The night was drenched in a torrential downpour, the sound of hurried footsteps splashing through the puddles.

A young girl, her face pale as a ghost, her once elegant dress now tattered and torn, darted into a narrow alley. In her panic, she lost one of her high heels, twisted her ankle painfully, and fell into the muddy ground.

The men chasing her quickly closed in, blocking her escape. "Gu Xiqing, where do you think you're running to?" one of them sneered.

"Who... who are you? What do you want?" Gu Xiqing's voice trembled as she shrank back, her body shaking with fear.

"Who are we? We'll tell you after we've had our fun!" the man leered, his voice dripping with malice.

Desperate, Gu Xiqing grabbed her remaining shoe and hurled it at them. But the delicate young lady, unaccustomed to any form of violence, could barely make an impact. Her feeble attempt only seemed to excite her attackers more.

One of the men caught the shoe, a grotesque grin spreading across his face. "Let's see what a rich girl like you tastes like," he said, moving closer.

With a sickening rip, her flimsy dress was torn away, exposing her bare legs. "My brother will make you pay for this! Get away from me!" Gu Xiqing screamed, flailing her arms in a futile attempt to fend them off.

As her blouse was also torn, she closed her eyes in despair, clutching her body tightly, and cried out for help.

...

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, picking on a girl? How pathetic."

A languid, almost seductive voice cut through the heavy rain and darkness, clear and close, as if the speaker were right beside her.

The desert-toned combat boots splashed through the puddles, each step echoing with a sharp sound. Water droplets sprayed into the air before slowly falling back to the ground.

A pair of light blue jeans and long, straight legs swept across the scene, kicking away the scoundrel who had been harassing the girl.

Like a savior descending from the heavens, a warm yet resolute light gently enveloped Gu Xiqing.

Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself covered by a jacket still radiating warmth. Her gaze fell upon a strikingly handsome face, so finely chiseled it could have been carved from porcelain or jade.

The young man, his cap pulled low, had a lollipop dangling from his lips. He smirked, his expression both mischievous and carefree.

"Brother Bai An!"

Gu Xiqing burst into tears, clutching the arm of Bai An, who at that moment seemed like a god descended to earth. Her tears flowed uncontrollably.

Bai An twirled the lollipop in his mouth, glancing down at the disheveled Gu Xiqing.

With a teasing grin, he said, "Little miss, you’re in for it now. Your brother’s going to skin you alive!"

"Who the hell do you think you are, pretty boy? You’re asking for trouble!"

The thug who had been chasing Gu Xiqing, seeing Bai An’s slender frame—as if a strong wind could knock him over—didn’t take him seriously. He charged forward, fists raised, full of bravado.

"Brother Bai An, be careful!" Gu Xiqing shouted in panic.

"Close your eyes. Don’t look. Be good," Bai An said to her.

His voice carried a strange authority, and Gu Xiqing obediently shut her eyes, squeezing them tight.

Bai An smiled in satisfaction, patting her head, which was now filthy from the muddy water. His eyes hardened, sharp and cold, like a blade unsheathed.

Bai An adjusted his baseball cap and loosened the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing a glimpse of his milky-white skin. With a swift uppercut, he struck the jaw of the man in front of him, sending him reeling. The man stumbled, stars dancing in his vision, before collapsing to the ground, unable to get up.

"Tsk, tsk," Bai An sneered, rubbing his wrist. His face was mostly hidden under the brim of his cap, but the corner of his lips curled into a lazy, cruel smile. "With skills like that, you really think you can play the tough guy? Show me what you’ve got when you’re bullying girls, huh?"

"Scum!" the enraged thug barked, gripping a steel pipe in his hand as he charged forward. "You’re asking for it!"

The scene was tense, the air thick with the promise of violence. Bai An stood his ground, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos around him. The other thugs closed in, weapons raised, their faces twisted with anger. But Bai An’s smile only widened, as if he were enjoying the confrontation.