I knocked Scar Qiang down and then landed a deadly kick on Old Third. The whole sequence of movements was executed smoothly.
But to my shock, Linda didn't turn and run. She just stood there in panic, watching me fight the thugs, completely wasting the time I was trying to buy for her escape. Furious, I shouted, "Linda, run already! You're usually so smart, now you're acting like a brainless bimbo!"
Linda was both angry and upset at my scolding, but she still refused to leave me behind. I didn't know whether to be touched or mad.
All the while, I was constantly looking for a chance to fight back, and eventually, I completely enraged Scar Qiang. He got up from the ground, pulled out a sharp knife, and charged at me, snarling, "You think you can play games with me? I'll kill you!"
He lunged so fast, and with my hands tied behind my back, I couldn't dodge flexibly. As the blade was about to stab me, my breath caught in my throat. Damn it, I thought, this is the end.
"Andrew, watch out—!"
Linda's scream rang out in my ears as she threw herself over me, shielding me with her body. The blade sank into her left arm with a sickening "thud," and blood soaked her sleeve.
"Qingqing!"
As I fell, I fiercely kicked Scar Qiang's knee. He lost his balance and fell too.
I scrambled to my feet while he was still trying to get up. Without hesitation, I charged and delivered a brutal soccer-style kick to his head. With a loud *bang*, his face was covered in blood, and he didn't get up again.
"Qingqing, are you okay?"
Linda's face was pale and drenched in sweat. "My left arm… got stabbed…"
"Help me cut the rope."
Linda picked up the bloodstained knife and freed me. I flexed my numb hands and looked at the others—Scar Qiang and the short thug were both badly injured, and Old Third was still groaning from the kick I gave him.
I picked up the knife and walked toward Old Third, kicked him down, stepped on his chest, and slapped his face with the flat of the blade. With a cold glare, I growled, "Still want to kill me?"
Old Third, a typical cowardly bully, immediately tried to defuse the situation with a forced smile. "Hey, bro, this is all a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding? You stabbed my girlfriend and call this a misunderstanding?!"
I grew angrier and stomped on his shin. He screamed in agony. I stuffed the blade near his mouth, and he immediately stopped yelling, blinking rapidly, clearly begging for mercy.
I withdrew the knife and coldly asked, "Who are you, and who sent you?"
"We're from the Flying Eagle Gang. A guy named David hired us. He said you had some photos of him and his woman. He gave us thirty thousand to rough you up and force you to delete them, and promised another twenty thousand afterward."
This kind of low-life didn't hesitate to sell David out once things got serious.
"So it was that bastard after all."
I backed off. Originally, I was going to call the cops. But after hearing they were Flying Eagle Gang members, I reconsidered. Word was they were vengeful. Getting hurt in a fight was normal, but sending them to jail? That would invite real trouble.
After a brief hesitation, I said, "You three got lucky tonight."
Then I turned to help Linda and left the scene.
Linda, being a delicate woman, had been scared all night, walked a long mountain trail, and got stabbed in the arm. Once the adrenaline wore off, she could barely walk.
"Andrew, I really can't go on... what should we do?"
With tears in her eyes, she looked up at me. The once high-and-mighty goddess had truly been through hell tonight.
"There's no other way. I'll carry you."
I looked at her wounded arm, still seeping blood through the simple bandage. My heart ached. She took a knife for me tonight—she'd likely have a scar for life.
I crouched down in front of her.
Linda hesitated, then said, "I'm your teacher. It's only fair that a student carries a teacher when she can't walk, right?"
I almost laughed. She always called me prideful, but she was the same. I replied, "Yes, ma'am. Get on."
After a brief pause, she climbed onto my back. She was so embarrassed she didn't even want to wrap her legs around me. I had to shake her a bit before she finally did.
With my arms under her knees, I started walking back, while Linda lit the way with her good arm and a flashlight. Thankfully, I had paid attention to the trail earlier, so I could retrace our steps.
At first, carrying her wasn't too bad. Her legs felt smooth through her clothes, and sometimes her chest pressed against my back, reminding me of her curves.
But before long, she felt heavier and heavier, like the Silver Horn King from *Journey to the West* had cast a spell and dropped a mountain on my back.
Linda seemed to regain some strength and even started chatting. "So David sent those men?"
I nodded. "Yeah. He wants me to delete the photos I have."
She hesitated and said, "Maybe you should delete them. What if he keeps coming after you?"
"No way," I snapped. "I'm going to expose those photos. Let the whole world see him for what he is."
Linda quickly warned, "That's not a good idea. David's wife is Zhu Huifei. David might just be a school director, but his wife's family is powerful. Punish him a bit, fine. But if you destroy him, the Zhu family won't sit back. You won't be able to handle their retaliation."
I had heard a bit about Zhu's family. They were real estate tycoons, with ties in both the business and underworld circles. One of the four major families in Lihai City. Way out of my league.
"Damn, that old dog married well. I'll need to think about how to settle this with him."
Linda pinched my ear and scolded, "Don't swear."
She's getting more and more bossy—maybe she really sees me as her little brother now?
Still, she didn't abandon me. She shielded me from a knife. I was truly moved. I whispered, "Qingqing, I'm sorry—"
"Why the sudden apology?" she asked, puzzled.
"I feel terrible you got hurt because of me. That scar might not go away."
Linda was surprisingly nonchalant. "It's fine. There are ways to remove scars. If not, I'll just avoid sleeveless tops."
I didn't respond. I knew girls care about scars—especially someone as pretty as Linda. She was just saying that to make me feel better.
When I stayed silent, she blew on my ear and teased, "Why so quiet? Moved by how awesome I am?"
I didn't deny it. "Yeah."
"So moved you want to cry?"
"Yeah."
"Then why aren't you crying?"
Damn, is she *trying* to make me cry?
I gave her a side glance and said flatly, "Because crying alone isn't enough to show how grateful I am. Maybe I should just devote my life to you?"
She spat and said, "Keep dreaming."