In the classroom, the teacher was writing on the blackboard, while Ye Qiu rested his chin on his hands, his eyes lingering outside the window.
Attending class was really boring for Ye Qiu, as he could understand everything with just a little listening, unlike other students who needed to focus intently.
Ye Qiu didn't know that while he was gazing out the window, another pair of eyes occasionally stole glances at him.
It was Chu Yao!
The incident on the bus with Chu Yao, when Ye Qiu stepped in and drove away those people, had left a deep impression on her.
After scaring off the three guys, she thought Ye Qiu would talk to her, but as soon as she opened her mouth, he suddenly got off the bus and hurried away.
At that moment, Chu Yao felt an inexplicable sense of loss as she watched Ye Qiu disappear into the crowd, thinking she might never see him again. To her utter surprise, he later transferred into her class.
Was this fate?
From the moment Ye Qiu entered the class, Chu Yao found her mind irresistibly drawn to him.
Ye Qiu wasn't particularly handsome, nor did he wear anything special, but even so, he still captivated her.
Ye Qiu had a peculiar aura about him, a hard-to-describe charm, quite unique.
Since Ye Qiu became her classmate, Chu Yao, like the other students, neither avoided nor approached him too closely, maintaining a certain distance and watching him silently.
Looking at Ye Qiu's chiseled face and those deep eyes, Chu Yao's heart pounded relentlessly; she sneaked a quick look and then quickly looked away.
He didn't notice, did he?
Chu Yao patted her chest, her eyes on the blackboard, but her mind was not on the lesson at all.
After stealing glances at Ye Qiu for a while, Chu Yao's gaze then shifted to Shen Mengchen in front of her, feeling a tinge of jealousy. Lately, Ye Qiu had been following Shen Mengchen around, and it was apparent to observant eyes that he was interested in her. More than one student had remarked that Ye Qiu was like a toad lusting after swan meat.
"Does he like Shen Mengchen?" Chu Yao's gaze moved from Ye Qiu to Shen Mengchen, feeling a faint sense of loss.
In terms of looks, Shen Mengchen was undoubtedly much more beautiful than herself.
Regarding background, Shen Mengchen's father was the chairman of Longjia Group, worth billions, so naturally, she couldn't compare.
Regarding academics, Shen Mengchen always ranked at the top in exams.
Realizing this, Chu Yao felt a twinge of inferiority; she simply couldn't compete with Shen Mengchen, and it was no wonder Ye Qiu liked to follow her around, just like the other male classmates who had a crush on her.
Maybe they were more suited for each other.
Chu Yao felt sad, looking at Ye Qiu, yet a sense of reluctance surged within her. Should she give up or muster the courage to try?
With that thought, Chu Yao picked up her pen and began to write feverishly on the paper.
The class ended quickly, and Ye Qiu returned to his senses. The other students had already left the room. As he was about to get up to look for Shen Mengchen, he suddenly noticed a small note on his desk that hadn't been there before.
Ye Qiu couldn't help but smile; this was the first time he had received a note from someone, and he found it quite amusing. He opened it immediately.
It contained a line of elegant handwriting: Hello, classmate Ye Qiu, I'm Chu Yao. I want to thank you for helping me get rid of those bad people that day. I'll be waiting at the forest outside the campus today at five o'clock to thank you in person, and I hope you can come.
"Chu Yao…" Ye Qiu folded the note, repeating the name twice. Chu Yao's spiritual eyes emerged in his mind. Should he go meet her?
The afternoon lessons ended faster than expected, and Shen Mengchen hurried out of the classroom as soon as the class was over.
Seeing Ye Qiu hadn't caught up yet, Shen Mengchen giggled, relieved that she moved quickly; otherwise, that Assassin would be following her again, and she was tired of hearing what people said.
When she was about to leave the school compound, her smile vanished, as she heard the very footsteps she didn't want to hear.
"Miss Shen, it's dangerous for you to leave the campus by yourself," Ye Qiu's words casually reached her ears.
"Hmph, I've been doing this before you came along, so how come it's suddenly dangerous after you arrive? I think you're the one in danger," Shen Mengchen snorted coldly, annoyed by Ye Qiu's recent shadowing.
"Ye Qiu, I don't need your protection today. Guan Hong is picking me up to go home. You might as well walk back alone," Shen Mengchen stuck out her tongue at him and ran towards the school gates.
Soon, Shen Mengchen waved her hand, and a sports car stopped, from which descended a woman with a mature allure—none other than Guan Hong.
"Guan Hong, let's go. We're not giving that guy a ride back," Shen Mengchen climbed into the car and urged Guan Hong to drive.
Shangguan Hong naturally saw Ye Qiu approaching and said, "Mengchen, he's also concerned about your safety, you shouldn't go too far."
"Hey, since when did Sister Shangguan become so naggy? I know, I know you're right, but I just don't want to see him right now," Shen Mengchen retorted stubbornly.
"Alas..." Shangguan Hong sighed and then said to the approaching Ye Qiu, "Don't worry, Mengchen will be safe with me. She's in a bad mood right now. I'm going to take her for a drive to get some air, you should go back to the villa first."
After Shangguan Hong finished speaking, the car window quickly closed, giving Ye Qiu no chance to speak. Her foot pressed the accelerator, and with a buzz, the car disappeared into the street.
"..." Ye Qiu was silent for quite a while; he had not expected the usually mature and intellectual Shangguan Hong to drive so aggressively!
Left with no choice, Ye Qiu had to go back by himself. With his hands in his pockets, Ye Qiu walked about a dozen meters away, then suddenly stopped; he had felt the note in his pocket.
That's when he remembered the note Chu Yao had left him that day, asking him to meet in the forest at five in the afternoon.
Looking at the poplar forest not far from the school, Ye Qiu didn't head back to the villa; instead, he walked towards the forest.
He might as well keep the appointment.
This poplar forest was to the west of the campus, rarely visited by students after school hours. Surveying the poplar forest, lush with branches and leaves, Ye Qiu swept the area with his gaze before entering.
"Ah!"
A cry rang out just after Ye Qiu stepped into the poplar forest.
What was that sound?
Ye Qiu was momentarily taken aback, his gaze sweeping around; after a few steps, he stopped. At this point, the forest was filled with nothing but the sound of the wind, and no other noises were heard.
"Interesting," Ye Qiu's face suddenly broke into a smile. At the same time, he rubbed his wrists; it seemed like he would have to get his hands dirty today!
"Come on out," Ye Qiu locked onto that trace of murderous intent that had slipped out, his voice slowly spreading through the surroundings.
"45 degrees southeast, if you don't come out now, I'll have to come over and drag you out."
Just as Ye Qiu said these coordinates, a figure gradually approached from in front of him, accompanied by the sound of clapping.
"I didn't expect you to be much stronger than I anticipated, sizzle, I like that!" The figure became clearer, staring at Ye Qiu with eyes filled with killing intent.
"An assassin?" Seeing the person's attire, Ye Qiu realized that this was indeed an assassin's garb.
"Are you here to kill me?" It was kind of superfluous for Ye Qiu to ask, but he asked anyway.
"Heh, someone wants you dead, naturally I come to kill," the person said nonchalantly.
"It's someone sent by Longjia, right?" Ye Qiu spoke calmly.
"You don't need to know, and even if you do, what difference does it make, because you're about to become a dead man," the person asserted confidently.
"A dead man?" Ye Qiu fiddled with a leaf in front of him and said, "You're the first person who dares to say they will kill me!"
"Hmph, I can't be bothered to waste words on you." With that, the person charged at him in an instant!
Whoosh!
Two figures crossed paths!
The confrontation was over in an instant, yet in such a brief time, it was enough to determine the victor.
The assassin's body stopped there, turning his head slowly, his eyes wide open: "You are... "
Ye Qiu stood quietly, not even glancing at the assassin, and between his fingers was a green leaf coated with bright red blood. Nobody would have thought that Ye Qiu could use a leaf as a weapon, let alone to kill someone.
"To kill someone with a leaf, you must be..."
"What good is guessing when you're about to become a dead man?" Ye Qiu threw the assassin's own futile words back at him.
"It's just too bad, you should have never intervened!" Ye Qiu closed the assassin's eyes, shook his sleeves, and stood still, his gaze complex as he recalled many past events.
An assassin's ultimate fate could never escape death by another's hand; it was an unchanging curse through the ages!
"A killer will ultimately not escape being killed by another," Ye Qiu sighed, his voice carrying a hint of desolate acceptance.