Breaking Ties with Kushida

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Yet, every one of his punches was skillfully neutralized by Xia Mu.

It was as if he had seen right through him, and this gave Yamada a bad premonition.

During another attack, just as he was about to defend, Xia Mu seized the opportunity. With his slender frame, he used Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds to hoist the two-hundred-pound man into the air, executing a shoulder throw that slammed his back heavily against the ground, sending water splashing everywhere.

Before he could even react, Xia Mu's rapidly flying fists were already raining down toward his face.

"Bang!"

It looked like a heavy blow, and in reality, the force was terrifying. With just one punch, he was seeing stars, his body went limp, and he had no strength left to resist.

This punch was even more powerful than anything Long Yuan could muster.

"Bang!"

Xia Mu landed another punch on Yamada's head, his palm stained with blood. "Go back and tell Long Yuan, if he dares to bully my brother again, this will be his fate."

"Thud!" Following that, a heavy strike finished Yamada off.

There were no flashy moves, just direct, heavy punches.

Shaking the blood from his palm, Xia Mu stood up from Yamada's body.

"Damn, Xiao Xia, I never expected you to be this fierce!!"

Zhu Xincheng was stunned. The entire process took less than a minute; Xia Mu had effortlessly knocked Yamada unconscious, and Yamada hadn't even been able to touch the corner of Xia Mu's clothes.

He even vaguely saw in Xia Mu the demeanor of a grandmaster who had pushed a martial art to its absolute limit, the kind he had only seen on television.

It was too ferocious!

But he was incredibly excited. As long as he practiced hard, he could reach the same level as Xiao Xia, right?

After dealing with Yamada, Xia Mu didn't feel much of anything; he simply saved the video recorded by the sports camera hanging on his chest.

The opponent had only relied on his physical advantage and a bit of kickboxing to bully ordinary students.

If he had met a truly ruthless person, he probably wouldn't have lasted a few rounds.

Sigh, what a disappointment.

He had even intentionally given Yamada a chance just now to see how strong he really was.

Who would have thought he was only at this level.

He hadn't even exerted one-tenth of his strength.

With Modified Boxing combined with Modified Wing Chun, honestly, it would be hard to find anyone in this world at the same level as Xia Mu.

On the way back to the dormitory, the fatty chattered incessantly, extremely excited. This time, even without Xia Mu saying a word, he went out to exercise in the rain.

Xia Mu didn't stop him; self-improvement was a good thing.

Seeing him make a change, Xia Mu felt quite gratified, like a father watching his son grow up.

"Eh? Xia, Student Xia Mu!"

"Why are you all wet?"

As he reached the bottom of the dormitory building, a figure who had been waiting there for a long time hurried over. She set down the items in her right hand, then reached out with a fair, delicate palm to brush the rainwater off Xia Mu, chiding him, "You don't even know how to use an umbrella on a rainy day, you idiot."

When she saw the blood on Xia Mu's palm, she was even more startled. "Blood? Student Xia Mu, you, what happened to you?"

Her tone was very anxious. She grabbed Xia Mu's hand, took out a tissue to wipe it gently, and then blew on it softly. Although there was a hint of reproach on her face, her tone was full of worry. "It's a good thing it's nothing serious, just some blood."

"Student Xia Mu, what did you do? You didn't hit another student, did you?" Kikyo Kushida, looking worried, held Xia Mu's hand, blinking her bright eyes. "It's okay, tell me, I'll keep it a secret for you."

Her expression was sincere, not appearing fake at all, but her heart was itching with unbearable curiosity; she wished she could strip Xia Mu bare and collect all his secrets.

The thing she loved most was holding other people's secrets in her own hands.

As long as someone did something she disliked, she would use their secret to get rid of them.

Xia Mu ignored Kikyo, pulled his hand back, and looked toward the path behind her.

Shiina stood in the rain, holding a transparent umbrella, her hand gripping the handle tightly.

She had seen the scene that just happened from beginning to end.

What, what does this mean?

Did I disturb you, Xia Mu...

For no reason, she felt her breathing hitch, a suffocating discomfort in her heart. She lowered her head, walked past the two of them, and stepped into the stairwell.

Xia Mu withdrew his gaze and looked at the smiling Kikyo in front of him. "Student Kikyo, is there something you need?"

Kikyo Kushida blinked, placing a finger on her lips as if remembering something, and picked up the lunch box from the ground. "Ah, I almost forgot because you didn't mention it."

"You go to the playground to exercise every day; it must be very tiring. This is a love-filled meal set I made especially for you."

"The top layer is the food, and the bottom layer is my chicken soup."

Xia Mu narrowed his eyes. Would Kikyo really be this kind? Could she have poisoned it?

Also, she was stalking him; otherwise, how would she know his daily routine?

It seems she has begun her campaign of retaliation.

Without waiting for Xia Mu to agree, she forcibly shoved it into his hands, then deliberately hooked her arm around his, "Alright, let's go! I still have some things I want to talk to you about!"

However, to Shiina, who was hiding by the stairwell, the two appeared intimate, their words and actions all pointing toward that kind of relationship.

Lovers.

She buried her small face under the dim light, her gaze hazy and unfocused, lost in her own thoughts.

"Kushida, can we stop the act?"

Inside the elevator, Xia Mu said to Kushida in a flat tone.

He had decided to lay his cards on the table; he couldn't be bothered to play along with Kushida anymore.

Hearing Xia Mu's cold words, Kushida's heart gave a violent jolt, and sweat began to bead on the side of her face, "Eh? Act? What are you talking about, Xia Mu-kun?"

"Let me see, maybe you're running a fever from getting soaked in the rain."

As she spoke, she reached out to touch Xia Mu's forehead, but he caught her hand mid-air.

He narrowed his eyes and raised his voice, "I said, can you stop the act? Is it really fun to wear a mask every single day?"

Xia Mu's words struck Kushida's heart like a heavy hammer.

"I don't understand what you're talking about, Xia Mu-kun."

Kushida retreated several steps, visible panic surfacing on her face.

Impossible, absolutely impossible...

How could a blockhead like Xia Mu discover her true nature...

"Ding!"

At that moment, the elevator doors slid open.

Xia Mu stepped out, walked over to a trash can, and tossed Kushida's bento box inside, then turned his head to look at her coldly, "Do you understand what I mean now?"

Hearing this, Kushida's face darkened with gloom as she stepped out, "Xia Mu-kun, what is the meaning of this? You're joking, right?"

Her tone was extremely hostile.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, keep acting then."

Xia Mu clicked his tongue; Kushida truly wouldn't shed a tear until she saw her own coffin.

Shaking his head, he began walking toward Sakura's dormitory.

"Stop right there!!"

At that moment, Kushida's cold, frantic voice rang out from behind him, "How did you find out?"

No matter how she racked her brain, she couldn't figure out how Xia Mu had discovered her secret.

He hadn't attended the same middle school as her, nor did he know anything about her past.

She had never once revealed her other side in front of him.

"Do you really think you've hidden it so well?"