"Very well. Lately, Mr. Lu and I have been planning to tutor some of the underachieving students in the grade. The next class is P.E., so you can skip it, Shu Ran. Come with me instead—we'll be doing a test soon anyway," said Yu Yi. Now that Shu Ran had agreed to what he wanted, his tone had improved significantly. He twisted Liu Hong's ear and led him out of the office.
"Go on," Zhou Li said, nodding at Shu Ran.
Shu Ran had been itching to get out of there. She wanted nothing to do with that man, so she quickly followed behind Yu Yi toward the tutoring room.
Gu Yichen watched her figure retreat in a near-run, the smile at the corners of his lips deepening.
When she arrived at the tutoring classroom, Shu Ran quickly realized this wasn't just "a few" struggling students as Yu Yi had claimed—it was practically every underperformer in sixth grade. The room was packed. Still, only a couple of students genuinely seemed interested in learning; the rest were just there because they were intimidated by Yu Yi's authority.
As soon as Liu Hong entered, he headed straight to a seat in the back. A group of troublemakers clustered around him, whispering among themselves.
"Shu Ran, you can sit here," Yu Yi said, pointing to the empty seat next to Liu Hong.
"That seat's taken," Liu Hong replied, tilting his head and resting one foot arrogantly on the bench, full of provocation—toward Yu Yi and Shu Ran both.
"You little punk!" Yu Yi flared up instantly, but restrained himself for the sake of maintaining his teacherly image in front of the class. Liu Hong knew exactly where the line was and took full advantage of it.
"You can sit with me," a timid girl offered, scooting her stool over halfway. "The class is only about an hour anyway."
"Thank you," Shu Ran said softly and sat down.
Yu Yi gave Liu Hong one last fierce glare, then began handing out test papers.
"I have another class to attend. Finish this worksheet while I'm gone, and we'll go over it when I get back." Satisfied that the students were now quietly working, Yu Yi left the room.
The moment he stepped out, Shu Ran stood up. The girl next to her was caught off guard as Shu Ran calmly walked over to the empty seat beside Liu Hong, holding her test paper and pencil. Her movement drew everyone's attention.
"What's she doing? Isn't she afraid Liu Hong will hit her?"
Whispers rippled through the room, too hushed to anger Liu Hong, but full of unease.
Shu Ran approached the chair. Liu Hong still had his foot on it. She frowned, lifted the chair slightly, and repositioned it. That minor action caused Liu Hong to lose his balance and tumble off the bench.
She then sat down—graceful and composed—and laid her test paper neatly on the desk.
The room was stunned. You could hear a pin drop—or even your own heartbeat.
Liu Hong's face turned bright red. He leapt up and charged at Shu Ran, only to be held back by a few of his buddies.
"Boss, she's a girl. You can't go beating her up."
"So what if she's a girl?! I'll still hit her! She made a fool out of me!" Liu Hong snarled like a cat with its fur on end.
"I was just taking back my own seat," Shu Ran said slowly, turning her head toward him. Her face was calm, but her words cut cold.
"You—!" Liu Hong boiled with rage.
His buddies were riled up too. In an instant, they closed in around Shu Ran. Other students, afraid of being caught up in the mess, quickly moved away. Most of them weren't even thinking about the test anymore. Some were just there to watch, though a few looked worried.
"You little brat, are you looking to die?!" Liu Hong grabbed Shu Ran by her small shoulder, shouting loudly.
Some of the boys around him smirked in satisfaction. No one had ever dared disrespect them like this before. Sure, they didn't usually hit girls—but this one clearly needed to be taught a lesson.
"Let go," Shu Ran said coldly, her gaze flicking to his hand on her shoulder before landing back on him. Her voice sent a chill down several spines.
"I'll let go—for five bucks," Liu Hong sneered, assuming she was just flustered about being touched by a boy. He tightened his grip.
Shu Ran narrowed her eyes. She'd heard he was a headache for the teachers—but hadn't expected him to be a complete scumbag.
"I said—let go." Her fists clenched. Her patience was hanging by a thread. She was trying her best not to slap him outright.
This time, Liu Hong could clearly hear the anger in her tone. Still, he taunted, "And if I don't? What are you gonna do?"
"You're sure about that?" Shu Ran's voice was light as wind and clouds, her lips curling into a faint smile.
Liu Hong hesitated. Her delicate face was suddenly glowing with a brilliant smile, and he stared, momentarily stunned—then bam.
Without warning, Shu Ran drove her elbow hard into his stomach. The movement was swift and precise, too fast for most to even notice. Liu Hong's face twisted in pain as he doubled over, but he reflexively clutched her shoulder even tighter.
Rip—
The sound of tearing fabric was loud in the silent classroom, followed by a collective gasp.
Liu Hong's lips twitched awkwardly.
Shu Ran knocked his hand away and covered the torn part of her shoulder, her face full of disgust.
Everyone had seen it clearly. The stares turned from stunned to contemptuous—even Liu Hong's own crew looked at him differently. No one dared say a word, but the room was thick with judgment.
Liu Hong was still only twelve years old. Faced with this situation, he had no idea what to do. He just stood there dumbfounded, unable to process what had just happened. What confused him even more was that the girl didn't cry, didn't scream—she wasn't like any other girl he'd met. Her gaze was sharp, almost predatory.
His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to apologize, but the words just wouldn't come.
Shu Ran stood up and calmly walked out of the classroom.
"Hey—!" Liu Hong panicked. She wasn't going to tell his uncle, was she? If she did, he was in for a beating. Ignoring the stares, he rushed after her.
"Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" he said, jogging to catch up and stretching his arms out to block her way.
"..."
Shu Ran stopped, lifting her head to quietly meet his eyes.
Liu Hong frowned. He couldn't take it—her silent stare made him feel afraid deep in his bones. He would've preferred if she cried or yelled at him—anything that gave him a way to deal with it, to beg, to plead. But this silence? It was terrifying.
He had no idea what to do now.