Chapter 49: Notice of Challenge
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
If he were to ask himself honestly, An Huanhuan’s appearance was really good. She had bright eyes, white teeth, and a fair complexion, but she was quite petite. Her short stature could not be considered a flaw, however. Many guys would instinctively want to protect a girl like her.
The real issue is that Xiao Luo thought they were unsuitable for each other. There were two main reasons for this.
First, he wasn’t a student. The sole purpose of coming to Huaye was to protect Chu Yue secretly.
Second, he’d been working hard in society for three years. He was looking for a girlfriend so they could get married, but undergrads were not within the scope of his consideration.
“Xiao Luo!” someone called out.
The voice, which sounded like a resonant bell, disturbed his reverie. Looking up, he saw five or six beefy guys, their faces revealing their cruel and ruthless intentions.
One guy in a plaid shirt took a step forward, his brushed-up hair swaying with his movement. “Who’s Xiao Luo?”
Hmm. These students are strangers. So why are they singling me out? Must have something to do with Song Jianan.
“What’s your problem?” he asked dryly.
When they saw that Xiao Luo wasn’t at all nervous but was even exhibiting an aloof and superior demeanor, their faces hardened. The guy in a plaid shirt shouted, “Are you motherf*cking Xiao Luo? Just shut up if you’re not; otherwise, I’ll smash your pig brain.”
They were spoiling for a fight. That much was obvious.
“Uh oh. Xiao Luo seems to be in trouble!” whispered Bai Ling.
She was sitting on the other side of the cafeteria when she noticed the strange goings-on at Xiao Luo’s table.
Chu Yue pushed her coiffured hair behind her ears and said disapprovingly, “That pretentious d*ck gets into trouble wherever he goes. I’m used to it.” She sipped some orange juice through a straw. Then she took a look and said, ” It’s the people from the mixed martial arts club. It seems like Song Jianan, and the pretentious d*ck have gotten into a dispute.”
Hearing the raised voices, Huang Ruoran also turned around to see what was happening with Xiao Luo. It was hard to tell from her expression if she was happy or sad about it.
An Huanhuan stood up and stared angrily at the boy in the plaid shirt, “Zhao Xinghe, what are you up to? Are you preparing to start something in the cafeteria?”
“None of your business. We’re not here because of a fickle woman like you,” Zhao Xinghe warned as he pointed his finger at her.
Then he slammed the table with his fist and bellowed at Xiao Luo, Zhu Xiaofei, and Ding Kai, “Who the hell is Xiao Luo? Stand up!”
Zhu Zhufei jumped up from his seat.
Five or six pairs of eyes turned toward him, “Are you, Xiao Luo?”
“I’m not,” Zhu Xiaofei spread his hands.
Ding Kai also stood up at this time. He was emboldened with Xiao Luo nearby.
These five or six people stared at him, “Are you?”
“I’m not,” Ding Kai shook his head.
“Then why the f*ck did you stand up?”
Zhao Xinghe yanked Ding Kai’s collar, nearly lifting him off the floor.
“I’m a civilized student. I’m taking my cutlery and plates back to the collection point to reduce the burden on the cafeteria workers,” Ding Kai muttered.
“Mother*cker!”
Zhao Xinghe was beyond pissed off, and he shoved Ding Kai just for the hell of it.
He was like fallen leaves blown around by the wind. As he stumbled back a few steps, Zhu Xiaofei caught him; otherwise, he would have fallen on the floor.
“What do you think you’re doing? You have no right to push people,” Zhu Xiaofei rebuked angrily.
“Just because my arm is thick, what about it? You want to compare?” Zhao Xinghe said brashly as he flexed his cannonball biceps.
Zhu Xiaofei was pudgy–no match for someone like Zhao Xinghe. When he saw his bulging bicep, he immediately shut his mouth.
Another guy pointed at Xiao Luo, who was eating his lunch. “Brother Zhao, he’s Xiao Luo!”
This boy was from the same group as Tang Yuze. Xiao Luo had beaten him up on the rooftop of the boys’ dormitory. The boy would remember Xiao Luo’s appearance till the day he died.
“You’re Xiao Luo?”
Zhao Xinghe slapped Xiao Luo’s shoulder twice and said with a dark and somber face, “Why didn’t you respond when I called you just now? You treating my words like farts?”
“Now that you mention it, it does smell like someone’s farting, it smells bad!” Xiao Luo fanned the air in front of his nose.
An Huanhuan giggled, “Haha. Hero Luo, you’re so funny.”
Zhao Xinghe’s expression went from amused to horrific. He lifted his foot and stomped it on Xiao Luo’s stool. “You just made fun of me. Are you tired of living?”
“You can just talk, don’t move your feet!” Xiao Luo’s expression turned mean. The scene was set for a showdown.
“Oh, Brother An said you’re crazy. I didn’t believe it at first. Who’d have thought it’s true, I….”
Total silence. All of a sudden, like a tiger, Xiao Luo stood up with his five fingers spread ou and grabbed Zhao Xinghe’s collar. Before he had time to react, Zhao Xinghe felt his feet leaving the ground, his neck bound tightly by the collar. He felt his throat constrict and began choking.
Besides Zhao Xinghe’s buddies, all the students in the cafeteria stared in silence. He must be freakishly strong to lift a person with one hand!
Xiao Luo fixed Zhao Xinghe with an icy stare of disdain, “Now, can you tell me why you sought me out?”
Zhao Xinghe nodded, scared sh*tless. He quickly took out a letter from his pocket. Three words written were on it with a brush, Notice of Challenge.
This is the Notice of Challenge that Brother An is giving you. He’ll be waiting for you at the mixed martial arts club on Saturday night.
“Challenge?”
Disdain flashed across Xiao Luo’s eyes, and then he let go of Zhao Xinghe. “Go back and deliver this to Song Jianan. Ask him if his brain has short-circuited. What era are we in now? Yet he’s still doing this!”
“You don’t accept it?” Zhao Xinghe fixed his collar.
“I have no time for this nonsense!” Xiao Luo said calmly.
Sneering, Zhao Xinghe glanced at An Huanhuan, “You’ve got the guts to snatch Brother An’s girlfriend, but you don’t have the guts to respond to his challenge. Xiao Luo, turns out you’re just a spineless wimp.”
“Sorry, goading doesn’t work on me. Besides, I want to finish my lunch. Stay as far from me as you can, don’t ruin my appetite,” Xiao Luo said in a tone that was neither servile nor overbearing.
The corners of Zhao Xinghe’s lips tightened. When had he ever felt so enraged as a veteran member of the mixed martial arts club?
“Xiao, you should know what’s good for you. We have a total of one hundred and twenty people in the mixed martial arts club. If everyone spits on you, it’ll be enough to drown you. Have you thought about the consequences of rejecting Brother An’s challenge?”
Xiao Luo calmly spat out a word, “Scram!”
Zhu Xiaofei and Ding Kai knew Xiao Luo had a short fuse. It didn’t take much to set him off. In a matter of seconds, that polite and friendly smile could turn ugly and mean, especially if he felt threatened. The two guys quietly backed away to give Xiao Luo enough space in case he needed it. They also threw a look at An Huanhuan, signaling her to get out of the way, too.
“Good. You sure are crazy and bold!”
Zhao Xinghe went berzerk. Although he was stunned when Xiao Luo lifted him with one hand, he was giddy with rage. He reached out and grabbed the plates and cutlery. Then he snarled and got ready to smash them on Xiao Luo’s head and shout, “I’ll f*cking kill you!!!”
But just as he raised his hands, Xiao Luo stood up unexpectedly and dealt a swift kick that landed squarely on Zhao Xinghe’s abdomen.
He leaped like a crouching tiger, using his momentum to overwhelm Zhao Zinge and frighten off the other goons.
It was as if Zhao Xinghe’s muscular body was hit by a train, it flew back and slammed onto his buddies standing behind him.
His companions tried to reach out to catch him. But before they even raised their arms, Zhao Xinghe flew into them like a cannonball and knocked them on their butts. Crash! The plates shattered on the floor, sending the pieces and remains of food scattering in all directions.
What an embarrassment! Before they knew what hit them, the five or six guys were spread out on the floor covered in grease and grime. They were banged up and wailing in agony, but nothing hurt more than their pride. They couldn’t stop panting as they looked at Xiao Luo in terror. Who was this guy?!