Chapter 41

The neatly stacked desks and chairs in the classroom had been knocked over and scattered everywhere.

Zhang Xinyang sat slumped against the wall, one hand clutching the stomach he had struck against the desks and chairs. Pain was written all over his face.

A ray of sunlight shone through the window onto him, but it could not dispel the thick despair and bone-deep chill seeping from within him.

Seeing Zhang Xinyang in such a miserable state, Wang Shining's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he burst into laughter.

His voice was filled with naked malice.

"Zhang Xinyang, did you think having your mother transfer you to another class would let you escape my grasp? You're far too naive. Let me guess—you don't dare tell your mother what's happening at school, do you? After all, such a dutiful son like you must be afraid of causing trouble for your mother's second marriage."

As Zhang Xinyang's expression grew increasingly bleak and pale, Wang Shining felt an indescribable thrill.

That was right. Such pitiful expressions suited lowly little bugs like them best.

Why should Zhang Xinyang get to be so happy when he himself was unhappy? Whenever he saw that family looking so blissful, he wanted to tear it all apart.

Wang Shining bared his teeth in a malicious smile.

"If your mother found out I've been bullying you at school, do you think she'd help you? Or would she tell you to keep enduring it, afraid that you'd cause trouble for your stepfather? You should know that your stepfather is my dad's assistant. Didn't my dad only help transfer you into this school because he saw how hard your stepfather worked? Do you dare tell your mother and make her choose? Are you sure you can bear the result of that choice?"

Ever since earlier, Zhang Xinyang had been staring up at the vast, open sky outside the window. His eyes were hollow and dim, but when he heard Wang Shining mention his mother and stepfather, a flicker of emotion still surfaced in them.

He suddenly remembered the day he had followed his mother from Mountain City to Sea City. The sky had been just as clear then.

He had always known that his mother, who worked in Sea City, had met a decent man. When he learned that she wanted to marry that man, Zhang Xinyang had not objected. As long as his mother could be happy, that was enough.

He had thought he would be left behind in Mountain City, but his mother had brought him to their new home in Sea City.

Because they both wanted to protect the same woman, he got along fairly well with his humorous and witty stepfather.

Everything in his life in Sea City had seemed to be getting back on track. He had even transferred into Huiying High School, one of the country's most prestigious schools. Zhang Xinyang had begun to look forward to the future.

But not long after he enrolled, everything began to change.

Zhang Xinyang lowered his head, his voice hoarse and tinged with despair.

"Why?"

Wang Shining said, "Why? Hahahaha! Are you asking why I bully you? Of course it's because I hate you. It's that simple. Do I need a reason?"

He thought back to a class during the second semester of his first year, when he had failed to answer a question, yet Zhang Xinyang—the country bumpkin who had transferred from some small place—had answered it afterward. Even though it had happened long ago, Wang Shining was still furious whenever he remembered it.

That little bug he could toy with so easily had actually made him lose face in front of the teacher and the entire class.

What angered him even more was that, after school that day, when he passed by Zhang Xinyang and his mother, he had heard Zhang Xinyang bragging about how he had answered a question that no one else in the class could solve.

Wang Shining had coldly glanced at Zhang Xinyang's radiant smile. There had been only one thought in his mind: destroy him!

Hearing Wang Shining's mocking, capricious answer, Zhang Xinyang pressed his lips together until they turned white.

He clenched the small knife hidden in his pocket and slowly pushed it out of its sheath. The tip emerged from his pocket, reflecting a blinding gleam in the sunlight.

What Wang Shining hated most was Zhang Xinyang's current dead-fish expression, as though he could take any insult or beating without reaction. It always made Wang Shining feel as if Zhang Xinyang was secretly mocking him.

Thinking that Zhang Xinyang had already learned his secret, he furiously grabbed a chair beside him and hurled it viciously at Zhang Xinyang.

"Are you feeling smug inside? When you look at me, are you laughing at me in your heart, thinking you're nobler than a bastard like me?"

Wang Shining had targeted Zhang Xinyang not only because of that question, but also because Zhang Xinyang had accidentally learned from his stepfather that Wang Shining was the illegitimate son of the Wang family.

Wang Shining had initially thought Zhang Xinyang knew nothing about it. But one day, on a whim, he tried probing him. Zhang Xinyang had only recently transferred in and had not thought much of it, so he directly admitted that he knew. Wang Shining hated him even more after that.

Zhang Xinyang leaned against the window and let out a muffled groan of pain.

The chair Wang Shining had hurled at him had scraped his hand, leaving it burning with pain.

The thrown chair had also dragged the knife in Zhang Xinyang's pocket partly into view.

When Wang Shining saw the knife, his pupils shrank in fear, but he quickly regained his composure.

He scoffed disdainfully. "I'll stand right here and won't fight back. Zhang Xinyang, if you've got the guts, come at me with that knife! If you so much as hurt a hair on my head, your stepfather and mother will both suffer because of you!"

Zhang Xinyang's lips trembled as he gripped the knife in his hand tightly.

Wang Shining said, "Useless trash!"

Separated by only a door, Lu Yao stood outside with his thin lips tightly pressed together and his eyes lowered.

Every single one of Wang Shining's blatantly malicious words reached his ears without omission.

Bang!

Lu Yao gathered his strength, straightened his long leg, and kicked the locked door open with a vicious blow. The door slammed against the wall and swayed twice.

Wang Shining turned around in alarm. "Lu Yao?"

The air around Lu Yao was as cold as frost and snow.

He directly shoved aside Wang Shining, who was blocking the way, and walked toward Zhang Xinyang, who was sitting by the window.

Zhang Xinyang looked up at him, his eyes utterly still. Lu Yao's arrival had not changed his mind.

When Lu Yao noticed the sharp glint in Zhang Xinyang's hand, he froze for a moment.

He quickly stepped forward, knelt on one knee beside Zhang Xinyang, pressed down on the hand holding the knife, and said coldly, "Don't be rash!"

If a knife was involved, then no matter how justified Zhang Xinyang was, it would be easy for him to become the one in the wrong.

Zhang Xinyang struggled desperately, trying to shake off the hand pinning him down, but Lu Yao held him so firmly that he could not move at all.

After struggling for a long time, he gritted his teeth and roared in breakdown, "Let go of me! Lu Yao, who do you think you are? Some savior? This is my business. What right do you have to make decisions for me?"

Lu Yao's expression darkened. "I'm no one to you, but have you considered your mother?"

Back in Mountain City, Lu Yao had once seen Zhang Xinyang's mother pick him up from school. From the way the mother and son had chatted and laughed together, it was clear that they were very close.

At the mention of his mother, Zhang Xinyang's body stiffened for a moment.

His expression gradually seemed to calm, and he lowered his head. There was no discernible emotion in his voice.

"I understand. Let go of my hand. I won't hurt him. I promise."

Seeing him say that, Lu Yao slowly released the hand holding him down.

The instant Lu Yao loosened his grip, Zhang Xinyang clenched the knife hilt in his palm. He turned the sharp blade toward himself, aimed it resolutely at his own throat, and was about to drive it down with all his strength.

Lu Yao's pupils contracted instantly. On instinct, he shot out his right hand and gripped the exposed blade tightly.

The tip of the knife pressed against Zhang Xinyang's throat glinted sharply, but Lu Yao firmly stopped it from advancing even an inch.

The sharp blade instantly sliced through the soft flesh of his palm, and bright red blood immediately stained the cold, keen edge.

Drip—

Hearing the droplets of blood falling from the blade onto the floor in a steady stream, Zhang Xinyang finally came back to his senses. His face turned pale, and he released the knife in panic.

He bit his lips as if punishing himself. Looking at the pool of blood spreading across the floor, he grabbed his head and lowered it, breaking into sobs.

"I... I really don't know what to do anymore..."

He was truly sick of these days. He did not want to live like this anymore. He was really going to lose his mind!

He had endured for a long, long time. He truly could not endure it any longer!

Lu Yao's brows drew tightly together. Ignoring the pain, he picked up the sheath that had been tossed aside and slid the bloodstained blade back into it. Then he turned to look at Wang Shining, who had been standing off to the side as if none of this concerned him.

Lu Yao's right hand had not stopped bleeding, and drops of blood continued to fall to the floor, but he acted as if he felt no pain at all.

Wang Shining had not expected Lu Yao to suddenly appear here. Seeing that Lu Yao seemed completely unaware of his own injury and had instead turned to stare at him, Wang Shining could not help feeling somewhat uneasy.

He turned around, intending to leave the classroom directly.

Lu Yao took several long strides forward, seized Wang Shining by the collar with his left hand, and flung him against the wall beside the door.

Wang Shining's back throbbed from the impact. He cursed furiously, "Lu Yao, are you sick?"

Lu Yao's expression was cold and stern, his voice icy. "Apologize."

Wang Shining rolled his eyes. Too lazy to bother with him, he tried to walk around Lu Yao.

He wanted Wang Shining to apologize? Zhang Xinyang was not worthy of one!

Before Wang Shining could reach the door, Lu Yao stretched out a long leg and blocked the classroom entrance, cutting off his only way out.

Lu Yao said, "Apologize."

Seeing how persistent Lu Yao was, Wang Shining's eyes shifted as an idea for toying with them suddenly came to mind.

Wang Shining said smugly, "I can apologize, but you have to make a bet with me. If you beat me on the next monthly exam, I'll apologize. But if you lose, you'll be responsible for cleaning the Badminton Club for a month."

Seeing Lu Yao nod, ready to agree, Zhang Xinyang hurriedly stood up and stepped forward, grabbing Lu Yao to stop him. "You can't."

Zhang Xinyang knew their past grades. Lu Yao did not stand the slightest chance of winning.

Ignoring Zhang Xinyang's attempt to stop him, Lu Yao spoke calmly but firmly. "Fine. But if you lose, you are never to lay a finger on Zhang Xinyang again."

"No problem."

Wang Shining curled his lips into a smug smile.

Since Lu Yao was volunteering to disgrace the Lu family, Wang Shining naturally had to seize such a good opportunity. After all, he had disliked Lu Qi and Lu Yao for a long time. They were clearly both useless, yet simply because they had been born into the right family, they could easily obtain everything he wanted.

And ever since Xia Yue had become engaged to Wang Shining, she had transferred from the Basketball Club to the Badminton Club, where Wang Shining was. As a newly transferred member, Xia Yue had to share responsibility for cleaning the club with the first-year students, according to the Badminton Club's rules.

Wang Shining felt sorry for Xia Yue having to do such tiring work, so he planned to kill two birds with one stone: disgust Lu Yao while also solving the Badminton Club's cleaning problem.