Unexpected Proximity and Righteous Fury

Zhou Yi was about to press for more information when another surge of people flooded into the carriage.

Jiang Chen, standing on the outer side, was caught off guard and stumbled forward. His firm chest gently brushed against Zhou Yi, who was pressed against the window.

“Mm—!”

A weight, carrying the crisp scent of mint, suddenly pressed against her. Zhou Yi found herself encircled between the window and his embrace.

“Careful,” Jiang Chen said, quickly bracing himself against the window with a hand. Yet, in doing so, he completely enveloped the young woman in his presence.

Zhou Yi: “!!!”

The previous fleeting proximity had already sent her heart racing. Now, with his arms almost entirely around her, she could even discern the faint outline of his abdominal muscles beneath his shirt.

‘Oh, help me, this is far too overwhelming!’

Her entire face instantly flushed crimson, the color spreading from her ear tips to her collarbones. She was filled with regret, profound regret. Why had she been so greedy for those two yuan? The cost of a free ride was proving to be too heavy indeed!

Jiang Chen looked down at her reddened ear tips, his Adam’s apple unconsciously bobbing. His warm breath brushed against the crown of her head. “Don’t move; it’s very crowded behind us.”

Zhou Yi: “…”

‘Did he truly expect her not to move just because he said so?’

She tried to shift, intending to create some distance from their overly perilous proximity, when another slender figure timidly squeezed in beside her.

‘No, seriously, stop pushing! Her little heart couldn’t take much more!’

Looking up, Zhou Yi saw a delicate-looking girl with tightly pursed lips and a face etched with anxiety, continually pressing closer to her.

Zhou Yi struggled to speak. “This student… there’s really no more room…”

The girl stammered, “I-I’m sorry… but…”

Her hesitant expression struck Zhou Yi as odd. The girl’s forced composure, unable to conceal her panic, clearly indicated she had encountered something difficult to voice.

Following the girl’s evasive gaze backward, Zhou Yi looked.

She saw a greasy-haired man pressed tightly against the girl’s back, his grimy hand roving over her spine. Using the crowded carriage as cover, he continuously pressed closer, his breath sickeningly hot against her ear.

‘Damn, this old pervert?!’

Zhou Yi instantly bristled with fury.

‘How dared he grope someone on a public bus in broad daylight?’

She glared fiercely at the man.

Noticing the sharp gaze, the greasy-haired man sheepishly withdrew his hand. However, his lecherous eyes continued to linger maliciously on the girl.

When he turned and realized it was merely a young woman glaring at him, his courage swelled. That lewd hand brazenly moved to grope the girl’s waist again.

“Smack!”

Zhou Yi unceremoniously slapped away the filthy hand. “Where do you think you’re putting your hand?”

The crisp sound caused nearby passengers to turn their heads.

Jiang Chen looked down at Zhou Yi’s flushed, indignant face, then glimpsed the girl’s terrified expression. His brows furrowed sharply. “What’s going on?”

Zhou Yi, leaning against his chest, fumed, “That old pervert was touching her.”

Jiang Chen’s expression visibly turned cold.

The greasy-haired man was momentarily stunned by Zhou Yi’s slap. Realizing it was the seemingly delicate “young woman” who had struck him, he immediately became enraged. “How dare you—”

“Your actions constitute sexual harassment,” Jiang Chen interrupted coldly. “Do I need to remind you of the legal consequences for that?”

“Y-you’re slandering me!” the man retorted, craning his neck in denial, though his eyes began to dart nervously.

Jiang Chen glanced at the surveillance camera at the front of the carriage. “Shall we ask the driver to retrieve the footage right now?”

The driver cooperatively chimed in, “The next intersection is a police station. If needed, I can drive straight there.”

The man’s face instantly turned ashen.

“Call the police! We must call the police!” an auntie indignantly shouted.

“Exactly, we can check the surveillance!”

“Report him to the police!”

The surrounding passengers echoed their agreement, and a chorus of condemnation filled the carriage.

Zhou Yi immediately looked at the harassed girl. “Don’t worry, we’re all willing to testify for you.”

However, the girl frantically shook her head, her voice catching. “N-no, it’s alright… Thank you all…”

She clearly did not want to escalate the situation, her gaze at Zhou Yi filled with pleading.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen coldly told the greasy-haired man, “Either we call the police, or you get off the bus immediately. You choose.”

The man’s face went pale. Under the passengers’ scornful gazes, he awkwardly pushed his way toward the door.

Zhou Yi’s heart softened as she looked at the still-trembling girl. “When you get off, remember to walk in crowded areas, and it’s best to have a friend pick you up, okay?”

The girl, her eyes red-rimmed, nodded vigorously. Just then, the bus arrived at the stop, and the greasy-haired man scrambled off, vanishing into the crowd in an instant.

Jiang Chen shielded Zhou Yi as they moved toward the bus door, and the girl followed closely behind them, getting off as well.

The moment she stepped onto the sidewalk, the girl seemed to shed a heavy burden, letting out a long sigh of relief. She bowed to Zhou Yi once more. “Thank you, truly…”

Seeing her face still pale, Zhou Yi gently reassured her, “It’s alright. Next time something like this happens, just shout loudly. With so many people on the bus, someone will always step up to help you.”

The girl pressed her pale lips together and timidly nodded. “I’ll remember that… Thank you both, truly…”

Zhou Yi offered her a warm smile. “Go on home now, and be careful.”

It wasn’t until the slender figure completely vanished around the street corner that Jiang Chen slowly withdrew the large, protective hand he had kept resting on Zhou Yi’s back.

He looked down at the indignant girl beside him. “That slap just now had quite a punch to it, didn’t it?”

Zhou Yi scoffed softly. “He got off easy. It should have been harder.”

Jiang Chen was amused by her response and couldn’t help but ruffle her hair. “So fierce.”

Zhou Yi: “…”

She swatted his hand away. “Keep patting my head and I’ll charge you! Let’s go, barbecue!”

Jiang Chen looked at his reddened hand, yet he laughed even more heartily.

‘This girl! She always managed to strike the softest spot in his heart at the most unexpected moments.’

‘Unlike some who were timid and hesitant, she directly confronted injustice, teaching the hooligan a lesson. Yet, she wasn’t blindly stubborn, knowing when to seek help when appropriate.’

‘Even more remarkably, after acting heroically, she didn’t boast or take credit, but instead comforted the victim.’

‘Her fervent sense of justice moved his heart, yet he couldn’t help but worry. Being so meddlesome, she was bound to get into trouble sooner or later.’

Jiang Chen sighed inwardly. ‘It seemed he would have to keep a closer eye on this little ancestor who was so quick to champion others.’

****

Inside the barbecue restaurant, a smoky haze lingered. Oil sizzled on the grill, and the rising heat warmed their cheeks.

Although they were using a 288-yuan new customer discount for two from a certain group-buying app, in Zhou Yi’s eyes, this was a battle that absolutely had to be won.

‘If she didn’t eat until she had to lean on the wall to leave, she would be betraying the money she’d paid!’

‘Today, she would go all out and absolutely eat enough to justify the 144 yuan per person!’

Jiang Chen had just draped his jacket over the back of his chair when he turned and saw her eyeing the dining area with a fierce glint.

He couldn’t help but chuckle, tapping his fingers on the table. “Are you planning to fight the barbecue to the death?”

“Today, I absolutely must open your eyes,” Zhou Yi declared, solemnly rolling up her sleeves, “to the proper way of tackling a buffet.”

Seeing her truly about to charge into the crowd, Jiang Chen swiftly grabbed her wrist, gently guiding her back into her seat.

“Commander, such manual labor can be left to your subordinate,” he said, a playful smile in his eyes as he naturally picked up two empty plates. “Which part of the enemy forces do you wish to annihilate first? The beef stronghold or the seafood war zone?”

Zhou Yi’s ears flushed at his teasing, but she feigned composure as she directed, “Ahem… Then let’s start with three plates of short ribs and two plates of black tiger shrimp! Move quickly!”

“Mission accomplished,” Jiang Chen replied with a smile, accepting his orders. He then turned and disappeared into the swirling smoke, his tall figure under the lights appearing especially reassuring.