The muscular man, instantly losing face after being coldly rebuffed by Bai Xi, his eyes darkening ominously. He clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles with force. "Oh, you little bitch, are you rejecting kindness? Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you and You Si were classmates before. Haven't you heard of who I am!"
You Si immediately grabbed the man's arm, her face filled with terror, her body trembling. "Kong Li, Bai Xi is my high school classmate. Please don't hurt her, okay?"
The muscular man glanced at You Si, then at Bai Xi, and then at the people around them. He finally lowered his arm. "Forget it. I'll give little You You some face."
With that, he put his arm around You Si's slender waist.
The moment the man embraced her, You Si's body involuntarily shivered, as if instinctively trying to evade him. Yet, she ultimately stood there obediently, forcing an unnatural smile onto her face. "Bai Xi, I'm so sorry, I can't catch up with you today. Let's make plans another time, another day."
The muscular man, however, was displeased. "What plans? A woman with no sense of propriety like her, you should keep your distance from her in the future."
He then tightened his grip on You Si's waist, his actions almost rough.
You Si's smile grew paler and more awkward. She dared not utter a word of defiance, her eyes full of apology as she looked at Bai Xi.
Seeing You Si's lack of resistance, the muscular man's face showed a hint of smugness. He forcefully held You Si's waist and walked towards the oath-taking platform. "Now we're going to take the oath. You, quickly get rid of these blind, ungrateful fools!"
He said this to the staff members standing by the door.
The two female staff members looked at Bai Xi and Han Mo, a hint of embarrassment and apology on their faces. "Sir, Miss, we are truly sorry. Perhaps you could wait outside with me?"
Given how fierce this muscular man was, if he were to resort to violence, how could this refined-looking young couple withstand him? It would be a terrible loss if they were disfigured.
"Endure for a moment, and there will be peace; take a step back, and the world will be wide."
As service industry workers, they understood best that one should not confront such situations head-on, lest they be the ones to suffer.
Bai Xi glanced at the staff members indifferently, then turned to look at the imposing man standing triumphantly on the elevated platform, and You Si, whose eyes were filled with guilt and embarrassment. She said softly, "You Si, you don't actually want to marry him, do you?"
As soon as she said this, a flicker of panic crossed You Si's face. "I..."
Clearly, Bai Xi had hit a nerve, but... she couldn't say it.
Hearing Bai Xi's words, the muscular man's eyes instantly flashed with anger. "Woman, it seems I've been too lenient with you. Are you determined to cross me?"
Bai Xi raised her eyebrows, her gaze filled with a cool, indifferent glance at the muscular man. She spoke in a gentle tone, "Was I talking to you?"
Looking into Bai Xi's eyes, the muscular man felt a chill run down his spine.
Clearly, the girl in front of him was as frail and delicate as the girl in his arms, someone he could easily crush with a mere raise of his hand. Yet, why did her gaze make him feel afraid?
Thoughts aside, a man's pride could not be lost. Failing to retort to Bai Xi in time and thus losing face and dignity, he had to compensate elsewhere.
Therefore, he directly reached out, pinching You Si's chin fiercely, and said to her, "Tell me, do you truly want to marry me, ah!"
His voice was laced with a threat, and the last word, "ah," was almost a roar.
After he roared, You Si's body clearly trembled slightly. The muscular man, however, smiled obscenely and triumphantly at her appearance.
The female staff member beside them couldn't stand it any longer and bravely said, "Sir, our Civil Affairs Bureau requires both parties to be willing for a marriage to be processed. We cannot process yours if you threaten this lady like this!"
But as soon as her voice fell, a vase flew directly towards her head. If Bai Xi hadn't caught it, it would have hit the female staff member's head and surely caused her to bleed profusely.
You Si, stunned by the scolding, finally came to her senses after the man threw the vase. Her eyes were filled with fear and apology as she said, "I am willing, willing to marry him."
However, despite her words of willingness, her face was on the verge of tears, revealing her heartache.
Seeing this, the female staff member was clearly frightened by the man's rage and, disheartened by You Si's timidity, could only quietly pull Bai Xi aside and say, "Thank you, miss. But... a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him. In my opinion, we should just mind our own business."
Having worked at the Civil Affairs Bureau for many years, she had seen many instances of forced marriages.
The wealthy and powerful would take advantage of the weaker party, using all sorts of invisible pressure to force them to say they were willing. In such cases, it was inconvenient for them to intervene.
What's more, this man in front of them... was unreasonable and rude!
Bai Xi looked at You Si and said softly, "Don't pay attention to what that man beside you says. I'll ask you one last time, are you truly willing?"
Saving someone was easy; saving their heart was difficult.
If You Si had truly and wholeheartedly accepted such a disgusting man, then she would respect her personal destiny, abandon her desire to help, and hope they would be locked together, lest others suffer innocently.
But if she wasn't mentally unwell, then not even a supreme immortal could save her.
You Si almost instinctively shook her head, indicating she didn't want to. But the man grabbed her chin, his eyes fierce and menacing. "What do you want to say?"
You Si could only speak through her clenched jaw, her voice filled with pain, "Bai Xi, don't worry about me, I'm fine. He's a low-level commander of the Dark Division, and our family... cannot afford to offend him."
The man's fingers tightened their grip, and he said sinisterly, "Heh, it's fine to tell her. It'll just let her know who she's messing with..."
With that, he looked triumphantly at Bai Xi. Unfortunately, this triumph quickly turned into ferocity and distortion.
The moment the muscular man finished speaking, his wrist felt a sharp pain, forcing him to release his grip on You Si's hand. He let out a pained cry, "Aow aow aow..."
Before You Si could react, she was pulled away by a force, brought to a safe zone. And the one holding her hand was none other than Bai Xi.
She blinked in surprise and looked at Bai Xi's profile.
At this moment, Bai Xi stood calmly in place, her gaze fixed coldly on the muscular man. Although she was several heads shorter than him, she seemed to possess an imposing and magnificent aura.
Her delicate jawline was proud and elegant.
You Si's face flushed slightly, her expression one of admiration.
Why was it that this girl, whom she had once envied and been jealous of, now seemed like the hero she had always dreamed of? So, girls could be this cool, powerful, and provide such a sense of security!