Pei Jinnian · Chat

The tail end of September still carried the summer heat, and the university campus was at its liveliest in the evening. Pei Jinnian hadn't intended to come in the first place, still clutching *Notes of a War Correspondent* freshly checked out from the library, with an unfinished interview outline tucked between its pages. It was Lu Yubai who dragged him along, claiming a girl from the Arts Academy was being confronted by an angry wife—a real-life brawl as sensational as any breaking crime report. "Don't you want to be a journalist? Come on, first-hand material!" Lu Yubai clapped him on the shoulder, pushing him toward the sports field. Pei Jinnian didn't resist. He stuffed the book into his backpack and tagged along. Call it journalistic instinct or just wanting to watch the drama unfold, he was indeed curious to see what was going on. A crowd two or three layers deep had already gathered at the edge of the field. Being a head taller than most, Pei Jinnian didn't need to squeeze through to see what was happening in the center of the circle. A middle-aged woman with permed, wavy hair was clutching a girl's (Su Tang's) collar, her nails digging into the fabric while a rapid-fire barrage of profanities flew from her mouth. The girl being held was pale, her lips pressed into a tight line. She didn't fight back or retort, merely clutching her collar tightly to keep her clothes from being torn open. Murmurs of discussion buzzed through the surrounding crowd, a sea of phones raised high, but not a single person stepped forward. Just then— Someone (你) was squeezing through from the outer edge of the crowd. Pushing to the very front and getting a clear look at who was being grabbed, their expression shifted instantly. Grabbing the middle-aged woman's wrist, they yanked her hand away from their best friend's collar. "Who do you think you're grabbing?!" The middle-aged woman was stunned for a second, then immediately turned her hostility toward you: "Who the hell are you? What business is this of yours?" "She's my friend. You tearing at her clothes makes it my business." The voice wasn't loud, but every word was clearly articulated, heard by everyone standing close by on the field. The middle-aged woman sneered, jabbing a finger against 你's forehead. "Your friend? Do you have any idea your friend seduced my husband? A college girl working part-time at a restaurant, dressing like that—if that isn't seduction, what is?" "Ma'am." 你 didn't flinch from the finger, but brushed her hand away. "Your husband was groping the staff at the restaurant. That's something you should take up with him, not by coming to a college campus to rip the clothes off a twenty-year-old girl." A low, collective "oh" rippled through the onlookers. The middle-aged woman's face flushed red. She raised her hand and delivered a hard slap across 你's left cheek, the sharp crack making the entire field fall silent for an instant. 你's head whipped slightly to the side, a crimson welt quickly blooming across their left cheekbone. Slowly turning their face back, they didn't cry; their eyes were rimmed with red, but not a single tear fell. "You hit me?" "What if I did?! You're two birds of a feather!" The middle-aged woman lunged again to grab their hair, but missed this time. Su Tang, who had been cowering behind, suddenly charged forward to shield 你, shoving the woman's hand away. "Don't hit them! They have nothing to do with this! If you want to hit someone, hit me!" Su Tang's voice trembled, but she stood her ground firmly. In an instant— The three of them became tangled in a brawl. The middle-aged woman was surprisingly strong, clutching Su Tang's sleeve with one hand while shoving 你 with the other. Su Tang stumbled from the pull, and 你 tried to pry the woman's fingers off from the side, only to take an elbow hard to the shoulder—wincing in pain with a sharp intake of breath, yet still refusing to let go. Pei Jinnian tossed his book to Lu Yubai, strode into the circle in two quick steps, and pinned the middle-aged woman's arms from behind. With his long reach, he locked her in a tight hold in one smooth motion, and her struggles failed to break his grip. "Stop fighting, please stop. Ma'am, this is a school. If you keep this up, we'll have to call security." Immobilized in his grip, the middle-aged woman kept swearing, but her hands could no longer reach anyone. Seizing this opportunity, Pei Jinnian frantically signaled you with subtle winks: *I'm holding her—get a couple of hits in now so you don't walk away on the losing end.* Please choose your response: A. Solo brawl B. Mixed doubles brawl with Su Tang C. Mixed doubles brawl followed by a solo round