C15 Red Beauty

At Jianghai University, Xia Xingchen's brows were furrowed in frustration, teetering on the brink of an outburst. Soong Binn's relentless advances had pushed her patience to its limits. Despite rejecting him 10,086 times, he clung to her like a stubborn shadow.

In her heart, she wished she could give Soong Binn a swift kick where it hurt most.

Contrary to popular belief, Xia Xingchen wasn't chosen as the campus beauty solely for her flawless features and gentle demeanor. Only she knew the cunning that lurked beneath her surface—a trait honed from years of emulating Tantrum's tactics.

"Xingchen, my feelings for you are driving me insane. I can't live without you," Soong Binn declared, his words oozing desperation.

"Listen, Young Master Soong, for the last time, I'm not interested. Stop harassing me. And don't think for a second that I'm oblivious to your true intentions!" Xia Xingchen held back her rage.

"You must be misunderstanding me, Xingchen. Why not accept these flowers, and we can clear things up over dinner? I swear, my love for you is sincere..." Soong Binn persisted, blocking her path once more, offering the unwanted bouquet.

Brushing the flowers aside, Xia Xingchen snapped, "Enough, Soong Binn! We're not close, so stop calling me Xingchen. If you don't back off now, I'm calling the police."

A smug young man nearby chimed in, "Young Master Binn, with your status, why waste your time on her? Just let it go." He leaned against a white BMW, casually puffing on a cigarette, his demeanor suggesting that Xia Xingchen should feel privileged by their attention.

"This is true love—it's unstoppable!" Soong Binn retorted with earnest.

Xia Xingchen internally cursed. If she had a knife—or Tantrum's strength—she'd have already dealt with Soong Binn decisively.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Tantrum calling, and her face instantly brightened with relief.

Xia Xingchen had always attracted unwanted attention, but whenever Tantrum showed up, her harassers would instantly fall in line.

As she was about to answer her phone, Soong Binn grabbed it from her grasp. "Xingchen, can't you give me a chance?" he asked with what he thought was a profound tone, oblivious to her annoyance.

"Not if you were the last man on Earth would I give you a chance!" Xia Xingchen snapped back. "Now give me my phone; my boyfriend is calling."

Soong Binn's face turned stormy at her resolute rejection, his hands crushing the bouquet he held, yet he made no move to return her phone.

"Do you really think I don't know the score, Xingchen? You don't have a boyfriend. The closest you've got is Tao Yu, the Tao family's reject, and he's not fit to hold a candle to you. You're the one I, Soong Binn, want, and the whole campus knows it. Who would dare challenge me for you?" Soong Binn said with a calm that belied his arrogance.

"If you're so formidable, why don't you go deal with Tao Yu?" Xia Xingchen retorted, her irritation clear, though she worried about missing Tantrum's call and the inevitable confrontation that would follow.

"Tao Yu is inconsequential; it's just the Tao family that's a bit of a nuisance. If you agree to be my girlfriend, I could have Tao Yu kneel and apologize to you," Soong Binn offered haughtily.

"Exactly, who is Tao Yu compared to Young Master Binn?" chimed in a man standing by the BMW.

"I don't care how influential you are, Soong Binn; I don't like you, and that's that. Please stop bothering me and give me back my phone. I need to return my boyfriend's call," Xia Xingchen stated icily.

Soong Binn's face twisted with displeasure as he glanced at the missed call on her phone. "Since you claim he's your boyfriend, I'll call him myself. I'm curious to see just what kind of man Xia Xingchen's boyfriend is. Let's hope he doesn't wet his pants at the sight of me!" he sneered.

Xia Xingchen met his gaze with a steely look. "I strongly suggest you don't summon him. You'll only end up regretting it," she warned.

Soong Binn arched an eyebrow, his voice dripping with nonchalance, "Really? That just makes me want to fight even more."

With that, he redialed the number.

Tantrum was on his way to find Xia Xingchen when his phone rang again. He picked up and barked, "Xia Xingchen, you itching for trouble again? Ignoring my calls? Looking for a beatdown?"

Soong Binn was taken aback by Tantrum's menacing tone. What was this situation? Could this guy actually be Xia Xingchen's boyfriend?

And not just any boyfriend, but the overbearing CEO type?

He didn't mince words on the call, straight-up accusing Xia Xingchen of seeking trouble. It seemed like he had a history of bullying her. The Xia Xingchen who was always so aloof at school, she had this side to her?

"Who are you?" Soong Binn asked, irritation creeping into his cold voice.

Tantrum, hearing a man's voice, was momentarily stunned. He scowled and demanded, "And who the hell are you? Where's Xia Xingchen? Put her on the line."

"Tantrum, I'm okay," Xia Xingchen called out, hoping he would hear her.

Soong Binn's face soured as he issued a threat through the phone, "You're Xia Xingchen's boyfriend? Listen here, kid, I'm giving you a serious warning. Keep your distance from Xia Xingchen from now on. She's out of your league. If you think you can compete with Soong Binn for a woman, I'll make sure you regret it. Back off if you know what's good for you!"

Tantrum, hearing Xia Xingchen's shout and Soong Binn's declaration, quickly pieced everything together.

He sneered, "What's wrong with you, got a screw loose? Where are you? I'm coming over right now. Let's see if you have the guts to repeat those words to my face."

Soong Binn hadn't expected Tantrum to push back so forcefully. His face darkened, but he refused to be intimidated. "I'm right outside Jianghai University's gates. If you're so tough, come and find me!"

After he finished speaking, he abruptly ended the call, his face set in a frosty mask.

"You're going to regret this very soon." Comforted by the knowledge that Tantrum would arrive shortly, Xia Xingchen allowed herself a moment of relief and fixed Soong Binn with an icy stare.

Soong Binn sensed that something was amiss. Xia Xingchen's composure was unsettling, and the way she looked at him—as if he were a complete fool—only added to his unease. Turning to the young man in the BMW beside him, he said, "Huang Cheng, get some more people here. I've got a bad feeling about this."

Meanwhile, Tantrum was en route to Jianghai University, musing to himself about the dangers of a beautiful woman. Xia Xingchen was growing more attractive by the day, inevitably drawing unwanted attention. As a simple girl from the countryside with no influential backing, she was an easy target for many.

Clearly, Xia Xingchen hadn't changed; she still preferred to use him as her protective barrier.

The thought of having to put another overconfident Young Master in his place brought an unexpected thrill to Tantrum. It had been a while since he'd felt such anticipation.