Morning mist covered the town streets.
Ah Li walked home with a grocery basket in her hands,
sunlight slipping through the tree shadows
and resting gently on her shoulders.
Everything looked peaceful.
Far too peaceful.
At the corner of the street,
Li Ya was watching her.
Cold.
Silent.
Calculating.
A few delinquent girls stood beside her,
faces full of mockery and malice.
"Remember the plan,"
Li Ya whispered.
"Today, we make her show her true face."
They nodded.
Grinning.
Ah Li turned into a narrow alley.
And her path was blocked.
"Well well, isn't this the 'monster'?"
A girl with dyed yellow hair sneered.
Her voice was sharp like broken glass.
Ah Li slowed down.
"What do you want?"
she asked calmly.
"Heard you're really good at pretending?"
another girl scoffed.
"Let's see how long you can endure."
She threw a punch.
Straight at Ah Li's face.
The impact landed hard.
Pain flashed instantly.
But Ah Li didn't fight back.
She didn't even raise her hands.
She just clenched her jaw
and endured it in silence.
"Why aren't you hitting back?"
the yellow-haired girl laughed,
kicking her in the side.
"Scared?"
More fists.
More kicks.
Like raindrops on concrete.
Ah Li curled on the ground,
shielding her head with her arms.
Not a single cry.
Not a single scream.
"Hmph…"
Li Ya stood nearby, arms crossed,
watching coldly.
"Still pretending to be all holy and innocent,"
she scoffed.
"Sooner or later, you'll show your real face."
At the same time…
I was working at the restaurant.
The phone suddenly rang.
It was one of the neighbors.
"Lin Han!
Go check the alley near the market!
Someone's beating your girlfriend!"
My heart dropped.
The tray in my hands hit the table.
I ran out.
Without thinking.
When I reached the alley—
My vision almost went red.
Ah Li was lying on the ground.
Bruised.
Bleeding.
Her clothes torn.
Her face swollen with cuts.
And Li Ya stood above her, smiling.
"Well?"
Li Ya sneered.
"Does it hurt now?"
"Enough!!!"
I rushed forward.
Shoving the girls away.
Hard.
Li Ya froze.
Then smirked.
"Oh?
The hero finally shows up?"
she mocked.
"Too late, don't you think?"
I grabbed her collar.
And slapped her.
Hard.
The sound echoed through the alley.
Smack.
Dead silence.
Her eyes widened.
"You… you dared to hit me?!"
she screamed.
"You deserved worse,"
I said coldly.
"You and your cheap games."
"From today on…
touch her again—
and you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
My voice wasn't loud.
But every word hit like a blade.
They backed away.
Terrified.
I took off my jacket
and wrapped it around Ah Li.
"We're going home,"
I said softly.
And as we left—
From the trees nearby…
A flash of yellow robe
vanished into the shadows.
Back home,
I carefully treated her wounds.
My fingers trembled.
"Sorry…"
my voice was hoarse.
"I failed to protect you."
She shook her head slowly.
"It's not your fault…"
her voice was weak but steady.
"They targeted me on purpose.
If I fought back,
they'd only use it as proof I'm dangerous."
I clenched my fists.
"So they just get to hurt you like this?"
my chest burned.
"That's not fair…"
"Enduring it,"
she lifted her gaze,
eyes gentle but firm,
"was the only way to prove
I'm not the 'monster' they want me to be."
"I just want…"
her voice softened,
"to stay with you."
Something twisted inside my chest.
Pain.
Anger.
Love.
All tangled together.
That night…
We thought it might finally calm down.
We were wrong.
The next day,
the school forum exploded again.
Photos were posted.
Photos of her bruised.
Bleeding.
Broken.
The caption read:
"Turns out the healing video was fake.
She's just a normal girl after all."
The comments went crazy:
"She's not a monster after all?"
"So she was just acting?"
"What a joke, I thought she had powers!"
When Li Ya saw the post…
Her face turned pale.
Her plan had backfired.
Badly.
But I knew.
This wasn't over.
As long as Li Ya still existed…
Peace was just an illusion.