Six o'clock in the evening.
Riding his bike and arriving right on time at Xijin Ferry, Fang Yi spotted his girlfriend in the crowd at a single glance.
Tonight, Han Ning was once again in a dress. Though the style looked a bit outdated, it didn't matter—she looked stunning anyway.
They say clothes make the man, but with Han Ning, it was the complete opposite.
Even the plainest, most old-fashioned outfit would turn into high fashion on her.
It was like Marilyn Monroe in her prime—she could wear a sack for potatoes and still turn heads with effortless allure.
Suddenly, Fang Yi's expression darkened.
He spotted two young punks strutting toward Han Ning. They wore loud, floral shirts and walked with an exaggerated swagger—clearly up to no good.
Fang Yi didn't rush over. Instead, he crouched down and swiftly removed the chain from his bike.
Wrapping it tightly around his fist, he slung it behind his back and calmly strode forward.
This was the early 2000s—public safety wasn't nearly as tight as it would be in the future.
And punks like these—barely eighteen or nineteen—were the most dangerous. They didn't think about consequences. Once their blood was up, they'd stab without hesitation, not caring where the knife landed.
So, just in case, Fang Yi prepared a little insurance for himself.
Han Ning stood there, already surrounded by the two. Her heart pounded wildly, but her face remained calm.
Blinking her bright, clear eyes, she asked, "Can I help you?"
"Little girl, it's not safe to be out alone at night. Let us keep you company," one of the punks said. He had a buzzcut and was eyeing her up and down like she was a prize.
Couldn't blame him—Han Ning was just too pretty.
Girls with her level of looks were rare even in a whole city like Jiangzhen, and to top it off, she had that figure.
A fire began to burn inside the buzzcut punk.
But just then—
Smack!
A heavy hand clapped down on his shoulder.
"Hiss—!" he gasped in pain and turned around with a curse: "Who the hell—!"
His words stopped short the moment he saw Fang Yi's face.
Fang Yi blinked in surprise too, and then grinned.
Well, well. An old acquaintance.
Fang Yi chuckled, then gave Buzzcut a few more solid slaps on the shoulder. "Zhang Chao, did you ever get those sunflower seeds for Dumb Liu like I told you?"
The other punk didn't recognize Fang Yi. Seeing his cocky attitude, he was clearly itching for a fight and gave Zhang Chao a look—"Wanna jump him?"
Zhang Chao hesitated, but when he saw Fang Yi's right hand hanging behind his back, he subtly shook his head.
They'd fought before—more than once—and Zhang Chao had always come out worse.
Why?
Because Fang Yi fought dirty.
Clearly, this bastard was up to something again. There might be two of them, but if they threw hands now, they were the ones who'd end up eating dirt.
"Fang Yi, what the hell—you pop up everywhere! Can't a guy even chat with a girl in peace?" Zhang Chao barked. He wouldn't throw the first punch, but he wasn't about to lose face either.
Fang Yi pointed at Han Ning and raised an eyebrow. "You can chat up all the girls you want—just not my girlfriend. Got it?"
Zhang Chao scoffed, just about to mouth off again, when Han Ning darted behind Fang Yi like a startled deer and grabbed the back of his shirt with both hands.
Shit...
Zhang Chao's heart clenched with jealousy.
Fang Yi threw his arm around Han Ning's shoulders, pulled her close, and tossed out one last line before walking away:
"Don't forget the sunflower seeds for Dumb Liu."
Then, with Han Ning in his arms, he disappeared into Xijin Ferry.
"Motherf—!" the other punk swore, glaring at their backs. "Chao, why didn't you let me deck him?! That guy's way too cocky!"
Zhang Chao jerked his chin forward. "Look at what he's got in his hand."
The punk followed his gaze.
Fang Yi's right hand was still wrapped in several loops of bike chain. Thick black grease slowly dripped from it.
Hssss—
The punk sucked in a breath.
That thing could punch a hole in a guy's head. Way worse than a steel pipe.
"So we're just letting this go?"
He was scared, sure—but he clearly wasn't ready to let it slide.
"Let it go?" Zhang Chao snorted. His eyes gleamed with fury. "Get some guys. I'm not letting this slide. I'll get him tonight—pay him back for everything."
Fang Yi had never gone easy on him. Now it was time to settle both old and new grudges.
…
Inside Xijin Ferry.
With Fang Yi's arm still draped around her, Han Ning was flushed and bashful—but her eyes flicked toward his hand.
She glanced at it several times before asking softly, "Fang Yi… is that a bike chain?"
"Mm-hmm," Fang Yi nodded with a grin. "Were you scared just now?"
"I was a little at first," Han Ning replied earnestly, "but once you showed up… not so much."
Fang Yi blinked in surprise. "You trust me that much? They were two guys, you know."
Han Ning answered without hesitation. "Because you already beat up two guys back in sophomore year!"
Fang Yi laughed aloud.
Silly girl. Did she think a high school fight was the same as dealing with street thugs?
Noticing that he still hadn't taken the chain off, Han Ning suggested gently, "Why don't you put it down and go wash your hands?"
"No need," Fang Yi shook his head. "Let's just walk around a bit and head home early."
He knew Zhang Chao all too well—grudges like his didn't just blow over. Tonight was definitely not over yet.
"Oh…" Han Ning wasn't clueless—she caught his meaning quickly.
After a moment of silence, she whispered, "If they really bring a lot of people… you can just run. Leave me behind. My cousin works at the station. They won't dare touch me."
Fang Yi blinked, then chuckled and shook his head.
"Leave my girlfriend behind and run? What kind of man do you think I am?"