The few accompanying Yang Feng were perceptive enough, and besides, a man’s reputation precedes him; who in school didn't know what sort of figure Wang Zhuo was? They knew Yang Feng was strong in combat, but they were equally certain that if they managed to truly anger Wang Zhuo, the three boys on their side wouldn't stand a chance even if they ganged up on him.

So, the girl Wang Zhuo didn't recognize quickly stepped forward, lightly nudged Yang Feng, and whispered his name.

Yang Feng found himself in a precarious situation. If he withdrew his hand, he’d concede dominance to Wang Zhuo, which he deeply resented. Yet, if he didn't, he genuinely worried this violent brute might suddenly attack.

An idea struck him: he shifted his hand, directing his pointed finger toward Hu Zhiyuan, who was sprawled nearby.

“Why did you hit someone?”

Student Yang Feng stood on a moral high ground, asking sternly.

“None of your business,” Wang Zhuo glanced at him dismissively, pulling a pack of tissues from his pocket.

Then, everyone watched as he leisurely extracted a single sheet and wiped his right hand a few times.

Just moments ago, Wang Zhuo’s right fist had made intimate contact with the left cheek and nose bridge of Hu Zhiyuan. Although there was no nosebleed, there was certainly some sweat on Hu Zhiyuan’s face.

"Even hitting you would dirty my hands," was the silent message conveyed by the hand-wiping.

Wang Zhuo’s arrogance infuriated Yang Feng. Just then, a boy next to Yang Feng let out a sound of surprise, exclaiming, “Is that Hu Zhiyuan?”

Hu Zhiyuan, his face bloody, supported himself on his elbow, slumped nearby on the ground. He too was a well-known figure on campus—the top scribe for the Student Union. When the boy recognized him, Yang Feng and his companions froze in astonishment.

“Wang Zhuo, what is going on here?”

At this moment, the campus belle He Ye finally stepped forward at the opportune time. She was well aware of the backgrounds of both Yang Feng and Wang Zhuo; if these two clashed, it would become a major incident.

Her pursuit of Wang Zhuo was already a hot topic circulating across campus, while Yang Feng's interest in her had not yet been made public. Though she was firmly set on capturing the fortress that was Wang Zhuo, Yang Feng was not someone she could afford to offend. Furthermore, if she couldn't win over Wang Zhuo, having a backup like him wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?

In fact, she studied Oral Medicine, while Wang Zhuo was in Clinical Medicine. There was naturally little overlap between the two departments, compounded by the fact that Wang Zhuo rarely attended general lectures or even major school-organized events. They should never have met until graduation.

But fate has its coincidences. One time, He Ye and a few girls walked past the basketball court and happened to overhear a chorus of female voices shouting shockingly crude terms like "Kou Bao" and "Yan She." Curious, the group went over to investigate, and the campus belle He was instantly captivated by Wang Zhuo’s fade-away shots and violent dunks.

It was a flawless fusion of power and grace; Wang Zhuo’s performance was professional-grade, especially his composure amidst the cheers of so many girls—a perfect replica of Rukawa Kaede. However, his aggressive and forceful style resembled Sakuragi Hanamichi. When He Ye inquired about the meaning of the slogans the girls were shouting, she was utterly floored.

Later on, the campus belle severed her ambiguous relationships with several boys and focused entirely on approaching and pleasing Wang Zhuo, only to be met with his cold shoulder. How could the campus belle bear that humiliation? Thus, the situation had escalated to its current point.

Seeing He Ye ask a question, Wang Zhuo’s expression softened slightly. Truthfully, he held a favorable impression of the girl, but he disliked how calculating she was, and with a bevy of beauties surrounding him, he hardly needed her.

In reality, for Wang Zhuo, these were just invalid excuses. It was true He Ye was calculating, but Wang Zhuo wasn't afraid of that; what did having many women around matter? Like Han Xin deploying troops, the more the better. The real issue was He Ye’s prominent reputation and the fact that she was a fellow student; associating with her too closely would tarnish his consistently "upstanding" image!

What is "grass near the nest"? Actually, even Fu Xinran doesn't count; He Ye is the true definition!

Adopting a flat tone, Wang Zhuo stated, “As for what’s going on, it’s best you don’t ask me. Ask the one surnamed Hu, and you’ll know.”

At that moment, the boy who recognized Hu Zhiyuan had walked over and helped him sit up, taking out a pack of tissues from his pocket and carefully dabbing the blood from Hu Zhiyuan’s face with several sheets.

He Ye forced a wry, troubled smile and said, “He’s been beaten up like that, how can you expect him to answer?”

“I’d be happy to tell you the reason, I’m just worried he won’t let me,” Wang Zhuo smiled at her, then turned to Hu Zhiyuan and called out loudly, “Hu, can I tell them what happened?”

Hu Zhiyuan immediately shook his head.

Yang Feng was instantly enraged. Wang Zhuo had given Hu Zhiyuan a kick after hearing his warning, which was a grave insult to his authority. Then, Wang Zhuo had used a commanding tone to make him remove his hand, and now he was publicly "intimidating and coercing" the victim, Hu Zhiyuan. Yang Feng felt Wang Zhuo was treating him with utter contempt!

Provocation—this was blatant provocation! Yang Feng might tolerate much, but this was unbearable!

Staring into Wang Zhuo’s face, he asked coldly, “Wang Zhuo, what is the meaning of this? Are you looking down on me?”

The girl behind him quickly tugged at him again, but this time, he shoved her away forcefully.

Wang Zhuo pivoted his body, turning to face him directly, smiling faintly as he appraised Yang Feng from head to toe. He said, “Yang Feng, right? I know you. You’ve been saying behind my back that I’m an ill-mannered nouveau riche. Is that true?”

Gossiping behind someone’s back is the behavior of a busybody. When Yang Feng heard this, he became enraged with humiliation. The fault lay with him, not Wang Zhuo, but Wang Zhuo’s words had exposed his weakness. Admitting it meant admitting he badmouthed someone in secret; denying it would make him seem less than a man. In short, he was trapped!

Thus, Yang Feng finally mustered the spirit of a young master from an influential family, sneering contemptuously, “I did say it. And am I wrong?”

Seeing that the conflict had escalated to the brink, He Ye quickly stepped forward with a placating smile to mediate. She said to Wang Zhuo, “Wang Zhuo, it seems there’s some misunderstanding between you two. Can we talk this out calmly first? Let me introduce you—this is Yang Feng’s cousin, Pan Shanshan, from the Testing Department. These two are Yao Yuwen and Yu Qing, also from the Bioengineering Department, classmates of Yang Feng.”

Wang Zhuo gave her a faint smile and a nod, understanding that she was subtly warning him that Yang Feng was close with those three, and they would certainly join the fight if it came to blows.

He Ye was of medium height at 1.65 meters, slightly taller than average in Jiangzhou. Wang Zhuo had observed her face and noted it was a perfect melon seed shape with a length-to-width ratio of 34:21, perfectly conforming to the golden ratio. Moreover, her features followed the traditional aesthetic structure of "three courts and five eyes," complemented by her fair, rosy skin—she was flawless.

However, Wang Zhuo felt her face was too standardized; beautiful, yes, but lacking distinct character, perhaps not as unforgettable as Xu Chu’s pair of expressive, fluffy eyes.

But based on this perfect appearance alone, He Ye certainly deserved the title of campus belle. The greatest advantage of her face was its high plasticity, offering great room for variation when applying makeup—she could be a versatile beauty.

Yet, what students gossiped about most regarding this girl was her pert posterior. Her bust was the petite, easily grasped type common among Asian girls, a size falling indecisively between A and B, nothing remarkable. But her hips were the kind usually only seen on Western women—both high and springy, plump without being heavy, slim without being thin. Consequently, whenever netizens on the school forum rated the pros and cons of the campus belles, her critique was always summed up in one sentence: "A delight for men, you know what I mean!"

Unfortunately for her, Wang Zhuo was in the year above her. By the time she enrolled, Wang Zhuo was long past being the inexperienced virgin he once was, and his preferences in that area had gradually shifted towards the neck and above as his life experience grew. Otherwise, Wang Zhuo might well have found himself fantasizing about He Ye’s shapely hips, just like the majority of boys on campus...

He Ye's well-intentioned reminder, meant to appease Wang Zhuo, only stoked Yang Feng’s rage further.

Gossip about the campus belle spread fastest, so He Ye’s affection for Wang Zhuo was practically common knowledge. The fact that Yang Feng was pursuing her was a serious blow to his pride as a young man from a distinguished background. This was why he secretly pursued He Ye while harboring continuous hostility toward Wang Zhuo. He Ye speaking to Wang Zhuo so familiarly in front of him ignited his fury.

“Yang Feng,” Wang Zhuo began with a faint smile, “I admit I am a nouveau riche; you are correct on that point. But whether I am ill-mannered is not for you to judge. Moreover, I believe criticizing others behind their backs is what ill-mannered people do. Don’t you agree?”

The moment Yang Feng asked, “Am I wrong?” Wang Zhuo countered with, “Don’t you agree?” and then accused him of being ill-mannered for his actions—this was a complete confrontation!

Yang Feng, boiling with rage, raised his hanging arm again and snapped, “Wang, don't think you’re so great just because someone has your back! Do you know who my grandfather is?”

“Oh? Who is that?” Wang Zhuo raised an eyebrow, casting him a half-mocking glance.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang Feng regretted them. Only arrogant, spoiled rich kids habitually brought up their parents to use their background as leverage. He hadn't used that tactic in years, and blurting it out in anger just exposed his immaturity.

Sure enough, Wang Zhuo’s expression became contemptuous, and He Ye standing nearby also showed a strange look. Yang Feng instantly understood—his statement had been mortifying!

“Little Yao! Da Qing!”

He shouted, casting aside his careless remark, and directly issued an order to his two classmates/henchmen: “Talking is boring; let’s have some fun with this junior schoolmate!”

Yao Yuwen was of average height and looked like the agile type, while Yu Qing was a massive man nearly 1.9 meters tall, with slab-like muscles that screamed years spent in the gym. Without saying much, the two immediately surrounded Wang Zhuo upon Yang Feng’s command, forming a triangular enclosure with Yang Feng himself.