Over-the-shoulder throw

Mu Qingxi, who had been sound asleep, was startled awake by yet another nightmare. Once awake, she found herself unable to fall back asleep. Her eyes wide open, she stared blankly at the pitch-black ceiling above her.

As she lay there, her thoughts suddenly turned to Bai Fanhao, who was sleeping in the guest room. She wondered how he was doing after being hit—after all, in such cold weather, being knocked out and left lying on the floor for so long could easily make someone ill. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she should go check on him.

She slipped her feet into her panda-patterned cotton slippers and tiptoed quietly toward the other room.

Meanwhile, Bai Fanhao was listening attentively for any sounds outside his door. Hearing footsteps draw closer and closer, he readied himself, moving into a defensive stance and standing alertly to the right of the door.

With a faint “click,” the door swung open, and the light from outside cast a shadow onto the polished floor. Without thinking, Bai Fanhao lunged forward, extending his left leg and reaching out to grab the intruder’s shoulder, intending to subdue whoever had entered.

But as soon as his hand touched the shoulder, he found himself flipped over in a shoulder throw.

Originally, Mu Qingxi had planned to knock, but after a moment’s consideration, she thought better of it. In the middle of the night, with no idea how Bai Fanhao was faring, she wasn’t sure he would even hear her knock. It seemed better just to let herself in, so she pressed down on the doorknob, opened the door with a soft click, and walked inside.

As soon as she stepped in, she sensed someone behind her. The next moment, she felt a hand reaching for her shoulder. Instinctively, she seized the wrist, stepped back with her right foot, and, using the momentum of the person behind her, deftly executed a shoulder throw. With a heavy thud, her assailant landed flat on the floor.

Lying there groaning, Bai Fanhao couldn’t believe his luck. How could he be so unfortunate? In such a short span of time, he’d been struck on the head, and now, just as he was waking up, he’d been thrown to the ground for no apparent reason.

He couldn’t remember ever being this easy to take down before. Not only had he been knocked out with a single blow, now a simple shoulder throw had floored him. The whole situation was exasperating.

After felling the person behind her, Mu Qingxi quickly retreated a step and reached back, her hand landing precisely on the light switch. With a sharp “snap,” the room was suddenly flooded with light.

In an instant, everything in the room became clear. Mu Qingxi glanced at the bed and saw only a quilt—no one was there.

She suddenly remembered the person she’d just thrown to the ground, so she looked down. The moment she recognized who it was, her heart skipped a beat and her eyelid twitched violently in shock. She was so surprised she could barely speak. “Bai Fanhao, you—”

Still dazed on the floor, Bai Fanhao heard a very familiar voice calling his name.

Mu Qingxi, having called out, saw that Bai Fanhao had yet to recover his wits. Feeling a bit embarrassed about her actions, she asked in a slightly frustrated tone, “Tell me, Bai Fanhao, why are you hiding behind the door in the middle of the night instead of sleeping in bed?”

Bai Fanhao finally came to his senses. He looked up at her, stared for a moment, and then stammered, “Uh, Mu... Mu, how... how are you so...”

Hearing his halting words, Mu Qingxi guessed what he was trying to say. She pressed her lips together, turned her head away to hide her awkwardness, and said, with a hint of embarrassment, “Ahem, Bai Fanhao, enough, let me help you up.”

She walked over, bent down, and reached out to grasp Bai Fanhao’s wrist. Without another word, she pulled hard, trying to help him to his feet.

But Bai Fanhao remained limp and uncooperative. Instead, as Mu Qingxi tugged on him, he suddenly reversed his grip, seizing her wrist. With a swift motion, he pulled her forward, and Mu Qingxi, caught off guard, fell straight down.