C5 Chapter 5

Besides, Yang Zimu’s targets now weren’t just the local kingpins in City A—there was also Lian Chi, that spoiled playboy from the JC Group.

That guy had the face of a total heartbreaker, and she’d actually fallen for him again—hard. So hard she didn’t care if she humiliated herself all over campus just to chase after him.

Yang Zimu knocked her knuckles against her head in frustration. “How can I be this stupid? How can I be this stupid?”

Gu Yanjue scrambled up from the ground. With hands caked in mud, he grabbed Yang Zimu’s wrist, looking at her like she was the only person in the world. “Zimu, you’re not stupid. You’re not... If you keep hitting yourself, that’s when it gets stupid.”

“Stop bothering me. Get lost—far away!” As soon as the words left her mouth, Yang Zimu stormed off.

That boss hadn’t gotten far yet. She had to cut him off now—otherwise, next time the one in danger would still be her.

Her fingers brushed the Flame Heart hanging at her neck, and Yang Zimu’s brows knit together.

Nine years ago, the real Yang Zimu had died because of this Flame Heart.

What secret was it hiding that made people keep hunting for it?

Right as she was spiraling, that annoying voice suddenly rang out behind her.

“Zimu... don’t leave me!” Gu Yanjue came barreling after her like a gust of wind, then slammed into her with a thud, knocking her down. He wrapped both arms around her leg and started wailing like a siren. “I’m so handsome, so charming—people love me, flowers bloom for me—how can you just abandon me?”

Pressing a palm to his forehead as he tried to crawl up her, Yang Zimu’s fist clenched until her knuckles cracked. She ground out, “If you don’t want your head split open, back off. Now.”

Did he really think she wouldn’t hit an idiot?

Yang Zimu kept one hand planted on Gu Yanjue’s forehead and lifted the other to her temple, sighing at her rotten luck.

She still remembered—back before she’d known who Gu Yanjue really was—how she’d pointed a paring knife at his nose and snorted, “A toad dreaming of a swan. Pack your stuff and get out of here before I really lose it!”

This girl just stood there for a long moment, then finally spoke in this soft, gloomy voice. One sentence nearly made Zimu spit blood.

Oh my God!

How has someone like this even survived to adulthood?

“I’m not leaving! I’m going to protect you!” Gu Yanjue grabbed Yang Zimu’s arm, eyes brimming with tears. “Even if you ditch me, I’ll still find you!”

And it was true—every single time, whatever Zimu was trying to do got wrecked the moment Gu Yanjue showed up out of nowhere.

She wanted to punt him straight into the river and let the fish deal with him, but he… honestly seemed like something was off upstairs. And she had a rule: don’t pick on pregnant women, kids, or people who aren’t all there.

“Bro, that dark, sketchy-looking guy is really important to me! Really important! Really important!” Zimu’s mouth twitched as she pried his filthy hand off her arm. “Can you go home first? When I’m back, I’ll buy you something good to eat, okay?”

“Zimu, all you do is lie to me!” Gu Yanjue pouted. He was determined to follow her. “That’s what you said last time too, and the next day you came back and passed out the second you hit the bed! Hmph… what, you want me to eat you instead?”

Zimu stopped cold. Expression blank, she swung and punched him in the face.

Not only did he not think her punch ruined his face, he grabbed her hand before she could pull it back and yanked it into his arms, grinning like a little creep.

Heaven above! Earth below!

Somebody please come take this menace away!

“Right? I really can eat you, you know?”

“Hey… Zimu, don’t be mad! Wait for me! I’m your knight in shining armor—your personal bodyguard!”