Chapter 40: The Unexpected Hero

A fleeting moment of attraction, immediately followed by profound disgust.

Lin Qing averted his gaze from the convenience store’s glass window, instead focusing on the path ahead as he always did, careful to avoid contact with any reflective surface.

He detested mirrors.

Even if his body underwent further changes, there was no need to inspect them. He simply wished to lead a peaceful, ordinary life, unconcerned with anything else.

‘For now, he needed to devise a plan to deal with Su Yao!’

After merely a day apart, his sudden growth in height would undoubtedly draw Su Yao’s attention.

As for his other classmates, he had little to worry about.

Lin Qing knew that, apart from Su Yao and Wang Fanran, no other students paid him any mind, so his increased height would likely go unnoticed.

His reclusive nature, once a source of isolation, now ironically served as a shield.

Lost in these thoughts, Lin Qing maintained a brisk pace, swiftly arriving at the school’s main entrance.

The scene was as bustling as ever, the students’ chattering voices reminiscent of playful sparrows hopping among the branches, creating an atmosphere so lively it eased one’s mind.

Regarding how to handle Su Yao, Lin Qing had already conceived a solution.

He would hunch his shoulders and chest while walking, making himself appear shorter. Moreover, by maintaining a seated posture throughout the day, he was confident his change wouldn’t be easily discovered.

Additionally, since Su Yao maintained a clear distance from him at school, he didn’t have to worry about her seeking him out unnecessarily.

He merely needed to endure school hours, then flee immediately upon dismissal. Reaching home would mark a victory in this silent war!

“Good heavens, is that him?”

“I truly wouldn’t have guessed!”

“Tell me about it. The school’s become so dangerous. Last time, Liu Hong beat someone until they were hospitalized; this time, someone actually pulled a knife.”

“He doesn’t even look hurt. What’s all the fuss about?”

However, even after Lin Qing had settled on his strategy, as he walked towards his classroom, students around him pointed and whispered.

Previously, Lin Qing had been utterly invisible at school, yet now, he had abruptly become a campus sensation.

Even those who had never seen him before instantly recognized Lin Qing.

Hearing the murmurs around him, Lin Qing quickened his pace considerably.

Having heard Wu Gang confirm yesterday that the incident had gone public, Lin Qing was mentally prepared. He knew he would be the center of attention on campus until the fervor surrounding Li Dong’s assault subsided.

He figured that if he simply ignored the curious gazes directed his way, they would eventually lose interest.

To acknowledge them, however, would be akin to adding fuel to a fire, only making it burn more fiercely.

It wouldn’t be worth the trouble.

Thus, he resolved to patiently await the fading of the buzz, for his life to return to its usual quiet routine.

Yet…

Being watched by so many people just walking through school, Lin Qing could already anticipate the chaotic scene awaiting him once he entered his classroom.

This only intensified Lin Qing’s concern about the ‘good show’ Su Yao had mentioned.

Lost in these thoughts, Lin Qing reached the second-year floor. He looked up to see a throng of people gathered outside Class Six, blocking the classroom entrance completely.

Lin Qing took a deep breath. Then, deliberately hunching his shoulders and chest to ‘maintain’ his usual height, he immediately walked towards the classroom door.

What was coming, he couldn’t escape.

Better to get it over with quickly.

It was only a matter of being questioned repeatedly; it wasn’t a big deal.

“Lin Qing, were you alright yesterday!”

“I wanted to check on you, but you’d already gone home. How terrifying to encounter something like that! Take these Wahaha drinks; they’re for you!”

“We owe you a lot for yesterday. Otherwise, that lunatic Li Dong would have stabbed us too. It was truly dangerous!”

“Li Weiqiang already called me; he said he wants to treat you to a meal once he’s back at school.”

However, as Lin Qing reached the classroom door, something entirely unexpected occurred.

Aside from the students of Class Six, the boys from Class One who had played soccer with them during yesterday’s PE class were also present.

Each of them held snacks like yogurt and potato chips, and as they spoke, they couldn’t stop stuffing them into Lin Qing’s arms.

Their faces were filled with gratitude, as if they were thanking a lifesaver.

They were practically on the verge of bowing deeply to Lin Qing to express their heartfelt thanks.

Witnessing this, Lin Qing remained utterly bewildered, wondering if he had missed some crucial information.

‘Surely, this wasn’t the “good show” Su Yao had spoken of!’

‘Yet, the gratitude of these boys didn’t seem feigned. If this *was* the “good show,” then he had severely underestimated Su Yao’s malicious intent.’

‘She wouldn’t consider such a minor matter a “good show.”

‘It simply wouldn’t excite her.’

‘Only something far more complex and thrilling would genuinely stir Su Yao’s emotions.’

Lin Qing swiftly dismissed the idea in his mind, his thoughts quickly returning to reality. He looked down at the pile of snacks in his arms, considered for a moment, then spoke.

“I didn’t do anything to deserve these. I can’t accept them. Please take them back.”

As he spoke, Lin Qing raised his arm, intending to return the snacks.

However, the next moment, someone grasped his arm.

Lin Qing looked up, recognizing Zhou Lin, a classmate.

“What are you being so polite for, kid? Stop hiding it; we all know!”

“?”

Subsequently, Lin Qing grew even more perplexed by Zhou Lin’s words.

‘He hadn’t done anything at all!’

‘Su Yao had merely instructed someone to take him, unconscious, to the infirmary.’

Despite Lin Qing’s utter confusion, Zhou Lin paid him no mind, continuing to speak animatedly.

“That kid Li Dong was so psychologically twisted from being bullied that he wanted to stab you to death, then go after others… If you hadn’t suddenly fainted and scared him off, someone else definitely would have gotten hurt!”

“…”

He had never imagined that merely falling unconscious would be hailed as an act of heroism that saved others.

‘Yet, the idea of scaring off an assailant by simply fainting… it sounded wrong, no matter how he looked at it.’

Lin Qing listened, a wry smile on his face, as Zhou Lin embellished the events. He knew it was best not to explain now; he should just let them assume.

“So just accept these things. Don’t think that just because I’m always snatching other people’s stuff, I’d take any of yours!”

Zhou Lin said with a playful grin, then reached out to hook his arm around Lin Qing’s neck. However, remembering Lin Qing’s slender frame, as if a gust of wind could topple him, he quickly stopped.

“Hehe, so you *do* know, Zhou Lin. You should really change your ways!”

“Go on, scram! I’ll do as I please.”

Just then, an acquaintance’s teasing remark gave Zhou Lin an easy out, allowing him to retort immediately and avoid any physical contact with Lin Qing.

‘Lin Qing was like a rare, protected animal; he had to be handled with extreme care. One wrong move and he might break, and they wouldn’t be able to afford the compensation…’

“Thank you all for your concern. I’ll accept these gifts.”

Since he couldn’t refuse, Lin Qing stopped declining and simply accepted the snacks.

They weren’t valuable items, so accepting them didn’t feel like a burden.

In that moment, Lin Qing felt as though his solitary world had undergone a profound shift, colliding with another and slowly beginning to intertwine.

His loneliness was dispelled.

It was gradually becoming lively.

Despite the school’s various flaws, it also possessed an endearing side.

‘Even if those thanking him were, for the most part, delinquents…’

“You can’t do this to me! Stop hitting me, ah!”

As Lin Qing stood, cradling a pile of snacks and surrounded by students, Wang Fanran’s miserable cries suddenly echoed from inside the classroom.