This is Too Double Standards

While Wang Haoran was communicating with the system, Xu Muyan also arrived at the classroom.

Chu Bai immediately stopped staring at Wang Haoran and ran over to Xu Muyan with a big grin.

For some reason, Chu Bai had shaved his formerly ear-length hair into a very short buzz cut.

With that hairstyle, anyone with average looks couldn't pull it off—it would highlight every flaw on their face.

That was exactly the case for Chu Bai, who had a plain face.

His big smile now looked genuinely ugly.

But judging by how brightly he was grinning, and with no mirror in front of him, he clearly had no idea.

"Classmate Xu, you're here. There's still a while before morning class. I have a lot of study questions I'd like to ask you. Got time?" Chu Bai smiled at Xu Muyan.

"I do."

As the Class Representative with a kind heart, Xu Muyan naturally wouldn't refuse a classmate asking for academic help.

"Come on, let's go to your seat. I'll carry your bag for you," Chu Bai said enthusiastically.

"No need," Xu Muyan shook her head.

"If you hadn't tutored me, my grades wouldn't have jumped from the bottom ten of the class straight to the middle. Doing a little something for you is only right."

"Actually, you're naturally smart. Most of what I said was just what the teacher covered in class. If you paid attention, your grades would definitely be good."

"No, no, it's mainly because you're so beautiful, Classmate Xu. I absorb everything you teach."

Hearing such praise, Xu Muyan couldn't help but feel a bit shy.

Chu Bai took the chance to reach for her bag.

As he grabbed it, he tried to casually brush her hand.

But he didn't succeed.

Wang Haoran watched this scene and couldn't help but sigh.

He had to admit, at a younger age, a thick-skinned guy chasing a girl really had a big advantage.

That was Chu Bai.

Wang Haoran knew that Chu Bai's sudden academic improvement was entirely due to X-ray Vision.

His last exam was purely cheating.

Hounding Xu Muyan for tutoring was just an excuse to hit on her.

Wang Haoran saw through it all and naturally wasn't going to just stand by.

Just as Chu Bai was about to sit down in Xu Muyan's female deskmate's seat, Wang Haoran walked over with an exercise book and asked directly, "Xu Muyan, you did the homework the Math Teacher assigned yesterday, right?"

"I did, but I'm not sure if my answers are right." Xu Muyan no longer disliked Wang Haoran, and she always answered any academic questions he had.

"I wrote down an answer too, but I'm not sure either. Want to compare and discuss?"

"Sure!" Xu Muyan nodded eagerly.

"Classmate Xu, I was here first," Chu Bai interrupted.

"Just a moment, hold on," Xu Muyan said, wanting to discuss the math problem with Wang Haoran first.

That math problem was extremely difficult, beyond high school math knowledge, exclusive to Top Students, and very challenging.

In the entire class, probably only Wang Haoran and Xu Muyan would bother doing that math problem after class.

When Wang Haoran suggested discussing it, Xu Muyan was more than happy.

Chu Bai stood there dumbly, completely lost as Wang Haoran and Xu Muyan talked, like listening to a foreign language.

As Wang Haoran discussed with Xu Muyan, he glanced at Chu Bai's stiff expression and secretly laughed to himself.

When it came to common ground and topics, he and Xu Muyan, both Top Students, clicked far better.

The handsome guy and the pretty girl kept meeting each other's eyes, chatting and laughing.

Up close, you'd know they were discussing studies; from afar, not seeing clearly, you'd think they were flirting.

Wang Haoran deliberately dragged out the study discussion, and Xu Muyan got so immersed that she unconsciously forgot Chu Bai existed.

Soon, morning class would start.

"Wang Haoran, you deliberately came over to discuss problems with Classmate Xu. Your intentions aren't in the wine but in the cup—discussing problems is fake, your real goal is to get close to her and have ulterior motives. You're a hypocrite."

Chu Bai couldn't hold it in anymore and cut off their discussion with a scolding tone.

Hearing this, Wang Haoran just laughed.

This guy used tutoring as an excuse to hit on Xu Muyan, and that was fine.

But when he copied the move, it wasn't allowed.

Wasn't that a bit too double-standard?

"Chu Bai, you're misunderstanding Wang Haoran." Xu Muyan frowned.

Because Wang Haoran had already made it clear he wanted to focus on studying and had no such feelings for her, and he'd even warned his lackeys not to talk nonsense.

The kind-hearted Xu Muyan naturally chose to believe what Wang Haoran said.

"I didn't misunderstand. You've been tutoring me lately, and he couldn't stand it. Yesterday he had his lackeys block my way after school and warned me to stay away from you, saying you're Wang Haoran's personal property." Chu Bai said to Xu Muyan.

Xu Muyan was startled and looked at Wang Haoran in surprise.

"That wasn't my doing. Fan Jian and the others acted on their own." Wang Haoran explained.

Even if it had been his doing, he'd give the same answer.

He was a villain, after all.

Villains stop at nothing to achieve their goals, and lying is second nature.

"If you're a man, own up to what you did." Chu Bai used provocation.

He wanted Wang Haoran to admit it, so Xu Muyan would be wary of him and keep her distance.

"Hey, you didn't finish your story, did you? Fan Jian and the other two did block your way, but they were the ones who got beaten bloody. You came out unscathed." Wang Haoran shifted the focus.

"That's because I'm tough. Those three little punks were no match for me." Chu Bai snorted smugly.

He couldn't help but feel proud of that.

Chu Bai was a poor student who often skipped class and hung out with street punks. Fights were common when conflicts arose, and over time he'd honed his brawling skills—and he fought dirty as hell.

Wang Haoran waved Fan Jian over from the classroom.

"Take off your hat and let Xu Muyan see what he did to you."

Fan Jian wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he caught on that the boss wanted to tattle on Chu Bai in front of Xu Muyan.

He immediately took off his hat, revealing his bruised and swollen face.

Xu Muyan had noticed something off about Fan Jian's face earlier, and now she finally understood why. She frowned.

"How... how did he get beaten like this?"

"This is nothing. Fan Tong and Qin Shousheng got it worse. We begged for mercy on our knees, but it didn't help. Chu Bai chased us down and beat us to a pulp."

Fan Jian rubbed the swelling on his face, looking utterly wronged, on the verge of tears.

"You deserved it." Chu Bai said dismissively.

"Fan Jian and the others started it, and you were defending yourself, but there's a limit to self-defense, isn't there?" Wang Haoran said.

"They didn't lose an arm or a leg. They should thank me for going easy on them."

In Chu Bai's eyes, he was in the right. No matter how badly he beat Fan Jian and the others, it wasn't too much.

Xu Muyan, however, frowned deeply.

Few girls liked violence, and she was no exception.

But Chu Bai was still basking in the thrill of beating Fan Jian and hadn't noticed the subtle change in Xu Muyan's expression.

Wang Haoran, on the other hand, caught the detail and felt a flicker of satisfaction.