"Hey, where did you pop out from?" Huang Mao and his gang looked at Xia Qingxue, who had suddenly appeared, momentarily dazed.
The woman in front of them was stunningly beautiful, and her aura was intimidating. At a glance, one could sense she was out of the ordinary.
Xia Qingxue didn't answer Huang Mao's question. Instead, she looked displeased and said sternly, "You don't need to know who I am. Right now, I'm asking you: are you prepared to take responsibility for what you just said?"
At this moment, she stood with her back straight, her face resolute, and her eyes bright and sharp. Under the dim streetlight, she seemed to shine with a dazzling light.
Of course, in Chen Pingchuan's drunken eyes, it was another scene entirely. If she were in a uniform, cosplaying as a female investigator, she would look incredible!
Anyone who's been around knows these kinds of street lowlifes have no virtues, but their flaws are countless. They were rebellious, with dark minds, acting recklessly and without thought. They were also terrified of being looked down upon. Even though the whole group couldn't scrape three coins together, it didn't stop them from having an inflated sense of self-worth.
And Xia Qingxue's condescending arrogance, like a sharp knife, tore right through their fragile pride.
"You must be this kid's mistress, right? Letting a woman stand up for you... this man of yours is pretty useless, huh? I say you should dump him and be with me. Don't worry, I'm great in bed. I can definitely satisfy you."
"Hahaha, right, boys?"
This time it was Green Hair who started it. He expected everyone to chime in and jeer along with him as usual. However, on the deserted street, only his laughter echoed, empty and lonely.
Xia Qingxue furrowed her brows, not quite grasping the meaning of his words, so she tilted her head slightly and whispered to Chen Pingchuan, "What does 'mistress' mean?"
"It probably means girlfriend," Chen Pingchuan explained coldly.
He was already enraged by their words, a fiery fury burning inside him. His initial playful mood was completely gone.
"Get behind me. I'm going to teach these little punks a lesson and let them know the consequences of their yapping."
Chen Pingchuan was about to step past Xia Qingxue but was stopped by a soft, smooth hand on his left arm.
"Don't move. Let me handle this." After gently comforting Chen Pingchuan, Xia Qingxue turned her gaze back toward the thugs.
"I will ask you one last time. Were you serious about what you just said?"
Chen Pingchuan rubbed his forehead. What is this girl thinking? She can't possibly get a straight answer out of these punks. Asking again will only make things worse. It's completely pointless.
Just as he expected, Huang Mao and his cronies, perhaps having adjusted to Xia Qingxue's presence, became even more belligerent.
"Yeah, we said it! So what? Today, we're not just going to mess up this pretty-boy lover of yours, we're going to do you, too."
With that, Huang Mao arrogantly pulled a butterfly knife from his back pocket. He nonchalantly twirled it, showing off some flashy moves. The sight of the blade seemed to reassure the others, and they joined in the taunting.
Having received her answer, Xia Qingxue nodded slightly. Her expression showed no anger, no resentment. Her lips barely moved as she spoke.
"Alright. I understand."
As soon as she finished speaking, a toy-like miniature pistol appeared in Xia Qingxue's hand.
She lightly raised her arm.
A green beam shot out from the muzzle, tearing through the air with thunderous force.
PEW!
Huang Mao cried out in surprise. The moment the green light struck him, he felt no pain. And then, he melted.
PEW!
Green Hair was even more unlucky; he didn't even have a chance to make a sound before he, too, melted.
At this sight, the remaining thugs lost all their previous arrogance and bravado. Two of the five were so terrified their legs gave out, and they collapsed to the ground. The other three cursed the fact they didn't have more legs; two were simply not enough to run away.
PEW...
PEW! PEW! PEW!
In the blink of an eye, they turned to dust and smoke.
Chen Pingchuan realized that the phrase wasn't just a metaphor; it could be a literal statement. People can really be turned to ash with a single shot! What an eye-opener.
With the last gust of the evening wind, the few traces of dust vanished completely from the world.
The previously stern-faced Xia Qingxue suddenly turned around and looked at Chen Pingchuan.
"Hee hee! Chen Pingchuan, was I awesome?"
"Awesome! Absolutely awesome!"
"The Sailor Guardian has answered the call! With a flick of the wrist, the enemy turns to ash!"
While yelling his praise, Chen Pingchuan subtly sidestepped, moving out of the weapon's line of fire. Even though his attributes were now far beyond a normal person's, he couldn't help but feel a chill when facing such an unknown and destructive weapon.
Xia Qingxue didn't notice his expression. With a light tap of her finger, the small pistol instantly transformed into a lipstick-sized gadget.
She held her head high, beaming at Chen Pingchuan.
"Alright, let's go home."
Chen Pingchuan stared at Xia Qingxue's pretty face. Seeing no sign of fear or panic in her expression, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay, let's go home."
On their way home, they tacitly didn't mention what had just happened.
Perhaps sensing the slightly awkward atmosphere, Chen Pingchuan was the first to break the silence. "Let me tell you a joke."
Xia Qingxue's mind seemed to be elsewhere as she absentmindedly responded, "Okay."
Chen Pingchuan was a little discomfited by her attitude and could only fake a cough to ease the awkwardness. "Ahem... so, in the outer city, there was a chivalrous laborer, both wise and courageous. One day, on his way home from work, he saw a girl being harassed by thugs. Without a second thought, he rushed forward and saved her."
He stopped there, letting the story hang as he fell silent.
When the story didn't continue, Xia Qingxue naturally focused her attention back on Chen Pingchuan. "And then?"
"There is no 'and then.' The story is over, but it has two different endings."
"What?" Xia Qingxue looked bewildered, not quite getting it.
Seeing Xia Qingxue's puzzled little expression, Chen Pingchuan chuckled softly, no longer keeping her in suspense.
"The first ending is if the laborer is handsome. The woman will say, 'Thank you for saving me, young man. I have no other way to repay you but with myself.'"
This matched what Xia Qingxue had been guessing, and now she was curious about the other ending. She didn't ask, but instead looked at Chen Pingchuan with her expressive, rippling eyes, gazing at him tenderly.
Chen Pingchuan quickly caved under her gentle assault, offering a wry smile.
"The second ending is if the laborer is average-looking. The woman will say, 'Thank you for saving my life. I will spend the rest of my life repaying this kindness.'"
Xia Qingxue's eyes curved into crescents and the corners of her lips turned up. Her previously calm face suddenly burst into a smile as radiant as a blossoming flower.
"Actually, the story isn't over yet."
"Huh?"
"When the woman offers to repay him with herself, the laborer also has two possible reactions. If the woman is beautiful, he'll ask, 'Are you serious?' But if she isn't, he'll say, 'That is absolutely out of the question.'"
Honestly, I wasn't sure if a dad joke from my previous world would land here, but I couldn't think of anything else to say. It was a desperate attempt, but better than both of us being quiet.
However, Chen Pingchuan never expected that as soon as he finished the joke, Xia Qingxue would freeze.
He instinctively shook her arms, asking with concern, "What's wrong? Were you scared by what happened earlier?"
Xia Qingxue pursed her lips. After a moment's hesitation, she finally mustered up the courage to ask Chen Pingchuan, "So what's your answer? I saved you today."