(This is the third update of the day, begging for recommendation tickets and favorites!)
————————————"Compete with Young Master Gao? Who do you think you are, Fatty Tang?"
"Haha... That's hilarious, Fatty Tang, have you lost your mind?"
"..."
Fatty Tang's subservient posture obviously had no effect whatsoever, as laughter filled with scorn and sarcasm broke out among the group when they heard his words. Each face bore a look of contempt, including Gao Junjie's, which also revealed an extreme disdain.
"Yes, yes, my apologies, brothers, I misspoke. I'm not even worthy to carry your shoes. Young Master Gao, I won't disturb your fun anymore, I'll get going now."
As he listened to the unrestrained ridicule and laughter of the three men, a severe twitch appeared at the corner of Fatty Tang's eyes, but almost immediately, he resumed his wooden, ingratiating smile, nodding and bowing incessantly, apologizing profusely.
Xiao Yi looked at Fatty Tang and couldn't help but let out a light sigh, slightly disappointed, shaking his head. If only he could sense a bit of dignity and resistance from Fatty Tang, he wouldn't have let them bully him, especially since Fatty Tang was the first person he met in college and his initial impression of him had been fairly good.
"Wait, Fatty Tang, leave the cigarettes behind."
Just then, the tall, skinny one who spoke first suddenly ordered coldly.
"Yes, yes, here they are!"
Upon hearing the tall, skinny man's words, Fatty Tang's eye twitched severely again. Even though a pack of cigarettes wasn't very expensive, less than a hundred, the allowance he received from his family was only a little over a thousand a month. Soft packs were not something he could afford easily. He had obtained a carton with great difficulty from his father, and this was the last pack. He was reluctant to smoke it himself, carefully conserving it, but still, he dared not hesitate and quickly handed over the pack, which was still more than half full.
"Good, now get lost!"
The skinny man took the cigarettes, glanced at them with satisfaction, smiled, and coldly dismissed Fatty Tang.
"Yes, yes, take your time, brothers."
After speaking, Fatty Tang began to scurry away like a frightened rat. He took one step, then, noticing that Xiao Yi seemed not to have moved, quickly stopped, pulled Xiao Yi, who was still standing there, and whispered, "Let's go!"
"Young Master Gao, that dumb kid seems pretty tough. Shall we mess with him?"
As they watched Fatty Tang pulling Xiao Yi away, gradually getting farther, the skinny man next to him muttered discontentedly.
Just now Fatty Tang was so respectful to them, yet this kid kept his back straight as a rod, without even nodding his head, showing no manners at all.
"Yeah, Young Master Gao, I've been holding back anger about that incident this morning. How about we teach him a lesson? Let him know who runs the School of Mathematics!"
The short and stocky man immediately echoed the skinny man's words upon hearing them.
He had been pushed by Xiao Yi using his own momentum this morning, and if Young Master Gao hadn't caught him, he would have fallen flat on his face. He harbored resentment in his heart and was extremely annoyed with Xiao Yi.
"Forget it, he's just a country bumpkin, let's not make a big deal out of it."
Gao Junjie glanced at the departing Xiao Yi, a trace of darkness flickering in his eyes, which, after a moment, vanished. His face remained as calm as a clear day as he spoke.
"Young Master Gao is generous indeed. But I hope that bumpkin doesn't provoke us again, otherwise we'll finish him."
Hearing Gao Junjie's words, the stocky man could only respond resentfully, his eyes brimming with discontent.
"Stop with the nonsense. Have a smoke, it's almost time to go back to class."
Gao Junjie saw the stocky man's discontent but said nothing more, merely speaking indifferently.
"Yes, Young Master Gao, here."
The skinny and tall one quickly took out a cigarette, handed it to Young Master Gao, and then another person lifted a lighter to ignite it for him.
After Gao Junjie started smoking, the three of them each took out a cigarette, lit them up, and began to smoke.
...…
"Whew... that was close, thankfully they didn't hear what we were saying just now, or else it would have been disastrous, seriously, they don't usually smoke there, what got into them today, going over to that spot."
Upon entering the classroom and feeling safe, Fatty Tang immediately let go of Xiao Yi's hand, patted his chest, and took several long breaths before frowning and speaking with some gloom.
Xiao Yi looked at Fatty Tang who appeared to be relieved from a narrow escape and smiled faintly without saying anything. He didn't think much of Fatty Tang's behavior, knowing that even though Gao Junjie had some influence, it wasn't worth that much panic. At most, it was like other students, keeping a respectful distance.
"Brother, do you think my behavior just now was rather embarrassing?"
It seemed Fatty Tang could sense what Xiao Yi was thinking, he turned his head and looked at him.
"I am indeed somewhat puzzled, Brother Tang, why are you so afraid of them?"
Xiao Yi nodded honestly.
"Bro, I'm not going to hide it from you, even if you think I lack backbone or whatever, I am truly afraid of them, to say I'm as scared as if they were a torrential flood or ferocious beasts is no exaggeration. I understand them too well, more than anyone else here. If you understood them, you would realize how terrifying they are, they're simply not human."
Fatty Tang said with a bitter smile.
"How do you know them so well?"
Xiao Yi asked curiously.
"I went to the same school as them in junior and senior high school, how could I not know them?"
Fatty Tang said with another bitter smile.
He didn't know what he did to offend fate. The more he feared something, the more he seemed to encounter it. No matter where he went, Gao Junjie and his crew would follow. When he advanced from junior to senior high, thinking to avoid them, he chose a moderately above-average common high school within the city instead of several top high schools. To his dismay, Gao Junjie and the others also picked the same school. Finally, when he got into university, he chose a relatively unpopular major, thinking he had escaped. But to his dismay, Gao Junjie and his group chose another popular major within the same School of Mathematics—finance.
Hearing Fatty Tang's response, Xiao Yi somewhat suddenly understood. It seemed that Fatty Tang must have suffered at the hands of Gao Junjie and his crew before, otherwise, he wouldn't be so afraid of them.
But as for what suffering he had endured, since Fatty Tang hadn't mentioned it, Xiao Yi didn't bother to ask. After all, it might involve some matters of pride, akin to a scar, and he saw no need to reopen someone else's wounds.
He changed the subject and continued with his previous question, "By the way, Brother Tang, you mentioned earlier that our department has two beauties, right? Who is the other one? Aside from Zhao Yuhua, I don't think I've seen any other girls in the classroom who could be called a beauty."
"The other one..."
When Fatty Tang heard Xiao Yi mention the second beauty, his expression suddenly took on a strange look. After a while, he looked at him seriously and said, "Bro, the other beauty is named Zeng Xiaoxiao. You should forget about her too. It's best to heed my advice, stay as far away from her as you can when you see her. She didn't come today, which is really your good fortune."
Thinking of the fearsome Zeng Xiaoxiao, Fatty Tang couldn't help but shudder involuntarily.
Looking at the fearful expression on Fatty Tang's face, Xiao Yi was speechless, and a hint of puzzlement arose in his heart.
Fatty Tang, who looked like a robust man, was terrified of Gao Junjie and his crew, but why was he also so frightened of a young girl? Could this beauty also be a "Demon Head"? Even if she were a female Demon Head, she was still a beautiful Demon Head, and there was no need to be scared like that.
But seeing Fatty Tang's fearful demeanor, he guessed he wouldn't get much more out of him and didn't bother to continue asking. However, he took a mental note of the name Zeng Xiaoxiao and became genuinely curious about her.