The bell for the first afternoon break had barely finished ringing when Zhao Kai swaggered into the middle of the classroom with two cronies in tow. He cleared his throat deliberately, his voice loud enough to drown out the hallway chatter.
"Some people sure know how to fake it lately. Hanging around girls every day, 'helping' them with math. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was trying to chase someone!"
His eyes cut like knives toward Lin Chen and Su Wanqing, his lips curling into a mocking grin. "Too bad some people don't know their place. Look at those busted sneakers, that ragged backpack—and you still dare to cozy up to Su Wanqing? You think explaining a few math problems is enough to make the class goddess fall for a broke loser like you?"
Laughter erupted behind him. One of his lackeys even whistled. "Lin Chen, look at you, thinking a toad can eat swan meat! Wanqing's our class goddess, and you? You're not even in the same league!"
The relaxed atmosphere soured instantly. Curious classmates set down their pens and gathered around, their faces a mix of schadenfreude and anticipation, ready for a show.
Lin Chen's fists clenched so tight that his knuckles cracked, his nails digging into his palms. In his previous life, Zhao Kai had humiliated him the same way, in front of everyone. Back then, he had no choice but to lower his head and swallow the shame. But this time was different! He was just about to stand up and fight back when—
Swish!
Su Wanqing shot to her feet. The pen in her hand trembled from how tightly she gripped it, her knuckles white, but her eyes blazed like fire. She strode forward and planted herself right in front of Lin Chen, blocking everyone else's view.
"Zhao Kai, stop making up garbage!" she snapped, her voice ringing clear and firm. "Lin Chen and I are just helping each other. He tutors me in math, I share my Chinese notes with him. What's wrong with that? Who are you to attack him personally? Who are you to call him poor?"
Her words cut like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing the jeers. Zhao Kai blinked, clearly not expecting her to defend Lin Chen so fiercely. His smirk faltered, though he tried to cover it with bravado. "I was just joking, why are you so worked up? Am I wrong? Isn't Lin Chen just—"
"Shut up!" Su Wanqing snapped, cutting him off mid-sentence. Her gaze burned with anger. "So what if someone's rich or poor? That doesn't mean a damn thing! Lin Chen is a hundred times better than you. He works hard, he's honest, and he actually helps people. Unlike you—all you do is stir up trouble and bully classmates! Instead of running your mouth, maybe spend some time memorizing vocabulary. Otherwise, when the monthly exam comes around and you land at the bottom again, the teacher's gonna call you out in front of the whole class!"
Her words hit him where it hurt most. Zhao Kai's face turned an ugly shade of purple. He'd always been near the bottom of the rankings, and last exam, the teacher had publicly scolded him as "unmotivated." The reminder made him shake with rage.
"Su Wanqing, don't push it! My business with Lin Chen has nothing to do with you!"
"How does it not?" she shot back without hesitation, stepping forward so sharply that Zhao Kai instinctively backed away. "Lin Chen is my friend. You bully him, you bully me. Say one more nasty word, and I'll call the homeroom teacher right now. We'll see what they think about you destroying class harmony!"
She yanked out her phone from her bag, her finger hovering over the homeroom teacher's number.
The onlookers started whispering.
"Zhao Kai's out of line. They're just helping each other—why's he butting in?"
"Yeah, Wanqing's right. Who cares about family background? Zhao Kai's grades are trash and he still dares act superior."
"Lin Chen's been killing it in math lately, even helping classmates. He's way better than Zhao Kai."
Even the boys who had laughed earlier shut up quickly and shrank toward the back.
Zhao Kai scanned the room, seeing the disdain in their eyes, hearing the murmurs, and realized if he kept pushing, he'd only embarrass himself more. He shot Lin Chen a venomous glare and spat out, "This isn't over. Just you wait!" Then, with his lackeys trailing behind, he slunk back to his seat, his head ducked so low it nearly hit the desk.
Su Wanqing finally turned back, the fire in her eyes softening into concern. "Are you okay? Don't mind him. He's just jealous of how fast you're improving in math, so he's trying to rile you up."
Lin Chen met her bright eyes, his chest swelling with warmth, his vision blurring at the edges. In his past life, no one had ever defended him. No one had ever stood up against humiliation on his behalf. He swallowed hard, his voice rough. "I'm fine. Thank you, Su Wanqing."
She smiled, clapping him lightly on the shoulder, casual yet affectionate. "What's with the thanks? We're friends, aren't we? If he tries to bully you again, don't just take it. We'll fight back together. Don't let him think you're an easy target!"
Other classmates gathered too, some patting Lin Chen's arm.
"Don't let it get to you, Lin Chen. Zhao Kai's just a clown."
"Next time he comes at you, we'll back you up."
"Once you beat him on the monthly exam, he won't dare act tough anymore!"
Their friendly voices and looks of support warmed Lin Chen's heart. In this life, I'm no longer alone.
The class bell rang, and everyone hurried back to their seats. Su Wanqing slid into her chair beside Lin Chen, secretly passing him a folded note. Inside, her neat handwriting read: Don't bother with Zhao Kai. Let's crush the monthly exam and slap him in the face with results!
Lin Chen stared at the graceful script, gratitude welling up inside. He lifted his head and gave Su Wanqing a firm smile and nod.
That period, he listened more intently than ever, jotting down every word. He knew: only by becoming stronger could he protect Su Wanqing, only by excelling could he shut Zhao Kai's mouth for good.
But he didn't see Zhao Kai at the back, hunched low over his desk. In his hand was a crumpled scrap of paper, scribbled with the name of an exam proctor and the location of an office key. A sinister grin twisted Zhao Kai's mouth. He had originally planned just to swap Lin Chen's answer sheet. Now? He was going to destroy him completely.