The weekend passed in the blink of an eye. For the past two days, Xiang Ri had been confined to his less-than-eight-square-meter room, and now he had to confront another reality—it's time to attend classes again.
Gao Nan University was one of the city's prestigious institutions, neighboring two other schools: the City University of Finance and Economics, and the City Teachers' College Affiliated High School. In fact, Xiang Ri was quite familiar with this area, especially with the University of Finance, where he had earned his dual master's degrees.
The rented apartment wasn't far from the school, only a ten-minute walk away.
Following his memory, he walked into the classroom. As expected, the glances people threw his way carried the same indifference. Yet beneath that apathy, there seemed to be something else, something unspoken.
Xiang Ri didn't have the time to decipher what that extra layer might be. He walked to the back of the classroom and sat down, preparing to nap on his desk.
Suddenly, the room erupted in excitement.
"Look, it's Chu Chu!"
"Yeah, yeah, give it up! No chance! The great beauty Chu already has a boyfriend."
"I know, I'm just venting. But really, what does she see in Xiang Kui?"
"..."
Xiang Ri was momentarily stunned. Xiang Kui? That seemed to be his name now. Were they talking about him?
He never expected to have a girlfriend. Shocked, he raised his head, glancing around excitedly.
A tall, stunning beauty was walking towards him. Her hair was tied into two ponytails on either side of her head, and she wore a white short-sleeved shirt, black capri leggings, and sneakers, radiating youth and energy.
Xiang Ri was dumbfounded. *This girl is with me?* But there was no trace of her name in his phone.
And such an exceptional beauty... With his years of experience navigating the world of romance, Xiang Ri could immediately tell she was a pure-hearted girl. *Is this guy crazy? Having such a beautiful girlfriend and not making a move—what a waste.*
"Hi, Xiang Kui!" The beauty sat down beside him, greeting him affectionately.
"Chu Chu!" Xiang Ri, not one to miss an opportunity, responded flirtatiously and wrapped an arm around her waist. *So slender!*
The beauty shot him a glare, a flash of irritation in her eyes. Seeing no one around, she slapped his hand away and muttered angrily, "Xiang Kui, you'd better behave."
"Behave? What's that supposed to mean?" Xiang Ri sensed something was off. The way she looked at him felt odd, as if he were some insignificant passerby.
"Don't play dumb. I'm warning you—touch me again, and I'll chop off your hand!" she threatened, her voice venomous.
Xiang Ri was left speechless. "Aren't you my girlfr—"
"Shut up! I only paid you to act as my fake boyfriend. Got it? Fake! Don't get any ideas about me. If it weren't for your honest demeanor, I wouldn't have bothered with someone like you," she snapped, her words cutting deeper with every sentence. By the end, Xiang Ri's expression had darkened dangerously.
"Listen up, woman. Whether it's fake or real, sooner or later, you'll end up in my bed."
"You pervert!" Chu Chu was on the verge of losing it, her voice rising enough to draw the attention of a few people nearby.
Countless eyes immediately gathered in their direction, with the men particularly fixated, excitement etched on their faces. They secretly wished that the mismatched pair before them would break up, fantasizing about being the "lucky dung" that the beautiful flower would choose next. But the beauty's words dashed their hopes: "Xiang Kui, did you say you bought me a ring? I'm overjoyed!"
"Oh really? And how do you plan to thank me?" Xiang Ri mocked, watching her. This woman sure knew how to put on a show. Well, he was bored anyway, so he might as well play along.
"However you want," she replied, casting him a sultry glance that sent shockwaves through the room, shattering the metaphorical glasses of the onlookers.
"How about you kiss me then?" Xiang Ri could see the fury hidden behind her eyes.
The crowd erupted in laughter, knowing about their relationship, yet they had never seen such an intimate display before.
With so many eyes on her, the beauty had no choice but to lean in, though she didn't actually kiss him. Instead, in a hidden angle where no one else could see, she lightly blew on his cheek and, through gritted teeth, whispered, "You'd better remember this—I'll make you regret it!" Then she straightened up, her face flushed with fake shyness.
Xiang Ri was in awe. *What an actress!* Her performance was flawless, absolutely remarkable. But he wasn't about to let it end there. "You kissed me, now it's my turn." Before she could react, he planted a firm kiss on her delicate cheek.
The crowd erupted in chaos.
Even the usually silent bookworms, who did nothing but study, couldn't believe their eyes. To witness such a fiery scene for free left them all wild with excitement, their eyes gleaming as they glanced at the women beside them.
Satisfied with himself, Xiang Ri leaned in and whispered, "Regret? That word doesn't exist in my dictionary."
"You!" The beauty finally snapped, covering her kissed cheek. "I'm going to kill you!" Unfortunately, her voice was drowned out by the noise, but Xiang Ri heard her clearly.
"Kill me? You?" he scoffed, looking at her with disdain. "Even if you could, before I die, I'll make sure you're mine."
"You're disgusting, shameless, filthy…" She searched for harsher words, but those were the only ones she could come up with.
"Tsk tsk, you already know how filthy I am, even before we've started?" Xiang Ri leered at her suggestively.
Unable to endure any more of his vulgar words, the beauty fled the classroom, covering her face. Naturally, the others assumed she was simply embarrassed and paid no further attention.
"Hey, Brother Kui, you're amazing! You've tamed our goddess Chu Chu. Teach me a few tricks, so I can bring a beauty home too," a boy with a garlic-shaped nose sidled up to him.
"That's a secret I can't share!" Xiang Ri chuckled, the boy's attempt at flattery reminding him of the carefree days he spent bantering with his old friends.
"Please, brother! I'm begging you. If not a brother, then I'll call you uncle, or even grandpa…" the boy began to babble.
"Get lost! Do I look that old to you?" Xiang Ri cut him off with a disdainful glance. "A secret passed down from one's ancestors is not to be shared with outsiders. It's like those martial arts masters from ancient times, where only the family could learn their ultimate techniques... Ever heard of the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual?"
"Yes, yes! From Jin Yong's *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*… But what does that have to do with this? I thought anyone could practice the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual," the boy asked, puzzled.
"You fool! The martial arts of eunuchs can only be learned by eunuchs. The whole 'to master this skill, you must first castrate yourself' makes perfect sense. If you castrate yourself, you become a eunuch, and all eunuchs are one big family, right? Since you're family, you're no longer considered an outsider, and thus can learn it. But this secret is different. You and I have no relation, so why would I teach you?" Xiang Ri's glib tongue was in full form, bringing back memories of his silver-tongued days from a decade ago.
Garlic-nose was utterly bamboozled, looking at Xiang Ri with awe. "Brother Kui, I never realized you were so talkative! You're always so quiet."
Xiang Ri suddenly became cautious, realizing he had said too much. *Keep a low profile,* he reminded himself. *Don't get too cocky. Remember, you're still pretending to be someone you're not.* Fortunately, he hadn't interacted much with people before, so they didn't know him well. However, that swan of a girl seemed to know a bit about him. How much did she know? No matter, he'd have to act fast and take her down, even if it meant using force to make things irreversible.
As Xiang Ri plotted, Garlic-nose interrupted again. "By the way, Brother Kui, did you just have a fight with Chu Chu?"
"Of course not! We're so in love. How could you think that?" Xiang Ri replied confidently.
"I saw her leave crying."
"No way! You've got sharp eyes. Well, since you've noticed, I won't hide it from you. Actually…" Xiang Ri beckoned him closer, motioning for him to lean in, "she's carrying my child. Two months now."
"What!" Garlic-nose shot up in shock.
"Calm down, calm down!" Xiang Ri grabbed him. "Why are you so worked up?"
"Sorry, Brother Kui, I'm just too shocked!" Garlic-nose scratched the back of his head. "That's great news, though. So… why was she crying?"
*Sigh.* Xiang Ri put on a face of helplessness. "You know how it is—we're still students. Studying is our top priority. We can't afford to be distracted. So, I suggested she get an abortion, but she refused. She insists on keeping the baby... Poor girl."
Garlic-nose was rendered speechless. Then, as if remembering something, his face filled with concern. "Brother Kui, you might be in trouble!"
"Trouble? What could possibly worry me?" Xiang Ri was confused.
"Chu Chu's cousin goes to this school. He dotes on her like no other. If he finds out about this, I'm afraid…" Garlic-nose trailed off, but the implication was clear: retribution would be terrifying.
"So what! Let him come. You think I'm scared of her cousin?" Xiang Ri boasted arrogantly.
"Her cousin is a sixth-degree black belt in judo and a seventh-degree in taekwondo," Garlic-nose felt the need to remind him.
"Only that? Brother, I'm a seventh-degree in judo, eighth-degree in taekwondo, ninth-degree in karate, and a tenth-degree in Jeet Kune Do." Xiang Ri never lost in a boasting contest.
"Brother Kui, I'm serious! Even if you were that strong, it wouldn't matter. Chu Chu's cousin is the president of both the judo and taekwondo clubs, with over a thousand members combined."
"A thousand?" Xiang Ri suddenly felt a headache coming on. He hadn't expected the girl to have such a powerful cousin backing her. Although he hadn't really done anything to her yet, judging by her earlier attitude, there was a high chance her cousin would come seeking revenge. His strength wasn't fully restored yet, and if all thousand came at once, he'd be toast. *No, better escape now before they show up. A wise man knows when to retreat.*
"Brother, my cat's about to have kittens. I need to check on her. Keep things under control here for me. I'm out!"