After everyone else had finished registering, Tianhai stood up to approach the form teacher, but Chen Wen pulled him back, whispering a few words. Tianhai nodded, glanced at Zhong Yun, a strange smile crossing his face, and then hurried forward.

When the form teacher finished tallying the names, he repeated each pair once. As he called out Chen Wen's name, and then Tianhai's, Zhong Yun opened his eyes, feeling a bit odd—why wasn't his name mentioned?

He then heard the form teacher continue, "There are only two students in the class without partners: Zhong Yun, and Liu Yunqi." He paused here.

"How about this, why don't you two form a team."

Silence—

The cabin was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone seemed frozen in place, their dull gazes fixed on Zhong Yun, as if they couldn't trust their own ears. Zhong Yun? Paired with Liu Yunqi? What kind of absurd joke was this?

The cabin remained silent for a full ten seconds.

"Waaah—" A student suddenly let out a piercing shriek, "How did I not think of that..."

Many of the boys snapped back to reality simultaneously, beating their chests in regret, having just lost the chance to be alone with the campus belle. The thought alone made them itch with misery.

Zhong Yun, you are despicable.

Zhong Yun was utterly stunned; the happiness had arrived too suddenly.

No. He snapped back to clarity. This isn't my happiness. This is the previous Zhong Yun's happiness.

He glared fiercely at his two mischievous friends. They were grinning cunningly, like foxes who had just stolen a hen. Chen Wen even theatrically tossed his bangs aside. "Don't thank me."

"You just wait," Zhong Yun's expression now carried the distinct hint of someone who had gained an advantage yet pretended to be wronged.

Because of this interlude, every male student in the class looked at Zhong Yun with a degree of hostility. Damn it. Who does Zhong Yun think he is, getting to spend six whole days alone with the whole school’s dream girl.

The thought filled them with intense resentment. Each of them firmly believed they were far superior to this good-for-nothing who ranked at the bottom of the academic charts. How did he snag such dog-shit luck?

While no one truly believed anything intimate would occur between the two, the mere image of Zhong Yun standing beside her felt as sickening as swallowing a fly—like a dollop of black cow dung placed next to a flawless work of art.

Upon disembarking, some couldn't resist looking for trouble deliberately.

Zhong Yun and his group, having sat toward the rear, were among the last to leave. As they walked, a tall figure deliberately slammed into him.

Zhong Yun was taken completely by surprise, stumbling forward. He grabbed the adjacent chair to stop himself from falling, but the person who bumped him cried out in a pained yelp and fell backward, his head slamming hard against the armrest of the chair. He lay on the ground moaning, unable to rise immediately.

The incident happened so swiftly that Chen Wen, being farther from Zhong Yun, reacted the fastest. The moment Zhong Yun staggered back and placed his hand on the chair, Chen Wen was already there to steady him.

Tianhai swore, "Damn it, Zhang Yong, how do you walk?"

Chen Wen quickly restrained him. Zhong Yun hadn't suffered any real harm; it was this Brother Zhang Yong who had taken the brunt of the fall, and yet he was shouting accusations, which seemed completely uncouth.

Zhong Yun sauntered over with a half-smile to help Zhang Yong up. "Classmate, why are you walking so carelessly? Are you hurt?"

Zhang Yong angrily shoved his hand away. Too ashamed to stay put, he clutched the back of his head and departed. He had intended to make Zhong Yun look foolish, but instead, he had made a spectacular fool of himself. Thankfully, there weren't many people left in the cabin to witness it.

Then, he found himself wondering with some surprise: That kid has such thin arms and legs, how can his bones be so hard? Like a pillar. Thinking this, Zhang Yong walked away in disgrace.

As they stepped out of the cabin door, Chen Wen suddenly asked, "Your stance is very solid. Have you practiced martial arts?"

Zhong Yun raised an eyebrow. "Farmyard techniques, just messing around." Yet, it was clear to anyone that he wasn't being entirely truthful; he seemed quite confident in his physical abilities.

Regarding accommodation, the school had booked an entire large hotel. It was just enough to house the entire grade level, though the usual double rooms were now crammed with six students each, all sleeping on the floor.

That evening, trouble found them again.

Zhong Yun, Tianhai, and Chen Wen shared a room with three other boys. A conflict erupted between the two groups over the use of the restroom.

Zhong Yun stood before the bathroom door, facing the large figure blocking the entrance. "Niu Ben, what exactly do you want?"

"What do I want?" Niu Ben sneered, "I don't want much. Just promise me you won't partner with Liu Yunqi, and I won't bother you."

Niu Ben was massive and brutish, the tallest and broadest boy in the class. Relying on his height and strength, he was rough in demeanor and enjoyed bullying shorter students.

"Niu Ben, you've gotten brave, picking on my brother! Come on, let’s spar," Tianhai's fiery temper flared up, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.

Zhong Yun held him back, looking coldly at Niu Ben. "And then what?"

"Then, you get lost as far away as you can go. Liu Yunqi is not someone you can even think about. She is mine," Niu Ben arrogantly pointed his thumb at his own chest.

"If I take your place, I won't need six days; I could have her in that position in one day. Heh heh."

Hearing this, a frost so deep it could scrape off a layer settled on Zhong Yun’s face. "Based on what? You’re not my son, why should I listen to you?"

Niu Ben had never suffered such an insult and immediately flew into a rage. "You're asking to die!" With that, his large hand swung toward Zhong Yun’s face.

The two students watching the spectacle were enjoying the show, feeling a sense of vindication. Zhong Yun, that toad, had become the public enemy of every boy in the class; Niu Ben beating him up was truly satisfying.

As Niu Ben's hand was about to strike Zhong Yun's face, it suddenly froze mid-air. Zhong Yun clamped down on his wrist and said coldly, "You made the first move. Don't blame me for not respecting our class bond."

Niu Ben was shocked. His hand felt gripped by iron pincers, completely unable to move. He tried to kick Zhong Yun, but halfway through his motion, he suddenly felt his body lighten, and he was airborne.

Thud.

Under the horrified gaze of the two onlookers, Zhong Yun executed a perfect shoulder throw, tossing the much larger Niu Ben onto the ground as if he were a rag doll.

A dull, heavy sound echoed as flesh met the floor, and the ground seemed to vibrate slightly. The two students felt a spasm run down their backs and sucked in a sharp breath.

Their gaze toward Zhong Yun changed instantly.

Niu Ben lay on the floor, emitting gasping sounds of "Hoo-hoo."

Tianhai stared, utterly dumbfounded, looking at Zhong Yun with disbelief. Was this really the buddy of his who used to fail physical education?

"He... you didn't kill him, did you?" Chen Wen asked in a low voice.

Zhong Yun replied, "He won't die. I controlled my strength. He's just shaken up; no bones are broken. He'll be fine after lying there a while."

Chen Wen glanced pityingly at Niu Ben, who resembled a dead dog on the floor. Dare to fantasize about Liu Yunqi. Clearly doesn't know how to value his own life. He couldn't even see through my depth, let alone his.

Zhong Yun glanced at the two students lingering by the restroom. "I need to use the toilet now. Do you have any objections?"

The two jumped back a step, shaking their heads wildly like rattles. Are you kidding? Niu Ben is the top fighter in the school, and he was taken out in one move. If we went up, we’d just be appetizers.

One of them quickly tried to distance himself. "Actually, we're not that familiar with him."

Though contemptuous of their lack of loyalty, Zhong Yun didn't bother arguing. He walked into the restroom by himself.

Niu Ben lay on the ground for a full ten minutes before he finally caught his breath. He struggled to stand, feeling as if his waist had snapped; the pain almost brought tears to his eyes.

His face contorted into a mask of malice, gritting his teeth, he snarled, "Zhong Yun, you just wait. If I don't finish you, my surname isn't Niu." He then roared at the two students standing aside, afraid to approach, "What are you standing there for, idiots? Hurry up and help your old man up!"

Intimidated by his usual dominance, the two hesitantly helped him up and escorted him out of the room.

P: There's one more chapter; it will be updated tonight.