Chapter 44: Crying and Coaxing

Chapter 44: Crying and Coaxing

Shi Nian followed Shen Chaowen with an unpleasant expression, looking very reluctant.

"Stop that. It's just you and me in there. If you behave well, I might let Qi Yanye go."

"Shi Nian, you don't want anything to happen to Qi Yanye, do you?"

Shen Chaowen grabbed Shi Nian's wrist and pushed her into the equipment room next door.

"Bang—"

The door slammed shut behind Shen Chaowen.

Two boys from No. 5 Middle School appeared at some point, standing guard at the door, clearly Shen Chaowen's men, blocking the entrance.

Lin Yao peeked out from behind a pillar.

What should she do...

Why did Shen Chaowen take Shi Nian alone into the equipment room? What is he planning?

She recalled the two sentences Shen Chaowen said earlier; something felt off, and she had a bad feeling.

But there were others guarding the door...

Even if it was only Shen Chaowen, Lin Yao couldn't fight him.

And Shi Nian was inside. If she made a commotion and brought teachers over, it would be bad for Shi Nian.

No, she needed to find someone... Find Qi Yanye...

Outside the equipment room, Lin Yao turned and disappeared in panic.

*

Inside the basketball court, the second half of the game was about to start.

Everyone from No. 5 Middle School panicked because they couldn't find Shen Chaowen.

Physical Education Teacher: "Zhou Yang, where's Shen Chaowen? Where did he go?"

Huang Mao, also known as Zhou Yang, shook his head. "I don't know. Brother Shen said he had something to take care of and might be delayed."

The teacher was anxious. Why did this young master have to disappear now?

But the game was about to start, and they couldn't wait any longer.

"Forget it. We can't wait. Get ready and replace him with a substitute."

As soon as the teacher left, everyone gathered around Huang Mao.

"Where did Brother Shen go?"

"How can we play against Yu Ge and Qi Yanye without Brother Shen?"

Zhou Yang was also anxious.

They had agreed that during halftime, Shi Nian would publicly bring water and a towel to Brother Shen and announce their relationship.

Ignoring how much it would affect Qi Yanye, just the news of the goddess from No. 3 Middle School dating their Brother Shen would demoralize the other side.

Unexpectedly, during halftime, Shi Nian didn't come down and instead sent a text asking Brother Shen to meet her outside.

Once they left, they never returned, leaving Huang Mao unable to find them.

"Just received word that Shen Chaowen won't be playing in the second half."

On the No. 3 Middle School side, everyone was about to finish warming up and head onto the court when the coach suddenly came over with the news.

Hearing that Shen Chaowen wouldn't be playing, Qi Yanye showed no emotion.

It was Shi Yu who frowned slightly, looking somewhat displeased.

He wasn't done yet.

"Alright, everyone, get ready and go on." The coach came over, patting Shi Yu and Qi Yanye on the shoulder, urging them to perform well.

"Excuse me, could you let me in for a moment..."

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the sidelines.

Shi Yu's eyes darkened slightly as he turned to see the petite figure being held back by volunteers maintaining order.

"Let her in."

The volunteers, all students from No. 5 Middle School, recognized Shi Yu and immediately let Lin Yao through.

Shi Yu noticed the panic on the girl's face and walked toward the sideline, his expression cold. "What happened..."

"N-nothing..."

To his surprise, Lin Yao didn't even look at him, passing by him as her moist and bright deer-like eyes searched frantically across the field.

Finally, when she saw the figure she was looking for, her eyes lit up.

"Qi Yanye..."

The girl ran to Qi Yanye, her face filled with worry and panic, and in front of everyone, grabbed his wrist.

"You need to come with me..."

Her voice was soft and urgent, gentle and faint, even those standing close to the two might not hear clearly.

Qi Yanye was initially taken aback, raising an eyebrow as if about to refuse.

But the little girl clung to his hand, tiptoeing up, whispering something else into his ear.

Qi Yanye, who had been unwilling to cooperate, suddenly changed expression, as if he had become a different person, grabbing Lin Yao's wrist and dragging her away.

They moved quickly, and by the time the physical education teacher and coach from No. 3 Middle School reacted and tried to stop them, Qi Yanye had already taken Lin Yao out of sight.

Inside the basketball gym, it erupted like a boiling pot.

Everyone was excitedly discussing what the relationship between Lin Yao and Qi Yanye was.

Lin Yao from Class 13 had truly become a celebrity at No. 3 Middle School recently.

At the beginning of the semester, rumors spread that she had envied and slandered her classmates, but then she used her head to shield a classmate from a brick, proving her bravery and silencing the rumor-mongers.

Later, when she transferred to Class 13, there were rumors that she became desk mates with the school bully, Qi Yanye.

Everyone thought this soft-spoken, somewhat tea-like girl would offend or be scared to tears by the school bully.

But look, she just dragged him off the court right in front of everyone.

Who would have thought such a small girl could wield so much power, even someone like Qi Yanye only listened to her.

These two must have been together privately for a while, right?

The basketball court was bustling with excitement. Even students from No. 5 Middle School were cheering, grateful that Lin Yao took Qi Yanye away, otherwise they wouldn't know how to play without Shen Chaowen.

Only Shi Yu, standing by the court, had a cold expression, his gaze dark and deep, staring unblinkingly at the passage where the girl had disappeared.

"Shi Yu, you'll have to rely on yourself now. Go out there and play well. Damn, Qi Yanye looks so tough, yet he listens to his girlfriend like that, running off at her call..."

The coach came over to remind Shi Yu, but as he spoke, he noticed Shi Yu turning his eyes, looking at him with a cold and somewhat sinister gaze.

The coach felt inexplicably uneasy: "W-What's wrong...?"

Shi Yu said each word deliberately and coldly: "That's not his girlfriend."

After saying this, he pulled off the towel around his neck, his jawline tensing into a cold line, and walked briskly out of the passage.

It took several seconds for the coach to react.

"Hey, hey, Shi Yu..."

What's going on? Why are they all running away!

*

On the other side, Lin Yao finally brought Qi Yanye outside the equipment room.

Lin Yao: "It's... it's there..."

Qi Yanye ran so fast that Lin Yao, being dragged along, could barely catch her breath after stopping, leaning against a pillar.

She pointed and tried to warn: "Be careful, there are two guys guarding the entrance..."

Before she finished speaking, Lin Yao saw Qi Yanye walk straight to the equipment room and punch both guards in the stomach, knocking them down.

Lin Yao: "..."

As expected of the protagonist in the original book, the school bully is indeed a bully.

She hurriedly followed.

But the door to the equipment room was locked, and they couldn't get in.

In broad daylight, Shi Nian was brought into the equipment room by Shen Chaowen and the door was locked. What did Shen Chaowen want to do?

In that moment, even Lin Yao's mind conjured up classic scenes from campus comics and novels—school, equipment room, young boy and girl...

Lin Yao's heart fluttered nervously, remembering that in the original story, Shen Chaowen, the obsessive supporting character, had once grabbed Shi Nian and almost forced himself on her.

But that was supposed to happen after they grew up, how could it happen in high school?

Could it be because of her influence!

Lin Yao's heart pounded wildly, panicking as she grabbed Qi Yanye: "What should we do... We need to get in... I'm afraid Shen Chaowen will do something to Shi Nian..."

She feared Shen Chaowen might do something irreparable inside!

Qi Yanye's face instantly turned cold and serious. He understood what Lin Yao meant.

Given how much Shen Chaowen hated him, he could very well do it.

Qi Yanye kicked the door hard.

Bang bang—

Two consecutive kicks, and the equipment room door was kicked open. He pushed it open and went in.

Lin Yao hurriedly followed.

The moment she entered, she almost screamed in fright.

In the dimly lit equipment room, Shi Nian was being pressed onto a mat by Shen Chaowen, her hair disheveled.

What is Shen Chaowen doing! He's going too far!

Qi Yanye's eyes were bloodshot as he instantly rushed forward and grabbed Shen Chaowen by the collar, raising his hand to strike him.

Shen Chaowen narrowly dodged, and upon seeing Qi Yanye, there was not a hint of panic in his eyes but rather an inexplicable excitement.

He had been waiting for this day for a long time, eager to settle the old score.

Shen Chaowen retaliated with a punch aimed at Qi Yanye.

The two began fighting, and Lin Yao hurried over to pull Shi Nian away.

"Shi Nian, are you... are you okay... how are you?" She was so worried that tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Seeing Shi Nian's usual ponytail scattered across her shoulders and the tear stains on her face, she felt even more that Shen Chaowen was despicable.

Bad guy! Terribly bad!

How could Shen Chaowen be so evil!

Shi Nian: "I'm fine, why are you here? Oh right, wait a moment, let me stop them..."

Lin Yao pulled Shi Nian back: "Why stop them? Qi Yanye should hit Shen Chaowen a few more times..."

Shi Nian looked puzzled: "Why?"

Lin Yao was even more bewildered; of course, it was because Shen Chaowen was not human, too much!

She couldn't care less anymore and tried to leave with Shi Nian.

But just as they reached the door, the two No. 5 Middle School boys who had been knocked down by Qi Yanye managed to get up.

"Brother Shen, we're here to help you."

With their assistance, Qi Yanye, who had initially been winning, now found himself at a disadvantage.

With someone holding Qi Yanye back, Shen Chaowen could even spare some attention to block Lin Yao and Shi Nian.

Shen Chaowen came over and grabbed Shi Nian, "Hey Shi Nian, why are you running? Explain to him..."

Shi Nian: "I'm not running, it's them..."

"Ahh, Shen Chaowen, let go of Shi Nian, don't touch her, let go, let go, I hate you..."

Lin Yao saw Shen Chaowen as if he were a harmful virus, her eyes turning red with fear as she lunged forward, hitting Shen Chaowen's arm vigorously.

She hated Shen Chaowen so much right now, feeling that even touching Shi Nian made her dirty.

Shen Chaowen hissed, lifting his arm to see a scratch left by Lin Yao.

Perhaps not expecting the crybaby to be so bold, he turned around, narrowing his amber eyes menacingly, and said in a low, threatening voice, "Crybaby, what are you doing? Looking for trouble?"

Wah...

Lin Yao's eyes reddened, trembling as she pressed against the door, completely silenced by fear.

The light in the equipment room was dim, and Shen Chaowen only noticed that the crybaby had finally quieted down, no longer bothering him. He didn't pay attention to Lin Yao's frightened state and grabbed Shi Nian again, trying to pull her back inside.

Shen Chaowen: "Go tell Qi Yanye..."

Shi Nian: "Wait, Shen Chaowen, I think they've misunderstood..."

"Bang—"

Before Shen Chaowen could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, and everything spun before his eyes.

His movements halted as he slowly turned around.

Behind him, the delicate little crybaby held a relay baton, her eyes red from crying.

Seeing him turn, Lin Yao immediately dropped the baton in fright.

"I... I didn't mean to hit you... you... let go of Shi Nian..." she sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head in explanation.

"You... you little crybaby, you're dead..." Shen Chaowen's handsome face flushed with anger, "Daring to hit me with a relay baton... no one has ever dared to do this to me..."

As he spoke, he suddenly lost consciousness and fell backward.

Shi Nian was startled and quickly supported him.

When Lin Yao saw Shen Chaowen close his eyes and faint, she felt her limbs go cold and her legs gave way, causing her to sit down.

At the critical moment, a pair of strong hands caught her from behind.

Shi Yu's arms wrapped around Lin Yao's slender waist, holding her tightly.

The moment she saw Shi Yu, the girl's heart, which had nearly stopped from fear, suddenly started beating again.

"Shi Yu, Shi Yu, what should we do..." she cried, clinging to his arm like a lifeline in the deep sea, "I knocked Shen Chaowen out... is he going to be okay... I didn't mean to... I didn't expect the relay baton to... to make me cry..."

She choked back a sob.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." The young man lifted her up, cradling her small, tear-stained face against his shoulder.

His expression was stern, but his tone softened as he reassured her.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to you."