Chapter 40 Another Encounter

Chapter 40 Another Encounter

Ye Xiaoxiao took her first exam in this era. After receiving the mimeographed exam paper, she skimmed through it from beginning to end.

The print was a bit blurry, but it didn’t affect her ability to answer the questions.

Ye Xiaoxiao picked up her pen and started tackling the questions one by one.

Because of the basic setup, the exam was conducted in their own classroom.

The desks were still attached to each other, with no spacing between students during the exam.

After finishing her paper, Ye Xiaoxiao saw that Wang Ying was still scribbling away, so she turned in her exam first.

Of course, there were many more eager students in the class. As soon as she turned in her paper, four or five boys immediately rushed out behind her.

They vanished the moment they stepped off campus.

The afternoon exam went even faster. When Ye Xiaoxiao left, Ye Changsheng and Ye Changyuan were still in the classroom.

The school was very close to the house they rented, just around the corner from the residential complex.

Ye Xiaoxiao decided to head back first.

It wasn’t dark yet, but the entrance was pretty empty.

Ye Xiaoxiao wondered if she should start a small business at the school gate.

It seemed that setting up small stalls wasn’t a thing yet.

As she walked, she turned into an alley. It was usually quiet, with hardly anyone around, especially since it wasn’t dark yet.

But today, as soon as she entered the alley, she heard footsteps behind her.

Several men wearing white cloth masks appeared behind her.

Ye Xiaoxiao immediately gripped a silver needle in her hand.

These men clearly meant trouble. She picked up her pace, staying on guard.

Just as she was about to reach the end of the alley, someone suddenly stepped out in front of her.

“What… are you waiting for me on purpose?”

Ye Xiaoxiao, instead of being nervous, said, “Are you here to rob me or mess with me? Messing with women can get you executed, you know. You better think twice.

Robbery is even more serious, especially now during the crackdown.”

The person blocking the alley was taken aback.

This wasn’t how they planned it.

Their original plan was to scare the girl a bit and then have Li Deshu come to her rescue.

After all, they all had jobs and couldn’t really engage in harassing women.

But now that the girl wasn’t scared, how were they supposed to proceed with their act?

So, the person at the alley entrance gave a signal to the people behind him, urging them to step it up.

Ye Xiaoxiao watched them, feeling puzzled.

It didn’t look like a robbery...

"Tough luck running into us, kid. Empty your pockets. If you don’t, we’ll do it for you."

Even with masks on, the men’s lecherous expressions were clear.

Ye Xiaoxiao was about to test them with a needle.

"Bang!"

A gunshot echoed.

The man who had been standing in front of Ye Xiaoxiao immediately dropped to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing? Harassing women?"

Lu Hanchuan, in a crisp military uniform, appeared at the alley’s entrance.

"No, no, we were just kidding around."

The man yanked off his mask.

Ye Xiaoxiao recognized him—wasn’t he the guy next to Li Deshu at the school gate the other day?

"I don’t know them. They were just messing with me."

Lu Hanchuan, with his striking features, stood out even in the dingy alley.

His guard followed, and without a word, they hauled the men off to the police station.

"It’s a mistake! Really, just a mistake!"

"We’re not bad guys, just fooling around."

The guard pointed his gun at them, "You think this is funny? People like you can be shot on sight."

Ye Xiaoxiao had already pieced it together and saw Li Deshu’s shamelessness in a new light.

"You weren’t scared, were you?" Lu Hanchuan approached.

Ye Xiaoxiao shook her head, "No, I know them, but they’re bad news."

"Then we’ll lock them up. You won’t see them before your exams."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Why are you back? Hunting fugitives again?"

Lu Hanchuan: "Got some other business, and I need to thank Baichuan Village for last time."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Didn’t you already pay?"

"And you were pretty generous."

Lu Hanchuan smiled, "You’re studying now, right? How’s it going? Any trouble with school?"

Ye Xiaoxiao patted her schoolbag, "You got it. The conditions here aren’t great, but I’ve figured it out."

Ye Xiaoxiao mentioned she’d rented a place near the school.

With less than three months to go before the college entrance exam, she could tough it out.

Lu Hanchuan became interested, "Since I helped you out, how about inviting me to your place for a cup of tea?"

Ye Xiaoxiao looked at him, "Stop joking, I don’t even have tea at home."

Lu Hanchuan: "It's just a figure of speech. I just want to see how you're living, and it’s not safe for you to go back alone, right?"

Ye Xiaoxiao thought it over and realized he had a point.

"If you’re not in a rush, why not come over and check out my place?"

She had originally planned to come back and pack her things first, because Ye Changsheng and Ye Changyuan were sure to return to Baichuan Village during the three-day holiday.

When Ye Xiaoxiao got home, the two had not yet returned.

Instead, she ran into someone unexpected.

Li Deshu was actually waiting for her at the compound gate.

Lu Hanchuan: "That guy seems to be from Baichuan Village too."

Ye Xiaoxiao pouted: "He’s part of that gang of troublemakers from before."

Lu Hanchuan glanced at her, oddly calm.

"Shall we send him in too?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "This Li Deshu has a lot of pull in Baichuan County—the local police might not be able to keep him locked up."

"Of course, it's no big deal for you, but I’ve got a way to really mess with him. Just help me give him a little scare,"

Ye Xiaoxiao looked like a sly little fox, clearly plotting something.

Lu Hanchuan couldn’t help but wonder what she had up her sleeve.

Li Deshu stepped forward and quickly explained when he saw Ye Xiaoxiao: "Xiao Xiao, my friends were just messing around, they weren’t trying to be creeps."

Ye Xiaoxiao stopped dead in her tracks. "Didn’t feel like a joke to me."

Lu Hanchuan chimed in casually, "You’re all in this together. If you’re involved in what happened today, you’ll all be sharing a cell."

Li Deshu stumbled back, his voice frantic. "No, no, I had nothing to do with it, I swear!"

"If you’re not involved, then keep your nose out of it. Got it?"

Lu Hanchuan said, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Yeah, yeah, got it..."

Li Deshu didn’t dare utter another word.

"Let’s go. My place is right up ahead," Ye Xiaoxiao said, clearly pleased with herself.

It wasn’t until they were out of sight that Li Deshu finally snapped out of it.

"Damn... No wonder she brushed me off. She’s already got someone else lined up."

"Big deal, he’s wearing a uniform. What’s the big deal about that?"

After complaining, Li Deshu began to feel troubled again.

How should he rescue his buddies?

So far, they haven’t ratted him out, but if he doesn’t find a way to clear them soon, that could change.

Ye Changyuan and Ye Changsheng were approaching from a distance; they had just finished school.

Looking at these two teenagers, a plan suddenly clicked in Li Deshu’s mind.