By the time Yue Xing realized he’d made a mistake, it was far too late to run. The clay pot had already shattered with a loud smash, and it most definitely alerted anyone in the vicinity to his location. He heard a shout and the next moment the doors to the workshop were thrown open with a slam.

  Every hair on Yue Xing’s body stood on its end when he came face-to-face with Qin Zhi, who had a self-satisfied grin plastered on his face. “Got you.” The man’s hand shot out with worrying precision. Yue Xing only managed to duck away by a hair’s breadth, causing Qin Zhi’s hand to continue flying and knock over a shelf, sending dust flying everywhere.

  Seeing his chance, Yue Xing bolted from his hiding spot and ran for the door. Escaping was mere steps away when he suddenly lost his balance, tripping on a piece of firewood that had been knocked over during the commotion.

  Qin Zhi seized him from behind, and despite his meager attempts to struggle himself free, Yue Xing was hauled onto the street where the group had already gathered.

  “I didn’t— I swear, I didn’t mean to cause trouble!” Yue Xing called out, but his voice shook and came out breathless. There were at least a dozen people surrounding him, their faces mocking him as he stumbled.

  The summer heat pressed down on him like a hand between his shoulder blades, driving him forward as he darted past two of his chasers. Laughter and jeers followed close behind—someone shouting that he’d better run faster, another saying they’d make him pay for what he broke.

  Yue Xing’s heart pounded so hard it drowned out everything else. He didn’t dare look back; he knew the moment he hesitated, they’d catch him, and the thought of being dragged back by the collar like a stray dog made his legs burn with a fresh, desperate strength.

  The village wasn’t big, they would find him anyway. It was only a matter of delaying when he’d essentially meet a cruel fate at the hands of those idiots.

  He truly hadn't wanted to cause trouble again. He didn’t mean to knock over that cart, or break a branch off the neighbor’s new peach tree. He also definitely didn’t mean to wreck his father’s old workshop while running away from that cruel and awful Qin Zhi, but that’s just how life was.

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  No matter how hard Yue Xing tried time and time again, he never could do anything right. It was his curse. That was what his sister usually called it.

  He only made it half a street before they caught up to him, rough hands pushing him down to the ground and kicking up dust, making Yue Xing cough wildly.

  “You’re lucky my grandfather is dealing with something else right now, or else you wouldn't get off this easily!” Qin Zhi scoffed.

  “I told you it was an accident!” Yue Xing called out weakly, head still reeling from the fall.

  Qin Zhi didn’t look all that moved by his defense. Standing over him, he kicked another load of dust towards Yue Xing’s helpless form, and all Yue Xing could do was try to shield his eyes.

  “The only reason I’m not beating you up is because it seems you won’t learn anyway. So I’m not wasting my time on useless little dogs like you.” Qin Zhi spit into the dirt before his feet and wiped his mouth with a rugged hand. Yue Xing cringed at the motion.

  “You already did.” he mumbled to himself, but it apparently came out louder than he had intended.

  “What was that?” Qin Zhi was already at full alert again, and his friends behind him murmured, trying to guess what he had said under his breath.

  “I said, thank you for letting me go.” Yue Xing quickly corrected. He wasn’t stupid enough to actively look for trouble, and definitely not among these guys. They were all at least a good head taller than him, not to mention older and stronger.

  Qin Zhi sneered, leveling him with a truly disdainful look. “I’m sure your mother won’t be so generous. Run along now, Xing-er. Don’t keep your mom waiting.” he made a shooing motion with his hand that had his buddies snickering to themselves.

  The bullies retreated, casting him mocking glances over their shoulders as Yue Xing wincingly straightened up, attempting to sweep the dust off his already worn clothes.

  He huffed, grumbling under his breath. They always did him like that, waiting to catch him doing anything remotely bad and chasing him around the village until he was too tired to run anymore. Only then did they knock him down. Usually they beat him too, but it seemed that that day they didn’t even consider him important enough for that. Not that they regularly considered him important at all.

  When he saw the group disappear behind a wall he finally turned around, walking right into the trap of a far more terrifying foe.

  “I cannot believe you, young man.” His mother’s voice sounded like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. Yue Xing had a very long day ahead of him it seemed.