I will give you.

Mu Qingxi and Bai Fanhao walked slowly side by side, neither saying a word. Since Mu Qingxi’s home was in the Green Shade Community, they passed by a small grove along the way. This grove was not large—more like a miniature square, with artificial rocks, a fountain, and several poplar trees.

As night fell, the grove became especially quiet. Women passing through here always hurried by anxiously; after all, few would walk calmly through a wooded area at night. This evening, the silence was even more pronounced—no stars in the sky, no pedestrians on the road, only the soft, scattered footsteps of Mu Qingxi and Bai Fanhao. Gazing at the familiar grove ahead, Mu Qingxi said, “Fanhao, I’m almost home. You should hurry back.”

Bai Fanhao glanced at the dark grove, his brows furrowing. “The grove up ahead is really dark. Let me walk you through it.”

She shook her head. “No need. I take this route all the time, it’s fine. Besides, this is a residential area—it’s very safe.”

Bai Fanhao insisted, “No way. I’ll walk you through and then head back. It’s too dark, and it’s not safe for a girl to go alone. Come on.”

Without waiting for her reply, he strode into the grove. Mu Qingxi watched the shadowy figure disappear ahead, a little exasperated, muttering under her breath, “He’s walked this way so many times, he should be used to it by now. What could possibly happen?”

Bai Fanhao, walking ahead, caught her almost inaudible grumbling and replied, “I know, but you can never be too careful. If I hadn’t come today and hadn’t walked you home, maybe I wouldn’t bother. But since I’m here, I have to make sure you get home safely. Otherwise, I won’t be at ease. How could I let you walk in there alone in the dark?”

Realizing Bai Fanhao made sense, Mu Qingxi said nothing more. She simply replied, “Alright, I understand,” and quietly followed behind him toward the Green Shade Community.

Faintly, they could hear muffled grunts and the thudding sounds of blows. In the darkness, Bai Fanhao and Mu Qingxi exchanged a glance, each thinking, “What on earth is that sound in the middle of the night?”

But they couldn’t see what was happening up ahead.

The next moment, Mu Qingxi’s expression changed. She turned toward Bai Fanhao’s silhouette—though she couldn’t see him clearly in the dark, she still shot him a glare, complaining in a low voice, “Did you jinx us or something?”

Bai Fanhao, a bit embarrassed, hadn’t expected his words to come true. The usually peaceful grove was witnessing a beating tonight; truly, you never know what might happen.

They saw several shadowy figures ahead, swinging their arms, brandishing stick-like objects. They could make out the shapes of fists and feet lashing out, and the curses rang out distinctly.

“Damn you! When I started killing, you were still playing in the mud!”

“Tch, boss, why waste words? If he dares challenge us, he must be tired of living.”

“That’s right, boss. Let’s just toss him in the trash heap—he’s barely alive anyway.”

Suddenly, the one called “boss” stopped what he was doing, cocked his head to listen, then waved his hand and barked in a low, cold voice, “Who’s there?”

His lackeys glanced at their boss, thinking he was being paranoid. “Boss, it’s so late, and it’s pitch dark. Who could possibly be here? Relax, no one comes to the grove at this hour.”

Unhappy, the boss snapped, “Shut up and stay alert. San’er, drag him into the warehouse. No need to clean up—just like that. Hurry, or we’ll run out of time. I have a feeling someone’s here.”

Cautiously, the boss crept toward the spot where the two were hiding.

Hidden in the shadows, the tension between Mu Qingxi and Bai Fanhao mounted as the figure drew closer. Bai Fanhao whispered to Mu Qingxi, “In a moment, I’ll draw their attention. Don’t make a sound, or neither of us will get out of here.”

“No, let me go,” Mu Qingxi whispered back, but before she could finish, Bai Fanhao had already turned and stepped forward into the open.