The Price of Protection

“Are you coming to the party tonight, A’Chen?” A girl of striking beauty stepped into the classroom, instantly igniting a ripple of excitement among the students. She was, by all accounts, the school’s undisputed beauty queen. Her features and figure were unparalleled. She wore no excessive adornments, just an elegant, simple dress paired with white leather shoes. Yet, this understated attire perfectly accentuated her fair skin, while the soft pink fabric made her slightly flushed cheeks appear even more captivating.

“What party?” Bai Chen asked, looking up. By everyone’s account, the girl was his childhood sweetheart. However, Bai Chen preferred to treat her like a younger sister.

“Xiao Qi is back,” she explained. “We’ve all been discussing holding a party at his villa, and everyone’s going.”

“Hmm, alright.”

“Then… shall we walk together tonight?” Seeing Bai Chen agree, the girl’s face flushed even deeper. Her fingers intertwined, a hint of shyness in her demeanor. ‘Brother and sister? No way,’ she thought. ‘Even if he’s my brother, he’s my brother, the one who will always be with me, and only me.’

Suddenly, an overwhelming surge of killing intent erupted from behind, like a black hole ready to devour anything that dared to move. The girl instinctively cried out, stumbling forward a couple of steps. Only after regaining her balance did she turn around, momentarily stunned. ‘Such a sweet girl,’ she mused, observing the innocent face. ‘Surely, that murderous aura just now must have been my imagination…’

“Hey,” Bai Chen said, his face darkening ominously. “I’m warning you, don’t touch her.”

“Heh, are you concerned about her?” Yingluo chuckled softly, offering no further reply as she settled back into her seat. ‘Honestly,’ she thought, a dark amusement flickering in her eyes. ‘It seems I’ll really have to sever your arms and legs to keep you in place. Otherwise, all this aimless running around is quite bothersome…’

****

The bell chimed.

School was finally out. Bai Chen stretched his arms, pulled his backpack from beneath his desk, and casually draped his jacket over his shoulder, holding it with one hand.

He ambled out with a hint of laziness, stopping at the school gates. He watched as students streamed out in a steady flow, the school gradually emptying.

Observing the shifting direction of his own shadow, Bai Chen’s patience began to wear thin. ‘It’s been so long. How could this be…?’

A sudden ‘beep’ sounded.

Bai Chen pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. His pupils instantly constricted, and his face drained of all color. Clutching the device tightly, he sprinted out of the school gates.

“Hah… hah…” Bai Chen braced his right hand against a tree, gasping for breath. Even though his stamina far surpassed that of an ordinary person, the prolonged, rapid sprint had left him utterly exhausted. Yet, there was no time to rest. He roared, his voice echoing forward:

“Yingluo! Get out here!”

“Heh~ What’s the rush?” Yingluo descended gracefully from a nearby tree, landing softly on the ground. A strange, yet undeniably gleeful smile played on her lips. “There’s no need to be so impatient, A’Chen…”

“Where is she?”

“So eager to see her, are we?” Yingluo’s smile flickered, vanishing for a split second, before blossoming into an even more radiant grin. “Yes, yes, of course you want to see her.” With that, she pulled the tightly bound girl from behind the tree.

The girl’s clothes were tattered, clearly showing signs of a desperate struggle, though it had been futile. Her thighs were chafed raw, and what were once smooth, fair limbs were now caked with dust and streaked with blood.

Teas streamed from the girl’s terror-filled eyes. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably from the overwhelming shock. The sacred, untouchable school beauty, now reduced to such a pathetic state.

Upon seeing the girl, Bai Chen instinctively started forward, intending to free her. However, a gleaming katana was already pressed against the girl’s neck. The icy touch made her body tremble violently.

Yingluo leaned her face close to the captive girl, her voice slow and deliberately provocative. “Neh… A’Chen, tell me, which arm do you think we should start with?”

“Mmm! Mmm…” At Yingluo’s words, the girl’s body convulsed with even greater tremors. Her gagged mouth could only emit strangled “mmm, mmm” sounds. Two silent trails of tears slid down her otherwise beautiful face.

“What exactly do you want?!”

“I’m not ‘doing anything’,” Yingluo replied, her voice laced with mock innocence. “A’Chen, do you truly believe I’m just messing around?”

“Hmph…” Bai Chen exhaled slowly, deeply, striving to keep his voice calm. “What do you want?”

“Ah… then, you can take her place,” Yingluo offered, a chilling lightness in her tone. “Cut off your arms and legs, and I’ll release her. I promise not to touch her again. But don’t worry, I would never abandon you.”

Her eyes, now reflecting a disturbing, ‘blackened’ intensity, were contradicted by her relaxed demeanor and an almost joyful expression. “It’s simply that… I want you by my side forever, unable to ever leave me, A’Chen…”

****