"You think just because you say you're stopping, it's over?"
Xu Shuyan had assumed that seeing her chat with other boys would make Ning Chen jealous. Instead, he simply left after finishing his meal, not sparing her a single glance, which infuriated her all over again.
"Hmph, Ning Chen, I don't believe you're truly unmoved by me."
"Unless you're a eunuch!"
"Keep up the act, just keep it up!"
Watching Ning Chen’s retreating back, Xu Shuyan was convinced that the boy was definitely jealous, just stubbornly keeping it bottled up inside.
"Junior, what would you like to eat? I’ll get it for you."
Xing Xufei looked at her with a beaming smile.
Xu Shuyan felt a wave of disgust, her expression instantly shifting back to icy coldness. "No need, Senior. I have my own hands."
Xing Xufei: "..."
While eating, Ning Chen noticed that Xu Shuyan, sitting three tables away, kept looking at him, so he sent her a WeChat message.
"Why do you keep looking at me?"
Receiving the message, Xu Shuyan’s pretty face flushed red in an instant.
How did he know...
"Who was looking at you??? Narcissist!"
After sending the message, Xu Shuyan was simmering with rage. How could there be such an annoying guy on this earth?
"Oh my god, Shuyan, are you chatting with Big Brother Dali?"
Jiang Tang leaned in, pleasantly surprised. "Let me see what you two are talking about!"
"Nothing!" Xu Shuyan blocked Ning Chen immediately.
She expected Ning Chen to show signs of annoyance or disappointment, but the latter didn't seem to notice at all, continuing to eat quietly.
Just then, a group of people walked into the cafeteria.
A burly youth with a buzz cut was dragging a bespectacled boy along, stopping not far from Xu Shuyan.
"Find that Ning Chen quickly! I have business with him!" the burly youth threatened.
"Al-alright, Brother Jinfu!" the bespectacled boy looked terrified.
"Damn it, I go out for a few days for a competition, and such a big thing happens in the club..." The burly youth put his hands on his hips, followed by a group of tough-looking guys.
"Are they here to cause trouble for Ning Chen?"
Xu Shuyan felt a secret shiver.
She had originally wanted to watch the drama, but seeing the fierce, menacing look of this group, she realized it wasn't a small matter.
After unblocking Ning Chen, she hurriedly sent a message:
"Hey! Did you provoke someone you shouldn't have? They're here to find you; you should leave through the back door."
The moment the message was sent, the bespectacled boy from the Clinical Medicine class suddenly spotted Ning Chen. "Brother Jinfu, he... he is Ning Chen!"
"I see."
The burly youth led his group and walked straight over.
Students along the way scattered, none daring to provoke them.
"It’s the Sanda Club president, Jiang Jinfu!"
"What does he want?"
Some sophomores and juniors recognized the burly youth. He was the president of the Sanda Club and had won several city-level championship trophies for the school.
"You’re Ning Chen? Come with me, I have something to ask you!"
Jiang Jinfu walked up and slammed a palm onto the table in front of Ning Chen, shaking the stainless steel tray so hard the soup splashed out.
"..."
Ning Chen hated it when people interrupted his meals.
However, he didn't snap immediately. Instead, he looked up and said, "Whatever it is, say it here."
"Fine!"
Jiang Jinfu stated bluntly: "My brother, Zhao Lipeng, was beaten into the hospital a few days ago by a gang. He has over twenty fractures and needed dozens of stitches. Do you know who did it?"
"How would I know?" Ning Chen looked puzzled.
"Don't lie to me!"
This time, Jiang Jinfu flipped his food tray over. "I’ve had people check. You provoked some thugs outside of school and intentionally used Lipeng’s name. Did you do it or not?"
"He was the one who looked for trouble with me first," Ning Chen said.
"So, you’re admitting it?" Jiang Jinfu sneered, arms crossed.
"Yes. What do you want?" Ning Chen’s expression remained indifferent.
The surroundings went dead silent. Hundreds of students stared back and forth.
"What a reckless kid!"
Xing Xufei from the track team said with a strange look, "He actually dared to do something like that. He’s finished. Even I wouldn't dare provoke Brother Jinfu."
"He's in big trouble," other track team members added, shaking their heads.
Among the students at Qing University, other than Senior Duan and Senior Wen from the Ancient Martial Arts Club, there was no one Jiang Jinfu didn't dare to cross. Plus, he was known for being righteous and had many followers.
"Shuyan, what do we do?"
Jiang Tang looked at Xu Shuyan anxiously.
"I can't believe he was so reckless, I give up!"
Xu Shuyan had a headache too. She quickly pulled out her phone. "I know a few teachers; let me try contacting them first."
On the other side, Jiang Jinfu originally wanted to strike immediately and beat Ning Chen up in front of everyone to vent for Zhao Lipeng, but his followers advised against it.
"Brother Jinfu, there’s too much surveillance here, don't be impulsive," a follower warned.
"Why not take him to our turf and 'educate' him properly?" another suggested.
"Fine!"
Jiang Jinfu suppressed his anger, leaned on the table, and glared viciously at Ning Chen. "Kid, dare to come to our Sanda Club activity room? We need to talk..."
"Lead the way," Ning Chen stood up.
Jiang Jinfu and the Sanda Club members were stunned. They didn't expect this freshman to be so straightforward.
"Good, I'll give you credit for being a man!"
Jiang Jinfu snorted coldly.
With so many people watching, it was indeed hard to make a move. After all, a school wasn't the streets—it had rules and regulations.
But once they were on their own turf, wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wanted?
Before long, Jiang Jinfu and his group brought Ning Chen to the Qing University Student Activity Center.
The Sanda Club was a large organization with its own dedicated activity room, quite spacious, easily the size of a standard basketball court.
"Get in, Junior."
A Sanda club member looked at Ning Chen with a smirk.
Ning Chen stepped inside, and the sound of the door being locked from the inside followed immediately.
"I’m going to kill you, you son of a b—!"
The club member who spoke earlier swung a kick at Ning Chen’s backside, his face twisted with malice.
Unexpectedly, Ning Chen grabbed his ankle with a backhand motion. Before the guy could react, Ning Chen swung him around like a club.
*Bang, bang, bang!* Six Sanda club members, including Jiang Jinfu, were sent flying by the human club, crashing heavily into the walls.
"Damn it, he knows this trick too! All together now!"
Jiang Jinfu cursed, scrambled up from the floor, and launched a front kick.
Ning Chen didn't use any fancy moves. He simply ignored the kick and began raining punches down on him.
After just a couple of hits, Jiang Jinfu couldn't hold on anymore; his forearms were swollen, and his face was covered in bruises. The other Sanda club members fell with a single punch, some suffering fractures, others suffering internal bleeding, kneeling on the ground and vomiting violently.
"Stop, stop! Don't hit me anymore!"
Jiang Jinfu was in so much pain he couldn't take it; he was certain his forearm was broken.
"You think just because you say you're stopping, it's over?"
Ning Chen gave him another slap, making him dizzy.
"Weren't you acting so tough in the cafeteria just now?"
Ning Chen kicked him again, sending him flying so hard he smashed the locked activity room door, snapping the lock.
Jiang Jinfu rolled into the hallway, his vision blurred from pain, unable to breathe.