After admiring the scenery, Zhou Yi slipped his hands into his pockets and continued walking forward, whistling cheerfully.
Just then, the system's voice rang out again.
"Detected a B-level character available for pursuit."
"Where? It's the middle of the night—who's even out here?"
"Take the alley on the left and turn at the corner."
"Got it."
Zhou Yi's eyes lit up as he headed toward the alley.
To him, these encounters were nothing but money and attribute points.
As he rounded the corner, he spotted a girl.
But she was surrounded by a group of men—clearly, she had been cornered by delinquents with no way to escape.
One of the thugs, with dyed red hair, had already grabbed her wrist. The girl was sobbing softly, her voice hoarse from screaming for help.
"Save your breath. No one's coming to rescue you at this hour. Just play nice with us, sweetheart."
Hearing the cries for help, Zhou Yi was startled and rushed forward, shouting, "Let her go!"
077 reminded him, "Host, your combat power is only 30. Are you sure you want to take them on headfirst? I suggest calling the police and waiting for backup."
Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow. "The original host might not have combat skills, but in my past life, I trained in taekwondo. A few punks like these won’t be a problem."
That was also why Zhou Yi had been able to knock down that yellow-haired delinquent so easily earlier.
If it hadn’t been for Xu Rong’s sneak attack in his past life, he might not have died at all.
At the sound of Zhou Yi’s voice, everyone turned to look.
The thugs burst into laughter when they saw his slender frame.
"You think you can play the hero with that pretty-boy face? I’d advise you to stay out of my way, kid. If I accidentally beat you to death, don’t blame me."
Zhou Yi had ditched his glasses and pushed back the bangs that obscured his vision, leaving him looking unfairly handsome in their eyes.
A flicker of jealousy flashed across their faces.
Hearing Zhou Yi’s voice, the girl also lifted her head with a frown. The moment he saw her face, Zhou Yi was stunned.
Though her complexion was pale, her delicate features were breathtaking—pure and innocent, her eyes glistening like a clear spring, brimming with vulnerability.
Now, she gazed up at him with fragile desperation, her lashes trembling as she whispered, "P-please... save me..."
Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes, cracked his knuckles, and strode toward the thugs.
The red-haired leader, seeing that Zhou Yi wasn’t backing down, shoved the girl toward one of his lackeys and snatched a metal pipe from another, swinging it straight at Zhou Yi.
If that strike had landed, Zhou Yi’s bones would’ve shattered.
Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp. He dodged effortlessly, kicked the thug to the ground, and stomped on him a few times for good measure.
The redhead howled in pain, completely defenseless.
The others, realizing Zhou Yi had some skill, abandoned the girl and charged at him with their pipes.
Zhou Yi picked up the fallen pipe and took them down one by one, leaving the thugs writhing and wailing in agony.
Even fighting together, they were no match for him.
Looking down at the groaning men, Zhou Yi smirked coldly. "Wasn’t it you who said you’d beat me to death? Is this all you’ve got?"
His tone dripped with mockery.
With his hands in his pockets, Zhou Yi stood under the streetlight as if it had been designed just for him, casting a dramatic glow behind him.
To Qiao Xi, he looked like a hero straight out of a movie—her heartbeat quickened.
So cool...
Even in a simple T-shirt and with a youthful face, nothing could diminish the aura of charisma radiating from him.
[Qiao Xi’s affection +20, wealth +, attribute points +100.]
A damsel-in-distress scenario like this would stir emotions in any girl’s heart.
Especially when Zhou Yi had effortlessly taken on multiple opponents and had that ridiculously handsome face. Qiao Xi’s eyes practically sparkled with admiration.
Zhou Yi naturally noticed the blatant adoration in her gaze.
"Get lost," he said coldly.
Terrified of another beating, the thugs scrambled out of the alley, leaving only Zhou Yi and the girl staring at each other.
Backlit by the streetlight, Zhou Yi walked toward Qiao Xi. He crouched beside her, gently patting her head as he asked in a soft voice, "Are you okay, little girl?"
Hearing him call her "little girl," Qiao Xi’s face flushed even redder. Biting her lip, she shyly clutched the hem of her clothes and whispered, "I’m fine... thank you, big brother."
Zhou Yi helped her up. "Can you walk?"
Qiao Xi’s legs were still weak.
The girl had clearly been terrified. She tried to take a few steps while leaning on Zhou Yi’s arm but nearly collapsed.
Zhou Yi quickly caught her, and the momentum sent her tumbling into his arms, leaving her even more flustered and blushing furiously.
Glancing down at the girl in his embrace, Zhou Yi chuckled. "If you don’t mind, I can carry you on my back. Where do you live? I’ll take you home."
Just then, Qiao Xi suddenly winced in pain, gasping for air as if she couldn’t breathe. Her hands clenched Zhou Yi’s shirt tightly.
Concerned, Zhou Yi asked, "What’s wrong?"
Qiao Xi’s eyes darted toward a bag nearby. "My... medicine..."
Zhou Yi held her with one arm and reached for the bag, pulling out a pill bottle. He opened it and shook out a tablet.
"Can you take it yourself, or should I help?" He held the pill to her lips.
As Qiao Xi took the medicine, her tongue accidentally brushed against Zhou Yi’s finger, sending a tingling sensation through his body.
Realizing how intimate the accidental touch had been, Qiao Xi quickly stammered, "S-sorry, I didn’t mean to..."
"It’s fine." Zhou Yi met her gaze, and just then, she looked up at him.
[Qiao Xi’s affection +1.]
The system’s voice interrupted their moment, making Zhou Yi avert his eyes while Qiao Xi blushed harder.
For some reason, even though this was their first meeting, locking eyes with him made her feel lost in his gaze.
Her heart raced inexplicably.
The warm late-summer breeze brushed against her heated cheeks.
Zhou Yi held her for a while, waiting for her to regain her strength.
Since it was still summer, the close contact left both of them slightly sweaty.
Zhou Yi caught the faint scent of her perfume, and the heat made him unbutton the top button of his school uniform collar.
Qiao Xi, small and curled in his arms, felt an inexplicable sense of safety against his chest.
She peeked up at Zhou Yi—the boy showed no impatience, simply holding her quietly while politely looking away to give her space.
Today, she was wearing a white dress with a slightly low neckline, and such movements easily revealed a glimpse of skin. His considerate behavior made Qiao Xi's fondness for him grow once more.
[Qiao Xi's affection points +1.]
Zhou Yi knew that any lewd or vulgar expression at this moment would significantly lower a girl's opinion of him.
With a sweet and innocent girl like this, the more gentlemanly and polite he was at the beginning, the more he could win her favor.
Qiao Xi lifted her head from his embrace and said, "Thank you, big brother. My name is Qiao Xi, what's yours?"
The girl looked petite and delicate, her voice soft and sweet, like an adorable little sister from the neighborhood.
Zhou Yi smiled gently and replied, "I'm Zhou Yi. It's nothing, no need to be so polite."
[Qiao Xi's affection points +1.]