C2 Show Me Your Strength

Faang Yu unexpectedly broke the tension, inadvertently coming to the rescue of the young girl. Given that they were all university students, it wasn't exactly proper to pick on a delicate girl in a public setting. With Faang Yu's interruption, the brewing confrontation fizzled out.

Unconcerned with the girl's appreciative gaze, Faang Yu settled the bill and was ready to make his exit when he was cornered by a few clueless fellows, who happened to be Wang Huanjun's tablemates.

"So you're Faang Yu?" A burly man with a buzz cut loomed over Faang Yu, slinging an arm around his shoulder with a sneer. "We're all classmates here. How about joining us for a drink?"

"What's going on here!?" Shen Mengyao, having just requested time off from the manager, was on her way back when she noticed the man who had just helped her being accosted. She dashed over and shoved the muscular man's hand away, exclaiming, "Stop it! There are cameras watching!"

The mention of cameras caused the muscular man's demeanor to shift. He exchanged a glance with his two friends, who quickly closed in on Faang Yu, trapping him in their midst.

"Since we're all classmates, and you're not even staying in the dorms, let's make the most of this rare encounter and have a chat," the muscular man said with feigned cheerfulness, though his eyes betrayed his scorn, clearly seeing Faang Yu as an easy target.

"Kid, you better behave, or you'll regret it when we get back to school," the muscular man's companions muttered under their breath, menacingly.

Faang Yu found himself cast as the supposed easy mark and couldn't help but find the situation both amusing and irritating. He had already gained the prowess of the Soldier King, the novel's protagonist. Even before that, as the notorious young tough of the capital, he was no stranger to conflict. Raised among elite military champions, he had mastered genuine combat techniques.

Faang Yu might not have been the most influential scion in Beijing, but within his circle, he was the last person anyone wanted to provoke. Why? Because Faang Yu never left any room for retreat, not for his adversaries nor for himself. No one dared cross him, as those who did, along with their fathers, learned the hard way just how formidable he could be.

"Move aside! If you're looking for trouble, come at me, not Faang Yu!" Shen Mengyao, seeing Faang Yu's silent demeanor, assumed the gentle boy was terrified and wracked with guilt. She bit her lip, trying to shove aside the boys flanking Faang Yu, but a muscular guy caught her arm and gave her a weird look, "Hehe, what a green tea b*tch!"

Pain shot through Shen Mengyao's arm from the tight grip, and the insult added to her distress. She was both anxious and furious, her large eyes welling up with tears.

"Hey, guys, if you don't fancy a trip to the hospital, you'd better let go," Faang Yu said, believing he was being more than fair, but these guys just wouldn't take him seriously.

"Pfft, hahahaha! Listen to this, I thought the pretty boy was too scared to speak, but look at him trying to act tough!" The muscular man was initially taken aback, then burst into laughter, finding it all too amusing. But his laughter was short-lived. In the next moment, he couldn't muster even a chuckle, and the onlookers were equally shocked, so much so that they forgot to whip out their phones for pictures.

Can you picture a slender boy effortlessly hoisting two burly men, one in each hand? It was a scene that defied belief and left a lasting impression.

"This has got to be some kind of magic, right?" That was the thought on everyone's mind, except for the two poor souls tossed aside by Faang Yu, and the muscle-bound man pinned under his foot.

"You, you, Faang Yu, don't mess around, there are cameras here!" The muscular man was trembling, pinned under Faang Yu's foot on his chest, terrified that this freakishly strong anomaly might crush him with a single stomp. He vowed to himself to steer clear of this human weapon in the future.

A sudden, intense pain flared in the muscular man's chest, and he let out a scream. His pride was the last thing on his mind now; he was just a student, after all, his composure shattered, begging for mercy. "Yu, Uncle Yu, daddy, I was wrong, so wrong. It was Wang Huanjun who told me to mess with you, honest. For the sake of our being classmates, please, let me go!"

"Faang Yu," Shen Mengyao's attention snapped back as the muscular man's screams echoed through the air. She glanced at his pitiful state and the crowd of onlookers, then timidly tugged at Faang Yu's sleeve. "There are so many people here. Shouldn't we leave?"

Faang Yu had already noticed the growing crowd, some of whom were snapping photos. With a slight frown, he kicked the still-screaming man aside and shot a look at Wang Huanjun.

Wang Huanjun felt a chill run through her as Faang Yu's gaze met hers. She bit her lip and bowed her head, clearly understanding his silent warning: Don't mess with me.

But why? Wang Huanjun, with her beauty and innate social grace, had thrived in the student union. Yet, why did men prefer the simple sweetness of someone like Shen Mengyao? Why did truly capable men gravitate towards her? Instead, she found herself encircled by dimwitted muscleheads.

Shen Mengyao watched Faang Yu and hurried after him, not fully understanding her own impulse to follow the man who had just defended her.

"Why are you following me?" Faang Yu halted, turning to face Shen Mengyao, who was catching up to him with a light jog. His face was devoid of emotion. He had helped her simply because he saw something decent in her, but his reclusive nature made him reluctant to get entangled with her.

"I... I just wanted to thank you," Shen Mengyao stammered, taken aback by his question, then she shyly lowered her head.

"Alright, no need to thank me. You don't have to tag along. Go on with your business," Faang Yu replied, managing a strained smile. He had no desire to be seen as some creepy guy preying on a young girl.

Shen Mengyao didn't take offense at being 'dismissed' by Faang Yu. Instead, she stole a glance at him, noting the reluctant smile on the aloof young man's face. Forced though it was, she found it rather charming—definitely more appealing than the student president who constantly hounded her.

"Are you headed to school?" Shen Mengyao asked quietly.

Caught off guard, Faang Yu's smile stiffened further. Indeed, he was on his way to school, and so was she. It wasn't as though she was really following him.

Shen Mengyao caught on to Faang Yu's discomfort and couldn't suppress a giggle, her cheeks flushing with color.

"Well, let's go together," Faang Yu said, breaking into a smile.

"Mmm!" Shen Mengyao looked up, surprised. She paused for a moment, taking in Faang Yu's beaming face, and then her own smile blossomed.

Faang Yu's aloofness stemmed from his family's collapse and his mother's passing. Before these tragedies, he had been the quintessential playboy, rubbing elbows with B-list celebrities and models as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. But Faang Yu insisted on consensual and fair exchanges, so despite his playboy lifestyle, he maintained a decent reputation within his social circles.