Xie Shiya smiled, her gaze fixed on Zhou Yang as if she were looking at a lover.
This was the first time the beautiful Xie had ever observed a man so intently.
She suddenly realized that this seemingly unremarkable Zhou Yang was actually quite attractive—his sharp, well-defined features paired with his resolute and confident eyes gave off an aura of dominance and intimidation.
She faintly sensed that this young man's future was boundless.
Zhou Yang, being stared at so intently by Xie Shiya for the first time, felt extremely awkward. So, he quickly shifted his gaze to her chest, catching a glimpse of the alluring scenery beneath her white blouse.
At that moment, he lost his composure. His heart raced, and he swallowed hard, his mind suddenly flooded with all sorts of indecent fantasies.
Even a monk would be tempted by Xie Shiya's chest, let alone Zhou Yang, a hormonal teenager in the throes of restless desire.
Xie Shiya noticed Zhou Yang's lingering gaze on her chest and thought to herself, *So this kid has a pervy side after all.* She also realized that pressing further wouldn't yield anything useful, so she simply smiled and said, "Alright, I understand. Study hard—I have high hopes for you. If the Li family gives you any trouble, just let me know."
With that, she turned and walked out of the classroom.
Once Xie Shiya left, the students erupted into chatter. They all began heatedly discussing what had just happened.
*"Did you see the way Teacher Xie was looking at Zhou Yang? It felt… different. Could it be that she's also interested in him?"*
*"Bro Yang is seriously badass. First, he conquers the school beauty, and now even Teacher Xie is eyeing him. Teacher Xie is from the Xie family—is she trying to recruit him?"*
*"Damn, I'm so jealous of Bro Yang. Ugh, comparing yourself to others is just depressing. Us losers are light-years behind him."*
Ever since learning about Zhou Yang beating up Li Qiang, he had become an idol and hero in the eyes of his classmates. Now, they all revered and admired him.
Lin Qinglu, being a girl, was naturally sensitive. She had also noticed the complexity in Xie Shiya's gaze and immediately grew anxious.
If Xie Shiya really was interested in Zhou Yang and decided to compete for him, Lin Qinglu knew she couldn't compare—whether in looks, talent, or family background.
She looked at Zhou Yang and asked, "What do you think of our homeroom teacher, Xie Shiya?"
Zhou Yang sensed a trap in her question. If he said Xie Shiya was beautiful, Lin Qinglu would surely retort, *"Am I not beautiful then?"*
After some thought, he replied, "Teacher Xie is a good teacher."
Lin Qinglu pressed further, "If—just *if*—Teacher Xie were to fall for you, what would you do?"
Zhou Yang thought to himself that if Xie Shiya ever took a liking to him, he wouldn't hesitate to take her down. Not doing so would be downright inhuman—an insult to himself. After all, everyone appreciates beauty, especially a bombshell like Xie Shiya.
But such thoughts were best kept as fantasies. He wasn't about to say anything reckless in front of Lin Qinglu. He had to play the role of the upright gentleman.
With firm conviction, he said, "Qinglu, that's absolutely impossible. Xie Shiya is our teacher and at least six years older than me. The chances of her liking me are zero."
Lin Qinglu said, "Age-gap relationships are trendy these days. Plenty of older women love younger guys—either the wild 'wolf' type or the sweet 'puppy' type. I think you're the perfect 'wolf.'"
Zhou Yang replied seriously, "I'd rather be a wolf than a puppy. Anyway, let's drop this topic. Evening self-study is over—I'll walk you home."
Lin Qinglu smiled, somewhat satisfied with his answer. She packed her things, and the two walked out of the classroom hand in hand.
The other students watched their intimacy with envy.
*"Looks like we'll be drowning in their PDA from now on. Why can't I be Bro Yang?"*
By now, Zhou Yang had become the most famous student in Chunjiang No. 1 High School. As he walked through the halls, many students greeted him respectfully.
The members of the Martial Arts Club, in particular, bowed deeply when they saw him—almost as if they wanted to kneel and kowtow.
The shock of Li Qiang's fate had left them terrified of Zhou Yang.
Zhou Yang, however, had no fondness for these club members. He had been bullied by them too many times. Glancing at them, he said coolly, "Don't let me catch you bullying anyone again. Otherwise, I'll make sure you regret it."
The students trembled and hastily replied, "Don't worry, Bro Yang! We'll turn over a new leaf—no more bullying!"
Zhou Yang ignored them and continued walking hand-in-hand with Lin Qinglu.
Lin Qinglu adored Zhou Yang's domineering aura. It made her feel incredibly secure and satisfied her vanity.
Leaning against his shoulder, she said happily, "Being with you makes me feel so safe. Hehe, I'll never have to worry about being bullied again. I really want to introduce you to my parents and proudly tell them you're my boyfriend."
Zhou Yang chuckled. "Let's not rush that. Your parents might not approve of me."
Lin Qinglu said, "They shouldn't object. You're amazing, after all."
Just then, a black Mercedes S600 slowly pulled up beside them. A middle-aged man in his forties stepped out, his face dark with anger. He glared at Lin Qinglu and demanded, "Qinglu, who is this?"
Lin Qinglu was startled. "Dad? What are you doing here?"
She had planned to tell her father about Zhou Yang later, but since he had already seen them, she decided to be upfront.
"This is Zhou Yang—my boyfriend."
Truthfully, seeing her father, Lin Yongsheng, made her nervous. But she still held Zhou Yang's hand firmly. If she had chosen to be his girlfriend, she had to face her father bravely.
Zhou Yang, despite sensing Lin Yongsheng's hostility, politely greeted him. "Hello, Uncle Lin."
Lin Yongsheng didn't recognize Zhou Yang and had never heard his name before.
With a cold snort, he sized Zhou Yang up—his plain clothes, the lack of a watch on his wrist—and immediately pegged him as a poor nobody. Worse, he assumed Zhou Yang was some delinquent student.
As a father, he opposed his daughter dating in general, let alone dating some penniless kid.
The truth was, he knew Li Qiang—the second young master of the Li family, one of Chunjiang's four great families—had taken an interest in Lin Qinglu. In his eyes, having Li Qiang fancy his daughter was a tremendous opportunity.
He had repeatedly tried to persuade Lin Qinglu to get along with Li Qiang. If she could become Li Qiang's girlfriend—or even marry into the Li family—it would bring immeasurable benefits to the Lin family.