Chapter Sixty-Six: Issuing a Challenge

In the office, the homeroom teacher, Mr. Yan, looked at Xiao Lin, momentarily at a loss for words. He had meant to have a private talk with Xiao Lin to commend him for his remarkable improvement in the last exam, but it had slipped his mind until he saw Xiao Lin and Gao Zheng exchanging glances just now. Mr. Yan didn’t even need to ask the reason—Gao Zheng clearly liked Wang Yuqing, and as fate would have it, Xiao Lin was fond of her too. The two boys were locked in rivalry, unwilling to yield. This reminded Mr. Yan of his own youthful days, when he too had been madly infatuated with a girl. The thought softened his expression.

“Xiao Lin, your progress in the last exam was impressive. I had been planning to recognize your achievement. But now you’ve stirred up such a commotion, which puts me in a difficult position,” Mr. Yan sighed, intending to counsel Xiao Lin earnestly.

To Xiao Lin’s surprise, Mr. Yan didn’t start out by scolding him. He’d expected at the very least a tongue-lashing. “Uh... Teacher, there’s no need for any commendation. I don’t need that,” Xiao Lin replied.

“Xiao Lin, I know everyone has an appreciation for beauty. I was young once too. You’re in your adolescence, experiencing all those restless emotions—I’ve been through it myself. But you’re in your final year now, do you understand?” Mr. Yan’s tone was gentle, his intent clear: he wanted to guide Xiao Lin, not berate him.

“Final year... final year...” Xiao Lin repeated, catching the underlying message. Clearly, the teacher wanted him to prioritize academics above all else, leaving everything else for later. Honestly, Xiao Lin had never considered this a problem. For him and Wang Yuqing, dating never once threatened their studies—they were top students, well able to manage their time.

“You’re standing at the greatest crossroads of your life. Matters like this can be left until college. I met my wife, your teacher’s wife, back in university,” Mr. Yan continued, coaxing him with kind advice.

Hearing this, Xiao Lin couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Was this really his homeroom teacher? Today he seemed like a different person, discoursing about life instead of just lecturing. It was almost comical, but Xiao Lin couldn’t find a way to argue back. What could he say—that being with Wang Yuqing wouldn’t hurt his grades but would actually help? If he said that, Mr. Yan would probably throw him out of the office.

Meanwhile, the classroom was buzzing with excitement.

“Sigh, my idol actually likes someone else. How heartbreaking!” a love-struck girl lamented with a woeful face.

“So, who do you think stands a better chance with Wang Yuqing—Xiao Lin or Gao Zheng?” a gossip-loving boy asked, his eyes darting mischievously.

“My guess is Xiao Lin. Anyone with eyes can see Wang Yuqing has feelings for him,” said a perceptive classmate.

“I don’t think so. Gao Zheng has the upper hand—he’s tall, rich, and handsome, after all,” declared one of Gao Zheng’s supporters.

“Oh, please. Gao Zheng just brought her flowers and Wang Yuqing refused. Isn’t that obvious enough?” the boy retorted.

“That’s only because Xiao Lin made a scene. She was about to accept them!” the supporter shot back, still unconvinced.

Throughout it all, Wang Yuqing ignored the chatter swirling around her. She was worried about what kind of punishment Mr. Yan might give Xiao Lin. Would he transfer him out of the class? She couldn’t let that happen. Determined, Wang Yuqing resolved to speak to the teacher and explain that Xiao Lin was not to blame. With this decision, she got up and headed towards the office.

But when Wang Yuqing pushed open the office door, she was surprised to see Xiao Lin sitting calmly in a chair, with Mr. Yan standing beside him, speaking kindly. Xiao Lin didn’t seem to be getting scolded at all.

Hearing the door, Xiao Lin glanced over and saw Wang Yuqing. A look of relief and happiness flashed across his face. He’d had enough of Mr. Yan’s endless lecturing—he’d almost have preferred a round of scolding instead.

“Oh, Yuqing, what brings you here?” Mr. Yan asked, a look of puzzlement on his face.

“Teacher, this isn’t Xiao Lin’s fault. It’s because of me. Gao Zheng was here for me, and Xiao Lin was just helping,” Wang Yuqing hurried to explain, afraid the teacher would blame Xiao Lin.

Both Xiao Lin and Mr. Yan were momentarily taken aback by her words. This girl—couldn’t she see that the teacher wasn’t blaming him at all? Xiao Lin could only shake his head in resignation.

“Yuqing, I understand what’s going on. Since you’re here, let’s talk things through together,” Mr. Yan said, secretly pleased. Now that both of them were present, he could lay everything out at once, saving himself the trouble of having separate talks.

Oh no, here it goes again. Teacher was almost finished lecturing me, and now with you here, he’s going to start all over, Xiao Lin thought with an inward sigh.

Meanwhile, Gao Zheng left Class One with a dark expression and headed back to his own classroom. The two classes weren’t in the same building—Class Two was special, neither arts nor sciences, but a class for students with special talents. As Gao Zheng entered, the other students noticed the multicolored roses in his hand and his gloomy demeanor. No one dared say a word; everyone knew what had just happened, and no one wanted to risk provoking him.

“Zhao Mingliang,” Gao Zheng called, tossing the roses onto his desk.

“Yes, boss, what is it?” Zhao Mingliang had been following anxiously behind Gao Zheng the whole way, worried that Gao Zheng would take his anger out on him. At the sound of his name, he responded immediately.

“Go to Class One and give Xiao Lin a message: if he’s a real man, meet me at the Taekwondo gym by the school gate after class. If he doesn’t show, he’s admitting defeat. This time, I want a proper duel,” Gao Zheng said harshly.

“Boss, you want to fight him yourself? Why not have a few guys take care of him?” Zhao Mingliang’s eyes lit up at the thought of a fight.

“It’s just between me and him. No one else interferes. Your job is to deliver the message—enough with the questions.” Gao Zheng snorted. He was deeply influenced by the British code of dueling; for him, a rival in love must be dealt with personally.

Zhao Mingliang nodded meekly, not daring to say another word.

At last, Xiao Lin emerged from the office, breathing a long sigh of relief. After a lengthy sermon, Mr. Yan finally let them go.

“Is it really that bad?” Wang Yuqing couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“You’re fine, but Mr. Yan basically lectured me the whole time. He thought I was leading you astray,” Xiao Lin replied, exasperated.

Wang Yuqing just chuckled.

As they walked into the classroom, Xu Tong quickly approached, pulling Xiao Lin aside to speak in a low voice. “Xiao Lin, Gao Zheng’s sidekick came by just now. He said Gao Zheng wants you to meet him at the Taekwondo gym by the school gate after class for a duel. If you don’t show up, it means you’re giving up.”

Xiao Lin touched his nose and let out a cold laugh. “A duel, huh? Fine. Let’s see what he’s really made of.”