On the street, Bai Xiaocha, Xia Xi, and a whole crowd of people were surrounded by another group of onlookers.
The onlookers were just there for the drama—munching on popcorn, so to speak, and filming little videos on their phones.
But the group facing off against Bai Xiaocha and Xia Xi? They were clearly up to no good.
As for how it all started, it went back to when the two of them were happily strolling around.
At first, with Bai Xiaocha—a seasoned little shopper—acting as their guide, both she and Xia Xi were having a pretty good time.
But then, out of nowhere, they spotted an old woman lying by the side of the road.
Xia Xi was thoroughly unimpressed. Having watched way too many scam videos, he could tell at a glance whether someone was really hurt or not. This old lady was clearly lying there on purpose, waiting for some kind soul to come help her up.
But before Xia Xi could even warn Bai Xiaocha, the girl had already rushed over and helped the old woman up.
Kids these days are like that. Even though people always call them the most hopeless generation, their moral character is no lower than previous generations—if anything, it’s higher. After all, they’ve had nine years of compulsory education and a steady stream of public service announcements shaping their worldview. It’s hard for them to go astray.
Even the young punks who dropped out early and hit the streets still have a sense of justice—they’re not afraid to speak up when they see something wrong.
Who wouldn’t want to be a hero who stands up for what’s right?
Seeing that Bai Xiaocha had already helped the old woman up, Xia Xi could only sigh and quickly follow after her.
As her father now, he couldn’t just stand by and let his “convenient daughter” get taken advantage of. And besides, Bai Xiaocha was his sister’s best friend; he was supposed to look out for her.
“You’re the one who knocked me down.”
“Huh?”
Bai Xiaocha was dumbfounded.
She’d helped the old woman up out of the kindness of her heart—how was she suddenly the one at fault?
People say college students are naive and gullible, but in Xia Xi’s view, these well-meaning high schoolers who haven’t seen much of the world were pretty much the same.
Both types had that same clear, innocent look in their eyes—easy targets for a scam.
The old woman gave Bai Xiaocha a once-over. She saw that the girl had fair, clean skin, and though her clothes looked plain, they seemed to be from those so-called big-name brands. She must have money.
“Like I said, you knocked me down. Pay up.”
Since the old woman was being so unreasonable and just kept demanding money, even Bai Xiaocha—who usually endured Xia Yue’s antics without complaint—felt a surge of anger.
“How can you lie through your teeth like that? You fell over, and I helped you up out of kindness! My dad saw everything!”
Hearing Bai Xiaocha mention him, Xia Xi quickly nodded.
“That’s right, old lady. I saw it all clearly from over here, and I even recorded a video as proof. Still trying to pull a scam?”
Actually, Xia Xi hadn’t managed to record any video—Bai Xiaocha had moved too fast. But if he didn’t bluff about having evidence, this old woman would have no reason to back down.
“I don’t care! You have to pay me!”
Hearing the commotion, some passersby gathered around.
“Looks like another good Samaritan’s about to get burned~”
“You can’t help old folks lying in the street anymore. Trading your bright future for a thank-you? Not worth it.”
“That old hag has no shame either. I’ve seen her lying around on this street for over half an hour—and the craziest part is, she gets up and changes spots every now and then. Clearly she’s here to pull a scam. That poor girl’s in for it.”
Just as Xia Xi and the others were arguing back and forth, the old woman’s accomplices stepped out of the crowd.
“Mom! Mom, are you okay?”
Great. A burly young man. Let’s call him Big Strong.
And behind Big Strong, there was a whole gang of what looked like his buddies.
First, Big Strong pretended to fuss over his mother. Then, he shot a vicious glare at Bai Xiaocha.
“So it was you, huh? You little brat knocked my mom down and now you won’t pay up?! I’ll beat you to death!”
With that, he raised his hand to strike.
Xia Xi grabbed Bai Xiaocha’s hand and pulled her behind him.
He hadn’t expected these people to get physical so fast. Extortion was bad enough, but now they wanted to hurt someone too.
Still, whatever. Xia Xi had already thought of a way out.
“Alright, alright. You just want money, right? My phone’s dead, but there’s a bank right over there. I’ll go withdraw some cash.”
Big Strong exchanged confused glances with his buddies.
In all their years of pulling scams, this was the first time they’d run into someone so compliant. It almost made them feel awkward.
“Fine. We don’t want much—just a hundred thousand will do.”
Good grief. “Just” a hundred thousand. You could replace that old lady’s brain with solid gold and it still wouldn’t cost that much.
Xia Xi let out a cold laugh, then took Bai Xiaocha’s hand and headed toward the bank.
“Dad, are we really going to pay them?”
Bai Xiaocha felt guilty. If she hadn’t helped that old woman up, none of this would have happened.
“Silly girl, of course we’re not paying. Wait here—your dad’s about to turn into a dog and scare them off.”
Xia Xi reached out and gave her a gentle pat on the head, his expression soft and warm—almost like Luo Xinyu’s tender demeanor.
Maybe it was because he’d swapped bodies with Luo Xinyu so many times, but sometimes his mannerisms became gentle like this, especially when he was around someone as sweet as Bai Xiaocha.
“But…”
“No buts. I’ve made up my mind!”
“But Dad… that little yellow dog you turn into doesn’t have any fighting power at all. Are you planning to just overwhelm them with cuteness?”
Bai Xiaocha had seen Xia Xi transform into a dog before. That little fluffy, derpy-looking thing had nothing but cuteness and goofiness—absolutely zero combat ability.
Hearing that, Xia Xi realized the gravity of the situation. Even if he turned into a stray dog and bit people, there was a good chance he’d just get pinned down and beaten while yelping. And besides… he’d forgotten that his one-hour transformation time for today had already expired!
Since turning into a dog wasn’t going to work, then…
“System bro, save me!!! Give me a side quest, please!!!”
When he needed something, it was “System bro,” and when he didn’t, it was “lousy system.” Who knew Xia Xi could be such a hypocrite?
But to his surprise, the system actually answered his call and gave him a side quest.
[Side Quest: Even if You Turn Into a Dog, You’ll Protect Her
As a loyal simp, transform into a dog and go all out to protect your princess!
Objective: Get the old woman sent to the hospital for real.
Reward: Ferocious Dog Transformation Card (10 minutes), Ability: “The first and second people you bite will be marked. A random part of their bodies will be swapped with each other. The mark disappears after the swap. Can be reused.” (Limited to quest duration)
Failure Penalty: Transform into a dog-eared little girl and get bullied relentlessly by Bai Xiaocha!]
