The large, shiny head of the bald man grew bigger in Ouyang Ning's eyes. Each step the man took seemed to stomp heavily on his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe. It felt as if his blood had frozen in an instant.
"Wait... we surrender!"
As the bald man raised his fist, Xu Biling suddenly stepped forward and blocked the two of them, positioning herself in front of Ouyang Ning to shield him with her body. Ouyang Ning, relieved but exhausted, almost stumbled as he leaned against the wall, gasping for air.
The bald man disdainfully scratched his ear, then forcefully shoved Xu Biling aside with a sweep of his hand. In one swift step, he charged toward Ouyang Ning, too fast for anyone to react.
"Didn't you hear? This bet only counts if the person involved surrenders!"
Seeing the bald man's fist heading straight for his chest, Ouyang Ning instinctively tried to dodge, but his body couldn't keep up with his mind. Just as he attempted to step aside, the bald man's punch landed with a thunderous crash on Ouyang Ning's right shoulder. His arm twisted unnaturally, and his body spun uncontrollably as he fell backward.
"Tch! Kid, you're no good! Didn't we agree no dodging?" The bald man sneered, curling his fingers and kicking at Ouyang Ning's leg, clearly irritated. "Get up! There are two more punches. Don't play dead!"
"Ouyang Ning!"
Xu Biling, covered in dust, rushed to him, desperately pulling him behind her like a protective hen. Despite the bald man's attempts to grab her, she clung tightly to Ouyang Ning, refusing to let go.
"Ouyang Ning! Just surrender! This is enough! I can't let you get hurt because of my recklessness..."
Ouyang Ning's right arm was completely dislocated, and every movement felt like thousands of needles piercing through him. His pride as a man made it nearly impossible for him to accept the humiliating surrender, but the fear that emanated from the bald man, the palpable killing intent, gnawed away at his resolve like worms burrowing into his bones.
Xu Biling sobbed loudly as she knelt on the ground, tightly embracing Ouyang Ning, pleading with him through her tears. Her desperate cries and hopeless shouts struck at Xu Mo's heart like a whip, relentlessly lashing at his conscience.
No! No! What's wrong with you, Xu Mo? As a friend, you've always promised to respect Xu Biling's choices, but has jealousy and resentment toward Ouyang Ning completely taken over your better judgment? Have you forgotten the vow you made in Ning Ning's grave?
Suddenly, Xu Mo snapped back to his senses, feeling a cold sweat break out across his back as he recalled the darkness his heart had almost succumbed to moments ago.
"Xu Biling... I'm sorry. I'm useless..."
Ouyang Ning, his only functional left hand tugging at his own hair in frustration, curled up on the ground with his head buried in his knees. He knew that once the two words left his mouth, even though everyone would understand that it was forced, he would never be able to hold his head up again.
"Heh, your little girlfriend knows her place..." The bald man sneered, stretching out his arms to wrap around Xu Biling's shoulders. She bit her lip until it bled, her entire body tensed but she made no move to escape.
Suddenly—Bang! Clatter clatter!
Out of nowhere, a plastic cola bottle, half a liter in size, hit the bald man square in the back of the head, bouncing off the wall and falling to the ground, rolling away with a clinking sound. The atmosphere, so grim and tense just moments ago, now had a faint comedic undertone.
Pfft~!
One of the students, unsure who started it, broke into a chuckle, and soon the rest followed with quiet laughter.
"Ah! brother San[1]!"
The bald man's gang immediately lunged forward, but the bald man waved them back.
"Damn it! Who the hell threw that?" The bald man glared menacingly at the students around him, and the laughter immediately ceased.
"If I were going to ambush you, I would have used a wine bottle, preferably XO."
Xu Mo spoke casually as he pushed through the crowd from behind. He had initially wanted to see if Ouyang Ning's willpower would hold out, but now he was just disappointed.
Still, he figured it was better to step in. The moment Ouyang Ning said "I surrender," even if it was out of necessity, Xu Biling would forever carry the scar of that moment, no matter how understandable. If Xu Biling truly cared for Ouyang Ning, then there was no need for him to be the villain in this situation.
Xu Mo's sudden appearance shocked everyone. Xu Biling's classmates had always admired his courage to stand up, but those from the same school were visibly startled.
After all, they had all been in the same year for two years. Though they didn't know him well, his face had become familiar. Xu Mo wasn't known for academic brilliance or extraordinary skills; he was usually quiet and inconspicuous, with only a few students who sat beside him knowing him in any detail. Most of the class could only barely match his name to his face.
What shocked them even more was that someone they had nearly forgotten, someone as low-key as Xu Mo, would step up to challenge a gang member and even smash a bottle on the bald man's head, without considering the consequences. His courage was beyond their comprehension—it was like he had consumed the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard.
"Xu Mo, you... don't!"
Seeing Xu Mo, Xu Biling panicked. She knew better than anyone how little strength he had. She couldn't shout too loudly, so she kept looking at him desperately, signaling with her eyes.
Xu Mo seemed to ignore her warnings, walking straight to the bald man. He pulled Xu Biling to his side and softly said, "Go check on Ouyang Ning. His arm is probably dislocated. I'm not sure if there are other injuries, but don't move him too much."
"Xu Mo, you..." Xu Biling wanted to say something more, but the determined look in his eyes silenced her. She swallowed her words and, after a moment, whispered, "Be careful... Thank you."
"Don't mention it..." Xu Mo's expression twitched slightly, but he quickly turned away, leaving her with only his retreating figure.
Xu Biling stood frozen, her thoughts racing as she recalled the promise Xu Mo had made to her long ago. She stared at his thin, lonely figure, feeling as though she had lost something in that moment—a feeling she could never get back.
Ouyang Ning, still on the ground, noticed the subtle, unspoken tension between Xu Biling and Xu Mo. The gratitude in his eyes slowly shifted to confusion, and even a hint of jealousy mixed in.
The bald man, however, wasn't bothered by Xu Mo's interference. If anything, he had a new sense of respect for him. After all, the only ones who dared challenge him before were naive fools, but Xu Mo—he was a true warrior.
"Kid, risking your life for someone else's girlfriend, don't you feel like you're losing out?" The bald man looked at Xu Mo with interest. Having been in the underworld for years, he could easily see through the relationships between the three.
Xu Mo slowly lifted his head, his eyes cold as they scanned the bald man's face. He replied with indifference, "Enough talk. There are still two punches left. I'll take them."
[1] The bald man name