Word that Qin Xuan had single-handedly thrashed five members of the school basketball team swept through the entire school in a single morning. In fact, by now, the students were practically sick of hearing Qin Xuan's name.
From Qin Xuan getting dumped by Mu Xue'er to his new relationship with Xiao Wu, each episode had been explosive enough to rock the whole school. There was no denying that Qin Xuan's popularity now rivaled that of Lu Yunfan.
Right after the third class ended that morning, an uninvited guest barged into Qin Xuan's classroom.
Wang Xiao swaggered in, making a beeline for Qin Xuan's desk.
"Qin Xuan, here's Zhao Mingyu's challenge letter. If you've got any guts, you won't back down!" Wang Xiao flung an envelope onto Qin Xuan's desk arrogantly before strutting out, looking mightily pleased with himself.
Instantly, the whole class erupted like a volcano. Zhao Mingyu was challenging Qin Xuan?
"Qin Xuan, don't you dare take this up!" After Wang Xiao left, Meng De hastened to Qin Xuan's side. "You know that Zhao Mingyu guy. He's the champ of the municipal taekwondo tournament. Even seven or eight grown-ups might not stand a chance against him."
At the thought of the brawl at the TK Bar, where Zhao Mingyu had mopped the floor with seven or eight guys while Qin Xuan had made mincemeat of over twenty hooligans, Meng De's voice trailed off. With a rueful grin, he gave up on the persuasion.
He'd still been seeing Qin Xuan as the old, meek version and had only meant to give a friendly heads-up.
"Zhao Mingyu?"
Qin Xuan cracked a faint smile. If memory served, Zhao Mingyu seemed to have a thing for He Yu.
Indeed, Zhao Mingyu was the ace of the municipal junior taekwondo circuit. In this high school, when it came to clout, Lu Yunfan took the cake. But for sheer fighting prowess, it was hands down Zhao Mingyu.
Not long ago, a gang of rowdies from outside had crashed the campus, looking for trouble. A dozen of them, and Zhao Mingyu had flattened every single one. When the last desperado whipped out a dagger, Zhao Mingyu had snatched it and punted the guy across the yard.
Even the so-called "Black Bear" gang was small fry compared to Zhao Mingyu. He'd been training in taekwondo since he was knee-high to a grasshopper and outclassed ordinary folks in every conceivable way.
"Taekwondo?" Qin Xuan couldn't help but scoff. Chinese martial arts were as deep as the ocean and as vast as the sky. Opting for the combat style of a tiny speck of a country? That was just laughable.
He'd been all set to brush it off, but shortly after Wang Xiao's exit, another visitor showed up.
"Qin Xuan!"
He Yu marched in, her face as frosty as a winter's morn, and planted herself at the classroom door.
Qin Xuan strolled over. "What's up now? If you're here to give me a hard time, you can just turn on your heel and leave."
He didn't have the warmest feelings for He Yu, but he couldn't quite bring himself to dislike her either. The thing was, her tongue seemed sharpened just to take jabs at him.
Still, because of He Yun, Qin Xuan had a soft spot for the family. Besides, he knew He Yu meant no harm.
"You can't accept Zhao Mingyu's challenge!" He Yu declared, her tone icy.
"Why not?" Qin Xuan's lips twitched in a wry smile. "Afraid I'll hurt your admirer?"
He Yu puckered her lips and shot back, "As if you could! I'm worried you'll get yourself hurt!"
She wrinkled her nose in that endearing way and added, "That Zhao Mingyu is a pest, always hounding me. You..."
After a moment's hesitation, she mumbled, rather unconvincingly, "If you get hurt, my sister will be heartbroken."
Qin Xuan was taken aback. Catching the glimmer of concern and worry in He Yu's eyes, a warm current coursed through him.
This girl was all bark and no bite.
Originally, he'd planned to let Zhao Mingyu's challenge slide, but now, he'd had a change of heart. Harassing He Yu? How dare you mess with my sister!
A steely glint flashed in Qin Xuan's eyes, and he said softly, "Don't worry. He's no match for me."
Seeing Qin Xuan's nonchalance, He Yu grew frantic.
Qin Xuan cut her off mid-sentence. "Let's make a bet. If I win, you lay off with the lectures."
He Yu blinked in surprise, then wrinkled her nose again. "And if you lose?"
"I'll hit the books!" Qin Xuan said evenly.
He Yu mulled it over, sizing Qin Xuan up. Deciding he wasn't pulling her leg, she nodded.
"Okay!"
Qin Xuan's face froze for a second, and he let out a soft sigh. "Am I really that hopeless at school?"
"Out of 730 seniors, you're ranked 727th. Need I say more?" He Yu's expression was a study in incredulity.
Qin Xuan was jolted. Suddenly, it hit him that... in his previous life, his grades had been nothing to write home about.
He Yu left, but not before drilling it into Qin Xuan's head to remember their deal.
During the lunch break, the school gymnasium was swarming with onlookers. Some had even skipped lunch, eager to catch the action.
"Brother Yu, I bet that Qin Xuan punk won't show," Wang Xiao jeered from the sidelines. "The second he saw the challenge letter, he probably wet his pants and ran."
Beside him stood Zhao Mingyu, a clean-cut young man in a crisp white taekwondo gi, his arms folded like a sentinel, eyes sharp as a hawk's.
Zhao Mingyu's lip curled in a sneer. "Qin Xuan's got some moves, I'll give him that. Beating the 'Black Bear' gang ain't easy. But if he chickens out, he's not fit to be my adversary."
"Without the balls to face me, how dare he call himself Xiao Wu's beau? You tell Lu Yunfan to relax. If he dares to step up, I'll make sure he spends a long time in the hospital."
Wang Xiao's face split in a wide grin.
Today, Lu Yunfan was conspicuously absent, and it was all part of the plan. After all, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. What was the point of him showing up?
Plus, he didn't want Xiao Wu to cotton on to his scheme to mess with Qin Xuan.
Soon, the gymnasium was jam-packed with students of all stripes, all eyes peeled for Qin Xuan's entrance.
Half an hour ticked by, and still no sign of Qin Xuan.
"What gives? Has Qin Xuan really wussed out and bolted?"
"That can't be right. Is he really that spineless?"
"I feel so bad for Xiao Wu. She picked a coward for a boyfriend."
The grumbles grew louder and louder, and Wang Xiao's grin grew wider and wider.
Zhao Mingyu's eyes flashed with contempt. "Guess I gave him too much credit," he muttered coldly.
The appointed time was looming, and Qin Xuan was nowhere to be seen.
Just then, a figure sauntered in from the gymnasium entrance.
Under the midday sun, his shadow stretched long.
Qin Xuan ambled in, hands in his pockets, and made his way to the center of the gymnasium.
The whole place went dead silent.
Qin Xuan had shown up!
He actually had the nerve to come?
And if that wasn't enough, a few seconds later, two more figures glided in.
Xiao Wu and He Yu walked in side by side, and the gymnasium became as quiet as a tomb. Every eye swiveled away from Qin Xuan and landed on the two girls at the door, one as pure as a lotus in bloom, the other as delicate as a snowflake.
Both of the school's top beauties were here?
Even Zhao Mingyu's face twitched in surprise. When his gaze landed on He Yu, a flicker of desire lit up his eyes.
At that moment, a sharp voice sliced through the silence.
Qin Xuan's brow furrowed slightly as he scanned the room. "Who's Zhao Mingyu?"