Gui Nianqiu looked at Tao Bai, her eyes like autumn waters shifting for a moment before finally releasing the hand covering her face.
Tao Bai's right hand gently touched her cheek, gradually drawing forth the power of the Xuan Ice from her lower dantian and the energy of the Green Thunder Bamboo.
First came waves of icy chill, causing Gui Nianqiu to hiss softly.
Then, a series of soothing, warm currents began to flow over her injured face...
Customers passing by the clothing store, who had intended to enter and shop, witnessed this scene.
They shook their heads and sighed as they walked away.
"In broad daylight, they just go for it.
Are young people this reckless these days?"
Gui Nianqiu overheard the whispered murmurs.
Her face, which had been merely warm, now began to feel slightly flushed.
Tao Bai's hand sensed the change in temperature and increased the power of the Xuan Ice...
A quarter of an hour later, most of the injuries on Gui Nianqiu's face had healed.
"The rest will be fine after half a day's rest," Tao Bai withdrew his palm and said calmly.
Gui Nianqiu touched her face, her expression filled with shock.
She quickly pleaded, "Master Taoist, please don't leave yet, okay?"
"Tao Bai. You can call me Tao Gege（桃哥哥）."
Note: Gege: Call an elder male affectionately. With a surname in front, is not a bloodline brother.
Gui Nianqiu hadn't expected Tao Bai to reveal his name so directly this time, and she was instantly overjoyed.
But she wasn't quite comfortable calling him Tao Gege.
What should she call him?
This puzzled her.
Her eyes darted back and forth, and her face flushed with anxiety.
Unable to decide immediately, she finally called out softly and coyly, "Tao Gege."
Their unexpected reunion in a foreign land proved she and Tao Bai were destined to meet.
"Aqiu, what just happened?"
"Tao Gege, maybe you should just call me Nianqiu. Calling me Aqiu sounds like sneezing..."
"Nianqiu, what just happened?"
Gui Nianqiu smiled and recounted the incident to Tao Bai.
She learned that while rent was cheap here, the area had a high concentration of thugs and was generally chaotic.
Incidents of local thugs assaulting people occasionally surfaced.
Reporting such matters to the police was largely futile—
Most cases were swept under the rug, or if absolutely unavoidable, settled with a token compensation payment.
Consequently, these local thugs grew increasingly brazen, routinely beating up Chinese people on the streets and harassing women.
But Gui Nianqiu had already paid a year's rent.
Withdrawing now would mean forfeiting a significant sum.
For a 40-square-meter shop at 4,800 yuan monthly rent, the standard industry practice and contract terms meant she'd have to pay at least 67,000 yuan in penalties...
That would leave her with almost nothing.
Otherwise, Gui Nianqiu would have left long ago.
"Take the day off today,"
Tao Bai suggested, studying her face.
"Okay."
Gui Nianqiu nodded.
"Tao Gege, let's go shopping together!"
"Sure."
Gui Nianqiu turned toward the room, quickly applying light makeup, changing into fresh clothes, slipping on glasses, and grabbing a cross-body bag.
She stepped out wearing white sneakers, radiating youthful vibrancy and energy.
The remaining swelling on her face was skillfully concealed by cosmetics.
"Let's go, Tao Gege."
Gui Nianqiu said cheerfully.
The two walked out of the shop together.
Gui Nianqiu locked the shop door and hung up a "Closed Today" sign.
She mainly enjoyed browsing the clothing district, visiting numerous designer women's clothing stores, and handmade accessory shops.
She bought quite a few exquisite accessories, treating it as a small restocking trip.
She also stopped at a vintage goods store—
A place specializing in 80s items with retro decor.
Inside were old vinyl records and vintage scarves.
Gui Nianqiu bought a scarf and asked Tao Bai to snap a few photos, saving them to the K818C's photo album.
She'd wanted to take some pictures of Tao Bai, too, but he declined.
Gui Nianqiu strolled while eating, carrying her Grandma's Beef Tripe all the way to the small park.
There were some stray cats there.
She fed them until they meowed loudly, rubbing against her legs and purring.
"What a bunch of adorable little greedy cats..."
Gui Nianqiu chuckled softly,
"But I don't have any more treats left. I'll come back to feed you next time!"
Then she turned to Tao Bai and asked, "Tao Gege, shall we grab something to drink first?"
Tao Bai nodded.
They went to a café.
Gui Nianqiu ordered a hot cocoa, while Tao Bai chose lemon tea.
They chatted about amusing childhood memories and snacked on some treats at the shop.
"I never imagined Tao Gege would be fluent in eight languages by age eight!"
Gui Nianqiu looked at Tao Bai, her eyes filled with admiration.
Of course, Tao Bai couldn't reveal his entire background;
He only shared what was appropriate.
Tao Bai also learned that Gui Nianqiu had lost both parents at fourteen.
Her older sister had dropped out of school to work and send her tuition money, enabling her education.
She hadn't disappointed her sister, successfully enrolling in Gui Province University of Science and Technology—
A second-tier institution.
After leaving the café, the two headed to Taojin Road Commercial Street.
Gui Nianqiu indulged in more eating and shopping, picking up a few small items before finally buying some imported cherries and mangosteens.
She opened a box, snacking as they walked back.
Upon reaching the shop entrance, Gui Nianqiu froze.
The "Closed Today" sign had been torn to shreds.
The rolling door was pried askew.
The glass display case lay shattered, its jade bracelets and other jewelry vanished without a trace.
Inside, the shop was a complete mess—clothes strewn across the floor like discarded rags.
The security camera mounted outside the door was smashed to one side, its lens cracked like spiderwebs.
Gui Nianqiu pulled out her phone and immediately called the police.
The officers arrived within half an hour.
Tao Bai stood at a distance, watching them work like a curious onlooker.
The police first took photos of the scene, then asked Gui Nianqiu some questions.
They instructed her to retrieve her ID from inside and accompany them to the police station for a statement.
Tao Bai felt uneasy and summoned the Wind-Devouring Bug to discreetly follow Gui Nianqiu.
At the station, the officers asked Gui Nianqiu what items had been stolen.
She looked utterly bewildered.
So many things—
And now she wasn't in the shop.
How could she possibly remember exactly what was missing?
She could only say some jewelry and clothes were gone, the rest still unclear.
"Oh, so it was a few pieces of jewelry and some clothing, correct? All right, we'll look into it,"
The officer said calmly,
"Ms. Gui, you may head back for now. We'll contact you as soon as there's any progress."
As he spoke, a police officer in his early thirties handed Gui Nianqiu a report receipt, then added in a measured tone:
"Recently, there's been an increase in unregistered individuals moving through Yangcheng.
It would be best to avoid unnecessary confrontations.
Also, when speaking, try to be clear with your pronunciation to prevent misunderstandings.
Even in the daytime, without obvious identifiers, it can be difficult for us to tell people apart, and it becomes even harder at night.
Cases like this can be challenging to investigate."
Gui Nianqiu clutched the receipt, trembling with rage!
How dare they?
This isn't their country!
How dare they run rampant in HuaXia?
How dare they act so brazenly!?
...
After calming down, she hailed a taxi back to her shop.
"Everything going smoothly?"
Tao Bai approached Gui Nianqiu as she stepped out of the cab.
"Mhm."
Gui Nianqiu responded mechanically.
"Who will cover the damages?"Tao Bai asked.
"..."
Gui Nianqiu hung her head, unsure how to answer.
Yet deep down, she knew all too well—
The burden would likely fall on her shoulders.
The realization overwhelmed her.
She crouched down and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.
"Nianqiu, do you faint at the sight of blood?"