“Now this is going to be good!”
Li Yan was Li Chen’s younger cousin. Though they shared the same surname, Li Chen was from the main family, while Li Yan came from a collateral branch.
To put it nicely, they were from the same clan. To put it bluntly, Li Yan was basically Li Chen’s lapdog.
Because Chu Qingheng and Li Chen had a long-standing grudge, Li Yan often went out of his way to provoke him. From high school all the way to university, he never stopped.
This current bet was yet another round in their ongoing battle of egos.
If Li Yan managed to confess successfully to Jiang Fuyue and win her over, then he would become “Master Chu,” and Chu Qingheng would have to act like his grandson from then on, walking around him in submission.
But if he failed, Li Yan would have to call Chu Qingheng “Dad.”
A childish game to the extreme, yet somehow the two of them never tired of it.
Their group of bros egged them on every single time.
As for why they picked Jiang Fuyue—
It was simply because, when she stood up to answer a question in class, Chu Qingheng had offhandedly said, “She’s got a nice figure.”
“Young Master Chu, it’s been sent.”
“Mm.” Chu Qingheng lounged back, one leg crossed over the other, lazily playing with a cigarette between his fingers, amusement curling his lips. “Let’s see where Li Chen hides his face when his little house pet makes a mess this time…”
——
At a seaside resort hotel.
The sunlight was dazzling; a breeze rippled over the infinity pool, scattering glimmers of gold across the surface.
A tall figure reclined on a lounge chair, dressed casually in light clothing, sunglasses covering his eyes. Beside him sat a coconut with a straw poking out.
He was resting, eyes closed, enjoying the salty ocean breeze in a rare moment of leisure.
Then came a group of approaching footsteps—laughter, and chatter.
“Is that Li Yan? D*mn, he looks pathetic.”
“Probably lost another bet with that Chu Qingheng guy again.”
“This time they really went all out, even used a drone. Hilarious.”
“Wasn’t that Liu Hao’s drone? How’d it end up filming Li Yan’s humiliation? And someone even uploaded it?”
“Guess that’s what they call shooting yourself in the foot.”
“In short, no brains.”
“Pfft! Brutal but accurate.”
“Does Li Chen know yet?”
“No idea, we’ll find out soon enough…”
Just as they were about to enter the villa, Liang Jingzhou suddenly stopped.
“What’s up, Old Liang?”
“There. Over there.” He pointed his chin toward the pool.
Gu Huaiyu and Cheng Lian followed his gaze.
“Well I’ll be d*mned, there he is.”
“Come on, let’s go say hi.”
They strolled up to the lounge chair. Liang Jingzhou grabbed the coconut without hesitation, swapped the straw, and started drinking.
Gu Huaiyu threw the towel around his neck at him. “Cut the act. We know you’re not asleep.”
Li Chen’s lips twitched. He pulled off his sunglasses and tossed the towel right back. “Smells like sweat. Get that thing away from me. And Liang Jingzhou, who the h*ll said you could drink my coconut?”
“Heh, sorry, it’s gone already. Burp!”
“…Are you a pig?”
Cheng Lian didn’t bother with small talk. “Did you see the video?”
Li Chen frowned. “What video?”
The three exchanged looks.
“Just spit it out already.”
Liang Jingzhou muttered, “…Maybe check your messages first?”
Li Chen, suspicious, picked up his phone. He had set it to airplane mode earlier for some peace and quiet. The moment he turned it off, notification sounds poured in like a flood.
“Welp, we don’t need to explain now, you’ll see.”
They left him by the pool and walked inside.
Li Chen casually tapped a WeChat message open and then froze.
He saw the video. He saw Li Yan getting flipped to the ground like a rag doll by a slim girl.
And the sender was one of Chu Qingheng’s buddies.
“F*ck!”
The humiliation was colossal.
Worse yet, there was a link attached.
He clicked it, straight to Ming University’s campus forum. The top trending post: “Young Master Yan’s Epic Takedown Compilation.”
The clip of Li Yan getting thrown had been edited into a meme video, complete with goofy background music, and uploaded for all to see.
The comment section was blowing up with laughter—
【LMAO this is gold!!! HAHAHAHA】
【I’ll laugh first, talk later hhhh】
【Confirmed: Over-the-shoulder throw = universal solution】
【I need that girl’s name in five seconds!】
【Liu Sisi from Peiya Class, same dorm as Jiang Fuyue】
【As expected, anyone around our Sister Yue is a powerhouse】
【Yue-fan here?】
【Same fandom】
【+1】
【Confess to me like that, I’d fall and never get up.】
【Young Master Yan sure has guts, actually dared mess with Sister Yue】
【That throw looked painful as h*ll】
【Heard an ambulance came after, true or false?】
【True. I saw it myself.】
【Wonder what kind of face Li Chen will make when he sees this, heh…】
【What’s Li Chen got to do with Li Yan’s embarrassment? Don’t mix them up.】
【Oh? A Li heir fanboy spotted? Then may your crush confess to you just for fun and then laugh in your face!】
【Am I the only one worried those two girls will face payback?】
【You gotta think before striking the master’s dog, Li Chen’s not as easy as Li Yan.】
【So what? Scum deserves a lesson. That slam was beautiful!】
——
Li Chen scrolled through the comments, his face darkening, lips twisting into a sneer that grew colder and colder until his eyes blazed with fury.
He opened his contacts, found Li Yan’s number, and hit dial.
“Explain. Everything.” His tone was low, icy.
“Bro…” On the other end, Li Yan lay in a hospital bed, limbs in plaster, sounding near tears.
That Liu Sisi had gone way too hard on him, she’d actually dislocated a bone.
After being admitted, it was blood tests, scans, and then a torturous bone-setting procedure that made him scream bloody murder.
“Bro, listen, those two were so arrogant! Especially that Jiang Fuyue! She even had a bodyguard or something… When you get back from vacation, you’ve gotta teach her a lesson! Otherwise, how’s our Li family supposed to keep face?”
Li Chen let him rant for ten straight minutes, but that last line hit the mark.
No matter who was right or wrong, the moment Li Yan lost face, it reflected on him and by extension, on the entire Li family.
Even just to restore the family’s pride, this couldn’t go unanswered.
Li Chen’s voice dropped, cold as steel. “What’s that girl’s name?”
Li Yan hesitated. “Wh-which one?”
“The one who had someone throw you.”
“Oh! Her name’s Jiang Fuyue!”
Jiang—Fu—Yue!
Li Chen mouthed the name, then a cold sneer spread from his lips.
That very afternoon, he started shouting that he was sick of staying on the island and wanted to go back to the Imperial Capital.
Liang Jingzhou, halfway through a bite of a cream-covered strawberry, put it down. “No way, Old Li! We just got here a few days ago, and you already want to leave? Don’t forget why we came!”
A few of them had agreed to skip classes, booked plane tickets and hotels on the spot, and planned to play around for two or three months before heading back.
“School’s been open less than a week, what kind of truancy is it if you go back now?”
Li Chen was already calling his butler to come pack his things. “You guys can stay. I’m going back.”
A man lives for his pride, his cousin Li Yan was lying in the hospital, and if he didn’t return soon, someone might just climb onto the Li family’s head and sh*t on it!
Cheng Lian swirled the red wine in his goblet, watching it ripple, and laughed. “Bored of the island, huh? Or are you just itching to settle the score?”
“You always get me,” Li Chen grinned.
Gu Huaiyu took out his phone and replayed that video again. He didn’t dare open the meme edit, he’d probably die laughing.
“That girl’s clearly trained, Li Yan’s fall this time wasn’t unjust.”
But what caught his attention wasn’t the girl who struck first, but the one who stayed calm the entire time.
A slender waist, long legs, delicate features but most of all, that cool, aloof aura that made her impossible to look away from.
“Jiang Fuyue?” He arched a brow. “I’ve heard the name, quite famous, isn’t she…”
Li Chen snorted. “I don’t care if she’s famous or not. In front of me, none of that matters.”
“Alright,” Gu Huaiyu said, setting his phone down and standing up. “I’ll go back too.”
“What—wait!” Liang Jingzhou choked on his strawberry, coughing as he blurted, “Old Li’s going back to stir trouble, but why are you going?”
Gu Huaiyu smiled. “To watch the show.”
Clink—
Cheng Lian set down his goblet; the glass bottom tapped crisply against the marble counter.
“I’m coming too.”
He pulled out his phone and started booking a flight.
Liang Jingzhou gawked at them in disbelief. After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out, “…Are you all sick or what?!”
Unfortunately, no one answered him.
After finishing the rest of his strawberries, he mumbled, “Fine, I’ll go back too…”
Ming University, Principal’s Office.
Jiang Fuyue knocked. “Come in,” said Xiao Shan.
She swaggered in and dropped herself into the chair opposite him. “You called for me?”
“Uh…” Xiao Shan cleared his throat. “I heard you had some kind of conflict with Li Yan yesterday?”
“Small matter. No big deal.” She waved it off carelessly.
“…You might not think so, but he’s still lying in the hospital!”
“What, Principal Xiao, did you call me in to hold me accountable?”
The corner of Xiao Shan’s mouth twitched. “Who in all of Ming University would dare hold you accountable?”
After all, the shares in his hands were only in his name temporarily, Jiang Fuyue was the real major shareholder.
In other words, the entire university was basically hers. She could do whatever she wanted, fire whoever she pleased.
“You shouldn’t say that,” Jiang Fuyue smiled. “You’re the principal, after all.”
Xiao Shan could only shake his head and sigh helplessly.
“Anything else? If not, I’m leaving.”
“Mm. Go ahead.”
He had only called her in as a formality since complaint calls had even reached his desk.
But Xiao Shan knew well: Jiang Fuyue wasn’t the type to pick fights. If she’d decided to “deal with” Li Yan, then Li Yan must’ve deserved it.
Outside the principal’s office, a few heads peeked nervously from behind a pillar.
“Look! She’s coming out!”
“No way… that fast? You sure the principal’s still inside?”
“Of course! I just walked by and even peeked in.”
“Then how come she’s out so soon?”
“No idea…”
“D*mn, she doesn’t even look like she got scolded. What’s going on?”
“Did you make the complaint call?”
“Yeah! Principal Xiao answered himself and said they’d ‘take it very seriously’ and ‘handle it properly.’”
Handle it properly?
What kind of handling takes less than two minutes?!
Suddenly, someone’s phone rang.
“Whose is it?”
“Mine… it’s Young Master Yan. What do I do, answer?”
“Answer it! You’ll have to tell him sooner or later.”
On the other end, Li Yan lay in his hospital bed, body aching and temper foul. “Well? What punishment did the school give her?”
“Uh, Young Master Yan, actually…”
“Was it heavy? Expelled? Suspended?” His eyes lit up, unable to hide his excitement.
“…Neither.”
“Huh?”
“She was… called to the principal’s office for a talk.”
Li Yan burst out laughing, full of smug satisfaction. “That’s great! I knew that brat wouldn’t get away with it. So? What happened after that?”
“Th-Then she left.”
Li Yan hummed, suddenly relaxed. “Did she cry as she ran out?”
“…Not exactly.”
“Ha, still pretending to be tough. The more she holds it in, the more it hurts, serves her right!”
“Uh… she didn’t seem hurt, either.”
Li Yan froze. “What do you mean?”
“She was in there less than two minutes, then walked out like nothing happened.”
“Less than two minutes?” He blinked. That short? What kind of scolding lasts two minutes?
“D*mn it! Why didn’t you say so earlier?!”
His lackey was on the verge of tears. “I wanted to, but you kept talking and imagining things, I couldn’t get a word in!”
Li Yan’s face burned hot, but inside he went cold.
“How could it be less than two minutes… That’s not right…”
The lackey tried cautiously, “Maybe the school just told her the punishment result, it’s already decided, so she didn’t bother arguing. That’s why it was so quick?”
“…You might be right.” Li Yan steadied himself, smirking again. “Fine. I’ll wait for the official announcement. Call me the moment you hear anything!”
“Yes, Young Master Yan. We’ll keep an eye out.”
But one day passed. Then two. Then three. Still, no “punishment” came.
Furious, Li Yan called his lackeys. “What the h*ll is going on?! Where’s the school-wide notice? The disciplinary action?!”
“Young Master Yan, we don’t know! The school’s completely silent. Jiang Fuyue’s attending classes as usual, teachers love her, classmates too. Everyone’s calling her ‘Sister Yue’ now.”
“What the— I’m stuck in the hospital, and she’s totally fine?! How the h*ll does that work?!”
“So, uh, what should we do next?”
Cold light flickered in Li Yan’s eyes. “Last time the principal ignored the report, maybe it was because only one person complained, not enough noise.”
“You mean…”
“Get more people. Have them call the principal’s office one after another. Let’s see if the school can keep ignoring it!”
They did. They called nonstop, nearly blowing up the office line—yet nothing came of it, not even a ripple.
Li Yan grew so confused he started to wonder if they’d written down the wrong number.
He dialed it himself.
“Principal Xiao?”
“Yes, speaking. Who’s this?”
“Doesn’t matter who I am. I just want to know, have you been getting a lot of complaint calls lately?”
“Yes.”
“Then why haven’t you done anything about Jiang Fuyue?” Li Yan exploded. “You’re shielding her!”
The voice on the other end remained calm. “You must be Student Li Yan, correct?”
Li Yan froze.
“No matter. I’ll explain again. The school investigated, reviewed the footage, it showed that Li Yan approached Jiang Fuyue with malicious intent, tried to play a prank, and even struck first. The fault lies with him, not Jiang Fuyue or the other girl. Therefore, the school has decided to issue Li Yan a disciplinary warning. Depending on his performance this semester, it may be revoked later.”
A bolt from the blue.
He was the one injured and hospitalized yet she got off scot-free, while he was the one punished?!
Principal Xiao continued, “At first, the school didn’t plan to pursue it further. It could’ve been settled privately between the parties. But with the number of anonymous complaints we received, we had no choice but to investigate thoroughly. And since the findings are clear, we must follow the rules. I hope this result satisfies you. Goodbye.”
Click.
The line went dead.
Li Yan sat frozen, phone in hand, like a block of wood.
After a long time, he finally lowered it then slammed his fist into the pillow, face turning green with regret.
“If I’d known, why the h*ll did I even file the complaint?! I got myself punished instead?!”
He groaned miserably. “God, I’m such an idiot…”
