Chapter 12: Only the Moon Passes By

Chapter 12: Only the Moon Passes By

Bai Li breathed lightly, the heavy stench of smoke lingering in her nostrils, making it hard for her to take a deep, refreshing breath. She bit her lip stubbornly, standing her ground without uttering a word to them.

Finally, the rain began to fall—drop by drop, growing steadily denser. It soaked Bai Li’s hair and dampened the cigarette butts held by the delinquent youths.

The heavily made-up girls trailing behind the boys started complaining. “Can we get some money or not? I’m leaving.”

The leader, a boy with dyed red hair, snatched the umbrella from Bai Li’s hand and, thinking himself suave, tossed it back to the girls. “Don’t rush me, damn it. I finally found someone decent; I’m just teasing her.”

What could Bai Li do? She simply pretended not to care.

It was obvious these people wouldn’t hesitate to lay hands on a woman.

Sure enough, a few of the boys pinched out their recently extinguished cigarettes and pressed the still-warm butts against Bai Li’s delicate face, their mouths twisted into menacing smiles.

“Damn it, you didn’t wait for us just now. I even got my cigarette wet trying to talk to you. How much do you owe me for that?”

Bai Li was utterly disgusted.

She could vividly feel the cigarette butts dirtying her face, the residual warmth from the flames, and the unbearable humiliation.

This kind of bullying and robbery was the most disturbing and terrifying.

Because the bullies knew well that being young, most rules in the world couldn’t restrain them.

No one could predict what they might do next.

The best strategy was to avoid resistance and wait for the chance to escape.

These young men had come for money, taking the opportunity to satisfy their cruel whims by tormenting her.

Bai Li understood this perfectly.

So when they grew bored and tried to snatch her bag, she pretended to struggle fiercely. After enduring several slaps, she seized the moment when they were distracted and abruptly let go.

Turning sharply, she sprinted into the narrowest alley she could find.

A roll of thunder echoed, a streak of lightning slashed across the sky, and the pounding rain stung her skin with sharp little pricks.

She dared not look back, fearing they might catch her again.

All she could do was run.

When she finally reached the bustling commercial street, she glimpsed a familiar tavern and clung to it like a lifeline, gradually slowing her pace.

Her eyes clouded with confusion.

Her phone was probably still in that bag, stolen along with her money.

She couldn’t call the police or contact anyone.

The nearby taverns were all open for business, but in her drenched, disheveled state, she felt uneasy about disturbing the other patrons by going inside.

Yet Bai Li couldn’t return alone to the dark alley; those wicked youths might still be searching for her.

After a moment’s thought,

she decided to take shelter under a covered walkway.

There were shops nearby, and no one could harm her here. After two hours, those people would likely have left.

Then she could go home and try to borrow Fang Ye’s phone to call the police.

He probably wouldn’t refuse.

The heavy rain soaked everything in the city, and Bai Li was more miserable than anyone else within its bounds.

Through the reflection in the glass window, she could see her face, smudged with tar and dirt, marked with swollen slap prints that, despite the rain’s cleansing, still burned painfully.

But she did not cry.

She only hugged her trembling, cold body tightly.

Strong and silent, she gazed at the red lanterns hanging on the wall, quietly waiting for time to pass.

Yes, being treated this way was her new normal.

She had long since learned not to weep over suffering.

Nor did she dare rely on anyone.

…

Lingjiang’s temperature fluctuated sharply between day and night.

The air carried a chill visible to the naked eye.

The tavern owner, rubbing his beer belly, sat at the front desk chatting on the phone.

His gaze flicked toward the opposite side, narrowing gradually.

The old town was quite chaotic, with many lost girls.

Nothing to care about.

He didn’t want to cause trouble.

But the girl across looked vaguely familiar, though her bedraggled appearance made it hard to be sure.

Uncertain, he couldn’t quite recognize her.

From the phone, the boy’s voice sounded indifferent, “Alright, I’m hanging up.”

“Ah Ye,” the owner hesitated but stopped him, “Wait, don’t hang up yet. I have something to tell you.”

Fang Ye’s tone was a bit impatient. “Hmm?”

The owner kept staring at the girl across the street, uncertain, “I think I saw a kid who looks a lot like your sister. You’re nearby, right? Come take a look?”

There was a two-second silence on the other end.

No word on whether he would come or not; the call was already disconnected.

The owner shook his head, had a waiter pour a cup of hot water to take over, and left it at that.

…

Bai Li waited in the cold rain for over half an hour.

Aimless waiting was the hardest to endure.

Bored, she reached out to catch raindrops for amusement.

A cold gust swept from the street’s end, slanting the rain and making her shiver uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a beam of light shone down on her, illuminating her entire figure.

Bai Li squinted against the harsh glow, momentarily thinking the bullies had found her again.

Her mind went numb for a moment.

She stood up, ready to run.

Just a few steps away, someone caught up to her, grabbing the back of her collar like a chicken, spinning her around.

Bai Li lowered her head, biting her lip, but the chin was lifted again.

This time, the grip was much gentler.

Instinctively, she looked up.

Their eyes met—calm and indifferent.

Fang Ye had arrived.

Holding an umbrella, he shielded her from the rain.

Seeing her in such a sorry state, his eyes held no trace of amusement, only the same deep bitterness as when they first met.

Bai Li tensed her breath, intimidated by his aura.

Fang Ye frowned, took off his coat, and draped it over her shoulders.

He examined her face silently.

Bai Li noticed the veins bulging on the back of his hand.

He must be angry, though she wasn’t sure if it was because she had run off.

The rain continued unabated, but Bai Li no longer felt cold.

From afar, Cheng Zi Cong came running, cursing loudly upon seeing Bai Li.

“Damn it! Who did this! Sis, who bullied you?”

Bai Li wiped the water from her face, feeling no shame in telling on them.

“They tried to rob me.”

Cheng Zi was about to explode with rage, his tattooed arm swinging wildly as he shouted incredulously.

“Robbed your money? Who the hell does that? We’re not gonna let this slide…”

“Cheng Zi,” Fang Ye interrupted, curling his fingers slightly.

Cheng Zi smoothly changed the subject but kept cursing, his words far richer in vulgarity than all that Bai Li had ever heard combined.

Fang Ye didn’t stop him but instead pulled out a tissue, carefully wiping the grime and smoke stains from her face.

The girl’s face was swollen on one side, filthy; her once-smooth hair was tangled and drenched, and her pants were stained with muddy water.

She looked utterly beaten.

Yet her eyes were wide and stubborn to a fault.

Seeing that she hadn’t cried, Fang Ye’s voice was calm and gentle as he asked, “Why is your face red? Tell me how they bullied you. Did they hit you?”

“They burned my face with cigarettes, then robbed my bag. Inside was my phone and money. They slapped me three times, but I found a chance to run.”

Bai Li looked up at him, pointing toward the alley she had just fled from, and said seriously,

“Brother, could you lend me your phone? I want to call the police. If they get away, I’ll lose my money.”

Dear friends, could you please lend me your phone to cast a recommendation vote or leave a comment? My phone’s dead, hahaha.

(The End of This Chapter)