C8 I'll Accompany You to the End!

"Heh, Zhou Wen, what makes you think you're worthy of chasing after Su Qin?"

Chen Yu's face was still laced with contempt as he extended his hand, and a lackey quickly lit a cigarette for him.

"Zhou Wen, you're nothing but a toad, so stop dreaming about getting the swan."

Chen Yu cracked his neck and added, "Picking on you doesn't even give me a thrill. I better not catch you with Su Qin again, or it won't be this easy next time."

Zhou Wen remained stoic. "Are you finished? If so, I'm leaving."

Without waiting for a response, Zhou Wen turned to leave. His focus was on his studies, and he had no interest in these distractions.

"Yu, he's totally disregarding you!" one of the underlings exclaimed indignantly.

Chen Yu let out a cold laugh. "How amusing. It's been ages since anyone dared to talk back to me like that. Block his way!"

The gang quickly encircled Zhou Wen, their presence menacing.

"Yikes! Isn't that Zhou Wen?" Across the field, a girl caught sight of the commotion and quickly hid in the shadows.

It was Zhou Wen's classmate, Chen Wan'er.

Chen Wan'er had been enjoying a breath of fresh air during the break and hadn't expected to stumble upon such a scene. The sight of Zhou Wen surrounded by a group made her anxious.

"Wan'er, what are you staring at? Class is starting, we should go," her friend called out.

"It's just the school bullies causing trouble again; they're all bad news. Let's not get involved," another girl urged.

"Okay." With a worried glance back, Chen Wan'er reluctantly left.

"Feeling bold, aren't we, Zhou Wen?" Chen Yu approached, taking a drag on his cigarette and deliberately blowing the smoke in Zhou Wen's face.

"Don't even think about crossing me. In this school, no one can stand against me," Chen Yu said with a menacing glare, looking nothing like a student.

Zhou Wen's shoulders shook slightly, a sign of his rising agitation.

The individuals before him were clearly troublemakers.

Meanwhile, some students on the sports field, drawn to the spectacle, gathered nearby to watch the unfolding drama.

"Chen Yu is at it again, doling out his own brand of 'justice.' Wonder who the poor sap is this time."

"Let's just hope they don't end up in the hospital. Remember the kid from Class 20? Just bumped into Chen Yu on the basketball court and ended up with a broken arm."

"That kid should just play it cool; maybe Chen Yu will back off."

The nearby crowd murmured among themselves.

Zhou Wen muttered under his breath, "Chen Yu, what I do is none of your damn business!"

"Whoa! He actually told Chen Yu to mind his own business!"

"Total badass! For that alone, I might need to call him an ambulance later!"

The chatter went on.

"None of my business? You think you're something special now?" Chen Yu sneered.

Five others closed in around them.

"You're the bottom of the class. Got any money? You think you can stand up to me? I could break your legs right now, and my dad would take care of it!"

Chen Yu was loud, his face red with fury. He had been holding back for a long time, never expecting such a nobody to stand up to him.

He'd been a bully since childhood, and he couldn't stand being defied.

Zhou Wen just smiled and asked, "Is that the best you can do?"

"Break his leg!" Chen Yu snarled, flicking his cigarette to the ground before aiming a punch at Zhou Wen's face.

The others joined in, raining punches and kicks down on Zhou Wen.

"This is definitely going to land him in the hospital," some of the more timid students said, turning away.

Crack!

Suddenly, there was a resounding slap.

Disbelief painted everyone's faces, even the flunkies froze, their assault halted mid-action.

A vivid red handprint marked Chen Yu's cheek.

Zhou Wen stood, his hand still raised from the slap.

Chen Yu clutched his face, his features twisted in rage.

He couldn't believe that this seemingly insignificant student had the guts to strike him.

"Motherf*cker! Beat him to a pulp! If he dies, it's on me!" Chen Yu bellowed.

Caught off guard by the turn of events, the group hesitated until Zhou Wen's cry snapped them back to reality, and they charged at him without a second thought.

Zhou Wen stood fearless in the face of danger, throwing a punch at the first person to lunge at him!

This individual was accustomed to intimidating ordinary students, and since no one had ever stood up to him, he underestimated Zhou Wen.

But as Zhou Wen's fist connected with his face, sending blood spraying, he realized that Zhou Wen was no ordinary opponent.

Without holding back, Zhou Wen kept throwing punches.

"You were the ones threatening me, weren't you?"

Fueled by rage, Zhou Wen unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks on the other students. They stood no chance against the newly empowered Zhou Wen, and soon they were all sprawled on the ground, moaning in agony.

Now, only Chen Yu remained.

Fear was evident on Chen Yu's face. "Zhou Wen, don't come any closer. If you hit me, my dad will make you pay!"

Zhou Wen approached, his fists clenched tight.

Chen Yu was shaking so badly that when Zhou Wen landed a kick in his stomach, he immediately doubled over in pain.

"Zhou Wen, listen to me! Lay a finger on me and you're done for! I'll have you wiped off the map of Anewood!"

Zhou Wen's expression remained icy as he continued to kick Chen Yu.

"Thought you were tough, Chen Yu?"

After delivering a final kick, Zhou Wen crouched down, his hand tightening around Chen Yu's throat.

"Chen Yu, when it comes to pursuing a girl, it's about fair play. You can't complain when you resort to sleazy tactics!"

Chen Yu's face twisted with malice as he yelled, "Zhou Wen, I swear I'll get you for this!"

Zhou Wen stood up, delivering another kick to the downed Chen Yu, and declared, "How Su Qin and I are doing is none of your business. If you're still itching for a fight, I'm ready to take you on anytime!"

With those final words, Zhou Wen walked away.

...

The following day, as soon as the first class was over, Chen Wan'er, his classmate, grabbed Zhou Wen's arm, her voice laced with concern, "Are you okay?"

Zhou Wen looked puzzled. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be?"

Chen Wan'er's cheeks were tinged with pink as she confessed, "Last night, I saw you being cornered on the sports field."

"Ah? Last night? Just a few friends stopped by to chat," Zhou Wen said dismissively.

He had no intention of revealing the truth to Chen Wan'er.

Just then, Su Qin approached, holding a dictionary.

"Zhou Wen, did Chen Yu give you trouble last night?" Su Qin asked, her expression frosty.

Zhou Wen looked confused. How did Su Qin find out?

Chen Wan'er murmured, "I told Su Qin. I figured it must have been because of her that you were approached, so I..."

Zhou Wen, looking resigned, waved his hand and reassured them, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious."

Su Qin's brow furrowed. It was no secret that Chen Yu had been pursuing her, and his advances had become common knowledge among their peers. Several boys had already been on the receiving end of Chen Yu's reprimands.

Having spent the most time with Zhou Wen lately, Su Qin had come over quickly after hearing Chen Wan'er's suspicions.

She didn't want innocent classmates to suffer because of her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Su Qin pressed.

"I'm fine, really," Zhou Wen assured her, gesturing to his face and standing tall. "See? Fit as a fiddle."

Su Qin couldn't help but give a wry smile at Zhou Wen's exaggerated display.

"I'm relieved you're fine. If Chen Yu bothers you again, let me know," she said, preparing to leave.

Just then, a boy burst into the classroom.

"Have you heard? Last night, Chen Yu rounded up a bunch to take Zhou Wen down, but Zhou Wen laid them out instead!"

The boy was mid-sentence when he caught sight of Zhou Wen and abruptly fell silent, sheepishly taking his seat.

Su Qin and Chen Wan'er's attention snapped to Zhou Wen.

"Chen Yu hasn't shown up today. His classmates say he's too ashamed to come to school after being bested by Zhou Wen!"

Another student entered, spotting Zhou Wen seated calmly at the back. He too quickly quieted down and took his seat.

Zhou Wen kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with the girls.

Then, another boy rushed in.

"Is Chen Yu absent today? I heard he tried to pick a fight with Zhou Wen last night, but ended up getting knocked down by Zhou Wen all by himself!"

Zhou Wen's face had turned utterly dark.

"Zhou Wen!"

The voices of two girls rang out simultaneously.

"Is this what you call no big deal?"

Just then, his phone started to vibrate. Realizing he had an incoming call, Zhou Wen quickly pulled out his phone and dashed out of the classroom.

"Zhou Wen, this is Ms. Qin," came Qin Yi's courteous voice.

"Hello, Ms. Qin," Zhou Wen replied with a light chuckle.

"Zhou Wen, the weekend is nearly here. Do you have any plans tomorrow at noon? I'd like you to come over for a meal at my house as a way of saying thank you."

"Auntie, you're too kind. There's really no need for such trouble."

"Oh, but I insist. Zipei won't stop talking about you."

"Auntie, it's honestly not necessary."

"Zipei's father has just returned from an assignment, and he's eager to meet you. Your presence is non-negotiable," Qin Yi insisted with firmness in her voice.

"Okay, okay, I'll be there, Auntie," Zhou Wen said, caught between laughter and tears.

"I'll text you the address. Make sure you come."

After the call ended, Zhou Wen's phone immediately buzzed with a new text message.

"Pebblebrook Mansion, Building 3, Unit 2, Apartment 301."

Pebblebrook Mansion was the residential complex for the Anewood Municipal Public Security Bureau, wasn't it?

Zhou Wen felt puzzled. He suddenly recalled the last time Qin Yi visited the classroom, accompanied by both the principal and the dean.

It dawned on Zhou Wen that the little girl he had saved, Wu Zipei, likely had a significant background.