"I’m leaving."

Jing Shu Cui wanted to call out to stop her, but when she opened her mouth, not a single word came out.

Ling Zhiwei was fuming as he walked alone down an old street on the outskirts of the city.

He had just reached the bridge when he heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind him.

Shanshan had caught up to him, panting.

He didn’t even turn around, just waved his hand forcefully in dismissal.

"Go on, get out of here! Stop making trouble! If you don’t go home now, a kidnapper’s going to snatch you up, and then it’ll be too late for tears!"

"Fourth Brother, I’m not leaving!"

"You’re coming home with me! Your mom is looking for you, everyone’s looking for you!"

Shanshan stuck right behind him, not falling a single step behind.

The PATTER PATTER PATTER of her footsteps behind him seemed to strike Ling Zhiwei’s heart with every step.

"Stop following me! If you keep it up, I’m washing my hands of you!"

Shanshan wiped away her sweat, her bangs plastered to her cheeks.

Her eyes darted around for a moment before a clever idea suddenly struck her.

They happened to be passing a narrow alley.

She saw three familiar-looking punks squatting at the base of a wall, cracking sunflower seeds.

They were some of the notorious young punks from near the school.

They were known for bullying the younger students, and everyone was afraid of them.

An idea sparked, and she abruptly turned and walked toward them.

Ling Zhiwei kept walking, but when the footsteps behind him suddenly vanished, a feeling of emptiness washed over him.

He instinctively glanced back, only to see an empty street and the shadows of a distant alleyway entrance.

Before he could process what was happening...

"Fourth Brother! Help! They’re bullying me!"

The moment her voice rang out, Ling Zhiwei’s mind went blank with a deafening BUZZ.

He whipped around, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Get lost! Who said you could touch my sister!"

He charged into the alley and immediately saw three tall boys surrounding the small figure of Shanshan.

One of them was raising his foot to deliver a vicious kick to her shin.

Shanshan was curled up on the ground, clutching her leg, her face a mask of terror.

Ling Zhiwei saw red.

He shot forward in a single lunge, raising his leg and kicking the boy in the waist with all his might.

The boy let out a pained shriek as he was thrown two meters, slamming against the wall and scattering sunflower seeds all over the ground.

He had trained in Sanda since he was a kid, and it only took a few moves to take down the other two.

He then ripped off their T-shirts and used the fabric to tie their hands behind their backs.

"Stay put! I’ve already called the police!"

He tossed the words out coldly before turning and rushing to Shanshan’s side.

"Shanshan! Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Say something!"

"I... I’m fine. Thank you, Fourth Brother."

Shanshan hid behind him, her body still trembling slightly.

Furious, Ling Zhiwei landed two more hard kicks on the three punks’ butts.

"How old are you guys? Ganging up on a kid who’s only seven or eight years old! Have you no conscience? No shame at all? Get on your feet! Right now! Stop squatting there acting pathetic. Scared now, are you? Where was this bravado earlier? All of you, you’re coming with me to the police station! Now! Not one of you is getting away!"

Shanshan trailed at the very back of the group, her small hands held secretly behind her back, fingertips rapidly forming a few spells.

’If any of them tried anything funny, she could make their legs cramp up instantly.’

At the police station, the officer on duty listened to the whole story.

He glanced at the three teenagers, then at little Shanshan standing beside Ling Zhiwei, and shook his head, having no real intention of punishing them.

He just gave them a stern lecture and took down their statements for the record.

Then he contacted each of the boys’ parents, telling them to come pick them up in person and discipline them properly.

On the way home, Shanshan clung tightly to Ling Zhiwei’s arm.

"Fourth Brother, I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have made you angry..."

Ling Zhiwei pursed his lips.

"Alright, alright, I forgive you."

"What can I do? You’re the family’s little darling. You’ve worn down even a hard-hearted guy like me day after day, until there’s nothing left. How am I supposed to hold out?"

Shanshan’s eyes lit up.

"So... have I captured your heart? Is Fourth Brother’s heart mine now?"

Ling Zhiwei’s face flushed when he heard that.

"You’ve captured it! You’ve captured it! Alright? Are you happy now?"

"You’re such a pain. Always playing your little games, you little sweet-talker. You’re a real handful!"

Shanshan giggled.

"Uh-huh! I knew you were the best, Fourth Brother! The best in the whole world! Sweeter than candy and warmer than the sun!"

When they got home, the living room was empty.

Only Ling Anxun was there, sitting quietly on the sofa and looking at his phone.

Hearing a sound from the entryway, he slowly lifted his gaze.

"You’re back?"

Ling Zhiwei shuddered.

"U-Uncle... what... what are you doing here?"

His heart sank. ’This is bad,’ he thought.

’Did my uncle see everything that happened on the way here?’

’How utterly humiliating.’

’A grown man, losing his temper over a seven or eight-year-old kid.’

But before he could collect himself, Shanshan had already scampered over and thrown herself into Ling Anxun’s arms.

"Dad! Have you been waiting for me this whole time? I’m back! Fourth Brother and I made up! We’re not going to fight anymore!"

Ling Anxun looked down at his daughter in his arms.

"Yes, Daddy’s been waiting for you. Our Shanshan is such a good girl, more sensible than anyone."

But the words were barely out of his mouth before his gaze shifted, landing coldly on Ling Zhiwei, who was standing to the side.

"What’s the point of bickering with a child? The older you get, the more childish you become? Do you think your authority as an older brother comes from bullying your little sister?"

Ling Zhiwei’s neck instantly stiffened.

"...No, that’s not what I meant..."

Sensing the tension in the room, Shanshan immediately looked up.

"Dad, it’s not Fourth Brother’s fault. It’s just that I’m so amazing, it makes him look bad in comparison."

"I pester him every day, making a fuss and being loud. Anyone would get annoyed. Once Fourth Brother starts working, I won’t bother him every day, and he can finally have some peace and quiet..."

Ling Zhiwei’s mouth twitched as he listened, his expression darkening with exasperation.

"Sister, if you don’t know how to talk, you really can just shut your mouth. How can you say something like that to a person’s face? That’s so harsh."

"Don’t pay any mind to people like that. You just focus on yourself."

The corners of Ling Anxun’s lips turned up slightly.

"Anyone who feels slighted just because someone else is more outstanding will never amount to much in life."

He continued.

"Look at your sister. In a single summer break, she finished the entire elementary school curriculum. Not only did she catch up, she’s now way ahead. And you? What did you do all vacation? Play video games? Watch TV? Sleep in?"

"What?!"

Ling Zhiwei’s head snapped up.

"But... but she was playing with me every day, wasn’t she? We went swimming, got ice cream, even pulled all-nighters playing games... When did she have time to study?!"

"Hah."

Ling Anxun scoffed.

"Did you think everyone is like you, just wasting their days away? Eating, drinking, and having fun, doing nothing, and still thinking you’re having a great time? On the surface, Shanshan was playing with you, but in reality, she was up at six every morning to study. Long after you were asleep at night, she was still working on practice problems. She never complained about being tired, and she never bragged. You didn’t know because you weren’t paying attention at all."

Ling Anxun’s words were merciless.

But this time, Ling Zhiwei didn’t retreat to a corner to sulk like he usually would.

Instead, out of everyone’s line of sight, he clenched his fists tightly.

’I have to study! I have to!’

’I can’t keep wasting my life like this!’