Chapter 4

Chapter 2: Ten Thousand Carp Facing the Dragon!

This scene happened too quickly and suddenly, leaving no time for anyone to react.

As Zhang Chen charged forward, the two friends beside him also sprang into action.

They planned to form an elliptical encirclement from three directions to attack Li Muyang—although they felt that Zhang Chen alone could easily take down Li Muyang, letting him fight alone would make him seem too violent and barbaric, which would not be good for maintaining his image as the school's heartthrob.

If all three of them attacked together, it would look much more impressive and make them seem very loyal.

However, before they even reached halfway, Zhang Chen was already flying through the air, and the sudden change in the situation left them flustered.

The planned straight charge suddenly turned into a huge wave, and they ended up circling around Li Muyang, then stood far away, staring at his back in a daze.

"What just happened?" They were too busy running to notice.

Li Muyang looked at his fist with a puzzled expression.

What exactly happened? Why did he suddenly feel such intense anger?

In the past, Li Muyang would endure any bullying as long as it wasn't too excessive, as it would cause the least harm to himself—after all, he couldn't fight back.

Moreover, how could he, who usually couldn't even lift a chicken, punch Zhang Chen so hard?

And he didn't even use much force—Zhang Chen should stand up and let him punch him again to see what really happened.

Zhang Chen groaned and struggled to get up from the ground.

He looked at Li Muyang with a mix of surprise and fear.

The sudden burst of strength from Li Muyang shocked him. How could Li Muyang have such power?

He hated people who pretended to be weak but were actually strong!

Swoosh—

Swoosh—

Swoosh—

Li Muyang's white sneakers stepped through the grass, approaching Zhang Chen.

"Are you trying to get Cui Xiaoxin's attention?" Li Muyang asked.

This time, it was his turn to look down at Zhang Chen, and the feeling was indeed great. His dark face seemed to become more handsome, like the idol Gu Tianle.

Zhang Chen's mouth opened, but no words came out, like a fish that had accidentally jumped onto the shore and was about to die of thirst.

He liked Cui Xiaoxin, which was no secret in the class. As the captain of the school basketball team, he was a well-known figure, and this fact was widely known throughout the school.

Although he didn't look back, he knew Cui Xiaoxin was standing at the back of the crowd, always keeping a distance from everyone.

Could he deny Li Muyang's question? No.

"You're using the wrong method," Li Muyang said regretfully, shaking his head. "Cui Xiaoxin is a smart, reserved, and proud girl. She likes a gentleman who is calm, wise, and has strong control—do you think mocking me and bullying me shows your strength and brilliance?"

The girl, as quiet as a lily, opened her mouth to speak but said nothing.

Her eyes were like sharp blades, peeling away Li Muyang's skin to see what his heart was thinking.

"This guy is not only ugly but also very annoying," the girl thought.

"Actually, in Cui Xiaoxin's eyes, this is a low-level trick, something to be despised and ridiculed. You treat me like a clown, and your bullying of me is also seen as a clown's performance in her eyes—"

Li Muyang pointed to his face and said, "Look at my face—yours is better. At least you're whiter."

"You're taller, smarter, and better at studies—oh, right, you can play basketball. I've seen the scene where countless girls scream your name when you play basketball. Many times, I've wished I could be you—"

"A philosopher once said: to see a person's level, look at their opponent. By choosing me as your opponent, or the one you bully, you lower yourself to my level. Do you think someone like that can win Cui Xiaoxin's favor? It's childish."

"Li Muyang, you—"

"I'm very ordinary," Li Muyang smiled, his pitch-black eyes shining with an indescribable charm, the only standout feature on his face. "But you're pitiful."

Zhang Chen was thoroughly enraged. He lunged forward, grabbing Li Muyang's neck and roaring, "Li Muyang, who are you calling pitiful? Who are you calling pitiful?"

"A fight, a fight—"

"Someone, pull them apart—"

"Teacher, someone is fighting—"

——

"Use more force," Li Muyang's eyes glowed red, staring at Zhang Chen and growling, "Use more force, just like you used to step on me."

"Spit—" Zhang Chen spat out a mouthful of blood, possibly due to internal injuries or sheer frustration.

The frenzied Zhang Chen was eventually pulled away by others. He kicked Li Muyang's fishing rod away and sneered, "Li Muyang, what right do you have to pity me? You're a failure, ugly, and always at the bottom of the class—fishing without even a single bite. What do you think you can achieve? You're just a pig living off others."

Li Muyang rubbed his red neck and smiled, "You were just thrown by my punch."

"——"

Zhang Chen pointed at Li Muyang's head and turned to leave.

His followers, who had been stunned, looked at Li Muyang as if they had never seen him before, then quickly followed.

The crowd dispersed, and Li Muyang sat alone in the grass by the lake, lost in thought.

He was always alone.

Just like before.

"Li Muyang—" The girl's voice was clear, like the arc left by a kingfisher in flight.

Li Muyang turned and saw Cui Xiaoxin still standing there.

This time was different from before.

"Whether you agree with what I said or criticize it, it doesn't matter—actually, do you know? Just by staying and talking to me, others will look at me with strange eyes—surprised, jealous, or envious. It's like a pile of mud suddenly blooming with beautiful flowers, a very fresh thing. For me, it's ultimately a benefit. If I were you, I would pretend nothing happened."

Without turning back, Li Muyang knew the impact of the class beauty staying to talk to him.

Cui Xiaoxin didn't expect Li Muyang to say such things. Her beautiful eyes clouded over, then cleared, and she said after a moment, "You guessed two things right and two things wrong."

"It seems you're willing to talk to me for a while. Is this our first proper conversation?" Li Muyang smiled.

"First, I don't like Zhang Chen. In my eyes, his behavior is indeed that of a clown."

"Second, I do like the type of boy you described—calm, wise, and with strong control. He has the ability but doesn't always show it. That's the type of boy I like."

Li Muyang nodded, "What did I say wrong?"

"First, I don't think you're a clown. You're just an ordinary person, like many others. You haven't done anything wrong, just—"

"Just that fate has been too unfair to me," Li Muyang laughed bitterly, "poor family, ugly, and a muddled mind—no talent in studies or sports, only to accept my fate as a useless person, right?"

Cui Xiaoxin's eyes sparkled again. This black coal, always mocked and bullied, with a reputation for being low-key and silent, had such sharp thinking and eloquence?

"I was just talking," Li Muyang peeled a sugarcane and chewed it, the sweet juice making him feel a bit better. "Go on."

"The reason mud can bloom with flowers is inevitable. It may seem insignificant on the surface, but it has rich energy inside, enough to support the growth and blooming of flowers—it strives with all its might to prove its value through the flowers on top."

"Do you think I'm like that pile of mud and can still be saved?" Li Muyang smiled, "Would you—"

"I wouldn't," Cui Xiaoxin rejected him directly. "I'm going to Xifeng University, where will you go? We're not in the same world, and our futures won't intersect."

Xifeng University was the best university in the empire, and with Li Muyang's current grades, he could only attend Xibifeng University—a for-profit university.

"That's true," Li Muyang said bitterly, "That's why I like you but have never confessed."

"What?"

"Isn't that normal? Like other boys in their youth, I always had a crush on the pretty girls in school. I liked Xu Jiarui, Zhang Xinqi, and you. I wanted to be as dazzling as you, to walk by your side, and to imagine you sitting on the back of my bicycle, smiling like a flower."

"But pretty girls always look at more excellent boys—we can only look from afar. If a pretty girl suddenly approaches and speaks a few words, neither warm nor cold, it's already a great blessing for us." Li Muyang looked up at the clouds, "What else can we do?"

Cui Xiaoxin was silent for a while, her voice finally carrying more complex emotions, "I wish you good luck."

She turned and walked toward the gathering place.

The lake tour was over, and a brutal battle awaited them.

"Li Muyang—" Li Muyang suddenly called out.

Cui Xiaoxin turned, not understanding what this boy, who had no prior interaction with her, wanted to say.

Actually, it wouldn't matter what he said; she wouldn't accept a love out of sympathy.

"I refused," Li Muyang said.

"What?"

"You invited me to watch a movie with you, and I refused," Li Muyang said loudly.

Cui Xiaoxin's face, illuminated by the sunlight, looked almost transparent like jade. She stared coldly at Li Muyang, "Idiot."

The sunset cast a grand and dreamy beauty over the lake.

Li Muyang packed up his fishing rod, preparing to go home with the group.

Swoosh—

The calm lake surface suddenly saw a colorful carp leap out.

As if receiving a signal, countless carp jumped out of the lake.

They were in the thousands, endless, covering half the lake with their colorful scales.

More carp were rushing toward the scene, as if on a pilgrimage.

They followed Li Muyang's direction, like loyal followers.

If an experienced elder saw this, they would exclaim: "Ten Thousand Carp Facing the Dragon, a rare sight that happens once in a thousand years—"

(PS: I'm happy to see many familiar faces. The red comments in the book review area make me very grateful. You've been so good to me, how can I repay you?

There are too many people who have rewarded me, so I can't list all their names at the end of the chapter. But at the end of the month, I will write a thank-you note and list every name.

This book is first published on Zongheng Chinese Network. If you like it, please help me by collecting it and voting. If you have a monthly vote, please give it to me. Let's see if we can get first place this month.

Also, Zongheng has an event where I'm said to be kidnapped by a group of beauties, and I need everyone to gather and save me. I told the editor that my readers, if they knew I was kidnapped by beauties, wouldn't save me but would be envious. As expected, that's what happened. However, it's said that completing the task will bring a big surprise. You can check it out:

)

Page Turn AD Start

Page Turn AD End