The dusk was like a thin gauze, gently draping over the narrow alleyways.
In the interwoven alleys of New Eridu, Nicole, carrying a black briefcase, hurried through the dim and cramped passages.
Her steps were rushed and panicked, as if ferocious beasts were hot on her heels.
Finally, after turning a corner, she stopped, cautiously scanning the alley.
Seeing no one around, she relaxed slightly, leaning against the wall with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
Sweat continuously beaded on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks, gathering into shimmering droplets under her chin.
"I wonder how Anby and Billy are doing," Nicole murmured, her tone tinged with worry, then immediately followed by a dissatisfied complaint, "Those debt collectors are relentless. It's not like we aren't going to pay…"
"Lucky I'm quick. Trying to catch me? In your dreams—Ah!" Just as she was smugly congratulating herself on her narrow escape, completely unaware of her footing, she tripped and fell flat on her face.
"What an unlucky day. Just finished a job, ran into debt collectors, finally shook them off, and then tripped over something… Since when was there a person here?!"
Nicole stood up resentfully, grumbling under her breath.
She initially thought she had tripped over some object, but a glance at the ground revealed a person lying there.
She clearly remembered this spot being empty earlier!
Did he just appear out of thin air? Or was she just seeing things?
Nicole leaned toward the latter. Even if it was the former, having been on the streets of New Eridu for so many years, as long as money wasn't involved, she didn't know the meaning of fear!
First things first, she needed to check if this guy was even alive.
Nicole bent down, slowly moving closer to the figure on the ground. It was then that she got a clear look at his appearance.
He had soft, black, medium-length hair. Though male, his skin was an enviable porcelain white—not a sickly pallor, but a warm, jade-like radiance.
His features were exquisitely crafted, like finely sculpted art, and his defined jawline perfectly outlined the contours of his face.
Her first impression of him was one of cleanliness, followed by the realization that this was a face capable of making countless young girls' hearts flutter!
Jackpot!
Maybe she could lure him into… no, invite him into the Cunning Hares. They needed a fresh face no one had seen before. Even if he lacked combat skills, he could specialize in attracting clients!
Nicole slowly moved her fingers under his nose, feeling his steady breath, and let out a slight sigh of relief.
"Hmm…"
Just then, the man on the ground let out a low groan, his eyelids fluttering slightly before opening to reveal blue pupils, a trace of confusion in their depths.
'What happened to me? Why did I suddenly pass out? Where is this?'
Ye Qingfeng had been walking along the street just fine moments before, then suddenly felt his eyelids grow heavy, and the next second, he lost consciousness.
Coming to, his mind was full of questions, but what greeted his eyes was a vast expanse of snowy white skin, punctuated by a single, striking black mole!
"Hey, who are you? Why are you here? And, how old are you?"
Noticing his somewhat invasive gaze, Nicole frowned slightly, took two steps back, and fired off a series of questions with a hint of displeasure.
Although Ye Qingfeng hadn't yet grasped the situation, he decided to assess his current circumstances first.
As he lifted his head, he froze completely!
Vibrant pink hair, tied into two cute pigtails, the ends slightly curled. Large, lively eyes sparkled with intelligence and mischief, a tear mole gracing the corner of her left eye.
As for that adorable face… it made one want to take a bite out of it.
After so much bad luck, the heavens finally took pity.
"My name is Ye Qingfeng, 19 years old. I just got out of the slammer, and I don't know why I suddenly appeared here either."
Snapping back to reality, Ye Qingfeng noticed her gradually chilling expression and quickly answered her questions, using the opportunity to stand up.
'Just got out of the slammer… A bit troublesome…'
'He probably doesn't have a job either. From the looks of him, he doesn't seem like he committed anything major. I'll check a bit more. If he seems decent, I'll lure him into the Cunning Hares.'
"What did you get locked up for?"
"Uh… are you sure you want to know?" Ye Qingfeng scratched his head awkwardly. He really didn't want to mention that incident in front of this beautiful lady and risk lowering her opinion of him…
"Spit it out! Looks like you don't have a job fresh out, right? If it wasn't anything too serious… Meeting like this is fate. I might consider letting you join my company!"
Nicole clearly didn't want to pass up this opportunity, but if he lied or had committed a serious crime, there'd be no need for further talk.
"I beat someone up real bad and got locked up for it…" Ye Qingfeng hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and confessed.
"…Goodbye!" Nicole's face was expressionless. Without any hesitation, she turned and walked away.
"Wait!"
A look of unwillingness flashed across Ye Qingfeng's face. He wanted to chase after her and explain, but after taking two steps, he stopped, leaned against the wall with a sigh.
Right… they aren't related, she has no obligation to help him…
"I'll give you a chance to explain. You have five minutes… no, three minutes. My time is precious, you know!"
Hearing his sigh, Nicole felt a pang of sympathy. Hadn't she experienced being alone, weak and helpless herself?
She slowly turned around, her brows furrowed as she looked at Ye Qingfeng.
Ye Qingfeng's eyes lit up, and he quickly began to explain the gist of what happened.
"Three years ago, while I was working part-time at a KTV during school breaks, I happened to see a customer getting handsy with a female staff member. I rushed over to intervene.
I repeatedly told him to stop, but he wouldn't listen.
Realizing reasoning was useless, I just grabbed the girl's hand and tried to leave.
He didn't stop us, but just as we reached the door, he shouted: *Wait!"
When I turned around, he sneered arrogantly and boasted: "Do you know who my father is? Right now, I just want to have some fun. But, hey if she falls into my hands again later, she might not have much breath left in her once I'm done!
"I saw red and just…"
The story wasn't complete. Later, during the final court hearing, the young girl dealt him a devastating blow.
When she uttered those words, he saw her tear-streaked face and the deep apology in her eyes.
But Ye Qingfeng didn't blame the girl. He just slowly curled his lips into a smile and let out hysterical laughter, shocking everyone in the courtroom.
Do good people really get good rewards…?
No… that's not it… is it that the poor just deserve it…?
"Come with me."
Nicole sighed with pity, her gaze towards Ye Qingfeng softening considerably. Three years of youth spent behind bars what a waste but he seems like a good kid!
"I still don't know your name, and you look a few years older than me, right?"
Ye Qingfeng followed closely beside her, inadvertently catching a whiff of a mellow fragrance, carrying an intoxicating milky scent—a pure aroma like fresh milk, soft and sweet, making one want to inhale deeply.
"Nicole Demara. A few years older than you. You can call me Big Sis Nicole!"
Nicole secretly rejoiced in her heart. A sense of justice, and his looks are undeniably good. Other aspects are still unknown, but if he joins successfully, she'll finally have a normal person by her side!
-------
A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Honkai Impact 3rd, I Can Transform into a Valkyrie!
patreon.com/deadlygoober