The classic embossed Kate Spade long wallet was quite large, fitting snugly in her coat pocket. But now, the slim strap on the side was being tugged halfway out—and the force was still pulling it away!

A pickpocket?!

Reacting quickly, Ji Ranyou looked up and locked eyes with a sunken, greedy gaze. The man, clad in a worn-out T-shirt and tanned skin, made no effort to conceal his intent.

Her heart sank. Instinctively, she gripped her wallet tightly.

“Let go! No stealing!”

Frowning, she warned him sternly. She expected the thief to panic and retreat. But instead…

The man sneered, then yanked harder on the strap.

Excuse me?!
Broad daylight?! Out in the open?! Bold as hell?!

“The hell?! Let go of my wallet!” Ji Ranyou swung her bag of fruit at his hand, rage flaring up. “Try me, you bastard! Don’t you have any professional ethics?! This is straight-up robbery!”

Her sharp, furious voice drew attention.

Perhaps startled by her sudden aggression—or perhaps realizing the logo on her wallet—the thief hesitated. But he still refused to let go. He even glared at her viciously.

“Damn, why are you so fierce for a girl?! You think you can get a boyfriend acting like this?! If you can, I’ll take your last name!”

“Pfft!”

The crowd, initially just spectating, burst into laughter.

Ji Ranyou stared at the hunched pickpocket who was about her height.

Excuse me?!
Couldn’t he just insult her normally? Why did this suddenly become a personal attack?!
And the worst part—she couldn’t even refute it!

While they struggled, murmurs broke out in the crowd—some whispered about calling the police, others marveled at her boldness.

But no one actually stepped in to help.

In a chaotic area where even street vendors paid protection fees, minding one’s own business was the safest choice.

Ji Ranyou had always enjoyed her independence. But standing alone in a crowd of onlookers, their whispers buzzing in her ears, an overwhelming sense of helplessness crashed over her.

Her stance wavered. Her grip loosened slightly…

“What, you were so tough just now. Where’s your backup now?” The pickpocket sneered, mistaking her silence for fear. He lifted his chin mockingly. “Keep being fierce, then! If you don’t, this wallet is mine for sure—”

BAM!
“AH—!”

Before he could finish, a swift, forceful kick landed cleanly on him.

CRACK!
“Ugh…”

The unexpected attack came from behind—fast, precise, and merciless.

Moments later, silence fell.

The thief, now sporting a swollen, bleeding lip, clutched his stomach and crouched on the ground, groaning in pain.

The person who delivered the blow stood tall, their presence unnervingly calm yet intimidating.

Gu Chen.

Without a word, he picked up Ji Ranyou’s wallet and handed it back to her. His foot, however, remained firmly pinning the thief’s wrist to the ground.

“Apologize.”

“Apolo—?! Tch—ugh, fine, fine!” The pickpocket hissed in pain before grudgingly muttering, “I’m sorry.”

Ji Ranyou, still in a daze, absently typed something into her phone. Only after a long pause did she snap back to reality.

She raised her phone in acknowledgment but didn’t spare the thief another glance. Instead, her gaze landed on the man before her—tall and imposing, exuding a unique Gu Chen aura.

Calm, composed… yet utterly breathtaking.

---

The police arrived swiftly, sirens blaring as they took the thief away.

Nearby, whispers started circulating:

“Wasn’t that the genius from the finance department? Gu Chen? Looks like him!”

“Yeah, I think so! Damn, did he practice taekwondo? That was insanely cool! My imaginary husband, Yamazaki Kento, is gonna get jealous…”

“But isn’t Gu Chen super cold? Doesn’t seem like the type to be a hero… Also, do you think he actually knows that girl?”

“Nah, couldn’t be. She had her face covered. Probably just his righteous sense of justice kicking in!”

Ji Ranyou barely registered their chatter. Her mind was still stuck on that moment when he came to her rescue.

She had planned to be a graceful, demure woman. The kind men couldn’t resist—like the ones in Xu Zhimo’s poetry.

#The gentlest lowering of one’s gaze, like a lotus untouched by the cold wind…#

She sighed. If only.

After some internal struggle, she walked up to Gu Chen and spoke in her hometown dialect.

“Thanks.”

“No need.” His sharp eyes met hers.

Emboldened by her covered face, she rambled on.

“Wow, you’re really amazing! Let me treat you as thanks! I heard the chestnuts near West University are great, but wow, even the students there are great!”

“No need—”

“Of course, you must!” Not giving him a chance to refuse, she shoved all the snacks she was holding into his arms.

“Just a little token of gratitude, fellow student. Or… would you rather I make a giant thank-you banner and bring it to your school?”

Gu Chen: “…”

As she hurried away, Gu Chen casually dropped a bomb.

“Procrastination is a bad habit. Next week, let’s discuss the econometrics project.”

Ji Ranyou froze mid-step.

Then, as if to end her suffering, his deep voice deliberately reminded her:

“By the way, I sent you a QQ and WeChat request. You haven’t accepted yet.“

Her mind went blank. “…”

“Thanks for the snacks. Quite a variety.“

Then, just as she thought it was over, he leaned down slightly, his dark, piercing eyes stripping away her defenses.

“First graders on a field trip should remember to listen to their teachers.“

Ji Ranyou: “…”

Who the hell is a first grader?!
WHO THE HELL IS A FIRST GRADER?! ^[1]I don’t understand the elementery, junior, high school system.. Just translated in terms of my country’s education system. Eg. Kindergarden, 1st grade, 2nd…. 12th grade and … Continue reading

---

Back in her dorm, the first thing she did was check her phone.

Sure enough—two new friend requests.

After opening and closing them twenty times, she finally accepted, carefully adding a comma and period to assert dominance.

---

Later that day, the campus was buzzing:

Gu Chen—the untouchable genius—was spotted carrying brightly colored snacks across campus.

#Call 120. Emergency. No explanation needed.#

And while people gawked at his odd combination of files and junk food, they missed the rare sight of his lips curving slightly.

---

Meanwhile, in his dorm…

Gu Chen’s friends froze at the sight of the snacks.

“Bro… you brought them back?!”

“Yeah. She gave them to me.“

The room exploded.

“This is official. He’s smitten.”

“Man, she must be something else. Smart, pretty, and just the right amount of feisty!“

As they fangirled over their favorite novelist’s latest update, Gu Chen’s phone pinged.

---

【A】: We’re friends now! Let’s chat!
【A】: By the way, that joke was cold as hell. Not funny at all. 🙂

【Gu Chen】: I never told a joke.
【Gu Chen】: Also, wasn’t that a smile? 🙂

【A】: Last sentence wasn’t a joke? Then what?

…

A voice message popped up.

His deep, rich tone came through.

“If it were a joke, I wouldn’t say first grade…
I’d say kindergarten.“