Who should I target?

Little Yun, Qu Buping, and Chu Xiaoyu—the three little rascals—kept their eyes fixed on the beauties walking along the street. They were so dazzled that, for a time, none of them dared to make a move. After pacing back and forth on the street several times, Little Yun felt his stomach protesting more and more loudly. "Two big brothers," he said, "just looking won't solve anything. We have to make a move sooner or later!"

Qu Buping replied, "Don't be impatient. We are looking for the perfect opportunity; one must strike only when the time is right."

Just then, a woman walked from across the street. She wore a veil over her head, obscuring her features. Generally, a woman who wears a veil is either too ugly or too beautiful, hiding her face to avoid unwanted attention. Judging by her graceful silhouette, one’s intuition suggested the latter. However, what truly caught the attention of Qu and Chu were the large gold earrings the woman wore, glittering and swaying with every step.

It was the third month of spring, and the climate in the Jiangnan region had already turned mild. The woman wore a thin, light-pink dress, and precisely because the fabric was so sheer, the exquisite curves of her figure were fully revealed. The alluring lines of her dress were enough to set any man’s imagination running wild, and even her slender hands, adorned with a jade bracelet, were intoxicatingly beautiful. Because of the thin veil, she appeared as if seen through a mist—a sight that only fueled infinite fantasies.

Watching her graceful, swaying gait, Qu Buping thought to himself, "The time to strike has arrived. Even if I don't manage to steal any silver, it wouldn't be bad to at least get a feel of such a beautiful woman."

Just as Qu Buping prepared to act, Xiaoyu said, "I think our Little Yun is still young, and I can't bear to see him corrupted so early. As the saying goes, 'If I do not enter the gates of hell, who will?' It seems it is better for me to take the lead."

Qu Buping let out a strange laugh and said, "Our Young Master Chu always rushes to take the good stuff. Very well, good luck to you." With that, he grabbed Little Yun’s hand, slowed his pace, and widened the distance between them and Chu Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu walked quickly toward the woman. From her attire, he could tell she was surely a wealthy young lady. The jade bracelet on her wrist alone was worth several hundred taels of silver—enough for the three of them to live in luxury for several months.

They watched as the woman walked into a rouge shop, took a gold leaf from the sachet at her waist, and bought several boxes of high-quality rouge. She tucked the remaining gold leaves back into the sachet. Seeing the gold, the eyes of both Xiaoyu and Qu Buping went wide. Little Yun, however, remained indifferent; having spent time in the company of the Ninth Young Lady, he was somewhat accustomed to such sights.

Xiaoyu drew closer and closer to the woman, his nose already catching the faint scent of rouge wafting from her. He felt a bit nervous; though he loved beauty, he was currently more concerned with the delicate little purse at the woman’s waist.

The opportunity finally arrived. The woman, completely unaware that she was being followed, continued to walk at a leisurely pace. The sachet containing the gold leaves dangled before his eyes, as if deliberately teasing him. Seizing the moment, Xiaoyu gritted his teeth and thrust his right hand out with lightning speed toward the sachet. But just as he felt certain of his success, the woman’s body suddenly swayed. Xiaoyu’s hand missed the purse entirely and landed heavily on her slender waist.

Watching from a distance, Qu Buping couldn't help but curse under his breath, "That bastard Xiaoyu must be so bewitched by this lady that he’s stopped targeting her purse and started targeting her body instead." Little Yun, meanwhile, was so nervous he nearly cried out.

Suddenly, a shout of "Ah!" rang out. It wasn't the woman who had cried out, but Xiaoyu. His face contorted in pain, as if he hadn't grabbed a beauty’s waist, but rather a red-hot iron or a hedgehog covered in needles.

Qu Buping was startled and muttered to himself, "Why is this idiot Chu making such a racket after touching her?"

Just then, the woman’s jade-white hand clamped firmly onto Xiaoyu’s wrist. She cried out in a delicate, sharp voice, "Ah! How can you be so brazen as to touch me like that? You are a rogue! A shameless, lustful villain!"

Instantly, the eyes of everyone on the street turned toward them. Xiaoyu turned bright red, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into. He bitterly regretted his impulsive decision to volunteer, which had left him both humiliated and in agony. He realized then that this woman was no ordinary person. He had intended to grab her purse, but somehow, she had anticipated the move and deliberately met his hand with something needle-like, causing him such sharp pain that he couldn't help but cry out.

Xiaoyu tried to shake his hand free to make an escape, but to his horror, the woman’s seemingly soft and delicate hand held his grip with such strength that he was completely sapped of power and unable to struggle.

Within moments, a crowd had gathered. Qu Buping and Little Yun felt their hearts sink, but they had no choice but to step forward. Qu Buping, finding Xiaoyu’s pathetic state somewhat amusing yet secretly alarmed—for he knew that with Xiaoyu’s skills, an ordinary man couldn't have restrained him so easily—decided to play along. He walked up to Xiaoyu and shouted, "Ah! Isn't this little Niu from next door? Is your eighty-year-old mother sick again? You didn't have money for her medicine, so you thought you’d borrow some from this young lady, didn't you?"

Seeing his smug, gloating expression, Xiaoyu cursed him silently, "Go to hell."

Aloud, he played along: "That's right, brother Doggy. My eighty-year-old mother’s old ailment has flared up again. I wanted to buy medicine for her, but having no money, I saw this young lady had gold leaves in her purse and thought I’d borrow a little."

Qu Buping laughed and scolded, "If you want to borrow money, you have to look at where you're putting your hands! You picked the wrong spot. Did you see that she was beautiful and decide