Chapter 25

Ruan Miao figured that it wouldn't be long before the driver saw his message and sent help. So, he decided to act bravely. As a man, he couldn't just stand by and watch two men violently assault a girl.

The two boys were about to continue their assault, but they didn't expect anyone to be around at this hour. They were momentarily stunned. With the moonless sky, they couldn't see clearly. After searching for a while, they finally noticed Ruan Miao standing in the shadows.

Even though they couldn't see his face, they could tell from his height that he wasn't a threat. Relaxing from their initial panic, they turned and aggressively shouted at him, "Get lost if you know what's good for you! Don't try to play hero in the middle of the night!"

"What if I insist?" Ruan Miao mustered his courage, raising his phone and trying to make his voice sound steadier. "I've already called the police. If you're not afraid of going to jail, go ahead and continue."

"Jail?" One of the boys laughed derisively at Ruan Miao's words. "Kid, do you know who I am?"

"I don't care who you are. The law is the same for everyone." Ruan Miao interrupted. "Let her go now."

To his surprise, his words made them laugh even harder, as if he had told the funniest joke. They completely dismissed him. "Even if the police come, so what? The law doesn't do much to minors. Even if we kill this girl, trust me, someone will bail us out."

"You're wrong. She's also a minor!" Ruan Miao said firmly. "If you harm her, don't think you'll get away with it!"

"Then you're mistaken." The boy sneered at Ruan Miao's naivety. "The law won't protect the dead."

Ruan Miao shuddered at the harshness in the boy's tone. Despite not being able to see their faces clearly, he could sense their ruthless intent—they clearly didn't care about Sang Wei's life. Moreover, the two boys began approaching him with menacing glares.

For the first time, Ruan Miao realized that there were indeed people who truly disregarded the law. He thought calling the police would intimidate these students, but it seemed they didn't take it seriously at all.

"Do you know how much you understand about the situation between us and this girl that you dare to meddle? Being a saint has its limits, you know?"

In the faint light filtering through the gaps in the dark clouds, Ruan Miao saw the cold expressions on the faces of the approaching boys and the baseball bat one of them was holding.

His legs felt weak with fear.

If he were smart, he would run away now, but… Ruan Miao couldn't bring himself to abandon Sang Wei. Even though they were just classmates and not even friends, morally, he had already called the police. He had fulfilled his duty and shouldn't have to put himself at risk. These two boys looked like real troublemakers who might have already been involved in violent incidents. Given his hard-won second chance at life, he didn't want to waste it now.

He should run away right now.

Ruan Miao took a step back, but when he saw Sang Wei looking at him with desperate, pleading eyes, he hesitated.

He didn't know when the police would arrive, and if those two lunatics decided to do anything to avoid being caught…

Ruan Miao was just an ordinary, somewhat kind-hearted kid who hadn't seen much of the world. Having died once made him value life even more. He was a bit timid, but he still wanted to protect others, even if they were strangers.

His heart was pounding wildly, and he felt nauseous from fear, but he knew that if he couldn't leave, he had to make a stand. Maybe in a few minutes, things would be safe.

Ruan Miao decided to pick up a dry twig from the ground and resolved not to regret his act of bravery.

Just as he was about to charge forward, someone suddenly grabbed his hand from behind and pulled him back. Then Ruan Miao heard a very familiar voice.

"Are you two idiots? You dare to touch my little brother?"

He Shanglu stepped in front of Ruan Miao, holding a baseball bat himself, and spoke with a hint of breathlessness from running. "You dare to be arrogant on my turf?"

"Second Brother!" Ruan Miao's eyes lit up, and he was so excited he stammered. He swore he had never been so eager to see him.

"Shut up," He Shanglu scolded him. "If you don't have the ability, don't try to be a hero. Now you need me to rescue you. Trying to act tough will get you killed!"

Seeing He Shanglu, Ruan Miao felt relieved. He quickly stepped back, not wanting to interfere. When he turned around, he realized Jian Fanyu was also there, though he didn't know when he had arrived.

"You came too?"

Jian Fanyu leaned casually against the garden gate with his arms crossed. "I saw He Shanglu running this way and came to check when I heard about your situation."

Ruan Miao felt warmed by Jian Fanyu's loyalty, grateful for his concern. "Thank you."

"Thank me for what?" Jian Fanyu looked at him disapprovingly. "He Shanglu is right. You shouldn't have acted recklessly."

Ruan Miao was at a loss for words. He knew he had been too foolish and rash, but the situation had been urgent and left him no time to think. Besides, "I called the police first, so it wasn't too stupid."

"Is it useful?" Jian Fanyu replied coldly. "For people like them, it doesn't make much difference. How many people with their mindset actually fear consequences?"

Ruan Miao fell silent. He knew Jian Fanyu was right. He hadn't expected high school students could be so audacious, forgetting that many high school students weren't true teenagers and that many could be more cold-blooded than adults. 

He Shanglu's combat skills were impressive, and he managed to subdue the two boys, forcing them to beg for mercy. When Ruan Miao saw that the fight was under control, he went to check on Sang Wei. "Are you okay?"

"Th-thank you." Sang Wei was still shaken, no longer the elegant young lady she usually was. With tear stains still on her face, she trembled slightly and clung to Ruan Miao as if he were her only support.

Ruan Miao comforted her, and when he looked back, he saw Jian Fanyu had left without him noticing.

The police arrived shortly after, and the sirens blared as they took the two culprits away. The principal and director were also notified. Ruan Miao and He Shanglu were taken to the police station to give statements, and they didn't return until late at night.

"What will happen to them?" Ruan Miao asked He Shanglu quietly. "Will they be locked up?"

"Don't be naive," He Shanglu tapped Ruan Miao's forehead, sounding more like an older brother now. "They're minors. Besides, since no one was seriously harmed, they'll probably just get a warning and be let out."

Ruan Miao was frustrated. "Why? I saw it myself. They were trying to kill her to keep her quiet!"

"Without evidence, what can you say?" He Shanglu leaned back against the car, relaxing. "Those two little scoundrels have connections. Even if your class leader had been harmed, as long as she's alive, her family would find a way to get her out."

"But if they're released like this, what happens next?" Ruan Miao was deeply worried.

He Shanglu thought Ruan Miao was concerned for himself and patted him gently on the head, showing some brotherly affection. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, they won't dare to do anything to you."

"How about Sang Wei?" Ruan Miao asked with concern, "She offended those two, so it might be difficult for her in the future, right?"

He Shanglu sighed lazily, "Sang Wei's family is in trouble right now; her father is facing significant issues and might not recover quickly. She usually has a bad temper and offends a lot of people, so those two jerks were probably just some of her past nuisances."

"Next time, you should stay out of such matters," He Shanglu reminded him again. "You can't do much with your small frame. Even though I can protect you, if you keep rushing into danger, I'll end up cleaning up your mess. In the future, if something like this happens, call me immediately, understand?"

"Mm..." Ruan Miao nodded sullenly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

He knew that the world was inherently unfair and had never naively believed that everything would be met with appropriate consequences. But seeing those two bad guys commit wrongdoing right in front of him and even threaten his safety, only for them to end up with a minor visit to the police station and nothing really changing, was disheartening. Even verbal warnings were just superficial.

Although he knew the process was standard, Ruan Miao still felt inexplicably upset, not knowing whether it was for Sang Wei or for himself.

Returning home late at night, the butler had been waiting for a long time. He Shangzhi seemed somewhat anxious and was the first to rush to Ruan Miao when they arrived. Though she said little, Ruan Miao could sense her concern and hurriedly explained a few things.

He Shanglu realized what was happening and looked at his sister incredulously, "Did you get it wrong? I'm your real brother!"

"Mm." He Shangzhi gave him a casual glance and then turned her attention back to Ruan Miao, "Are you cold?"

Ruan Miao was somewhat bewildered by He Shangzhi's sudden warmth, especially since He Shanglu looked like he was ready to eat him up. "I'm not cold, Sister. I'm going to my room now!"

After saying this, he dodged He Shangzhi's hand and quickly ran upstairs, leaving the twin siblings staring at each other in surprise.

He Shanglu pointed to the slight bruise on his cheek, trying to attract his sister's sympathy, "Sister, look, I'm injured. Don't you want to..."

"I'm going to bed," He Shangzhi said expressionlessly as she turned and headed upstairs, cold and resolute.

He Shanglu was stunned. He stood downstairs for a while, pulling on the butler's sleeve and asking, "Uncle Hu, is something strange going on in our house?"

Butler Hu smiled and patted his head, not responding, looking at him as if he were a clueless child.

"Seems like only the second young master is still innocent."