Chapter 43: Unexpected Alliances and Unveiled Secrets

Liu Hong had no particular thoughts regarding Chen Sen’s request and subsequent change of mind. Instead, he readily agreed.

The one who paid was the boss.

Whatever the boss said was correct.

Furthermore, it spared them the trouble of protecting a useless person like Wang Fanran.

Zhou Lin, whose mouth never stopped chattering, had naturally informed Liu Hong, who was bored at home, about Wang Fanran instigating Li Dong to commit assault. He had recounted the entire sequence of events without delay.

Given that the police had also visited the school to gather evidence, the incident had escalated significantly. Rumors swirled, echoing loudly through the school halls.

Therefore, it was hardly surprising that Chen Sen was aware of the situation.

Recalling Chen Sen’s past requests, Liu Hong harbored a degree of apprehension toward the man. He resolved that, beyond purely financial dealings, he wanted no further association with him.

This was precisely why, when Chen Sen contacted him with an offer of more profitable work for him and his crew, Liu Hong had immediately refused.

While money was certainly enticing.

However, earning money through honest, steady work was far preferable to harboring fantasies of overnight riches.

“This is impossible! Chen Sen clearly promised me that as long as I…”

Upon hearing Liu Hong’s pronouncement, Wang Fanran, who had been sent flying by a kick, gritted his teeth against the pain. He immediately began to shout, utterly refusing to believe it.

Yet, before he could even finish his words, Liu Hong abruptly snatched a textbook from a nearby desk. He hurled it directly at Wang Fanran.

“Shut up.”

Whatever transgressions Chen Sen had committed were of no concern to Liu Hong, nor did he possess any interest in prying. However, given his own connection to Chen Sen, it was imperative that Wang Fanran spoke no further.

Goddess Su Yao was still in the classroom; he couldn’t allow her to witness such a scene and show any expression of disgust.

“Hehe, Brother Liu, let us continue to properly ‘greet’ that dead fat pig. You can simply watch from the sidelines.”

Witnessing Brother Liu’s decisive action, Zhou Lin, one of his subordinates, immediately spoke up. He proactively offered to handle the situation for his boss, eager to relieve his burden.

They hadn’t quite had their fill of beating him earlier; now was the perfect time to continue.

That Wang Fanran, who typically presented a timid, subservient facade, was, in reality, a foul-mouthed braggart behind their backs.

His disdainful attitude suggested he believed himself to be far superior to them.

It was precisely this arrogant contempt that made Zhou Lin keep a constant watch on him.

He found him utterly insufferable.

“Alright, go on and have your fun!”

Liu Hong did not reject Zhou Lin’s suggestion.

He held no interest whatsoever in Wang Fanran.

If Zhou Lin wished to beat him, it presented no issue at all.

However…

“You must be Lin Qing! Zhou Lin mentioned you. It must have been quite the ordeal; getting stabbed with a knife surely feels awful.”

As Zhou Lin led his group, their fists clenched and ready to pummel Wang Fanran, Liu Hong did not immediately go to Su Yao. Instead, he turned his body, his gaze settling on Lin Qing, who stood quietly to the side.

He didn’t have a strong impression of the newly transferred male student.

He only recalled him as being rather reclusive and quiet.

Now, observing Lin Qing holding snacks and standing apart, he appeared just as quiet as Liu Hong remembered.

His long black hair was truly exaggerated, completely obscuring his face.

Only his slightly pointed chin was visible.

‘Damn it!’

The school’s disciplinary committee constantly hounded him about his attire. Yet, why did they completely overlook a guy like this?

‘This was clearly bullying the ‘delinquents’!’

Furthermore, Lin Qing’s entire getup was incredibly outdated. What era were they in? The old trope of sweeping back hair to reveal a beautiful face… no one used such a hackneyed plot device anymore.

Besides, one’s appearance was innate.

If someone was born ugly and remained so, even if they wore thick, ‘bottle-cap’ glasses, they would still be unsightly once they removed them.

Liu Hong truly couldn’t believe that this boy, Lin Qing, had been like this since childhood, that no one had ever seen his face.

Surely, he had family and friends who had seen Lin Qing’s true appearance.

In this day and age, people directly displayed their strengths to the opposite s*x. Only with bold declarations of love could one win the heart of a beauty.

Just as he did with Su Yao…

‘As long as I persevere, victory will be mine!’

“I was not injured by a knife.”

However, upon hearing Liu Hong’s words, Lin Qing suddenly spoke up.

In stark contrast to Liu Hong’s casual demeanor, Lin Qing’s reply carried an unexpected seriousness.

Liu Hong paused, taken aback by the response. He then regarded Lin Qing with a peculiar sense of wonder, surprised that such a slender boy possessed such unexpected boldness.

Few in the class dared to speak to him in such a direct manner.

‘Interesting.’

Lin Qing’s words carried no pretense or arrogance; he was simply stating the facts honestly. This was why Liu Hong didn’t find his earnestness off-putting.

Based on Lin Qing’s appearance and his straightforward words, Liu Hong had already decided that Lin Qing was a rare, genuinely honest person.

“Pfft.”

While Liu Hong and Lin Qing were conversing, an irrepressible giggle drifted from not far away.

Though it was merely a laugh, Liu Hong instantly recognized its source.

‘That was Goddess Su Yao laughing!!!’

At this realization, Liu Hong’s head snapped up in delighted surprise, his gaze flying towards Su Yao’s desk. He saw Su Yao, who had been engrossed in her book moments before, now setting it aside. She had turned, her body angled towards their direction.

Her eyes, like polished obsidian, gazed directly at him. The faint, upward curve of her lips formed a smile that utterly captivated him.

Liu Hong felt as though he had already drowned in the intoxicating depths of Su Yao’s smile.

While Liu Hong gazed at Su Yao, utterly lost in her presence, Lin Qing, who stood beside him, also lifted his head to look at her.

Yet, unlike Liu Hong, whose eyes seemed to sparkle with adoration, Lin Qing’s gaze upon Su Yao was notably cold.

It carried a distinct wariness.

‘What exactly was the “good show” Su Yao had spoken of during their call yesterday?’

Considering Su Yao’s mischievous nature, and without a clear answer, Lin Qing’s heart remained unsettled. He found himself unable to calm his racing thoughts.

‘Perhaps Su Yao had already discovered something, which was why she had hinted at it during their call.’

‘She was constantly tormenting his mind.’

‘What a truly wicked woman.’

While Lin Qing was engrossed in these thoughts, Su Yao, still seated, automatically dismissed Liu Hong. Catching sight of Lin Qing also watching her, the smile on her lips brightened considerably.

‘She greatly anticipated the ‘good show’ to come. Just how shocked would Lin Qing be?’

‘The mere thought of it was amusing.’

‘It was a pity she couldn’t approach Lin Qing within the school, a fact that slightly displeased Su Yao.’

‘Still, the thought of maintaining a clandestine relationship with Lin Qing was quite exhilarating.’

With these thoughts in mind, Su Yao smiled at Lin Qing. Her gaze then drifted downward to his bandaged left hand, her dark eyes shimmering with an unusual light.

‘She was truly brimming with interest for this enigmatic Lin Qing!’

While a sense of convivial harmony reigned on this side, the thrashing Wang Fanran endured on the other was utterly wretched. Zhou Lin and his crew of delinquents had a particular method for their beatings: inflicting immense pain without fracturing bones or damaging internal organs.

Only his skin and flesh would turn bruised and purple, and the slightest touch would send excruciating pain through him.

Enduring the brutal beating, Wang Fanran lifted his head, glaring malevolently at Lin Qing. He knew he could no longer keep the secret.

‘Let everything explode together!’

“Brother Liu, I have something to say!!! Lin Qing and Su Yao are secretly involved; I personally witnessed them kissing in the changing room!!!”

With these thoughts, Wang Fanran screamed out, recklessly revealing everything he knew.