It took me a while to catch my breath before I waved her off. “I’m fine.”
“Oh no, your knee is bleeding!”
Her alarmed cry made me glance down. My once-pristine knee was now scraped and bleeding profusely.
Two staff members helped me over to the resting area outside the rink. One of them, a young woman, spoke worriedly. “You should go to the hospital to get this bandaged. It could leave a scar otherwise.”
“No need. It’s just a small injury.”
I declined her kind offer, pulling out my phone to check if it was damaged. As I scrolled through my recent contacts, I saw Chen Qiao Luo’s name again, and my mood soured further. That scoundrel! If he hadn’t ditched me, I wouldn’t be this unlucky. I cursed him under my breath, hoping he’d never find a girlfriend in his life.
While I was muttering to myself, a commotion arose outside the rink. I turned to see a group of young men, clearly troublemakers, swaggering in. The two staff girls noticed them too and quickly returned to their posts.
Having taken a bad fall, I was too drained to move and remained seated. As I looked down at my phone, a shadow loomed over me. When I glanced up, I found those same young men staring at me with leering faces.
“Well, well, here all alone, little miss? Want some company?” the leader sneered with a wicked grin.
Places like skating rinks, bars, and pool halls often attracted delinquent types like these. I shot them a look of disgust, curling my lips into a cold smirk. “Get lost.”
“Ooh, a fiery little one!” the leader laughed sleazily, reaching out to touch me.
I turned my head just in time to avoid his filthy hand and used the chair for support as I stood. Dragging my aching leg, I managed to take two steps before he blocked my path again.
“Don’t be like that, little miss. No harm in playing with us for a bit,” he said, his voice dripping with mock sweetness.
“Pfft. Who’d want to play with you?” I shot him an icy glare. “Move. You’re in my way.”
Apparently, he wasn’t happy with my defiance. His expression darkened, and he grabbed my wrist in a vice-like grip.
The pain from his grip made me struggle instinctively, but his hand only tightened.
“Let go,” I snapped, glaring at him with as much ferocity as I could muster.
“Let go?” he sneered darkly, his grin twisted. “Would you let go of something already in your grasp?”
His question left me momentarily speechless.
As I was confronting him, a boy’s clear, calm voice suddenly interrupted: “Jin Shao Kai, this is my place. Don’t you think causing trouble here might be a bit inappropriate?”
I turned toward the voice and saw a handsome boy standing there. A faint smile played on his lips, and his eyes held a deep, unreadable expression. I felt the grip on my wrist loosen, and I took the opportunity to pull my hand free.
“Young Master Xu,” the youth stammered.
“What ‘Young Master Xu’? I’m the same age as you. Just call me Xu Xuan,” the boy said nonchalantly, though his smile carried a cold undertone.
“I wouldn’t dare,” Jin Shao Kai replied, taking two steps back in a flustered manner. “I didn’t know this place was yours, Young Master Xu. If I’ve done anything wrong, I ask for your forgiveness.”
“It’s fine,” Xu Xuan said with a dismissive wave. “Guests are guests. If you want to have fun, I can arrange it for you.”
“No, no need. We have other matters to attend to. We’ll take our leave now.”
Jin Shao Kai quickly turned to the others and barked, “Hurry up, let’s go!”
The group left as quickly as they had arrived, disappearing through the door in seconds.
0 Comments