Chapter 17: The School Bully

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Unexpectedly, the confession came so straightforwardly that Yun Huaze was taken aback. Leng Heming remained silent, turning his gaze out the window.

“I’m not doing this for you,” Xi Ning said calmly, “but for Wang Zilong. I’ve known Wang Zilong for over ten years—we live in the same neighborhood. No matter who he likes, I can sincerely wish him well. But An Xiyan is different! I haven’t done anything, yet she slanders me, accusing me of bullying her. And Wang Zilong, for someone so scheming, helps hurt me alongside her. Can I just stand by and do nothing?”

“Maybe…” Yun Huaze hesitated but finally said, “It’s just a coincidence. An Xiyan really isn’t that kind of person, is she?”

Even at this stage, still claiming innocence. The heroine’s aura is truly formidable! Or perhaps Yun Huaze was probing.

Xi Ning sneered coldly. “Then accept Wang Zilong’s feelings. He confessed to her, but An Xiyan said she only sees him as a brother. Brother, ha! Even if she doesn’t like Wang Zilong, she should make her feelings clear and avoid him as much as possible. Not playing both sides, flirting here and there. You’re experienced; can’t you see through such tactics?”

Yun Huaze said no more. Her smile vanished, replaced by the same quiet composure as Leng Heming.

Xi Ning didn’t break the silence inside the car. Just before getting out, she spoke, “I hope you won’t tell Wang Zilong. His competition is soon, and with his temper, he’ll confront An Xiyan, only to be tricked again. Apart from his boxing, he’s no match for her. I’m also investigating the cause of An Xiyan’s father’s death—I don’t want to alert anyone prematurely.”

Neither of them spoke further. Xi Ning felt relieved—when people say nothing, you don’t know what’s said or done. These two, though high schoolers, were already adults in mind. They had seen enough business scheming and were far smarter than the naive Wang Zilong.

After thanking them, Xi Ning got out and headed home.

From then on, not to mention Leng Heming, who was always aloof, He Yuxuan and Yun Huaze also began avoiding An Xiyan.

Naturally, An Xiyan felt something was wrong. Leng Heming was hard to approach, and He Yuxuan was busy preparing for graduation, cautious about everything. After thinking it over, she decided to deal with Yun Huaze first.

Finally catching up with Yun Huaze, An Xiyan lowered her head slightly. “Senior Hua, it seems you’ve been avoiding me lately. Is there some misunderstanding between us?”

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Another “misunderstanding”—all four of them used the same excuse, including Li Qingyu. The cliché was nearly worn out…

But Yun Huaze smiled softly. “Sorry, it’s my oversight. Mainly because my family’s new beauty salon just opened, and I’ve been busy promoting it everywhere. Business is tough these days!”

She then pulled out a shimmering card and handed it to An Xiyan. “Feel free to visit if you have time.”

An Xiyan happily took the card. Yun Huaze had once given her a free card before. The staff at the salon treated her like a VIP, pampering her with anything she wanted. She had dressed up and borrowed a gown there to attend Li Qingyu’s birthday party and attracted a lot of attention.

But when she looked at the new card, it wasn’t a free card—it was a fifty-percent discount card. Her smile froze. “Half price, Senior Hua? I don’t have that much money…”

There, even a simple perm cost five or six thousand yuan. Although the results were excellent, it wasn’t something ordinary people could afford regularly. For her, she didn’t even have money to wash her hair.

“Oh, I see!” Yun Huaze scratched the back of her head. “There’s nothing I can do. My father manages the finances now. If I get another free card, I’ll give you one.”

“Thank you so much, Senior Hua,” An Xiyan beamed.

“Alright, I have to get back to work.” Yun Huaze smiled and walked away.

But An Xiyan couldn’t feel happy. After finally talking, it felt like punching cotton—no effect at all. She only gained a half-price card, which was useless to her.

Xi Ning guarded day and night, sticking closely to the most foolish Wang Zilong. Though his arm had long since healed, he still wore a triangular bandage daily, and Wang Zilong had become her bodyguard. After stepping away from the heroine’s aura for a while, Wang Zilong seemed clearer-headed. Sometimes, even when An Xiyan was behind him, he wouldn’t frequently glance back with that infatuated gaze that gave people goosebumps.

There was another major concern for Xi Ning.

Next week was the citywide taekwondo competition. Originally, Wang Zilong had advanced to the finals scheduled for Sunday, but the incident happened on Saturday.

Since others from the club also made the finals, Wang Zilong went to school Saturday to give final guidance and encouragement. After everything was set, he left first. At the school gate, he encountered a gang of thugs surrounding An Xiyan.

Wang Zilong rushed to defend her, swiftly defeating the thugs. One desperate thug pulled out a knife and stabbed Wang Zilong in the abdomen before they scattered.

Though not fatal, Wang Zilong could no longer participate in the finals the next day.

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Wang Zilong was hospitalized. When An Xiyan visited, she felt deeply guilty.

Seeing An Xiyan’s tears fall for him, Wang Zilong couldn’t resist the surge of emotion and kissed her—and An Xiyan accepted the kiss.

But after Wang Zilong’s discharge, An Xiyan claimed she had been impulsive and wrong, that she still saw Wang Zilong as a brother, and so on—just babbling nonsense. Wang Zilong accepted this excuse but became even more attentive to An Xiyan afterward.

Thinking of this, Xi Ning shuddered. If her guess was right, that was Wang Zilong’s first kiss ever. Afterward, she was “just a brother.” Who has a brother and sister kissing like that?

No matter what, she couldn’t let this scheming woman succeed. She had to protect the taekwondo prince’s first kiss for the truly deserving girl.

On Friday, Leng Heming’s car took her home. Yun Huaze happened to be there, so Xi Ning took the chance to speak.

“Tomorrow, Wang Zilong goes to the school club. I’ve already told my dad to pick him up.” Her explanation also convinced Mr. Li. “He’s been taking me around for a while. With the finals coming the day after tomorrow, I should do something. If you’re free tomorrow, I can pick you up too, and we can go together?”

“Sure,” Yun Huaze considered, “I don’t mind. But Wang Zilong also has a car.”

“I thought of that too,” Xi Ning replied. “Then we can all go out for a meal or stop by my house for a bit. Leng Heming, you should meet my dad. A project payment just came through recently. We thought we wouldn’t get it back, so it’s been idling in the company account.”

Leng Heming said, “Then I’ll come along.”

For someone as taciturn as him, that was rare.

They agreed to meet at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Xi Ning would bring Mrs. Li to Yun Huaze’s beauty salon for a hair treatment, then together with Yun Huaze and Leng Heming, they would go to school to pick up Wang Zilong.