"You! You! You scum! How dare you even approach May! May, come over here—now! Don’t let this trash deceive you!"

Seeing May nestled in Chen Yaoyi’s arms, Zhao Xiaoluo stomped his feet in frustration, body trembling as if ready to explode. He gritted his teeth, flailing arms and legs while pointing accusingly—only barely stopping himself from lunging to smash Chen Yaoyi’s head in.

Today, Zhao Xiaoluo had sneaked out with the plain country girl Chu Chu. For some reason, Su Ziqing—who’d always chased after him—had been unusually busy lately. So he sought out Chu Chu, a "just friends" acquaintance equally bored stiff, and the two arranged to meet at the shopping plaza.

Truth was, their dynamic needed no explanation: he treated her as a backup; she didn’t mind being one.

Su Ziqing’s busyness? Almost entirely spent cleaning up Zhao Xiaoluo’s messes.

Zhao Xiaoluo had briefly played hero—bravely rescuing a female classmate, earning school praise. But this wasn’t something to brag about. It involved May’s safety and dignity.

Yet Zhao Xiaoluo didn’t care. Whenever reporters or paparazzi showed up, he’d loudly trumpet his "great deeds," plastering his face across newspapers. Recently, he even landed a TV spot. Short interview? Sure. But he nearly spilled May’s ID number.

Because May had been rescued from an attempted assault—not some random robbery you could brush off with "The robber was scary!"—tactless people kept asking: *Why were you tricked? How did it feel?* Worst of all: *"Were you touched? Where? Describe it."*

How could May endure that? Chen Yaoyi had taught her: fists first. For men—upward kick to the groin, knee to the nose bridge, elbow to the temple. For women—a slap, then a hard punch to the chin. May rarely got past step two, but she knew most people were decent.

Unlike Zhao Xiaoluo, who pestered her daily, halting mid-stride to soak up praise from strangers, completely forgetting his so-called "protection."

The fallout? Tarnished the school’s reputation. Drained May physically and emotionally. Even dragged Su Ziqing and her father’s company into scandal over "exploiting Zhao Xiaoluo’s fame."

So Su Ziqing spent nearly all her time damage-controlling—while Zhao Xiaoluo’s blunders kept multiplying.

He had no real talent. Maybe the memory of May once liking him, plus Chu Chu sticking close now, inflated his ego. Made him think May *needed* him.

"Hey, hey, hey, little bro—what’s with that flustered look?" Chen Yaoyi feigned innocence, flashing a mischievous grin. Knowing his nature, Zhao Xiaoluo lunged for his collar—but Chu Chu yanked him back.

Public place. First mover loses moral ground.

"You! You sick scum! Leave May alone—now! May, don’t be fooled—"

"On what grounds?"

May seemed to shake off the shock of being held moments ago, slowly sitting upright.

"He! He’s the one who! He’s the one who tried to… you know… with you!"

*Hmph. So the brat knows better than to air this publicly? Then how dare he use May as a fame prop?*

Chen Yaoyi rose slowly. Naturally taller and more imposing than Zhao Xiaoluo—even rusty from lack of training, handling him would be effortless.

"What exactly did you think I did to *my* May?"

He shrugged, rolled his shoulders, rotated his wrists. Zhao Xiaoluo stumbled back, body trembling.

"Y-you think I’m scared just ‘cause you’ll throw a punch? N-not a b-bit!"

His words stuttered.

A smirk tugged Chen Yaoyi’s lips. *Pathetic. Even with a power gap, you retreat? And if he dares mention May’s incident… perfect spot for "Xu Yi Hong Quan."*

"Why would I hit you? On what grounds do you meddle in *my* relationship with *my* girlfriend? We’re just a couple—none of your business. And hey—who swore they *only* liked May? What about now…?"

His gaze flicked to Chu Chu behind Zhao Xiaoluo. The country girl shrank back, eyes downcast.

Classic two-timer.

"We! We’re just ordinary friends! Ran into each other by chance today!"

Zhao Xiaoluo shouted it after a pause. Chen Yaoyi’s grin widened.

"Then May and I are just friends too, right?"

"You’re lying! May, speak up! How am I worse than this scum? You’ve been deceived—"

"Honestly? You fall short in every way."

May stood, firmly linking arms with Chen Yaoyi, voice calm.

She’d made her choice. She knew what she wanted. No longer chained by the past.

The old May would’ve felt guilty "betraying" Zhao Xiaoluo. But after embracing the ease and comfort of staying with Chen Yaoyi? Unshakable.

"Wait—no! You’re lying, May! I was so good to you! You used to like me! You *must* be deceived!"

Zhao Xiaoluo staggered forward, hand reaching. May dodged instinctively. Chen Yaoyi seized his slender wrist, yanked him back, shoved him away.

He crumpled like paper against Chu Chu.

"Are you insane? I treated her right, fought for her. You? Daydreaming about people fawning over you. Did May ever confess to you? Or are you trying to cheat on *me*?"