“You’re overthinking it.”

Lin Qing had planned to ignore Wang Fanran, but remembering what Wang had said in front of everyone earlier, when he was so scared of Su Yao, Lin Qing decided to say something after all.

Wang Fanran had a wildly overactive imagination.

But Lin Qing’s words were feeble and unconvincing.

Lin Qing still looked gloomy and couldn’t be bothered to say much. Wang Fanran let out a cold snort and rolled his eyes, thinking Lin Qing was way too good at pretending.

Everyone else thought he was having an episode, but Wang Fanran wasn’t fooled.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Lin Qing!

He was just pretending to avoid getting beaten up.

He usually acted like such an honest, simple guy, but in reality, he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

It was all Lin Qing’s fault that Zhou Lin had bullied him for days. That damn bastard.

The guy looked like a beggar!

He didn’t have a single designer label on him. A broke loser like that still came to school? He should hurry back to his beggar’s den!

Once Wang Fanran sat down, someone else was there beside him. And seeing Lin Qing’s annoying face only made him feel more resentful.

Why him?!

He was getting bullied at school, while Lin Qing was living it up in the hospital.

It just wasn’t fair.

Lin Qing should get beaten up by the class delinquents and see what it felt like to be bullied.

Wait—why wait? He could deal with Lin Qing himself!

That scrawny kid would go down with one punch!

The way he’d cry and beg for mercy—heh, just imagining it was hilarious!

“Hey, Fatso, you’re early today. Missing the feeling of getting kicked in the ass?”

As Wang Fanran was thinking all this, Zhou Lin’s voice rang out like a demon’s.

Wang Fanran stiffened when he heard it. No way!

Lin Qing was back at school now.

So why was that rabid dog Zhou Lin still hounding him?!

Damn it, was Zhou Lin going to torment him until graduation?!

Those beggar-looking losers should all just die. They’d grow up to be parasites on the country anyway!

“Zhou, my mom told me to study hard, or she’ll cut off my allowance…”

Zhou Lin came over to Wang Fanran’s desk. Wang Fanran had been cursing him out in his head, but in reality, he spoke up timidly.

The other side had the upper hand, and he was outmatched. Better not pick a fight.

Otherwise, he’d lose the fight and make a fool of himself in front of the class.

“Shut up! Did I say you could talk? You’re asking for a beating!”

But giving in didn’t help Wang Fanran at all. Zhou Lin raised a hand in annoyance and smacked him hard on the back of the head.

Wang Fanran’s head lurched forward, hurtling toward the desktop.

But he escaped by a hair and didn’t crash into the desk.

Wang Fanran quickly steadied himself to avoid hitting the desk, but the abrupt stop made the fat on his cheeks wobble wildly.

He looked so ridiculous that Zhou Lin burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! You’re my daily entertainment, little bro… Keep it up. You’re gonna be the key to all the fun I have in high school!”

“As long as you’re happy, Zhou.”

Wang Fanran immediately sucked up to him, sounding just like a shameless lackey.

The students sitting nearby couldn’t help looking disgusted.

He was getting bullied this badly, and he still had to grovel.

What a spineless loser.

But when Zhou Lin glanced around with a smug look, the students quickly looked away and picked up their books, pretending it had nothing to do with them. They didn’t want to get dragged into it.

They wanted to study hard and get into college, not be someone’s punching bag at school.

“Well, well. Isn’t that Lin Qing? You’re out of the hospital.”

After glancing around, Zhou Lin acted as if he’d only just noticed Lin Qing. He put on a surprised look, then gave him a once-over.

Aside from the bandage wrapped around his hand, he looked fine. No other aftereffects.

Phew…

He could finally relax.

Who knew how worried he’d been during the few days Lin Qing was in the hospital.

He’d been afraid Lin Qing might die in the hospital… If that happened, he’d be held partly responsible too. It had scared the hell out of him.

Seeing how frail Lin Qing looked, Zhou Lin figured he’d better not mess with him again.

What if something happened again…

He didn’t want to go through that a second time.

“Yeah.”

Lin Qing knew Zhou Lin wasn’t really worried about him, but he still nodded earnestly in response.

Lin Qing looked so obedient and well-behaved that Zhou Lin’s mood improved. He even found Lin Qing a little more likable.

He’d been planning to mess with the kid a little.

But now that he thought about it, this wasn’t Lin Qing’s fault. He was a victim too, just like Zhou Lin.

It was all that fatso’s fault!

“You fat pig, what are you laughing at? Who said you could laugh? If you love laughing so much, get down on all fours and oink for us!”

Thinking of the real culprit behind all this, Zhou Lin frowned in annoyance and barked an order at Wang Fanran without a second thought.

He was ready to keep tormenting Wang Fanran and vent his anger on him.

Lin Qing was back, but that didn’t mean this was over. How naïve!

“Brother Zhou, I…”

“Don’t give me that crap! Are you gonna oink like a pig, or do you want me to beat you up?”

But when Wang Fanran heard that he had to oink like a pig, his expression immediately darkened.

He couldn’t do something that humiliating!

Making a fool of himself in front of so many people was bad enough. If someone filmed it, it’d haunt him for the rest of his life.

Maybe…

He could “have an episode” like Lin Qing!

Then that bastard Zhou Lin would stop tormenting him.

Wang Fanran glanced at Lin Qing. If that guy could successfully “fake an episode,” then there was no reason he couldn’t do the same!

Just look at Zhou Lin. He didn’t even dare lay a hand on Lin Qing now. Wang Fanran made up his mind right then and there.

He didn’t want to live this kind of school life anymore. He had to get away from that damn delinquent Zhou Lin.

“Oh? You’re keeping quiet now. You want me to beat you up?”

Zhou Lin didn’t care what Wang Fanran was thinking. When Wang Fanran just sat there in silence, Zhou Lin’s temper flared. He grabbed Wang Fanran by the collar and threw him to the floor.

Wang Fanran was heavy, and hitting the floor hurt like hell.

But this was all part of his plan!

If he could pull off this “episode,” he wouldn’t have to keep getting beaten up.

Zhou Lin had hidden it well, but Wang Fanran had seen how scared he’d been over the past few days.

So why not scare Zhou Lin again?

Serves him right!

As he thought about it, Wang Fanran tried to remember how Lin Qing had trembled all over. He didn’t care that the floor was filthy—he quickly started shaking.

“Heh. You fat pig, you think just anyone can have an episode?”

But while Wang Fanran was putting his whole heart into the act, Zhou Lin just sneered.

Then Zhou Lin kicked him right in the stomach. Wang Fanran’s face instantly went pale. Forgetting he was still acting, he quickly clutched the spot where he’d been hit.

That wasn’t right!

Why wasn’t Zhou Lin following the script? Lin Qing had fooled him just fine!