Chapter 16: The Onset of Calamity

But I knew I had already been excluded by them.

My ankle was swollen and painfully throbbing. It was nearly dawn when I finally drifted into a restless sleep.

When I woke, it was already nine in the morning. They were chatting and laughing, paying no attention to me.

My ankle had swollen into a thick circle, making it difficult to put weight on it.

Fatty Fang and a few others began loading the truck. After they finished, Xiao Zhao helped me onto the vehicle, and Da Hu, Er Lengzi, and Xiao Lian also climbed aboard.

Throughout the journey, no one mentioned whether we had entered the tomb again. The atmosphere inside the truck was strange, as if shrouded in a mist, with everyone reluctant to break the silence.

Soon we passed through Yaochi County. Sensing the odd mood inside the truck, I left a casual excuse about visiting relatives and stepped down.

I hadn’t told them that my home was right here.

After dropping me off, the truck emitted a plume of white smoke and sped away.

Watching its retreating figure, I briefly thought I saw a rag doll move against the rear window.

I rubbed my eyes, but the truck was already rounding the corner and disappeared from sight.

I spat on the ground and cursed, "Bastards, have fun feeling miserable."

At that moment, two young men approached from the roadside, glaring at me fiercely.

"Hey, little bastard, who are you cursing?" they snarled.

I looked up and silently cursed my luck—why did I have to run into some hooligans again?

"Brothers, we don’t know each other, so I’m definitely not cursing you," I said with a smile.

"Damn brat, you’re asking for it." Before I could react, the two swung their fists, and I was knocked down in no time.

Lying on the ground, clutching my head, I suddenly noticed a commotion in the crowd gathering around.

Through the gaps between my fingers, I saw a young girl step out from the onlookers and kick the two attackers to the ground one by one.

By the time I sat up sideways, the girl was still kicking them.

They clutched their heads and backsides, rolling on the ground and screaming in pain.

When she saw me, the girl paused in surprise, then said, "For someone over six feet tall, you look pathetic. Two punks like them beat you up like that? Pathetic!" She spat disdainfully at the two and then looked at me with a scornful gaze.

"Little sister, haven’t you noticed my injured ankle? Otherwise, those two wouldn’t have had a chance," I argued, trying to boost my morale.

I believed this was a common flaw among men—when faced with a pretty woman, they couldn’t admit defeat, especially when it was a charming young girl.

The girl flicked her twin braids, smirked, and said, "You’re so good at playing the victim, it’s almost convincing."

The crowd erupted in laughter, drowning out the pitiful cries of the two on the ground.

My face flushed instantly, the heat burning as if it could boil water. This girl’s words were too cutting.

"Cough, cough, little sister, you speak with such depth. Do your folks know about this?" I retorted defiantly.

"Tch! My dad says, as long as I’m right, bring it on," she replied.

Another burst of laughter rippled through the crowd, who began praising the girl enthusiastically.

My face grew even redder; I knew I was doomed today. This little miss was no pushover.

I struggled to stand, clasped my fists in a respectful gesture, and said, "My father called me home for lunch. Thank you for today; I’ll repay you in the future."

The crowd laughed again, and without further excitement, dispersed.

Limping, I started heading home. Seeing I wasn’t pretending, the girl came over to support me.

"Fang Yuan, you’re too weak. You should practice sometime. You shouldn’t let people hit you without fighting back," she said.

I was taken aback and glanced at her with suspicion. "How do you know my name?"

"Tch, we were elementary school classmates. I’m Wang Jing."

"Wang Jing!" I exclaimed with delight, smiling warmly. "Wow, girls really change as they grow up. You’ve only gotten more beautiful."

Wang Jing stared at me, puzzled. "What do you mean by 'girls change'? Wasn’t I good-looking back then?"

I chuckled, "Heh, you were good-looking, just…"

"Just what?" Wang Jing asked, curious.

"Just that you always ate vermicelli, it was unbearable."

"What! You called me a snot-nosed kid who eats snot all day? That’s disgusting!" Wang Jing took a step back and kicked me in the butt.

"Damn!" I jumped up, but her kick landed right on my tailbone. The old and new injuries flared up in pain.

"Ow!" As my foot hit the ground, my ankle throbbed sharply, and I fell again.

Instinctively, I braced myself with my hands, but a sharp crack echoed from my wrist.

A piercing pain shot through me—I felt like my wrist had fractured again.

Wang Jing stood frozen, staring at me in disbelief. "Are you acting? I didn’t hit you that hard."

Supporting myself on the other hand, I bit my teeth tightly, feeling utterly broken with no part of me spared from pain.

I grimaced and trembled, "It’s not your fault; my tailbone was already injured. Any touch hurts."

Biting her lip, Wang Jing said, "I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were hurt."

"It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’ve just had a run of bad luck these days—every move brings injury."

At that moment, a chill ran through me as I recalled my grandmother’s words: "If the stone shatters, go home immediately. When the stone breaks, calamity follows."

I had never believed that a stone could just shatter on its own, nor that such a break could foretell disaster.

Now, I believed.

Not only did I believe, I was afraid.

Since the stone broke, not only had calamity come, but my body had grown fragile, and I was always the one getting hurt.

"Wang Jing, help me up. My wrist is broken; I can’t get up," I gritted out.

Pain coursed through every joint, and I couldn’t tell where it hurt the most.

Sweat ran down my forehead, stinging my eyes and causing tears to flow.

"Fang Yuan, don’t cry. I hate seeing people cry. Sorry, sorry," Wang Jing said as she came to support me.

"Damn, you’re the one crying. That’s just sweat in my eyes—so salty it makes me tear up," I replied.

"Fang Yuan, don’t push yourself. You were always a crier as a kid. Cry as much as you want; I won’t tease you," Wang Jing said, holding my arm and helping me up.

I felt two soft, warm things press against my arm, and I instinctively leaned in closer.

"Wang Jing, I’m the one who hurt your arm. Let me pay for your treatment," she said quietly, clearly feeling guilty.

"Wang Jing, my injuries aren’t your fault. I just want to go home."

She stared at me blankly, hesitating before asking, "Fang Yuan, are you blaming me? I really didn’t mean to."

Her voice trembled with a hint of sorrow.

I sighed deeply. If I kept getting delayed like this, I didn’t know if the next disaster would strike immediately.