Chapter 75: Lu Liangting: Whatever, I’ll Step In
These three guys had hair colors of two yellow and one green, all sporting a little pot lid hairstyle. They wore earrings, with a cigarette stuck in one ear, and their mouths seemed to be constantly chewing on something—not gum, mind you, but betel nut.
The moment they got on the bus, Zhao Mingyue could already smell the concoction of odors clinging to them. If the smell of an internet café was bad, try adding a night’s worth of booze, smoke, betel nut, and a hint of greasy hair oil. Phew!
Honestly, Zhao Mingyue was terrified of running into people like this. She’d encountered them more than once, and it had led her to call the cops several times. Every time they spotted her, they would cling to her like a stubborn piece of cheap tape, and they usually rolled in packs—more than just one or two of them.
Once they had their sights set on her, they would swarm, demanding her contact details. If she was foolish enough to provide them, they’d think it was an invitation to drag her to karaoke bars or a barbecue joint, all while insisting she “just have a drink.” If she refused? Oh boy, the relentless pursuit would begin. And the moment she hesitated, they’d get angry, thinking she was dissing them.
Zhao Mingyue couldn’t wrap her head around how these types seemed to multiply nationwide like a bad mold—every single one of them cut from the same cloth, especially in personality.
When they threatened, the bravado was off the charts; they’d inflate their egos as if they were underground kings. But the moment she grabbed her phone to call for help, they’d bolt faster than roaches under a light!
She had tried many tactics, but the best was to shout for help and scare them off. If there weren’t many people around, calling the police had to be done in the shortest amount of time possible.
Usually, she kept her distance, avoiding confrontations like the plague. It’s not about feeling superior; it was just practical. What’s the point of being targeted by a group of yahoos wanting to get handsy? They clearly never learned the meaning of respect, let alone how to treat a girl like her properly.
But today was different!
She planned to keep her head down and avoid their gaze while getting off the bus as quickly as possible. But the person beside her clearly had other ideas.
Before any conflict had even begun, Zhao Mingyue wanted to facepalm; she could already see how it was going to unfold.
“Mingyue, have you checked out that store manager’s background?” Bai Yu asked, blissfully unaware of Zhao Mingyue’s distress.
“You mean the manager? Nope! I just know he’s a good guy. Uhm… at least he’s nice! Most wouldn’t want to hire someone like me.” Zhao Mingyue shielded her face with a flower while trying to lower her voice a notch.
“Aren’t you feeling well?” Bai Yu tilted her head, puzzled.
“No, it’s just that I think it sounds better this way.” She forced a smile, unsure how to explain. How could she say she was wary of those delinquent boys?
Two nights earlier, Bai Yu had been ruthless in dispatching Chen Yun—she didn’t even blink. The girl was a professional!
Plus, could anyone really expect a ghost to play by the rules? If things escalated, Bai Yu might just pull the heads off those three fools!
Bai Yu’s keen instincts kicked in, and she glanced from Zhao Mingyue back to the two noisy idiots in front of them engrossed in one of those noisy video apps. The three delinquents didn’t even notice.
“Ah, so Zhao Mingyue has some beef with them, huh?”
Just then, one of the delinquents casually spat out his chewed-up betel nut onto the floor, then tore open another piece, flipping the wrapper.
He took a puff from his cigarette and noticed Bai Yu watching him. Their eyes locked, and he was taken aback; this girl wasn’t afraid of him at all!
He inhaled deeply and blew the smoke out slowly, suddenly struck by a realization.
She’s been staring at me for so long; she must have a crush!
Green Hair was so fixated that he didn’t notice how his companions were also eyeing Bai Yu, and at that very moment, Zhao Mingyue noticed Bai Yu’s peculiar gaze and lowered her flower to peek, only to lock eyes with them too.
And that was a mistake. The moment she turned away, the boys shot her a look, then exchanged glances with Green Hair, and all at once, they stood up, heading straight for Zhao Mingyue and Bai Yu.
With Zhao Mingyue seated near the back door, the trio marched straight over, taking positions around her. Almost immediately, that nauseating smell wafted over again, making Zhao Mingyue sigh deeply.
Great! Just when she thought she could avoid trouble.
At this point, however, she wasn’t even paying attention to their antics; her focus was entirely on Bai Yu.
Once again, Bai Yu’s face was expressionless, though she had a short, bl**d-red dagger hidden in her palm.
“Have they been taken care of?”
Zhao Mingyue’s heart sank. She was really sick of those guys.
“Wait, wait! If you k*ll them, we won’t be able to shop today!”
“Is that so? Got it!”
The trio hadn’t even opened their mouths yet, still muttering about how awesome they were, when suddenly, Bai Yu stood up, her blue-and-white maid outfit swaying slightly.
That’s when the bus jerked to a stop, and Bai Yu’s skirt flared, yet she maintained her balance despite not holding onto anything.
She was ready to strike, her fists clenched in a classic martial arts pose.
Killing was unnecessary; just incapacitating them would suffice.
One fist to the throat, another to the solar plexus, and the last to the forehead. Three punches would definitely take the fight out of them.
Just then, the bus doors swung open, and a man and a woman hurriedly hopped on.
“Lu Liangting!?”
Zhao Mingyue’s eyes widened as she recognized who just entered the bus—none other than Lu Liangting and Shen Shuyun! It felt like a miracle. Timing couldn’t have been better; a second later, and Bai Yu would have definitely acted.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that Bai Yu and she were speaking different languages. While she knew these punks were all bark and no bite, Bai Yu was in the dark about their usual antics. To her, it was simple: if you are messing with me, I’m taking you down before you can take me out!
The next steps could wait.
“Mingyue?” Lu Liangting spotted her as he made his way closer.
He glanced at her and then turned his attention to Bai Yu. Something clicked. He felt like he’d seen this girl before—if only she wasn’t wearing sunglasses; maybe he’d recall! But judging by her, she had to be the younger sister of Zhao Mingyue—so cute!
As he watched, though, he noticed Zhao Mingyue seemed a little tense, and his gaze drifted to the three unruly boys at her and Bai Yu’s side, and everything clicked into place.
He didn’t like guys like that. Healthy and with plenty of potential yet they chose to drop out of school early, loafing around and causing trouble while their parents cleaned up their mess.
They thought calling home would magically get them money, never even thinking they should earn for themselves. It was downright tragic.
Having been to the police station more times than he could count lately, Lu Liangting was more than familiar with guys like these.
Without hesitation, he strode toward them. Whatever they were up to, he didn’t care. But hassling his friend? That was crossing the line!
Meanwhile, Shen Shuyun was dumbfounded, like her brain hit a glitch.
It wasn’t because of Lu Liangting’s actions or Zhao Mingyue’s situation, but it was Bai Yu!
She hadn’t recognized her at first, thinking she was a distant relative of Zhao Mingyue, pondering how to help. Helping Zhao Mingyue meant earning doctor points, after all.
But as she scanned Bai Yu’s blue-and-white dress and noted the energy surrounding her, it suddenly hit her—this was the ‘Doctor’!
At first, she couldn’t believe it; she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. But as she looked closer, the doubt melted away.
No way was she losing her memory; she had just seen her days ago! But seriously, would the Doctor really wear that getup?
Bai Yu looked like an over-the-top maid, all dolled up in lace, sunglasses, and fluffy shoes—a stark contrast to the terrifying murderer she remembered!
Typically, the Doctor was like… an intimidating creature clad in black leather, ready to chop off heads with just one glance.
To think of the Doctor wearing something like that was absurd!
Just picture it: a cute little Doctor charging at you with a kn*fe. You’d probably be laughing if it weren’t so ridiculous!
Shen Shuyun found herself at a loss. Should she go say hi or pretend she hadn’t noticed? The Doctor definitely wasn’t fond of this costume; she must’ve worn it to blend in with humans and confuse other game participants. Zhao Mingyue could never have forced her to dress like that!
But surprisingly, Bai Yu’s disguise worked; anyone who hadn’t encountered her would be completely at a loss.
Even Lu Liangting still had no clue who she was!
When Bai Yu said nothing and sat back, Shen Shuyun decided to wait it out—no rush to intervene; Lu Liangting was also there.
Lu Liangting had settled next to Zhao Mingyue, holding onto the bus railing, waiting for the trio to make their move.
Not seeking trouble, but not afraid of it either.
“Che.” Yellow Hair sneered at Lu Liangting, clearly unimpressed.
Since they were close together, Yellow Hair casually rested his hand on Zhao Mingyue’s chair back; his half-smoked cigarette dangled from his fingers.
“Hey there, where are you off to, little lady? Need some company for a weekend fun outing? How about we exchange numbers first?”
As soon as he finished, Lu Liangting grabbed his wrist with a vice-like grip.
Yellow Hair’s eyes widened in shock as he realized he couldn’t pull free—Lu Liangting was strong enough to crush his wrist.
“You’re asking for it!” Yellow Hair exclaimed, rising abruptly, just as Lu Liangting’s fist came crashing in.
