C9 Confusion

Upon seeing the individual's attire, Zhang Heng immediately surmised that this person was trouble. Clad in high-end, pink clothing, it was clear to him that he was dealing with a stereotypical spoiled young lady.

"No way, no way. To think I'd encounter such a clichéd drama after my rebirth. This was totally unexpected. Who's going to rescue me now?" Zhang Heng mused internally.

He never anticipated running into such a character. It was like a trope straight out of a story where the male protagonist encounters a difficult young woman.

Then the girl turned around.

Her nose... was rather delicate.

Her mouth... quite attractive.

Her eyes... large and sparkling.

As Zhang Heng was taking this in, he suddenly realized the error in his assessment. This was the very same spoiled young lady he had rescued earlier!

Back when he first arrived in this world, Zhang Heng was penniless. Understanding the importance of money here, he had sought ways to earn some. But in an unexpected twist, he ended up saving Su Meng from some hooligans. With no money to his name, he had hoped she would offer some sort of reward for saving her life.

Instead, he was mistaken for a troublemaker, scolded, and then, adding insult to injury, beaten up.

"Damn! I can't believe I've run into you here," he exclaimed in astonishment.

Su Meng clearly had no idea what he was referring to and retorted, "What are you talking about? Have we met before? Don't think you can cozy up to me with that act and expect forgiveness. You're the one in the wrong for bullying people here."

"How am I the bully here? Big Sis, take a good look at who's bullying whom," Zhang Heng replied, utterly dumbfounded.

But Su Meng was not interested in his explanation and brandished a weapon at him.

"Seriously, Big Sis? Look carefully. I haven't bullied anyone," Zhang Heng protested. He had no intention of quarreling with a woman, but he felt compelled to clarify the misunderstanding. The last thing he wanted was a fight.

However, Zhang Heng's reluctance to engage in a fight didn't mean Su Meng shared his sentiment. Disregarding his explanations, she lunged at him with her sword. Speechless and without recourse, Zhang Heng could do nothing but dodge.

"I really didn't bully them."

"And yet you claim innocence? They're already on their knees, and you're forcing their brothers to do the same. Is it only when everyone is kneeling that you'll be satisfied?"

Upon hearing Su Meng's accusation, Zhang Heng had an epiphany.

He glanced over at the line of kneeling people and realized she was right. The entire row was on their knees, and now he was pressuring their leader to submit as well. It did look like he was bullying them.

Zhang Heng was at a loss for words, struggling to articulate his defense.

"No, you've got it all wrong. Just hear me out." He felt as tongue-tied as when he had awkwardly asked Su Meng for money before.

"Why do you never listen to me?"

Zhang Heng dodged Su Meng's attacks while trying to reason with her.

Eventually, worn out from the scuffle, Zhang Heng tapped Su Meng's pressure points to pacify her.

"What do you mean I never understand? Have we met before?"

As Su Meng regained her composure, she scrutinized Zhang Heng's face, recalling the past.

"Is it you?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

"No, it's not me. You've got the wrong person." Zhang Heng covered his face with his hands, hoping to remain unrecognized.

"You're that thug who wanted to steal my money. I bet you were behind that last bunch, weren't you? Playing the hero just to covet my wealth," Su Meng accused heatedly.

The onlookers who had knelt watched the drama unfold, intrigued by the unexpected connection between the two. And here was this man, shamelessly entangled in the dispute.

The burly man spoke up after hearing Su Meng's words, "You've got it all wrong about him. We were at fault this time, and we knelt willingly. But we never knew about his past actions."

Su Meng glanced down at the person who had just spoken, then fixed Zhang Heng with a fierce glare. "Look at what you've done to them. You're the one who made them kneel, yet here they are, still speaking well of you. I think you're incorrigible. Today, I'm going to make sure you taste some real pain."

"No, please! Listen to them; they're telling the truth," Zhang Heng pleaded, clearly at a loss for words.

Dealing with others, he could have handled the situation perfectly, but when it came to girls, Zhang Heng always hesitated to speak up. With ordinary girls, it might not have been a big deal, but he hadn't anticipated a scenario like this one, especially with a girl as willful and unyielding as Su Meng, who refused to listen to any of his explanations, leaving him without options.

"What more is there to say? Prepare to die!" Su Meng lunged with her sword once more.

But Zhang Heng couldn't stand it any longer. He quickly channeled his Spiritual Energy to form a series of steps, using his agility to move behind Su Meng and subdue her.

Xie Yuan, watching from the side, was astounded by the unfolding scene. If the first incident was an accident, this was certainly no accident.

"It's all a big misunderstanding. Please, stand up. I never wanted you to kneel in the first place. Let's just leave it at that for now," Zhang Heng suggested.

He hadn't intended for them to kneel initially, but the unexpected turn of events had left him utterly astonished. The underlings, hearing his words, rose to their feet one by one.

Su Meng remained motionless, held in check by Zhang Heng.

"If you're facing any trouble, just let me know. My grandfather is the dean of this academy. If necessary, I'll have him ensure fair treatment," Su Meng offered.

"The dean, huh? That explains why he has such a headstrong daughter. If my grandfather were the dean, I'd have it made," Zhang Heng mused internally, careful not to voice his thoughts. Speaking them aloud now would only serve to complicate matters further.

"I must admit, I'm at fault here. Initially, I thought this young man seemed quite formidable, so I challenged him to come to this alleyway to humble him, which led to the bet. My brothers here didn't want to see me wronged, so they knelt," Guo Yuan interjected.

"Exactly, I told you this was the case," Zhang Heng said, beaming with pride as he looked at Su Meng.