Master Protector in the City

The scorching sun beat down relentlessly, the heat waves rolling like a suffocating tide. Since July began, Jianghai City had been enduring temperatures over forty degrees Celsius for more than a week. Such extreme weather forced people to hide indoors in air-conditioned rooms, too wary to step outside. At noon, the hottest part of the day, a young boy was walking calmly along National Highway 107, heading toward Jianghai City. He was about 170 centimeters tall, slim in build, and while not exactly handsome, he had a delicate, clean-cut appearance. His outfit was unremarkable: a plain white T-shirt, faded jeans, and a pair of yellowed white sneakers—altogether, probably worth less than a hundred yuan. Yet, despite the blazing sun that could have melted anyone, the boy seemed unaffected. His face was cheerful, showing no signs of fatigue, and remarkably, not a single bead of sweat glistened on his skin. "Beep beep!" The sound of a horn rang out. A black Audi sped up from behind him. The boy turned, smiling brightly. Instead of dodging, he spread his arms and stood firmly in the middle of the road. "Screech—ah!" The car braked sharply, accompanied by two startled shouts, coming to a halt less than a foot from the boy. The window rolled down, and a man leaned out, yelling angrily, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" "Is this car going to Jianghai City?" the boy asked, smiling calmly, as if nothing had almost hit him. "None of your business! Move aside, or don’t blame me!" the man barked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. He had heard this stretch of road wasn’t exactly safe—could this kid be some sort of thief? The boy grinned. "I want a ride." "A ride?" The man hesitated, relieved yet annoyed. "This isn’t a taxi!" "I know," the boy said cheerfully. "I don’t like taxis." "Don’t like taxis? Then take a bus! Just move aside!" The man’s patience was thinning. "I don’t like buses either," the boy said stubbornly, still blocking the car. "I don’t care if you like it or not…" The man clearly didn’t want to give this kid a lift. Before he could finish, a pleasant female voice came from the car: "Let him in." The man froze. "Meng Ying, this kid is—" "I said let him in!" The voice was firm, tinged with impatience. "Hurry up, I don’t have time to waste!" Reluctantly, the man opened the door and called out to the boy: "Consider yourself lucky. Get in." The boy climbed into the back seat, giggling, "Thank you, beautiful lady!" In the back were two girls: one older and one younger. The older, about twenty-three or twenty-four, wore a deep blue business suit. She exuded a cold, untouchable elegance. The younger, only thirteen or fourteen, was dressed casually, lively and cute with bright, sparkling eyes. The older girl seemed preoccupied, ignoring the boy’s friendly antics, while the younger wrinkled her nose, pouting in mild annoyance. "Why aren’t you thanking me?" "Because you’re too young," the boy replied with a cheeky smile. "I’m not into little girls." The younger girl’s face flushed. "I’m not little!" The boy shamelessly glanced her over, then concluded: "You’re small everywhere." "You—!" The girl’s face turned red with anger. "Cousin, make this annoying boy get out!" "Beibei, we’re on a schedule," the older girl said with a slight frown, glancing at the driver. "Junfeng, start driving." Clearly, both the driver and the younger girl obeyed the older girl without question. The younger girl gave up on forcing the boy out, and the man quickly drove off. The boy was restless in the car, curiously poking and peeking at everything, excited as ever. "You must be a country bumpkin, this is your first time in a car, right?" the younger girl finally asked, unable to contain herself. "Yes," the boy admitted naturally. "Then why did you say you don’t like taxis?" the girl asked indignantly. "My wife told me taxis cost money," the boy replied. "You even have a wife?" The girl couldn’t resist teasing him after his earlier insult. "My wife is very beautiful," the boy said, staring at her. "Much prettier than you." "Keep bragging!" the girl scoffed. She didn’t believe this boy, looking scruffy and uncultured, could possibly have a beautiful wife. "Driver, how long until we reach Jianghai City?" the boy asked. "Two hours," the driver answered. "Two more hours, and I’ll see my wife!" The boy looked happy. "Your wife is in Jianghai?" the younger girl asked. "Of course. Otherwise, why else would I come here?" the boy said casually. "If your wife is really that beautiful and she’s in Jianghai, I might know her. What’s her name?" the girl asked, curious despite herself. "Qiao Xiao Qiao," the boy said, looking at her. "Do you know her?" The car braked suddenly. The driver almost slammed into the wheel. "Qiao Xiao Qiao?" The man exclaimed. The two girls in the back also stared at the boy in disbelief. The name had a huge impact on them. "Driver, do you know my wife?" the boy asked, confused for a moment before giggling. "She’s beautiful, right?" "Cousin, could there be another Qiao Xiao Qiao in Jianghai?" the younger girl whispered. "Maybe," the older girl said, quickly regaining her composure. "Junfeng, keep driving." The car moved on, but the atmosphere in the vehicle had grown tense. "Hey, country bumpkin, do you really know Qiao Xiao Qiao?" the younger girl finally asked. "She’s my wife, of course I know her," the boy said with a peculiar glance. "Are you an i***t?" "You’re the i***t!" the girl fumed. "Even if you know Qiao Xiao Qiao, she couldn’t possibly be your wife. What kind of status does she have? How could she like you?" "Little sister, let me ask you something. Do you like winter or summer?" the boy asked, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Don’t call me little sister! I’m not little and I’m not your sister!" the girl glared. "I’m Su Beibei. You can call me Miss Su, or Big Sis Beibei!" "Alright, Miss Su, answer my question," the boy grinned. "Why even ask? Of course I like summer. Winter’s too cold," Su Beibei replied. "See? You liked me the moment you met me. If my wife likes me, what’s so surprising?" the boy said with a smile. "When did I ever say I liked you?" Su Beibei shot back. "You just said you like summer," the boy’s eyes sparkled with cunning. "So what?" Su Beibei was confused. "You like summer, which means you like me," the boy said with a cheeky grin. "My surname is Xia, and my given name is Tian." Su Beibei was stunned. She never expected this boy to have such a strange name. No wonder he asked that weird question earlier. "Who names their kid something like that?" she said indignantly. So Xia Tian sighed. "So many people like me, I feel really stressed!" "Disgusting!" Su Beibei grimaced. "My master said, when girls feel disgusted, it usually means they’re pregnant," Xia Tian said earnestly. "You!" Su Beibei’s cheeks turned red. "p*****t!" "My second master told me I was born a p*****t," Xia Tian continued seriously. "I think neither your first nor second master is a good person!" Su Beibei glared. If looks could kill, Xia Tian would have been shredded. "My third master will like you. He agrees with you—he says my first and second masters are jerks," Xia Tian grinned. "You have so many masters?" Su Beibei was losing her mind. "My celestial sister told me most people have dozens of teachers growing up. I only have three, which is pretty good," Xia Tian said cheerfully. "Celestial sister? Who’s that?" Su Beibei’s head started spinning. "My celestial sister… is also my wife," Xia Tian said, eyes softening, expression gentle for a moment. "Isn’t your wife Qiao Xiao Qiao?" Su Beibei groaned. "This boy’s words make no sense." "You’re really dense. Celestial sister is my main wife, Xiao Qiao is my secondary wife. Such a simple question, and you can’t figure it out?" Xia Tian said, a hint of disdain in his tone. The driver finally lost his patience. "Beibei, this guy’s crazy. Why are you listening to him?"