Pretty Stubborn

"He Zhenglin, He Zhenglin!!"

A huge crowd had gathered in the open space in front of the dormitory building. People surged around, many of them there for the excitement. He Zhenglin's hair was tousled in the crush, and he finally shook that crowd off by circling around to the back and jumping out a window.

By the time he quietly returned to the spot, Ke Yueyi was long gone.

Great. He'd been used as bait, missed the show, and ended up in a mess.

He Zhenglin was just about to pull out his phone to look for him when he saw Ke Yueyi strolling over.

When Ke Yueyi had left the banquet earlier, his face had been full of anger. He Zhenglin didn't know what had happened while he'd been away, but Ke Yueyi was clearly in a much better mood now, though it wasn't very obvious.

That made him even more curious about the mysterious person.

He Zhenglin raised an eyebrow and looked behind him. There was no one there. "Where is he?"

Ke Yueyi didn't answer and was just about to sit down on a chair.

He Zhenglin pulled the chair away. "Don't play dumb. What were you doing just now? Where is that person? Where did you hide him?"

Ke Yueyi didn't argue with him and sat down on the sofa beside him.

"What person? You're imagining things."

He Zhenglin nearly rolled his eyes to the sky. "Are you kidding me? At least come up with a better excuse. If there was no one, who answered your phone just now? I took the heat for you, and you can't even tell me that?"

Ke Yueyi lowered his eyes and stared at the book in his hands. "He isn't here."

There he went again, looking like he didn't want to talk about it.

He Zhenglin narrowed his eyes and stared at him for a while. "If I'm not mistaken, it's the person on your phone just now, right? Yi, what's so hard to tell me?"

He Zhenglin draped an arm over him and put on an act. "There's a rift between us now, all because of a man. When Wenxi gets back, I'll have to have a good talk with him about this."

Song Wenxi had gone to the Northern Hemisphere as an exchange student nearly a year ago, though they still kept in touch from time to time.

Ke Yueyi said, "He should be coming back at the end of this semester, right?"

"Yeah. He said he'd dealt with just about everything."

Being an exchange student was just a convenient arrangement. The main thing was that the Song family's businesses involved securities, finance, and cross-border transactions, so they needed a member of the family to stay there long-term.

"He said before that he'd be back in half a year. Looks like this was a bit tricky after all."

"Old Master Song is still testing them. And the eldest Song brother is really ruthless. He plays dirty. Wenxi nearly didn't make it back from the Northern Hemisphere. It was a close call."

The two Song brothers didn't get along. From childhood, they had been raised to see each other as potential rivals. The eldest son, Song Wenche, was three years older, after all. Under the pretext of giving Song Wenxi experience, he persuaded the old master to send him abroad, away from the center of power in the Alliance. Once Song Wenxi was gone, he did everything he could to trip him up.

It was thanks to the help of his friends that he narrowly made it through.

Ke Yueyi said, "Even if he comes back this time, he still has a fight on his hands with the eldest Song brother."

The two were chatting on and off when a loud argument suddenly broke out below the window.

"Let go of me! Give me back the key." Wang Yue was cornered against a wall. He had taken several blows to the face and was black and blue.

Ever since Jiang Wangshu had given him the key to the laboratory that day, Wang Yue had hidden there whenever he wasn't in class. He didn't even return to his dormitory, sleeping there all night instead. He was truly terrified after what they'd put him through.

It had actually worked quite well. He made a point of avoiding them, running as soon as he spotted anyone in a student council uniform from a distance. By hiding and keeping out of sight, he really had managed to evade them for a few days.

Unfortunately, the student council had strength in numbers. If they wanted to find him, it was only a matter of time.

"Pretty clever, hiding in the laboratory." Huang Zhenghao kicked him. "I've played cat and mouse with you for a few days. It's time we settled the score."

Wang Yue was knocked over by the kick, but he scrambled up and clung to Huang Zhenghao's leg. "Brother Hao, I really didn't do it. I was just passing by that day. Please, let me go... I wouldn't dare."

"Oh?" Huang Zhenghao twirled the key ring around his finger and slapped it against Wang Yue's face. "Who can prove it?"

Wang Yue bit his finger in a panic. He was scared to death.

"If you can't tell me, I'll kill you tonight. No one at the academy will care if there's one less special-class student."

Who could prove it? The only person who could prove his innocence that day was Jiang Wangshu.

Jiang Wangshu could prove it!

Wang Yue was just about to blurt it out when he looked up and caught sight of Jiang Wangshu through a gap between the figures crowding around him. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming.

"Him!"

Wang Yue jumped to his feet in excitement. "He can prove it!"

Huang Zhenghao looked over.

It was nearly dark, and the streetlights on both sides of the road were lit. When the person came closer, Huang Zhenghao recognized him and grinned.

Wasn't that the rat he'd warned before?

"You, come here!"

Jiang Wangshu seemed not to notice the commotion. Without so much as a glance, he turned and headed straight for the dormitory building.

Furious at being ignored, Huang Zhenghao rushed over to grab him and shoved him from behind.

"I'm talking to you. Are you deaf?"

Jiang Wangshu almost fell. He shot him a cold glance. "Move."

At that moment, Wang Yue scrambled over to Jiang Wangshu and said anxiously, "Wangshu, hurry and explain it for me. I was there that day to deliver something for you, right?"

"Mm." Jiang Wangshu answered.

"Did you hear that? I'm innocent..." Wang Yue shouted into the wind.

"Get lost. This has nothing to do with you."

Huang Zhenghao shoved him aside, his attention no longer on Wang Yue.

"You, kowtow to me now and apologize for being rude just now, and I'll let you go back."

Jiang Wangshu glared at him. "Dream on!"

He Zhenglin stood at the window, watching the show. He rarely saw anyone at school who dared to openly stand up to Huang Zhenghao without giving him any face, especially since Huang Zhenghao was always throwing around the name of their F4.

And if he wasn't mistaken, the person talking back was a special-class student.

That made it even more interesting.

He Zhenglin raised an eyebrow. "Yi, come over here."

Ke Yueyi walked over and glanced down. Several people were gathered there, apparently acting out the academy's most common drama of the strong preying on the weak. He wasn't interested.

He raised his wrist and checked the time. It was getting late.

Ke Yueyi said, "I have something to do."

"What a shame," He Zhenglin said regretfully.

As he spoke, He Zhenglin never took his eyes off what was happening.

The confrontation downstairs continued. Jiang Wangshu took advantage of the moment when his opponent wasn't paying attention to kick him hard, then tried to run.

Huang Zhenghao clutched his stomach and had his people catch Jiang Wangshu again and pin him firmly to the ground.

The occasional students passing by hunched their shoulders, not daring to make a peep.

"You're dead tonight!"

Huang Zhenghao's gaze turned vicious. That kick had been no light blow. He couldn't straighten up, and waves of pain cramped his stomach.

"Beat him to death."

Wang Yue huddled in the corner, arms wrapped around himself, trembling with terror. His mind was blank, and he wanted to help Jiang Wangshu.

But his whole body seemed to have lost its strength. He went limp, unable to straighten up.

"Wait!"

Everyone paused, then finally looked up and saw a smiling face at the window.

He Zhenglin said, "Huang Zhenghao, don't bully the little student."

It wouldn't be fun if someone that proud got beaten to the point of breaking.

"Young Master He, it's Young Master He! Why is he here too?"

Someone in the student council was so excited that he shouted it out.

Huang Zhenghao frowned and slapped the man on the forehead. "What are you yelling for? So rash."

The man ducked his head and let him hit him.

After hitting him twice, Huang Zhenghao withdrew his hand, turned, and looked up at He Zhenglin, rubbing his hands together. "Brother Zhenglin, you're here too."

"Just got here."

Huang Zhenghao's whole body tensed. "Brother Zhenglin, were we too loud? Did we disturb your rest?"

He Zhenglin kept smiling and didn't answer.

Huang Zhenghao paused, then, as though afraid He Zhenglin didn't know how despicable Jiang Wangshu was, hurriedly explained, "Brother, you don't know. This guy, this lowly special-class student, actually dared to offend you before. That day, he dragged another special-class student away right in front of you."

He Zhenglin vaguely remembered. Some time ago, he and Ke Yueyi and the others had been playing ball on the court. A newly enrolled freshman, unfamiliar with the situation, had wandered onto their exclusive court, and the basketball he'd brought had hit He Zhenglin's shoe.

Huang Zhenghao had been there too. Before He Zhenglin could say a word, Huang Zhenghao had immediately started yelling at the freshman like a rooster charging into battle. The freshman had been too scared to speak and had nearly collapsed on the ground.

Then another freshman who was with him had rushed out, said a few harsh words to Huang Zhenghao, and taken him away. He had apologized to He Zhenglin before leaving, though.

If Huang Zhenghao hadn't reminded him, he would have forgotten all about it.

He Zhenglin looked the special-class student over. Sure enough, he did look a little familiar.

"Oh~"

Realization dawned on He Zhenglin. "It's fine. In that case, you can all go back first. Leave this to me."

"Yes. Brother Zhenglin, we'll be going then."

Huang Zhenghao bowed in He Zhenglin's direction. He couldn't disobey the F4.

"Wait!"

When Huang Zhenghao realized it was Jiang Wangshu calling him back this time, he seriously wondered if there was something wrong with his head. He was still lying on the ground.

If the guy hadn't been lucky today, Huang Zhenghao would have beaten him half to death.

He scoffed, ignored him, and started to leave with his people.

Jiang Wangshu spoke again. "Give me back the key."

He Zhenglin was watching everything from the window. Huang Zhenghao stopped and waited two seconds, but He Zhenglin said nothing.

He immediately understood his stance.

He snorted, gave Jiang Wangshu a resentful look, and tossed the key at his feet.

He Zhenglin raised a hand and smiled as he saw them off.

The group left in a great procession, coming and going in a hurry. As soon as they were gone, the place fell quiet.

Jiang Wangshu used the wall to pull himself up and glanced up.

He Zhenglin was staring at him. Their eyes met for two seconds before He Zhenglin spoke. "Don't move. Wait until I come down."

With that, He Zhenglin disappeared from the window.

Jiang Wangshu frowned and ignored him. He had never liked the people at this school, much less the F4 who led them. If it weren't for them, the student council wouldn't have targeted him.

But he probably couldn't go see Jimo now. If Jimo saw him like this, he would worry again.

"Wangshu, I-I'm sorry. I didn't know they would hit you. I just wanted you to come over and prove it."

Wang Yue hadn't left. He approached hesitantly, but Jiang Wangshu pulled himself out of his grasp and ignored him.

"I, I really..."

Jiang Wangshu pointed upstairs, cutting him off. "You heard him just now. That man is coming down. Are you sure you still want to stay here?"

Wang Yue glanced back fearfully, his calves trembling, but insisted, "Let's go together."

Jiang Wangshu shook his head and paid him no more attention.

He slowly headed back, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Jimo still hadn't replied, even though it was long past the time they'd agreed on.

Perhaps something had delayed him.

Jiang Wangshu left him a message, telling him he didn't need to come and that he was going back first.

Before he could send it, a hand snatched his phone away.

Jiang Wangshu looked up and saw the person who had been upstairs.

He Zhenglin clicked his tongue impatiently. "Didn't I tell you not to move?"

He paused. "You look even more bedraggled up close. You look so pitiful. Want me to help you?"

Jiang Wangshu had fallen earlier, tearing his pants, and streaks of blood could be seen through the hole. The milk tea he'd specially brought for Jimo had also been smashed by the student council people, and most of it had splashed onto him, leaving him in a sorry state.

Help him?

To Jiang Wangshu, those words sounded like a cat mourning a mouse, false sympathy laced with sarcasm.

Jiang Wangshu held out his hand, his face cold. "Give me back my phone."

He Zhenglin had thought that when he came down, he would be greeted with profuse thanks. Failing that, Jiang Wangshu should at least have had some manners.

Acting as though everyone was out to get him wasn't cute at all.

He Zhenglin could see why Huang Zhenghao wouldn't leave him alone.

"Pretty stubborn."

He Zhenglin put away his ever-present smile and sneered. "Do you need me to call them back right now?"

"Whatever."

Jiang Wangshu stared at him. "You were the one who put them up to it in the first place. Why are you pretending to be a good person here?"

He Zhenglin was so angry he laughed. He had finally done a good deed and saved someone, only to get this attitude in return.

If he'd wanted to mess with someone, letting that person stand there and talk would have counted as mercy.

The little interest he'd developed vanished completely.

He might as well have gone back with Yi just now. He casually tossed the phone back. "Get lost."

Jiang Wangshu tilted his head up to catch the phone, revealing a smooth jawline.

He Zhenglin paused. The man looked very familiar, as though he'd seen him somewhere before.

He was certain it definitely wasn't that time on the basketball court.

Where was it, then?

Before He Zhenglin could figure it out,

Jiang Wangshu silently turned around and limped out of his sight.