“No, I don’t.”
Lu Shuangshuang shook her head, then grabbed Ye Zhiqiu’s arm, her expression tense. “Zhiqiu, I know what Sun Lanzi and Lu Xu are like, especially Lu Xu. I’m worried he’ll retaliate against Xiaoxiang.”
Ye Zhiqiu gently patted Lu Shuangshuang’s hand to comfort her. “I’ve already told Xiaowu and Xiaoxiang to be careful.”
“We can only be on guard against Lu Xu. We can’t keep Xiaoxiang cooped up at home just because we’re afraid of him retaliating. Besides, home isn’t safe either.”
“I also spoke to their master at the martial arts school. The school will protect them.”
“Master Wu isn’t someone to be trifled with. If Sun Lanzi and Lu Xu dare to cause trouble there, they’ll be leaving us evidence. Your father won’t allow them to do that.”
“Lu Xu doesn’t know his limits, but Sun Lanzi does.”
“So, if they want to do something to Xiaoxiang, they’ll probably try to catch him on the road.”
“I told Xiaoxiang not to go to any out-of-the-way places, and if something feels wrong, to run straight to the police station.”
Besides that, she had also tipped off He Weijun.
She was afraid Sun Lanzi might find a way to make things difficult for him at work.
“Zhiqiu, do you think I should go home?”
Lu Shuangshuang had been thinking about this for days. Sun Lanzi and Lu Xu were targeting her, and she didn’t want He Bin to get caught in the crossfire.
“No, don’t!”
Ye Zhiqiu stopped her. “If your father was on your side, none of this would have happened. It’s precisely because he isn’t that Sun Lanzi and Lu Xu dare to be so brazen.”
“The three of them are united. Going back there would just make you a lamb for the slaughter.”
“But what if Lu Xu and Sun Lanzi really do something to Xiaoxiang?” Lu Shuangshuang was still worried about He Bin.
“If they dare to do anything, I won’t just stand by and watch my brother get bullied.”
Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes suddenly turned cold. She thought for a moment, then took Lu Shuangshuang’s hand. “Shuangshuang, do you want to completely cut ties with the Lu family, make sure they never dare to bother you again?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then how about we turn the tables and use their own plan against them?”
Ye Zhiqiu’s voice was cold and firm. “Instead of worrying every day about Lu Xu hurting Xiaoxiang or you, why don’t we give him the chance he’s waiting for?”
Lu Shuangshuang blinked, looking genuinely confused. “Zhiqiu, I don’t quite follow what you mean.”
“Come on, let’s go find Xiaoxiang now.”
Ye Zhiqiu took Lu Shuangshuang on her bike to the martial arts school where He Bin and Ye Jiawu trained.
“Sis, what are you doing here?”
He Bin and Ye Jiawu were both happy to see Ye Zhiqiu.
Ye Zhiqiu had brought a lot of snacks and told Ye Jiawu to share them with his fellow students. She then pulled He Bin aside.
“Xiaoxiang, has anyone come looking for trouble lately?”
He Bin shook his head. “No.”
“Just because no one has yet doesn’t mean they’ve given up. Don’t let your guard down,” Ye Zhiqiu warned him.
“Sis, I know.”
He Bin didn’t think much of Lu Xu. Last time, he’d sent all three of them running with their tails between their legs on his own.
And they were supposed to be from influential families – they couldn’t even take a punch.
“Xiaoxiang, don’t underestimate Lu Xu. They lost last time, but what if he brings a dozen guys next time? Even the best fighter can’t handle that many.”
“With a guy like him, don’t expect him to play fair.”
“Sis, but if he does bring a whole gang, I can’t just run away, can I? I probably wouldn’t get far anyway.”
He Bin’s thinking was simple: no matter how many, just fight. He’d been in plenty of scraps before where he was outnumbered.
“Xiaoxiang, I want you to be the bait. We’ll lure them out ourselves,” Ye Zhiqiu told him her plan.
He Bin’s eyes lit up. “Sis, you’re so smart! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“All you ever think about is fighting. You don’t have your sister’s brains,” Lu Shuangshuang said, gently tapping the back of He Bin’s head.
Hearing Ye Zhiqiu’s plan to use He Bin as bait, she finally understood what she was getting at.
“Now that you’re on break, Xiaoxiang doesn’t need to pick you up anymore. I think the only reason Lu Xu hasn’t made a move yet is that he’s waiting for the right opportunity.”
Ye Zhiqiu saw Ye Jiawu return and told him to go with He Bin when the time came.
Ye Jiawu agreed immediately, and they finalized their plan.
That Saturday, when He Bin and Ye Jiawu were on leave, they would pretend He Bin didn’t know about Lu Shuangshuang getting hurt. He would still go to pick her up from the art troupe, but afraid of being late, he’d deliberately take a back road.
Ye Jiawu had told Ye Zhiqiu that there was a shifty-eyed man hanging around outside their school. Ye Zhiqiu figured he was someone Lu Xu had sent to keep tabs on He Bin.
When it came to being observant, Ye Jiawu was much sharper than He Bin.
Saturday arrived quickly.
As soon as He Bin and Ye Jiawu left the school, Ye Jiawu noticed a few people following them.
Following the plan, they acted rushed and took the back road.
They soon reached a particularly secluded stretch. The men following them exchanged glances, then caught up and surrounded them.
“You’re the bastards Lu Xu sent, right?”
He Bin and Ye Jiawu stood back-to-back. He Bin deliberately raised his voice: “Where’s Lu Xu? Sending others to do his dirty work while he hides like a coward? Too scared to face me after last time? If he’s got the guts, he should come fight me himself!”
“You little punk, who are you calling scared?” Lu Xu roared up on his motorcycle.
Turns out, Ye Zhiqiu had given him too much credit. He wasn’t smart enough to wait for some perfect opportunity. The simple truth was, He Bin had beaten him so badly he’d ended up in the hospital for a long time.
While there, he’d developed a crush on a pretty young nurse. He’d been so reluctant to be discharged that he’d found all sorts of excuses to stay and pester her.
The thing was, the nurse was already engaged, to an army officer no less. He’d almost gotten himself beaten up again over that.
Lu Guangrong, thoroughly disgusted with his son’s behavior, had confined him to the house for a few more days.
Yesterday, Lu Guangrong had gone to his unit, and Lu Xu had immediately gone out looking for fun with his gang of friends. Someone had brought up the beating he’d taken, and that’s what reminded him to get even with He Bin.
So as soon as he got the call, he’d rushed over.
“You little punk, trying to play the hero? Don’t you know who you’re messing with? I’m your granddaddy here!”
Lu Xu pulled a thick wad of cash from his pocket. “Listen up! Crack his skull open for me, break his arms and legs, then make him kneel and beg for mercy!”
“Whoever hits the hardest gets the most money!”
“And if he dies, don’t worry, I’ll handle it!”
At that, the gang of thugs facing them, each clutching some kind of weapon, slowly started closing in on Ye Jiawu and He Bin.
They hesitated to rush in blindly because they knew the two were from the martial arts school. Those guys were tough; one of them could probably take on several of them.
“He Bin! Ye Jiawu!”
Ye Zhiqiu and Lu Shuangshuang shouted their names loudly.
That was the signal – it meant they could start fighting, that back-up had arrived.
Ye Jiawu and He Bin immediately lunged at the two men closest to them.
