A dull thud echoed. Chen Yaoyi collapsed, writhing like a maggot in agony.

A solid blow had landed squarely on the back of his head. Without pause, Zhao Xiaoluo swung the bat again—this time striking Chen Yaoyi’s back.

May snatched her tattered clothes and covered her upper body. She shrank back, putting distance between herself and the would-be assailant.

She never expected Zhao Xiaoluo to appear—least of all that Chen Yaoyi would actually try *that*. In her mind, Chen Yaoyi turning monstrous was even less likely than Zhao Xiaoluo coming to save her.

But it happened.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!”

Honestly? It didn’t hurt much. But for the show, he screamed dramatically.

Panting, Zhao Xiaoluo glared at Chen Yaoyi’s pitiful state, fury surging. He raised the bat to strike again—then noticed the vulnerable girl. He pulled out the item Su Ziqing had given him: an oversized black men’s suit.

*“It’s the teacher’s,”* she’d said. *“I’m too tired. Bring it to the sports storage room for Chen Yaoyi.”*

He’d never imagined stumbling upon Chen Yaoyi assaulting May—the storage door left wide open. He’d grabbed the baseball bat by the entrance and charged in.

Bat in hand, Zhao Xiaoluo rushed to May.

“Are you okay, May? Are you alright?!”

Anxious, he draped the suit over her shoulders.

Still trembling from shock, May flinched and resisted for a moment. She shifted her cold body back, then—recognizing Zhao Xiaoluo—let the fabric settle. A faint scent, eerily similar to Chen Yaoyi’s, rose from the cloth.

Before she could process anything, Zhao Xiaoluo gripped her arm.

“It’s okay! I’m here! I won’t let you get hurt! Trust me!”

He held her slender frame, trying to still her shaking body and head—but failed.

May stared at his face, then at Chen Yaoyi writhing on the floor. She gasped, nearly hyperventilating.

*Chen Yaoyi… this kind of person?! A hypocrite. Scum in human disguise. I really shouldn’t have…*

Her mind spun: yesterday’s Chen Yaoyi, today’s perverted creep, the neatly arranged storage room, the unlocked door, the tackle that stopped short—*Could this teacher have…?!*

“Good! Good! You’re dead, Zhao Xiaoluo!”

Chen Yaoyi roared, face contorting grotesquely—his acting suddenly sharper.

He slapped a hidden blood packet to his head, mimicking checking a wound, then lunged at the male lead.

Zhao Xiaoluo dodged nimbly, swung the bat hard into Chen Yaoyi’s stomach—

“Ugh—!”

Another cry. He collapsed backward.

Zhao Xiaoluo fetched nearby hemp rope—*also prepared by Chen Yaoyi*—and bound him tightly.

May stared at the trussed-up Chen Yaoyi, then at Zhao Xiaoluo’s turned back. Her thoughts tangled. She knew what happened. Why it happened. But—

*“I’ll help you one last time.”*

“Ah!”

Only now did she grasp Chen Yaoyi’s words from last night. But fear still locked her voice.

*This was why he went all in. To test Zhao Xiaoluo’s heart.*

“Ah! Ah! Me! Him! No! Not—!”

“It’s okay! Calm down! Trust me! I’ll protect you!”

Zhao Xiaoluo dropped to one knee, soothing her—but utterly missed her meaning.

She only wanted to explain: the mats, the arranged room, Chen Yaoyi’s afternoon disappearance… all his design. He’d tackled her, torn her clothes—but never touched her. Such a clumsy, half-hearted act clashed completely with his vicious expression.

“Well, well—what a scum of a teacher!”

Su Ziqing’s sharp voice cut through. Zhao Xiaoluo and May turned. Black-clad, bald henchmen stormed in, surrounding Chen Yaoyi—on her orders.

*But she never brings bodyguards to school!*

“Ziqing?”

“I came when you didn’t return. Don’t worry—I’ll take this trash off your hands.”

“Uh… okay…”

Su Ziqing left with stiff words. A female nurse attended May; a male doctor examined Chen Yaoyi, loading him onto a stretcher.

Compared to Chen Yaoyi’s “bloodied” state, May had only a faint bruise.

As Su Ziqing approached, Chen Yaoyi shot her a sly grimace and a hidden smirk—visible only to her.

*Plan successful!*