Fei Cheng felt a surge of anger, but he suppressed it with cold logic. He sought confirmation: "So you’re saying that as long as I stop associating with Qiu Minmin, you’ll stop harassing her?" Was the root of the problem really him?
"Hmph!" Yang Kaikai’s silence was a tacit admission.
Fei Cheng didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. He asked directly, "Did I offend you in the past?"
Yang Kaikai remained silent.
Fei Cheng let out a mirthless laugh. "I never offended you, yet you’ve been fanning the flames behind my back, trying your hardest to get Liu Yucong and me to go at each other's throats. Are you just looking for a show, or is it pure resentment?"
"Resentment?" Yang Kaikai raised his voice. "What do you have that’s worth me being resentful of?"
Fei Cheng sneered. "Better looking than you, better grades than you—do those not count? Of course, those aren't the real reasons for your bitterness. What truly upsets you is watching me transform from a coward anyone could bully into the confident person I am today, while you can't manage the same. Yang Kaikai, how does a guy like you manage to embody jealousy so perfectly?"
"You're fucking talking nonsense!" Yang Kaikai stepped forward. "Fei Cheng, don't think for a second I'm afraid to hit you!"
Fei Cheng had only been testing him. Seeing that he had struck a nerve, he took a proactive step forward, lowering his voice to release a wave of malice. "I’m waiting for you to hit me. I won't even fight back. I happen to need a full-body checkup anyway, and I’d love to see your name up on the school’s bulletin board. I want to see you stand before the whole class—no, the whole school—and read a self-reflection and an apology to me. Go on, hit me. Come on, hit me as hard as you can."
"You! You’re truly a piece of work, a total scumbag!" Hearing those words, Yang Kaikai’s reason returned. He didn't dare strike.
He was skilled at reading people and knew that 'Big Eyes' favored Fei Cheng. Moreover, top students like Cheng Yifei would all side with him. If he laid a hand on him, the losses would be too great. He couldn't do it.
Fei Cheng’s tone shifted, becoming deathly cold. "I have no interest in settling scores for what you’ve done in the past, but you’d better understand where my bottom line is. Stop bothering Qiu Minmin! If I find out you’re harassing her again, I won’t mind letting you experience what it feels like to be ostracized by everyone."
"What are you planning to do?!" Yang Kaikai felt a flicker of panic.
"Don't be nervous. It’s similar to your own methods." Fei Cheng’s smile sent a chill down the other boy's spine. "Casually whispering about you behind your back, giving people endless room for imagination, and adding fuel to the fire whenever something happens. Also, what do you think Liu Yucong will do when he finds out you lied to him? Will he corner you after school in a fit of rage? And imagine this: if Cheng Yifei makes it clear he hates you, what will the attitude of the boys be, let alone the girls? Is it fun, Yang Kaikai? Does it sound like fun?"
Yang Kaikai was choked into silence, but he stubbornly refused to admit it. "I never did those things. Don't slander me!"
"Say whatever you want. Just don't mess with Qiu Minmin from now on, understood?" Fei Cheng waited for him to take a stand.
He wanted to resolve this once and for all. He didn't want his presence to cause trouble for Qiu Minmin. He was protecting her; no one was allowed to toy with her. Other people were manageable—their pranks weren't so convoluted, and they wouldn't throw away their dignity just to make a girl's life difficult. Yang Kaikai was different. He was shameless and had no lower limit; he was a headache to deal with.
Driven into a corner by Fei Cheng’s psychological pressure time and again, Yang Kaikai fought back in desperation. "I’ll go tell the teacher you two are in a 'puppy love' relationship!"
"How childish. Go ahead and tell. Compared to me writing letters to a friend, you’re the one jumping between classes to ruin someone’s notes and cornering people. Do you think Class 3’s homeroom teacher will let you off? Idiot." Fei Cheng had said enough. He issued one last warning: "Remember, don't harass her. If you have a problem, come at me, you piece of trash."
Fei Cheng felt he had threatened him enough. Yang Kaikai was ultimately a coward—or rather, he was the type to meticulously weigh gains and losses. He had a bit of cleverness but never used it for anything good. Now that everything was laid out so bluntly, the boy should understand the stakes.
Fei Cheng glanced at him, his patience for the freezing wind reaching its limit. He turned to leave, but after only two steps, he heard Yang Kaikai speak.
"What if I insist on looking for her? What if I get different people to go find her? What can you do then? You’re right, I can’t hit you; that would be a losing move for me. But Qiu Minmin is different. Since she doesn't like me anyway, and she likes the person I hate most, she deserves it."
Fei Cheng’s breathing grew heavy, and his fists slowly clenched. "Tell me. What will it take for you to stop harassing her?"
"Kneel down and beg me. Beg me, and I’ll consider not making trouble for her." Yang Kaikai crossed his arms and tilted his chin up, his attitude shifting instantly.
He had learned long ago the importance of grasping someone’s "seven-inch" weak spot. He had been rattled by Fei Cheng’s rhetoric earlier, but now that he had calmed down, he saw that Fei Cheng was full of holes. The boy kept emphasizing not to touch Qiu Minmin; all his threats were predicated on her safety. So, conversely, if he used Qiu Minmin to threaten Fei Cheng...
Heh, let's see who’s on the defensive now!
Fei Cheng turned around, his back to the wind, his face as cold as frost. "And if I refuse?"
Yang Kaikai smiled triumphantly. "Then I’ll get different friends to find Qiu Minmin. I’ll spread rumors about who she’s dating, put her right in the center of a scandal, and let people point fingers at her every day until she has no friends left. Oh, final exams are coming up, right? You all want to get good grades, don't you? Imagine if she fails... and then her relatives start asking questions during the New Year... Hahaha."
Fei Cheng began walking toward Yang Kaikai, asking with genuine confusion, "Are you really only in your teens?"
Before Yang Kaikai could react, Fei Cheng grabbed him by the collar and landed a punch, then kicked him to the ground. At this, Yang Kaikai’s temper flared as well. In terms of physical strength, he wasn't afraid of Fei Cheng at all.
The two scrambled into a brawl, neither holding back.
Fei Cheng had endured enough. He wasn't a saint. He had only wanted to keep the peace, thinking these were just "edgy" teenagers four or five years younger than his true self and that he shouldn't take them too seriously. He only wanted to protect Qiu Minmin and live a different life!
Even though the start of this life was miserable—a world away from his previous one—he was working hard to turn it around. Yet the people he encountered kept shattering his worldview. Was it because he knew too few people in his past life? How did fifteen and sixteen-year-olds learn the dirty tricks of society? How could human malice be so absolute?
They could come at him, but they shouldn't even think about bullying Qiu Minmin. For so many days in the past, he had wished for someone to protect her. Now he was here. Even if he didn't know exactly how to protect her, he would do everything in his power!
Who the hell did Yang Kaikai think he was? Harassing her? Getting others to harass her?!
"Fuck!" Yang Kaikai took a heavy blow to the jaw. His mind went blank for a few seconds, leaving him unable to stand as he collapsed back to the ground.
Fei Cheng pounced on him, his fists never stopping, targeting only the face. After seven or eight punches, he finally stopped and climbed up. Gasping for air, he looked at Yang Kaikai huddled in the corner and, still unsatisfied, delivered one last kick.
Yang Kaikai lay on the cold ground, wanting to touch his face but not daring to. He let out groans of pain, his speech slurred. "Yoo... I... I’m gonna tell Big Eyes..."
Fei Cheng hadn't escaped unscathed either. Disgusted by the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, he spat on the ground. His voice was slightly hoarse. "Go ahead. Tell Big Eyes. Let him see just how despicable and dark his student really is."
He leaned down and grabbed Yang Kaikai’s collar, his pale knuckles hidden by the darkness. His other hand lightly squeezed Yang Kaikai’s neck. He didn't use force, but the coldness of his touch made Yang Kaikai shudder.
Fei Cheng leaned in close, forcing the boy to look at him. He whispered with chilling intensity, "I’m someone who’s even dared to kill himself."
Yang Kaikai froze, not understanding what "dared to kill himself" meant. But he saw Fei Cheng’s eyes—fierce, carrying a terrifying coldness and a vast, dead silence. They stared at him with a grayish, lifeless intensity.
The entire back alley was shrouded in darkness. The banana grove outside the wall rustled in the freezing wind, making a sound like a woman’s wailing. In this setting, Fei Cheng looked like a vengeful spirit, striking terror into the heart.
"You... are you really Fei Cheng?" Yang Kaikai asked with trembling lips.
Seeing the fear in his eyes, Fei Cheng suddenly felt bored. He shoved the boy away and stood up. He glanced back at the pitch-black alley behind him, touched his eye, and said coldly, "Touch Qiu Minmin even once, and I’ll make it impossible for you to stay in this school. You’re not the only one who understands manipulation and violence. Don't release the demon in my heart, Yang Kaikai."
Yang Kaikai: "..."
He watched Fei Cheng turn and leave. The elongated shadow on the ground seemed to be clawing the air, mocking him. He was both terrified and enraged.
The banana grove outside the wall continued to howl. Yang Kaikai shivered. Ignoring the pain in his body, he scrambled up and hurried after Fei Cheng.
The two of them returned to the dormitory one after the other, just as the lights were about to go out. The only visible injury on Fei Cheng’s face was a bruise at the corner of his mouth, but his stomach was throbbing from the kicks Yang Kaikai had landed.
Most people were already in bed, chatting, humming, or meditating under their covers. Seeing Fei Cheng return, the resident clown from Bed 1 jumped out and shouted, "This road I planted, this tree I opened! If you want to pass, leave your toll money! I’m hungry, do you have food?"
Fei Cheng laughed, brushed the boy's hand aside, and walked past. "Brother Chen Tao, you got the lines backward. I can give you a piece of bread, though."
"Oh yeah! 'Fast use the nunchucks, hum-hum-ha-hee!' Cheng-cheng, I love you!" Chen Tao slipped on his slippers and followed Fei Cheng.
Fei Cheng: "..." As long as there's food, they'd call me 'Daddy.'
Someone nearby poked their head out. "Holy shit, Cheng-cheng, I LOVE YOU too! Is there any more food?"
Fei Cheng looked at them gloomily. "No. If any more of you 'LOVE YOU' me, I’m afraid I won't survive the winter. Are you trying to freeze me to death so you can inherit my snacks?"
"Hahaha, Cheng-cheng, you’re so funny."
"Trash! Only my soulful 'love you' can move Cheng-cheng’s heart and secure the goods!"
Fei Cheng tossed him a bun, feeling somewhat helpless. "If you keep blathering, I’m putting you on my blacklist. And I told you, don't call me Cheng-cheng."
"Sure thing, thanks, Cheng-cheng!" Chen Tao grabbed the bread and bolted.
Fei Cheng: "...Trash Yu Qing."
"Hey, why are you cursing at me?" Yu Qing was lying in his bunk watching the show, confused as to how the fire had spread to him.
Fei Cheng glanced at him while looking for his clothes. "If you didn't spend all day shouting 'Cheng-cheng, Cheng-cheng,' would they have followed suit?"
Yu Qing "er-ed" for a moment, speechless. He gave a cheeky grin. "That’s my nickname for you. They’re just shameless for copying me."
"Pah! Yu Qing, who are you calling shameless?" The student in the lower bunk who had just called him Cheng-cheng protested.
"I’m calling whoever answers me shameless."
Fei Cheng ignored their bickering and took his clothes to the bathroom to change. He had only taken two steps when he heard Chen Tao, who was standing by the door stuffing his face, mumble, "Whoa, Yang Kaikai, who beat you up?! Your face is so swollen, I almost wanted to 'release the Yu Qing' on you."
Yu Qing popped his head out. "Fuck you, Chen Tao! You just wait until tomorrow!"
Their shouting roused everyone who was about to sleep, all curious to see just how badly Yang Kaikai had been beaten.
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