Chapter 20: Jumping Into the Arena Headfirst
Dragon Brother tore open a jar of pickled vegetables, pairing it with a mountain of rice, and was eating with gusto.
At first, Hu Yu Ying still thought Dragon Brother wasn’t used to this kind of pickled vegetables—turns out, he was loving it.
Could it be that Dragon Brother actually enjoys eating pickled vegetables?
Not exactly.
In his previous life, the reason Dragon Brother could buy cars and a house alone was all because of one word: “Frugality.”
He’d mostly eaten instant noodles, sausages, and sometimes, when feeling a bit more refined, a pack of pickled vegetables to go with his bland meals.
After so long, eating pickled vegetables again wasn’t so bad—surprisingly fresh.
“Dragon Brother, take your time eating. Otherwise, I’ll bring you some more pickled vegetables on Monday?”
“Monday?” Dragon Brother paused, staring blankly.
Then he suddenly remembered today was Friday.
Even though he’s already in the third year of high school, we still get holidays every week.
“Yeah, today’s Friday, and we’re off tomorrow. So, I can bring you some on Monday. Is that okay?”
Hu Yu Ying asked carefully, afraid Dragon Brother might turn her down.
Dragon Brother didn’t reply right away, his gaze distant, lost in thought.
Seeing him silent, Hu Yu Ying hesitated a little before saying, “Or, maybe I can bring you some tomorrow?”
With her being protected by Dragon Brother, kept safe from bullies and bullies, she naturally wanted to satisfy his simple desire for pickled vegetables.
Otherwise, she’d feel pretty guilty for having eaten so many meals at his expense.
“Can you help me review some lessons today?” Dragon Brother suddenly asked.
“Huh?” Hu Yu Ying was caught off guard by his sudden mental jump.
Wasn’t she just talking about pickled vegetables? Now he’s talking about tutoring?
“Don’t want to?” Dragon Brother raised his fist and smiled kindly.
“I… I’d like to, of course, I’d like to,” Hu Yu Ying stammered, hurriedly shrinking her neck.
“You—” Dragon Brother tapped her head with his finger.
This girl, compared to before—so dull and lifeless—had seemed quite lively today.
Apparently, once she’s left the bullying behind, her personality starts to change.
That little tap didn’t really hurt.
But Dragon Brother’s move suddenly gave Hu Yu Ying an odd feeling.
Like she was talking to a senior instead of a peer.
Because only elders—those much older—would do that to their juniors.
Plus, the way Dragon Brother stroked her head so casually, with a grin on his face, totally unlike a peer.
She shook her head, looking at Dragon Brother’s youthful body, his mischievous yet handsome face, maybe she was imagining things.
No, she must be overthinking.
Friday didn’t have evening self-study.
After the afternoon classes, the holiday officially started.
Some classmates were packing up and leaving.
Others stayed behind, joking and chatting.
Some were still working on exercises at their desks.
Hu Yu Ying took out her notebook again, filled with basic problems she had written down.
The questions weren’t difficult; Dragon Brother’s foundation was weak, so she started with simple practice problems, gradually increasing the difficulty.
She handed a set of questions to Dragon Brother and then took out her own exercises to work on.
Looking at the clock—17:20 now.
She stretched a little, then focused on the problems she set for him.
“Is it alright if you go home a bit late on Friday?”
Hu Yu Ying raised her head to glance at Dragon Brother. “It’s okay.”
Although she was grateful to Dragon Brother, she didn’t say much about her situation—she was actually living alone; her grandparents lived in a village in the countryside.
“Good then,” Hu Yu Ying replied. She didn’t understand why Dragon Brother asked, but seeing he didn’t say anything more, she resumed doing her problems, occasionally checking how he was doing.
……
High Brother, what are you doing?! Gong Quan was starting to not understand Ye Liang Chen even more.
Ye Liang Chen was stuffing a book into his shirt, tightening his belt, pressing the book against his stomach.
And then, he wanted Gong Quan to punch his stomach.
“Stop talking nonsense. Come,” Ye Liang Chen said, patting his stomach.
“Well, I’ll hit you then,” Gong Quan clenched his fist, ready.
“Come on, no worries. Remember, Gong Quan, whatever my Big Brother does, it has a purpose. Trust me, this time I’ll take you flying!”
Gong Quan couldn’t fully grasp what Ye Liang Chen was saying, but he could feel the sincerity in his words.
So he punched Ye Liang Chen’s stomach.
“Hmph!” Ye Liang Chen groaned softly, gritting his teeth, exhaling a breath. The impact still hurt, but with the book acting as a buffer, the damage to his body was negligible.
“You good?” Gong Quan asked worriedly.
“I’m fine.” Ye Liang Chen straightened up, smiling and patting Gong Quan on the shoulder.
“Isn’t Big Brother Chen, what exactly are you up to? Trying to pick a fight?”
Ye Liang Chen just smiled silently.
Gong Quan only got half of it.
He wasn’t planning to fight anyone—he was preparing to be beaten.
It was all to test something.
If he remembered correctly from his dream—
Hu Yu Ying’s former classmate from No. Two High would come to the school gate today, to h*rass her, insult her, even physically attack her.
And what he needed to do was provoke a confrontation before she arrived, to get involved himself.
He wanted Hu Yu Ying to see him getting beaten by that gang!
Later, he’d definitely get her concern and be asked why he was fighting with those guys.
Dear lord, there’s more to this chapter—click to the next page to keep reading; more exciting content is coming!
He’d then tell her: “I overheard those people trying to bully you, saying terrible things. I just couldn’t hold back and started a fight.”
That would surely move Hu Yu Ying. After all, the trouble started because of her, and he was beaten just to protect her.
From what he knew in his dream, she would feel guilty about him.
At that point, all he had to do was smile brightly, pretend he didn’t care, and more of her guilt would deepen.
Finally, he’d say: “If you really feel bad about it, just be my friend. Help me with my homework. That way, my beating wasn’t in vain.”
When Hu Yu Ying heard this, she would definitely agree—she wouldn’t need to do much of anything.
Helping him with his homework was Hu Yu Ying’s strong suit, after all, so she wouldn’t refuse.
In doing so, they’d grow closer—double win.
“Gong Quan, remember this: no matter what happens, don’t come out, even if I get beaten. Do you understand?”
Seeing Gong Quan’s confused look, Ye Liang Chen patted his shoulder. “Do you trust me?”
“If you do, then don’t ask questions. There’s a reason I’m doing this. You’ll find out everything later.”
“Okay.”
“All right, my brother. This time, I’ll let you enjoy some prosperity.”
Checking the time—around 17:30—based on the dream, those assholes harassing Hu Yu Ying and attacking her seemed to happen then.
Since it’s already 17:22, almost time, Ye Liang Chen headed toward the school gate…
