"Principal, where did you find this Ye Feng?" Zhou Yongping rushed into Principal Lu Enchun's office, eagerly sharing what had happened with Ye Feng.
"Ye Feng? Slow down, Professor Zhou. What happened?" Principal Lu replied calmly, though he couldn't help feeling anxious. Had this young master already stirred up trouble on his first day?
"He's a prodigy!" Zhou Yongping, still catching his breath from running, exclaimed loudly as he sank into the leather chair across from Lu.
"A prodigy? What's this about?" Principal Lu's curiosity was piqued. This so-called "hedonistic young master" being associated with talent seemed unlikely.
Zhou went on to explain how Ye Feng had effortlessly completed a set of college entrance exam questions with perfect accuracy.
Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Ye Feng had dozed off again after laughing with Lin Shiyun for a while. Other than a bit of playful banter with her, he found little else of interest to do. And as a diligent student, Lin Shiyun had turned her focus back to her books after a brief chat, leaving Ye Feng to his nap.
The afternoon flew by, and soon it was time for dismissal.
"I say, sleepyhead, how long are you planning to sleep? What exactly do you do at night?" Lin Shiyun teased, tugging Ye Feng's ear to wake him, as she was already well aware of his true abilities. She'd even asked him for help with a few questions during the day, only to find him still snoozing at dismissal.
"What else would I do but stay up thinking of my little Shiyun, of course—openly and without shame," Ye Feng chuckled as he pulled her close, whispering mischievously in her ear.
"Scoundrel!" Lin Shiyun blushed, breaking free and straightening her tousled hair before standing up.
"I told Uncle Lin not to send anyone to pick me up today," she said casually, slinging her bag over her shoulder and leaving the classroom.
"Hey, wait up! I'll walk you home," Ye Feng called after her, quickly grabbing his bag and rushing after her.
"Dummy," Lin Shiyun hummed a tune as she left, not slowing her pace even when she heard him behind her.
"I said wait up! If I catch you, you'll regret it," Ye Feng shouted playfully, grinning as he sped up to catch her.
"Ah! Put me down!" Lin Shiyun shrieked in mock horror.
Barely half a minute later, he caught up to her and lifted her off the ground. With a teasing grin, he playfully patted her and said, "Didn't I tell you to stop running? Now you'll face the consequences!"
"So soft," Ye Feng thought, laughing to himself.
"Ahem! Ye Feng, you might want to show a bit of restraint at school," Principal Lu, who happened to be passing by, remarked with a light cough.
Considering Ye Feng's background and talents, and knowing that Lin Shiyun herself came from a respected family, Principal Lu had decided to turn a blind eye to their budding relationship. With only a gentle reminder, he left them to themselves.
"See? Now the principal has seen us! What am I supposed to do?" Lin Shiyun said, clearly annoyed but hiding a slight blush.
"Relax, you're already mine," Ye Feng said with a laugh. "Besides, don't forget—your boyfriend is a genius."
"Bah! Who's yours?" She huffed, her cheeks flushing as she scolded him lightly.
"Are you sure?" he smirked, holding up his hand as if to warn her.
"No! You rascal," Lin Shiyun shot him an indignant look before running off.
"Just try running away!" Ye Feng laughed, giving chase.
Nearby, Principal Lu couldn't help but smile to himself as he watched them, quietly reminiscing, "Ah, to be young…"
Outside the school gates, a punk with dyed yellow hair turned to a tattoo-covered man next to him. "Hey, Tiger, you think that brat's gonna show, or maybe he already left?"
"Not a chance," Tiger replied smugly, tossing his cigarette aside as he examined a photo in his hand. "We've been here all afternoon. He's gotta come out eventually, unless he flew out as a mosquito."
"Hey, is that him?" a green-haired guy pointed at Ye Feng, who was leaving the school gate, playfully holding Lin Shiyun's hand.
"That's him! Brothers, let's go and bring him back. This kid's made us wait long enough," Tiger said with a sneer.
"Wait, boss—what about the girl?" the yellow-haired one asked, eyeing Lin Shiyun.
"Who cares? Bring her along! A beauty like that would make a great gift for the boss." Tiger grinned lewdly at Lin Shiyun.
"Who are you guys?" Lin Shiyun asked, eyeing the group of brightly-colored thugs suspiciously. Clearly, they were here for her and Ye Feng.
"Hey, cutie, wanna come play in the woods with us?" one of them leered at her.
"You have three seconds to slap yourself. And I want to hear it," Ye Feng's tone turned deadly as he spoke, anger igniting in his eyes. Lin Shiyun was his only weakness, his reverse scale, and these fools had touched it.
"Hey, kid, don't you know who we are?" a green-haired one sneered.
"You're just a bunch of lowlifes," Ye Feng replied coolly. "Consider yourself lucky I'm in a good mood. Slap yourself now, or it'll be more than a slap when I do it."
"Damn, kid, you're asking for it," the yellow-haired thug spat.