C7 Beaten

A look of joy spread across Qing's face.

Her scheme had worked.

In that moment, Qing burst into raucous laughter. She spun around and yelled at a nearby statue, "You hear that? I told you he was into me, but none of you believed me!"

Watching Qing's manic laughter, Gao Mu felt a chill in his heart.

He gazed at Qing with a cold detachment, as if she were a complete stranger.

While Qing laughed, Gao Mu noticed someone lurking behind the statue.

"So, he really likes you, huh?" An unemployed youth emerged from behind the statue. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Qing, and chuckled. "Well then, tonight, I'll take you to Mr. Faang's place for some fun."

"Sure!" Qing glanced at Gao Mu with a smug look.

At that moment, the unemployed youth released Qing and approached Gao Mu.

He gave Gao Mu's cheek a patronizing pat, the slap echoing sharply.

"Get lost!" he barked, and with that, the unemployed youth kicked Gao Mu to the ground.

"Mr. Ma, you're truly formidable!"

Behind the statue, several other young men appeared, all bearing the look of thugs.

Ma spat in the direction of Gao Mu and sneered, "Rubbish! You think you can chase after my girl?"

"That's right."

One of the young men chimed in, "Qing is Mr. Ma's girl!"

"Mr. Ma, want us to give him a beating to cool you off?"

At these words, a gleam appeared in Mr. Ma's eyes.

Gao Mu lay motionless in the rain.

He bit down on his lip, eventually breaking the skin.

Blood trickled from his lips, some spilling onto the ground, some running down his throat.

Humiliation surged within Gao Mu. He longed to lash out at Ma, but his better judgment held him back.

It wasn't just their numbers; even if they were fewer, he was no match for a street tough.

"Boy, what's with that look?" Ma had been silent, searching for an excuse to hit Gao Mu.

But as Gao Mu met his gaze, Ma seized the opportunity.

Gao Mu remained silent and refrained from making eye contact with Ma.

However, Ma, having found his justification, was determined not to let Gao Mu off the hook so easily.

"Who gave you permission to look at me that way?" Ma bellowed, launching a kick straight at Gao Mu.

This time, Ma's foot connected with Gao Mu's face.

A sharp pain erupted across Gao Mu's face, and he toppled to the ground, driven by the force of the blow. As he hit the earth, water splashed up around him.

Lying there, he opened his eyes to the rain falling from the sky, feeling an overwhelming sense of heartache.

"I had thought that once I obtained the System, I could change my destiny. Yet, I never anticipated facing something like this."

Beyond the heartache, Gao Mu was engulfed by a profound melancholy.

This melancholy stemmed partly from Qing and partly from within himself.