Shen Zhe left Moon Bar just as the clock struck midnight. The vibrant neon lights of the city cast a weary shadow over his sharp features. It had been a wretched day. Everything—from Lin Yan's persistent pestering at school to his design being rejected by his professor—had his nerves stretched as taut as a snapping violin string.
To get home faster, he took a shortcut through a narrow alley behind the food street. The alley was desolate, the air suffocated by mossy walls and a few flickering yellow streetlights that gasped for breath like a dying man.
The sound of his leather shoes striking the dry pavement echoed with a bone-chilling clarity. Suddenly, he froze.
Out of the deep shadows, three burly men emerged. They didn't wear student uniforms; their faces were twisted with malice, and they gripped heavy iron pipes that radiated a cold, metallic glint. Shen Zhe narrowed his eyes, his survival instinct screaming that this was no random encounter.
"What do you want? Money?" he asked coldly, his hand surreptitiously reaching into his pocket for his phone.
"The money's already been handled," the leader sneered, his gaze flicking meaningfully toward Shen Zhe's left leg. "Someone wants to borrow something from Young Master Shen. Get him!"
There was no negotiation. The blows fell with ruthless precision. Despite his martial arts training, Shen Zhe was quickly overwhelmed by the savage, coordinated assault of the three professionals. A heavy strike from an iron pipe slammed into his shoulder, forcing him to his knees on the filthy ground.
CRACK!
The sound of splintering bone echoed through the silence. An agonizing pain seared through his entire being as the iron pipe aimed a fatal blow directly at his left leg. Shen Zhe bit his lip until it bled to keep from screaming, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. Through the blinding haze of pain, he caught sight of a small figure appearing at the entrance of the alley.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
The scream was clear but filled with sheer terror. It was Lin Yan.
The thugs paused. The leader looked at her, then at the gasping prey on the ground. He let out a forced "hmph" and gestured to his accomplices. "Someone's here. Retreat!"
They vanished into the shadows like ghosts.
Lin Yan threw her umbrella aside and rushed to Shen Zhe's side. She collapsed into the dirty puddle, her hands trembling as she pulled his head into her lap. Tears began to fall in torrents, soaking into his collar.
"Shen Zhe! What happened to you? Don't scare me... I'm calling an ambulance right now..."
"Don't..." Shen Zhe wheezed, his blood-stained hand clutching her sleeve like a final lifeline. "Don't call... I don't want my family to know... take me... somewhere else..."
He couldn't bear the thought of tomorrow's headlines exposing the humiliation of the Shen family's heir being assaulted in a dark alley. It was the last shred of dignity his arrogant pride could hold onto.
Lin Yan sobbed, nodding frantically. "Okay, okay, I'll take you to my apartment. I have medicine there. I'll take care of you. Just hold on a little longer..."
In a daze of agony, Shen Zhe felt a wave of warmth and the faint, delicate scent of pomelo blossoms enveloping him. He didn't see that as he closed his eyes in exhaustion, Lin Yan's hand slipped into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
Her arm didn't tremble. With chilling composure, she held down the power button, then with a swift, decisive motion, hurled the device into a nearby deep sewer.
She gazed down at the fallen idol in her lap, her hand softly caressing his pale yet still beautiful face. She whispered in a tone so tender it was terrifying:
"You see? In the end... there's only Lin Yan left for you in this world."