Chapter 513: Chapter 513: Beauty Saves Beauty
"A bitch is always a bitch. Even in this situation, you can’t stop trying to seduce people. Too bad no one here will help you." The girl who was originally standing on the right stepped forward and kicked Yu Xia’s shin. She didn’t hold back and used all the strength she could muster. Almost instantly, Yu Xia’s back was drenched in sweat from the pain.
Yu Xia let out a muffled groan from her nose.
"Didn’t expect you to be so resilient. If it hurts, just scream." Seeing Yu Xia’s enduring expression, the woman felt even more angered instead of calmed, leading her to kick Yu Xia’s other leg.
Yu Xia couldn’t withstand the force after being kicked in both legs, and she finally fell to her knees.
As her knees hit the ground, Yu Xia tried to stand up, but a foot on her shoulder forced her to lie flat on the ground.
Yu Xia could feel herself being watched. It felt like burning sparks of shame flying over her body — not lethal, but certainly painful.
Yu Xia’s face was flushed red, and she didn’t dare to raise her head to look at them.
"Why aren’t you talking? Cat got your tongue?" The girl sneered as Yu Xia remained silent and tried to get up. Without hesitation, she kicked Yu Xia back down.
"I told you to speak. Bark like a dog, and I’ll let you get up, or do you plan to stay on the ground?" The leading girl crossed her arms, her foot pressing down on Yu Xia’s shoulder. Whenever Yu Xia tried to rise, she’d push her back down forcefully.
"Doesn’t she look like a turtle flipped on its back right now? We should show all the people at school who like her how pathetic she is. Like a turtle and a dog, but nothing like a human. Isn’t that hilarious?" The girl on the right burst into laughter at Yu Xia’s disheveled state.
"You reminded me! How can we not record such a beautiful scene? Let me take a picture with my phone," said the girl on the left. Her face lit up with excitement as she dug her phone out of her bag.
"Make sure to send me a copy. And remember, take a clear shot, focus on that bitch’s face." The leader was visibly intrigued.
"Don’t worry, I won’t forget. I’ll upload it to the class group chat, and you can download it from there," the girl said as she pulled out her phone from her bag.
Yu Xia could hear the footsteps getting closer. The thought of her sorry state being seen by the entire class or even the whole school suddenly filled her with strength. With a powerful twist, she dislodged the foot on her back, and quickly scrambled up. Though she appeared disheveled, at least she was no longer pinned down and humiliated.
"Oh wow, I underestimated you, letting a bitch like you get up." The girl holding the phone, ready to take a picture, looked annoyed at the sight of Yu Xia standing again.
"I haven’t recorded the video yet. Are you going to lie back down yourself, or should I make you?" the girl said with a sinister tone, glaring at Yu Xia.
Yu Xia didn’t respond. She watched the three girls warily, calculating her escape.
"I see... Seems like what I did wasn’t enough for you to behave. You don’t know how to listen," the girl said, irritation fueled by Yu Xia’s silent defiance, a mix of anger and embarrassment at Yu Xia’s unwillingness to submit.
As the girl came closer, Yu Xia felt nervous. Her fists were clenched at her sides, sweaty and cold, an uncomfortable feeling, yet she had no time to care about it. Her mouth felt dry as if she needed a drink, so she licked her lips to moisten them.
Yu Xia had never been in a fight, but the idea of submitting to these bullies and allowing them to toy with her like a dog was intolerable. She was unwilling to give in. She’d rather suffer injuries than yield without a fight.
"What are you doing?" Just as Yu Xia had prepared herself for a struggle, ready to strike, a strangely familiar voice interrupted.
It was described this way because she vaguely remembered hearing it before, but back then, the owner of the voice couldn’t speak Huaxia Language. That’s why it seemed both unfamiliar yet familiar. Nevertheless, hearing it eased Yu Xia’s mind. Two against three was better than one.
"Who are you? Her backup?" The leading girl glanced at the newcomer behind Yu Xia, a slight unease flitting through her mind, quickly ignored.
Ariel ignored the girl’s remark, focusing on Yu Xia instead. "Are you okay? Why are you out here alone? Didn’t your family send a bodyguard with you?" Ariel questioned, concern evident in her eyes.
Seeing Ariel, Yu Xia felt a mix of emotions. It was complicated. She couldn’t bring herself to like Ariel, knowing she was responsible for Lin Mengyao’s current predicament. Yet, knowing she might have to seek Ariel’s help, Yu Xia felt a deep sense of discomfort, as if she was betraying Lin Mengyao.
For that reason, Yu Xia couldn’t look directly at Ariel. Her voice was dry as she replied, "I didn’t expect anything to happen, so I didn’t have anyone follow me."
Ariel, seemingly oblivious to Yu Xia’s inner conflict, spoke naturally and lazily, "Make sure to remember next time. You won’t always be lucky enough to have me rescue you."
Ariel didn’t care about Yu Xia’s attitude toward her. She was helping solely because Xu Ke mentioned that Yu Xia was his sister. If there was no connection between them, Ariel wouldn’t have intervened even if Yu Xia was in real trouble since she didn’t know her.
Ariel’s dismissive attitude infuriated the three-girl group. No one had dared to treat them with such disdain, completely ignoring them, what nerve!
"I’m warning you, you’d better get lost. Don’t think just because you’re older, we won’t deal with you. If you meddle, we’ll beat you too. We’re still minors anyway. Even if we cripple you, we’ll just have to pay some money and that’s it. So, decide now: walk away and pretend you saw nothing or oppose us and get beaten?" The leader cracked her knuckles, her fists making loud snapping sounds as she spoke.