Chapter 19

Chapter 19

◎One Against Five◎

Ji Nanxing didn’t have much experience being cornered by people, but he had plenty of experience with ghosts blocking his path.

In elementary school, he was often absent, and the reason for his absence was usually poor health. Teachers were more lenient with him, so naturally, the average student wouldn’t bother him.

The same was true in middle school, especially since his excuse for absence was a heart condition. Who in their right mind would mess with someone who has a heart condition? Even the most clueless wouldn’t dare.

As for now, it was likely because the school year had just begun, and his classmates hadn’t yet figured out his situation, let alone students from other classes.

He didn’t recognize any of the guys standing in front of him, but from the pimply-faced guy’s words, he could deduce they were targeting him because he was Xiao Ye’s deskmate.

Judging by their builds and considering past incidents, it wasn’t hard to figure out these were probably seniors, possibly the same ones Xiao Ye had beaten up before.

Though he wasn’t sure why they were cornering him, it didn’t stop Ji Nanxing from starting to think.

How could he keep up his act, since he might still need to take leave in the future, while also beating them until they cried for their parents?

Seeing the guy they’d cornered didn’t run or say a word, with a face as white as a sheet and a frail body that looked like it could be half-killed with a single slap, Qi Kang assumed he was scared stiff by the sudden obstruction.

After all, with their athletic builds, just standing there was enough to intimidate these weaklings. What’s the point of a pretty face if it’s all looks and no strength?

Qi Kang didn’t even think this weakling would dare to refuse, so he casually handed over a pink envelope: "Put this in Xiao Ye’s desk, quietly, without letting anyone know. Got it?"

Ji Nanxing’s expression shifted slightly, and a random thought popped into his head—was this some kind of ‘fall in love after getting beat up’ scenario?

But judging by the guy’s face, it was obvious something bad was going down today, so this letter probably wasn’t your average love note. It was either meant to piss off Xiao Ye or had some hidden agenda.

Even if there wasn’t anything obviously wrong, Ji Nanxing wasn’t about to play delivery boy for someone else’s love letter.

Ji Nanxing didn’t take the letter and just said, "You can give it to him directly."

Qi Kang immediately frowned and growled, "Just put it there! Stop with the nonsense!"

If he could hand it over directly, why bother with all this?

Last year, there was a theft incident at their school. During an experiment class, students returned to find their classroom had been ransacked.

The students’ money was stolen, and afterward, cameras were installed in every classroom. For classes like physical education or experiments that weren’t held in the classroom, the room would be locked by the class monitor after everyone left.

The guys next to Qi Kang closed in, looking tough.

The tallest of these seniors was probably around 190 cm. Ji Nanxing wasn’t short and was destined to grow beyond 180 cm, but at sixteen, his pre-enrollment physical had measured him at just over 175 cm. Now, surrounded by a group of 180-190 cm seniors, he looked like an easy target.

Unfortunately for them, the person they were surrounding was Ji Nanxing. Even as they started flexing their fists in intimidation, Ji Nanxing’s expression didn’t change at all: "You can’t even say ‘please’ when asking for a favor. Did your parents not teach you any manners?"

Qi Kang laughed mockingly: "Asking for a favor? Get this straight—I’m ordering you to put this letter in his desk, not asking. Got it, idiot?"

Looking at the envelope shoved into his hand, Ji Nanxing smiled slightly, spread his fingers, and let the thin envelope slip from his palm, falling to the ground.

The envelope was light, making no sound as it hit the ground, but everyone seemed to hear a loud slap, as if it had struck their faces.

Although Qi Kang wasn’t exactly the school bully of Yulan High School, no one had dared to mess with him in recent years. Now, as a senior, he had been beaten by a high school freshman before the school year even started, and on the first day of school, he was humiliated by another freshman weakling.

Qi Kang looked at the envelope on the ground, licked his lips, took a deep breath, and then turned back to Ji Nanxing with a cold smile.

This greasy and pretentious act made Ji Nanxing frown. At such a young age, was he really thinking he looked cool? His face looked like a squash.

Qi Kang's face changed in an instant as he grabbed the front of Ji Nanxing's shirt, snarling, "You've got some nerve, kid. Not cooperating, huh? Well, I'll make sure you regret it!"

This was clearly not the place to throw punches, so Qi Kang grabbed Ji Nanxing's arm and dragged him toward the bathroom.

Ji Nanxing, who also preferred not to make a scene outside, especially with the possibility of cameras around, let himself be pulled along, even offering a kind reminder, "I can tell you're heading for trouble today. It's not too late to walk away."

Before Qi Kang could say anything, the others around him burst out laughing. "Trouble? Let's see who's really in for it today!"

Ji Nanxing looked down at Qi Kang's hand clutching his arm. It was true—good advice was lost on those doomed to bad luck. With his luck already down, this kind of direct contact was bound to turn small troubles into big ones.

Another three-pointer, and the crowd around the game swelled. The players were caught off guard by Xiao Ye's skill. As long as he had the ball, they couldn't get it away from him!

Just as the game was getting intense, Xiao Ye called a timeout and casually got a tall classmate to take his place.

Zhang Yuan called out to him, "Where are you off to?"

Xiao Ye replied, "Keep going. I'll be right back."

Wiping the sweat off his brow, he dashed over to Chen Shiyi.

Chen Shiyi was sitting there, lost in a novel on his phone. He jumped when Xiao Ye suddenly showed up, thinking a teacher had caught him using his phone. He quickly shoved the phone into his pocket.

Xiao Ye paid no mind to his fumbling and glanced around, "Where's Ji Nanxing?"

Chen Shiyi patted his chest, "You scared the hell out of me! He went to the bathroom."

Xiao Ye frowned, "He's been gone for a while now?"

He had noticed Ji Nanxing leaving earlier, and it had been quite some time. Could he have fallen in?

Hearing this, Chen Shiyi suddenly realized how long it had been. He had been so into his novel that he lost track of time and began to worry, "Could something be wrong?"

Xiao Ye asked, "Did he say which bathroom he was heading to?"

Chen Shiyi shook his head. Who would report their bathroom location before going?

"I told him I should've gone with him!"

Xiao Ye said, "Alright, you go upstairs and check. The bathroom near the field is a bit far, so I'll run over there. Keep me updated on WeChat."

Xiao Ye sprinted toward the bathroom, his mind racing through various possibilities. His little desk mate had a history of fainting, and it was almost lunchtime. He had eaten so little in the morning—could it be low blood sugar? His sister-in-law had once told him that severe low blood sugar could be life-threatening.

Feeling anxious, he quickened his pace. As he approached the bathroom, he heard a furious voice from inside, "You're asking for it, you idiot!"

Xiao Ye rushed in and saw Qi Kang and his gang surrounding his desk mate. Furious, he charged forward and kicked Qi Kang, sending him flying.

Ji Nanxing, who hadn't even had a chance to act, only saw a blur as the person in front of him was suddenly flung away. Then, a hand reached out and pulled him.

Ji Nanxing was yanked behind Xiao Ye, and he couldn't help but peek out.

Qi Kang was still on the ground, writhing in pain, struggling to get up.

The others, seeing Xiao Ye, visibly panicked. One of them even tried to run, but as soon as he moved, Xiao Ye blocked the door, clearly not letting anyone leave.

The pimply boy immediately cowered, "This has nothing to do with me! I'm not with them!"

Xiao Ye scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on Qi Kang. "Whether you're with them or not, you're all getting beaten today. Blame your bad luck for coming to the bathroom at the wrong time. Every single one of you here today will leave with a beating. If even one of you walks out unscathed, I'll write my name backward from now on!"

With the help of his friends, Qi Kang finally managed to stand up. Having been beaten once before, seeing Xiao Ye again made his old wounds ache. Once bitten, twice shy—today, he wasn't going to provoke him. "What's wrong with you, Xiao Ye? We came to the bathroom—what's it to you? We didn't mess with you today, did we?"

Xiao Ye didn’t even listen to his excuses, clenched his fists, and punched him: "I’ll hit you if I feel like it, no matter if you started it or not. If I want to hit you, you just have to take it!"

Last time it was three people, this time it was five, but Qi Kang’s initial loss of nerve meant that when the fight started, these guys were just protecting themselves, scattering in all directions, with no intention of teaming up to fight back.

While fighting one against five, Xiao Ye still found a moment to push Ji Nanxing: "Get outta here and hide!"

Getting accidentally punched here would probably make someone cry in pain.

The pitiful wails and fighting sounds in the bathroom quickly attracted people from outside. The sports coach and the PE teacher, having heard the commotion, came and pulled them apart one by one.

The coach’s face turned pale when he saw it was Qi Kang and Xiao Ye again.

The PE teacher sneered: "Daring to fight in my class? No need to say anything else—call your parents."

Xiao Ye rubbed his fists and shot Ji Nanxing a look, signaling him to keep out of it. He was often called to the office, so a small thing like this being brought home wasn’t a big deal.

Seeing Ji Nanxing’s demeanor, it was clear he was usually very obedient. If his family was strict, it was better to keep him out of this.

But Ji Nanxing seemed clueless about his signals and foolishly followed along.

Xiao Ye, walking behind the teacher, stopped him and whispered: "Get back to class!"

The PE teacher turned around: "What are you lagging for!"

Ji Nanxing: "I’m involved and also a witness."

The PE teacher laughed: "Another one slipped through, huh? Alright, you come to the office too, and let’s hash out what went down today!"

Looking at his clueless desk mate who didn’t take the chance to run away and instead foolishly offered himself up, Xiao Ye was frustrated. So well-behaved, no wonder he gets picked on.

Author’s note:

Xiao Ye: "Good thing I came, or my wife would have been badly bullied."

Xingxing: "Good thing he came, or his image would have been ruined."

And, does the moderator have a "beep—" civilized mute, why delete my comment! My comments are already pitifully few, wuwuwu o(╥﹏╥)o