When the Young Master Met the Male Lead
"No way..."
The boy standing in the back stared blankly at Wu Liang, who stood in the middle of the thugs.
How long had it been since Wu Liang threw that first punch at the big guy?
In that brief span of time, that young man had beaten all those vicious-looking thugs to the ground?
His smooth, flowing movements had shocked the boy so deeply that he almost thought he was on the set of an action movie.
One against five, without suffering so much as a scratch. Just who was this student from Huihuangxing Academy?
"Um... little brother... l-let's talk this out... let's talk this out..."
The big guy swallowed hard, his heart filled with panic as he looked at his underlings sprawled across the ground, groaning in pain.
In less than a minute, he had beaten all of his men beyond recognition. Was this guy even human?
Cold sweat had already soaked the big man's back, and beads of sweat the size of beans trickled down his cheeks.
His bloodless face had twisted with fear, and even his speech was stuttering.
"Picking on the weak and fearing the strong—is that your motto?"
Wu Liang raised his head and looked at the big man, who had suddenly dropped to his knees and begun begging for mercy.
An intense feeling of disgust instantly filled his heart. Thugs who bullied the weak and feared the strong like this...
Even if you let them go now, they would continue harming others after you left.
These people only remembered the food, never the beating. If you went soft on them, they would probably call you an idiot behind your back.
"Uh... y-yes... no, no... it was my fault... I shouldn't have done so much evil... I definitely won't be like this again..."
The big man answered Wu Liang in a panic. When he saw the blood staining Wu Liang's fist, he nodded frantically like a pecking chicken.
This student was a fucking monster. When this guy fought, he was nothing like a human...
"Oh? You say you'll turn over a new leaf. Then prove it to me."
Wu Liang slowly walked up to the big man and looked down at him from above.
The guy's legs were shaking like sieves. Someone who didn't know better might have thought he had Parkinson's.
"Ah, this... I-I swear! If I keep doing evil in the future, then may heaven strike me down—"
Before the big man could finish, a heavy kick slammed his head brutally into the ground.
The big man was also quite cooperative, passing out immediately. Even as consciousness faded, he had no idea why he had suddenly been beaten.
"Even prison can't stop criminals from reoffending. What the hell is the point of swearing here?"
Wu Liang patted the dust off his pant leg, his expression dark. Showing mercy to thugs like these was cruelty toward everyone else.
They forgot their vicious vows the moment they turned around. It was about as believable as an old lifelong whoremonger suddenly claiming he would quit women.
Rather than hold back, it was better to beat them senseless so they would remember the lesson.
"..."
The boy stood there with his mouth hanging open, staring at Wu Liang in stunned silence. For a moment, he had no idea what to say.
The young man before him had saved him from those thugs. No matter how he looked at it, he was a good person who had stepped in to right a wrong.
But then he had beaten up the big man, who had already admitted his mistake and was completely incapable of fighting back. That made him seem like a bad person.
Though those people definitely would not give up after this one setback, wasn't this guy a little too heavy-handed?
Half that big man's head had been smashed into the ground... Just how strong was this guy?
"Hey, are you okay?"
The voice in front of him pulled the boy back to reality.
Looking at the young man before him, who was a full head taller than him, the boy immediately felt an oppressive presence coming from him.
So tall... that was his first thought. His body was so solid... that was his second thought.
"My name is Nan Zhu. Thank you so much for helping me. If you hadn't stepped in, I might have been in serious trouble."
Nan Zhu wiped the grime from his face and gratefully bowed to the young man before him.
The other party was undoubtedly a very good person. He should thank him properly. Though it would have been even better if he could overlook that final kick.
"Mm... huh? What did you say your name was?"
His magnetic voice was pleasant to listen to, but it quickly took on a hint of surprise.
When Nan Zhu raised his head to look at him, the surprise on the handsome young man's face gradually turned into terror.
As though he had seen a ghost, his previously handsome face immediately twisted.
"Um... my name is Nan Zhu... Is there a problem...?"
Nan Zhu looked at the young man before him with a baffled expression. He had no idea why the other party was so afraid of him.
The other party had just beaten down so many thugs, and this was clearly their first time meeting.
Why was this seemingly handsome young man looking at him with such fear?
"I'm going to be late for school! I'll be leaving first. The world is vast; if fate allows, we'll meet again!"
Nan Zhu blankly watched the boy flee as though escaping after throwing out those words.
He was completely confused. Had he done something that made the other party dislike him? Why had he suddenly run away?
"What a kind-hearted yet rather strange person."
Nan Zhu smiled faintly as he looked at the boy who had already vanished at the end of the alley.
Suddenly, as if he had remembered something, Nan Zhu shuddered.
"Fuck! I'm going to be late too!!!"
Nan Zhu slapped his forehead and shouted in panic. He had completely failed to notice that.
"Hey! Classmate up ahead, wait for me! I'm a student of Huihuangxing Academy too!!!"
Nan Zhu picked up the backpack that had fallen to the ground, slung it over his shoulder, and rushed frantically toward the alley exit.
It was over. The time had long passed. His first day as a transfer student was going to end with him being late...
"Crap, crap, crap, crap..."
Wu Liang ran out of the alley and looked behind him with a pale face.
After seeing that the other party had not chased after him, he finally let out a breath of relief. Why did he have to run into the male lead of all people?
According to the plot, weren't they supposed to meet at school? Why had they met here ahead of time?
"I probably didn't leave him with a bad impression, right... Was I a little too violent when I beat those people...?"
Wu Liang held his forehead, painfully recalling what had just happened.
If the male lead formed a bad impression of him because of that fight, he would be finished.
He could only hope that guy's favorability toward him would not plummet over this. Otherwise, he would not even have a place to cry.
"God bless. Long live the male lead, long live the male lead, long live the male lead..."
Wu Liang pressed his palms together and muttered softly. He did not want the male lead to set his sights on him right from the start.
After all, he still had a long road ahead of him...
Do You Not Recognize Me Without the Pompadour?
Looking at the luxurious, magnificent gates before him, Wu Liang was suddenly overcome by an indescribable feeling of nostalgia.
Huihuangxing Academy's No. 1 High School, which he had seen countless times in the game, now truly stood right in front of him.
Especially the Clock Tower behind the teaching building, with its Western European architecture—it felt especially familiar to Wu Liang.
After all, he had gone to that Clock Tower more than once in the game to stargaze.
Since the Clock Tower was the tallest building in the entire academy, it naturally became an observatory.
Moreover, there was an open-air balcony on the top floor. If he carried his equipment up there, he could observe the stars from the best angle.
So whenever he had time, Wu Liang would always wander around the observatory a few times.
"Um, student, aren't you going in? Class has already started."
While Wu Liang was still sighing over life, the middle-aged man at the entrance poked his head out and asked in confusion.
He seemed unable to understand why Wu Liang was standing at the gate with the expression of someone returning to his alma mater after many years away.
The man stroked his chin, but did not dare say much more. After all, the students here were almost all children of wealthy and influential families.
Even the least privileged among them were rich second-generation heirs. These students were not people he could afford to offend.
"Oh, thanks, sir. Ah, right, sir, don't close the gate. There's another student behind me."
Wu Liang gave the gatekeeper a friendly smile.
After running forward a few steps, Wu Liang turned his head and reminded the gatekeeper. The male lead called Nan Zhu was still behind him.
Good grief. He had not expected this so-called male lead to have such a distinctive name.
But since he had already met the male lead, that meant the game's plot had officially begun.
With that thought, Wu Liang slowed down and walked across the spacious field.
"The 365-day countdown should be starting soon."
Wu Liang rubbed the tip of his nose. He would absolutely show them how to avoid the forced death event a year from now.
"In Mesopotamian mythology, there was a hero. He was said to be the ruler of Uruk during the Sumerian era, and his name was Gilgamesh."
"At first, he was a tyrant in every sense of the word, but later he came to his senses and built the city walls..."
Ye Luotong looked at the textbook in her hands and spoke about humanity's oldest heroic epic—the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Her cloudlike black hair was tied high, and her beautiful eyes carried a faint intellectual charm.
The beauty mark beneath the corner of her right eye added a touch of allure to her already flawless face.
Her fitted, cinched-waist little suit jacket and tight hip-hugging skirt fully accentuated her perky backside, while her full, long legs were wrapped in flesh-colored stockings.
Ye Luotong only needed to stand there casually to draw the admiring gazes of the boys below.
"Brats, are you even listening?"
Ye Luotong closed the book in her hands and narrowed her eyes as she swept her gaze over the young boys below, who were nearly staring themselves stupid at her.
These brats had far too little self-control. They usually complained that she dressed too revealingly, so why were they still so distracted when she was wearing formal attire today?
Knock, knock, knock.
The urgent knocking drew everyone's attention toward the classroom door.
"Come in."
With her full, round legs crossed, Ye Luotong sat sideways on the lectern and spoke calmly.
Let her see which little brat had arrived late this time. But today seemed to be one of those rare days when everyone was present.
Thinking back to roll call earlier, every student on the roster had been there.
"Sorry. I ran into a bit of trouble on the way, so I was delayed."
A gentle male voice, soft as water, sounded from the doorway, making everyone—including Ye Luotong—feel quite comfortable.
But when they saw the newcomer's face, everyone froze. Who was this handsome black-haired guy? Was he in their class?
He was indeed wearing Huihuangxing Academy's uniform, but that flowing long hair and handsome face did not look like they belonged to anyone in their class.
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