A certain gold digger eagerly took the check and cashed it, leaving Xiang Ri alone once more.
The pleasant mood of strolling around campus had been utterly ruined by the appearance of a scumbag. Xiang Ri's gaze instinctively shifted toward the school gate. With nothing better to do, he thought of visiting Houzi and asking him for a favor.
Unfortunately, while the plan was simple, its execution proved to be far more challenging.
Exiting the pavilion, he crossed a small grove and arrived at a shaded area.
This place was a haven for couples on campus, especially in summer. Every evening, the lawn would be dotted with pairs embracing each other under the pretense of "enjoying the cool breeze." In truth, they took advantage of the dim light to engage in activities unnoticed by others. However, during the day, this so-called sacred ground of lovers would be deserted, particularly in the sweltering heat—no one would come here to bask in the scorching sun.
Today, however, seemed to be an exception.
Xi Ri hadn't walked far before noticing something unusual. Just ten meters ahead, a group of people was moving about energetically, as though immersed in some fiery activity.
Seven or eight individuals had formed a circle, their hands and feet in constant motion, apparently engaged in some unruly game.
Adjusting his glasses, Xiang Ri peered through the gaps and spotted someone lying on the ground in the center, curled up defensively with their hands shielding their head, enduring the punches and kicks of those surrounding them.
Another case of campus violence.
A faint smile crept across Xiang Ri's face as he continued walking without hesitation.
He wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs, especially when the victim wasn't a beauty or someone he knew.
But as he walked on, he abruptly halted and turned back, his gaze sharpening as he caught a glimpse of a familiar piece of clothing through the gaps in the crowd.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath before charging forward. Even before reaching the scene, he bellowed, "Stop this at once!"
The group of aggressors froze, startled by the unexpected presence of someone in this secluded spot. After a brief hesitation, they prepared to scatter. However, upon noticing that the interloper was just a frail-looking student with a bandaged hand, they stopped, delivering a few final blows to the person on the ground before turning to confront the approaching figure with irritation.
Without breaking stride, Xiang Ri pushed through the group and knelt beside the victim, who was too battered to stand. "Garlic Head, are you okay?"
Though spared further blows, the student on the ground remained tightly curled, shielding his head. Hearing the familiar voice, he immediately lowered his hands, revealing a bruised and swollen face. With a trembling voice, he exclaimed, "Boss!"
Xi Ri didn't respond, instead quickly examining him. After confirming that the injuries were superficial and that the boy's vigorous tone indicated no internal damage, he sighed in relief. "Still alive, eh? If you can talk, get up! Damn it, what happened? How did you end up like this?"
Garlic Head struggled to his feet, opening his mouth as if to explain but hesitated.
It was one of the attackers, seemingly their leader, who spoke first, his tone arrogant. "Hey kid, let's keep this simple. Just pretend you didn't see anything here."
"Oh? And why's that?" Xiang Ri asked, a faint smile playing on his lips. A threat, was it? Those who had tried intimidating him before always ended up regretting it.
"Why? Hah!" The leader burst into laughter. "If word of this gets out, we'll get disciplinary action from the school. You get that, don't you? So, to avoid any trouble, you're better off keeping this little secret for us!"
"I don't recall having such an obligation," Xiang Ri remarked, touching his nose with his left hand, the motion slightly awkward yet habitual.
"You might not have an obligation, but you don't have a choice!" The leader's face twisted into a sneer. "Let me be clear—if anything happens to us, you won't escape unscathed either. Beating one or two doesn't make a difference to us, so don't tempt us to loosen up our muscles some more! And don't think we're just any random students—we're from the prestigious Finance University. If it weren't for that guy trying to steal my girl, I wouldn't even bother with this garbage school!"
Hearing this, Xiang Ri pieced together the backstory. He turned to give Garlic Head a meaningful look.
Garlic Head's heart sank. Fearing that Xiang Ri might believe the other's words, he hurriedly explained, "Boss, Xiaohui isn't his girlfriend! He's just lying! I asked Xiaohui, and she said she doesn't have a boyfriend. Otherwise, I wouldn't have—"
"I know," Xiang Ri interrupted, waving him off. Having observed Garlic Head's usual behavior, Xiang Ri had no doubts about his character. Though a bit nosy and impulsive, the boy was anything but reckless or thoughtless. If he had pursued the girl, he must have first ensured she wasn't attached.
Xiang Ri turned back to the leader. "So, what's your take on this?"
"What else? Don't let that 'boss' title make you think you're somebody important," the leader jeered. "Listen up. That chick might not be mine yet, but she will be soon. So you'd better keep your little lackey away from her, or next time it won't just end with a beating!"
"So, you admit you were in the wrong?" Xiang Ri's tone remained calm, but there was a predatory glint in his eyes, like a cat toying with a mouse.
"Enough of this!" The leader snapped, anger flaring. "Keep running your mouth, and I'll beat you too! Just so you know, even if I did this for fun, what can you do about it? Don't push your luck! Stay in your lane, and don't report this to the school, or you'll regret it!"
"Fine," Xiang Ri replied with surprising ease. Then, with a sudden shift in tone, he added, "But I'll need a favor from you all in return."
"Kid, don't push your luck!" the leader warned.
"No, actually, I just want to ask you to do the same thing for me."
"What are you talking about?"
"That is, I want you to keep quiet about my involvement in this fight as well," Xiang Ri said with a mocking smile, flexing the fingers of his left hand.
"What do you mean?" The leader felt a sudden sense of foreboding, and before he could ponder further, a sharp pain struck his abdomen, sending him flying backward.
Seeing their leader "ambushed," the other students, fueled by rage, charged forward without thinking. They didn't even question how a single punch could send their boss so far.
Though Xiang Ri's right hand was injured, dealing with these clowns was a trivial matter. Besides, his arsenal wasn't limited to just one hand—his powerful legs were equally lethal weapons.
*Thud! Thud!* In just a few moments, everyone who had the misfortune of meeting Xiang Ri's fists lay sprawled on the grass, incapacitated.
"Weren't you acting all high and mighty just now?" Xiang Ri taunted, planting his foot firmly on the leader's chest. Nearby, Da Suantou watched in awe, his face filled with admiration.
"I..." The leader, humiliated like never before, could barely speak. In front of his lackeys, he wished the ground would swallow him whole. His usual boasts about being undefeated around their university seemed laughable now after being so easily subdued by an unimposing, partially handicapped guy.
"Enough with the stammering. You beat up my buddy—what are you going to do about it?"
"I'll pay for the medical expenses!" the leader conceded, his bravado completely deflated.
"Fine! Not much, just ten or eighty thousand yuan will do."
"That's way too much!" The leader had hoped a few thousand would suffice, but Xiang Ri's outrageous demand left him pale and panicked.
"Will you pay or not? If not, I'll make sure you end up as crippled as this hand of mine," Xiang Ri threatened, waving his bandaged right hand in front of the leader.
"I'll pay... but boss, I don't have that much cash on me! Can I write you an IOU?"
"An IOU? Do I look like I'd trust you to pay later?" Xiang Ri's voice turned menacing, making the leader hastily swear, "Boss, I wouldn't dare to renege! If I do, you can come and beat me up anytime."
"That's actually not a bad idea," Xiang Ri mused, stroking his chin. Just as the leader began to relax, thinking his proposal had been accepted, Xiang Ri abruptly said, "No deal!"
"Boss, I really don't have that much cash! Please have mercy!" The leader's tone grew increasingly desperate.
"Mercy isn't out of the question. I can even waive the medical fees," Xiang Ri finally relented.
"Boss, you want us to do something for you?" The leader, not entirely dull, cautiously asked. He feared the task might involve something criminal. After all, they were just school bullies who targeted weaker students. Compared to real gangsters, their actions were trivial.
"Exactly! Why are you looking so scared? It's not like I'm asking you to commit arson or murder!"
"Then what is it?"
"Simple—stay away from Xiao Hui. If I hear you've bothered her again, you already know the consequences. Next time, it won't end with just a beating!"
"Yes, yes, I'll keep far away from her! Honestly, I'm not even that into her. I just hate seeing students from your school picking up girls from ours!"
"So you decided to beat him up instead?" Xiang Ri retorted with a grin.
The leader was visibly shaken. "Boss, I didn't know he was one of your guys, or I wouldn't have—"
"Enough excuses. Get lost," Xiang Ri interrupted, removing his foot from the leader's chest and waving them off dismissively.
The leader scrambled to his feet, retreating as fast as he could. His lackeys hesitated briefly but quickly followed, confused about how their injuries seemed to hurt less than they expected.
Xiang Ri watched them go, smirking. He had calculated his strikes carefully, ensuring they would be painful but not severe enough to cause lasting harm.
"Boss, you're incredible! How are you so much stronger than Bruce Lee?" Da Suantou exclaimed, his face lighting up with admiration.
"Save the flattery. Now tell me, what happened? Weren't you supposed to deliver a love letter? How did you end up getting beaten?"
"You don't understand, Boss. I had written the letter and was about to deliver it after the third class, but those guys caught me. They chased me all the way back to our school."
"You idiot. Why didn't you call for security?"
"I was too busy running to think of it!"
"Two words for you—total moron!" Xiang Ri shook his head, finally piecing together the sequence of events. If Da Suantou had simply yelled for help near the security office, those outsiders wouldn't have dared to barge in. By staying silent, he'd practically invited them to give chase.
No wonder he got beaten—he totally deserved it!