146 A Hero Saving a Beauty

Chen Qing was right. Around four o'clock the next afternoon, Jin Ye's call came in.

He said he had found two properties for them and that both locations were quite decent. If Lin Xia had the time, she could go over and take a look to decide which one to choose.

Jin Ye's voice on the phone sounded somewhat fatigued. After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, Lin Xia hung up.

Consulting with her father, the two decided to go to City B on Thursday to look at the houses and stay there for a few days to conduct a thorough inspection.

Yet, it was precisely during these few days that the first truly monumental event of Liu Ziqing's life occurred.

Because Xu Yichen had changed his schedule for arriving in Rongcheng, their encounter did not unfold the way it had in her past life; instead, it proved far more dramatic.

That day, Liu Ziqing had some matters to attend to at school and lingered for a while after evening self-study. By the time she headed home, the peak hours of student traffic had already passed.

Unlike the residential compound where Lin Xia and her family lived, Liu Ziqing resided in the government residential compound due to her parents' professions.

After stepping out of the school's main street, she instinctively turned into a small alley.

It was an old street, lined with sparse, weathered signboards. Because of its remote location, the shops had already closed their shutters.

Walking through this street usually took only fifteen minutes, whereas taking the bustling main road would require nearly forty minutes.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, she walked a few dozen paces before realizing something was amiss. The only light came from the streetlamps along the path, and there were no pedestrians whatsoever. The small shops that usually closed quite late had extinguished their lights and locked their doors ahead of time today.

Passing in front of an internet café, she looked at the tightly sealed entrance with a sense of bewilderment.

Weren't internet cafés exceptionally busy at night? Why was it so strange today?

A sudden, creeping chill welled up inside her. The breeze that had felt refreshing against her skin moments ago now turned icy and ominous.

Recalling a few horror movies she had watched previously, Liu Ziqing shivered and wrapped her thin jacket tightly around herself.

She turned on her heel, intending to retrace her steps.

This path felt rather ominous tonight anyway. Having walked only a few minutes, there was still plenty of time to turn back.

Scarcely had she turned and taken a few steps when five or six ruffians emerged from a neighboring dark alley, dressed in gaudy, delinquent attire. One of them was holding a military dagger.

At this sight, Liu Ziqing's heart tightened. If they were merely after money, that would be manageable, but if their intentions were...

Daring not to let her mind wander further, she swept a subtle glance around her and realized with a jolt that tonight's ordeal was entirely premeditated.

She simply had no way of knowing how long these people had been trailing her.

The group had already blocked the path ahead. Their ringleader was a man with a scarred face; his features were utterly ordinary, save for the glaring scar that dominated his visage.

A young punk with dyed yellow hair twirled the military dagger in his hand, swaggering around Liu Ziqing with a leering laugh. "Little missy, my brothers and I have been tailing you for days now. We finally managed to find an opening. Tell me, since we've put in so much effort on your account, how do you plan to reward us today?"

Gazing upon Liu Ziqing's ethereal, ice-cold countenance, a surge of heat pooled in the punk's lower abdomen.

She truly was a peerless beauty. To be this captivating at such a tender age—just imagine what she would look like when fully grown.

His obscene gaze traveled from her face down to her chest, and he rubbed his chin, thinking to himself: *It's a pity her breasts are a bit on the small side. If they were any larger, there's no telling if I'd be instantly pitching a tent. Even as things stand, I'm already getting hard.*

"Little missy, you better treat our brothers well today," the yellow-haired punk sneered lewdly, smacking his lips. "I've never tasted a beauty like this before."

Hearing his remarks, the others chimed in with crude, filthy jeers.

The scarred man offered no reprimand, merely fixing Liu Ziqing with a gaze like a hawk.

Even at this moment, Liu Ziqing's expression did not waver drastically; she merely stared coldly at the scarred man.

At a single glance, she could tell he was the boss of the group.

"Cut the crap. How much money do you want?" Her voice was not loud, yet it carried an innate, frosty pride that momentarily stunned the jeering thugs.

"Oho, this little lady has quite some spirit. She's not even scared of us brothers."

Liu Ziqing swept a frigid glance over them. "You've been stalking me for this long; there's no way you're just after a few empty words. Name your price."

If Lin Xia had witnessed this scene, she undoubtedly would have applauded.

To have caught the eye of someone like Xu Yichen, Liu Ziqing possessed extraordinary qualities. Blessed with an affluent family background and a proper upbringing, she had no notable flaws apart from a somewhat aloof demeanor.

At the very least, she was not like Qin Yingxue, who regarded human lives as grass and a woman's chastity as worthless.

When Xie Xitong had targeted her previously, almost anyone else would have found it unbearable.

Even Lin Xia, if subjected to unprovoked animosity, would have sought to settle the score when the opportunity arose. But Liu Ziqing chose either to ignore Xie Xitong completely or dismiss her entirely from her thoughts, never dwelling on it or taking malicious action in return.

The yellow-haired punk brandished his blade, lightly patting Liu Ziqing's delicate cheek as he circled her with a lecherous grin. "Well, well, the little miss has quite the personality."

Liu Ziqing shot him a chilling glare. Seizing a moment when his guard was down, she delivered a vicious kick straight to his groin. The youth let out a shriek of agony, clutching his crotch as he crumpled to the ground.

Taking advantage of the opening, Liu Ziqing bolted from the encirclement.

Though her strike had caught them off guard, she was ultimately just a sixteen-year-old girl, whereas her pursuers were robust, fully grown men. Recovering their senses within seconds, they quickly lunged forward and recaptured her.

"As expected of the Public Security Bureau chief's daughter, you certainly have some tricks up your sleeve." The scarred man glared fiercely at Liu Ziqing. "Yellowy, stop wasting