"So, it's you, Ye Fan."
"Tell me, are you managing to keep up with your studies?"
Because she shared a close bond with Ye Fan, Xu Qian asked with a smile, her voice soft and light, enough to stir the depths of his heart.
Gazing upon her exquisitely beautiful face, a cascade of delightful thoughts rippled through Ye Fan's mind.
"Everything's going alright," he replied. "But, Qian-jie, while I've memorized all the vocabulary in English, the grammar completely stumps me. Would you mind helping me out?"
He scratched the back of his head in a bashful manner, playing the part of an innocent schoolboy.
"You're struggling with grammar?" she asked gently. "Alright, come here and I'll explain it to you."
"Later at noon, come by my dorm—I'll help you catch up on everything you've missed."
After a brief moment of thought, Xu Qian offered him a warm smile, her tone tender and kind.
Ye Fan, in response, feigned shyness, lowering his head as if embarrassed.
"Qian-jie, wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?"
Xu Qian, however, remained unbothered, even offering comforting words.
"Oh, Xiaofan, what's so bad about it?"
"I'm your teacher—helping you is my responsibility, isn't it?"
Back when they were in their first year, Xu Qian had always taken pride in Ye Fan, and Ye Fan, with his silver tongue, often made her laugh. These little moments brought warmth to her heart, and over time, she had grown quite fond of him—though only in a sisterly way.
"Alright then, Qian-jie. I'll trouble you for it."
Seeing her insistence, Ye Fan couldn't bring himself to refuse. After all, this had been one of his goals from the start.
Even though he didn't expect anything truly intimate to happen with Xu Qian, having such a stunning beauty within reach was a pleasure in itself.
His heart smoldered with a quiet excitement as he leaned in slightly, wanting to catch a whiff of the delicate scent lingering around her—a fragrance that stirred desire.
But just as he was about to edge closer, a sudden noise from the doorway shattered his fantasy.
"Miss Xu, we've come to study English too!"
"With the college entrance exams so close, I'm filled with regret. I want to make up for lost time and work hard—please guide me!"
"Yes! I've reflected deeply—thinking of my eighty-year-old mother waiting at home, my heart is filled with remorse. I want to change!"
Damn it.
Hearing these absurdly dramatic lines, Ye Fan felt a surge of fury.
Study? Could they not come up with a more ridiculous excuse?
They spent every day either napping or glued to their phones—now suddenly they wanted to study?
Who were they trying to fool?
In that moment, Ye Fan, quick-witted as he was, understood at once.
This was no coincidence.
A figure immediately emerged in his mind.
Teeth clenched and fists balled, he hissed through the gaps in his teeth:
"Chu Yi."
But while Ye Fan burned with anger, those outside—Zhang Xing and his gang—weren't going to back down just because of it.
One by one, they swaggered into the office with arrogant ease.
"Hey, what are you standing there for? Don't block the way."
The blonde-haired troublemaker deliberately bumped into Ye Fan, a sly jab hidden from Xu Qian's sight.
He wanted to humiliate him.
Caught off guard, Ye Fan's balance faltered and he nearly toppled. Luckily, his reflexes were sharp and his martial arts training kicked in—he steadied himself with a hand on the desk before he fell.
But as soon as he righted himself, Ye Fan turned, eyes blazing with anger, glaring at the blonde.
"Sorry about that, Ye Fan. I walked a little fast and bumped into you. My apologies," the blonde said, feigning sincerity, his face the picture of regret.
Ye Fan's fury boiled within, yet he found no release—as if he'd punched a cloud, his rage absorbed with nowhere to go.
Meanwhile, Xu Qian's eyes sparkled as she watched the group.
These were the very students who gave her the greatest headache—those mischievous boys in the back rows who never studied no matter what she tried.
And now, here they were, walking into the office saying they wanted to learn?
She couldn't believe it—but her heart was quietly elated.
"Come on in, take a seat," she said cheerfully.
…
Thanks to Xu Qian's warm welcome, Zhang Xing and his group quickly took up positions around the desk—crowding Ye Fan right out of the circle.
At that moment, Ye Fan felt his entire mental plan collapsing.
All his careful calculations had come to nothing.
Meanwhile, in Chu Yi's mind, a voice echoed:
Ding! Congratulations, Host. Ye Fan's mentality has taken a hit. You've significantly altered the plot trajectory. You've gained 8 Fortune Points and 1,000 Villain Points.
A smug smile appeared at the corner of Chu Yi's lips.
"System, open the panel," he said calmly.
Host: Chu Yi
Fortune: 417 (Level 3 Villain)
Villain Points: 21,300
Check-in: Once per day
Income: One-tenth of item value received
Strength: 71 (Average human: 10)
Intelligence: 41
Charm: 37
Constitution: 45
Items: Baby Gift Set x3, Corpse Dissolving Powder
Skills: Grandmaster Bajiquan, X-ray Vision, Aura Suppression, Master-level Calligraphy
System Store: Activated
"System, draw a prize."
Ignoring the panel, Chu Yi focused on the important part.
Two spinning wheels appeared before him—one requiring 1,500 Villain Points (Tier 1), the other 3,000 (Tier 2).
He sighed in amazement.
He had thought over 20,000 points was a fortune—yet now it felt like barely enough for a few spins.
Suppressing the swirl of emotions, he selected the Tier 1 wheel.
A ten-spin combo guaranteed a Tier 2 reward.
"Not bad at all," he mused, and pressed down.
The wheel spun wildly, and prizes began to pour forth.
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You've won a limited edition bulletproof Lamborghini worth 50 million!
Ding! You've gained 10 Attribute Points.
Ding! You've obtained a Master-level Voice.
Ding! You've acquired Divine Driving Skills.
…
The first few were phenomenal—the rest, less impressive.
Until the tenth spin.
Suddenly:
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have drawn a top-tier martial art from the world of 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'—Northern Darkness Divine Skill.
Chu Yi was stunned.
A demonic martial art that could absorb others' internal energy?
If he mastered it, wouldn't he be unstoppable?
Like a cow strapped to a rocket—straight to the heavens.
He began sorting through his loot.
+10 attribute points: all invested into Charm.
Voice mastery and driving skills: learned instantly.
Northern Darkness Divine Skill: put aside for now.
Too volatile to train in public—better to keep a low profile.
Back in the office, Ye Fan sat listening to Xu Qian's lecture.
But his heart was in turmoil.
He couldn't hear a word.
Surrounded on all sides, squeezed in by people who clearly didn't care about studying—how was he supposed to concentrate?
His expression soured, as though he'd tasted something foul.
He couldn't bear to stay any longer.
Forget it—I'll just go back to class.
Finding an excuse, Ye Fan slipped out.
By the window, Chu Yi caught the entire scene, a trace of mockery flickering in his eyes.
He turned to leave.
But just then, a shy voice called out beside him.
"Chu Yi… after school at noon, can we… talk?"
Chu Yi slapped his forehead, already dreading what was coming.
He turned—and there stood Zhang Ting, short-haired and nervous.
It was almost comical.
He had underestimated her conservativeness.
Ever since that day he touched her leg, she had latched onto him like a lost puppy.
Her attitude had changed dramatically—she treated him as if they were already dating.
But he had never wanted to be her boyfriend.
He'd only done it to provoke Li Linhai.
His real goal had always been Xia Yuehan.
Still, he couldn't be too blunt.
After a pause, he said gently:
"Zhang Ting, you're right. Dating now wouldn't be ideal."
"Let's wait until after the college entrance exams. We'll talk then."
It was the perfect response—logical and noncommittal.
But to Zhang Ting, his words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Her face went pale.
Was he just toying with her?
If he liked her, why reject her when she had already taken the first step?
But she couldn't bring herself to ask.
After a long pause, she forced a smile.
"Alright… let's talk after the exams."
With that, she turned and returned to her seat, her face filled with silent sorrow.
From the corner, Li Linhai watched the whole exchange.
His eyes blazed with red fury.
He glared at Chu Yi with bloodshot rage, his fists clenched.
How he longed to charge in and fight him.
But he couldn't.
In every way, Chu Yi outmatched him—family, strength, influence.
His only hope now was to place his faith in his "big brother."
Later, Noon—After Fourth Period
At lunch break, students typically ate in the cafeteria, went home, or grabbed food from nearby restaurants.
In a narrow alley, Chu Yi walked slowly with his hands in his pockets.
The air was still and silent.
No one around—only him, moving calmly.
Suddenly, the sharp whistle of a punch sliced through the air.
A fist hurtled toward his back, swift and fierce, as though it could shatter steel.
It closed the distance in seconds—mere inches from impact—
But just before the blow could land—
Chu Yi smiled faintly.
He spun around, catching the fist in one effortless motion.
It stopped cold.
"You—how did you know?" a shocked voice stammered.
Ye Fan's face was filled with disbelief.
Chu Yi smiled calmly.
"I've been waiting for you."
What?
He knew I'd come?
Ye Fan's eyes flickered with fear.
Had Chu Yi overheard his talk with Li Linhai?
He drew in a sharp breath.
Unable to free his left hand, he threw a right-handed punch upward—fast, sharp, precise.
This time, he was confident.
He had reached the late Dark Strength stage—an entire level above last time.
There was no way Chu Yi could match him now.
But—
Chu Yi caught that punch too.
Effortlessly.
Ye Fan's confidence shattered.
What level… was Chu Yi really at?
Was he strong enough to subdue him with a single hand?
Chilled to the bone, Ye Fan's heart filled with dread.
But almost immediately, rage replaced fear.
No. Impossible!
He had trained so hard. He couldn't lose to some spoiled rich kid!
With a roar, Ye Fan lunged forward, ramming his head toward Chu Yi in a desperate, reckless attack.
But Chu Yi's eyes only narrowed with scorn.
With a single kick, he struck Ye Fan's abdomen—
Boom!
The sound exploded like thunder.
Ye Fan flew backward like a severed kite and crashed to the ground.
"How… how can this be…?"
"I saw your strength. You were only at Dark Strength peak…"
Ye Fan coughed blood, unable to accept what he had witnessed.
Dark Strength?
Hah.
That's just the surface.
Chu Yi's lips curled into a cold smile as he walked slowly forward.