Scarlett was grabbed around her upper body.
The words “Scarlett from Larkspur Village” momentarily stunned her, but she didn’t let it stop her from screaming for help. These idiots had even done their homework on her background! Scarlett felt a pang of worry—this alley was quite isolated, and the scorching midday heat meant there were few people on the streets.
With three men, two of them already injured, they couldn’t afford to waste time.
If she kept screaming like this, someone was bound to come. The uninjured man reached out to cover her mouth, but Scarlett, without her scissors, landed a ferocious kick to his groin. He doubled over in pain, clutching himself like a boiled shrimp.
Scarlett kicked him again, not caring whether her second kick hit or not, and seized the opportunity to break out of their grasp and sprint toward the alley’s entrance.
People under duress can summon extraordinary strength. Scarlett wasn’t as worried about being robbed as she was about being assaulted by these thugs. A respectable young woman, she still dreamed of having a proper romance in the 1980s!
The thugs cursed and chased after her.
Scarlett, too, was anxious. Her body was weak, and while she wasn’t short, there was no way she could overpower three men!
Just as she was about to reach the alley’s exit, a shadow appeared, blocking her path. For the first time, despair filled Scarlett’s heart—she thought it might be another accomplice. She collided head-on with the figure.
The man steadied her and said, “Hey, I’m not one of the bad guys!”
His accent immediately gave him away as someone from outside Greenfield County.
The man pulled Scarlett behind him. “What kind of idiots are you? Bullying women in broad daylight? Greenfield County’s law enforcement needs to step up! Don’t worry, comrade, I…”
Scarlett was sweating from the chase, her flushed face as red as a ripe apple.
The man was momentarily stunned.
Then he yelled, “Brother! Kay, come quickly! Some thugs are harassing a young woman!”
It wasn’t just any young woman—they were harassing her! Ever since he’d seen Scarlett at a noodle stand a few days ago, this man couldn’t get her out of his mind. The way she had looked up at him while eating, her misty, sparkling eyes full of unspoken words, had been etched in his memory.
Fueled by adrenaline, he shielded Scarlett behind him and charged at the three thugs, shouting like a madman.
Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed he was here to help!
She recognized him—it was the guy who had been staring at her at the noodle stand.
The sound of footsteps echoed from the alley entrance.
Another young man appeared, his steps firm and his presence commanding. His short-cropped hair accentuated his striking features, giving him a roguish, magnetic charm. This man was clearly not to be trifled with.
Kay raised his head, his gaze meeting Scarlett’s.
Her face was glistening with sweat, and she was panting heavily, but her breathtaking beauty was undeniable. Kay wasn’t one for poetic descriptions, but he thought every part of Scarlett looked stunning, leaving him slightly parched.
His companion had been right—this small county had hidden such a gem.
No wonder his friend had been rambling about her the entire way to the capital. Now, seeing the thugs attacking Scarlett, Kay’s temper flared.
Kay watched his friend knock the three thugs to the ground, but he still wasn’t satisfied. Picking up a half-brick from the ground, he smashed it against one thug’s head. The man let out a howl before collapsing, unmoving.
“Kay!”
His friend quickly abandoned the other two and grabbed him. “Don’t lose your temper—it’s not worth it.”
Kay glanced at him and calmed down.
Scarlett, fixing her disheveled hair, was still a little scared.
There was no one else around—what if these two were also bad guys?
Kay didn’t call her out on her suspicions. “What should we do with these three?”
Scarlett glanced at the sky and said, “Comrades, thank you so much! Could you take them to the police station?”
Kay nodded.
His companion kicked one of the thugs hard. “Stop pretending to be dead—get up!”
His friend avoided looking at Scarlett, but Kay wasn’t as restrained. He noticed the fresh scar on her forehead. “What happened to your forehead?”
Scarlett thought to herself, Why is this guy so direct?
Still, she couldn’t be rude to her savior. She mumbled, “I fell and hit it.”
The more Kay looked at the scar, the more annoyed he felt. Her flawless face now had a blemish—would it leave a permanent mark?
As the thugs were tied up, one of them cursed loudly:
“She’s just a loose woman! If others can sleep with her, why can’t we? We’re all men—why not share the fun?”
Kay’s companion kicked the thug in the face, knocking out several teeth and finally silencing him.
The mood grew awkward, and Scarlett’s expression darkened. She picked up her bike and saw that several eggs had broken.
She earned just one cent per egg.
Braving the blazing sun to collect eggs from various villages and making two trips to Greenfield County daily, Scarlett woke up at 5 a.m. and didn’t rest until 9 or 10 p.m. And now, after all that, she’d earned nothing for the day.
Despite having endured much worse in her previous life, Scarlett couldn’t help but feel a wave of grievance.
Who the hell wanted to be reborn in 1983?!
It had taken her 20 years to build a successful life, only to wake up and lose it all!
With reddened eyes, Scarlett kicked one of the thugs a few times and said furiously, “Even if I were loose, I wouldn’t stoop to your level! Cowards—only know how to bully women!”
