C12 Another Choice.

Lee Yun and Lu Shan's fists met with a thunderous clash. Lee Yun staggered back three steps, his chest roiling with turbulent blood. Yet, thanks to his robust constitution, he managed to grit his teeth and bear it.

Lu Shan fared no better, retreating an equal distance, his face etched with deep surprise, as if he couldn't fathom Lee Yun's formidable strength.

"Good heavens!"

"Are they equally matched?"

"Incredible! Who is this dashing young man?"

"That's Lee Yun, isn't it? Even though he's from a lower-ranked class, he's quite the looker!"

"Not just handsome—he's off-the-charts!"

As Lee Yun stood tall, unflinching before the towering Lu Shan, he caught the eyes of several girls who swooned over his undeniable charisma.

Fang Xue's heart raced as she admired Lee Yun's striking profile, having witnessed his impressive display.

Being poor wasn't the real fear—it was the dread of being timid, lacking confidence, and unable to stand tall against the sneers of others.

Fang Xue had feared that Lee Yun might be intimidated by her family's wealth and influence, but now, she had no such concerns.

Lee Yun would surely pursue her, unconcerned with her family's riches or their prestigious positions.

What she hadn't considered was whether Lee Yun would actually chase her—a certainty in Fang Xue's mind.

"Die!"

Enraged, Lu Shan was about to charge at Lee Yun in a fury, but Fang Xue's brisk approach from the stairwell forced him to regain his composure.

Even his family's Martial Arts Club wouldn't dare cross Fang Xue.

Rumor had it that the Faang family owned a string of over ten hotels and entertainment venues, with a security force of five hundred, including many formidable experts capable of overpowering Lu Shan's family dojo.

Lee Yun offered a slight smile. "Enough of this. Don't bother me again."

Without the System's incentive, he had no interest in sparring with these wealthy heirs.

With that, he gave Fang Xue a nod and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Zhou Xianming called out to Lee Yun, his expression dark. "You're in Class 14?"

"Correct."

"Heh."

With a mocking laugh, Zhou Xianming turned to Fang Xue. "Xiao Xue, you've seen for yourself what kind of person he is."

Lee Yun's expression soured.

"Xiao Xue, you've always disdained students with poor grades, haven't you? You've said you'd focus on your studies and not on romance, right?"

Fang Xue stole a glance at Lee Yun, wishing she could tell Zhou Xianming that it wasn't that she didn't want to date—it's that she didn't want to date him.

She feared Lee Yun might get the wrong idea and hesitate to show his affection.

"Lee Yun," Fang Xue ventured, "if you're struggling with your grades, would you like me to tutor you?"

"What?!"

The crowd gasped, and Zhou Xianming's eyes bulged.

Fang Xue offering to tutor Lee Yun? What exactly was their relationship to be so close?

"Thanks, but no thanks," Lee Yun replied with a gentle shake of his head and a smile. "I might have struggled before, but this time..."

"This time you think you'll take first place?"

Zhou Xianming cut in with a sneer, his alarm bells ringing. Fang Xue's warmth towards him was far too friendly.

"No," Lee Yun said, shaking his head before quickly adding, "But this time, I'm going to ace both Combined Science and English, topping the entire school with full marks."

The crowd gaped at Lee Yun as if he had lost his mind.

Could a struggling student really claim he would score perfectly in Combined Science and English?

A flicker of mockery crossed Zhou Xianming's eyes as he scoffed, "You seem awfully sure of yourself. Fine, how about a wager? I won't even bet on you getting first place. Just score higher than me in Combined Science and English, and I'll hand over $100,000. But if you don't, you'll have to respectfully call me 'Dad' three times. Deal?"

Lee Yun shook his head again. Zhou Xianming giving him $100,000? That was laughable.

Yet, the prompt from the system brought him to a halt.

"Ding. A choice event has been triggered. Please make your selection."