"Why are you tying up my son? Let him go!" the middle-aged woman shouted, pushing toward Ye Shuang, who stood nearby.
But Ye Shuang remained motionless, his towering height making him seem like an unshakable fortress as he glanced down at her indifferently. "Keep talking, and I’ll tie you up too."
"What right do you have to arrest my son?" The woman crossed her arms defiantly, ready to start a shouting match.
"What right?" Ye Shuang kicked the tool bag beside him. "He was trying to break into my home. You think I don’t have the right to stop a criminal?"
"That’s not my son’s!"
At this, the bound young man saw his chance and cried out, "It’s not mine! I was just passing by, and he beat me up for no reason before tying me up!"
Bai Yuyou stood behind Ye Shuang, her expression blank and uncertain, as if unsure what to do.
"Did you hear that, neighbors? This man is framing my son! My son gets good grades at school and is well-behaved—how could he possibly do something like this?"
"He’s just trying to pin this on my son to extort money! Open your eyes, everyone!"
The onlooking neighbors exchanged glances, unsure who to believe. After all, by the time they had come out, Ye Shuang already had the young man pinned to the ground.
One neighbor who lived on the same floor as the woman spoke up, "That boy really is obedient and filial. I don’t think he’d do something like this—maybe it’s a misunderstanding?"
Another woman, seeing the boy—who was about the same age as her younger brother—bound like this, added sympathetically, "He’s still so young and in school. He can’t be a bad person, right? Maybe just let it go since nothing actually happened."
Amid the murmurs of the crowd, Ye Shuang leisurely lit a cigarette before turning to the woman who had just spoken. "If you’re so compassionate, why don’t you let this guy tie you up with these tools and take some pictures for us to enjoy?"
"Wait, never mind—with a figure like yours, there’s probably nothing worth seeing. Maybe you’re the one hoping for a home visit?"
"How dare you speak like that?" The woman’s face darkened in anger.
"Oh? You’re fine with attempted home invasion and assault, so I figured you must love having your door pried open." Ye Shuang smirked.
At this, the middle-aged woman couldn’t take it anymore and swung a slap at him.
"You bastard, let my son go!"
Ye Shuang didn’t dodge, letting the slap land squarely on his face.
"Mutual assault, then." Ignoring the stinging pain, he flicked his cigarette onto the bound young man, who yelped as the ember burned him.
In the next instant, Ye Shuang swung his arm with full force—slapping the woman back so hard she shrieked and crumpled to the ground, wailing. After kicking her once for good measure, he turned to the neighbor who had spoken earlier.
"Anything else to add?"
Perhaps shocked by his ruthlessness, the woman paled and quickly retreated into her apartment.
The other neighbors watched in silence, realizing this household wasn’t to be trifled with. Those who had been about to criticize Ye Shuang for hitting a woman promptly shut their mouths.
A few minutes later, the police arrived—a stern-faced man and woman.
"Officers, this man assaulted me and my son! You have to bring him to justice!" the woman wailed. "He’s also falsely accusing my son of burglary to extort money!"
Ignoring her outburst, the officers turned to Ye Shuang.
"You’re the one who called, right? What happened?"
Ye Shuang recounted the events, especially emphasizing the moment the young man had been caught prying open his door. The mother and son immediately protested, shouting about false accusations.
A few neighbors who knew them well chimed in:
"Officers, you should investigate carefully. We’ve watched this boy grow up—he’d never do something like this."
"Exactly! This man is clearly framing him. That boy is so well-behaved—how could he be a criminal?"
"Right, he’s just a kid, and he’s about to take exams. Why would he do this?"
"Besides, this guy hit the mother so brutally—he’s clearly the bad one here."
Bai Yuyou, standing beside Ye Shuang, shrank under the crowd’s scrutiny, trembling slightly.
Ye Shuang shielded her with his body, unfazed by the accusations. He looked at the officers and said, "I have proof."
With that, he played the video he had recorded on his phone—clear footage of the young man tampering with his lock, dropping his tools when caught, and trying to flee.
Though the phone was cheap, the video was unmistakable.
This wasn’t a case of an innocent passerby being framed.
The moment the video played, the loudmouthed woman fell silent, her already swollen face flushing even redder. The neighbors who had vouched for the boy looked as if they’d swallowed flies, their faces burning with humiliation.
Especially after their earlier confident declarations.
Talk about playing the fool in front of everyone.
"That—that video is fake!" the woman blurted out, sensing the shift in the room.
"Fake? Let’s find out at the station." Ye Shuang raised a brow before nodding at the officers. "Go ahead, arrest him."
Without another word, the officers untied the young man’s makeshift restraints—data cables—and hauled him away.
"You and his family will need to come to the station for statements."
"Got it." Ye Shuang nodded.
Once everything was settled, he turned to Bai Yuyou, only to find her staring at him intently.
Thinking she was still shaken, he reassured her, "Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. Go rest at home."
But Bai Yuyou continued gazing at him. Then, slowly, she reached up and lightly touched the spot where he’d been slapped, her eyes shimmering with concern.
"Does it hurt?"
It seemed she cared more about his injury than her own distress.
Her cool fingertips brushed his cheek, soothing the sting. Ye Shuang chuckled and shrugged.
"I’m fine. That woman, though? She won’t be able to hide that swelling for half a month."
"Wait for me at home, okay?"
"I’ll wait for you." Bai Yuyou nodded obediently.
Ye Shuang patted her head gently before closing the door behind him.
After hours at the police station and a thorough "memory-refreshing" interrogation, the young man finally confessed.
He had been drawn to Bai Yuyou’s beauty and, hearing she lived alone, had gotten the wrong idea.
Worse, he’d heard rumors that Bai Yuyou was "slow"—so he thought he could get away with it.