He Zhi sniffled: “Count me in. I feel bad for her. Back then, I’d see her every few days and didn’t think much of it. Who knew she’d become so… feminine. She’s had a tough life. If this keeps up, she’ll lose her mind.”

After deep thought, Gao Yang laid out his plan: “Here’s the deal. Those of you scared to cross anyone, just distract the maid. He Zhi and I will take her and run.”

Zhou Lei clapped his hands: “No way, we’re brothers—let’s do this together. From what you said, that maid’s probably a fighter. Look at her arms—she’s trained.”

Gao Yang shot him a grateful look: “Let’s get her out first. We’ll figure out the rest later. Any objections?”

The boys had been chattering from a distance, too far for me to hear.
The maid handed me a bottle of water, suggesting I rest before playing more.

I was tired, so I agreed, setting the basketball down.
I noticed two boys were gone, and the rest were heading toward me.
Thinking they wanted to practice while I rested, I rolled the ball over.
Gao Yang picked it up, standing before me: “How should I put this?”

“What?” I tilted my head, puzzled.
Suddenly, he raised the ball and smashed it toward the maid, grabbing my hand: “Run!”

“Huh?”
I stumbled, nearly falling.
The ball hit the maid, forcing her back a few steps, pain flashing across her face.
She looked shocked and started to chase.

Three boys tackled her, pinning her down, shouting hysterically: “Go! It’s up to you now!”

The maid struggled, unable to move.
By the time she recovered, we were out the school gate.
Two motorcycles were waiting outside, ridden by the missing boys.
Gao Yang gestured for me to hop on one, giving me a confident look.

They were helping me escape—but could we really get away?

The motorcycle sped off, my dress fluttering in the wind.
After a long ride, we reached a residential building in a neighborhood.
The four of us ran upstairs, locking the door behind us, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

I didn’t know what to do.
For now, I’d escaped, but what next?
No ID, no household registration, no one would hire me—I’d end up begging again.

I sat on the sofa, hugging my knees, then, realizing it was expensive, moved to the floor.

The three boys stared, stunned.
Gao Yang sighed: “It’s fine, sit. You’re not a beggar anymore, and you’re clean.”

His words gave me confidence.
I sat back down, the sofa bouncing me like a jelly snack.
The boys smiled, relieved, as if saving me was their proudest moment.

Soon, Gao Yang got a text, saying helplessly: “That maid beat up our buddies, but don’t worry, they’re okay. Want something to drink?”

Relieved they were fine, I felt guilty and planned to apologize later.
Licking my lips, I said: “Water, please.”

Gao Yang handed me a glass of water.
The others held sodas, and I cast an envious glance but thought better of it—this wasn’t my place.

They popped open their cans, carbonation fizzing out.
I swallowed hard, glancing over, accidentally meeting Gao Yang’s eyes.
I shrank back, sipping my plain water.

He chugged his soda, the wild motion of his throat catching my eye.
He glanced back, and I lowered my head, staring at my cup, silent.
This happened a few times—his face shifting between goofy smiles and confusion.

“Little fairy, what’s your name?” He Zhi asked, his gaze shy, face red to his ears.

“Chuxia.” [Note: A slight variation from “Zhixia,” possibly a typo or intentional shift in the narrative.]

He said it was a nice name and asked about my plans.
Suppressing my unease, I thought for a long time, pursing my lips: “I don’t know. No one will hire me. I might have to leave the city—it’s not safe here.”

“What? Leave?”
Gao Yang’s voice shook my eardrums.
I covered my ears: “They’ll find me eventually.”

“Stay at my place! I’ll take care of you, protect you!”
He sounded urgent, speaking without thinking.
I knew it was impossible—he was just a student.
Smiling gratefully, I said: “Thanks, you’re a good person.”

His face flushed, hands flailing, knocking over his cola, which he ignored, slapping his knees: “I’m serious! Stay here. I swear I won’t hurt you, or may lightning strike me dead!”

His words swayed me.
After some thought, I gripped my cup tighter: “Well, I can wash clothes, cook—though it might not taste good. I usually just use salt.”

He moved to hug me, but He Zhi blocked him: “Hey, hey, hey! If you’ve got bad intentions, she might as well stay with me.”

Embarrassed, Gao Yang stammered: “I… no way, I’m just excited. I promise I won’t touch her.”

He Zhi’s words hit home: “You’re taking all the benefits. What about the brothers who covered our escape? They got beat up.”

Gao Yang froze, realizing his selfishness, looking conflicted: “Then what? There’s only one little fairy—we can’t split her up, can we?”

He Zhi thought carefully: “Here’s an idea. We each take her for a week. That’s fairest. No one gets bad ideas, or we go straight to the police.”