Transmigrated as the fake young master, I'll beat up the scumbags and b*tches

Chapter 160: Scram!

After a simple meal, Xia XiaoXi adamantly refused to let HuMing pay.

After all, she was the one who had invited him out, and she understood the etiquette of such situations. However, when HuMing suggested he could head home on his own, Xia XiaoXi strongly insisted on accompanying him back.

HuMing squinted at her, observing the girl closely. She, on the other hand, whistled a carefree tune and looked away, clearly hiding something.

In the end, HuMing didn't turn down her insistence.

The two got into the car, and as the driver navigated the route home, Xia XiaoXi leaned closer to HuMing, asking if there were any performances he looked forward to at the upcoming cultural soirée.

Resting his hand by the window, HuMing casually responded, "Not really. I'm not particularly interested in that sort of thing."

"Don't you have any plans to perform yourself?"

"Me? I'm not one for standing in the spotlight. It doesn't feel meaningful to me."

Xia XiaoXi frowned slightly at his words. She'd noticed how often HuMing used the word "meaningful" to evaluate things.

So, for him, anything that lacked "meaning" wasn't worth doing?

For the first time, Xia XiaoXi found herself puzzled by HuMing's principles. But she didn't press further---after all, who was she to question his choices?

HuMing yawned, leaning against the window as the car rolled along. Suddenly, his gaze swept across a corner of the street, and his expression froze.

"Stop the car!"

His voice dropped, heavy and commanding, utterly different from before.

The driver immediately noticed something off about HuMing. A palpable tension emanated from him---almost a sense of menace.

Without hesitation, the driver began to pull over, but before the car had fully stopped, HuMing had already flung the door open and bolted out.

It was Xia XiaoXi's first time seeing him like this. Hastily unbuckling her seatbelt, she followed him in quick strides.

In a dimly lit alley nearby, the sound of muffled grunts echoed.

HuMing moved swiftly toward the source, where a group of students in school uniforms was kicking someone curled up on the ground.

The person on the ground, shielding themselves tightly, seemed to be trying desperately to protect their body.

"I told you to bring a hundred bucks today! Did you ignore me?" 

"And don't forget, I know you've got younger siblings. Can't scrape up that little cash? You think we won't go after them?"

A cigarette dangled from his mouth as he spat out insults.

Hearing this, the person on the ground suddenly sprang up, catching the speaker off guard and shoving him to the ground. In an instant, the boy's hands gripped tightly around the bully's neck.

Under the faint light from the alley, the beaten boy's face became visible---it was YouCheng!

"If you dare touch my siblings, I'll kill you!"

YouCheng's eyes were bloodshot, his gaze filled with a chilling, unrestrained rage.

The boy being choked widened his eyes in panic, his breathing labored, on the verge of suffocation.

But it didn't last long. The others quickly pulled YouCheng away, and a new round of beatings began.

The boy who'd been choked gasped desperately for air, looking as though he'd just barely escaped death. Yet, as he stared at YouCheng, shame and fury burned within him.

He knew YouCheng's background all too well---an orphan from a foster home, someone with no parents to back him up. A kid like that was supposed to be easy prey, someone who could be bullied without consequence.

What he hadn't accounted for was YouCheng's defiance.

More infuriatingly, he had struck a nerve by mentioning YouCheng's most cherished bond, driving him to fight with reckless abandon.

Spitting on the ground, the boy flexed his hands and stepped forward, ready to join the beating himself.

But before he could, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

It felt like his shoulder was about to shatter, and a scream tore from his throat.

The boy's cries echoed through the alley, causing his companions to freeze mid-action.

The injured boy instinctively turned his head, only to be met with a firm and resounding slap.

For a moment, his vision blurred with stars, and a loud ringing filled his ears.

He collapsed to the ground, pain crashing over him like a tidal wave, engulfing his swollen cheek.

Trembling, he looked up to find an older boy standing before him. The newcomer's cold, piercing gaze was utterly devoid of warmth.

"W-Who are you?" someone among the group stammered, their voice quaking with fear, terrified that they might be next.

"So young, and already learning to extort and threaten others? Is this what your teachers are teaching you at school?" HuMing's voice was ice-cold as he stared down at the boy sprawled on the ground. Blood trickled from the boy's mouth, and a tooth had fallen into the pool of crimson.

Clutching his swollen cheek, the boy didn't dare take another deep breath.

"Are you leaving on your own, or do you need me to escort you?"

Hearing this, the boys scrambled to pick up their injured companion, too frightened to stay a second longer.

Just as they were about to flee, HuMing left them with one final warning.

"If I hear that you're bothering him again, you'd better be ready to spend the rest of your lives hiding at home. Now scram!"

The cracking sound of HuMing's knuckles echoed through the alley, sending the boys fleeing in a panic, tripping over themselves as they disappeared.

Silence returned to the alleyway.

YouCheng, who had already realized someone had intervened to save him, recognized the voice instantly. It was a voice he could never forget.

Struggling to his feet, YouCheng finally caught sight of his savior.

The boy who had endured the beating without shedding a tear suddenly broke down and began to cry.

"Brother Ming!"

He threw himself into HuMing's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

HuMing instinctively wanted to push him away---after all, in his current persona, he wasn't supposed to know YouCheng.

But as his eyes fell on YouCheng's bruised and battered face, he hesitated.

What had this kid gone through recently?

HuMing let out a heavy sigh, his expression filled with concern.

At the mouth of the alley, Xia XiaoXi had witnessed the entire scene. She hadn't expected HuMing to act so decisively and with such force.

Then again, she couldn't stand bullies herself. Judging by their appearance, the boys were likely middle schoolers, but she didn't believe for a second that their age excused their behavior.

HuMing's actions? Absolutely satisfying.

The man standing beside Xia XiaoXi was equally surprised, but for a different reason. He noticed that HuMing's movements had been sharp, efficient, and precise---characteristics of someone with training.

"Uh, can you let go of me now?"

HuMing gently pried YouCheng away. The young boy looked up at him with tear-filled, confused eyes, clearly not understanding what HuMing.