Chapter Two: Unusual Behavior

“Lu Chengze, you’ve really got some nerve now, haven’t you? You’re from No. 7 High but you’re colluding with students from No. 3 High to stir up trouble here. What, should I make a school-wide announcement for you, hmm?”

“And who gave you the guts to lay a hand on my sister?”

With another kick, the school heartthrob of No. 7 was sent sprawling to the ground, battered and humiliated.

Ye Xingchen, after all, was a provincial taekwondo champion. He hadn’t competed nationally yet, but that was just a matter of time for him.

He prided himself on being the school tyrant, blessed with both looks and strength—except for that cousin who always seemed to side with outsiders.

Well, today he’d completely offended her.

But he felt great.

Ye Mengxia was so terrified that tears began streaming down her cheeks.

He hadn’t even done anything yet, and she was already crying.

“Oh come on, don’t cry! I can’t handle this—here, here, wipe your tears, hurry up, wipe them off.”

While he witnessed this rare sight of her crying, Ye Mengxia pressed a tissue to Su Yichen’s head.

So much blood. What should she do?

Would he bleed to death? The thought scared her.

“Su Yichen, are you alright? You should get to the infirmary—you’re bleeding so much.”

“I’m fine,” Su Yichen replied, pulling at his injured lips, yet smiling brightly.

Ye Xingchen grabbed Su Yichen and looked him over, clicking his tongue. “Well, haven’t you changed in just a few days.”

“Ye Xingchen, thanks!”

“No need. As the guardian of justice at No. 7 High, it’s my duty to take out the trash now and then.”

Ye Mengxia followed his gaze to Lu Chengze, whose bloodshot eyes looked terrifying. Instinctively, she moved behind Su Yichen.

Would he come after her for this?

“Hey, keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyes out. Remember, don’t cause any more trouble at No. 7. I’m the kind who could kill someone at any time, you know.”

Ye Xingchen wasn’t afraid of any school gangs.

He had good grades and good looks. The only reason he wasn’t called the school heartthrob was because he preferred the title “school tyrant.”

Dominant and handsome.

“Mengxia, you—what happened to you?”

“How did you get hurt?”

“Lin Xingchen, not again. Are you fighting again?”

Lin Manting dashed over, worry etched on her face as she grabbed Ye Mengxia’s hand. The moment she left the school gate, she’d seen Lu Chengze being kicked to the ground by Ye Xingchen.

“Huh, it’s you again, Mushroom Head. What’s the problem? I’m ridding No. 7 of trash, got it? Back off, mind your own business.”

“I won’t. There are school rules, you know. You could get expelled for this.”

“And Lu Chengze’s already hurt. You’ll be held responsible.”

“What do you know, Mushroom Head…”

“Hey, hey, what are you doing?”

With a loud thud, Lin Xingchen was suddenly shoved aside. Looking up, she saw Ye Mengxia crouched beside Lu Chengze, helping him up.

“Aze, are you okay?”

“Ye Mengxia…” Su Yichen tried to pull her away, only to have her slap his hand away, hard.

The sound echoed, stunning everyone present.

Sudden, but not unexpected.

Anyone who’d seen Ye Mengxia lose control before knew she was at it again. Especially Ye Xingchen’s brothers—they all silently took a step back.

“Su Yichen, who do you think you are?”

“I’m warning you, if you ever touch Aze again, you’ll have to answer to me.”

Ye Mengxia’s expression was icy as she forcefully wiped the spot where Su Yichen had grabbed her wrist and flung it aside.

“Ye Mengxia, you’ve gone too far.”

“Su Yichen just shielded you. You’re unharmed, and now he’s covered in wounds, bleeding from his head. You have no conscience.”

“Let go. You’re not going anywhere today. As your cousin, I have every right to correct your twisted personality.”

Ye Xingchen was furious, ready to slap her all the way to the North Pole if he could.

He wondered if there was a wire in her head, specifically for conducting electricity.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Ye Xingchen, stop using the cousin card. We’re fundamentally different. You’re not even listed in the family genealogy.”

“You have no right to lecture me.”

“Say that again!”

“Repeat what you just said!”

“I said you have no right to control me!”

Ye Xingchen’s face turned cold as he gripped her wrist so hard his eyes reddened.

He was truly angry now.

If she weren’t his cousin, he really might have punched her.

“Fine, rot here if that’s what you want. I won’t bother with you anymore.”

“Mengxia, you shouldn’t have done that. Ye Xingchen may be a bit of a troublemaker, but he just saved you,” Lin Manting said, frowning.

“He’s crazy!”

“Mengxia…”

After all the chaos subsided, Su Yichen leaned wearily against a tree, watching Ye Mengxia’s retreating figure, feeling helpless.

Ye Mengxia, having brought Lu Chengze to the infirmary, now sat on a chair beside the bed, looking at Lu Chengze as he received treatment, her mind puzzled.

Where was Su Yichen?

How did she end up here?

With a bang, the events from earlier exploded in her mind. Everything was blurry, but she seemed to recall having slapped Su Yichen and humiliating him.

“Ye Mengxia, you really pulled it off this time. You truly humiliated Ye Xingchen. Did you get someone to take a photo? Don’t forget to post it on the campus forum.”

“The tyrant of No. 7 High leads a gang to beat up students, blatantly disregards school rules.”

“Ha, this is going to be good.”

“By the way, what’s going on with Su Yichen? Why was he here today? Don’t tell me you’re actually with him now?”

“Oh, I forgot, you like things clean. Last time you humiliated him, called him a poor boy from a filthy place.”

“Where have you been these past two weeks, anyway? You haven’t answered your phone, your family’s not home, the school said you’re on leave—where did you go?”

Lu Chengze babbled excitedly, but she never answered. Noticing her absent gaze, he reached out with a cold hand to touch her wrist, and she shuddered violently, springing to her feet.

“What are you doing?”

“Ye Mengxia, what’s with you? I’m asking where you’ve been all this time?”

Startled by her sudden reaction, Lu Chengze shouted, frowning, but then tried to take her hand again.

“Mengxia…”

Ye Mengxia shoved him away and ran out, not stopping until she was far enough for her freezing body to start warming up again. She hugged her backpack tightly to her chest.

What was wrong with her?

She stared blankly at her surroundings, not even sure what she’d just done.

She sat in a daze for a long time before finally getting up and taking a shuttle home.

Only after she boarded did Su Yichen, who’d been hiding nearby, limp his way home.

In a forgotten corner of the bustling city center stood a crumbling old building. Su Yichen lived there. He set down his backpack, mixed a few packets of unknown medicine, and swallowed it all in one go.

His whole body sank into the sofa.

And then, into a deep sleep.