18 Noelle is not easy to bully.

"Hurry up and help us find the dog!"

Several men accompanying Green chimed in, even attempting to reach out and grab Noelle.

"You guys, wait..."

Smack!

Just as Noelle was holding her toothbrush, unsure of what to do, Jams stood up and blocked her, slapping away the hand that was about to grab her.

"I say, your name is Green, right?"

"I'm Green!" The red-haired man looked at Jams with a clearly malicious gaze.

Jams shrugged and coldly stared at these men who clearly came looking for trouble.

It was bad enough that this group suddenly approached with an air of superiority, but they even pushed and shoved Noelle, showing no respect.

Were they picking on an innocent person?

Damn it!

"Sir, we're here to find Noelle. What's with your sudden appearance? If you can't handle it, just watch your mouth and avoid trouble."

Green, the rogue redhead, didn't get angry at Jams defending Noelle. Instead, a cold smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.

Green was one of the bottom-tier ruffians in Mondstadt's eastern district.

Ruffians like him weren't well-regarded in Mondstadt, but only kind-hearted Noelle treated them as human beings and was polite to them.

However, Noelle's kindness didn't influence these ruffians; it only made them more audacious and even fostered unwarranted evil thoughts!

The ugly side of human nature was displayed vividly in these ruffians. They were greedy, arrogant, and jealous.

So when Green saw Noelle laughing and talking with a pretty boy by the lake, jealousy started to consume him.

Asking Noelle for help in finding a dog was just an excuse.

His real intention was to distract Noelle and teach this pretty boy a lesson with his lackeys, so that the pretty boy, Jams, would never dare to lift his head in front of Noelle again!

"..."

Noelle was accustomed to helping others, so she didn't see through the intentions of these ruffians.

But Jams, also being a man, could see the malice in Green's eyes and the stench of scum that no amount of perfume could conceal.

This group deliberately came looking for trouble!

Since that was the case, there was no need to let Noelle be foolishly ordered around.

"Jams..."

Sensing the increasingly tense atmosphere, Noelle quickly got up and gently grabbed Jams' wrist, whispering, "Jams, it's alright. I'll go to the forest and find the puppy."

"Don't waste your energy. They clearly have ill intentions."

Jams shook his head, looking at the red-haired man, Green, and said calmly, "A group of grown men with hands and feet, yet they insist on ordering a young girl to help them find something. Can't they have some dignity?"

"Heh, Noelle is Mondstadt's versatile maid. Just helping to find a dog, do you really think I'm deliberately causing trouble?"

Green approached Jams, wearing a smug expression. "Buddy, you should know that the Whispering Woods are inhabited by Tcho-Tchos. It's dangerous for an ordinary person like me without any strength to enter the forest."

"Noelle is kind-hearted, and she definitely wouldn't want to see us being bullied by the Tcho-Tchos, right?"

After speaking, Green cast a venomous glance at Noelle.

"Um..."

Noelle's eyes trembled slightly as she looked at Green, then at Jams, feeling conflicted.

Noelle had a feeling that her answer might affect Jams' opinion of her.

If she agreed with Green, Jams would surely be disappointed.

But she didn't want to disappoint Jams!

Her circle of friends was small, and there was only one male friend like Jams who could make her open up like this.

She didn't want to miss out on such a friend.

"I..."

Noelle bit her lip, her delicate body slowly hiding behind Jams, like a small white cat seeking refuge behind its owner.

"I promise to learn fishing with Jams, and during the fishing period, Jams has the final say!"

"What!?"

Green and the other delinquents looked at Noelle's obedient appearance and felt their hearts break.

Oh my goodness!

The only good girl in Mondstadt who treated them as people has now become someone else!

How infuriating!!!

Jealousy twisted their faces and fury surged in their hearts, wishing to drown Jams in the Wine Lake!

At this moment, Jams' handsome and sunny face seemed so hateful to Green and the others, like a demon from the abyss!

On what basis!?

Just because this pretty boy looks good? Does looking good give him the right to do whatever he wants?

"Well, it seems this little bitch has fallen for another man."

"Guys, this seems a bit unfair, abusing power, lacking integrity... Ah!"

Boom!

Before Green could finish his sentence, he felt a gust of strong wind, his vision went black, and his nearly 200-pound body was sent flying!

Thud!

"Cough, cough... Urgh... you... you!"

Green rolled on the grass, spitting blood, his eyes filled with horror and resentment.

"Heh, is that all?"

Jams moved his wrist under the astonished gazes of everyone, his smile cold. "Noelle has dedicated so much time and effort to Mondstadt, and in return, she received your arrogance and prejudice."

"You guys are nothing but a bunch of hungry wolves!"

"Boss!"

A few henchmen quickly helped Green up, trembling with fear. "Boss, are you okay? What... what should we do now?"

"Cough, cough!"

Green covered his swollen face, coughing up blood, and hoarsely shouted, "Kill him, use your knives, use your knives!"

"Yes!"

A few henchmen reached for the daggers at their waist, feeling a bit more courageous.

But before they could draw their weapons, they felt another gust of violent wind!

Jams' iron fist mercilessly landed on each of their faces.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Ah! Ahhh! I'm done for!"

For a while, the shores of the Wine Lake were filled with the wailing of the delinquents.

The tender green grass gradually turned red with blood.

Noelle watched Jams unleash his might like an unleashed wild dog, and she was completely stunned.

Fierce, decisive, swift, and powerful—Jams was completely different from the previous Jams.

She had never expected him to hide such power!

It was terrifying!

"You... you guys, stop fighting!" Noelle's emotions were complicated as she shouted loudly.

Ora, ora, ora!!!

Jams didn't stop, his fists striking like lightning.

Five minutes later.

Green and the other delinquents, led by Green, lay on the ground like dead dogs, gasping for breath, their eyes filled with fear, unable to muster any resistance.

"Hey, if you're not dead, make a sound."

Jams kicked Green's buttocks.

"Squeak!" Green obediently made a sound.

"If you had this attitude earlier, nothing would have happened. Young man, don't be too hot-headed."

Jams squatted down, patting Green's shoulder in a friendly tone. "Your dog ran into the Whispering Woods, right? Hurry up and find it. If you're late, you won.

"There... There were no dogs... We... we just wanted to distract Noelle and teach you a lesson cough cough..."

"I'm not listening, I'm not listening."

Jams squinted his eyes, the smile on his lips sending shivers down the spines of Green and the others. "Go, into the forest, find the dog!"

"Okay, we'll go... we'll go right away..."

Despair and regret filled Green's face as he walked heavily towards the Whispering Woods, as if stepping into hell.

"Heh, I'll wait here. If you can't find the dog, don't bother coming back."

Jams returned to the lakeside, washed his hands, opened up an umbrella for shade, and started fishing.

Noelle looked worriedly in the direction of the Whispering Woods. "Jams, I heard there are Tcho-Tchos causing trouble in the Whispering Woods..."

"Don't believe everything you hear. Mondstadt has good security, how could there be Tcho-Tchos nearby?"

Jams waved his hand, appearing unconcerned.

"Ah, ahhh!!!"

However, just as he finished speaking, a heart-wrenching scream echoed from the Whispering Woods, sounding like the voices of Green and the others.

"Hmm."

Jams raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you were right. There really are Tcho-Tchos in the forest."

Noelle's face turned pale. "Then what about them..."

Jams smiled. "They're probably... dead."