Chapter 83: The Basketball Incident and Bai Chen’s Fury

As Bai Chen clasped Old Zhu’s hefty shoulder, thanking him profusely, the trio huddled in a corner of the sports field. Their swaggering, unruly demeanor was enough to make any nearby student give them a wide berth.

“Boss, are you alright?”

“I’m in agony! Bai Chen’s grip is no joke.”

“Your teeth are practically falling out.”

“Damn it, is that how you speak to your boss?”

The trio’s boss, attempting to assert his authority, feigned a kick at one of his subordinates. However, the movement pulled at the injuries on his face, making him wince and grimace in pain.

“How did we never notice someone so powerful in our class before?”

Since childhood, the trio had been obsessed with muscle training. They had once swept the top three spots in the annual arm-wrestling competition, forging a bond that turned them into sworn brothers.

This time, they had rallied two or three more of their sworn brothers to seek revenge on Bai Chen, only for the entire endeavor to end with their boss taking yet another pointless punch.

“I truly don’t understand why such ridiculous things keep happening to us.”

The boss, pressing a wet towel to his face, grumbled indignantly, “You two don’t remember what happened either, do you?”

His two lackeys exchanged glances before nodding in unison.

Such an incident was undoubtedly one of the strangest things to have ever happened in their lives. They had been inexplicably accused of disrupting student activities. More crucially, none of them could recall exactly what they had done at the time.

It felt as though they had been framed, yet they couldn’t uncover a single shred of evidence.

Neither the teachers at school nor their elders at home were willing to listen to their explanations, all unanimously believing them to be the instigators of the entire fiasco.

‘It was absolutely infuriating!’

“By the way, Boss, why were you talking to that girl?”

“Right, do you know her?”

Hearing his two lackeys’ questions, the trio’s boss also fell into contemplation. He had a nagging feeling he’d seen Mo Qiu’s face somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite place it. With Bai Chen protecting her, getting any clearer answers seemed an impossibility.

“Who knows, maybe I’ve seen her in someone’s bed.”

“Her face is quite pretty, I reckon, just always so expressionless.”

“Ah, you just don’t get it. The more they feign innocence, the more skilled they are in bed.”

The trio burst into boisterous laughter. Grabbing their basketball, they headed to the court, intending to vent their frustrations.

The sports field was vast, dotted with numerous basketball courts, and conveniently, there was an open one.

Before the trio could even reach the court, a figure suddenly materialized, blocking their path.

Upon closer inspection, the three recognized him: it was the bespectacled youth who had been with Bai Chen earlier.

While they stood there bewildered, Lin Qiyue, his head still bowed, adjusted his glasses and flashed a sneering grin.

“You lot are truly useless.”

“What?”

The trio’s expressions instantly soured.

“You specifically called for backup, and still got thrashed.”

Lin Qiyue let out a disdainful chuckle. “Everyone’s so scared of you, but you’re all just paper tigers, completely harmless.”

‘You damn well don’t believe me? I’ll smash your glasses!’

The trio’s boss clenched his fists, as large as sandbags, his face flushing crimson.

They expected Lin Qiyue to flee in terror, but he remained rooted to the spot. He lifted his head, fixing them with his peculiar, heart-shaped eyes.

“Heh, another one of your pathetic threats. You’re hilarious.”

“Bastard, you’re asking for it!”

“We can’t handle Bai Chen, but we can’t handle a puny four-eyes like you?”

The instant the trio made a move, Lin Qiyue took off, his speed leaving them utterly dumbfounded. How could the Lin Qiyue who had been too scared to move just moments ago suddenly seem like a completely different person?

The trio also ran quickly, but they knew that before they could catch him, he would likely reach an area where teachers were present.

‘If we break school rules again, the trio will be sent home for suspension.’

“Are we just going to let him get away?”

“Don’t worry, Boss, I have a plan.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Upon hearing his subordinate’s scheme, the trio’s boss’s angry expression quickly transformed into a smile. He couldn’t help but pat his shoulder.

“Hey, you’re a damn genius!”

After a brief discussion, the trio threw their arms around each other’s shoulders, selected the basketball hoop closest to the crowd, and began an intensely exciting game.

While they appeared focused on the game, each member was secretly watching Lin Qiyue, who was conversing with someone a short distance away, his back turned to them.

As the other party remained oblivious to their approach, the trio exchanged knowing glances. One of them began dribbling, charging forward.

The boss seized the opportune moment, snatched the ball from his teammate’s hands, and then jumped to shoot—though it was clearly not a genuine attempt.

The basketball sailed directly over the hoop, hurtling towards Lin Qiyue, who was standing off the court.

Some sharp-eyed students spotted the errant ball, but there was no time to shout a warning.

The trio all craned their necks, eager to witness his ensuing embarrassment.

In that very instant, as if sensing the impending danger, Lin Qiyue shifted his shoulder, moving away from his original position.

To the trio’s stunned gazes, the basketball narrowly missed Lin Qiyue, instead striking the person he had just been speaking with squarely.

The struck girl immediately collapsed to the ground, the black stockings adorning her long legs now sullied with dirt.

“Ah! Someone’s hurt!”

“Quick, get a teacher!”

“Wait, check her injuries first.”

The students erupted into a flurry of activity, crowding around. The previously cheerful atmosphere quickly grew somber.

“Are you alright, classmate?”

With the help of a kind bystander, the girl slowly rose to her feet.

“What’s your name?”

“Mo Qiu.”

Despite being struck directly on the forehead by the basketball, Mo Qiu didn’t utter a single cry of pain, nor did her brow even furrow. From the impact site, delicate trickles of blood seeped from her fair skin, yet her doll-like expression remained utterly unchanged.

As more and more people gathered, the trio’s faces quickly grew grim. They felt as though they could already hear their names being announced over the school-wide broadcast system.

“Why is it her again?” The trio’s boss muttered, utterly dumbfounded.

‘Damn it!’

“Boss, four-eyes is getting away!”

‘Damn it, chase him!’

Since the situation had escalated, the trio decided to abandon all caution. However, Lin Qiyue was incredibly fast; before they could even begin their pursuit, he had already vanished into the distance.

Just then, Bai Chen, who had gone to buy water with Old Zhu, returned. The two were still playfully boasting about their recent performance on the basketball court.

“Hmm, what’s going on?” Old Zhu asked, his gaze drawn to the largest cluster of people.

“Did someone get hurt?”

Bai Chen narrowed his eyes, his gaze cutting through the throng of students to land directly on the girl.

The moment he spotted the glaring crimson dots on her forehead, Bai Chen’s heart plummeted. He immediately broke into a sprint.

“Move aside! Mo Qiu, are you alright?”

Bai Chen stopped before her, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Aside from the wound on her forehead, he couldn’t detect any other visible injuries.

“She was hit by the ball.”

A kind classmate had offered a wet tissue and was gently wiping away the dirt from around her forehead.

Bai Chen’s chest heaved violently, his voice dropping to a low growl.

“Who did this?”

The sheer pressure emanating from him made everyone nearby tremble. Some even swore they saw electric currents flickering in his eyes, wondering if they were hallucinating.

“It seemed to fly from the basketball court.”

“Who was playing in that spot just now?”

“I think it was three people?”

Bai Chen gently grasped Mo Qiu’s shoulders, his tone softening. “Tell me, who did this to you?”

****

The girl’s vacant eyes reflected his anxious face. She slowly raised a hand, and as her fair fingertips pointed, the crowd instinctively parted, creating a clear path.

His gaze landed on the trio, and Bai Chen’s understanding instantly clicked into place.

“Old Zhu, hold this water.”

“Uh, Old Bai, I really think you shouldn’t…”

“Just hold it!”

Bai Chen thrust the water bottle into Old Zhu’s hand, then rolled up his own sleeves and strode purposefully towards the trio.

The trio sensed Bai Chen’s approach and immediately tensed up. At this moment, Bai Chen was like a predatory beast, causing them to break out in a cold sweat.

“Boss?”

The subordinate’s nervous query, however, seemed to jolt the trio’s boss into action. He gritted his teeth.

‘Damn it, afraid of him? Attack!’

The trio’s boss let out a roar and charged directly at Bai Chen.

Bai Chen halted, lifting his chin. Compared to the demonic creatures he usually faced, their speed was laughably slow; every minute detail of their movements was clearly visible to him.

The trio’s boss threw the first punch, which Bai Chen deftly dodged with a sidestep. Then, with a swift backhand, he seized the boss’s arm and delivered a powerful knee kick to his chest.

The instant the boss collapsed, Bai Chen ducked, evading a punch from one of the other lackeys. While the attacker was still momentarily stunned, Bai Chen landed a direct punch to his abdomen. The intense pain sent the lackey clutching his stomach, bending over and groaning.

“Boss and Second Brother are both down! Third Brother, stop charging!”

The man who had shouted this looked terrified, clearly shaken by the sudden turn of events.

Bai Chen moved like a phantom, appearing before the third lackey in a single stride and delivering a resounding slap.

The crisp, cracking sound echoed as the third lackey’s cheek instantly swelled, stars swam before his eyes, and he toppled backward onto the ground.

The trio were all trained fighters, yet they were utterly no match for Bai Chen, a demon hunter. However, their bodies were robust, and they began to stir and rise shortly after.

Bai Chen watched them with cold eyes, still feeling unsatisfied.

Just as he clenched his fist, preparing for a second round, a sharp cry halted them.

“Hey, you lot! Stop right there!”

The physical education teacher blew his whistle, the piercing sound making many students cover their ears.

“What’s all this commotion? A fight, is it?”

‘Why is the teacher here?’

The crowd wondered. At this hour, he was usually in the nearby lounge, sipping tea, only appearing closer to the end of class.

Bai Chen spotted Lin Qiyue behind the PE teacher, and his clenched fist relaxed.

Surveying the messy scene, the PE teacher scratched his head. “I’ve heard what happened. Where’s the injured student?”

“Here.”

Bai Chen quickly brought Mo Qiu forward, allowing the PE teacher to examine her injuries.

“She’s bleeding. Take her to the infirmary first, to prevent infection.”

“Understood.”

While Bai Chen was slightly puzzled by how quickly the teacher let him off the hook, he was nonetheless pleased and immediately headed to the infirmary with Mo Qiu.

Hearing a voice behind him, he turned to look back at the sports field.

“You three, causing trouble again. This time, the school won’t let you off easy.”

“Wait, it was an accident.”

“What accident? Deliberately harming a classmate and trying to start a fight. You repeat offenders have nothing to explain.”

The situation seemed to be developing in their favor.

Standing nearby, Lin Qiyue suddenly shivered, clutching his head and moaning, “What’s wrong with me?”

He looked up to see the trio’s resentful glares, which startled him so much he almost lost his footing. ‘I didn’t provoke you guys, did I?’ he thought.

Bai Chen, however, didn’t notice this, his attention drawn by Mo Qiu. The girl’s pace seemed unable to keep up with his.

Bai Chen simply stopped, wrapping an arm around her waist.

The girl’s feet lifted from the ground as he effortlessly picked her up.

Mo Qiu’s nose nearly touched his chin, giving her a clear view of every detail of Bai Chen’s face.

As if sensing her gaze, Bai Chen flashed a sunny smile.

“Hold on tight, we’re taking off!”

The moment he surged forward, the girl clutched the fabric of his shirt, resting her head against his chest, as if she had found a safe harbor.

‘Plan successful!’