Chapter Sixty-Six: No Beating Without Reason

Chu Dong was only a dozen or so steps away from where the others were talking. At first, he wasn’t particularly anxious. Just then, a peal of thunder rumbled across the sky, followed by a chilly breeze and a light drizzle. Perhaps those guys grew impatient and made their move; on the other side of the building came a flurry of thuds, like fists pounding into sandbags.

“Damn, these guys are ruthless. How could they lay hands on such a delicate girl?” Chu Dong grew uneasy. At this rate, the girl would be unrecognizable. He strode over in several large steps, raising a paving stone in his hand, ready to shout for them to stop. But before he could open his mouth, a heavy blow landed squarely on him.

Dazed, he hadn’t even opened his eyes before another strike caught him in the abdomen. There was real skill here. Chu Dong quickly shut his eyes and hunched over, protecting his vital spots, biding his time for a counterattack. He’d lost the brick somewhere in the chaos, one hand flailing in the air as he protested, “You little punks, just wait till I teach you a lesson. Damn it, you’re still hitting—”

Several minutes passed—perhaps the assailants had tired, or maybe they were surprised at how resilient Chu Dong was—but the beating finally ceased.

Chu Dong opened his eyes at last.

Something was wrong. Why was there only one person standing? He looked closer—several of the thugs who’d attacked earlier now lay sprawled around him, and the graceful girl stood not far away.

“Heh, come on then, get up and fight!” Although Chu Dong was puzzled—he didn’t remember landing any blows, in fact, he hadn’t even touched anyone—he suppressed the pain at the corner of his mouth and laughed heartily. “Who hit me just now? Get up!”

To vent his anger, he gave a kick to a few of the nearest thugs, not caring about their condition, then walked over to the girl, shaking out his numb arms as he went. “Are you alright, miss? Don’t be afraid. With me here, these little crooks are nothing.”

“Who are you?” The girl took a few steps back, maintaining a safe distance, her guard up.

“I came to help you! I overheard them talking and at first thought it was some kind of performance to chase you. Then I realized something was wrong and tried to warn you, but you’d already left. Damn, those bastards really went at it.” He rubbed his eye socket as he spoke, not sure if the moisture was rain or tears from the beating.

“So you’re not with them?” The girl’s wariness was extraordinary; she still didn’t quite believe Chu Dong, though her tone softened.

“Are you out of your mind? If I were with them, would I have fought so hard? If it weren’t for me…” Chu Dong almost said, “If not for me, they’d have devoured you,” but something felt off. He recalled that only one person had struck him, and he hadn't heard the girl cry out at all. Could it be…

In the glow of the streetlight, Chu Dong noticed the girl’s stance—one foot forward, shoulders slightly raised, ready to spring into action. He understood: these thugs hadn’t been taken out by him; she’d done it herself. No wonder he hadn’t touched anyone—he’d arrived too late.

“Oh, so you were the one who hit me, weren’t you?” Chu Dong covered his cheek with one hand and pointed at her with the other, furious. He’d come to help, and instead had been thoroughly beaten.

“How was I supposed to know what you were up to? You charged in holding a brick—I thought they’d set up an ambush! Sorry about that.” Now realizing her mistake, the girl brushed her rain-damp bangs aside and stuck out her tongue, looking playfully apologetic.

What rotten luck—coming to play the hero, only to be beaten up by the damsel in distress. He should have checked the almanac before heading out today. As he recovered, one of the thugs stirred and tried to run. Chu Dong was about to shout when the girl swiftly kicked the fleeing man in the back, sending him sprawling. She then twisted his arm behind him, pulled out a pair of handcuffs from her waist, and snapped them on.

Chu Dong was stunned. A police officer? A female police officer, agile enough to take down several grown men on her own?

“Come on, don’t just stand there!” she called to the dazed Chu Dong.

“Huh? Oh, right!” He helped her drag the remaining three thugs together, waiting as she called reinforcements.

“Thank you, but I’ll need you to come to the station to give a statement about what happened,” she said, smiling sweetly as she noticed him still clutching his face.

“Uh, can I not? Once your colleagues arrive, I really need to go—someone’s waiting for me,” Chu Dong remembered he’d left Tan Xue in the car without a word. If he didn’t get back soon, she’d throw a fit.

“It’s just routine, won’t take long,” the officer replied politely but left no room for refusal.

“Let me make a call first.” Chu Dong turned and called Tan Xue, explaining he’d been delayed by something urgent and telling her to head home first.

Tan Xue, already annoyed at being left behind, didn’t ask for details and hung up after a curt acknowledgment.

Soon, two police cars arrived. The officers bundled the thugs into one car, while Chu Dong and the female officer got into another, quickly arriving at the district substation.

After Chu Dong finished giving his statement, the officer returned in her uniform, barely suppressing a laugh as she thanked him again.

“Thank you. If every citizen were as brave as you, our work would be much easier.”

“No need to thank me—it’s what anyone should do. By the way, could I borrow a mirror?”

The mighty Chu Dong’s face still burned with discomfort.

“Just a moment.” The officer opened a drawer, rummaged around, and handed him a small square mirror.

“Oh, look what you’ve done! How am I supposed to show my face like this?” Chu Dong exclaimed. The area around his eye was black and blue, a proper panda eye; his cheek was scraped and nearly scabbed, his lip was swollen high, but at least his teeth were still intact.

“The situation was special—sorry about that. If you want compensation, I’m prepared,” she replied calmly, with a hint of apology, as if she’d expected this. She folded her arms and waited for his answer.

Chu Dong put down the mirror and looked up.

An oval face, bright, lively eyes, lips like a cherry blossom, and a delicate, upturned nose—this was the very girl who’d beaten him so mercilessly? Her long hair, not quite dry, gave her the look of someone fresh from the bath; her features were refined and delicate. Recalling her elegant moves in the rain, she was like a goddess from the Luo River. What was her name? Luo… Luo Feiyu. How fitting, like light rain and the river goddess incarnate. In uniform, she seemed even more efficient, with a touch less allure. Such a beautiful police officer was truly rare.

“How about you buy me a meal? I can’t just take a beating for nothing,” Chu Dong said—he really was hungry, despite having eaten earlier.

PS: Second update is here!