Ye Liangchen walked out of the classroom, quietly lowering his eyes and sighing.
Speaking to his long-time crush, Li Qingxue, in such a tone was not easy for him, and it left a bitter taste in his heart.
But what could he do?
If he didn’t do this, how would Li Qingxue ever regret it? How would she ever come to her senses and chase after him in a "wooing the husband" frenzy?
These struggles were essential for Li Qingxue's personal growth.
Without these obstacles, how would she ever realize that she’s been in love with him all along without even knowing it?
“Morning Brother, are you okay?” Gao Quan asked softly, observing Ye Liangchen.
The distress in Morning Brother’s expression showed just how painful it must’ve been for him to say those cruel words.
He must be suffering deep inside, right?
“Quan, do you think I’m just playing hard to get? Do you think I said those things just to hurt Li Qingxue?”
Gao Quan looked at Ye Liangchen, clearly unsure of how to respond.
He and Ye Liangchen had known each other since they were kids, practically growing up together.
He knew Ye Liangchen’s character well—even if rejected by Li Qingxue, he wouldn’t seek revenge.
Otherwise, how could he have confessed 98 times?
But just now, Morning Brother’s words did come across as harsh, even reducing Li Qingxue to tears.
After a brief hesitation, Gao Quan finally said, “Morning Brother, I believe in you. You’re not that kind of person.”
Those words warmed Ye Liangchen’s heart. To be trusted unconditionally was truly moving.
Ye Liangchen nodded. “You’re right, I’m not that kind of person. The reason I said those harsh words was only to make Li Qingxue understand that Long Aotian is no good.”
“I knew it. I never believed you’d intentionally target Li Qingxue.”
Ye Liangchen grinned and patted Gao Quan on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, time will prove everything. You’ll see that your Morning Brother was right. For now, let time handle it all.”
“Go grab some food. I need to meet someone.”
With that, Ye Liangchen headed toward Classroom 7.
The day when Hu Yuying would be bullied almost to breaking point wasn’t far off.
It was time to start showing some concern for Hu Yuying in advance, laying the groundwork for her eventual salvation.
Upon arriving at Classroom 7, Ye Liangchen’s eyes immediately landed on Hu Yuying, who was sitting obediently at her desk studying.
Beside her was Long Aotian, pretending to study.
“Pfft, what a fake,” Ye Liangchen muttered under his breath.
He then approached the student nearest the door. “Excuse me, can you help me call Hu Yuying?”
The student glanced at Ye Liangchen and nodded. “Sure.”
He then walked to the back of the classroom. “Hu Yuying, someone’s looking for you.”
Hearing this, Hu Yuying first thanked the student who had relayed the message.
Then she looked toward the door.
There she saw Ye Liangchen leaning against the corridor railing, his head tilted at a 45-degree angle.
Their eyes met, and in that instant, Hu Yuying instinctively shook her head. “I, I don’t know him.”
“Should I tell him you’re not interested?” the student asked.
Hu Yuying nodded quickly. “Thank you, I’d appreciate that.”
People always appreciate politeness. Even if it was a small favor, hearing a gentle “thank you” and “I’m sorry for the trouble” made all the difference.
“No problem,” the student replied.
He returned to his seat and looked at Ye Liangchen, who was still posing by the door. “Hu Yuying says she doesn’t know you. You can go now.”
Ye Liangchen’s brow furrowed. “What did you say?”
“You’re out of line. How could Hu Yuying not know me?”
Ye Liangchen reminded himself that just last Friday, he had helped Hu Yuying deal with those troublemakers from Second High School.
On Saturday, he had even had a pleasant chat with her at her part-time job at Nanfeng Plaza. How could she possibly not know him?
The student rolled his eyes at Ye Liangchen. “Are you off your rocker? Hu Yuying clearly said she doesn’t know you!”
The argument at the door wasn’t loud, but it was enough to draw the attention of some students, including Hu Yuying.
After initially saying she didn’t know Ye Liangchen, her eyes kept drifting toward the door, wanting to see if he had left.
Now that she saw him not only hadn’t left but was also arguing with the student who had relayed her message, her heart started to race.
“Who is he?” Long Aotian asked, glancing at Hu Yuying.
Hu Yuying fidgeted with her fingers. “He’s the one who knocked on my door on Saturday.”
Long Aotian looked toward the door and then stood up.
Ye Liangchen, who had been watching Hu Yuying closely, suddenly noticed Long Aotian looking at him. His expression froze.
He took a step back as he saw Long Aotian stand up and walk toward him!
Long Aotian was tall for his age, and with his frequent fights and truancies, his physique was strong and intimidating.
Although Ye Liangchen stood at 1.75 meters, his slim build made him look slender and small next to the brawny Long Aotian.
Seeing Long Aotian approach, Ye Liangchen couldn’t help but recall the time Long Aotian had beaten him up, even after he’d already defeated Long Aotian in a dream.
Even with a 28-year-old’s soul inhabiting his body now, the scars from Long Aotian’s wrath in those dreams were indelible.
Long Aotian was an obsessive madman…
As Long Aotian drew nearer, his arrogant smirk and wild aura only heightened Ye Liangchen’s anxiety.
He was reminded of the time at a college barbecue stall when he had invited Hu Yuying to join him, only to encounter Long Aotian.
The latter had approached him with a dark, menacing glare and, without a word, smashed a beer bottle over his head.
He’d warned Ye Liangchen, “Stay away from Hu Yuying. If I ever see you near her again, I’ll beat you to a pulp every damn time.”
Such incidents were far too many…
Ye Liangchen’s breathing quickened, his tension so intense that he almost forgot how to breathe.
Long Aotian looked at the young man before him, puzzled.
He could sense the fear radiating from Ye Liangchen.
This kid was terrified of him.
Long Aotian scratched his nose awkwardly. Could it be that before he had transmigrated into this body, the original owner had some sort of conflict with this boy? Maybe even beaten him up?
After all, in the original novel, Long Aotian was a malicious antagonist throughout the entire story and was known for his fierce, hot-headed ways.
He was the one who caused the most trouble for the protagonist and their group.
Ye Liangchen, seeing Long Aotian raise his hand, widened his eyes and took a step back, pulling away from Long Aotian. “What are you doing? Are you going to hit me? Let me tell you, if you dare touch me, I’ll call the cops!”
Ye Liangchen kept his guard up, his heart racing as he nervously locked eyes with Long Aotian. But then he saw… Long Aotian was just rubbing his nose??
Long Aotian, too, was surprised by the boy’s intense reaction to something as simple as scratching his nose.
He chuckled. “Hey, are we misunderstanding each other or something?”
But to Ye Liangchen, Long Aotian’s smile was nothing but a mockery.
He was laughing at him, ridiculing how scared he had become from just a raised hand.
Feeling the eyes of those around him, Ye Liangchen clenched his teeth and his fists tightly.
He felt humiliated.
If it weren’t for his desire to maintain his gentle, sunny image in Hu Yuying’s eyes, he might’ve already thrown down with Long Aotian!
Calm down!
Calm down!
He had to remain calm!
Right now, he was alone, and facing off with Long Aotian head-on would only give him a 50-50 chance.
He wasn’t here to fight Long Aotian today; there were other, more important matters.
There would be a time to settle scores with Long Aotian, once he had risen to power using his knowledge of future events!
Taking a deep breath, Ye Liangchen steeled himself.
“Don’t get cocky. A man’s fortunes can turn in just thirty years—don’t look down on the struggles of youth!”
With that, he turned and walked away.
“Hey!”
Hearing Long Aotian call after him, Ye Liangchen picked up his pace and soon disappeared around the corner of the corridor…