“I haven’t even made a move yet, and he already wants to strike! D*mn!” After saying that, Liang Jingzhou shot out like a cannonball.
“Hey hey hey, what are you doing?! What are you doing?!”
Pia—a crisp smack. He slapped away Yellow hair’s outstretched hand and wedged himself between Jiang Fuyue and Lin Zhaodong.
He embodied the meaning of “human wall” vividly and concretely.
Yellow hair looked at the person who suddenly appeared and sneered as he tugged at the corner of his mouth: “It’s you, the loser.”
“Who exactly is the loser here, you might not have figured that out, have you?”
In the final drill phase of the joint training between the seven schools, Ming University pulled far ahead with an absolute advantage, leaving the second-place Ocean University far behind.
And Jiang Fuyue, together with Liu Sisi, had personally taken down Hai Da’s camp headquarters.
It was said Yellow hair had also been there, trying to muddle things up, but ended up being easily exposed and was instantly dumbfounded.
Obviously, Lin Zhaodong also remembered that not-so-pleasant experience, and his face darkened at once.
“What are you looking at me for?” Liang Jingzhou lifted his chin slightly. “Even if you look, it’s useless. You’re not my type.”
Lin Zhaodong: “……”
At that moment, Jiang Fuyue tossed out a “I’m leaving first” and slipped away.
“Hey, wait—” Seeing this, Lin Zhaodong called out and made a move to chase.
Liang Jingzhou blocked him right away: “What now? No need to be so enthusiastic about asking for a beating. Sister Yue’s time is precious; she doesn’t have time for you.”
“Move!”
“And if I don’t?”
Yellow hair gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing dangerously: “Then don’t blame me for being rude!”
“Oh? Then today I really would like to see how exactly you plan to be rude. Come on, try me.”
As he said that, he cast him a sidelong glance and bumped his shoulder straight into the other’s chest. “Don’t chicken out. If you’ve got the guts, take a swing!”
“You mother—” Yellow hair actually raised his arm to hit.
Li Chen and Gu Huaiyu saw this and immediately stepped forward to back Liang Jingzhou.
“On Ming University turf, putting hands on one of our people, isn’t that inappropriate?”
Li Chen frowned. “Why are you being polite with him? Whoever dares to touch even a single hair on Old Liang today, don’t even think about walking out of Ming University’s gates easily!”
Cheng Lian shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled forward, his cool gaze sweeping over them indifferently: “No matter how skilled you are, two fists can’t beat four hands. Think it through before deciding. Don’t be stupid.”
“Old Cheng, why are you wasting words on him?” Liang Jingzhou pouted, tapping his forehead. “If you’ve got the guts, knock me right here.”
Lin Zhaodong’s brows tightened suddenly. His wavering gaze landed on Liang Jingzhou, who had a hard stance, then swept past the other three standing beside him.
This wasn’t a matter of “two fists” versus “four hands” anymore. It was “two fists” versus “eight hands”!
Yellow hair took a deep breath and threw out a line: “Count yourselves lucky today. Next time won’t be this easy—”
He brushed past them and left with big steps.
His back still carried lingering anger and frustration.
…
Holding back a stomachful of irritation, Lin Zhaodong walked out of Ming University’s gates in a gust of wind, brows drooping, eyes gloomy.
Halfway there, as he passed the sports field, a soccer ball flew straight at him.
If Lin Zhaodong hadn’t reacted fast enough, his nose bridge might have been broken by now.
“Hey, classmate, could you help kick the ball back? Thanks!”
Lin Zhaodong glanced at the boy waiting eagerly in the distance, then lowered his head to look at the ball at his feet and then…
He did nothing. He turned and walked away.
The boy still waiting for him to kick the ball back: “?” He… walked away?
Great! Either that guy was deaf, or he had some serious issues.
Ocean University was only a few minutes’ drive from Ming University, but Lin Zhaodong deliberately took a detour and entered through the back gate ten minutes later.
Unfortunately—
“Lin Zhaodong! You’re back?!” A delighted girl’s voice rang out, tinged with obvious shyness.
His steps paused. Great. Still couldn’t avoid her. That detour was a waste.
“You need something?” He turned his head coldly.
The girl ran over, trying to hold his arm, but he subtly dodged.
“Where did you go? I couldn’t find you in the dorm, and you weren’t at the training grounds. I called your roommates, and they said you’ve been busy and going out a lot lately…”
Lin Zhaodong’s brows tightened abruptly. “Are you done? Asking left and right, minding every little thing. Do you have to make everything public to feel satisfied?”
“I’m asking because I care about you. Don’t be ungrateful!”
“Heh.” He gave a cold laugh, his eyes narrowing slightly with a wicked air. “Who are you to me? Do I need your concern? Save it.”
With that, he shoved his hands into his pockets and strode toward campus.
The girl stood there, shouting at his indifferent back: “Lin Zhaodong, you b*stard—”
Unfortunately, he didn’t look back, even quickening his pace.
Mo Shiran’s eyes reddened with anger.
Her friend hurried over. “Ranran? Are you okay?”
“Little You, what’s wrong with me? Why does he treat me like this?”
“You’re pretty, you’ve got a great personality, and your grades are amazing. The ‘Top Ten College Students’ selection this year was so strict, and you still made the list. Overall, my Ranran is perfect in every way. Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, you excel at everything. There’s no girl more outstanding than you!”
“So don’t you dare doubt yourself. You, Mo Shiran, are the coolest!”
“Pfft—” Mo Shiran’s tearful eyes melted into a smile. “You’re exaggerating.”
Her friend added, “Also, your family background is great. You’re a proper rich young lady, a bona fide heiress.”
“Then why is Lin Zhaodong so cold to me?” Her lips wobbled again, ready to cry.
“He’s blind! Doesn’t know how lucky he is. Countless guys in our department treat you like a goddess and dream of dating you. Only he is the odd one out.”
“But I like this odd one. What can I do?” Mo Shiran even sighed at herself.
“Ugh…” Her friend looked constipated. “I seriously don’t get it. What do you even like about him?”
Lin Zhaodong… okay, he looked acceptable, but his temper was bad, his emotional intelligence worse, he argued with everyone, and he thought he was invincible. If he had one redeeming trait, maybe it was that his family background seemed decent?
But no one really knew the specifics.
Just that was enough to show how withdrawn and antisocial he was. He barely interacted with his own roommates.
And her best friend fell for him?! Do all rich heiresses have such… eccentric taste?
But Mo Shiran didn’t think so. She even cupped her cheeks with both hands dreamily, her expression shy: “How do I put it? I just like that stubborn, unyielding vibe he has. He’s so different from other guys.”
“To turn tempered steel into gentle fingers, don’t you think that’s romantic?”
Friend: “……” No, she did not.
“Whatever. I did go too far today. I asked everyone about him. He likes to keep a low profile.”
“Ranran, don’t blame yourself for everything! He throws a tantrum and leaves, and you’re the one who has to feel wronged and make excuses for him? How does that make sense?”
“What can I do? … I can’t just chase after him and throw a tantrum too, right?”
Friend: “……” Completely speechless.
“Anyway, I’m definitely going to win Lin Zhaodong over! Whoever tries to take him from me, I won’t let it go!” Her eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of sharpness crossing them.
“And what if you can’t?” her friend asked cautiously.
Mo Shiran smiled. “Since I was young, I’ve never failed to get something I wanted.”
This time won’t be an exception.
A cold wind blew—
Her friend instinctively rubbed the back of her neck. She suddenly felt a bit chilled.
…
After that day, Jiang Fuyue didn’t encounter Lin Zhaodong again.
She soon tossed him out of her mind.
But Mo Shiran wasn’t doing so well.
Ever since the unpleasant encounter at the school gate, she forced herself not to contact him for a few days.
She figured she’d been chasing too hard before, spoiling him.
A few cold days would be good.
But not only did Lin Zhaodong show no sense of loss, he even felt relieved.
When others joked about how it felt to be ignored, he actually said—
“It should’ve been like this earlier.”
One person told another, then another… soon the whole school knew.
And it reached Mo Shiran.
She threw a huge fit in the dorm, angry not only that Lin Zhaodong didn’t like her, but also that he made her lose face in front of so many classmates.
“What did you mean by that?!” She cornered Lin Zhaodong at the stairwell.
“What did I mean by what?” He stood a step above her, looking down, careless and mocking.
“You told them ‘it should’ve been like this earlier.’”
Lin Zhaodong frowned. He hadn’t expected that one casual remark to reach Mo Shiran.
It meant the other classmates knew too.
That wasn’t his intention.
That day, the guys in his dorm were chatting. He was about to go out, got grabbed and was asked casually, and he responded casually.
He usually didn’t talk to his roommates at all. Who knew what was wrong with him that day?
“…Sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”
And that was it?
Mo Shiran felt as if her fist had punched cotton. Seeing him about to leave, she spread her arms to block him: “Lin Zhaodong, I’ve already lowered myself enough! What more do you want?!”
The man tugged at the corner of his mouth with cold indifference, no ripple in his eyes: “Was it me who told you to lower yourself?”
Mo Shiran choked.
“As for what I want… to be honest, I don’t want anything. Just stop pestering me.”
The girl’s expression looked wounded, as if she would burst into tears the next second: “Do you dislike me that much?”
Lin Zhaodong: “Not that much. I just don’t like you, that’s all.”
This was worse than saying nothing. Explaining hurt more than not explaining.
“Why? What’s wrong with me?”
“What does liking or not liking have to do with whether you’re good or bad? As long as I like her, it doesn’t matter even if she’s not good.”
Mo Shiran looked dazed, stunned.
Lin Zhaodong was rushing to the training field, and had no time to keep talking, so he walked around her to leave.
Suddenly, the girl snapped out of it, rushed forward, and grabbed his arm, using so much force that she broke a nail—
“No! This isn’t like you!”
“Let go.” The man’s voice was cold and frigid.
“Even when you refused me before, you would never say anything about liking or not liking. You’d only call me boring or say I’m sick.”
Lin Zhaodong: “……”
Suddenly, “Do you have someone you like?”
Otherwise, why say women are the Sherlock Holmes of love, the ultimate rulers of sixth sense?
Lin Zhaodong paused slightly.
Just that moment of reaction revealed too much. Mo Shiran almost couldn’t stand: “You… really do? Right?”
“Mm.” Since it was already exposed, he admitted it openly.
The girl’s lips trembled. “Who is it?”
“No comment.” After saying that, he strode away.
This time, Mo Shiran didn’t chase him. She just stood there blankly until her best friend walked over—
“Ranran? Why are you standing here? Don’t scare me, what happened?”
“… Little You, Lin Zhaodong said he has someone he likes.”
“What?! Don’t listen to people’s nonsense. They’re just spreading rumors. How could someone as arrogant as Lin Zhaodong possibly li—”
“He admitted it himself.”
Her friend: “!”
“Yeah. Like you said, he’s so arrogant. How could he possibly like someone? But he just happens to like someone!”
“Ranran…” Her friend didn’t know how to comfort her.
“Little You,” Mo Shiran suddenly grabbed her hand, “you must help me!”
“Mm! I’ll definitely help you.”
“Think of a way to help me find out who Lin Zhaodong likes.”
…
As long as you want to investigate, there are traces everywhere.
Moreover, Lin Zhaodong hadn’t tried to hide it.
In less than half a day, her friend found the information from a friend of a friend.
Mo Shiran: “…Jiang Fuyue?”
“Yes! That super popular genius girl online, everyone calls her Sister Yue, or Goddess Yue. She has many supporters. It’s said some people even worship her as an exam god!”
Little You’s tone was a bit excited, her eyes also shining.
She had only heard others mention that there was a very popular top-student girl online. She hadn’t cared at the time, thinking it was a fabricated persona bound to collapse sooner or later.
But this time, to help her best friend, the moment she heard it was Jiang Fuyue, she went online and read everything about her.
As the saying goes: know yourself and your enemy, and you will never lose.
But the more she read, the more excited she became. What was going on?
Three gold medals in international competitions, and one time she even fiercely taught those arrogant R-country people a lesson.
When that line “Vast Huaxia, nation of etiquette” came from her mouth, strong and powerful, Little You almost cried. It was too moving.
“…Besides that, she also solved the P/NP problem announced by the Klei Mathematics Institute in M-country. She published a PRL paper in high school, and another before entering university, and was selected for New Advances in Mathematics. Online, they say this paper is a huge achievement. It seems she discovered some new theory?”
Mo Shiran frowned: “An academic type?”
She, like Little You, only felt the name “Jiang Fuyue” sounded familiar, but had never looked into her actual achievements.
“Probably. Not long ago, she published three CNS papers in one go, and netizens call her an ‘academic tsunami-level rising star’. Even several top scientists publicly acknowledged her as a leader among young researchers.”
“Oh, and she also got a perfect score on the college entrance exam. My god, not a single point deducted. How did she do that?”
When Little You saw all that information, her mind went blank, filled with question marks—
How could someone this awesome exist in the world?!
There was nothing she couldn’t do, nothing she couldn’t accomplish.
It felt like… reading a super power-fantasy webnovel, where the heroine shines all the way through, so overwhelmingly cool it explodes!
The more Mo Shiran listened, the tighter her mouth pressed.
Finally, her face darkened completely.
“Little You, whose best friend are you?”
“Yours, of course!”
“I thought you’d become Jiang Fuyue’s best friend! When you talked about her, your eyes were shining. You looked like you wanted to pounce on her.”
Little You froze, touching her cheek. “Was… was it that obvious?”
Mo Shiran: “……” Furious.
“Aiya, I was just shocked by her resumé. It’s just normal admiration…”
“You actually admire her?!” Mo Shiran’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Little You mumbled, “She’s such an outstanding girl. Don’t you admire her?”
“Hmph! She stole the person I like. No matter how outstanding she is, I won’t like her, let alone admire her.”
“No, Ranran, those are two separate things. You can’t think like that. First of all, the word ‘stole’ is wrong. As far as I know, it’s Lin Zhaodong who keeps chasing her. It has nothing to do with Jiang Fuyue. She’s even clearly rejected him.”
Mo Shiran: “What do you mean? She rejected Lin Zhaodong, and I was the shameless one sticking myself to him and getting despised? Are you trying to say I’m low? That I’m not as good as her?”
Little You was shocked: “I absolutely didn’t mean that! How could you think that?”
“Heh… isn’t it true? She tossed aside the trash, and I picked it up like it was a treasure. Jiang Fuyue is a top student, a goddess, a genius girl. What am I? Just a pitiful worm! Go flatter Jiang Fuyue then! She’s better than me, she’s better than me in every way. Go be her best friend!”
Little You almost coughed blood from anger: “You—You’re simply unreasonable!”
After saying that, she turned and ran off.
Mo Shiran sat still. Even though her best friend had stormed off, her face remained expressionless.
Jiang Fuyue, huh?
The person Lin Zhaodong personally admitted to liking?
Very well!
She heard that she also made the “Top Ten College Students” list…
Jiang Fuyue: Sitting at home, and a pot falls from the sky?
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