HOUZI collapsed into the water, clutching his abdomen in agony. I let out a frantic cry, attempting to rush toward him, but before I could take a step, a swarm of people surged into the fountain, raining down blows until I was sprawled out, helpless.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Liu Yina screamed, her voice cutting through the chaos. The girls around her echoed her cries, their fear betraying their tough exteriors.

Seven or eight of them had me pinned down, and submerged in the water, I had no strength to fight back. This was my sixth beating since transferring to this school—no matter how strong I was, my body couldn't take it anymore. Like a lifeless dog, I lay there, absorbing every kick and punch until, at last, they relented, dragging me and HOUZI out of the fountain and dumping us onto the cold ground.

Drenched and shivering, we left a trail of water in our wake. I crawled toward HOUZI, panic clawing at my chest as I saw the blood still seeping from his wound. "You okay?" I gasped. He shook his head faintly, as if to say he was fine, but the pallor of his face and the tightness of his expression told a different story.

Lin Ke'er rushed forward, pressing a wad of tissues to his wound, her tears falling freely. The girls stood in stunned silence—even Zhang Xuan, cradling Xing Qiu in her arms, was sobbing.

"What the hell is this supposed to mean, Big Cat?!" Liu Yina demanded.

"I'm avenging Zhang Xuan and Xing Qiu," Big Cat said indifferently. "I won’t touch Lin Ke'er. I'll leave that for Wang Yao to decide."

"You…" Liu Yina trembled with fury. "So you're saying you actually believe Lin Ke'er seduced Xing Qiu?"

"Of course. Isn’t it obvious?" Big Cat scoffed, as though he were explaining something to a child. "Xing Qiu and Zhang Xuan are crazy about each other. Lin Ke'er was jealous, so she tried to come between them. But Xing Qiu—being the honorable guy that he is—didn’t take the bait."

"You—!" Liu Yina was so livid that words failed her.

"Enough," HOUZI croaked, his voice barely above a whisper. "He's doing this on purpose… no point arguing with him…"

Liu Yina exhaled sharply, forcing herself to calm down. "Fine. I won't waste my breath. I'll wait for Wang Yao to deal with this." She turned to the other girls. "Help me take them to the hospital."

"Wait a damn second!" Zhang Xuan shrieked. "So you're on Lin Ke'er's side now?"

At her words, the other girls hesitated. After all, Zhang Xuan was closer to them than Lin Ke'er ever was.

Big Cat chuckled. "HOUZI, six months ago, you stabbed me. Tonight, I return the favor. Now we're even. I showed you respect before, but you spat in my face. This? This is on you."

HOUZI said nothing. Words meant nothing now. I, on the other hand, was on the verge of snapping. Every second wasted in this pointless bickering was another second HOUZI bled out.

Just as Big Cat turned to leave, he issued a final warning. "The two of you better keep your heads down at school from now on. Next time, it won't just be a single stab wound. Let's go."

I had barely exhaled in relief when a voice rang out.

"Not so fast, Big Cat. Since you're already here, why not stick around?"

Big Cat’s expression darkened. Liu Yina, on the other hand, brightened visibly. The girls around us broke into excited whispers—

"Wang Yao."

"It's Yao-jie."

The atmosphere shifted, as if an idol had descended upon them.

A girl stepped forward. She was strikingly beautiful, with short, ear-length hair framing a delicate face. Her dark eyes gleamed with intelligence, and her slim figure was accentuated by a tight T-shirt and an equally snug miniskirt, revealing long, pale legs. She exuded a sharp, no-nonsense aura.

"Wang Yao, Lin Ke'er seduced Xing Qiu!" Zhang Xuan huffed, pouting like a child seeking justice.

So this was Wang Yao.

"I heard," Wang Yao said flatly. Then, without warning, she raised her hand and slapped Zhang Xuan across the face.

"Wake the fuck up. You think Lin Ke'er would ever look twice at that loser Xing Qiu?"

Zhang Xuan yelped, clutching her cheek, not daring to utter another word.

Wang Yao turned to the still-collapsed Xing Qiu, stepping forward and planting her heel directly onto his crotch.

"Talk. Tell me exactly what happened. One lie, and I’ll ruin you."

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Only then did I notice her footwear—stiletto heels, at least eight centimeters high. No wonder she seemed almost as tall as me.

A suffocating silence enveloped the scene. The sheer force of her presence was enough to suppress everyone.

"Wang Yao, you—" Big Cat started.

"Shut the fuck up," Wang Yao snapped, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at him. "Can't you see I’m handling my own business here?"

Big Cat immediately fell silent.

"Speak," she commanded. Her heel dug in.

"It—it was me! I drugged Lin Ke'er!" Xing Qiu wailed, his voice laced with sheer terror, quivering with unshed tears.

"You motherfucker," Wang Yao sneered. "You really had the balls to mess with one of mine?" With a swift kick, she sent him sprawling. Xing Qiu curled up, howling in pain.

The stillness returned, heavy and charged, as though danger itself had materialized in the air.

Lin Ke'er stood, her tears falling yet again. My hands trembled, not from fear, but from sheer exhilaration. HOUZI, despite his pain, managed a smirk. Big Cat’s breath came harsh and ragged, as if barely restraining himself, but ultimately, he kept his mouth shut.

Zhang Xuan, though silent, radiated defiance.

"I know you're pissed," Wang Yao said, her tone deceptively casual. "You think I’m playing favorites, don't you?" She pointed at Zhang Xuan. "Since when have I ever been unfair? You two, get over here."

As if summoned by an unseen force, two students emerged from the shadows. I recognized them instantly—Xing Qiu’s lackeys, the same ones who had been in the private room at lunch. Only now, they were barely recognizable, their faces swollen to the point of resembling grotesque caricatures.

"Tell them what happened," Wang Yao ordered, her arms crossed over her chest, her voice cold as ice.

The two exchanged a wary glance before speaking, stammering out the full story. Not a single detail deviated from Lin Ke'er's earlier account.

"Does anyone still have any objections?" Wang Yao's gaze fell upon Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan remained silent, lowering her head without a word.

"Does anyone else have objections?" Wang Yao surveyed the crowd.

No one dared to respond—only Xing Qiu lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

Finally, Wang Yao turned her attention to Da Mao. "And you? Any objections?"

Da Mao’s expression shifted between dark and unreadable emotions before he forced a smile. "So that's how it is. We nearly wronged Lin Ke’er. Fine, I understand now. I'll take my people and leave."

His group hurriedly carried Xing Qiu away, their retreat accompanied by a chorus of jeers and boos from the surrounding girls.

Zhang Xuan watched Xing Qiu’s departure with longing, yet she dared not move, let alone follow.

Wang Yao stepped up to Lin Ke’er. "Enough crying. It’s not that big of a deal."

Lin Ke’er immediately stifled her sobs.

Wang Yao reached out, ruffling her hair with unexpected gentleness. "Zhang Xuan is foolish, but she isn't malicious. From now on, let’s remain sisters, alright?"

Lin Ke’er nodded.

Wang Yao turned back, her voice turning sharp again. "Well? What are you waiting for? Apologize!"

Zhang Xuan hesitantly stepped forward, eyes avoiding Wang Yao as she looked instead at Lin Ke’er. "Ke’er, I’m sorry… I wronged you."

Lin Ke’er nodded, stepping forward to embrace Zhang Xuan. The moment their arms wrapped around each other, tears burst forth once again. The other girls quickly gathered around, hugging the two, and soon, their emotions overflowed, one by one dissolving into sobs.

Wang Yao, however, stood apart from the sentimental display. Instead, she crouched beside Houzi, looking him over. "Still alive?"

"Yeah," Houzi grinned weakly. "It could only be you. No one else could have kept this situation under control."

"You could too, if you wanted to." To my surprise, Wang Yao pulled out a cigarette and placed it between Houzi’s lips. "Since you're not dead, hurry up and get to the hospital. Don't tell me you expect a bunch of girls to carry you there?"

"No need." Supporting himself with one arm, the other pressed against his wounded stomach, Houzi struggled to stand. Blood seeped between his fingers.

I quickly moved to help him, and despite his injuries, he still managed to walk forward. I couldn't help but admire his resilience.

"Thank you," I said, turning to Wang Yao.

"Oh, you're Zuo Fei, right? I heard what you did to protect Ke’er. I appreciate it." Wang Yao lit her own cigarette, the curling smoke adding an air of mystique to her already striking presence.

"Enough with the crying!" she suddenly barked at the girls. "You are the Twelve Roses! Do you want people laughing at you?"

"Yao-jie! Now that Lin Ke’er’s with us, we’re the Thirteen Roses!"

Laughter and cheers erupted behind us, filling the night air with warmth and camaraderie.

As I supported Houzi, his steps grew heavier with each passing moment. Guilt gnawed at me—if it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have taken that knife. I kept asking if he was alright, even offering to carry him.

"Zuo Fei," Houzi suddenly threw an arm around my shoulder. "Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I took that stab on purpose."

"What?" I stopped in my tracks, stunned.

Though his face was deathly pale, Houzi still grinned. "Think about it—earlier today, I told you that the Nine Princes are all cunning bastards. Do you really think I, the one who said that, would be dumb enough to let Da Mao stab me just like that?"

My heart pounded wildly. "Then… then why…" I believed him, but I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Who in their right mind would take a stab on purpose?

"I'll explain everything… once we get to the hospital," Houzi panted.

"Alright."

We made it to the park entrance and hailed a cab. By the time we arrived at the hospital, Houzi was on the verge of collapse, his face drained of all color, too weak to speak in complete sentences. At the emergency entrance, a few hospital workers quickly lifted him onto a gurney.

Houzi clenched my hand tightly, his lips moving as if struggling to form words.

"Zuo Fei…"

Hearing his frail voice, I nearly broke down. "Say it. Whatever you need, I’ll do it."

"I… haven’t eaten dinner… Get me some food… and wait for me outside the operating room…"

I stared at him, dumbfounded, as he was swiftly wheeled away.

"Son of a bitch!" I cursed loudly.

As Houzi disappeared behind the operating room doors, I walked out to a nearby food stall and began ordering for him—fried rice, two baskets of soup dumplings, two crispy jianbing, a bowl of century egg congee…

Tonight, I was going to make sure he ate until he burst.

Outside the operating room, I waited for an hour and a half, watching the food gradually go cold.

During that time, Lin Ke’er called to check on Houzi. I assured her he was fine and undergoing surgery. She wanted to come, but I told her it was too late at night for a girl to be out alone.

In the end, it was Liu Yina who showed up instead.

"Lin Ke’er and Zhang Xuan are still crying in the dorm," she said, placing a stack of bills in my hand. "This is from the Thirteen Roses for Houzi’s medical expenses. Yao-jie personally put in five hundred."

"You don’t need to. I have money."