Chapter 3: The Unexpected Confrontation

“Why is Li Lin Guan here? What a pain!”

“Isn’t he a student from Class 8? Coming to our Class 1 to show off is just too much!”

“Back in freshman year, I heard he was chasing after Duan Yulan and warning all the guys in school not to even think about approaching her. Now he’s talking like this—could it be that Qiao Xia and Duan Yulan have something going on?”

“Qiao Xia? Who’s that? Is he in our class?”

After hearing his own name, Qiao Xia looked toward the door in surprise. There, a guy with a spiky, rebellious hair style stood at the classroom entrance, radiating a menacing aura. Thankfully, he didn’t have black lipstick or lip rings.

The whispers from his classmates quickly revealed the identity of the newcomer, leaving Qiao Xia with no doubt that he couldn’t avoid this confrontation. What happened at the school gate was bound to spread, and these students would soon hear the rumors. The spiky-haired guy was just the first in line, and there would surely be more to come.

Despite having paid little attention to Duan Yulan before, Qiao Xia couldn’t help but overhear a lot of gossip about her from Zhou Li, who was obsessed with her. For instance, Duan Yulan, as the school’s beauty, had captured the hearts of countless men.

Even though she was cold, her stunning looks and fiery figure made men flock to her, only to be ruthlessly rejected. Her greatest achievement was rejecting 32 suitors in a single day, which made her infamous and drew the curiosity of students from other schools who wanted to see the legendary beauty of First High.

Those curious outsiders often found themselves falling in love at first sight, only to be heartbroken. Among the many campus legends, Duan Yulan was known as the most untouchable beauty, with high looks, brains, and a powerful family background. This kept anyone from daring to make a move on her.

Maybe it’s the allure of the unattainable, but Duan Yulan made men’s hearts race. Everyone was fascinated by her, which is why Qiao Xia’s worries were well-founded. Indeed, a crowd was on its way to confront the lucky guy who had captured the goddess’s attention.

Qiao Xia knew he couldn’t avoid this, so he didn’t cling to hope in his seat. Instead, he placed a hand on Zhou Li’s shoulder, signaling him not to act rashly. Zhou Li was all talk and, despite his large frame, was a wimp when it came to taking hits. Staying in the classroom would only cause more trouble, like drawing the attention of the teachers, and then Zhou Li would have to step in. The donations he made to the school weren’t for nothing; they granted him certain privileges.

Zhou Li knew he couldn’t help, but he wasn’t worried. Instead, he watched with a smirk as Qiao Xia stood up and walked toward the door. “Amazing, daring to mess with my Qiao brother, he doesn’t even know who he’s dealing with.”

“I’m Qiao Xia. What do you want?”

Even though he knew the spiky-haired guy was looking for trouble, Qiao Xia didn’t directly call him out in front of everyone. Instead, he pretended not to understand. If the guy would leave the classroom to ‘discuss’ things elsewhere, Qiao Xia wouldn’t mind. If trouble started in the classroom, it would easily draw the attention of the school, leading to a detention and a boring time at home, stuck alone in the apartment.

Qiao Xia wasn’t afraid of the spiky-haired thug, but he was afraid of the school’s administration. His parents had been working abroad for years, and due to the secretive nature of their jobs, they rarely called. Apart from the regular money transfers, he was basically a latchkey kid.

Fortunately, Qiao Xia had grown used to living alone and finding his own entertainment. Usually, he was quite content. But staying home for too long could become boring. No, not boring—troubling. His neighbor, Liu Ge, was obsessed with martial arts and often dragged Qiao Xia to the gym to work out, even when Qiao Xia refused. Lately, though, Liu Ge had stopped exercising and instead watched Qiao Xia work out, his eyes bloodshot and hungry, especially when Qiao Xia’s muscles bulged. If it weren’t for their familiarity, Qiao Xia would have thought Liu Ge was a creep.

This was why Qiao Xia now came to school early every day, avoiding the strange Liu Ge and even switching his workouts to his apartment.

“So, you’re Qiao Xia? You don’t look like much. What gang are you in, daring to steal my woman? You’ve got some nerve!”

The spiky-haired guy frowned at the calm expression on Qiao Xia’s face. Although he was a bit wary of Qiao Xia’s potential background, the thought of Duan Yulan, whom he had long admired, publicly embracing this guy made his jealousy and anger flare up. He wanted to tear Qiao Xia apart.

Even though Duan Yulan had always rejected him, he had claimed her in his heart. Who was this little punk, suddenly appearing out of nowhere to steal her!

Duan Yulan hadn’t even spared him a glance, but she had hugged Qiao Xia. Such a stark difference in treatment made Li Lin Guan’s sanity snap, and he no longer cared about anything else. Now, he just wanted to beat this kid senseless.

“I’m just an ordinary student, not in any gang. And how I look is none of your business, so don’t focus on me.”

Calmly, Qiao Xia responded to Li Lin Guan’s anger. While he could explain that he and Duan Yulan had no relationship, mentioning her name in public wouldn’t be good for her. Qiao Xia decided not to explain, as it wouldn’t matter whether he did or not. He and Duan Yulan had nothing going on, so it didn’t need explaining. Besides, Zhou Li was probably already imagining a dramatic love story between him and Duan Yulan.

“Hah, you’re quite bold, kid. Fine, you’re impressive! My brothers want to meet you.”

Li Lin Guan didn’t waste words. When Qiao Xia heard they were leaving the classroom, he relaxed and followed Li Lin Guan without hesitation. When it came to fighting, Qiao Xia had never backed down from anyone.

Just then, a strange voice echoed in his ear.

[‘Dogmi bracelet bound successfully. Future sight ability activated!’]