Chapter 11

Song Yanyan's POV:

Urgh, school. What a dread!

Anyway, here I was again, bright and early, ready to tackle this body I'd found myself in. The fact that I had transmigrated was certainly troublesome, but I had to make the best of it. The hood had taught me to work with what you've got and turn it into something better.

I jogged the same route as yesterday, sweat pouring down every inch of me. Goodness, I never knew even my feet could perspire like this. And to make matters worse, it was the height of summer and the sun was beating down mercilessly.

When I reached the park, I started my stretches. I had to be careful not to push this body too hard, otherwise I might have collapsed out here in the empty space and been left helpless until someone found me. Couldn't have that.

But just as I was minding my own business, I heard a blood-curdling scream. I knew all kinds of screams - the pained, the fearful, the desperate. And this one was pure terror. Somebody was clearly getting accosted out here, and I couldn't just stand by.

So I made my way over, and lo and behold, there was a young woman, maybe 19 or 20, being harassed by a pair of thugs. 

"Excuse me, gentlemen, what seemed to be the problem over here?" I said, approaching cautiously.

One of the men sneered, "Well, well, look at this. You want in on the fun, fatty? I don't know, you might be too chunky for our tastes, but I'm sure we could work something out."

I scoffed in disgust. "Work what out, exactly? You two were nothing but a pair of pathetic cowards, picking on someone who couldn't defend themselves. Had you no shame, standing there like washed-up has-beens who couldn't get any real action if your lives depended on it?"

The other thug, he had a real thuggish look about him. I racked my brain trying to come up with the right term, but I was drawing a blank.

"Oh, I see how it is," I continued, fixing them both with a scathing glare. "You two clowns think you're so tough, don't you? Harassing some poor girl who can't fight back. But I bet if I slapped that smug look right off your faces, you'd be singing a different tune, wouldn't you?"

I took a step closer, my eyes narrowing dangerously. "Now why don't you scurry on back to whatever hole you crawled out of before I decide to introduce you to the business end of my foot? I'd hate for you to miss your beauty sleep - lord knows you two need all the help you can get."

The two thugs exchanged a glance, seemingly caught off guard by my bold words and confrontational stance. The larger one puffed out his chest, clearly trying to intimidate me.

"You better watch that pretty little mouth of yours, girlie," he growled. "You don't know who you're messing with here."

I merely quirked an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea. You're a couple of pathetic wannabe tough guys who get off on bullying those weaker than you. But let me tell you something - I ain't afraid of punks like you."

I planted my hands on my hips, giving them a derisive once-over. "In fact, I'd say you're the ones who better watch your backs. Because if you think for one second I'm going to stand by and let you harass this young lady, you've got another thing coming."

The tension in the air was palpable as the three of us stared each other down. I could see the wheels turning in their heads, trying to decide if I was all talk or if I'd actually be willing to back up my bold words. But I was ready - this was the kind of confrontation I'd been trained for back in the hood. And I had no intention of backing down.

The fury on the thugs' faces was palpable, like they had just swallowed a mouthful of the sourest lemons. I could see the rage simmering in their beady eyes, and a part of me wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew. This pampered body I was inhabiting was a far cry from the lean, mean machine I was used to.

But as I stood there, fists clenched and shoulders squared, a sharp-tongued confidence surged through me. There was no way I was going to back down and let these lowlife punks terrorize that poor girl. The hood had taught me to always stand up for the weak, to never shy away from a challenge - and that's exactly what I intended to do.

The first thug rushed at me, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he spat, "Seems like you were never taught to keep your big mouth shut. Don't blame us for what's about to happen to that smart tongue of yours."

I quirked an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Oh really? Well, why don't you put your money where that big, ugly mouth of yours is, huh?" I taunted, shifting into a fighting stance. "Or are you two sorry excuses for men all bark and no bite?"

He lashed out with a predictable punch, but I easily dodged it, delivering a solid blow right to his nose. The thug reeled back, clutching his face in pain. "Aw, what's the matter, tough guy?" I jeered. "Can't handle a little girl putting you in your place?"

The two of them lunged at me then, their fragile egos clearly driving their actions. But I was ready, unleashing every dirty trick and street fighting tactic my hood friends had drilled into me since childhood.

When I realized they were starting to overpower me, I went for the ultimate low blow, slamming my fist right between the legs of one of the thugs. He howled in agony, doubling over like a pathetic worm.

While his buddy was distracted, I seized the opportunity, grabbing him by the neck and hoisting him up before slamming him down in a devastating chokeslam. The move, straight out of my secret WWE obsession, sent him crashing to the ground in a heap.

As he lay there whimpering, I planted my foot firmly on his crotch, leaning in close. "You know, if you wanted kids so badly, you probably should've thought twice before harassing a woman," I sneered. "But hey, maybe you can just adopt - lord knows no woman in her right mind would willingly reproduce with a sorry excuse for a man like you."

His friend tried to retaliate, but I was having none of it. I lashed out with a vicious kick to his gut, causing him to retch up a mouthful of blood.

I stood there, surveying the two pathetic forms writhing at my feet, and couldn't suppress the surge of pride that swelled within me. "Alright, listen up, you sorry excuses for human beings," I growled. "I'm gonna count to 50, and if I so much as catch a glimpse of your sorry asses after that, I'll make sure you're never able to disappoint another woman again. Capisce?"

"Please, stop! We'll never do it again, we promise!" one of them cried out, as they both scrambled to their feet and fled in sheer terror.

The girl had watched the entire confrontation with wide, awestruck eyes. When it was over, she approached me, a look of profound gratitude etched on her features. "Thank you so much," she breathed. "You just saved my life."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of protectiveness toward this vulnerable young woman. "What the hell were you doing out here at 5 a.m., anyway?" I asked, brow furrowed in concern. "Don't tell me you were out partying all night like some drunken fool."

She hesitated, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Well, I, um... I just came from the club, actually. But please, don't judge me!" she pleaded.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her sheepishness. "Oh, honey, trust me, I ain't one to judge. I've seen my fair share of crazy shit." I gestured toward the direction she should go. "But you gotta be more careful, you hear? Next time, I might not be here to bail your ass out. Now get a cab and go home. I still got some unfinished business to take care of."

She beamed at me, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you, so much. You're the kindest person I've ever met. I'll never forget this." With that, she hurried off to find a ride, leaving me to contemplate my next move.

As for me, that little scuffle had certainly burned off some calories. But I didn't feel like sticking around - who knew if those thugs would come back with reinforcements? No, it was time for me to head home and regroup.