Chapter 149: Indeed, They Aren’t Worthy of You
“Linlin, you’ve awakened an ability too? And it’s Water?” Even while trading blows with Wang Qiang, Zhao Peng found the breath to keep talking, his eyes gleaming with greedy excitement. “Water is amazing! It’s the perfect match for my—”
Before he could finish his sentence, the tattooed thug, humiliated and enraged by the blast of water in his face, wiped his eyes and lunged at Wang Qiang once more, slashing his machete downward!
Wang Qiang had barely dodged a heavy punch from Zhao Peng, leaving him open to the incoming blade—
Whoosh!
Several flexible, emerald-green vines erupted from the cracked earth without warning. Like striking vipers, they whipped through the air and wrapped tightly around the tattooed man’s wrist and ankles, constricting violently!
The thug let out a sharp cry of agony as his machete clattered to the dirt. Tripped by the sudden pull around his legs, he crashed flat on his face.
In the same split second, a blur of movement tore past—it was Chu Yang!
Without relying on his spatial powers or drawing a weapon, Chu Yang trusted his enhanced speed and raw physical power. Leaping into the air, he drove a heavy side kick straight into Zhao Peng’s ribs!
Zhao Peng felt a sharp, cracking pain in his side as the impact sent him flying horizontally. He hit the ground with a dull thud, groaning in the dirt, completely winded.
The entire fight had flipped in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Jue and Lin Xiao strode over, their expressions cold and severe as their sharp gazes swept across the dirt clearing.
Brushing a layer of dust from his pant leg, Chu Yang raised an eyebrow at the men writhing on the ground, then turned to look at Jiang Lin’s pale face. A teasing smirk touched the corners of his mouth. “What’s going on here, Jiang Lin? Ran into an old friend? He seemed pretty enthusiastic—an ex-boyfriend, maybe?”
Jiang Lin was gently massaging her bruised, reddened wrist. Hearing his quip, she shot him an exasperated glare, her tone dripping with open disgust. “Do you honestly think my taste is that terrible?”
“Fair point.” Chu Yang chuckled, giving her a playful wink. “With taste like that, he definitely isn’t worthy of you.”
The lighthearted banter cut straight through the lingering tension. Jiang Lin’s stiff shoulders relaxed, and she let out an amused scoff at him.
Standing beside them, Jiang Jue’s cold gaze swept over the fallen thugs before settling on the smiling exchange between Chu Yang and Jiang Lin. His dark eyes flickered. Taking a subtle step forward, he placed himself smoothly between the two, neatly blocking half of Chu Yang’s view as the younger man leaned in toward Jiang Lin.
Groaning on the ground, Zhao Peng pushed himself up with one arm, ready to spit more threats, but Lin Xiao planted a heavy boot squarely on his shoulder. The weight wasn’t crushing, but it pinned him firmly against the dirt.
“Stay down. Move another inch and I’ll snap your collarbone,” Lin Xiao said in a low, gravelly voice. The icy ruthlessness in his eyes sent a violent shiver straight down Zhao Peng’s spine.
Grimacing in pain, Zhao Peng still tried to salvage his pride. “You think you can touch me?! I’m with the Wild Wolf Squad! If you mess with me, the squad will hunt you down!”
“Wild Wolf? Never heard of them.” Lin Xiao leaned slightly more weight into his heel, grinding his boot against the man’s shoulder with a cold scoff. “Bark one more time and I’ll turn you into a dead wolf right here.”
On the other side, the tattooed man and the yellow-haired youth—still tangled in Su Mubai’s vines—had already been subdued under Wang Qiang’s heavy hands. Seeing more reinforcements arrive from the SUV, every one of them tall, imposing, and radiating dangerous power, the thugs realized they had picked a fight with real monsters. All traces of arrogance vanished, replaced by sheer panic.
The yellow-haired punk frantically tugged at Zhao Peng’s sleeve, silently pleading with his eyes not to escalate things any further.
Zhao Peng felt the crushing pressure as well—especially from the tall man in black who hadn’t uttered a single word. Jiang Jue’s silent, unblinking glare made the hairs on Zhao Peng’s neck stand on end.
Gritting his teeth, Zhao Peng looked up at Jiang Lin, forcing an awkward, pleading smile onto his face. “Linlin, this is all a misunderstanding! It really is! I just… I haven’t seen you in so long, I lost my head from excitement! Come on, could you tell your friends to… let us off easy?”
Jiang Lin looked down at his groveling face, a wave of pure revulsion rising in her throat.
Yet out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the gathering crowd of onlookers, each watching with sharp, calculating eyes. She also remembered that their group had only just entered the base; picking a prolonged feud with an established local squad before they even learned the lay of the land was a bad move.
Taking a deep breath to push down her disgust, she nodded toward Wang Qiang. “Brother Wang, let them go. It’s not worth it.” Turning to Lin Xiao, she added calmly, “Brother Lin, let him up.”
Jiang Jue offered a slight nod of approval.
Lin Xiao gave a dismissive snort and pulled his boot back.
Scrambling to his feet like a condemned man granted a last-minute pardon, Zhao Peng frantically brushed the dust from his white shirt.
Not daring to meet Jiang Jue’s gaze, he stammered a parting word to Jiang Lin: “Linlin, I’m staying at the Wild Wolf base over in the East District. If you ever need anything, come find me!” With that, he waved his battered lackeys together and hurried away through the parting crowd, ducking his head beneath the jeers and mocking stares of the bystanders.
Jiang Lin spat toward his retreating back, muttering under her breath, “Completely deranged!” Turning to Wang Qiang, her voice softened. “Thanks, Brother Wang.”
Wang Qiang grinned, waving his hand as he rubbed his aching side. “Don’t mention it. It’s what I’m here for.”
During the brief skirmish, the afternoon heat had grown even more stifling.
Chu Yang, who always struggled in high temperatures, already had a light sheen of sweat across his forehead.
Jiang Jue looked down at him, his voice steady and calm. “Let’s head back, Yangyang.”
Chu Yang nodded, turning to Jiang Lin and Li Yu. “Let’s get back in the cars. At least the AC is running in there; it’s much cooler than baking in the sun.”
Li Yu stepped quickly to Wang Qiang’s side, supporting his arm with a worried look. “Qiangzi, are you sure you’re alright? That kick landed hard; you aren’t hurt, are you?”
Wang Qiang shook his head, dusting off his shirt with an easy chuckle. “Don’t worry, my hide is tough. Just a graze, nothing serious.”
The group turned back toward their vehicles.
Just as Chu Yang reached for the door handle, an idea seemed to strike him. He paused, looking back toward Jiang Jue and Lin Xiao. “Boss, Old Lin, give me a minute. I need to… find a spot to take a leak. Drank way too much water earlier.” As he spoke, he pointed casually toward the alley where the mother and daughter had vanished earlier.
Jiang Jue watched him, his dark eyes understanding everything instantly. Rather than calling him out, he simply gave a brief nod. “Be quick.”
“Got it!” Chu Yang called over his shoulder, slipping swiftly into the dim, foul-smelling alleyway.
The passage was even narrower and more suffocating than the open street, feeling like the inside of a furnace.
On either side sat rows of low, crumbling shacks. Some were little more than makeshift tents built from three rusted poles and a few dirty tarps, barely covering three or four square meters. It was hard to fathom how entire families survived inside them.
The stagnant air was thick with the sour stench of rotting garbage, mildew, and human waste, baked by the blistering heat until it was nearly impossible to breathe.
Wrinkling his nose, Chu Yang held his breath and pushed deeper into the passage. Letting his eyes adjust to the dim light, he muttered under his breath, “They should have come this way, I know I didn’t lose the trail…”
After walking several dozen paces, tucked behind a towering pile of discarded junk in a nearly inaccessible corner, he spotted a crooked, rotting wooden door.
Chu Yang paused and listened closely. From within the dark shack came the faint, muffled voice of the little girl from earlier.
The door hung slightly ajar. Peeking through the gap, he saw two thin silhouettes huddled together on the bare dirt floor—it was indeed the mother and daughter.
Daily Life of Being Turned Gay by the Male Lead After Transmigrating into an Apocalypse
