Gu Xi sat by the bus window, one leg crossed over the other, sipping from a milk tea cup with a black bear logo printed on it. The sugar content was way too high for his previous life standards, but here? Here it was addictive.
Across from him, Su Daji nursed his own drink, a mango-rose fusion topped with pink whipped cream. The boy's white ankle socks peeked out from under his rolled-up uniform trousers, and he looked more like someone on a dessert date than a school commute.
The problem wasn't the drinks.
It was the two women standing beside their seat.
Wearing flashy sunglasses indoors, Gucci hoodies, glittering bracelets and high-waisted jeans that clung to their figures, they oozed third-generation rich girl energy. Golden chains, the newest model holo-phones, and fake nails long enough to scratch heaven—it was the complete package.
"Are you wondering why two rich girls like us are riding a bus?" one of them asked, as if reading Gu Xi's mind. Her hair was dyed cherry red and pulled into a high ponytail. Her name? Shen Ziyi. Eldest daughter of the Shen Conglomerate, rumored to own the largest chain of women's gyms in City F.
"We saw you two cuties from a mile away and told our driver to drop us off early," the other added. She had silver-blonde hair and a mole under her eye. Liu Huanhuan. Heiress to the Liu Real Estate Group. Infamous for buying out entire city blocks for fun.
Gu Xi almost dropped his milk tea.
"Did they seriously follow us into the bus?"
But it only got worse.
Right in front of him and Daji, the two women openly began discussing who they wanted.
"I'll take the pouty blonde. He looks like he'd cry if I pulled his hair," Shen Ziyi said.
"Then I'll have the feisty one," Liu Huanhuan grinned. "I like a mouthy boy. Taming him will be fun."
Gu Xi's expression remained unchanged, but inside, a thousand F-words echoed.
Was this how women in his world used to feel? Like walking prey?
He glanced down.
Daji was clinging to his arm, trembling.
The soft sound of his whimpering was barely audible over the hum of the bus.
Gu Xi sighed.
He still couldn't see these women as threats.
Maybe it was habit. Muscle memory from his previous world, where guys were stronger. In his eyes, Shen Ziyi and Liu Huanhuan looked more like bratty teenagers trying cosplay as thugs.
But logic said otherwise.
In this world, women were built different. They were stronger, faster, and more aggressive. No amount of male pride would change that.
Still.
He couldn't stand the way they talked.
With a casual sip from his straw, he looked up and said coldly:
"You two done barking?"
"Huh?"
"Scram, you idiots."
Shen Ziyi blinked.
Liu Huanhuan's smile froze.
"What did you say?"
"Little cuties like you shouldn't have such potty mouths," Shen Ziyi snapped.
The back-and-forth went nowhere. The entire bus was watching—but no one moved. Of course not. The Shen and Liu families practically owned this part of the city. Who'd risk offending them?
The stop dinged.
Gu Xi stood up.
"Let's go, Daji."
Daji looked up with wide, teary eyes.
Gu Xi grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward.
They squeezed past the two rich heiresses.
But just after they got out—
A sharp tug pulled Gu Xi's head backward by his hair.
"You think you can talk to me like that and walk away?!" Shen Ziyi's voice cracked.
"Let go of me," Gu Xi hissed.
Meanwhile, Liu Huanhuan grabbed Daji, wrapping an arm around the smaller boy's waist and pressing him close.
"Aww, don't cry. You're way prettier than your friend anyway. I like my toys docile."
Gu Xi's heart pounded.
This bitch is crazy.
His heel slammed down on Shen Ziyi's foot.
"Ah—!" she shrieked.
Her grip loosened.
Gu Xi slipped away and darted toward Daji.
But Liu Huanhuan wasn't done. She grabbed him again—this time by the hair—and yanked him backward into a chokehold.
Her arm wrapped around his neck.
He couldn't breathe.
"Don't act so high and mighty, pretty boy," she snarled.
Her free hand slid down his torso, tracing the curve of his waist.
"Didn't expect you to hide such deadly curves under that baggy uniform…"
"Call the driver," she ordered. "Let's bring them home. I want to taste these high school cuties tonight."
Gu Xi's vision blurred.
His fingers clawed uselessly at her arm.
He could hear Daji crying.
He hated this.
Hated how weak he was.
Hated his body. His voice. His useless strength.
He was going to pass out.
He needed help.
Please… someone—
THUD.
The arm around his neck vanished.
Gu Xi collapsed backward.
Into something soft.
Warm.
Familiar.
"...Gu Xi!"
A chill ran down his spine.
That voice.
It was his sister. She had appeared out of nowhere, and the scene before her was all she needed.
Shen Ziyi lay on the pavement, nose broken, blood gushing.
Gu Lin's right fist was still raised, knuckles red.
"You deserved that, bitch," Gu Xi muttered.
And then he passed out.