Lingyin Luo was on her way to review her notes when she suddenly felt a bit thirsty. She turned toward the vending machine near the school entrance to buy a bottle of mineral water. As she waited for the bottle to drop, she sensed someone approaching from the side.
A man with a mushroom-cut hairstyle, studded earrings, and a cocky grin strolled toward her. He was a well-known local thug, someone who loitered around the neighborhood and frequently harassed people. Having just gotten out of a car, he had spotted Lingyin Luo and decided to make his move.
"Yo, pretty girl, buying water all alone?" he sneered as he stepped closer.
Lingyin Luo frowned, crouching down to pick up her bottle. She had no intention of engaging with such a person. Just from his appearance and demeanor, she could tell he was trouble. She turned away, ignoring him completely, hoping he would lose interest and walk away.
However, her indifference only fueled his irritation. He was someone with a bit of status among the local troublemakers, and people usually flinched at his presence. He expected at least some reaction—fear, compliance, anything but being ignored.
"Hey, are you deaf? I'm talking to you!" His voice took on a sharper edge as he stepped forward and grabbed Lingyin Luo's arm.
She gasped and immediately yanked her arm away, clutching her books to her chest. Her heartbeat quickened. "Get away from me!" she snapped, taking a step back.
The thug let out a chuckle. "Feisty, huh? No need to be so hostile. Let's just exchange contact info, yeah? A little conversation never hurt anyone, heh heh."
His words, combined with the way he leered at her, made her stomach churn. Just as she was about to call for help, he reached out toward her again.
Before he could lay another finger on her, a firm hand grabbed his wrist and twisted it back with force.
"Ah! Who the hell—?!" The thug let out a pained grunt, whipping his head up to see who dared to intervene.
Standing before him was Yang Mo, his expression cold and unyielding. His grip on the thug's wrist tightened further, making the man wince.
Lingyin Luo exhaled in relief. If someone like this had actually managed to lay hands on her, she would have been utterly disgusted.
Recognition dawned on the thug's face, and his bravado immediately crumbled. "Y-Yang Mo?!" His voice cracked as fear set in.
Yang Mo's gaze darkened. "Oh, it's you, Li Dagger. Still up to your usual low-life tricks, I see."
Li Dagger was a former student who had been expelled after getting into a violent fight where he had slashed someone with a knife. Since then, he had become a small-time thug, hanging around the streets, extorting local vendors, and causing trouble. He had even tried to collect protection money from Yang Mo once. Unfortunately for him, Yang Mo was not the type to tolerate such nonsense. The last time they had clashed, Yang Mo had beaten him so severely that he had ended up in the hospital for a month. Ever since then, Li Dagger avoided him like the plague.
"M-Mo Bro! Bro Mo! I didn't know she was with you! If I did, I wouldn't have even looked at her!" Li Dagger stammered, desperately trying to force a smile. His legs were already trembling, and he was praying Yang Mo wouldn't unleash another beating on him.
Yang Mo scoffed. "Oh? You were planning to 'capture' her for me? Since when did I start associating with scum like you?" His grip tightened further, making Li Dagger yelp.
"No, no, I was just joking! Just a misunderstanding!" Li Dagger nearly wailed.
Yang Mo's eyes flashed with disdain. "A misunderstanding, huh? You harass my classmate, grab her without consent, and now you think you can walk away scot-free?"
Li Dagger gulped. "B-Bro Mo, please, let's be reasonable—"
"Apologize. And pay up for the psychological damage you've caused," Yang Mo ordered, his voice cold and unwavering.
Li Dagger's face turned pale. "P-Pay up?!"
"What, you think harassment comes free of charge?" Yang Mo narrowed his eyes. "Either you compensate for the trouble you caused, or I break something. Your choice."
Li Dagger winced. He had no doubt Yang Mo would follow through with his threat. Trembling, he fumbled in his pockets and shoved a wad of cash into Yang Mo's hands. "H-here! This is all I have right now! Take it! Just let me go!"
Yang Mo counted the cash indifferently before loosening his grip. Li Dagger recoiled, rubbing his sore wrist, his face contorted with humiliation. He, a street thug, had just been extorted in broad daylight. It was beyond shameful.
As he turned to flee, Yang Mo's voice rang out again. "Hold it."
Li Dagger froze in place, sweating bullets. "Y-yes, Bro Mo?"
"You haven't apologized yet."
"R-right! Of course!" Li Dagger immediately bowed toward Lingyin Luo. "I-I'm sorry! I was completely out of line! I won't bother you again, I swear!"
Lingyin Luo, who had been watching the whole ordeal in stunned silence, was taken aback. Before she could even respond, he added nervously, "And I swear I didn't know she was your girl—your sister-in-law!"
Her face instantly turned red. "W-what?! Who's your sister-in-law?!" she blurted out, flustered.
Yang Mo shot Li Dagger a murderous glare. "Shut your mouth before I shut it for you."
"Y-yes, yes, shutting up now!" Li Dagger nearly tripped over his own feet as he scrambled away, not daring to look back.
Once he was gone, Lingyin Luo let out a long breath, her heart still pounding. "That guy... was disgusting."
"Yeah. These kinds of people are everywhere," Yang Mo said with a sigh. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, thanks to you." She looked up at him with a small, genuine smile. "Really, thank you."
Yang Mo smirked. "Don't mention it. But next time, just scream if something like this happens again. You don't have to deal with it alone."
Lingyin Luo nodded. "I will."
The two stood in silence for a moment before Yang Mo handed her back the money he had taken from Li Dagger. "Here, you should keep this. Consider it compensation for your distress."
She hesitated before finally accepting it. "Alright. But I still owe you one."
Yang Mo chuckled. "I'll remember that."
With that, the two headed into the school together, leaving behind the remnants of an encounter neither of them would soon forget.