Chapter Thirty-Eight: Trouble Arrives

  "What's the point of so many people joining the association and making us run five laps around the playground? Are we monkeys or something? I'd rather die than join! Hmph!" Xiang Er kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed.

  "Don't you think what he said is quite pleasant? Hehe!" Mei'er's laughter sounded a bit sly. It startled the nearby Zi Qi and Meng'er, who almost bumped into the bed frame.

  "Lemei'er, I think you're the kind of girl that all guys like and think is handsome!"

  Night fell, and the other three people were all snuggled up in their own beds doing their own things. Feeling bored, Meng'er tidied herself up and said to them: "I'm going for a night run."

  The other three people nodded without raising their heads. Meng'er saw their movements and felt a bit helpless. Since Geng Yan said it, she hadn't stopped her morning runs except on rainy days. Even when she was feeling down or frustrated with life, she would go to the playground and run a few laps. The people in the dormitory were already used to her habit.

  On a night in October, the city already had an autumnal coolness. On the playground, only a few pairs of young lovers were walking back and forth, while there was also one person who ran at night like a dream, whom they had just seen during the day. The hazy thin fog set off the weak light of the playground, which looked white and misty, giving a very ethereal feeling.

  Meng'er ran five laps around the playground and was about to head back to her dorm when that person finally spoke up: "Why didn't you run during the day? Five laps are a piece of cake for you, aren't they?" Meng'er remained silent and continued walking forward. That person took a big stride and blocked her path. "So you don't want to see me?"

  Meng'er took a glance at him, then walked around him and continued forward. "Isn't it said that girls who love sports are all very generous?" His voice echoed teasingly from behind her back.

  "That's only for people who know how to respect others!" Meng'er walked away towards the dormitory building without looking back.

  The young lovers would occasionally glance over at Xing Jian, who was standing alone, while Xing Jian gazed at the gradually disappearing figure in the distance, as if in a state of being nobody, standing still for over ten minutes...

  "When is Meng'er coming back?" Yan'er looked at the time on her phone, it had already been over an hour, usually she would be back in half an hour.

  "Hmm, give her a call and see!" Mei'er replied without lifting her head.

  "Big sister, you know she often doesn't bring her phone!" Yaner rolled her eyes at Mei'er.

  "Let's go take a look at the playground!" Zi Qi suggested.

  Then the other two exchanged a glance, quickly gathered their things and climbed down from the bed. Because of what had happened that night, they were all a little more careful with each other, cherishing their friendship and taking care not to hurt each other.

  But Meng Er left the playground and on her way back to the dormitory, she encountered trouble as they had worried.

  "As a newcomer, you're so eager to steal the spotlight! Junior sister, this isn't a good thing!" The tall girl with short hair in the middle said with her arms crossed and a sideways glance at Meng Er.

  Meng'er looked around, she had taken the shortcut to get back to her dorm quickly. At this time, there was no one else on the path, and the weak streetlights shone through the branches of the trees onto the ground in a mottled pattern. Meng'er looked down at her toes. In the end, she said: "Senior sister, could you please make way?" Since they were blocking the road and both sides were lawns, she didn't want to step on them, she was afraid of snakes!

  "Hey, you're quite arrogant!" she said, taking a step forward and reaching out to push Meng Er. But Meng Er lightly dodged it. "No respect for your elders, why are you avoiding your senior sister's hand?"

  Meng'er took a glance at the person in front of her and thought helplessly: Is it really like what's written in books, that they have well-developed limbs but simple minds? Is this what "disrespecting one's elders" means? Do you want to push me away with your hand, and I still need to welcome it? "Please let me pass, senior sister!"

  "What if I don't lend it?" As they spoke, the three of them stood in a row again, blocking Meng Er's way.

  Meng'er looked at their unreasonable appearance and finally asked out loud: "What's going on?"

  "The reason, the reason is that you provoked someone you shouldn't have. Xing Jian can only be sister-in-law, this is recognized by the association!" The girl next to her with a baby fat tone said angrily and quickly. However, after she finished speaking, she was glared at by the taller girl. Receiving her gaze, the girl with baby fat on her face shrunk her neck and didn't make another sound.

  Their eyes interacted, and Meng Er's thoughts were turning: thinking that the tall girl wasn't always overbearing and arrogant, but would still know how to be shy. "How do you want to solve this, say it!" Meng Er thought, having been out for so long without returning, those few people must have been worried, just wanting to quickly resolve it.

  "I'll settle this! Come on!" With that, the three of them surrounded Meng Er. The tall girl took a step forward, reached out to grab Meng Er's right arm, and bent down to give her an over-the-shoulder throw. But Meng Er followed her movement, lightly jumped, and flipped out of their encirclement. Before the tall girl could react, Meng Er countered with one hand, using her waist for leverage, and sent her crashing to the ground!

  Hiss! The two people beside her stared with wide eyes at the scene, that was their association's highest-ranking judo 7th dan senior sister, yet she was so easily knocked down by her, it was simply unbelievable.

  "Meng'er!" Meng'er heard Yan'er's voice coming from behind, and let go of the tall girl she had pinned to the ground. She stood up, turned around, and saw three people from her dormitory who had come looking for her. "What's wrong?"

  "Be careful!" Before Meng'er could even say "it's okay", Mei'er's urgent voice rang out, but before she could react, she was kicked in the right knee and fell to her knees. Just as her tied-up ponytail was pulled back heavily, her entire body was about to fall backwards when her hair was released, and her body was supported by Mei'er and Zi Qi on either side.

  All I heard was a furious male voice behind me: "Xing Si, what are you doing?"

  "What am I doing? Can't you see what I'm doing now?" The shrill voice of the tall girl known as Xing Si pierced their eardrums. "I just want to drive away all the women who have been trying to get close to you, not a single one left!"

  "Hmph! What a mess of relationships! Are they siblings or cousins, all with the surname Xing?" Mei'er said coldly.

  "Mei'er, Zi Qi, help me up!" As she spoke, with the support of their two arms, she stood up, turned around and said to them: "So it was because of this that Sister Xing came to find trouble with Meng'er. I see that Sister is also a kind and righteous girl, but using such despicable means to launch a sneak attack, isn't that something only a martial artist would do?"

  Meng'er paused, inadvertently glancing at the boy beside her. At this moment, his eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked at her with concern. The piercing earrings that had been so eye-catching during the day now seemed dull in the dim light of night. She shifted her gaze and continued, "Loving someone doesn't require such extreme measures! As the saying goes, 'sincerity can move heaven and earth.' There's no need to be overly attached, or you'll end up hurting both yourself and others! Shifu sister, take care of yourself! Let's go!"

  Meng'er took a step forward, but the piercing pain in her knee and the crook of her knee made her body tremble involuntarily! "Meng'er, are you okay?" Yan'er's small face looked at Meng'er with concern. If she hadn't spoken up, Meng'er would have been caught off guard!

  "It's okay!" Meng'er comforted her with a smile, looking at her small face, she knew she was blaming herself. As soon as Meng'er finished speaking, she felt her body lighten and was picked up by someone. Looking up, it was Xing Jian. The two people supporting her had already let go of their hands.

  "Put me down!" Meng Er's eyes were sharp as she spoke word by word. He let out a sigh and finally put her down.

  "Meng'er, I'll carry you!" Mei'er said, and then she squatted down, Meng'er silently climbed onto her back.

  Along the way, the atmosphere was a bit heavy. Meng Er said with a nasal tone: "Mei Er, I'll ride on your back, it feels safe!"

  "Stop bragging! You said you just ran a bit and look what happened!"

  Back in the dorm, she pulled up her pant leg and only then did she realize that her knee had already swollen into a dark red color. Mei'er took out the ice pack that Yan'er had bought from the store downstairs, wrapped it in a towel, and applied it to her foot. Meng'er sucked in a breath of pain, but seeing the sympathetic expressions on the other three people's faces, she felt warmth in her heart...