She then turned her attention back to Lin Mao, puffing her cheeks in frustration.
"You're so mean!" she scolded. "I waited for you after class, and you didn't even say hi!"
Lin Mao raised a brow, picking up a dumpling with his chopsticks.
"I don't remember making any promises," he said flatly before putting it into his mouth.
Chu Ha scoffed, settling into the seat beside him. "You are hopeless."
Lin Mao grinned lazily. "And yet, here you are."
The cafeteria buzzed with new wave of whispers as soon as Chu Ha sat beside Lin Mao.
"Look at that motherfucker," someone said from a nearby table. "Senior Chu Ha is willingly giving him attention."
Another student sneered. "What a lucky piece of shit. He doesn't even try."
The murmurs grew louder, eyes burning with envy and frustration.
A tall freshman with muscular build and broad shoulder slammed his tray down on the table and stood. His eyes locked onto Lin Mao, and he clenched his jaw in anger.
With heavy steps, he made his way across the cafeteria, drawing even more attention as the crowd of students made ways for him.
He stopped in front of Lin Mao's table, towering over him menacingly.
"Oi, Lin Mao!" the freshman barked. "You piece of shit! Why the hell are you talking to Senior Chu Ha like that?"
The veins in his forehead were bulging with fury.
Lin Mao didn't bother to look up at the freshman. He reached for another dumpling, popped it into his mouth, and chewed slowly.
Finally, he glanced up lazily, meeting the freshman's glare with eyes half-lidded, as if the whole scene bored him.
Without a word, he shifted his gaze away and leaned back in his chair.
The freshman's face turned red with rage. He gritted his teeth. "Don't blame me for what happens next, you motherfucker!"
He threw a wild punch, aiming straight for Lin Mao's face.
The atmosphere in the cafeteria seemed to tense as the punch shot forward.
But then Lin Mao moved.
Swiftly.
In a single motion, he stood and leaned back, dodging the blow with the grace of someone who had done this far too many times.
Before the freshman could take in what was happening, Lin Mao shot a right hook.
*Crack!*
The punch connected perfectly with the freshman's jaw.
The entire cafeteria gasped as the freshman's head snapped to the side. He stood frozen for a moment.
Then, slowly… he fell backward.
With a heavy thud, he crashed to the floor, unconscious.
Silence.
Every student stared with wide eyes and open mouth.
Lin Mao sighed before waving his hand as if he had just done something trivial. He sat back down, picked up his chopsticks, and calmly resumed eating.
Chu Ha's eyes were sparkling with amusement as she looked at Lin mao.
"Impressive," she whispered.
"I was hungry," Lin Mao said.
The whispers began anew, louder this time.
"Did you see that?"
"Holy shit, he knocked him out with one punch!"
"Maybe he's not lazy… maybe he's just dangerous."
Just then, the cafeteria doors flew open, banging against the walls with a loud thud.
A bald old man stormed in, his body trembling as he scanned the room. His sharp eyes fell on the freshman that laid unconscious on the floor.
"What happened here?!" he shouted.
One of the nerds from Lin Mao's philosophy class immediately jumped to his feet and adjusted his thick glasses.
"Sir, Lin Mao punched the freshman so hard that he fainted!"
The principal turned, his eyes narrowing as he focused on Lin Mao. He swallowed nervously.
Please don't mess up my handsome face, he thought, imagining his carefully moisturized skin bruised by Lin Mao's infamous right hook.
Clearing his throat, he puffed out his chest in an attempt to regain control of the situation.
"Lin Mao," he said, his voice trembling slightly, "is this true?"
Lin Mao opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, a sweet, melodic voice cut through the tension.
"Principal, how are you?"
All heads turned to Chu Ha who smiled innocently at the man.
The principal's demeanor shifted in an instant. His hardened expression melted into a wide grin, and his chest deflated like a balloon.
"Oh, my dear Chu Ha!" he said, his eyes practically sparkling. "How wonderful to see you! You are as radiant as ever, absolutely stunning! Truly a vision of grace!"
For a heartbeat, the cafeteria fell into stunned silence.
Someone in the back whispered, "What a pervert…"
"He's old and almost about to die, but he's still trying to hit on young ladies…"
The principal's ears twitched. His face turned red, and he whipped his head around.
"Who said that?!" he shouted, pointing a trembling finger at the crowd. "Come forward if you dare!"
Before he could go any further, Chu Ha blinked innocently and added:
"Oh, Principal. That freshman over there… he tried to harass me."
A gasp rippled through the cafeteria.
The principal's eyes bulged. "What?!"
Lin Mao himself was stunned but kept his expression neutral. A tiny smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
The crowd began to murmur once again.
"That freshman's done for…"
"No one messes with Chu Ha and gets away with it."
The principal spun back toward the unconscious boy, shaking with fury.
"This… this delinquent tried to harass our beloved Chu Ha?! I won't stand for it! Harassment will not be tolerated in my college!"
He turned to Lin Mao, his tone suddenly flattering.
"Ah, Lin Mao, my boy… I see now. You were protecting our dear Chu Ha. Such bravery!"
Lin Mao sighed, finally lowering his chopsticks. He shook his head.
"I was just eating my dumplings, sir."
The principal brightened even more. "Exactly! A man of action, even while dining Truly remarkable."
Chu Ha giggled behind her hand as the cafeteria erupted into laughter.