The boxing gym was as bright as day and already packed to capacity. Fans had been looking forward to this highly publicized match for a long time.
This was all because of a new boxer who had emerged six months ago. He had shown incredible talent in recent matches and became a favorite of several big bosses, causing his value to skyrocket. His appearance fee for tonight’s match was as high as two million yuan.
Meanwhile, backstage—
“Number 1, do you need me to wrap this up for you again?”
Lu Beihuai sat on a nearby sofa, shirtless. His chest and back were covered in bruises. With broad shoulders and a lean waist, his well-defined muscles looked like a sleeping beast. He remained expressionless, his eyes as dark and deep as the sea; a single look from him felt suffocating.
He gave off a low-pressure aura that made him difficult to approach.
“No need.” Lu Beihuai lowered his head to wrap gauze around his right hand. “I’m leaving as soon as I get tonight’s fee.”
“The boss told me—are you sure you’re done for good? Doesn’t your dad need the money?”
Lu Beihuai’s hand paused as he wrapped the bandage. He lowered his eyelids. “I’m done. I’m afraid I won’t be alive to take care of my dad if I keep going.”
He didn’t say another word and quickly finished wrapping his hand.
The manager was an elegant-looking man with glasses. Seeing that Lu Beihuai was silent, he stopped talking as well.
He knew the situation. If it weren’t for being poor, the kid never would have stepped into a boxing gym. But how many people have this kind of talent? His natural physical gifts allowed him to win numerous amateur titles in just six months and attract investment from many big shots.
He had the talent and the looks. Whether it was a real match or an exhibition, watching him was a pleasure.
Over the last six months, every one of his matches had been sold out.
Unfortunately, he only signed per-match contracts, and today was his last one.
“Mm,” Lu Beihuai gave a low grunt of affirmation.
He looked at the bandage in his hand, loosening and tightening it as he wrapped his injured right hand firmly. He closed his eyes slightly, and a clean, beautiful face appeared in his mind.
—I’ll get the bone marrow transplant for your father.
—Don’t worry.
Half an hour later, the match began.
The area around the octagonal ring was standing room only. Rich men in suits and socialites in expensive gowns spent money freely, and many boxing enthusiasts were eagerly awaiting this visual feast.
“Number 1!!!! Go for it!!!”
The tall teenager stood by the ring, head down as he adjusted his bandages. Hearing the cheers from the crowd, his lips curled slightly.
He looked up slightly, the light tracing his sharp, rugged profile beneath his mask. His dark eyes were cold and calm, his expression indifferent yet carrying an arrogant air. He exuded a sense of dejection combined with a terrifyingly heavy pressure.
The bright lights fell on his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His back, covered in scars over smooth muscle lines, was fully visible to the crowd. Compared to his opponent, he was the embodiment of “violent aesthetics” in this match.
It was a collision of hormones and brutality.
His opponent was a man of similar size, but his muscles were thick and trembling. The audience naturally knew which face they wanted to watch even though that face was soon hidden by a headguard.
Both sides put on their gear one by one.
The referee was already in position, watching the time. The moment the second hand hit zero, he raised his hand to signal both sides to get ready.
Lu Beihuai walked to the center of the ring with an indifferent expression. Facing his opponent’s provocations and insulting gestures, he looked down and gave a light laugh.
A certain someone suddenly came to mind.
A bad student always has the most stationery.
Beep—!
The moment the whistle blew, his gaze turned sharp and heavy.
Both sides threw punches almost simultaneously, aiming for each other’s vital points!
Within just a few minutes, it was clear who had the upper hand.
With a thud, the heavy opponent was caught in a chokehold and slammed hard onto the ground. Lu Beihuai’s arm pinned the man’s neck; the suffocating force turned the opponent’s face bright red instantly.
Sweat dripped from Lu Beihuai’s jaw. His cold eyes met the other man’s desperate gaze.
In that same second, the heavy opponent found an opening and counterattacked. He swung his lower body up and caught Lu Beihuai’s head between his legs, flipping him to the ground. Using his massive weight advantage, he began raining punches down on Lu Beihuai’s head.
The head is the most vulnerable part of the human body.
Despite the protection of the headguard, the attacks still took their toll. Blood immediately began to flow from Lu Beihuai’s nose, staining his cold, hard face.
The staff immediately grabbed white towels and rushed up to wipe the blood from Lu Beihuai’s face.
Because this was an official match with clear regulations, blood was not allowed to remain on the fighters to avoid it looking too gruesome. Staff had to step in immediately to clean any fighter who started bleeding.
The match continued.
Standing in a corner, Song Qie was trembling all over, his mind a total blank. He had been gripping his pant legs tightly, but the moment he saw Lu Beihuai bleeding, he couldn’t help but cover his mouth. His breathing was shallow, and his eyes shimmered with shock and terror.
His heart suddenly felt a sharp, pulling pain.
…This was insane.
The name “Lu Beihuai” was printed right there on the promotional flyer he was clutching.
He had wondered why Lu Beihuai always came home at night with injured hands and bruised face, and why he always smelled like medicine. The guy was actually out here boxing.
Just then, he saw the cleaned-up Lu Beihuai launch a sudden counterattack.
His powerful physique exploded with force. Even from a distance, one could feel the raw strength in his muscles as he hooked his arm around the opponent’s neck, locking it and slamming the man into the floor again.
There was a dull thud as the man’s head hit the ground.
Lu Beihuai didn’t stop, his slightly injured face remaining expressionless.
Finally, the referee noticed the opponent’s state and began the ten-second countdown.
“Ten, nine, eight…”
Almost the entire crowd counted down with him.
“Congratulations to Lu Beihuai for winning this match!!!” The referee stepped forward, grabbed the blood-stained Lu Beihuai, and raised his arm high to the roaring crowd.
The other boxer was already being carried away by the medical team.
While the audience cheered, the winner’s face was covered in blood. It dripped down his muscular arms. He was covered in wounds. He lifted his blood-stained eyelids, his dark, cold eyes scanning the crowd. They stopped for a few seconds when they reached a certain spot.
When that dark gaze swept over him, Song Qie’s heart hammered. His legs went weak, and he slumped down where he was.
“…”
This guy was crazy.
He never would have guessed that Lu Beihuai was boxing to earn money. He could get seriously hurt!!!
He knew the gentle face Lu Beihuai showed him was a mask, but he didn’t expect this side to be hidden behind it.
He was boxing every night. Song Qie knew it was to save his father, but how could he take such risks? Wasn’t he afraid of what might happen?
What if something went wrong?
Because the match was over and the doctor had given Lu Beihuai a quick check-up, many wealthy people wanted to go up and take photos with the winner. After all, the event was well-sponsored, and the prize money was substantial.
Finally, the photo session ended.
Backstage, a doctor was giving Lu Beihuai more thorough treatment.
Lu Beihuai thanked the doctor and pulled on a black hoodie. He slowed down when the movement pulled at his wounds, but he didn’t stop. He put on a hat and a black mask to hide his split lip.
He had lost a lot of blood, but fortunately, his face was mostly fine. He always made an effort to protect his face during fights.
He zipped up his jacket and asked expressionlessly, “Has the prize money been transferred?”
The manager smiled and patted Lu Beihuai on the shoulder. “When have I ever owed you? The boss is so good to you. If you ever want to come back, just tell me. The gym is always open to you. You’re a natural.”
In the next second, he met Lu Beihuai’s side-eye. The gaze was so cold and dark that the manager immediately raised his hands. “Alright, alright, sorry. I forgot you were injured. Go home and rest up.”
Lu Beihuai didn’t say anything else. He grabbed his patched-up backpack from a locker and left.
His tall silhouette moved slowly, but his innate pride wouldn’t allow him to show even a hint of his heavy injuries.
The narrow back alley was dimly lit. The lids of several gray trash cans were broken and hanging off to the side. A dozen trash bags were piled in a corner, giving off a faint smell of food waste.
Lu Beihuai left through the back-kitchen exit. By the time he reached the alley, his head was ringing. The heavy blows he had taken to his head made him dizzy and nauseous. The world was spinning, making it hard to stay upright.
He instinctively reached out to lean against the wall. Warmth bubbled from his nose and seeped into the corners of his mouth.
His legs buckled, and he dropped heavily to his knees.
However, he didn’t hit the ground as expected. Instead, he was caught by a thin, soft body.
Well… he wasn’t exactly caught.
The thin body was pinned against the wall by his heavy, tall frame.
“Lu Beihuai!”
Lu Beihuai’s head was heavy. The panicked voice in his ear felt like it was floating in from far away, but he recognized the familiar tone.
He closed his eyes and let his head rest heavily on the other person’s shoulder, giving a low, dark laugh.
He hadn’t been mistaken earlier.
Song Qie couldn’t hold Lu Beihuai up and was slammed against the wall behind him. Feeling Lu Beihuai go limp and put all his weight on him, Song Qie could only use the wall for leverage to keep him steady.
Seeing him resting on his shoulder as if he had fainted, Song Qie used one free hand to pull down the mask.
When he saw Lu Beihuai was having a nosebleed, he panicked. He immediately supported the man’s head to keep it down and pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the bleeding.
To his surprise, Lu Beihuai suddenly laughed.
“…” Song Qie’s hand froze, and his legs felt weak.
“Young Master.”
“…Are, are you still conscious?”
The dim alley was narrow. The tall figure’s shoulders were slumped, his powerful arms propped against the wall behind the person in his arms. His massive, muscular frame completely overshadowed the thin, delicate boy, casting an aura of aggression and pressure.
“You caught me.”
Song Qie was pressed against the wall. He felt heavy breaths falling against the side of his neck. The hand that had been pinching Lu Beihuai’s nose was now pinned against the wall behind his own head. He didn’t dare move.
His legs went soft.
In the next second, his waist was lifted by a powerful arm.
Lu Beihuai gripped the soft waist in front of him and lowered his head, pressing his warm lips against Song Qie’s ear. In a low, husky voice, he asked with a light laugh: “Are you scared, now that you’ve seen me hit people?”
As he spoke, he wrapped his large hand around Song Qie’s slender neck, forcing him to look up.
Song Qie was close to tears. Pinned against the wall, his eyelashes trembled. He looked down and whispered: “…N-No, I’m not.”
In the dirty alleyway, the boy being held by the neck had snow-white skin. His voice trembled with a sob, like a dying white swan letting out a pitiful, pleading wail.
He said he wasn’t scared, but he was clearly so terrified he was about to cry.
At this moment, the pleasure of revenge reached its peak.
Lu Beihuai thought to himself: This is how it should be. He should be crying, afraid, and pleading with me.