Chapter 34

Almost without any hesitation, I immediately rushed out of the classroom like a gust of wind. When I arrived at Wang Yao's class, a circle of people had already gathered. I pushed my way through and saw Wang Yao sitting on the ground, clutching her stomach with a pained expression, her fingers stained with blood. A few girls were trying to comfort her. I didn't pay attention to the others and immediately rushed to Wang Yao, asking anxiously, "How are you?"

"It's nothing," Wang Yao moved her blood-soaked hand, and only then did I see that the injury was not on her stomach but on her other arm, a clear cut, though not very deep, with blood slowly spreading out.

Even so, I was deeply worried.

"None of you come near!" a voice suddenly rang out.

I turned around and saw the girl who had protected Yi Zhen in the morning had been cornered against the wall, holding a paper cutter with bloodstains on it. Clearly, she was the culprit, coming to avenge Yi Zhen. A few girls from the Thirteen Roses were surrounding her, but they didn't dare get too close because of the knife. They were throwing things like books at her.

Thinking it was she who had injured Wang Yao, I immediately grabbed a chair and stood up.

But someone pulled at my sleeve. I turned around and saw Wang Yao say, "Forget it."

I thought about it and agreed. We should go to the hospital first. I threw the chair aside and shouted at the girl, "We'll settle this later!"

"Come on now! Don't think I'm scared just because you're many!" the girl screamed.

I ignored her, reached out, and picked up Wang Yao. Only then did I notice Lin Ke'er standing next to Wang Yao. Without thinking much, I carried Wang Yao out. Wang Yao grabbed my shoulder and whispered, "Let me go, I can walk myself!"

I was taken aback, seeing everyone looking at me, and Wang Yao's face turned red. I quickly put Wang Yao down, and she, holding her arm, walked out. Lin Ke'er and the others quickly followed. The girl was still shouting, "Wang Yao, if you have the guts, come back!" but no one paid her any attention, and everyone followed Wang Yao out.

Wang Yao's injury wasn't serious; the school infirmary could handle it. As the doctor disinfected and bandaged her, a circle of girls started cursing the girl, saying they would kill her. Wang Yao said, "Forget it, don't go after her."

Everyone was stunned because this wasn't Wang Yao's style.

Wang Yao said, "She's just a foolish girl, don't make things harder for her."

"But what if she comes after you again?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"She won't. This cut scared her too, and she has already taken her revenge. Even if she comes after me again, she won't be able to hurt me. I was too careless before."

Although Wang Yao said this, everyone was still worried. Zhang Xuan said, "She came for Yi Zhen. If Yi Zhen goes after Lin Ke'er, are we just going to let him?"

Wang Yao thought for a moment and said, "Ke'er, don't give Yi Zhen any chance to be alone with you, okay?"

Lin Ke'er nodded.

Wang Yao continued, "Zuo Fei, I have a task for you."

"Tell me."

"Stay with Lin Ke'er more often. Pick her up and drop her off from school, eat with her, and stay with her during free time. Lin Ke'er doesn't go anywhere except to class and back to the dorm. Don't give Yi Zhen any chance."

I knew that besides protecting Lin Ke'er, Wang Yao was also giving us a chance to be alone together. Lin Ke'er usually hangs out with Zhang Xuan and the others, so Yi Zhen wouldn't dare to do anything.

But since Wang Yao said it, I could only nod, and I didn't want anything to happen to Lin Ke'er.

Zhang Xuan clapped her hands and said, "Great, the flower protector is back! You should thank Wang Yao for this opportunity!"

I said insincerely, "Thank you."

Wang Yao didn't react but continued, "Try not to provoke Yi Zhen. Avoid him if you can. If you push him too far, it won't end well." This theory was the same as Monkey's.

Monkey and Wang Yao could walk around Dongcheng No. 1 High School without fear, but they still treated Yi Zhen with caution, avoiding confrontation unless absolutely necessary. It seemed that money was indeed a powerful thing.

Wang Yao was the leader, and no one opposed her. So everyone followed her lead.

After the bandaging, everyone escorted Wang Yao back. Many people were waiting at Yi Zhen's class door, hoping to see the drama, but Wang Yao didn't go in; she went straight back to her class. As we passed Yi Zhen's class, I glanced inside and saw that Yi Zhen wasn't there, and the girl was trembling in the corner, clearly scared.

Seeing that Wang Yao didn't go after the girl, everyone dispersed. After school, I went to pick up Lin Ke'er for dinner, and Ma Jie insisted on coming with me, along with Zhang Xuan and a few other girls. We formed quite a large group.

We took a corner in the cafeteria, chatting and eating. I learned the details of what happened to Wang Yao in the afternoon. The girl's name was Zhao Ya Wen. She went to Wang Yao after class, saying she wanted to talk. As soon as Wang Yao stood up, Zhao Ya Wen pulled out a paper cutter and stabbed. Fortunately, Wang Yao raised her arm to block it, or it would have been a serious matter. Zhang Xuan saw Wang Yao clutching her stomach (actually her arm, a visual error) and hurriedly came to get me.

While we were eating, I saw a group of boys walking toward us. My instinct was to grab the chair under me.

By the time I grabbed the chair, the boys were already calling out, "Brother Fei!" I saw that the leader was Zheng Wu, and the others were our new recruits, and their numbers had doubled from the morning!

"Zuo Fei, what are you doing with the chair?" Zheng Wu asked, puzzled.

I was very embarrassed and had to stroke the chair leg, saying, "I felt the quality was good, so I wanted to study what material it's made of."

"Good what?" Zheng Wu took the chair and snapped the leg, "Is this any good?"

"..." I hung my head in defeat.

Zhang Xuan and the others were laughing, and the other students were shouting, "Brother Wu is so strong!" "Brother Wu is so cool!"

Zheng Wu's arrival made our table too crowded, so we combined two large tables, and there were over twenty of us, making quite a scene. The little hooligans were all sweet-talking, calling Zheng Wu and me "Brother," which made us feel very loyal.

Our influence grew, and Zhang Xuan and the others were happy. They joked with me, saying I had become "Brother Fei" and would be better at protecting Lin Ke'er. Whenever we were together, they would tease me about Lin Ke'er, and I had gotten used to it.

Zheng Wu poked my arm and said, "Even though you're Monkey's subordinate, they all have to call you 'Brother.'"

"..." I was tired and didn't know how to explain.

Besides, Zheng Wu didn't listen to me and said, "By the way, why is only your first wife here? Where's your second wife?"

The girls were stunned and asked Zheng Wu who the second wife was. I was frustrated and dragged Zheng Wu outside, saying impatiently, "Can you stop talking nonsense? I don't have any wives!"

Zheng Wu was surprised and said, "You broke up?"

"Broken up, don't mention it again!"

"Okay." Zheng Wu sighed, feeling sorry for me, "I'll lend you my charm to win both wives back."

"I don't need it!"

Back at the table, Zhang Xuan and the others asked who the second wife was. I said irritably, "Monkey!"

Everyone laughed, and the matter was dropped.

After dinner, I sent Lin Ke'er and the others back to the dorm. On the way back, I asked Zheng Wu why the number of subordinates had doubled. Zheng Wu told me that these people had come on their own. They had no support in the first year and heard that we were recruiting, so they all came over. I sighed, realizing that indeed, a big tree attracts the wind. When Jiu Dizi was around, no one would even look at us.

Back in the dorm, since we had evening study session soon, I prepared to lie down on the bed for a bit. Just as I lay down, I heard Ma Jie say, "Brother Fei, was the second wife Wang Yao?"

"Go away," I said irritably.

Ma Jie withdrew his head.

It was almost time for the evening study session, so I went to pick up Lin Ke'er again, and Ma Jie, the clingy one, followed me. We waited for a while at the girls' dorm, and Lin Ke'er came down alone. I asked where Zhang Xuan and the others were, and Lin Ke'er said they had already left. Ma Jie, seeing this, said, "Brother Fei, my stomach hurts, I'll go to the toilet," and left, leaving just Lin Ke'er and me.

If this had happened before, I would have been overjoyed, but now I just felt a bit awkward. We walked slowly, and many students passed us. The sky gradually darkened, and our shadows stretched long.

A faint fragrance wafted over, and I realized Lin Ke'er had dressed up. Her hair, freshly washed, was black and shiny, and she wore a light yellow dress. The weather wasn't really suitable for a dress, but it looked very good on her. We chatted casually, and with a beautiful girl by my side, it was impossible not to be attracted. I tried hard to suppress my feelings, thinking of Wang Yao, Wang Yao, Wang Yao.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew, and Lin Ke'er hugged her arms, saying, "It's a bit cold, I wish I hadn't worn a dress."

"..." I, being a seasoned player—okay, I'm just boasting, but I've seen pigs run even if I haven't eaten pork, and I've read countless romance novels, so I knew that when a girl says this, she means "hug me"!

But how could I hug her? That would just make things more confusing. I pretended not to understand and said, "Yeah, don't wear such thin clothes next time!"

Lin Ke'er looked at me with a complex expression, and I continued to act like a silly boy.

My thoughts were simple: I like Wang Yao, and she likes me. The only reason she's not with me is to avoid gossip and to protect Lin Ke'er. So I'll wait until everyone knows there's no future between Lin Ke'er and me, and we become just friends. Then I can be with Wang Yao openly.

If you ask me if I have feelings for Lin Ke'er, I can't say I don't. When Ma Jie told me I called Lin Ke'er's name in my sleep, I realized I still couldn't let her go. But what can I do? As a man, I need to control my feelings. Once I decide to be with someone, I need to cut off any ambiguity with others.

Now, my arms are only open for Wang Yao. With this resolve, I couldn't possibly hug Lin Ke'er.

As we walked, Lin Ke'er suddenly grabbed my arm. I was startled, thinking she might be about to throw herself into my arms. But I soon noticed her pale face and the slight tremor in her hand.

Following her gaze, I saw Yi Zhen standing at the bottom of the teaching building, looking at us with anger.

I wanted to curse and rush over to beat Yi Zhen up. I swear, if he were an ordinary student, I would have beaten him to the ground long ago. But Monkey and Wang Yao didn't want to provoke him, so I could only glare at him.

Lin Ke'er was clearly terrified. In the past, she might have dared to curse Yi Zhen, but after last night's incident, she was a frightened bird. She clung to my arm so tightly that it hurt, and I could feel her hand was ice cold, and her steps were faltering.

"Don't be afraid of him," I said softly, gently hugging her shoulder.

Lin Ke'er calmed down a bit, and her body stopped trembling as much.

"Link arms with me," I continued.

Lin Ke'er obediently linked her arm with mine, and the movement made her chest press against my arm. The soft touch made my heart flutter, but I quickly regained my composure, realizing I shouldn't be thinking about this. We had an enemy to face.

I hugged Lin Ke'er's shoulder, and she linked her arm with mine, making us look like a loving couple. Although I had just decided not to hug Lin Ke'er, this was a special situation, so it was okay.

We walked slowly, and Yi Zhen's eyes blazed with anger.

"Hey, rich boy, what are you doing here?" I couldn't hit him, but I could at least taunt him. After all, we were already enemies!

"Zuo Fei!" Yi Zhen glared at me, all traces of his gentlemanly demeanor gone.

"Hey, I'm here. What do you want?" I smiled, deliberately ruffling Lin Ke'er's hair, "Want to treat us to dinner? Sorry, we just ate with my wife. But if you insist, you can give me the money. You're so rich, you can't be stingy, right? At least give me five yuan, okay?"

Spending more time with Monkey had made me more of a smartass.

Lin Ke'er giggled, and her face gradually returned to normal, which made me feel a bit better.

"Lin Ke'er, what future do you have with this poor guy!" Yi Zhen suddenly shouted at Lin Ke'er, making her jump and tremble again. I was even more furious, afraid he might leave a psychological scar on her. I hugged Lin Ke'er tighter and pointed at Yi Zhen, cursing, "Get lost, don't be an eyesore!"

"Hehe, you have the guts to hit me?" Yi Zhen took a step forward, pointing at himself, "You were so tough yesterday, didn't you kick me a few times? Have the guts to hit me again, and let's see if you still have the nerve!"

I had beaten him up yesterday, and Wang Yao had beaten him up in the morning. His face was covered in bruises, yet he still dared to provoke me. Even a clay figure has a limit, and I couldn't hold back. I ignored Wang Yao and Monkey's advice and kicked Yi Zhen in the stomach with all my strength, sending him flying.

There were many students around, and they quickly gathered. I rushed over and kicked Yi Zhen a few more times, cursing, "I've never seen such a request!" I wanted to keep hitting him, but Lin Ke'er quickly pulled me back.

Including today, I had beaten Yi Zhen three times. I wondered if this guy could break my record. I hugged Lin Ke'er and shouted at him, "Idiot, if you have such a request again, come find me!"

Then I hugged Lin Ke'er and walked into the teaching building, while Yi Zhen laughed menacingly behind us, "You're finished, ha ha, you're finished!"

I thought, "What a load of crap. Even if you have money and power, what can you do? Make me drop out? So what?"

Inside the teaching building, Lin Ke'er said nervously, "Why did you hit him again? Wang Yao said this afternoon..."

"It's fine!" I said confidently, hugging Lin Ke'er's shoulder even tighter, "Don't be afraid of him, let's see what he can do!"

Just as I said that, I froze because Wang Yao and a few girls from the Thirteen Roses were walking toward us from another direction.

"Oh, you two are already so sweet?" "Do this in school, are you trying to make us single people jealous?" Seeing me hugging Lin Ke'er, they immediately started teasing us.

I quickly let go of Lin Ke'er and looked only at Wang Yao. Wang Yao's expression was calm, and she joined in the teasing, "Not bad, you're making progress. When are you going to give out the wedding candy?" I looked at her with a complex expression, but she seemed indifferent.

"It's not like that, just now..." Lin Ke'er briefly recounted what had happened.

The girls all said it was good, but Wang Yao said, "Yi Zhen is clearly prepared. Be careful, and let me know if anything happens."

I nodded and said, "Okay." But I thought, "Let's see what else Yi Zhen can do."

Sure enough, during the evening study session, Yi Zhen did something unexpected.

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