These riff-raff are everywhere, aren't they?
That's why he hated people.
Money was so much better.
"Xia Qingyu, let's switch to another—" Nie Qingkong's words were cut short as Xia Qingyu hurried past him towards the group.
"Hey! What are you doing!" Xia Qingyu stopped them. "If you dare to cause any more trouble, I'm calling the police!"
"Who's this little slut, daring to meddle in our business?" The speaker immediately shifted their attention from the stray dog at their feet to Xia Qingyu, their eyes lighting up. "Well, well, a beauty!"
"Tch." Seeing this, Nie Qingkong's expression grew even more impatient, and he began to walk over.
"A uniform from City No. 1 High School? A top student? Which university do you plan to attend? Want to join Z-Chuan? We brothers can take care of you~" As he spoke, the man extended the hand holding the cigarette towards Xia Qingyu's face.
"Don't touch me with your dirty hands!" Xia Qingyu felt a flutter of panic, but her expression remained outwardly calm. "Even if animal cruelty isn't a crime yet, if I call the police and post the surveillance footage online, you'll be in a lot of trouble! If you don't want to be cyberbullied, scram!"
"Oh?" The group exchanged glances, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Not bad for a top student, you actually have a plan. I'm so scared?"
"Too bad, the surveillance here has been broken for a long time. These stray cats and dogs are no different from trash. It's an honor for these beasts to provide us with some amusement. What? Want to send us to jail? Come on! Hahahaha!" The man holding the cigarette laughed heartily, then looked at Xia Qingyu with satisfaction. "This look is good, I like it."
"You're targeting the fact that abusing stray dogs isn't a crime, aren't you? And since there's no surveillance, you think you have no evidence?" Nie Qingkong walked up to Xia Qingyu and, with a swift motion, took the cigarette from the man's hand.
"Oh, another one from City No. 1 High? Are you two on a date? Dating early isn't good, you know?" The man's gaze darted between Nie Qingkong and Xia Qingyu.
"I have no intention of being lectured by scum like you," Nie Qingkong said coldly.
"What did you say!" Hearing Nie Qingkong's words, the man's expression immediately changed, and his companions also looked ready to teach Nie Qingkong a lesson.
Nie Qingkong let out a scoff, then, holding the cigarette butt he had taken, pressed it directly onto his own arm.
With a sizzle, the sound of burning skin echoed.
"You! What are you doing!" The group was stunned.
"Abusing stray dogs isn't a crime, but... what about abusing minors?" Nie Qingkong's smile remained as warm and gentle as a spring breeze. "That probably wouldn't just be jail time, would it?"
"You! You lunatic! You burned yourself!" The man, caught off guard by Nie Qingkong's move, was dumbfounded.
"Who can prove otherwise?" Nie Qingkong smiled. "The surveillance here is broken, isn't it?"
"You! You scoundrel!" The group panicked. "I, I warn you not to speak nonsense! We, we can testify for each other!"
"Your DNA is on the cigarette butt, which is much more credible than any testimony," Nie Qingkong said, waving the cigarette butt in his hand. "This look is good, I like it."
"You! You bastard!" The man lunged forward and snatched the cigarette butt from Nie Qingkong. A flicker of relief crossed his eyes, but he no longer dared to be arrogant. He merely warned, "Don't let me see you again! Let's go!"
"Don't worry, we'll meet again soon." Nie Qingkong watched their retreating backs, a meaningful smile on his face.
He, after all, had no habit of suffering losses.
Xia Qingyu looked at Nie Qingkong's profile, seemingly startled by his actions.
"What are you looking at me for? Weren't you going to save that dog?" Nie Qingkong glanced at Xia Qingyu.
Xia Qingyu finally came to her senses and quickly ran over, picking up the small dog. "It's badly injured, it needs to go to a vet."
"I saw one on the way," Nie Qingkong pointed in a direction.
"Mm." Xia Qingyu replied, then took off her school uniform, carefully wrapping the puppy. While keeping it stable, she hurried towards the veterinary clinic as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, the veterinary clinic wasn't far, and there was still a doctor on duty at this hour.
The examination process was quite agonizing.
It hadn't been clear from the dim light earlier, but under the bright lights of the veterinary clinic, Xia Qingyu finally saw how severely the dog was injured.
"It seems to be a fracture, and it's severely malnourished. It might need to be hospitalized for treatment. The cost could be..." The veterinarian hesitated.
This dog looked like a stray, and these two students had likely brought it in out of kindness, but its injuries weren't easily treatable.
"I'll pay," Xia Qingyu said immediately. "Doctor, please treat it first. It looks so... pained..."
Xia Qingyu felt her eyes welling up.
She had also experienced violence, and she knew how much it hurt.
"Alright, let's start with conservative treatment then," the veterinarian said, nodding in agreement upon hearing Xia Qingyu's words and arranging for treatment and surgery.
While the stray dog was undergoing surgery, Xia Qingyu didn't leave but sat in the waiting room of the veterinary clinic, using her phone to let her family know she was safe and would be home late.
"Thank you today," Xia Qingyu said after sending her message, then looked up at Nie Qingkong.
"No need to thank me. I merely wish to do a small favor so I can call in a debt later." It seemed that after revealing his true self to Xia Qingyu, Nie Qingkong made no effort to hide anything now, saying with a smile.
Xia Qingyu's lips twitched at his words. This Nie Qingkong was not only dangerous but also seemed to have issues with his mind.
"I understand you want to save this dog, but spending money... is it really necessary?" Nie Qingkong looked at Xia Qingyu.
Xia Qingyu didn't answer. At that moment, a veterinary clinic staff member approached Xia Qingyu with a bill, asking her to pay at the front desk.
Xia Qingyu followed the staff member without hesitation.
Watching Xia Qingyu's retreating back, Nie Qingkong let out a scoff.
This was why he hated people.
He only loved money.
He had initially thought Xia Qingyu would be the kind of talent he was looking for – absolutely rational, skilled in managing finances, and unburdened by external factors.
Now, it seemed he had misjudged her.
Tch, uninteresting.
Not long after, Xia Qingyu returned.
Nie Qingkong lifted his eyelids and glanced at Xia Qingyu, finding her uninteresting and unwilling to waste any more time in this place.
"Give me your hand." Xia Qingyu sat down beside Nie Qingkong and took his arm. "I bought some burn cream."
Upon hearing this, Nie Qingkong's expression seemed to soften. He lowered his eyes to study Xia Qingyu's profile.
If only Xia Qingyu could have been a bit more ruthless.
As she was now, she was still far from the person he wanted.
Sentimentality like this would never achieve great things.
Xia Qingyu's future, it seemed... would likely be unremarkable.
What a waste of her innate spirit.
Confirming this thought, Nie Qingkong withdrew his gaze and casually asked, "Where did you buy the burn cream?"
There didn't seem to be any pharmacies around here.
He had only seen this one veterinary clinic on his way.
"I bought it at the front desk when I was paying," Xia Qingyu replied casually. "I asked, and this burn cream can be used on both dogs and people, but it will sting a little. You'll have to bear with it."
"Xia Qingyu! You're giving me the burn cream meant for dogs?!"