Song Xiaodong's home was in a city village surrounded by closed-off neighborhoods with cluster after cluster of tall buildings, creating a stark contrast between the dilapidated and dim village and the high-rises all around.
It had been nearly five years since he'd last been home. Although it was run-down, it held the memories of his happy childhood. Stepping out of the taxi, he found he barely recognized the roads anymore and couldn't immediately locate his own home.
Night had fallen, and the streetlights here were particularly dim. Relying on his memory, Song Xiaodong followed a narrow path deeper inside.
"Hey, pretty girl, wanna have some fun with us?"
"We'll make sure you have a blast like you've never experienced before."
Turning a corner, Song Xiaodong heard the sounds of several young men laughing and joking in a smaller alley nearby, clearly harassing a girl.
"No, please, I don't want to go with you, you're all bad people," came a girl's voice from that direction, delicate and feeble.
Song Xiaodong entered the alley and saw three young men around twenty-three or four years old, surrounding a girl. They were all smirking playfully, while the girl hugged herself, her face pale, continually backing away.
"Hey, if she's not into it, why are you still crowding her?" Song Xiaodong tossed a cigarette into his mouth and lit it with a snap.
"Fuck, who's this motherfucker daring to meddle in our business?"
All three guys turned their heads to look at Song Xiaodong.
"What, don't you recognize me?" Song Xiaodong instantly recognized the trio; they were from the same area, and he had beaten them up more than a few times before.
"Ah, Song Xiaodong, you're back?" one of the guys recognized Song Xiaodong, and his face suddenly turned ugly.
"What's wrong? Not happy to see me?" Song Xiaodong blew out a ring of smoke.
"No, no, welcome back, we were just leaving, we have other things to do," the three punks said before running off as fast as their legs could carry them, disappearing in an instant.
"These three bastards, still as pathetic as ever," Song Xiaodong shook his head, withdrawing his gaze, only to find that the girl from before was now lying on the ground.
"What's this? Getting into position waiting for me?" Song Xiaodong muttered, but something felt off, so he went over and squatted down beside her.
The girl was wearing a white dress, her complexion pale, lying immobile on the ground, breathless. He felt for her pulse, getting no response—the girl's heart had actually stopped beating.
"Such a beautiful girl, like an angel. It'd be a shame for her to die like this, guess I'll do a good deed and save you this time."
Song Xiaodong quickly discarded whatever he was holding and started pressing down on the girl's chest, then lifted her chin and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
He had only just heard her cries for help, and now her heartbeat was gone. Song Xiaodong could immediately tell that the girl had a severe heart condition.
Over the years, Song Xiaodong had been part of Dragon Rise, a special division in the military. Aside from having strong combat abilities, he was also the division's chief medic.
However, his method of treatment was unlike Traditional Chinese Medicine or Western Medicine, mainly relying on his own abilities—a miraculous healing ability. Although incredibly effective, it greatly sapped his vital energy and spirit, limiting him to only a few treatments a day.
Right now, his first priority was to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the girl and bring her back.
"Let go of the lady!" With a roar, two people rushed over at high speed and charged straight at Song Xiaodong.
"I'm saving someone," Song Xiaodong hurriedly explained and then bent down to give the girl artificial respiration again.
But to those two men, it looked like Song Xiaodong was taking advantage of the girl, and they became furious, their fists and feet flying towards him.
Song Xiaodong was in the critical phase of saving a life, where every second was a matter of life and death. A one-second delay could reduce the chances of saving the person. Yet those two men were attacking him without even trying to understand the situation, which instantly enraged Xiaodong.
Bending over to continue giving the girl artificial respiration, he propped himself up on his elbows and, relying on the support of his arms, his legs shot out lightning-fast, kicking at the two men as they lunged toward him.
The two men could not react in time and were struck squarely. As they surged forward, it was as though they were yanked back by ropes, their feet lifted off the ground, and they crashed heavily into the alley's wall before sliding down.
They felt as if the bones in their chests were about to break. They struggled to stand up but were unable to lift themselves after several attempts.
Meanwhile, Song Xiaodong, as if unaffected by the altercation, released the girl's lips and began pressing hard on her chest again.
The two men had acted out of rage a moment ago. Xiaodong's dexterity had initially shocked them, but now, watching his actions, it was clear he was indeed saving someone. Both held their chests, not daring to make a sound.
Thanks to Song Xiaodong's efforts, the girl's heartbeat eventually returned, and she began to breathe. Her eyes opened, still somewhat bewildered.
By then, Xiaodong had already stood up and said, "Alright, she's been saved. She has a serious heart condition, and you let her go out on her own."
"Thank you, big brother," the two men hurried over, looking very respectful.
Song Xiaodong waved his hand and said, "Okay, enough. You nearly got her killed. You better take her to the hospital quickly. If anything else happens, I won't be involved."
"I..." The girl had sat up slowly by now and said with a furrowed brow, "Was I molested just now?"
Song Xiaodong looked at the girl. She was incredibly beautiful, like an angel, especially her now-lucid eyes that sparkled with spiritual energy. If he hadn't known about her severe heart condition, he would have truly felt like flirting with her.
He felt a tinge of regret, thinking why he hadn't taken the opportunity to 'enjoy some perks' while saving her. Actually, he realized he hadn't missed out – he had given her mouth-to-mouth and pressed her chest, though he hadn't thought much of it at the time, and now the recollection evoked no particular feelings.
"You were cornered by three troublemakers, then you fainted, and they ran off in a fright. I just performed CPR on you and saved your life. Even though I saved you, you don't have to think about repaying me with your body."
"Ah!" The girl covered her mouth in shock and looked at Xiaodong, "You actually performed CPR on me."
"Do you know what CPR is?" Song Xiaodong looked at the girl with a teasing smile.
The girl's face flushed red, and Xiaodong's gaze felt penetrating, as if he could see right through her. She instinctively hugged her chest and stammered, "I... I, of course, know... I... I..." After faltering a few times, she hung her head, too embarrassed to meet Song Xiaodong's eyes.
"Alright, you should be fine now. Hurry home and rest. Don't go running around alone anymore. If you run into someone who doesn't understand the situation, you won't even know how you died."
After saying that, Song Xiaodong turned and walked out of the alley.
"Miss, are you alright?" The two men helped the girl up.
"I'm okay, ah, has the gentleman who saved me left?" The girl looked up and around, only to find that Song Xiaodong was gone.
"He left, thank heavens he saved you."
"I didn't even ask his name, he saved me, and he even took my..." The girl almost blurted out 'first kiss', her face turning red enough to bleed, and her mouth still had a faint taste of tobacco.