Liu Hong stood a full six feet tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a lean, well-proportioned build.

Beneath his school uniform shirt, though, was a powerful set of muscles.

That was one of the reasons he could take on a whole group in a brawl. His physical strength mattered just as much as his technique.

Still, judging by his looks alone, Liu Hong had a rather delicate, handsome face.

He looked gentle and frail, and when he smiled, two faint dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth. It was hard to connect him with the “mad dog” everyone talked about.

And yet, it was true.

At least, every student in Class Six knew Liu Hong.

“Brother Liu, you know Chen Sen too? Right, right, Chen Sen and I are friends. He said he’d protect me!”

Wang Fanran was getting beaten to a pulp by Zhou Lin when he suddenly heard Chen Sen’s name from Liu Hong. A glimmer flashed in his tiny eyes. He knew he was saved!

Liu Hong showed no sign of disgust when he mentioned Chen Sen’s name. Clearly, the two weren’t enemies.

Liu Hong was the strongest in Class Six.

Even Zhou Lin and Wang Jian were his lackeys. That showed just how much pull Liu Hong had at school.

If Liu Hong knew Chen Sen, then their relationship had to be more than ordinary.

After all, hardly anyone knew that freak, Chen Sen.

He was secretive about everything he did, too.

If that unexpected incident hadn’t happened, Wang Fanran never would’ve met Chen Sen…

Thinking of that, Wang Fanran couldn’t help grinning. His bruised and swollen face lit up with joy. He knew he was saved!

Things were turning out this way, and it seemed the heavens were still on his side.

Damn Zhou Lin.

He’d dared to hit him so hard just now. Wang Fanran would make him pay for it later.

As Liu Hong’s lackey, Zhou Lin would have no choice but to lower his hands at Liu Hong’s command and let Wang Fanran hit him, furious and helpless.

And Lin Qing, that bastard—he’d get a good slap across the face too.

Not one of the people who’d hit him today was getting away!

“Friends? That’s not what Chen Sen said!”

But just as Wang Fanran was getting excited, Liu Hong’s next words poured cold water all over him.

Wang Fanran froze, unable to believe what he’d just heard.

What the hell was Chen Sen playing at?!

He and Chen Sen were about to work together. Were they not even friends?

Damn it.

“Brother Liu, that’s not it. I’ll call Chen Sen and let him explain it to you.”

With everyone around him watching, Wang Fanran suddenly felt the pressure bearing down on him like a mountain. Cold sweat soaked his back, and his body trembled.

He couldn’t let things keep going like this!

Without Chen Sen’s protection, those damn punks would beat him even worse.

“Sure. Go ahead and call him.”

Liu Hong had no objection to Wang Fanran asking to make a call. He casually waved a hand, giving him the go-ahead.

As he waved, Liu Hong glanced toward a spot in the classroom. There sat Su Yao, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. She was as beautiful and pure as ever, like a goddess of creation in a painting.

She wasn’t watching the commotion. She sat at her desk, reading intently, her flawless back carrying a hint of aloofness.

One glance was enough to make it impossible to look away.

“Okay, okay. I’m calling him now.”

After getting Liu Hong’s permission, Wang Fanran forced himself to his feet despite the pain, then sat down on the floor without a care for his dignity. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Chen Sen’s number.

Chen Sen had told him to contact him only by text, but this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

He had to reach Chen Sen as soon as possible.

As long as Chen Sen confirmed they knew each other, Liu Hong wouldn’t make things difficult for him—and might even become the key to turning the tables!

“Beep, beep, beep…”

But after Wang Fanran made the call, all he heard from the other end was the ringing tone.

No answer.

Wang Fanran tried calling several more times, but the result was the same. Chen Sen had no intention of picking up.

Wang Fanran’s hand began to tremble around his phone. The ominous feeling in his gut grew more and more real.

His thoughts of turning the tables and beating Zhou Lin and Lin Qing to a pulp vanished completely.

All that remained in Wang Fanran’s heart was fear.

What on earth had happened?

Why wasn’t Chen Sen answering his calls?

“Finished calling?”

Only after taking one last, satisfied look at Su Yao did Liu Hong turn his attention back to Wang Fanran.

Seeing Wang Fanran trembling all over, he curled his lip in disdain. He didn’t think wasting any more time on this fat pig was a smart move.

He could spend that time trying to win Su Yao over instead. Maybe she’d look his way for once.

She ignored him every time, but a little setback like that wasn’t going to stop him!

“Brother Liu, I just need a little more time. Chen Sen’s only busy with something, it’s not that—”

Hearing Liu Hong’s question, Wang Fanran clung to a last bit of hope and forced out a smile.

But before he could finish, Liu Hong kicked him square in the chest.

Liu Hong didn’t hold back. He had no reason to.

The kick landed with tremendous force, sending Wang Fanran tumbling backward into the storage cabinet against the classroom wall with a loud crash.

After hitting the floor, Wang Fanran grimaced in pain. Now he knew firsthand just how terrifying Liu Hong was.

Watching from the side, Zhou Lin let out a gasp. Then he quickly raised his hands in front of himself and clapped in small, exaggerated motions to show his admiration for Liu Hong.

That was Brother Liu for you.

Wang Fanran was one heavy fat pig, and Liu Hong had knocked him down with a single kick. The strength in his legs was unreal!

They couldn’t even compare!

“Zhou Lin, didn’t I tell you this morning? Beat this fat pig up however you like. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

Seeing Zhou Lin’s over-the-top applause, Liu Hong rolled his eyes and poked him in the chest as he spoke.

“Ow, come on!” Zhou Lin cried, hurriedly crossing his arms over his chest to fend off Liu Hong’s sexual harassment.

“How was I supposed to know there was someone called Chen Sen involved?”

Zhou Lin sounded a little aggrieved. He really had no idea who Chen Sen was.

After all, the person who’d told him to stop beating Wang Fanran earlier

was Liu Hong.

“That’s true. You guys don’t know him. He’s a pretty rich guy. To protect Wang Fanran, he transferred ten thousand yuan to me on the spot.”

Looking at Zhou Lin, Liu Hong thought it over and realized his lackeys didn’t know Chen Sen.

So he didn’t hide anything. He told them the whole story.

When the bystanders heard about the ten thousand yuan, they gasped. They hadn’t expected the other guy to be so generous.

Ten thousand yuan was no small amount for an ordinary student!

“But after news broke that Li Dong had hurt someone, Chen Sen heard about it and immediately called off the deal. He didn’t even want the money anymore. He said it was payment for my trouble.”

But there was more to the story, and that was why Liu Hong had stopped protecting Wang Fanran.

Chen Sen had withdrawn his request.

…