As I stepped out of the school gates, another admissions brochure was thrust my way. I glanced at it, realizing it was identical to the one already crumpled in my hand, so I offered a kind wave with the paper I held. "I already have one, please don't waste it."

"Thank you," the voice was pitifully quiet, yet possessed a captivating, delicate charm that made me look up to get a better look at the person handing out the flyers.

She wore a wide-brimmed sun hat, complimentary from some university, pulled low enough that I couldn't clearly see her face. But her figure was undeniably slender, perhaps even more so than Fang Yanmeng’s. Her clothing, however, was strikingly simple—a stark contrast to Fang Yanmeng’s designer ensemble.

Take, for instance, the white dress Fang Yanmeng was wearing; she claimed it cost over three thousand yuan. But this girl’s short-sleeved top and capri pants couldn't have been worth more than thirty yuan, and they were faded and worn from repeated washing, looking hardly better than the clothes I first saw on Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang.

There was no extended interaction; I didn’t even properly see her face before we passed each other. Fang Yanmeng, shielded completely by her parasol, hadn't witnessed the exchange. Once I settled into the car, I couldn't help but wonder what story lay behind that girl.

"Ugh, how annoying," Fang Yanmeng suddenly exclaimed, noticing several admissions brochures jammed against the car window. "Why doesn't anyone manage this? It's turning into a garbage dump. This isn't what you expect from a cultural metropolis."

"Mengmeng, let's just go home," for some reason, seeing the girl distributing flyers had sparked an intense longing for the Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang sisters, even though I had slept wrapped around Zhao Fen in my room just last night.

"Brother Zhao Qian, will you come with me to check out the company? Just for a little while?" Fang Yanmeng asked tentatively.

Before I could reply, the crowd outside erupted into sudden chaos. The students sent by various universities to hand out brochures scattered, clutching their heads. A closer look revealed city management officers aggressively chasing them!

Fang Yanmeng had just complained about a lack of oversight, and here they were, stirring up such a racket—it looked like bandits raiding a village.

For some inexplicable reason, I found myself scanning the crowd for her, hoping she had managed to escape quickly. While illegally distributing flyers wasn't right, I truly didn't want anything bad to happen to her. This must be my inherent kindness showing through.

But fate was contrary to my hopes; she was caught, crouching on the ground with a few other unlucky souls. Just as Fang Yanmeng started the car, I pulled the door open and stepped out.

"Mengmeng, I'm just going down to look around quickly; we still have plenty of time anyway."

Fang Yanmeng reclined comfortably in the driver’s seat, turning on the AC. "Okay, Brother Zhao Qian. Just don't cause any real trouble, or the sisters will scold me when we get back."

As I walked, I mused, Am I really the type to seek out trouble? I just have a habit of meddling in others' affairs.

The leading city management officer was a portly man; you could tell from his belly how much alcohol he consumed. He barked at the people kneeling on the ground, "Don't you know it's forbidden to distribute printed materials in public spaces?"

One person from the group on the ground whispered, "We are university students; our professors asked us to hand these out. Please don't make things difficult for us. At worst, we'll stop handing them out and return to school."

The fat man clearly wasn't accepting this excuse; leaving so easily would show too little respect for the authorities. His voice rose to a roar, "Shut up! Show me your student IDs or ID cards for the record, and each of you will pay a 200 yuan sanitation fee fine!"

My gaze remained fixed on the slender girl. She flinched visibly. That 200 yuan must be a colossal sum for her.

Indeed, she seemed deeply distressed, casually lifting her sun hat to fan the sweat dripping down her face. Good heavens, no wonder she kept it pulled down so low before. She’s stunning. She rivals any girl I’ve ever seen, but her beauty carries a profound sadness—a heartbreaking fragility, like Xizi clutching her chest.

This impact wasn't limited to me alone. Every man, woman, and child watching felt the resonance of her delicate, almost sickly beauty, inspiring an overwhelming urge to cherish and protect her.

Yet, the villainous, fat city official seemed utterly devoid of tenderness. Though I clearly saw him swallow hard several times, he steeled himself and stepped forward personally to collect the girl's fine.

"Pay the fine, and you can leave," the fat man’s eyes roamed incessantly over the girl’s beautiful face. Perhaps due to poor nutrition, her chest development was less than ideal.

"Uncle, please be merciful. I won't distribute any more flyers, can I just leave now? Or I can pick up all the scrap paper on the ground for you, or clean the area for a whole day." Her voice was unbearably heartbreaking.

"No, no," the fat man deliberately prolonged the interaction, wanting to speak more to her.

The girl’s voice began to crack, "But I... but I only have ten yuan on me, Uncle, please have mercy."

The city official could hear the growing murmurs of condemnation from the surrounding students and parents—no one would heartlessly trouble this girl. However, having been an authority figure for over a decade, the fat man harbored an innate desire to dominate the majority. The pointing and whispering made him feel his intellect was deeply insulted, so he erupted.

"Stop the chatter! If you don't have money, I'll report you to the police for obstruction! Zhao Qian, since you're standing around, why don't you pay the 200 yuan fine for this girl?" The fat man seemed to address the onlookers more than the girl, guiding their attention toward an unremarkable small sign tucked away in a corner near the school gate.

Sure enough, the small wooden sign bore faint lettering: "Illegal Distribution of Promotional Materials Fine: 200 Yuan. North District City Management Enforcement Brigade."

A chorus of jeers rose from the crowd. Hiding a sign so discreetly made it practically nonexistent.

"Uncle, please grant me leniency; I genuinely only have ten yuan." The girl finally burst into tears.

The fat man suddenly felt an urge to explode. He realized that watching a beautiful girl cry was surprisingly... arousing. He maintained his rigid stance. "No money? Then hand over your student ID. I will report this matter to your school, and they can punish you."

The girl's vision instantly blurred. She couldn't bear the thought of the officer involving her school. Even if this was just a minor work-study issue, it could cost her the next semester's scholarship. Without that, she had no idea how she would survive. She hadn't eaten since that morning, and the midday sun had been relentless. Hearing this threat from the fat man, she fainted...