Chang Hao’s mind was a ss as he walked toward the Literary Arts Club. His heart wavered between spilling the truth to Yanyan and protecting her from heartbreak.
The image of her devastated face haunted him. Why does it have to be this way? Why does Zhou Yuwen have to treat her like this?
He sped up his pace but stopped short of the club’s door, hesitating again. The push and pull of indecision tore at him. Should I really let Yanyan keep being deceived by a scumbag?
No! He clenched his fists and took a deep breath. Better to end the pain now than let it drag on.
But as he reached for the door, his courage faltered once again. He turned away, his steps dragging as uncertainty consud him.
Suddenly, he noticed Liu Shuo and his two lackeys lingering near a column outside the gym.
Why are they still watching ?
Chang Hao glared at Liu Shuo, his anger simring. The three of them seed to be watching him closely, their postures casual but their attention unmistakable.
“Boss, I think he spotted us,” one of Liu Shuo’s lackeys muttered.
Liu Shuo shrugged, grinning smugly. “So what? Let’s go say hi.”
With his hands in his pockets, Liu Shuo sauntered toward Chang Hao, his two cronies flanking him like bodyguards. They quickly surrounded Chang Hao, boxing him in against the gym wall.
Chang Hao instinctively stepped back, his bruised face tightening with a mix of fear and anger. “What do you want? Did Zhou Yuwen send you to beat
up again?”
Liu Shuo snorted. “Don’t talk nonsense. My bro’s a civilized man—he doesn’t get his hands dirty. If I wanted to beat you, it’d be because you’re an annoying little punk who’s asking for it.”
“You—!” Chang Hao’s words stuck in his throat, his body tense with frustration.
Liu Shuo raised his hand, and Chang Hao flinched instinctively.
“Relax, kid. I’m here to apologize.” Liu Shuo smirked, pulling a wad of cash from his pocket.
Chang Hao stared at him in disbelief.
Earlier at the courier station, Zhou Yuwen had insisted that Liu Shuo give Chang Hao 500 yuan and apologize for hitting him.
Liu Shuo had grumbled at the idea, his dissatisfaction plain. “Why should I apologize to that little rat?”
Zhou Yuwen had responded with a calm but firm tone: “Because I said so. Violence has consequences, and I’m not about to have unnecessary trouble over sothing so petty. Just do as I say.”
Reluctantly, Liu Shuo had pocketed the cash and followed Chang Hao, intending to deliver the “apology” in his own way.
Now, standing before Chang Hao, Liu Shuo waved the money in his face, counting each bill aloud before shoving it into Chang Hao’s pocket.
“There, 500 yuan. Go get yourself checked out at the hospital. If there’s sothing wrong, I’ll take responsibility,” Liu Shuo said with exaggerated sincerity. Then, grinning mockingly, he added, “Honestly, I didn’t even hit you that hard. Look, your face isn’t even swollen, is it?”
He reached out to tilt Chang Hao’s chin for inspection, but Chang Hao swatted his hand away, his eyes burning with defiance.
“Don’t pretend you’re being generous,” Chang Hao hissed. “I know what you’re trying to do. You think I’m going to report you? You think I’m afraid?”
Liu Shuo raised an eyebrow, a gleam of respect flashing briefly in his eyes. “Well, well, you’ve got guts. I like that.”
Then, his tone dropped, and his gaze turned icy. “But don’t get the wrong idea. We’re not on the sa side. If you cross my bro again, you’ll regret it.”
His voice lowered to a chilling whisper. “Let
make this clear: if you make trouble for my bro, I’ll make sure you regret it every single day. Got it?”
Chang Hao gritted his teeth but said nothing.
Before the tension could escalate further, a familiar voice called out.
“Chang Hao? Liu Shuo? What are you two doing here?”
It was Yanyan, descending the stairs with two of her friends. She was dressed casually in a white tank top and loose jeans, her hair tied back in a ponytail.
Seeing Liu Shuo, she smiled slightly. “Oh, Liu Shuo. Why are you here? And why are you with Chang Hao?”
Liu Shuo’s expression imdiately softened. “Sister-in-law!” he greeted her with an exaggerated grin, nudging his lackeys to follow suit.
“Sister-in-law, hello!” they echoed awkwardly, bowing their heads.
Yanyan’s friends exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued. One of them whispered, “Wow, so it’s true that her boyfriend is the boss of the courier station?”
Yanyan puffed up with pride. “Of course, it’s true. Liu Shuo here is one of his childhood friends. Isn’t that right, Liu Shuo?”
Liu Shuo laughed, scratching his head. “Well, not exactly childhood, but yeah, we go way back. Your boyfriend’s like a big brother to .”
Yanyan bead at the praise, basking in the admiration of her friends.
As Yanyan turned to leave with her friends, Chang Hao hesitated. The words he wanted to say clawed at his throat, but his courage faltered under the weight of Liu Shuo’s presence and Yanyan’s radiant confidence.
“What is it?” Yanyan asked, noticing his hesitation.
“I…” Chang Hao’s voice caught. He glanced at Liu Shuo, whose piercing gaze reminded him of the unspoken threat.
Finally, he shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just wanted to wish you a good evening.”
Yanyan smiled, oblivious to the storm brewing in Chang Hao’s chest. “Thanks! Don’t work too hard, okay?”
With that, she turned and left, leaving Chang Hao rooted in place, his fists clenched at his sides.
Later that evening, as Chang Hao walked back to his dorm, the weight of his unspoken truth bore down on him.
Why does it feel like I’m the one who’s wrong? Why is Zhou Yuwen untouchable? Why can’t I protect her?
The words and laughter of his classmates echoed faintly in his ears, but they sounded hollow.
Finally, he stopped, looking up at the darkening sky.
“I can’t just let it go,” he muttered to himself. “Not this ti.”
His steps quickened as he headed toward the Student Union office, his mind set on confronting soone else who needed to be held accountable.
If I can’t stop Zhou Yuwen, I can at least stop another scumbag.
Inside the Student Union, he found Liu Yue’s ex-boyfriend, Xu Bowen, chatting casually with a female student.
Chang Hao’s vision went red. Without a word, he stord in, grabbed Xu Bowen by the collar, and slamd him to the floor.
“I’ll teach you what happens to scumbags!”
Each punch landed with the weight of all the anger and frustration Chang Hao had bottled up. The room erupted in chaos as onlookers tried to pull him off.
For Chang Hao, it didn’t matter anymore. At least this ti, soone would pay.
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