"Calm down, dude. We're just looking to make friends," Li Qi broke in, raising a hand as a peace offering.
"And you too, Gu Yong," he added, giving the muscle man an encouraging tug.
"Sorry for the intrusion. We're just curious. By the way, I'm Li Qi, and this guy is Zu Que, and that hulking beast over there is Gu Yong."
As Gu Yong pulled his hand away from Kai's shoulder and Kai looked at the friendly faces in front of him, he also calmed himself down. He closed his eyes and thought, 'What's wrong with me? I used to not let things bother me. But when this guy acted hostile, I wanted to slap him... and now, I can't go back to being the loner who gets ignored. Thanks to Little Conqueror's effect, no one will be able to overlook me anymore.'
The trio stood there, unsure of what to do as Kai ignored them yet again. It seemed like he really didn't want to engage. They exchanged worried looks, feeling the weight of the awkward silence that hung in the air. The tension was palpable, and it felt like there was an invisible barrier between them and Kai.
Suddenly, Kai's eyes shot open, and the trio held their breath, waiting for him to speak. "I'm sorry," he finally said, his voice filled with genuine remorse. "It's not that I'm intentionally ignoring you guys. I've just got a lot on my mind."
Relief flooded the trio's faces, their shoulders sagging in a collective release. Gu Yong, in particular, had been on edge, intimidated by the intensity in Kai's gaze. But now, it seemed like things were finally starting to make sense.
"I'm sorry too that we disturbed you, man," LI Qi said, taking the lead. "Are you a transfer student? Or did you get moved to our section from a different class?"
Kai tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean? I've been in this school since last year, and I've been in this section. Don't you guys recognize me?"
The trio exchanged bewildered looks. "We haven't seen someone like you before," Zu Que blurted out. "Are you sick or something and just joined our class today?"
Kai chuckled in surprise. "No, I'm not sick. I've been attending class from the very beginning. I'm Yuan Kai."
"What!?" the trio exclaimed in unison. Even the girls who had been listening in couldn't contain their surprise.
Kai, taken aback by their reaction, began to question himself. "Did my face really change that much?" he mused, his fingers unconsciously reaching up to touch his face then to his hair.
Zu Que nodded emphatically. "Now that you mention it, your face is always hidden behind your long hair."
"You're right," Li Qi chimed in. "Man, I can't believe that under those bangs of yours was a handsome face!"
The girl in the front row who had been eavesdropping couldn't help but interject. "Wow! Just by cutting your hair, you look like a completely different person!"
A wave of embarrassment washed over Kai as the attention of all his classmates turned towards him, showering him with praise and admiration.
Gu Yong, with his eyes bulging from shock, finally snapped out of it and swaggered in front of Kai. "Seriously?" he blurted out. "You're telling me that I can become handsome just by changing my hairstyle?"
Gu Yong's outburst shocked Zu Que, but he couldn't help but curl his lips mischievously. "Well," he said with a smirk, "I don't think that changing your hairstyle can solve all your issues."
"What do you mean by that?!" Gu Yong shouted angrily. "My mother is a beauty! There must still be a chance for me!"
All the students in the vicinity were taken aback by Gu Yong's outburst. Kai, on the other hand, felt a different kind of shock. He was staring at the screen in front of him as he heard a notification sound—the one he had been waiting for since he stepped foot in school.
Ding! [DO YOU WANT TO CONQUER GU YONG'S MOTHER?]
[Yes / No]
Before he could even choose, Gu Yong suddenly rushed towards Zu Que, ready to throw a punch. Acting quickly, Kai grabbed his hand and forcefully threw him to the ground.
Thud!
The onlookers were dumbfounded by the sight of Gu Yong, who was almost twice their size, being effortlessly thrown to the ground by the thin Yuan Kai. Gu Yong, too, was snapped out of his frenzy and looked at Kai in disbelief. He knew very well how heavy he was, but here he was, being hurled through the air like a mere doll.
"Now that you've calmed down, I hope," Kai said to Gu Yong.
Still dazed, Gu Yong raised his body and sat down, staring at the ground. Eventually, he nodded. He realized his mistake and, in a dejected voice, said to Zu Que, "Sorry Zu Que. I was just having a bad day."
"No worries, bro," Zu Que replied as he extended a hand to help Gu Yong up. "Looks like I've been teasing you too much."
"What's up, man? Seriously, you're being way too hot-headed this early in the morning," LI Qi chimed in.
Gu Yong took a deep breath before continuing, "Well... It's just that my mother has been scolding me almost every single day, even for the tiniest mistakes. I don't know why she's so angry all the time... But when I saw Yuan Kai show up and the girls going crazy over him, I got irritated. Maybe the reason my mother suddenly started scolding me every day is because I didn't inherit her good looks. So, I took out my frustration on Yuan Kai and almost hurt my friend. I'm sorry..."
Zi Que and Li Qi exchanged sympathetic glances, their eyes filled with genuine concern for their friend, Gu Yong. Li Qi reached out to pat Gu Yong on the back, offering him a reassuring smile.
"It's okay, man," Li Qi said, his voice comforting. "We all have our bad days. But maybe you should consider talking it out with your mom. Communication is key, you know."
As the trio was engrossed in their drama, Kai's attention was drawn to the screen, catching snippets of Gu Yong's conversation. Intrigued, he decided to delve deeper into the situation, selecting the option to obtain information about Gu Yong's mother.
Almost instantly, a notification appeared before him.
Ding! [Random Quest: Conquer Xiao Wei]
Name: Xiao Wei
Age: 37
Conquered: 0/100
Romance: 0/100
Status: Taken
Cultivation: Bodybuilding Stage.
The possible scenarios flowed in his brain as he absorbed the information before him and then, a bonus tidbit caught his attention.
[Bonus information: Xiao Wei's frustration stems from her husband's not getting up whenever she's in need. She's on the verge of crossing the line. Will you flip the switch and become her hero?]
His lips curved into a knowing smile. Suddenly, everything made sense. Gu Yong was merely a casualty in a larger predicament caused by his father's neglect.
"It looks like she's reached her limit," Kai mused to himself, determination flickering in his eyes. "And as her savior, I need to help her escape from her suffering."