Chapter 23

### Chapter 2-3: Another Storm Arises

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

Wen Liang leaned against the window, gazing at the distant mountains while deeply reflecting on yesterday's events.

Wen Liang really didn't expect that in this era, high school girls could be so talkative. Before he could respond, Meng Ke in front of him turned around and said, "Yes, you didn't seem nervous at all on stage, and your eloquence is great. You must have done this a lot, right?"

"Yes," Wen Liang smiled, "When I was a child, my family was poor. I started learning to sing at three, performed on the street at five, and by seven, I was already well-known in Fenkou Alley. Back then, people would gather in layers to watch me. I've seen big scenes before..."

Fenkou Alley was a famous beggars' street in Qingzhou. Hearing this, the two female classmates knew Wen Liang was joking and covered their mouths, giggling.

Ji Su continued reading her book, but her eyes showed a hint of disdain. After hearing Wen Liang's introduction, she naturally recognized the annoying guy who had offended her. Initially, she had slightly changed her opinion of him when he appeared composed on stage, but now she found him to be quite slick.

After teasing the little girl, Wen Liang eagerly hoped Ye Yuting would adjust the seating arrangement. Not only did sitting in front of Ji Su make him uncomfortable, but the chatty little witch next to him was even more of a headache.

Finally, after everyone had finished their introductions, Ye Yuting walked to the podium and said, "Everyone did a great job. We will have more time to get to know each other in the future. For now, let's sit in our current positions. After a month, we will readjust the seats following the baseline test. Students who applied for on-campus housing, please follow me to the dormitory. The rest of you can start self-study or get to know your classmates."

Wen Liang didn't expect this outcome. He didn't think he could sit here patiently for a month. Seeing Ye Yuting about to leave, he immediately rushed forward, "Teacher Ye, I have something to report."

"Oh," Ye Yuting blinked her beautiful eyes, a gentle smile appearing at the corners of her lips, "Wen Liang, what's the matter?"

"Well, it involves personal privacy," Wen Liang pretended to be hesitant, glancing around at the other students, "Teacher Ye, can we talk in private?"

Ye Yuting laughed, "Sure, you sound so formal... Okay, let's go outside."

The two stood in the corridor. Inside the classroom, many people craned their necks to see what the boy who had just made a big impression would do next. Those near the corridor even opened the windows and leaned out to eavesdrop.

"Teacher Ye, I have a bit of farsightedness. I can't see the blackboard clearly from the third row. Can I be moved to the back?" At this close distance, Wen Liang could almost smell a faint fragrance from Ye Yuting. He was slightly taller than her, and looking down at her white collar, he could almost see a patch of smooth skin. Distracted by her beauty, Wen Liang subconsciously switched to his lecherous uncle mode and chuckled, "Of course, that area is mostly girls, and I'm the only boy. It wouldn't be good for my reputation if people found out."

Ye Yuting stared at the boy, speechless for a moment before she reacted, her tone serious but with a smile in her eyes, "Wen Liang, you should focus on your studies. There's no difference between boys and girls, understand? As for the seating, we can make an adjustment."

This conversation was quickly relayed to everyone in the classroom, causing a stir. The boys who had been vying for the front row were shocked. Had this guy just casually and without regret given up such a coveted spot? Either his sexual awareness hadn't awakened, or he really didn't like Ji Su (other girls were already ignored). As for the third possibility—abnormal sexual orientation—this wasn't a common concept in that era.

The class was initially skeptical, but when Ye Yuting announced that Wen Liang would switch seats with a girl in the seventh row, it caused another sensation. The girls thought Wen Liang had a keen eye, seeing through Ji Su's lack of inner beauty. The boys looked at Wen Liang with a mix of confusion, admiration, disdain, and schadenfreude, but mostly genuine praise: smart, knowing that the guys didn't like him, he gracefully stepped back to stand on equal footing with them, avoiding the tragic fate of being isolated and beaten up.

His new desk mate was a chubby boy named Ren Yi. After the introductions, Wen Liang remembered some of his high school memories. Although he had been almost invisible back then, and so much time had passed, he subconsciously didn't want to dwell on those painful pasts. But he had spent three years here, and many things gradually came back to him.

And he finally remembered why Ye Yuting's name sounded familiar.

In his previous life, Ye Yuting was the homeroom teacher of Class 1, Grade 1. A few months later, due to this woman, a major scandal erupted at Qingzhou No. 1 High School. But he didn't know what had changed with his rebirth, including the fact that the homeroom teacher was different...

Ren Yi was actually quite handsome, just a bit too chubby. He was outgoing and easy to get along with. He casually put his arm around Wen Liang's shoulders, grinned, and his chubby face looked quite lecherous, "Bro, what kind of spirit is this? It's the spirit of international humanitarian aid, the spirit of selfless service to the people. Norman Bethune would be nothing compared to you. Bro, this move is spot on..."

Wen Liang's head ached even more. This guy was even more talkative. Was this like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire?

Ji Su calmly flipped through her new books, seemingly indifferent to the chatter around her. Meng Ke turned to look at Wen Liang in the back row, her eyes full of curiosity. She nudged Ji Su's arm and whispered, "Su Su, does that guy have a grudge against you?"

Ji Su gave her a glare, and Meng Ke immediately clasped her hands together, "Amitabha, do you know how cute you look when you make that face? If the guy in the back saw it, he'd regret it."

Ji Su blushed and tried to tickle Meng Ke, and the two girls started a playful fight at their desks. Song Ziyun watched coldly and muttered, "Being pretty isn't everything, hmpf."

Finally, Ji Su explained the whole story to Meng Ke. Meng Ke was somewhat incredulous, "With your calm nature, you actually slapped him?"

"At the time, the situation was such, and I happened to bump into that... that... place... Okay, I know he didn't mean it, and I admit I was wrong. If you want to laugh, go ahead!" Ji Su looked at Meng Ke trying to suppress her laughter, feeling a bit annoyed.

"Alright, alright, it was that guy's fault. He was being inappropriate with our Su Su. Slapping him was too lenient." So, a beauty's stance is no stance, and a beauty's principles are no principles.

Gossip is a human nature. Since Ji Su had unparalleled influence in junior high, and many of her classmates were in the same grade, Wen Liang's "glorious deed" spread like a bullet train on the first day of school. The phrase "it wouldn't be good for my reputation" became a catchphrase for many.

But rumors can be dangerous. By the second day, Gu Wenyuan had heard countless versions, turning the story into Ji Su纠缠Wen Liang, who, unable to bear it, reported it to the teacher and then exiled himself. This version was clearly from a jealous girl, but Gu Wenyuan didn't care. He was furious.

Given Gu Wenyuan's family background, he could have been in Class 3 with Ji Su, but Gu Shitong insisted on putting him and Ning Xiaoning in Class 7. Gu Wenyuan had no choice. He knew his father's intentions: to bring him and Ning Xiaoning together to strengthen the good relationship between the Gu and Ning families.

To be honest, Ning Xiaoning was no less beautiful or talented than Ji Su, but her personality was too cold. At his age, Gu Wenyuan naturally preferred the gentle and outgoing Ji Su. Besides, even if he had to marry Ning Xiaoning in the future, it wouldn't stop him from pursuing Ji Su.

That's the logic of the elite!

What he didn't expect was that on the first day of school, the boy who had given him the greatest humiliation in his 17 years of life would cause trouble again.

After hearing the story from Mu Shanshan, although he was a bit disappointed that he couldn't use the thugs to deal with Wen Liang, since they were in the same school, there were plenty of ways to make him suffer. But before he could take action, Wen Liang had already stepped on his toes.

Indeed, in Gu Wenyuan's eyes, this was a blatant provocation by Wen Liang.

Gu Wenyuan stood up abruptly, and Mu Shanshan waved his hand. Immediately, a few people gathered around. For Master Gu, the most abundant thing was a group of lackeys.

"Send someone to tell Wen Liang that Mu Shanshan will be waiting for him at the small playground after school. If he doesn't come, he'll have to call us grandpa from now on! Remember, tell him in front of everyone in the classroom!"

Gu Wenyuan was always the good child in parents' eyes and the good student in teachers' hearts. He was handsome, generous, righteous, and helpful, a role model for the young in the eyes of elders and outsiders.

So, the bad deeds were always done by Mu Shanshan, while he remained spotless.

When the two boys entered the classroom, Wen Liang was suffering through Ren Yi's endless chatter. He never thought a boy could be so gossipy and talkative. It was only the first day of school, and this guy already knew the basic information of all the girls in the class who were above average in appearance, which was truly astonishing.

So when the two boys walked up to the podium with a swagger, Wen Liang breathed a sigh of relief and signaled Ren Yi to pay attention to the focus on stage.

One of the thin boys tapped the desk with a chalk eraser. He had a sickly yellow complexion, but his lips were bright red. Seeing the classroom quiet down, he smiled, "We heard that Class 3 has a hotshot this year, someone named Wen Liang, who talks very rudely and disrespects Ji Su. Our Class 7 leader, Mu Shanshan, is very angry and has invited this classmate to the small playground after school to educate him on behalf of his parents. Who is Wen Liang?"

Many eyes turned to look, and Ren Yi quickly waved his hands, "Not me..."

Wen Liang smiled and calmly replied, "What if I don't go?"

The thin boy hadn't spoken yet, but the other boy with a side part hairstyle shouted, "It's fine if you don't dare to come. Just call all of us grandpa and walk around us. Got it?"

Wen Liang, having lived two lives, had no interest in fighting with these kids. He was about to mock them when Ren Yi leaned over, whispering, "Don't go, Mu Shanshan is a big deal. He fights dirty, don't go!"

Wen Liang looked at Ren Yi in surprise, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes, and patted his shoulder. In an instant, he changed his mind. Since he had been reborn at this age, he should embrace the youthful spirit and recklessness of this age.

"Alright, tell Mu Shanshan I'll be there!"

As the two boys left, the classroom immediately buzzed with excitement. Those who knew Mu Shanshan started spreading his past victories. After a few rounds of gossip, everyone looked at Wen Liang with a mix of sympathy. Meng Ke turned to look at Wen Liang and then at Ji Su, worried, "Mu Shanshan is doing this for you?"

Ji Su angrily slammed her book on the desk, "What is this idiot doing, turning nothing into something!"

"Isn't Gu Wenyuan close to Mu Shanshan? Maybe you should ask him to mediate..."

Ji Su glared at Meng Ke, "Why bother with these trivial matters? Let them fight. They're not good people anyway. Besides, what does it matter to me if Gu Wenyuan is close to anyone?"

"Alright, alright, you're a noble lady, above the mundane world... But I don't think Wen Liang is like Mu Shanshan..."

"Flirt!"

After school, Wen Liang packed his things and slowly walked to the small playground. A few curious students followed in groups. Ren Yi scratched his head, stomped his foot, and chased after the crowd.

The small playground was in the northwest corner of the campus, with a small basketball court and ten ping-pong tables. It was one of the five sacred places in Qingzhou No. 1 High School, where many physical confrontations took place. The loser couldn't tell the teacher, or they would be ridiculed to death, a kind of unwritten rule.

Mu Shanshan was already waiting with seven or eight people. Seeing Wen Liang approach, he sneered, "Kid, I knew you'd come. Don't think someone has your back outside; in school, no one can protect you!"

Somehow, the news had spread, and a crowd had gathered. There were students from Class 7, Class 3, and Class 1, and even some seniors from Grade 2. Hearing Mu Shanshan's words, everyone realized there was a history between the two, and whispers spread.

"Alright, I'm a busy person and don't have time to waste. What's the deal? One-on-one or a group fight? I'll take it either way. Oh, right, you said one-on-one fights are for fools. I guess you don't have the guts. So, let's do it together, and we'll save some time."

This blatant sarcasm was very effective on Mu Shanshan. He clenched his fists, unwilling to lose face in front of everyone. He sneered, "Today, I'll make you admit defeat. We'll have a cultural competition, not a physical one, to avoid saying we're bullying the few with the many. The loser will kneel and kowtow three times."

Physical punishment was important, but the most crucial was to humiliate him mentally. This was Gu Wenyuan's strategy, and Mu Shanshan was executing it faithfully.

"Cultural competition? Haha," Wen Liang gestured for him to proceed.

"Don't think I'm taking advantage of you. We'll use what's available here. We'll compete in basketball and ping-pong, and we'll randomly pick someone for an arm-wrestling match. Best two out of three. The loser will kneel and call the winner grandpa. Big guy, you come, arm-wrestle with him!"

A tall, muscular boy who looked like Hong Kong actor Cheng Kui'an stepped forward. Standing at over 1.8 meters, he towered over Wen Liang, who had to look up. Seeing his arms were as thick as Wen Liang's thighs, the crowd let out a chorus of boos.

Wasn't this taking advantage?

The thin boy with bright red lips who had delivered the challenge to Class 3 smiled, "Wen Liang, with your skinny arms and legs, why not just admit defeat? Calling us grandpa isn't a loss. Do you know how many people want to call us grandpa, and we don't even bother with them!"

The other boy with a side part hairstyle immediately chimed in, "Red Monkey, are you being soft again? I told you, with guys like this, you have to stomp hard. If they resist, stomp harder until they admit defeat. Then, depending on our mood, we might continue stomping. If they think they have some backbone, they dare to resist, it would be a shame not to crush them!"

It turned out this tall, thin boy with a sickly yellow complexion and bright red lips was nicknamed Red Monkey. It was a fitting name. Before Red Monkey could respond, Mu Shanshan laughed, pointing at the side part hairstyle, "Black Monkey, you speak so straightforwardly. That's how we deal with certain people."

The side part hairstyle's real name was Hou Qiang. He was decent-looking and muscular, but his dark skin earned him the nickname Black Monkey, a perfect match for Red Monkey and a close friend of Mu Shanshan.

Hou Qiang smiled, "Who are we? We beat people like this!"

The group, like a comedy act, belittled Wen Liang to the point of nothingness, their expressions and words full of insulting and malicious intent. Their attitude was so despicable that it was shocking! The onlookers witnessed the arrogance and tyranny of Mu Shanshan's group. For a new student to dare to challenge them publicly, it was impossible without a strong background. Seeing their behavior, any young, righteous-minded students who might have wanted to intervene immediately backed off. Everyone looked at Wen Liang with a mix of pity, as if he was destined to be brutally humiliated and left in tatters.

For a young boy, such humiliation was almost as bad as death.

Wen Liang first gave a cold look to Black Monkey and Red Monkey, memorizing their faces. He would have the chance to tell these two that helping out and being a sidekick also comes with a price.

Mu Shanshan stepped forward, leaning close to Wen Liang's ear and speaking in a voice only the two could hear, "Remember that night? I'll do the same to you today. Got it, kid?"

Wen Liang showed no emotion, calmly saying, "Let's go!"

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**End of Chapter**