The moment Tang Xiu stepped out of his small room, a wave of irritation hit him. His aunt, Tang Min, stood in the cramped living room, hands on her hips, glaring at him as though he had committed a grave sin by sleeping past dawn.
"You lazy boy! What time do you think it is? The sun's already up, and you're still dragging your feet. Do you think food and clothes come for free in this house?"
Tang Xiu stared at her blankly for a moment. In his previous life, such nagging would have been beneath his notice. But now, in this fragile teenage body, his sharp tongue itched for a response.
"I overslept. My apologies," he said evenly, suppressing the urge to retaliate with words. Right now, he had more important matters to focus on than arguing with her.
"Apologies? Apologies don't pay the bills, you good-for-nothing! You think you can just sit around and—"
The tirade was cut short by the sound of the front door slamming open. A tall, burly teenager with a cocky smirk strolled in, followed by two lackeys.
It was Zhang Wei, the school bully who had made Tang Xiu's life a living hell before his rebirth. Tang Xiu's memories of this person were vivid—memories of humiliation, of being pushed around and mocked.
"Yo, Aunt Min," Zhang Wei said, completely ignoring Tang Xiu. "I came to collect what your nephew owes me. You wouldn't want me to tell the whole school how useless he is, would you?"
Tang Min's face turned pale. "Zhang Wei, there's no need for this. He's just a boy. How much does he owe you?"
Tang Xiu's gaze turned icy as the scene unfolded. It seemed his past self had not only been weak but had also borrowed money from this fool to avoid getting beaten up.
"He owes me 500 yuan," Zhang Wei said with a grin. "With interest, let's make it 1,000. Pay up, or else…"
Tang Min wrung her hands nervously, but before she could speak, Tang Xiu stepped forward.
"Or else what?" Tang Xiu's calm voice cut through the room like a blade.
Zhang Wei turned to him, surprised. "What did you just say?"
"I asked," Tang Xiu repeated, his tone steady, "or else what?"
For a moment, Zhang Wei was taken aback. The Tang Xiu he knew was timid, a pushover who wouldn't dare meet his gaze. But now, there was something different about him. His posture was straight, his eyes sharp, and his aura exuded a quiet confidence that made Zhang Wei hesitate.
"You've grown some guts, haven't you?" Zhang Wei sneered, quickly regaining his composure. "Looks like I'll have to beat you back into place."
The two lackeys stepped forward, cracking their knuckles, but Tang Xiu didn't flinch. Instead, he took a slow step forward, his gaze locked on Zhang Wei.
"You want to beat me?" Tang Xiu's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Try."
Zhang Wei lunged, swinging a fist aimed at Tang Xiu's face. But to everyone's shock, Tang Xiu moved like lightning. He sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing Zhang Wei's wrist and twisting it with just enough force to make the bully cry out.
"Ah! Let go!" Zhang Wei howled, trying to pull away.
Tang Xiu didn't let go. Instead, he applied more pressure, forcing Zhang Wei to his knees. The lackeys froze in fear, unsure of what to do.
"This is just a warning," Tang Xiu said coldly. "The next time you think about bullying someone, remember this pain. If I see your face again, I won't be so gentle."
With a flick of his wrist, Tang Xiu released Zhang Wei, sending him sprawling to the floor.
Zhang Wei scrambled to his feet, clutching his wrist and glaring at Tang Xiu. "You… you'll regret this!" he spat before rushing out of the house, his lackeys stumbling after him.
The room fell silent. Tang Min stared at Tang Xiu, her mouth open in shock.
"Since when could you fight?" she finally managed to ask.
Tang Xiu didn't answer. Instead, he walked to the small dining table, picked up a slice of bread, and calmly began to eat