That flutter in his heart lasted only an instant. Deep disgust followed right after.

Lin Qing didn’t look at the convenience store window again. As always, he kept his eyes on the ground, avoiding contact with anything reflective.

He hated mirrors.

Even if his body had changed in other ways, there was no need to check. He just wanted to live an ordinary, peaceful life without worrying about anything else.

For now, he should focus on how to deal with Su Yao!

They’d only been apart for a day, and he’d suddenly shot up in height. Su Yao was bound to notice.

As for the other students, he didn’t need to worry too much.

Lin Qing knew that apart from Su Yao and Wang Fanran, none of the other students paid any attention to him. So his sudden growth spurt wouldn’t come to light.

His loner status had once been the reason for that. Now, it had become a shield.

With those thoughts on his mind, Lin Qing kept up his pace and soon reached the school gate.

It was as lively as ever. The students’ chatter sounded just like little sparrows hopping and chirping on the branches, lively enough to put anyone at ease.

As for how to deal with Su Yao,

Lin Qing had already come up with a plan.

Hunching his shoulders and back as he walked would make him look shorter. On top of that, if he stayed seated all day, no one would notice the difference easily.

Besides, Su Yao kept her distance from him at school, so he didn’t have to worry about her coming over for no reason.

All he had to do was make it through the school day, then bolt as soon as classes ended. Getting home would mean victory in the war!

“Oh my god, is that him?”

“You’d never have guessed!”

“Tell me about it. This school’s getting dangerous. Last time Liu Hong beat someone badly enough to land them in the hospital, and this time someone actually pulled a knife.”

“He doesn’t even look hurt. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

But after Lin Qing had figured out how to deal with his opponent, he was walking to class when the students around him started pointing and whispering.

Lin Qing had been practically invisible at school. Now, all at once, he’d become a campus celebrity.

Even people who’d never seen him before could recognize him right away.

When Lin Qing heard the whispers around him, he quickened his pace.

The day before, Wu Gang had told him the news was already out. Lin Qing had prepared himself for it, knowing he’d be the talk of the school until the buzz around Li Dong’s attack died down.

When people stared at him curiously, all he had to do was ignore them. They’d soon stop making fools of themselves.

If he made a fuss instead, it’d be like pouring oil on a fire and making it blaze even brighter.

It just wasn’t worth it.

So he’d wait patiently for the attention to die down and life to return to normal.

Only…

With so many people watching him just as he walked through the school, Lin Qing could already imagine the commotion waiting for him when he entered the classroom.

That made him even more worried about what Su Yao had meant by a “good show.”

Lost in thought, Lin Qing reached the floor where the second-year classes were. He looked up and saw a crowd gathered outside Class Six, packed so tightly that the doorway was completely blocked.

Lin Qing took a deep breath, then deliberately hunched his shoulders and back. Once he’d “adjusted” his height to its usual level, he immediately headed for the classroom door.

There was no avoiding what was coming.

Better to cut straight through it.

They’d only ask him a few questions. It wasn’t a big deal.

“Lin Qing, were you okay yesterday?”

“I wanted to come check on you, but you’d already gone home. That must’ve been so scary. Take this whole pack of Wahaha drinks home with you!”

“Thanks to you, Li Dong didn’t stab us too. That lunatic was seriously dangerous.”

“Li Weiqiang called me already. He said he’d treat you to a meal once he’s back at school.”

But when Lin Qing reached the classroom door, something completely unexpected happened.

Besides the students from Class Six, some boys from Class One who’d played soccer with him in PE class the day before were there too.

They were holding snacks like yogurt and potato chips, and as they talked, they kept stuffing them into Lin Qing’s arms.

Their faces were full of gratitude, as if he’d saved their lives.

They were practically about to bow to him to show how thankful they were.

Lin Qing was still completely bewildered. Had he missed something?

Was this the “good show” Su Yao had mentioned?

But these boys seemed genuinely grateful. If this was the good show, he’d underestimated just how nasty Su Yao could be.

She wouldn’t call such a little thing a good show.

It wouldn’t get her excited at all.

Only something more complicated and thrilling could stir Su Yao’s emotions.

Lin Qing quickly dismissed the idea. His thoughts returned to the present, and he looked down at the armful of snacks before speaking.

“I didn’t do anything. I can’t accept these. You should take the food back.”

As he spoke, Lin Qing raised his arms, trying to return the snacks.

But the next moment, someone caught his arm.

Lin Qing looked up and saw Zhou Lin, a classmate.

“Why are you being so modest? Come on, don’t hide it. We all know.”

“?”

After hearing Zhou Lin, Lin Qing was even more confused.

He hadn’t done anything at all!

Su Yao had only gotten someone to carry him to the infirmary after he passed out.

But even though Lin Qing was baffled, Zhou Lin didn’t seem to notice. He just kept talking.

“That kid Li Dong got bullied until he went crazy. He wanted to stab you to death, then go after everyone else… If you hadn’t suddenly passed out and scared him off, someone else would’ve gotten hurt!”

“……”

He’d never imagined that simply passing out would somehow become a heroic act that saved others.

Still, the idea that he’d scared off an attacker by fainting sounded wrong no matter how you looked at it…

Lin Qing listened to Zhou Lin’s made-up version of events, half amused and half helpless. He knew it was best not to explain. He might as well let them believe it.

“So just accept the stuff. Even though I’m always stealing things from people, I’m not taking a single one of yours!”

Zhou Lin grinned as he spoke, then reached out to sling an arm around Lin Qing’s neck. But when he remembered how skinny Lin Qing was, as if a gust of wind could knock him over, he quickly stopped himself.

“Hehe, Zhou Lin, at least you know it! You should really cut that out!”

“Oh, shut up. I do what I want.”

Just then, an acquaintance teased him. Zhou Lin immediately took the opening to shoot back, careful not to touch Lin Qing at all.

Lin Qing was a precious protected animal. You had to handle him with care—if you broke him by accident, you couldn’t even afford to pay for it…

“Thanks, everyone, for looking out for me. I’ll accept these gifts.”

Since he couldn’t refuse, Lin Qing stopped trying to protest and accepted the snacks.

They weren’t worth much, so accepting them didn’t weigh on his conscience.

At that moment, Lin Qing felt as though the world he’d lived in alone was changing. After colliding with another world, it was slowly beginning to seep into his.

His loneliness was driven away.

Things were gradually getting livelier.

There were all kinds of unpleasant things about school, but there was also a side that made you want to stay.

Though, the people thanking him now were all delinquents…

“You can’t do this to me!!! Stop hitting me, ah!”

As Lin Qing stood surrounded by students, clutching a pile of snacks, Wang Fanran’s miserable screams rang out from inside the classroom.