Little Dragon Girl?

“This… this time, where are you going to run, huh? Ha…”

“Damn it, she’s like a modern-day jet! How am I supposed to catch up with that?!”

The black-robed man froze the moment he spotted the dead-end alley up ahead.

Then, a light and delicate voice echoed from within.

“I… I’ll give it back to you, okay…? Just… just pretend I never took it?”

From the sound of it, Sui Ming could tell the voice belonged to a girl.

As a fine young man of the twenty-first century, showing mercy to a beautiful girl was a traditional virtue deeply rooted in his culture.

Unfortunately for her… Sui Ming had never been one to play the good guy.

To repay kindness with kindness, and vengeance with vengeance—that was his creed.

“I don’t care! Come on! You’re coming with me to the precinct!”

“No—no, come on, bro! I’ll compensate you, alright?”

That melodious voice, like a nightingale’s song, rang sweetly in his ears.

But to Sui Ming, it was no different than a pebble sinking into the sea—no ripple, no response.

“No can do! Somebody help! Police! There’s a thief here!”

“Ahhhh! Why are you so damn stubborn?!”

The girl could no longer bear it.

She had managed to survive all these years in the human world, crawling and clawing her way through hardship—only to get busted by this guy?

She was out of options.

She had to use her last resort.

Suddenly, a surge of power burst from her hand, breaking free from Sui Ming’s grip.

Then, she threw back her hood.

The moment he saw her break loose, Sui Ming immediately assumed a combat stance.

The force stored within his body surged to his limbs, ready to strike at any moment.

For someone who could move like a jet fighter, he wasn’t about to let his guard down.

But the girl simply stood still.

And then—

“Thud…”

“Big bro, I was wrong.”

“…Huh? What kind of plot twist is this?”

Looking down at the girl who had dropped to the ground in surrender, Sui Ming felt a sudden pang of guilt slap him across the face.

Why did it feel like he was the criminal here?

Only now did he notice the pair of small, budding horns atop her head.

She clearly wasn’t human.

“You’re… a dragon?”

Although her signature scaled tail wasn’t visible, those dainty horns and golden slit pupils were more than enough to reveal her identity.

“I told you not to shout it out loud!” the girl glared, visibly annoyed.

“…Am I being targeted by a dragon now?”

Seeing that she was just a little dragon girl, Sui Ming decided not to push too hard.

Instead, he reached out his hand.

“My ring?”

“Oh, right. Here you go, big bro.”

He was just about to take it, but the girl wouldn’t let go.

It was as if the item had never belonged to Sui Ming in the first place.

Despite his effort, Sui Ming couldn’t overpower the little dragon.

The pale violet ring remained firmly in her hands.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Sui Ming asked coldly.

If she didn’t give a proper explanation, he really might hit her with a strike to the vital points.

“I… I…”

“Big bro, can I buy it from you? I’ll pay whatever price you ask!”

“No. Not possible.” Sui Ming refused flatly.

“I… I’ve got a lot of good stuff…”

Thinking she hadn’t offered enough, the girl hurriedly opened her backpack and began pulling out all kinds of strange items.

A few ruby necklaces were tossed onto the ground like trash, along with several other clearly valuable gems.

She picked out the best-looking ones and held them in her small hands.

“I—I’ll give you all these. I just want the ring.”

“No. Means. No.”

Sui Ming snatched the ring back and carefully slipped it onto his finger, guarding against another grab attempt.

“But… but it’s just… so pretty…”

The girl looked longingly at the ring, disappointment clouding her eyes.

If Sui Ming had been an ordinary human, surely he would’ve gone soft in the face of such a cute, innocent girl.

But—if he were human.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a loud rumble echoed through the alley.

Sui Ming turned back, helpless.

The girl’s flushed cheeks were now fully exposed to him, embarrassment plain as day.

“A-Ah… s-sorry…” Her arms and legs flailed awkwardly, clearly failing to sell the apology.

“Gr—r—r—umble…”

The poorly timed sound rang out again.

“…Fine. Come with me.”

He just couldn’t take it anymore.

She was clearly just a kid.

“She’s young. Doesn’t know better. She’s young. Doesn’t know better…”

Sui Ming muttered this mantra to himself all the way to a nearby restaurant.

“By the way, Miss Bai Ling…”

Sui Ming twirled the ruby necklace she had given him, resting his cheek on one hand as he glanced to the side.

“With the value of these gems, you could eat half the restaurants in Noah City out of business. So why were you starving in an alley?”

“Mhh, I khann’ff rffsk beinn’ shin.”

“…Please swallow your food first, thank you.”

“I’m not human,” Bai Ling explained after gulping down her bite. “To humans, everything on a dragon’s body is a treasure. Especially someone like me… completely alone in this world.”

“If I were out there on my own, I’d be torn apart by dragon hunters before I could blink.”

“Things like dragon scales… dragon blood… that sort of stuff. It’s bad, okay?”

A flash of fear flickered in Bai Ling’s eyes, but it was soon buried under the joy of eating.

Sui Ming, meanwhile, looked at the ever-growing tower of empty dishes and felt his wallet’s soul leave his body.

The five hundred Fars he’d worked so hard to save were all but gone in one meal—cleaned out, not a single coin left.

Whether out of guilt or simply wanting to repay Sui Ming’s kindness, Bai Ling offered him another ruby necklace.

But the way her arms trembled as she handed it over made it clear—she really didn’t want to part with it.

Naturally, Sui Ming flashed her a bright smile and immediately ordered three more dishes.

Sometimes, you just had to adapt.

That’s life.

“Ahhh—I’m stuffed! So full!”

Bai Ling stretched lazily, then looked over at the towering plates and finally to Sui Ming, a little embarrassed.

“S-Sorry, Mr. Sui Ming… I ate so much of your money…”

“No worries~ no worries~ Eat all you want. Worst case, you give me another necklace. I can totally handle that.”

Bai Ling instantly hugged her little pouch like a mother protecting her cub, her expression screaming:

‘Touch my stuff and I’ll bite you!’

“Alright, alright,” Sui Ming laughed. “No matter what, I wouldn’t cheat a little girl like that. After all—”

“I’m a very kind guy, y’know.”