C19 Lick It Clean

"Wang Ping, you!" Hsu Danian was visibly stunned.

"Right, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Liu Qi, the crown prince of the Liu Corporation," Wang Ping declared proudly.

"Wang Ping, is this the guy you mentioned? The one who's been pestering you, the toad dreaming of swan meat?" Liu Qi looked at Hsu Danian with disdain.

"Yes," Wang Ping replied without hesitation.

Hearing this, Hsu Danian's face turned ashen. He had accepted their breakup; Wang Ping was free to see someone else. But to have her flaunt her new relationship in his face the very next day, and to humiliate him so publicly, was more than he could bear. This was the woman he had once held in high esteem.

Hsu Danian wasn't angry, just deeply saddened, regretting his previous lack of discernment.

"By the way, I came here specifically to tell you that Liu Qi's family and Zhu Jian's family have many business dealings. If you don't want to end up like Ye Luo, beaten down with no chance of recovery, you'd better beg Liu Qi. Maybe, just maybe, he'll feel generous enough to vouch for you," Wang Ping said with a smirk.

"Yeah, Zhu Jian and I are on good terms. My influence isn't insignificant. But whether I help you depends on your sincerity," Liu Qi chimed in, then suddenly stretched out his right foot.

"Whoops, my new shoes seem to have gotten a little dirty. Tell you what, out of respect for Wang Ping, if you clean them for me, Fatty, I might just put in a good word for you," Liu Qi suggested with a smile.

"What did you say?" Hsu Danian slammed his fist on the table and stood up, ready to confront Liu Qi.

However, before he could make a move, a group of imposing students walked over, obviously Liu Qi's cronies.

"Tsk tsk, some people are just garbage, always solving problems with violence. What makes you different from a beast?" Liu Qi mocked.

"Hsu Danian, think carefully. If you're unwilling to clean Liu Qi's shoes, Ye Luo might never come back. It won't just be him; you'll suffer the consequences too, and you can forget about having a future at Linhai University," Wang Ping said triumphantly. She had been chided by Hsu Danian the night before and had harbored her resentment all night. Today, she was intent on getting her revenge.

Hsu Danian, already boiling with anger, managed to suppress his fury upon hearing that Ye Luo might never make it back.

"Is that true? If I polish your shoes, will it actually help Ye Luo?" Hsu Danian asked, his voice tight with tension.

"Help Ye Luo?" Liu Qi sneered. "Polishing shoes is a courtesy extended for Wang Ping's sake. It's a favor to you, not Ye Luo. Simply shining shoes won't suffice for him."

"What do you propose, then?" Hsu Danian demanded, his jaw set firm. He understood Ye Luo's situation all too well. As an orphan, without someone to intervene, Zhu Jian might indeed make it so Ye Luo never returned. For the sake of his close friend, he was willing to swallow his pride.

"Here's an idea: lick my shoes clean. If I'm satisfied, perhaps Ye Luo might have a chance to return. Hahaha," Liu Qi roared with laughter.

Liu Qi wasn't the only one laughing; a crowd of students who had gathered to watch couldn't contain their amusement either.

"Alright, I'll do it. But you better honor your promise and help Ye Luo. Otherwise, you and I will have a serious problem," Hsu Danian stated, bending down to fulfill the humiliating task.

However, just as Hsu Danian stooped, Liu Qi quickly raised his foot and stomped it down on Hsu Danian's head, forcing him to the ground.

"Hahaha, you were really going to lick them, you fat idiot. But honestly, even if you're willing, your breath is too disgusting," Liu Qi mocked, then turned to Wang Ping with a smirk. "Are you happy now?"

Wang Ping nodded, feeling a surge of glee as she saw Hsu Danian crushed on the ground like a lifeless dog.

"Now that you're content, let's get going," Liu Qi said, then nonchalantly grabbed and squeezed Wang Ping's rear, prompting a flirtatious rebuke from her.

"Liu Qi, you bastard, damn you!" Hsu Danian, realizing he'd been duped, surged to his feet and charged at Liu Qi.

But he was swiftly grabbed by a few of Liu Qi's cronies.

Liu Qi spun around and without hesitation, kicked Hsu Danian squarely in the chest. "You're just garbage. Look at yourself before you dare try to bargain with me."

With that, Liu Qi spat on Hsu Danian with disdain. "Beat him until he can't stand," he ordered.

Several of Liu Qi's lackeys, eager to carry out his orders, began to swing their fists at Hsu Danian.

"Bang!"

Hsu Danian squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the blows, but instead of pain, he heard a muffled grunt.

When he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see Ye Luo standing in front of him, while the thug who had been attacking him now lay sprawled out three meters away.

"Ye Luo, how... how did you come back?" Hsu Danian asked, his voice filled with joy. He had been sure that Ye Luo was detained and wouldn't be able to return, which was the only reason he had resorted to licking Liu Qi's shoes.

Ye Luo, having just arrived at the teaching building with Ann Xin, had caught the entire incident in the corridor. His anger was now uncontainable, even more intense than when he had faced Zhu Jian the night before.

Liu Qi turned to Ye Luo with disdain. "So you're Ye Luo? I didn't expect you'd be able to come back. I underestimated you. But what does it matter? You dare to touch my people..."

"Slap!"

Ye Luo's hand moved quickly, his slap sending Liu Qi flying several meters, where he collapsed and didn't get up for a long while.

Amidst the shocked silence, Ye Luo stepped forward, pressing his foot down on Liu Qi's face and grinding it in mercilessly.

"Did you hit my brother? Did you force him to lick your shoes?" Ye Luo's voice was filled with lethal intent. If it weren't for the school setting, if it weren't for the fear of frightening Ann Xin, Liu Qi might very well have been dead.

The bystanders were stunned by Ye Luo's ruthlessness.

Ye Luo's fight with Zhu Jian had been at night, at the school gates, and seen by only a few. But this was broad daylight, during class time, right in the school corridor, and it caused quite a sensation.

Soon, people were rushing to notify the teachers and the principal.

Without regard for the shocked onlookers, Ye Luo kept his foot on Liu Qi's face and addressed Hsu Danian, "Danian, it's your turn to hit him back the way he hit you. If you don't, I'll do it for you."

Ye Luo was moved to act because he was genuinely touched by Hsu Danian's earlier actions. Hsu Danian's willingness to humiliate himself by licking Liu Qi's shoes on Ye Luo's behalf had deeply affected him.

Ye Luo contemplated bringing Hsu Danian into the world of cultivation and teaching him a spiritual practice technique. However, cultivation isn't always advantageous; it requires considerable courage, boldness, and resolve. Should Hsu Danian be too timid to pursue his own revenge, Ye Luo would be willing to avenge him. But under those circumstances, Ye Luo would not teach him martial arts, as such a character is not suited for the martial path.

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