"Let go!"

Wang Hu unhurriedly withdrew his hand, smacking his lips in satisfaction.

As expected of a high school girl—a true gem in his eyes. This feeling was something a mature woman could never provide. Such a young body, yet already so well-developed. If she grew a few more years, she'd be unstoppable. And so beautiful too. He had never encountered a girl like this before; in the past, he wouldn't have even dared to dream of it.

Luckily, she was still young. If she were older, she'd either be the pet of some rich second-generation heir or the exclusive possession of someone powerful. He would never have had a chance to touch her. Getting to feel her today was already enough to satisfy him.

At least he could say he had tasted her first!