Chapter 133: A Different Her (3)

Gu Heng kept his head down, remaining silent.

Mother Gu had watched Qiao Xi grow up and was very fond of her. More importantly, her son was fond of her, and she hoped that one day, she might become her daughter-in-law. Seeing her son act this way, however, she felt deeply anxious. He had been cool and aloof since childhood and never knew how to say the right things; how would he ever win a girl’s heart? Especially now that Qiao Xi had transferred schools and was so far away, their bond could easily fade. With her son injured, this was the perfect opportunity for them to spend time together, though she worried it would be a burden on Qiao Xi.

***

"I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Ou Ya frowned slightly. Soon, he received a text message. After checking the address provided, he went to ask his teacher for leave. It took over two hours of travel to reach the location. Despite it being a quiet and secluded area, a large crowd had gathered.

***

It was not the first time he had seen Qiao Xi fight; he had witnessed it personally at the school’s taekwondo gym before. But this time was different. She was not in a one-on-one match, but facing six opponents, and she held the absolute upper hand. Every strike was fast and ruthless, and the cold indifference on her face was something he had never seen before. This was the real her—the Qiao Xi of the legends.

Standing nearby were a few others who had not intervened, both men and women. He recognized two of them: Shan Chou-chou and Leng Xin-meng. It was clear they were with Qiao Xi, yet they didn't lift a finger, simply watching from the sidelines. It made sense; Qiao Xi alone was more than enough to handle the situation.

"Sigh, they are hardly worth watching. No wonder they had to resort to a sneak attack. With skills like theirs, Heng could have beaten them with one hand," Nan Zi-xi remarked with a slight sigh.

"That’s not the point," Shan Chou-chou retorted. "The point is that Qiao Xi is angry. Look at her moves; they are much more vicious than before. I really don't understand why she stays at Yingran. Fengyang is where she truly belongs."

"Though you’re always spouting nonsense, I agree with you this time. If Heng and Qiao Xi teamed up, they would be invincible."

No sooner had Nan Zi-xi finished speaking than Leng Xin-meng glared at him. "Try saying that again!"

"Ah, ah, I misspoke! It would be Heng, Qiao Xi, and you, Xin-meng—the three of you together, no one could stand against you!"

"Damn it, stop changing the subject! When have I ever spouted nonsense?" Shan Chou-chou demanded indignantly.

"Aren't you doing it right now?"

***

"You..."

"Hey, this isn't the time for bickering," Duanmu Ning-yi interrupted, unable to take it anymore. "Can you two look at the situation before you start arguing?"

The group continued their usual back-and-forth, their attention not on where it should have been.

Soon, Qiao Xi walked over, adjusting her slightly disheveled clothes with a look of indifference.

"Anyone who didn't know better would think that during this past month, you didn't transfer schools, but went away for secret training," Nan Zi-xi teased. He then walked over to the men still writhing on the ground in agony. Stepping onto the chest of the ringleader, he leaned down, looking down at him with a condescending air. "If you aren't good enough, don't come out and embarrass yourself. Did you really think you could touch Heng?"

As he finished his sentence, he delivered a heavy kick. A sharp "crack" echoed—clearly the sound of a rib breaking. The boy shrieked in pain, and the others turned deathly pale with terror.

"Don't worry," Nan Zi-xi said with a smile, though his eyes were chillingly cold. "We’ll take you one by one. No rush!"

"That guy, Nan, usually just likes to mess with people. I never expected him to be so ruthless." It was rare to see him like this, and Shan Chou-chou found it quite unsettling.