“Li Weiqiang, what are you doing!”

Zhou Lin was always a little uneasy around Lin Qing, that poor kid.

Just looking at his face was enough to bring back the image of Lin Qing trembling all over. It hadn’t looked like a normal reaction.

Maybe something was wrong with him…

So Zhou Lin wanted nothing to do with Lin Qing.

Now, seeing Li Weiqiang acting like he was looking for trouble, Zhou Lin hurriedly stepped in as peacemaker. He also waved toward Lin Qing, signaling him to go wait somewhere else.

Stop making trouble here.

“Zhou Lin, who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that?”

But when Li Weiqiang heard Zhou Lin, displeasure showed on his face. He spoke bluntly, without the slightest restraint.

He was scolding Zhou Lin like some stray dog on the street, making no effort to hide it.

Li Weiqiang was in the basketball club and worked out regularly. His broad back and powerful muscles made his burly build stand out among the boys.

His big hands looked even stronger when he clenched them.

If he weren’t so ugly, he’d definitely be the kind of guy girls went after.

Just comparing their builds, Zhou Lin—the bully who ruled Class Six—looked like a scrawny little chick beside Li Weiqiang from Class One.

There was no contest.

But school life wasn’t all about that kind of thing.

“Li Weiqiang, watch your mouth. Don’t think you can throw your weight around just because some seniors have your back. Brother Liu will be back soon.”

Zhou Lin might not have been a match for Li Weiqiang physically, but he wasn’t intimidated by him at all.

He strode straight toward Li Weiqiang. They stood so close, it looked like they were about to kiss.

Then Zhou Lin spat. His spit landed right beside Li Weiqiang’s foot.

It had only just missed his shoe.

The veins at Li Weiqiang’s temples bulged, and his vicious glare was enough to scare a little kid to tears.

But Zhou Lin wasn’t someone who’d scare easily. He glared right back, just as viciously.

Neither one backed down.

The two stared each other down in silence. The mood turned tense in an instant, and the people standing around exchanged bewildered looks, unsure how things had gotten this bad.

Class One and Class Six had been happily playing soccer just moments ago. How had they nearly come to blows all of a sudden?

“Ring, ring, ring.”

The class bell rang, but Li Weiqiang and Zhou Lin still didn’t back off.

They kept glaring at each other, neither willing to look away.

“All right, all right. You’re classmates. Why make things so hostile?”

Just then, Wang Jian, who’d been playing soccer with them, spoke up.

He stepped between Li Weiqiang and Zhou Lin, raised both hands, and pushed them apart, signaling for them to stop this pointless standoff.

It wasn’t like they were actually going to fight.

Wang Jian and Zhou Lin were both under Brother Liu’s protection. Liu Hong was known around school as the Mad Dog, and he was fiercely protective of his own.

If Li Weiqiang hit Zhou Lin today, Liu Hong would come after him—and the outcome would be ugly.

After all, Liu Hong had been ordered to go home and reflect because he’d nearly beaten someone to death.

Even when a teacher caught him, Liu Hong didn’t stop throwing punches. If anything, he hit the guy even harder.

The other student’s family called the police afterward, but since Liu Hong was a minor, he faced no criminal penalty.

So the school could only send him home to reflect… As for why they didn’t expel Liu Hong outright, it was because his family was mixed up with the underworld. The school leaders were afraid they’d get a sack thrown over their heads and be beaten black and blue one day.

All they could do was try to educate him.

Even so, Liu Hong didn’t stop taking revenge on that student.

Unless the kid transferred schools, Liu Hong would beat him up again without mercy every time he showed his face.

That incident cemented Liu Hong’s reputation as the Mad Dog. The school’s troublemakers didn’t dare provoke him lightly.

And Li Weiqiang was just a muscular athlete. He wouldn’t dare lay a hand on Zhou Lin, even if you gave him ten times the nerve.

Zhou Lin knew that, which was why he wasn’t afraid.

Still, he couldn’t hit Li Weiqiang either.

Li Weiqiang himself wasn’t scary, but he had seniors from the athletics department backing him.

That was a force not to be underestimated.

So when Wang Jian saw Li Weiqiang and Zhou Lin clash, he hadn’t stepped in at first. He’d just hung back and watched the show.

But now the bell had rung. They couldn’t keep hanging around.

The PE teacher ought to be here soon.

Wang Jian didn’t want to have to run laps with them.

That would be the worst luck.

But why was the PE teacher so late today?

The bell had already rung.

And they still hadn’t even seen him. Talk about slacking off!

“Zhou Lin, you’re nothing but Liu Hong’s dog. What are you acting so smug about?”

“Even if I am a dog, you’d still have to get on your knees and lick me.”

When Wang Jian stepped in, the boys from Class One and Class Six immediately rushed forward and quickly pulled the two apart.

But perhaps because there was more distance between them now, Li Weiqiang and Zhou Lin’s verbal sparring only got fiercer.

Wang Jian, still watching from the sidelines, almost wanted to clap for them.

Still, they were only talking. Neither seemed intent on throwing a punch.

Li Weiqiang gave a casual jerk and shook off the person holding him. A burst of anger flared up inside him, rising higher and higher.

Zhou Lin was a bastard who only relied on Liu Hong’s name. Without Liu Hong, he’d have been beaten to death ages ago!

And now he actually had the nerve to act so arrogant toward him!

Yet Li Weiqiang couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

It was infuriating!

“I brought the cold bottled water.”

Just then, a timid figure appeared, adding fuel to Li Weiqiang’s anger.

“Damn it, Li Dong! What were you doing, laying an egg?”

Li Weiqiang strode over to Li Dong and smacked him hard on the head with his big hand, knocking him to the ground. Then he quickly kicked him viciously in the stomach.

Li Dong hit the ground and smashed his nose, and blood immediately started streaming down, staining his clothes and making him look even more pathetic.

Li Dong didn’t even think of fighting back against the abuse. He just curled up, hoping to endure it until it was over.

Li Weiqiang and the others had been bullying him for quite a while. He was used to this sort of thing by now.

As long as they didn’t beat him to death, he could endure it!

There was nothing he could do but endure.

No one was going to come save him.

“Stop!”

Just as Li Weiqiang was viciously beating Li Dong to vent his anger, a voice rang out, its fury barely concealed.

The onlooking students all turned toward the voice. The one who’d spoken was Lin Qing, with black hair covering more than half his face.

The small, skinny boy looked as if a gust of wind could blow him away.

And now he actually dared to tell Li Weiqiang to stop beating someone.

He was asking for it!

But with everyone watching him, Lin Qing paid them no attention. He stared at Li Dong, beaten to the ground, and the glaring red blood. He hadn’t spoken out of concern for the school health teacher. He’d simply been reminded of the past he’d just sealed away.

He hadn’t wanted to remember that helpless abuse ever again!