Stop Bothering Her

After school.

Xia Ping left the classroom and noticed that the students around him seemed to be pointing at him, as if he were some rare animal—a giant panda. Before he knew it, he had become famous.

"Look, that's the legendary Xia Ping."

"He doesn't look like much. How'd he get the school belle pregnant?"

"You can't judge by appearances. Maybe he drugged her."

"Very possible. Just look at him—you can tell he's a criminal."

"He'll get arrested sooner or later. I heard two guys in his class got caught streaking at school and were detained for seven days."

"Birds of a feather flock together. That guy definitely isn't a good person."

The students around him whispered among themselves, all sizing Xia Ping up.

"So that's what this is about—the rumor?" Xia Ping hadn't expected it to spread so quickly. In just one day, it seemed the whole school had heard about it.

Ding! The system prompted, "Congratulations, Host. So far, you have earned a total of 736 Hate Points."

"What? 736 Hate Points?!"

Xia Ping was speechless. A few days ago, he had mocked countless people with his indiscriminate insults and even gone up on the Flying Dragon Platform, yet he had only earned two or three hundred Hate Points.

But now, just one rumor had earned him that many Hate Points. Did so many people really hate him for dating the school belle? That was ridiculous.

Though, when he thought about it, it made sense. An ordinary guy had somehow gotten together with the school belle, a hugely popular beauty no less. It was bound to make people envious and jealous.

"Could it be that I don't need to insult people to earn Hate Points? Maybe I just need to pick up girls?" Xia Ping seriously considered whether that might work.

"You're Xia Ping, aren't you?"

Suddenly, a stern voice came from nearby. Xia Ping turned and immediately saw a student who was 1.8 meters tall, with a perfect build, handsome features, and an imposing aura.

He approached from a distance, followed by five or six lackeys. Every one of them was tall and radiated a powerful martial aura. The students nearby didn't dare block their way and quickly moved aside.

"Isn't that Zhou Tai'an from Class One, Senior Year? I heard he's already reached Martial Apprentice Sixth Heaven and ranks in the top three at school. He's mastered the intermediate martial art Five Peaks Fist and is even stronger than Xiong Batian."

"He's not just talented; apparently, his family is rich too. They own a five-star hotel in Tianshui City, with assets worth over a hundred million. He drives a luxury car worth hundreds of thousands to class. He's ridiculously impressive."

"He's handsome, too. He's the heartthrob of 95th Middle School, and who knows how many girls like him. Too bad he's only interested in Jiang Yaru. He's been pursuing her for ages and has turned down countless girls who confessed to him."

"Well, this is interesting. Isn't Xia Ping that kid who's rumored to be Jiang Yaru's boyfriend? Looks like they're about to fight."

The students buzzed with gossip, their eyes gleaming. Zhou Tai'an looked furious. It was obvious he'd come to pick a fight with Xia Ping.

"What do you want?" Xia Ping asked as Zhou Tai'an walked up to him.

Zhou Tai'an stared at Xia Ping. "You should know why I'm here. It's about Jiang Yaru." A glint appeared in his eyes, as if he were trying to see through Xia Ping, and he exuded a powerful pressure.

"I've heard the rumors going around school, but I don't believe them. Jiang Yaru isn't that kind of girl. I'm only here to tell you one thing: stop bothering her."

His tone was overbearing.

"So you came here to warn me?" Xia Ping frowned.

Zhou Tai'an sneered. "That's right. I'm warning you. Don't think you're something special just because you beat Xiong Batian. He's nothing but a clown at this school, a nobody. To put it bluntly, he's a thug. I never dealt with him before because he hadn't offended me, not because I couldn't take him.

"I've looked into you, too. Your father is Xia Chuanliu, a mere city management officer. Your mother, Huang Lanxin, just runs a street stall. Your family earns at most seven or eight thousand Federal Coin a month, and you're even tens of thousands in debt.

"Jiang Yaru is different. She's a true genius, a heaven-sent talent. Her future isn't in a tiny place like Tianshui City. It's at Yanhuang University, in the Cloud Sky Realm. She and you were never meant to live in the same world."

"Your family's nothing special, and your grades are average. At best, you'll get into a second-rate university. How could someone like you ever make Jiang Yaru happy? You need to know your place. Understand?"

His expression was unbearably arrogant, as if he were standing atop a mountain and looking down at Xia Ping, convinced that their difference in status could never be bridged.

Hearing Zhou Tai'an speak with such self-righteousness, Xia Ping laughed—a cold laugh. "Zhou Tai'an, you think being called the school heartthrob and the strongest student, and having a powerful family, gives you the right to act like a cop and meddle in my business? If people flatter you and try to curry favor with you, that's their business. In my eyes, you're not worth a damn."

"Let's put aside whether Jiang Yaru and I are actually involved. Even if we are, so what?"

"What I, Xia Ping, choose to do and who I like are none of your business. Why should I explain myself to you?"

He simply looked at Zhou Tai'an, his eyes cold and emotionless.

"You!"

Zhou Tai'an's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected this kid to be so brazen—to ignore him and even talk back to his face, making him lose face.

He threw his weight around at school, had plenty of lackeys, and even the teachers showed him respect. Yet this kid had dared to say he wasn't worth a damn.

That infuriated him.

"Xia Ping, you're too arrogant."

"Do you even know who Boss Zhou is? Who are you to talk to him like that?"

"You dare say Boss Zhou isn't worth a damn? Then what does that make you?"

"Just because you beat a thug like Xiong Batian, you think you're invincible?"

"There are plenty of capable people in this world. You're nothing!"

A group of lackeys cursed him out, glaring at Xia Ping. Zhou Tai'an was a genuine top student, one of the top three in the school. What was Xia Ping, to think he could stand on equal footing with Zhou Tai'an? It was laughable.

"Xia Ping!"

A trace of coldness crossed Zhou Tai'an's face. "I've met plenty of people who can talk. You're nothing special. Some people talk as if they're unbeatable, but when it comes time to act, they're all talk.

"I heard you'll be representing your class in this School Fighting Tournament. You'd better pray you don't run into me. Otherwise, I'll show you the difference between a genius and an ordinary person. I'm someone you'll never be able to measure up to. Got it?"

He clenched his fists, which cracked loudly. His energy surged, and a terrifying aura radiated from his whole body, making him seem like a wild beast. The students around them couldn't help retreating several steps.

Xia Ping said nothing. He simply looked at Zhou Tai'an, completely unfazed.

"Let's go!"

After saying that, Zhou Tai'an shot Xia Ping a gloomy look, waved his hand, and left with his lackeys.