Chapter Thirty-Four: Bloodied and Broken (2.3 Racing for the Rankings)

"Unreasonable!" Long Fei spat out these words and turned around, leaving without looking back, no matter how desperately Ye Qian called after him.

As Long Fei stepped out of the second cafeteria into the blazing sunlight, he felt the air suddenly fresher. Taking a deep breath, the oppressive feeling from earlier quietly dissipated, vanished without a trace.

It was his first time at Jiaoda, so Long Fei began to wander aimlessly, determined to get familiar with the campus. Who knew, he might discover a good spot, someplace he could bring a girl in the future for a bit of fun. This thought alone filled him with delight.

Truly, Long Fei was lucky. He hadn't walked far when he stumbled upon what seemed the perfect battlefield for romance: behind a fake mountain stood several ancient trees, their trunks thick as a person's waist. He couldn’t care less what kind of trees they were; what mattered was the setting behind them. The arrangement was ingenious: behind the trees flowed a man-made stream, its waters gurgling, and across the little brook was a grove of bamboo. From behind the trees, one could see the vast playground outside the fake mountain, but from anywhere outside, it was nearly impossible to glimpse what transpired behind the ancient trees.

What a splendid spot! Long Fei nodded approvingly, about to leave, but suddenly his attention was caught by voices coming from behind the trees.

"I told you, I really don't like you, and I'm not even considering dating right now!" The girl's voice was tinged with helplessness.

"Ruo Yi, we've been childhood friends, you know how I feel about you. Is your heart really made of stone?" The boy's voice was also weighed down with resignation.

Long Fei quietly craned his neck to peek around the tree—what luck! A beautiful, pure-looking young woman sat on a stone bench, and beside her was a handsome young man with a distinctly predatory gaze.

"But I truly don't like you, Ding Jun! Please, stop pestering me, okay? I've always thought of you as a brother, and you know that. Besides, Sister Nana is so fond of you—if you do this, you'll break her heart!" The lovely girl edged away, but the boy quickly scooted closer.

He grabbed her hand, clearly anxious. "Ruo Yi, so that's what you're worried about? Don't. Before coming to Jiaoda, I already broke up with your Sister Nana. There's nothing between us anymore. Don't misunderstand—I've only ever loved you!"

Liu Ruoyi shook off Ding Jun's hand, a flash of disgust in her eyes. "Stop it. Don't think I know nothing. Sister Nana told me everything. Last semester, you two were secretly living together—do you think I didn't know?"

Ding Jun was momentarily stunned, his face flushed with embarrassment, but a hard glint flickered in his eyes. "Yes, I lied to you—but it was only because I didn't want you to be hurt or misunderstand. She was the one who seduced me; it had nothing to do with me. Ruo Yi, please, stop rejecting me, okay? I promise, I'll only ever treat you well, and I'll never let anyone else seduce me again!"

Long Fei broke into a cold sweat just listening to this—did this guy really think he was all that just because he was good-looking? Never to be seduced again? Whoever tries to seduce him is nothing but a whore!

Seeing Ding Jun about to grab her hand again, Liu Ruoyi jumped up and shrank away in anger. "Ding Jun, don't you touch me! Let me be perfectly clear—even if you and Sister Nana have nothing to do with each other, I still wouldn't like you! Stop pestering me, or we can't even be friends!"

Ding Jun hadn't expected the usually gentle and obedient Liu Ruoyi to be so resolute. A nameless fire rose in his chest. He looked at Liu Ruoyi in her white dress, her graceful figure highlighted perfectly, and suddenly lunged, pressing her against the ancient tree with a snarl. "Liu Ruoyi, I've been more than polite to you. Don't think that just because you're pretty I have to do everything your way. Hmph, there are plenty of girls chasing after me, Ding Jun. If you don't appreciate the face I'm giving you, don't blame me for being rough with you today!"

Liu Ruoyi struggled desperately to push Ding Jun's hands away, her face flushing red, then turning deathly pale. Terrified, she shrank further, crying out, "Ding Jun, what are you doing?!"

Ding Jun was momentarily pushed aside, but he wasn't discouraged. Eyes gleaming with lust, he blocked the only way out and edged closer, leering. "What am I doing? Don't you know already? Let me tell you, I made up my mind before I asked you out today. Whether you agree or not, it's happening. Haven't you noticed how special this place is? It took me all morning to find it! Ha ha!"

Only now did Liu Ruoyi realize the desperate situation she was in. She silently berated herself for being careless, for being too soft-hearted. She'd always disliked Ding Jun, yet still gave him chances. And today, for some reason, she’d foolishly come here with him. Heaven knows, she only wanted to make things clear so he would stop bothering her in the future. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Biting her lip, she retreated step by step to another tree, with the artificial mountain just beside her.

Pressing her back against the fake mountain, Liu Ruoyi trembled. "Ding Jun, stay where you are! If you come any closer, I'll scream for help!"

"Scream all you want. It's nap time—how many people did you see outside when you came out? Ha ha, let me tell you, even if you scream yourself hoarse, it'll be useless. Besides, if anyone sees something they shouldn't, you'll lose your reputation. If I'm not mistaken, you're still a virgin, right? Your name will be ruined, and let's see how you dare show your face at Jiaoda after that! You'd better be obedient and suffer less. Let me tell you, you'll be begging for it soon enough. Ha ha! Your Sister Nana never told you, did she, what a real man is like?"

Swallowing hard, Ding Jun advanced step by step.

Liu Ruoyi was nearly in tears with panic, completely helpless before Ding Jun. Clearly, she couldn’t call for help. Spotting a brick on the ground, she quickly darted over, picked it up, and threatened, "Don't come any closer! If you do, I won’t go easy on you!"

Seeing Ding Jun still advancing with a cruel smile, Liu Ruoyi panicked. "I really will hit you!"

"Go ahead, hit me! Right here!" Ding Jun strode forward, stretching his head toward her. In his mind, Liu Ruoyi was too timid to hurt even a chicken, let alone bash someone with a brick. And even if she tried, he was quick enough to dodge.

Forced to the limit, Liu Ruoyi found herself with nowhere left to retreat—either pressed against the tree or stepping straight into the stream. Ding Jun was closing in, his eyes burning with desire, his hands reaching straight for her chest. Though she was usually meek, at her core Liu Ruoyi was resolute and virtuous—she would never let Ding Jun take advantage of her. In her desperation, she squeezed her eyes shut and brought the brick down on Ding Jun.

"Ouch!" Ding Jun had meant to dodge, and Liu Ruoyi's movements were not fast, but just as he was about to move, someone gave him a shove from behind, and his head collided directly with the brick. Naturally, brick is harder than skull—unless you’re made of iron. The result was blood streaming down Ding Jun’s forehead as he clutched it, wailing in pain, and quickly turned to look behind him.

Chapter Thirty-Four:

"Unreasonable!" Long Fei spat out these words and turned away, ignoring Ye Qian's urgent shouts, never looking back.

"What are you staring at? Never seen someone drink before?!" Ye Qian roared at those around her, her shout even more intimidating than the legendary Lion's Roar.

Long Fei, stepping from the cafeteria into the scorching sunlight, felt the air so much fresher. A deep breath was all it took for that feeling of oppression to vanish entirely.

He shook his head. There was really no need to let Ye Qian's bad mood affect him. Who was he to her, after all? Just her bodyguard. As long as he kept her safe, what did it matter how she behaved? Besides, her character was largely shaped by her family situation—it would be unfair to blame her entirely.

His first time at Jiaoda, Long Fei decided to wander around and get to know the place. Who knew? Maybe he'd find a good spot, somewhere to bring a girl in the future. The thought alone put him in high spirits.

And what do you know, Long Fei's luck held out. He soon discovered the perfect romantic battleground: behind an artificial mountain, several ancient trees stood, their trunks thick as a person’s waist. He didn’t care what kind they were; what mattered was the clever arrangement behind the trees. A man-made stream gurgled, and on the far bank stood a bamboo grove. If you stood behind the trees, you could see the playground outside the rockery, but from the outside, it was nearly impossible to glimpse what was happening behind the trees.

What a marvelous place! Long Fei nodded, about to leave, when suddenly voices caught his attention—coming from directly behind the trees.

"I told you, I really don't like you, and I'm not considering romance right now!" The girl sounded exasperated.

"Ruo Yi, we've been childhood friends—you know how I feel. Is your heart made of stone?" The boy was just as frustrated.

Long Fei peeked from the tree—what luck! A beautiful, innocent-looking girl sat on a stone bench, and next to her, a handsome boy with a predatory look in his eyes.

"But I really don't like you, Ding Jun. Please stop bothering me, okay? I've always seen you as a brother—you know that. Besides, Sister Nana likes you so much. If you do this, you'll hurt her!" The girl scooted away, but Ding Jun moved even closer.

He grabbed her hand, anxious. "Ruo Yi, so that's what's on your mind? Don't worry. Before I came to Jiaoda, I already broke up with your Sister Nana. There's nothing between us now. Don't misunderstand—I've always loved only you!"

Liu Ruoyi flung Ding Jun's hand away, a flash of loathing in her eyes. "Enough. Don't think I know nothing. Sister Nana told me herself—you two were secretly living together last semester. Did you think I didn't know?"

Ding Jun was stunned, his face flushing before a hard look flashed in his eyes. "Yes, I lied to you, but only because I didn't want you to be hurt or misunderstand. She seduced me—it had nothing to do with me. Ruo Yi, please don't reject me again, okay? I swear I'll be good to you for the rest of my life, and never let anyone else tempt me!"

Long Fei broke out in a cold sweat at this—did this guy really think he was so irresistible? Never seduced again? Whoever seduced him was a bitch, plain and simple.

Seeing Ding Jun reaching for her hand again, Liu Ruoyi jumped away in anger. "Ding Jun, don't touch me! Let me make myself clear—even if you and Sister Nana have nothing to do with each other, I still wouldn't like you! Stop pestering me or we can't even be friends!"

Ding Jun never expected the soft, gentle Liu Ruoyi to be so firm. A nameless anger rose in him. Staring at Liu Ruoyi in her white dress, her figure accentuated, he lunged, pinning her against the ancient tree with a snarl. "Liu Ruoyi, I've been more than patient with you. Don't think I have to do everything your way just because you're pretty. There are plenty of girls chasing me. If you don't appreciate my kindness, don't blame me for being rough with you today!"

Liu Ruoyi struggled desperately, her face turning red, then white. Terrified, she shrank away, screaming, "Ding Jun, what are you doing?!"

Ding Jun was shoved aside, but didn't mind. Eyes leering, he blocked the only way out and moved closer, chuckling darkly. "What am I doing? Don't you know? Let me be honest: I planned this when I asked you out today. Whether you agree or not, it's happening. Haven't you noticed how special this place is? I spent all morning finding it! Ha ha!"

Only then did Liu Ruoyi realize her predicament. She silently blamed herself for being careless and too soft. She'd always disliked Ding Jun, yet kept giving him chances. Today, inexplicably, she’d come along with him. She only wanted to clarify things so he’d stop bothering her. The more she thought, the more frightened she became. Biting her lip, she retreated toward another tree, with the artificial mountain beside her.

Back pressed against the fake mountain, Liu Ruoyi trembled. "Ding Jun, stop! If you come any closer, I'll scream!"

"Scream all you want. It's nap time—how many people did you see outside when you came? Ha ha, even if you scream yourself hoarse, it'll do you no good. Besides, if anyone sees something they shouldn't, your reputation will be ruined. If I'm not mistaken, you're still a virgin, right? How will you show your face here after that? You'd best cooperate and save yourself some pain. Soon you'll be begging me for it. Ha ha! Hasn't your Sister Nana told you what a real man is like?"

Swallowing, Ding Jun closed in.

Liu Ruoyi was on the verge of tears, powerless before Ding Jun. She realized she couldn't call for help. Spotting a brick nearby, she quickly darted over, picked it up, and threatened, "Stay back! Come any closer and I won't go easy on you!"

Ding Jun advanced, sneering. "Go on, hit me! Right here!" He leaned his head forward, convinced that Liu Ruoyi, meek as she was, wouldn't dare. And even if she tried, he could dodge.

Driven to the brink, Liu Ruoyi had nowhere left to go—either pressed against the tree, or stepping into the stream. Ding Jun loomed over her, eyes full of lust, hands reaching for her chest. Though she was usually meek, Liu Ruoyi was, at heart, resolute and virtuous. There was no way she'd let Ding Jun take advantage of her. In her desperation, she squeezed her eyes shut and swung the brick at him.

A cry of pain rang out. Ding Jun had meant to dodge—Liu Ruoyi's movements weren't quick—but just as he tried, someone shoved him from behind, and his head collided directly with the brick. Of course, the brick was much harder than his skull—unless he was made of iron. The result was blood streaming down his forehead, as he clutched his head and wailed. He quickly turned to look behind him.

Thus ends the second update of the day. There will be another chapter this afternoon. If you enjoy the story, please remember to vote and add it to your favorites!