"Yes, I'm sitting next to you because of you."
"Me?"
Upon hearing Chu Yi's words, Zhang Ting blushed with embarrassment.
It was impossible not to be moved when someone so handsome and graceful confessed to her.
But with the upcoming college entrance exams, she wasn't quite ready to start a relationship.
She decided to make an unspoken agreement with Chu Yi.
"Chu Yi, I think we're not quite suited for each other at the moment."
"How about we wait until after the exams to talk about this?"
After saying this, Zhang Ting lowered her head, not daring to look at Chu Yi.
However, her attention remained focused on him, eager to hear his response.
But as time passed, Chu Yi didn't say a word.
This caused her heart to flutter in unease.
Could it be that he was angry after hearing her rejection?
Unable to bear it any longer, Zhang Ting turned to face him.
At that moment, a long, slender hand gently rested on her thigh.
Her body tensed immediately.
She knew exactly whose hand it was.
On the other side, Chu Yi's lips curled into a subtle smile.
It was already apparent that Zhang Ting harbored feelings for him.
At the very least, she didn't reject him outright.
Now, the plan could be set into motion.
With a sly grin, Chu Yi's hand began to slowly wander over her thigh, moving toward the pocket of her pants.
Just like in his past life, students were required to wear uniforms in school.
Today, Zhang Ting wore a pair of black and white school pants.
The fabric was exceptionally thin.
Inside, it was just a mesh weave.
After slipping his hand inside, Chu Yi could even feel the softness of her skin on her thigh.
"Chu Yi, you..." Zhang Ting finally realized what was happening, her face flushed with shame as her words faltered.
"Don't say a word."
Chu Yi interrupted, smiling faintly, then shifted slightly on his chair to create some distance between them.
He made sure the view under the desk was clearly visible to Li Linhai.
He was confident that Li Linhai wouldn't be able to hold back.
Chu Yi knew very well how deeply Li Linhai cared for Zhang Ting.
Sure enough, after maintaining this position for a couple of minutes,
"Bang!"
A loud, furious voice rang out in the classroom.
"Fuck your uncle, Chu Yi!"
"You scum!"
In that instant, Li Linhai's heart seemed to shatter.
Ever since Chu Yi had accepted the milk tea Zhang Ting gave him, Li Linhai had been seething with rage.
He had kept a close eye on Chu Yi and Zhang Ting.
And he had seen everything—Chu Yi slipping his hand into Zhang Ting's pocket.
The girl he had long admired was now involved in such a way with another.
Fury consumed him, and he stormed forward.
Ye Fan, standing by, knew this wasn't going to end well and tried to intervene.
But by the time he moved, Li Linhai had already reached Chu Yi, his massive body swinging a punch toward his face.
However, with his sluggish and overweight frame, it was clear he would never land a blow.
As Li Linhai's punch missed, Chu Yi stepped back, easily dodging the strike.
Then, with a swift motion, he slapped Li Linhai across the face.
The slap sent Li Linhai reeling, his vision filled with stars.
"Chu Yi, you bastard, how dare you treat Zhang Ting like this?"
Li Linhai lay on the floor, gasping for air, but his eyes gleamed with malice as he glared at Chu Yi.
The classroom had gathered around, whispering in confusion.
"What's going on here? Why is Li Linhai so enraged, cursing Chu Yi?"
"I don't really understand, seems like they don't have any grudges against each other."
"Let's just watch and see how this plays out."
"Chu Yi, you're truly a scoundrel, making a move on your own deskmate."
"And then doing something like this!"
Li Linhai slowly got to his feet, clenching his fists and grinding his teeth.
"Heh, what do you think I did?"
Chu Yi answered calmly, unaffected by Li Linhai's fury.
"What, you want me to spell it out for you?"
"Fine, let me reveal your true nature."
"You just stuck your hand into Zhang Ting's pocket and started groping."
Li Linhai spat each word out with venom, as if unleashing his fury at Chu Yi.
"What? Chu Yi did that to Zhang Ting? No way."
"Could be, though, I mean, he's so handsome, if I were Zhang Ting, I might not resist either."
"Regardless of whether Chu Yi did anything to Zhang Ting, I'm more curious about whether Li Linhai is acting out of justice, or if he has ulterior motives."
These murmurs reached Li Linhai's ears, and a twinge of annoyance flickered across his face.
It felt as if his secret intentions had been exposed.
"Chu Yi, I've already said it, now answer me!"
Li Linhai, still seething, directed all his anger at Chu Yi, pressing forward.
"Fine, since you want an answer, I'll give you one."
Chu Yi smiled faintly, ready to deliver his prepared response.
But at that moment, a furious voice cut through the tension.
"Enough, Li Linhai!"
"You want an answer?"
"I'll answer you right now."
Zhang Ting's small, determined face flashed with anger as she furrowed her brows.
Regardless of whether she and Chu Yi had done anything, she couldn't let Li Linhai spread such false accusations.
She wouldn't allow this to tarnish her reputation or Chu Yi's.
Approaching Li Linhai, Zhang Ting spoke sharply.
"You want an answer?"
"Well, let me tell you this—Chu Yi and I haven't done anything you think we've done. We've just been quietly studying."
"So please, Li Linhai, stop spreading lies. If you truly intend to slander me and Chu Yi, then provide evidence."
"Otherwise, I'll report you to the authorities."
With that, Zhang Ting returned to her seat, burying her face in her hands and crying.
Her shame from Chu Yi's hand had already overwhelmed her, and now the weight of Li Linhai's accusations broke her down completely.
Her sobs caused the room to erupt in murmurs.
"So it turns out, Li Linhai was just slandering Zhang Ting and Chu Yi? Who would have thought? He seems so honest but his heart is so vile."
"Yeah, yeah, I can't believe we've been in the same class with such a disgusting person."
"Best to stay away from him in the future, he's a real piece of work."
A barrage of comments bombarded Li Linhai, making his face turn pale with embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Chu Yi observed with a smug grin, knowing that Zhang Ting now stood by him, and so did the rest of the class.
He wondered how Li Linhai would continue to challenge him now.
"Congratulations to the host. Li Linhai's mind has suffered a slight blow. You've altered the plot, gaining 1,000 points of villain value."
"Congratulations to the host. Li Linhai's mind has suffered a severe blow. You've altered the plot, gaining 1,500 points of villain value."
A voice echoed in Chu Yi's mind.
He smiled mockingly, addressing Li Linhai.
"Apologize. After all, we're classmates, and I don't want to escalate things."
"But you've already tarnished my and my deskmate's reputation, so show some sincerity and we'll all be better off."
"I…"
Li Linhai's heart bled as he listened to Chu Yi's words.
He had seen Chu Yi slip his hand into Zhang Ting's pocket with his own eyes, but now when he spoke up, no one believed him.
Instead, they all sided with Chu Yi.
And now, he had to apologize in front of the girl he loved.
He couldn't accept it—he just couldn't.
Despite his lowly status in the class and his miserable life outside of it, today, he refused to be humiliated any longer.
He would rise up and prove himself right.
With that thought, Li Linhai turned toward Ye Fan, hoping for his last chance.
Ye Fan, the one person who could help him.
Ever since the moment he first laid eyes on Ye Fan, he had an eerie sense that following him would lead to greatness.
Perhaps even immortality.
Today, he desperately hoped Ye Fan would step in to assist him.
But when Ye Fan caught Li Linhai's gaze, an awkwardness settled over him.
Now, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
On one side, his subordinate; on the other, his friend's best friend.
Ye Fan could feel the anger in the eyes of Summer Yuehan, who sat beside him.
If he stepped in now, it would surely sour his relationship with her.
He couldn't side with Li Linhai—he had no evidence and no justification for his actions.
So, Ye Fan buried his focus in his English book, pretending not to see Li Linhai.
"Boss, don't you have anything to say to help me?"
"Now that I'm like this, are you really going to ignore me?"
Li Linhai placed all his hopes on Ye Fan.
He swore that if Ye Fan helped him today, he would follow him for life.
But as time passed, the hopelessness only grew.
He saw Ye Fan look at him with indifference, as if he had no intention of stepping forward.
A wave of abandonment and humiliation surged within Li Linhai's heart. In that moment, an intense resentment toward Ye Fan suddenly emerged. Just as Li Linhai found himself drowning in despair, Chu Yi's voice pierced through the silence, delivering a sharp blow to his spirit.
"Well, what's this? You've committed such an act, and yet you're still not prepared to apologize?" Chu Yi's words cut through the air. "Are you just stalling, waiting for someone to speak on your behalf, to extricate you from this situation?"
"Unfortunately, the so-called ally you rely on is nothing more than a feeble excuse."
A mischievous smile played at the corners of Chu Yi's lips.
Two birds with one stone.
Ye Fan, you desire Xia Yuehan? Well, I'm sorry, but in that case, you must create a rift with your own brothers.
No matter how you choose, you'll have to sever a limb.
"Stop talking! I apologize," Li Linhai finally understood that an apology was inevitable. With the betrayal of the others and Ye Fan's silence, his former timid demeanor shifted into one of boldness. However, his bitterness toward Chu Yi remained, and resentment toward Ye Fan began to take root.
"Chu Yi, I apologize. I apologize for defaming you and Zhang Ting." His voice trembled as he bent down, his body shaking with the weight of his words. "This was my fault. My jealousy of you led me to act in such a manner."
"Could you speak louder?" Chu Yi's taunt carried an air of amusement. "Your voice is so soft, did you forget to eat?"
Chu Yi had no intention of letting Li Linhai off lightly. The more he humiliated him, the more his hatred would grow, but it would also sow resentment in Ye Fan's heart.
Chu Yi understood that people like Li Linhai, who had endured years of bullying, were mentally twisted. It was like those people in real life—help them ten times, and they won't appreciate it; refuse to help once, and they will harbor a grudge forever.
"I..." Under the watchful eyes of the classroom, a surge of humiliation welled up in Li Linhai's heart once more. But he could not refuse Chu Yi's command. With clenched teeth and a shudder, he bent once again.
"Sorry."
This time, his voice rang out louder than before, filling the entire classroom.
"I... I forgive you." Chu Yi's gaze gleamed with a glimmer of satisfaction as he observed the trembling Li Linhai. "But you still need to apologize to Zhang Ting."
"Chu Yi, let it go. Let's consider this matter settled," Xia Yuehan, ever the pragmatist, stepped forward. Though she, too, was angered by Li Linhai's actions, he had already apologized, and as the class monitor, she had to prioritize the greater good.
"Yes, Chu Yi, let's move on from this," Zhang Ting, having composed herself, joined in, her tears now replaced with reddened eyes.