Afternoon.

After class, the students kept hurling all kinds of personal insults at Jiang Yuan.

They'd held back somewhat that morning. But once they were sure Jiang Yuan wouldn't fight back, Yi Nanye wouldn't interfere, and they really could get their money, they started finding new ways to bully him.

They left toilet paper on Jiang Yuan's desk. They even pinned his photo to the blackboard like a memorial portrait and held a funeral for him.

They mocked Jiang Yuan's family and cursed his ancestors.

They unleashed every bit of malice they could imagine on him, without holding anything back.

They even deliberately turned their phone volumes all the way up, filling the classroom with notifications announcing, “Payment received.”

Throughout all this, Qin Xin kept turning around to glare at Yi Nanye, hoping she'd step in. But Yi Nanye acted as if she hadn't seen a thing, leaning against the wall and playing on her phone.

Jiang Yuan didn't say a word. Even when someone stepped up and slapped him, he could still smile and turn his face toward them, letting them hit him.

Watching it all, Qin Xin felt the passion she'd found after learning she was a Doomsday Hero—the passion that had made her want to fight for the world—slowly grow cold.

Were these people really worth protecting?

The person she loved was being bullied for no reason, and she still had to swallow her anger. Was she even supposed to protect these people someday?

Just as she was about to step in, her phone suddenly vibrated. She pulled it out and saw a text from an unknown number. It read:

If you interfere, things will only get worse for both of you.

After reading the text, Qin Xin turned to look toward the wall. Sure enough, Yi Nanye was looking at her too. Their eyes met, and Yi Nanye immediately lowered her head and looked back at her phone, her fingers flying across the screen.

Another text immediately arrived on Qin Xin's phone:

He puts up with all this and still comes to school for a reason. He isn't here to be a punching bag. He's got his own ideas. You don't even understand him—how can you call yourself his girlfriend? I know him better than you do!

After sending that text, Yi Nanye looked up again and gave Qin Xin a faint, distinctly provocative smile. Qin Xin was absolutely fuming, but she knew Jiang Yuan wasn't the kind of person who went looking for trouble, so she forced herself to hold back her anger.

After school.

Jiang Yuan packed up his things and got ready to leave. But as soon as the teacher walked out, the students swarmed around him.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuan let out a slow sigh. Guess getting home wasn't going to be that easy...

“Everyone, can I help you with some—”

Before he could finish, one of the boys rushed forward and punched Jiang Yuan in the face. Jiang Yuan's head snapped to the side. He swallowed his anger, then slowly looked up at the person who'd hit him.

It was his best friend—the closest friend he had at school.

They'd played games together, talked about their interests, snuck snacks during class, copied each other's homework, and then gotten punished together.

Remembering all the times they'd spent messing around together, Jiang Yuan gave a bitter little laugh.

What caught Jiang Yuan's attention was the boy's expression. Behind the fierce look, there was a trace of helplessness.

He must've been bullied too, if he didn't cut ties with Jiang Yuan.

So after being hit, Jiang Yuan said nothing.

Seeing that, the others rushed in and started beating him too. The girls filmed everything on their phones, cheering them on from the sidelines. A few bolder girls even joined in, using Jiang Yuan to practice their punches.

It was an act of extreme violence, driven by something almost feral.

Jiang Yuan curled up on the ground as fists and feet rained down on him without mercy. He tried desperately not to make a sound, but he couldn't stop himself from coughing up blood. Qin Xin stood frozen, staring at him.

What was happening?

She could barely process it. Didn't they know Jiang Yuan was her boyfriend?

At least...

At least show me a little respect!!

Before, the bullying had looked awful, but they hadn't actually done much to Jiang Yuan. Now, they were beating him like they meant to leave him barely alive.

Even Yi Nanye was stunned.

She'd expected only a few people to hit him. As long as they didn't go too far, that would've been fine.

But this was different.

The students in the class were acting as if someone had ordered them to do it. Somehow, they'd all made the same choice.

“That's enough! Stop!”

Seeing this, Yi Nanye immediately tried to stop them. Things had gotten out of control!

“Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere as long as his life wasn't in danger?”

“Relax. We know when to stop.”

“Though I guess we can't avoid breaking a few arms and legs.”

“Ha! True. Ten million for a broken arm, and a seaside villa for a broken leg!”

“Hey, hey, what happened to splitting it evenly?”

The students laughed as they kept beating Jiang Yuan, happily discussing how they'd split the money afterward. Some of the girls had already opened shopping apps to browse lipstick and handbags, chatting with their best friends about which ones looked better.

Yi Nanye gritted her teeth, pulled out her handgun without a word, and fired a shot into the ceiling.

“Don't ignore my warning!”

The gunshot did make the students stop beating Jiang Yuan—but only for a moment. Soon, someone started hitting him again.

“You'd shoot at us?”

“I think you want Jiang Yuan dead too. Just say it was an accident, that you weren't paying attention. We might as well let him be done with it today.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

The students weren't the least bit afraid of Yi Nanye's threat. For once, Yi Nanye looked flustered. The only way she could handle this now was with force. If she didn't, Jiang Yuan would end up crippled even if he survived.

Crippled in the truest sense.

All four limbs broken, his eyes beaten blind, his ears deaf, his nose smashed in, every tooth knocked out. What would be the point of living like that?

But wasn't that exactly what she wanted to see? If he had to live like that, Jiang Yuan would most likely kill himself. Wouldn't that accomplish her goal?

In the brief moment she hesitated...

A wave of bone-chilling cold suddenly erupted through the classroom. Everything inside began frosting over at a visible speed, and the students beating Jiang Yuan started screaming in pain.

“My foot... My foot...”

“Qin Xin!! What are you doing?!”

“Stop! Stop it, now!!”

Frost spread across their bodies too, instantly destroying and freezing the skin on their exposed flesh.

“I have no desire to protect people like you.”

“I hope you die horribly at the hands of monsters someday!”

Qin Xin's gaze was cold as she stared down at her classmates, looking at them from on high as if they weren't even human.

“Qin Xin... Wh-what did you just say?”

Yi Nanye was the first to sense something was wrong. Were those words a hero should be saying?!