Inside the dormitory, the bright lights shone quietly. Although it was only around 8 PM, the surrounding dormitories were silent. Occasional sounds of laughter could be heard, forming a stark contrast to the quietness inside the dormitory.
Lu An and Fu Yu were both seated in chairs. Fu Yu leaned back against the chair, her slightly damp hair draped behind her, arms crossed over her chest, her gaze cold as she looked at Lu An. Lu An, on the other hand, was leaning forward, his arms resting on his legs, hands clasped together, head bowed, making it impossible to see his expression.
Just outside the hall, Lu An was somewhat surprised and also a little pleased by Fu Yu’s arrival. After all, he didn't want to drop out of school; he wanted to change his fate here. After communicating with the male teacher, he left. What also surprised Lu An was that the seemingly fierce male teacher didn't get angry because of his change of mind.
On the way back, Lu An kept apologizing, while Fu Yu walked ahead without saying anything. It wasn't until they were inside the dormitory that they both sat down.
After returning to the dormitory, Fu Yu had been looking at him like that. He felt guilty and didn't know what to do to make Fu Yu calm down, so he could only lower his head and await her judgment.
In truth, Fu Yu was indeed furious. When she was in her clan, everyone would kneel and bow to her, and she had never suffered even a bit of grievance. Yet, this person had caused her to suffer twice in one day, and even saw her body. If she could, she really wanted to gouge out Lu An’s eyes!
Taking a deep breath, Fu Yu finally moved, leaning forward and asking, “What is your name?”
Hearing her speak, Lu An’s body trembled. He quickly looked up and said with a smile, “My name is Lu An. What about you?”
“Fu Yu.” Fu Yu originally didn't want to say, but after thinking about it, she still answered. Then, her expression changed, and she said coldly, “Tonight’s matter, if you dare to say one word outside, I will definitely kill you!”
“I definitely won’t!” Lu An was startled by her words. He quickly waved his hand and said, “If I say anything outside, may I be struck by lightning!”
Seeing Lu An swear, Fu Yu’s expression softened a little. However, seeing Lu An looking at her, she always felt as if she had been seen naked, and couldn't help but subtly pull her clothes tighter.
“I saw everything that happened in the hall today,” Fu Yu said, looking at Lu An.
Lu An was startled, then realized that the girl had been queuing right behind him, and must have seen him being insulted repeatedly in the hall. He couldn't help but give a bitter smile and say, “You must be laughing at me.”
Seeing Lu An’s reaction and answer, Fu Yu frowned and asked, “You’re not angry?”
“Angry?” Lu An thought for a moment and said, “Of course I’m angry, but what can anger do?”
Hearing Lu An’s words, Fu Yu’s eyebrows furrowed even deeper, and her eyes turned cold. She said, “I have never seen a man as spineless as you.”
Lu An smiled at her words, shaking his head and saying, “Perhaps. It’s just that the method of handling things is different. I will seek revenge, but not now. Isn’t there a saying, ‘sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall’? If I go now, I’d just be acting tough, being a hot-headed fool.”
Hearing these words, Fu Yu was somewhat surprised, but she still couldn't accept Lu An’s actions today. If she had suffered such insults in the hall, she would have long since gone on a rampage and killed all those people!
Fu Yu was about to say something when, at that moment, a sudden loud commotion erupted outside. The sounds seemed to include cursing and shouting, startling both Fu Yu and Lu An.
The two exchanged glances, then both got up and walked to the door. Lu An opened the door and looked out, finding a group of people gathered together on the road. From the looks of it, there were at least twenty or thirty people. People from other dormitories around also stood at their doorways, looking on as if watching a show.
“Damn it! I’m already being generous enough to tolerate trash like you in the same dormitory. What’s wrong with asking you to fetch me a basin of foot-washing water?”
“I’m using you because I think highly of you. You’re ungrateful, hit him!”
“…”
This time, both Fu Yu and Lu An heard the insults, causing both of them to frown. However, such things happened every day. The insults Lu An had suffered were many times worse than this. He shook his head, preparing to go back inside.
However, just as he turned his head, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of the person being beaten in the crowd. It wasn’t anyone else, but Gao Dashan, with whom he had chatted all day! He was instantly stunned!
Then, under Fu Yu’s astonished gaze beside him, Lu An rushed out like lightning, heading straight into the crowd!
“What are you doing?!” Lu An charged into the crowd, desperately pushing aside everyone blocking his way! Because they were unprepared, even boys taller than him were pushed away, allowing him to successfully reach the center of the crowd!
At this moment, Gao Dashan was already lying on the ground, his face covered in blood. Lu An quickly helped Dashan up from the ground, anxiously shouting, “Dashan! How are you, Dashan?!”
At this moment, Dashan’s spirit was somewhat scattered, and his eyes were a bit vacant. There were two or three places on his head bleeding. He offered no response as Lu An held him in his arms.
Lu An’s sudden appearance surprised these people quite a bit, but seeing that the one who rushed in was the good-for-nothing who had been publicly humiliated today, their eyes filled with disdain.
Just as the people around stepped forward, about to lay hands on Lu An, a voice suddenly came from beside them!
“Stop!” A clear male voice rang out, stopping everyone!
Lu An had already hunched over, fully prepared to take a beating to prevent them from further harming Dashan, as he had at least seven or eight years of experience in this regard. But the sudden male voice, for some reason, gave him a sense of déjà vu.
When he looked up at the person, he was startled.
“It really is you!” Zhou Chengkun looked down at Lu An, who was sprawled on the ground, a sinister smile on his face. He said eerily, “Yesterday, you made me look like a fool in front of so many friends. I was worried I wouldn’t find you, but I didn’t expect you to deliver yourself to my doorstep!”
Lu An’s heart tightened. He immediately remembered that this person was one of the few he had encountered by the river yesterday!
“This is the academy,” Lu An said, frowning tightly as he looked at Zhou Chengkun. “Do you dare to act so presumptuously here?”
“So what if it’s the academy?” Zhou Chengkun slowly squatted down, playing with the jade pendant in his hand, and said mockingly to Lu An, “I can’t say for sure about other things, but as long as I don’t beat you to death, the academy won’t bother me.”
Hearing this, Lu An’s brows furrowed even deeper as he stared at Zhou Chengkun.
At that moment, several people suddenly walked out from behind the crowd. The leader was the girl from the riverside last night, Chu Ling.
“Chengkun, what are you doing out here so late?” Chu Ling walked to the center, casually looking at Lu An and Gao Dashan on the ground, without a trace of sympathy in her eyes, as if looking at two animals.
“Nothing,” Zhou Chengkun stood up and gave Chu Ling a gentlemanly smile, saying, “Just teaching two low-class people a lesson.”
“Finish quickly and let’s go play by the rockery behind. They’re already waiting there,” Chu Ling said with a hint of impatience, urging him.
As soon as he heard that everyone was there, Zhou Chengkun immediately became interested and quickly said, “Alright!”
With that, Zhou Chengkun turned and said coldly to the people around him, “Break one of his legs.”
Upon hearing this, the people around all showed a cold sneer and rushed forward without hesitation, punching and kicking Lu An!
Instantaneously, intense pain shot through his entire body. Lu An could only cover his head with his hands, hunching over to shield Dashan beneath him as much as possible. But there were too many people around, and they were four or five years older than him, striking without mercy. Soon, they knocked him to the ground as well!
During the process, Zhou Chengkun and Chu Ling looked at the beaten Lu An, chatting and laughing, as if it were a somewhat interesting affair. The people around also watched the spectacle, and not a single person stepped forward to stop it.
“What are you doing?!” Suddenly, a heavy voice rang out, startling everyone and causing all those who were fighting to stop!
Lu An curled up on the ground, groaning in pain as he rolled over, clutching his ribs and chest, struggling to breathe.
The male teacher from today strode over, and the students in the crowd immediately made way for him, until he reached the center.
He looked down at Gao Dashan, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and Lu An, who was struggling in pain. His brows immediately furrowed, and he sharply raised his head to look around!
“Who did this, step forward!” he roared, his voice startling the surrounding students, causing them to involuntarily shrink their necks.
However, the only answer he received was silence.