C2 To Kowtow and Apologize to Us

Absurd, utterly absurd—that was the collective thought of the teachers and students gathered on the field. When they finally snapped out of their shock, their gazes turned in unison to the stage, all wondering which imbecile, lunatic, jerk had the audacity not only to be Qin Feiya's fiancé but also to contemplate breaking off the engagement with her?

A sea of eyes quickly focused on one point: a young man who had just abruptly appeared on the platform. Dressed in a white T-shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers, he stood about 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a somewhat slender build. His looks were decent enough to pass for handsome, and his well-proportioned features gave off a rather pleasant vibe. A faint smile graced his face, one that could effortlessly endear him to others. Here stood a young man with a natural charm.

Regrettably, his recent statement had completely undermined his good looks and demeanor. His words had everyone convinced that he was asking for trouble.

"What did you say?" Qin Feiya's voice was melodious, yet it barely concealed her fury. Fresh from her speech as the new student representative, her beautiful eyes blazed with anger, and her lovely face registered disbelief. She wondered if she had misheard.

"I said, I want to break off our engagement," the young man replied, looking directly at Qin Feiya. "To put it bluntly, I don't want you anymore. To phrase it elegantly, I'm seeking a separation. To put it crudely..."

"Shut your mouth!" Qin Feiya's face turned beet red with rage, and she looked like she might explode at any moment. "Are you that jerk, Xiao Ge?"

"Yes, I am Xiao Ge, the most dashing young man in the world," he said with a lazy stretch, confirming his identity. "I've been your fiancé for eighteen years, and frankly, I'm over it. So, I'm proposing we call off the engagement. What do you say? Are we done or not?"

"I will not call it off!" Qin Feiya fumed, her pretty face ablaze as she glared at Xiao Ge. "If anyone's going to call it off..."

Qin Feiya was seething. The nerve of this guy, wanting to break off the engagement! If anyone was going to end it, it should be her. Since when did he get to decide?

Before she could finish her sentence, Xiao Ge cut her off. "You don't want to break off the engagement? Fine, I'm out of here."

With that, Xiao Ge turned on his heel and leaped off the stage.

He quickly approached a chubby guy, extending his hand. "Hand it over, a hundred bucks!"

The chubby guy hesitated but eventually pulled out a hundred-yuan bill from his pocket and gave it to Xiao Ge.

Xiao Ge pocketed the money and strolled toward the auditorium exit, vanishing from view in no time.

"Zhang Xiaopang, why did you give Xiao Ge money?" a girl inquired, looking puzzled at the chubby guy.

"I lost a bet with him," Xiaopang replied, clearly bummed out.

"What did you bet on?" she prodded further.

"He claimed he was Qin Feiya's fiancé, and I called his bluff. Little did I know, he actually is Qin Feiya's fiancé!" Xiaopang lamented, now even more downcast. If that guy really was Qin Feiya's fiancé, why did he need his hundred yuan?

"Did that jerk really bet using me?" a furious voice erupted from beside Xiaopang.

Xiaopang turned to see Qin Feiya, who had somehow made her way down to stand next to him, her face flushed with anger and her eyes still blazing.

Xiaopang was at a loss for words, but Qin Feiya spoke up again, "Tell that jerk Xiao Ge, this isn't over between us!"

With that, Qin Feiya spun around and dashed off.

Watching her retreat, Xiaopang muttered under his breath, "You're family, so of course, it's never over."

Five minutes later, the opening ceremony concluded.

The crowd dispersed, and the news of Qin Feiya's public engagement cancellation had already flown through Ningcheng University, making Xiao Ge an instant celebrity on campus.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ge had just stepped out of the gates of Ningcheng University.

"The engagement isn't called off yet; I've still got work to do," Xiao Ge mused to himself. "Finally earned a hundred bucks, time for a feast."

Xiao Ge thought he saw a heaping bowl of braised pork before him, but just then, a voice from behind shattered his daydream: "Xiao Ge, freeze!"

"Interrupting a food lover's daydream about braised pork is just plain wrong," Xiao Ge grumbled under his breath before turning to face the approaching crowd.

A row of six guys strutted toward him, each decked out in matching Nike basketball gear and black sneakers. They were a formidable sight, all towering figures; even the shortest among them stood over 1.8 meters, and the tallest nearly hit the 1.9-meter mark. Clearly, the kids these days were well-fed and impressively built.

Xiao Ge himself wasn't short at 1.75 meters, but next to this group, his slighter frame seemed almost pitiful.

The six guys quickly closed the distance, and the tallest among them peered down at Xiao Ge with a superior air. "Do you know why we're here for you?"

"I do," Xiao Ge nodded earnestly, meeting the boy's gaze. "You're here to buy me dinner."

"In your dreams?"

"Damn, go eat dinner? More like go eat crap!" one of them jeered.

"This guy's really asking for it!"

Before long, they were all hurling words at Xiao Ge, as if trying to drown him in a sea of spit.

"Hold up!" The tallest boy raised his hand, signaling with a finger, and the chatter ceased. It was clear that this towering figure was the leader of the pack.

With a smug look, he asked, "Kid, do you know who we are?"

"Yes," Xiao Ge nodded once more, his expression still serious. "You're the ones who are going to treat me to a meal."

"Brothers, enlighten this kid," the tall boy commanded, extending his finger again before coolly stating, "Wang Fei!"

The others chimed in one after another.

"Zhang Xiaopang!"

"Zhang Li!"

"Lee Buyi!"

"He Jun!"

"Meng Zuolin!"

Then, in perfect unison, they declared, "We are—Non-Violent Non-Cooperation!"

Wang Fei extended his finger once more. "Our motto..."

The six of them shouted in unison once more, "No violence, no cooperation!"

Triumphant after their chant, the six reveled in self-satisfaction. Meanwhile, Xiao Ge stood agape, his mouth hanging open in shock, at a loss for words.

Their ruckus had drawn quite a crowd. With classes at Ningcheng University just letting out, many day students were on their way home, and the spectacle quickly attracted the attention of nearly a hundred onlookers.

"There goes Wang Fei and his gang, picking on someone again!"

"Damn, these jerks are getting bolder by the day. And the campus cops are right over there, for all the good it does."

"They don't even flinch at the principal, much less campus security."

"Is that new kid from out of town? Looks like he's in for it now."

"Holy smokes, isn't that Xiao Ge?"

"Xiao Ge? You mean the guy who was about to call off his engagement with Qin Feiya?"

"Yep, that's the one!"

"Man, for once Wang Fei and his crew are doing something people can get behind. Give him a good thrashing!"

"Absolutely. Xiao Ge has it coming. I've been dying to get a word with Qin Feiya and can't catch a break, and this guy's out here trying to break off an engagement with her? Outrageous!"

"Ha, look at Xiao Ge, frozen stiff with fear..."

The students around buzzed with commentary, while Wang Fei and his friends were visibly thrilled. Seeing Xiao Ge's dumbfounded expression, Wang Fei's smirk grew wider. "Scared now, aren't you, kid? Bow down, apologize to us, and promise to steer clear of Qin Feiya from now on, and maybe we'll let you off the hook!"