“You… Lu Yunze?” Jin Shun nearly tripped, but when he saw who it was, he froze for a moment.
“You know me?”
“Heh, anyone who knows Luo Yao knows you.”
Another guy coming after me because of Luo Yao.
Lu Yunze didn’t bother talking to him any further, instead turning to look at the girl behind him.
“You didn’t get hurt, did you?”
“No, Young Master, you came just in time.”
While they were facing off, Jiang Sui tilted her head, sizing up Lu Yunze. She couldn’t help but think that when his eyebrows stood up, he looked just like a big dog guarding its food.
And a dog that belonged only to her.
Just thinking about it made the corners of Jiang Sui’s mouth curl up.
He didn’t really understand why she was smiling, but seeing it made him feel at ease. It was proof enough she was alright.
Lu Yunze hadn’t expected that just the time he took to find a guidance teacher, Jiang Sui would almost get into trouble.
“If you want to curry favor with Luo Yao, just go straight to her.” Lu Yunze looked at Jin Shun again. “There’s no use coming to me, and you’d better not mess with my friends.”
Of course, whether you can get on Luo Yao’s good side depends entirely on her mood. That girl seemed to have a lot of friends, but in truth, her standards for friendship were very high. Not just anyone could catch her eye.
If you ask how Lu Yunze knew this, it was because Luo Yao had told him directly. She even wanted to tailor a set of “requirements” for him.
When he saw the first rule was “All members of the opposite sex must stay far away,” Lu Yunze immediately found an excuse to refuse.
“Hmph.” Jin Shun didn’t answer Lu Yunze directly. “I wanted to talk to you alone. I thought you really didn’t have any girls around except for Luo Yao, but it turns out you’re just like me after all.”
As he spoke, he revealed a lewd smile, making Lu Yunze raise an eyebrow.
“Who knows, maybe we could even become friends and swap a few tips. After all, I’ve got things you don’t, and you’ve got things I don’t, right?”
“…I’ve got a question.”
“Go ahead, this Young Master is handsome and kind-hearted, I’m willing to answer for you.” Jin Shun shook his clothes, full of confidence.
“Who exactly are you?”
The moment he asked, the atmosphere froze.
Lu Yunze felt there was nothing wrong with his question. He’d asked who he was the first time they met, but Jin Shun had ignored it.
But when he asked again, Jin Shun was visibly thrown off.
From behind Lu Yunze came a cute “pfft,” and then he felt someone poking his shoulder with a finger.
Turning around, he saw Jiang Sui beckoning him closer.
After she pursed her lips and whispered something in his ear, Lu Yunze suddenly wore a look of realization and pointed at Jin Shun, exclaiming:
“So you’re that playboy who toys with girls and then dumps them!”
The one Xiao Lin always talked about, the guy who deserved a lightning strike—he never thought he’d run into him today.
He blurted it out, and Jin Shun’s mouth twitched twice.
“Don’t you know anything about manners?”
Lu Yunze paused, then smiled.
“Manners depend on the person. You say you want to be friends with me, but sorry, I’m just not interested.”
What Jin Shun meant by “exchange” was obvious without even thinking about it. Lu Yunze had no interest in such depravity, and besides, Luo Yao wasn’t his private property.
Jin Shun’s face grew even uglier, and the look he exchanged with Lu Yunze was practically sparking.
Hiding behind Lu Yunze, Jiang Sui kept poking her head out, screaming in her heart:
Fight, fight, hurry up and fight.
Just then, a stern voice cut in, dispersing the tension in the air.
“What are you all doing here?”
Everyone looked over. A tall, thin middle-aged man had appeared at the doorway without anyone noticing. He adjusted his glasses as he walked in.
It was the Dean of Students. Looks like this dispute was about to end.
Jiang Sui was instantly disappointed. She had been hoping Lu Yunze would pin Jin Shun to the ground and give him a beating.
“In a while, the school leadership will be inspecting all the clubs. Luckily I came to check ahead of time, or you all would have caused real trouble.”
The Dean of Students took the initiative to separate the two and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Did you fight?”
“No.”
“If that’s the case, as classmates, there’s no need to go at each other’s throats.”
He thought he would have to lecture them more, but Lu Yunze and Jin Shun both obediently shut their mouths. Still, the way they looked at each other was full of hostility.
“Let’s go, let’s head back.”
Lu Yunze grabbed Jiang Sui’s wrist and led the way outside.
Jiang Sui lowered her head, staring at his broad palm, her eyes shining with a delicate light.
They had just reached the hallway when Jin Shun’s voice sounded again.
“Lu Yunze, don’t think you’re so high and mighty.”
“Huh?” Lu Yunze turned his head, his tone flat.
Jin Shun didn’t back down under his gaze. Instead, he put his hands in his pockets and deliberately brushed past him.
“You’ve got Luo Yao and you’re still looking for other girls. How are you any different from me? And you call yourself a friend? What a joke.”
“……”
“And you can protect her now, but can you protect her forever?”
The implication was clear: if Lu Yunze could get a girl, Jin Shun could use his own methods to steal her away. For someone as notorious as him, winning over women was second nature.
“In the end, they’re just toys. You can always buy them with money…”
“First of all, Luo Yao isn’t my woman.”
Lu Yunze let go of Jiang Sui and turned to face him.
“Second, Jiang Sui wasn’t bought with money, and I won’t let anyone buy her—especially not scum like you.”
“Who are you calling scum?”
Jin Shun’s face flushed red in an instant. He swung his fist at Lu Yunze.
Lu Yunze easily caught his fist and grinned.
“Lastly, you threw the first punch, so don’t blame me now.”
“Hey, you two…!”
The Dean of Students’ voice couldn’t reach Lu Yunze anymore.
The moment he shook off Jin Shun’s arm, Lu Yunze struck out, so fast that Jin Shun didn’t even have time to react.
Bang!
In that instant, Jiang Sui saw it clearly—Jin Shun’s obnoxious face was punched out of shape. He lost his balance, spun around, and fell to the floor.
“That punch was for Jiang Sui. Next time, don’t go around insulting people.”
Lu Yunze let out a breath, and only then did the Dean of Students’ voice thunder in his ears.
“You two, to my office, now!!”
That punch vented all the anger Lu Yunze had bottled up, so much so that he barely said a word during the aftermath.
With students causing trouble right under his nose, the Dean of Students was furious—well, as furious as he got.
He had expected there would be severe punishment, but in the end, they were just called to the office for a scolding.
The reason was simple. Whether it was Jin Shun or Lu Yunze, he wanted to show favoritism to both. He wanted to favor Jin Shun because this notorious rich kid was not someone you wanted to provoke.
As for Lu Yunze, aside from his own background, the Dean also hoped he would stand out at the upcoming Celebration.
The school’s Celebration was approaching, and many famous guests would be invited. They had to let these guests see the outstanding qualities of Lancheng Academy’s students, to build bridges with them.
After an hour of scolding, the Dean of Students deliberately staggered their departure times, letting Lu Yunze leave the office first.
The corridor was already filled with gossiping onlookers, but Lu Yunze ignored them all. Only when he saw the girl leaning against the wall did he finally stop.
“Young Master, are you alright?”
Lu Yunze shook his head.
“That’s good.”
Jiang Sui clearly let out a sigh of relief, though Lu Yunze’s brows were still furrowed.
“Sorry, I must have scared you when I suddenly started fighting just now. Maybe I really should control myself better…”
“Young Master, that punch just now was really handsome.”
“Huh?” Lu Yunze was stunned. He thought Jiang Sui would dislike his violence.
“You fought for me, Young Master. Why would I dislike that?”
Guessing what he was thinking, Jiang Sui giggled, folding her hands and stretching out her voice.
“The way you protected me was so impressive, I can’t help but want to keep watching you.”
“Alright, alright, stop teasing me.” Lu Yunze felt his cheeks burning.
“I’m not teasing.” Jiang Sui was serious. “Especially when you said you wouldn’t let anyone buy me—that was great, so cool. Can you say it again?”
“Enough, let’s go.” Lu Yunze turned away and quickened his pace. “It’s not like I was trying to act cool. Didn’t I tell you before not to let yourself get sold to weirdos?”
So shy. Really cute.
Watching him walk quickly, trying to hide his embarrassment, Jiang Sui’s cheeks couldn’t help but flush as she wanted to tease him more.
But just then, she glanced back and met a malicious gaze for a split second.
Jin Shun, just out of the office, shot them a look before heading off in the opposite direction.