Sunday evening painted the skies in hues of peach and lavender as LiWei stepped out of the Jiang estate, humming with a strange satisfaction. He had just wrapped up another tutoring session with Jiang Mian and basketball drills that ended with Jiang Yue nailing a half-court shot that nearly made him want to retire.
Stuffing his hands in his hoodie pocket, he strolled down the sidewalk, earbuds in, belting his favorite cheesy pop song in a pitch that would've made birds fall out of the sky.
"If I were a fish, and you were a shoe Why are we apart, my stinky boo~!~"
A woman walking her dog across the street gave him a horrified glance. He grinned and kept walking. Life was good.
But then... that itch.
It began at the nape of his neck. That feeling like something was crawling up his spine.
He paused his music, ears sharpening. Footsteps. Three sets. No—four. Too light for coincidence, too timed for comfort. He picked up his pace, letting the melody trail off under his breath.
As he turned the corner into one of the quieter alleyways, the hairs on his arms prickled. He'd been here many times before—shortcut to Tao's place. But tonight it felt wrong.
Then they appeared.
Four figures stepped out of the shadows, all in dark jackets, faces twisted with smugness. One of them—the tallest—grinned wide, revealing a chipped tooth and an attitude that stank of revenge.
"Yo. Remember me, punk?"
LiWei squinted. The bruised eye and swollen lip from before were gone now, but the voice clicked.
"Oh… You. The guy who couldn't block a chair if his life depended on it."
Chipped Tooth snarled. "You got lucky that day. But now you're gonna learn. No one makes me look stupid in the hood and walks free."
LiWei sighed, pulling out his earbuds. "Well, you already looked stupid, I just added some… definition."
That did it.
The first punch came flying toward his head, but it moved in slow motion in LiWei's eyes. He tilted just enough to let it graze past his cheek and then stepped inside the thug's guard, slamming a palm into his chest.
CRACK.
The thug flew backward like a ragdoll, hitting the alley wall with a grunt and collapsing.
"Okay," LiWei muttered. "Guess I'm doing this."
Two more came at once. One with a metal rod, the other swinging a chain. LiWei ducked under the chain, grabbing the rod mid-swing and yanking it away. He twirled it once before slapping the wielder across the face with the flat of the metal.
"Sorry, but I'm not into BDSM."
The chain guy managed to wrap it around LiWei's ankle for a second—but that was all it took. LiWei flexed his leg with a grunt and sent the guy flying into his buddy, both of them collapsing like bowling pins.
Chipped Tooth came last.
He swung a brass-knuckled punch at LiWei's jaw. This one did connect—a solid thump that rattled his teeth and made his ears ring.
LiWei staggered back, blinking stars from his eyes.
"Alright…" he muttered, wiping blood from his lip. "That was new."
Then he roared—not loud, but deep, primal.
With a sudden burst, he grabbed Chipped Tooth by the collar, spun him, and slammed him down onto a crate that shattered under the force.
The alley went silent.
The thugs groaned on the ground, sprawled in a mess of sweat and regret. LiWei stood there panting, heart pounding, adrenaline still humming through his limbs.
He looked at his hands—still shaking slightly. Not from fear, but from something else.
Power.
He didn't like it… but he couldn't deny it either.
He left them there and walked the rest of the way home, his hoodie smudged with dirt, his knuckles raw. When he entered the house, his parents noticed.
"You okay, son?" his mom asked.
"Yeah," he mumbled. "Just tired."
He ate dinner in silence and went straight to bed.
The Next Morning
Monday came with bright sun and noisy students bustling around campus. LiWei arrived early for basketball practice, dressed in casuals and holding his duffel bag lazily.
As he crossed through the academic block toward the gym, a voice piped up.
"LiWei!"
He turned. Jiang Mian, dressed in a cute pastel hoodie and jeans, bounced toward him with a smile.
"You didn't forget your favorite student, did you?" she teased.
"Favorite? You're the only one who pays me," he said, smirking.
She laughed and handed him a neatly packaged box, decorated with a tiny bow. "Mom made these this morning. I told her you've been working hard. Try not to cry when you eat them."
He took the box, pretending to sniff dramatically. "Is this… is this what gratitude tastes like?"
They shared a laugh before she waved and skipped off toward her next class.
As he walked toward the gym, Tao met him halfway with a smirk.
"Soft rice tastes good, huh?" Tao said, nudging him.
LiWei rolled his eyes. "Shut up."
"Hey man, no judgment. If I were you, I'd be swimming in sweet rice by now. Look at you—taller, buffer, glowy skin. What's your skincare? Is it her money or her love?"
LiWei gave him a playful glare. "I'm warning you."
"I'm just saying! You're like… sparkling. Like a vampire with a gym subscription."
They entered the gym, changing into practice gear. Tao was still chuckling when the door opened behind them.
Zhiwei.
He strolled in like a prince returning to his kingdom, a towel slung over one shoulder, smirking as his eyes locked onto LiWei.
"Well, well. The charity case's still playing hero?"
LiWei didn't respond. He laced his shoes tighter and stood.
Zhiwei sneered. "Not gonna talk? That's fine. I prefer watching you fall anyway."
As practice started, Zhiwei slipped a tiny pouch from his sleeve, crushed it between his fingers, and discreetly scattered a fine dust into the air near the locker bench.
No one noticed.
But a minute later, as LiWei stepped onto the court, he felt it.
His vision blurred slightly. His legs felt heavier than usual. Not tired—but dulled. Like something was pushing him from the inside, slowing him down.
What the hell…?
Tao passed him the ball. LiWei caught it—barely.
The world tilted.
His breath quickened. Sweat began to bead at his brow. He blinked hard.
Something was wrong.