So you're the one bullying the girl, huh

Long Aotian drained the last of his draft beer, let out a belch, and slumped onto the stool, exhaling loudly.

Honestly, drinking alone just wasn’t as fun as sharing drinks with a group.

Back in his old world, when Long Aotian was still working construction, his favorite part of the day was knocking off work, grabbing some braised pork head meat, and downing a few ice-cold beers with the veteran workers.

Construction was exhausting, and a drink made sleeping at night much easier.

"Holy shit, Lao Ao, you’re a damn beast," Li Longlong exclaimed, giving Long Aotian a thumbs-up.

Huang Fei and Xu Shuai’s faces were flushed red.

Especially Huang Fei, who had earlier tried to show off by mimicking his dad’s business-drinking style—chugging his glass in one go and theatrically flipping it upside down to prove not a drop remained.

Now, his face burned with embarrassment. Luckily, the alcohol masked most of it, but the memory of his cringeworthy display made him want to dig his toes into the ground.

Long Aotian, sensing their discomfort, grinned and grabbed a lamb skewer. "I’ve got a high tolerance. Not many can outdrink me."

At their age, showing off was practically a rite of passage. He got it.

A simple comment like that could defuse the tension and let everyone save face.

Hearing this, Huang Fei raised his thumb too. "You’re a friend for life, man. Don’t worry—as your bro, I’m gonna teach you how to pick up girls. I swear it!"

"Same here! I’ll pour everything I know into helping you out," Xu Shuai declared, patting his bloated stomach with conviction.

"Alright, let’s call it a night."

On the way back to campus, the three of them kept chattering nonstop.

"Back in the day..."

"Remember when..."

"Back when I used to..."

"Hey, what’s going on over there? Why’s there such a crowd?"

Across the street, a throng of people had gathered outside the music conservatory.

If there was one thing to say about male curiosity—well, it was indescribable. Especially after a few drinks.

Even Long Aotian found himself staring intently.

Before long, the four of them, hands tucked into their sleeves, wandered over.

The crowd was dense, but snippets of curses like "slut" pierced through the noise.

"Whoa, is that a fight?"

"No way, let me see!"

Thanks to his size and sheer curiosity, Long Aotian shoved his way through.

A man in his forties—bespectacled, pudgy, with a face full of hardened flesh—stood there, one hand clutching an iced tea, the other harassing a young woman.

"You took my drink, so you’re coming with me. That’s the rule!"

"What, you wanna jack up the price? Go ahead, name your number! Let your classmates see what kind of person you really are..."

The girl struggled desperately, her pale face frozen in terror.

In her panic, she shoved the man, accidentally knocking his glasses to the ground. One of the temple arms snapped off.

The man blinked, then released her, staring at his broken glasses in disbelief.

"You—you broke my glasses! These were my secret weapon for picking up girls!"

Furious, he hurled the iced tea at her without thinking.

Gasps erupted. The girl flinched, curling into herself.

After watching for a moment, Long Aotian pieced it together: the man had left his iced tea on a car roof, and the girl, jostled by the crowd, had accidentally knocked it off.

Even after she explained it was an accident, he’d harassed and threatened her anyway.

Long Aotian’s sense of justice was already strong when sober. Half a keg of fresh beer only amplified it.

Before anyone else could react, he lunged forward, shielding the girl with his back as the bottle struck him.

"Fuck!"

A sharp pain flashed across his spine before dulling into numbness. His blood surged, skin flushing crimson.

The girl kept her eyes squeezed shut, bracing for impact—but the blow never came. Instead, she heard a low, furious curse.

When she finally opened her eyes, she saw a towering figure standing between her and the man. Her face was ghostly pale, confusion and fear swimming in her teary eyes.

Long Aotian turned, his muscular frame, flushed skin, and the reek of alcohol radiating intimidation.

The middle-aged man recoiled, his jowls trembling as Long Aotian loomed over him. "D-don’t come closer! Stay back!"

"You piece of shit, bullying a girl, huh?" Long Aotian snatched up the iced tea and raised it threateningly.

"Ahhh—!" The man shrieked, scrambling for his car.

No sane person would pick a fight with a drunk.

"Pathetic coward." Long Aotian spat, then picked up the bottle and took a swig.

"Th-thank you." Her voice was cool but trembled slightly, her tone lifting at the end in an oddly endearing way.

"Don’t mention it. And hey, don’t cry. Long-ge can’t stand seeing girls cry." He waved it off like it was nothing, his voice lazy and slightly buzzed—but not unkind.

"Holy hell, Lao Ao, you’re insane!" The stunned trio finally snapped out of it and rushed over.

"Tch—" Someone clapped him on the back.

Long Aotian hissed through his teeth, wincing.

Still tipsy, he instinctively reached around to rub the sore spot.

"You okay?"

"Fine. Just my back acting up."

As the four of them turned to leave, the girl suddenly clenched her fists and jogged after them.

"W-wait!"

They turned to see her holding iodine and bandages.

"Thank you... for helping me. I, uh, bought these. I hope they’re useful..."

Her cool voice wavered, laced with quiet worry.