Chapter 72: You Have Quite an Unusual Hobby

“They’ve been working hard under the blazing sun to earn their Love Cards. Without me around, Teacher Qiu must be exhausted from cooking. Why don’t we bring back some ready-made food for them, to help them replenish their nutrition?”

Lin Yu quickly returned with a pile of cooked dishes, both spicy and mild.

Everyone’s tastes varied, but the most crucial consideration was that most artists, for the sake of maintaining their image, would avoid eating too much spicy food to prevent breakouts. Lin Yu’s choices were thoroughly considerate.

“Boss, wait here for me a moment. I’ll go buy some milk tea.”

“Didn’t you just finish drinking milk tea? Are you a water barrel? Gulping all day long?”

Before she could finish, Ji Ya had already lost sight of Lin Yu.

She didn’t realize that, at the entrance of the little alley behind her, several malicious gazes had already locked onto her.

Ji Ya, having played all day, finally remembered to check her phone. It was already half past nine at night. The crowds on the street had thinned considerably, most of the strollers and sightseers had gone home to rest.

As the throng gradually dispersed, the space around Ji Ya grew emptier, and those malicious eyes drew closer, though she had not yet sensed the impending danger.

It was the camera crew who first noticed something amiss. Holding the camera, they turned to film behind them, spotting those figures and nervously edging closer to Ji Ya.

“Teacher Ji, should we wait somewhere else?”

Ji Ya instinctively turned to look, but was quickly blocked by the cameraman, who whispered, “Don’t look.”

She had already noticed those sly street drifters. The cameraman blocked her line of sight, hoping not to attract the attention of that gang.

But those men moved faster, cutting off their path as they tried to leave.

Soon, they were surrounded, with no route of escape.

Ji Ya focused her gaze and finally realized the gravity of the situation. The leader was none other than the lecherous man from earlier.

That lecherous man wore a sleazy grin. After the afternoon’s fan meeting, he must have gone drinking, for his breath reeked of alcohol as he approached.

“Heh, you really think you’re something, don’t you? Just an actor, nothing more! In the old days, people like you would be scorned!”

“You should be grateful I’ve taken a fancy to you. Yet you act so clueless!”

“Your so-called boyfriend doesn’t compare to me, not even half. Judging by your look, you don’t believe it. Want to try?”

He spoke as he reached toward his waistband, making Ji Ya frown in disgust.

The staff who had followed quickly stepped in front of Ji Ya when they saw him move.

“Hey, let’s talk this out. We live in a lawful society, don’t do anything reckless.”

He hoped to settle things peacefully, for Ji Ya’s status was considerable. If anything happened on their show, the trouble would be immense.

The staffer was a young man with glasses, barely in his twenties, fair and gentle-looking—a demeanor the lecherous man and his gang saw as useless.

“How dare you talk to me like that?”

With a loud slap, he struck Xiao Liu’s face.

“You worthless idiot, crawl away!”

“Back when I ruled these streets, you were still sucking milk in some corner. What a joke! Just because you’ve grown a few hairs, you think you’re a hero?”

His words drew laughter from his crew.

Xiao Liu pointed the camera at the gang, summoning his courage to warn, “We’re live streaming! If you keep acting so aggressive, I—I’ll call the police!”

“Every one of your actions is being recorded. You’ll regret it!”

The lecherous man’s brothers quickly surrounded Xiao Liu and the cameraman, plunging the live stream into darkness. The chat exploded with question marks.

The lecherous man leaned close to Ji Ya, lifting her chin with a taunting smile. “Where’s your boyfriend? Haven’t seen him around.”

“Wasn’t he acting all tough in front of me earlier? Heh, so this is what he’s got?”

“If you don’t want to reveal his whereabouts, fine. I can guess—someone like him only dares to show off in a crowd. Alone, he cowers. Useless.”

“It’s late and dangerous for a woman alone. Why don’t you come with us to the hotel for some fun?”

Though the screen was dark, the audience could hear his harassment, and their anger flared.

“Damn it! Let go of Miss Ji!”

“Anyone local? Hurry and help!”

“Where the hell is Dog Yu at this critical moment? Abandoning them now?!”

“No milk tea could rival the goddess! Dog Yu, get back and rescue her!”

“Damn, I live nearby. I recognize that sleazy guy. He used to have money, but after his family went bankrupt, he turned to this. Always a lowlife—now even worse…”

“Hey, you upstairs, give your location. I’ll go take care of him!”

“……”

……

Xiao Liu, small and frail, teamed up with the cameraman. Several staff members argued with the lecherous man’s cronies, but suddenly, a gleaming knife appeared before them.

The lecherous man pulled a dagger from his belt, his face twisted in a snarl. “Try stopping me again, and I’ll send all of you straight to hell!”

The other thugs stepped closer, shrinking their space even more. Now, several of them joined the taunting chorus.

“So you all want to come to the hotel too? Look at your soft skin, I wouldn’t mind having some fun with you as well!”

“I’ll go first. Looks like a virgin. I like them tight.”

“Hey, if we’re talking about wild play, nobody beats Manager Li!”

Their banter, which they found amusing, made Xiao Liu and the others’ bodies tense with dread.

Ji Ya had never experienced such a scene. Her face darkened as she hesitated, mind whirling with ideas for escape.

Even with a net worth in the hundreds of millions, after dismissing her bodyguards for the show and left unprotected, she felt a growing sense of unease.

“You’re not leaving? Waiting to be caught? The police are already on their way!”

The lecherous man, startled by this sudden warning, exchanged tense glances with his brothers, the atmosphere tightening.

“Damn it, now we’ve got some do-gooder trying to play hero?”

“Trying to scare me? Call the police? On this street, the cops are so slow, I’ll be gone before they show up! You understand?”

“Relax, none of you are getting away tonight!”

“Guys, hurry up and get these people to the hotel. When we’re done, hand them over to the police!”

The lecherous man kicked Xiao Liu to the ground, and the thugs began grabbing for the camera.

“No money for a room, huh? This equipment looks expensive—perfect for us!”

The staff did not cower. Instead, they stood firm, shielding Ji Ya as best they could. “Miss Ji, hurry and run!”

The thugs formed a tight circle, the lecherous man twirling his dagger, utterly dismissive of their resistance.