It was about half past eight when Li Yun Dong arrived at the school. As he stepped onto campus, he noticed a girl in thick black-rimmed glasses holding a pile of books under her arm, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes just beyond the teaching building.

The girl spotted him and rushed over, shouting fiercely, "Li Yun Dong! You've skipped class for three days without reason. Do you know those were precisely the days when education commission officials came to inspect us? Your absence caused our class to lose its honor points!"

She ranted on with relentless energy while Li Yun Dong winced through his ears. *Class honor points? Does she think I'm still in high school?* He couldn't help rolling his eyes, though this girl was Sun Li - the Chinese department's legendary top student who'd won the special scholarship as a freshman and been received by city officials.

He vaguely recalled her being a model student in high school, but messed up during college entrance exams. A first-tier university had offered to break protocols for her admission, yet she refused indignantly and chose Tiannan University deliberately - a second-rate school despite her potential.

Sun Li was fiery with Sichuan chili personality, her slender face framed by thick black glasses like Zhou Bichang's style and an outdated hairband that screamed old-fashioned. Suddenly Li Yun Dong wondered what she'd look like without those accessories...

*But even then*, his thoughts drifted to the mysterious girl at home, *she can't beat that beauty*. The thought made him cringe - had he left her alone? Would she steal anything? No way a gorgeous girl would rob... Unless she did. If so, he was doomed.

His mind churned with confusion about the girl's identity and whether something happened between them when drunk, his thoughts as chaotic as boiling porridge.

Sun Li noticed his distracted state and angrily slapped her books against his chest: "Hey!"

The impact triggered an automatic recoil from Li Yun Dong's internal alchemical energy. A small fox could be pushed back a meter by this power - much less a book!

*Crack!* The book flew, scattering Sun Li's collection to the floor.

"Oops!" She dropped to her knees without scolding him first.

Li Yun Dong thought she just dropped them and mentally scoffed: *Serves you right with such a fiery temper!*

Though thinking unkindly, he still helped gather two psychology textbooks. When handing them back, Sun Li glared at him for shaking the books loose on purpose.

"You have no gentleman's manners!"

"None?" Li Yun Dong exploded. "If I wanted to be rude, do you think I'd pick up your books? Try me!"

Her eyebrows arched into Sichuanese curses: "Try it and see!"

Veins bulged in his neck as he glared red-eyed at her. Sun Li stood firm despite the terrifying sight of bloodshot eyes ready to pop.

"Yo, isn't that our school's self-righteous queen?" A new voice interrupted from two girls nearby.

Li Yun Dong turned to see Zhou Qin - the campus beauty who'd rejected his confession three days ago. She wore a pale yellow leisure suit, her expression void of yesterday's embarrassment yet secretly smirking.

Next to her stood Ding Nan, who taunted: "You're famous now! Your confession video topped the school forum!"

"Who filmed it?!" Li Yun Dong roared at Zhou Qin accusingly.

Zhou Qin gave him a dismissive glance without explanation.

Ding Nan sneered: "Don't take it out on us! Take it to Xiao He! I recorded it, so what? Show courage in love but not in public? Frog wanting swan meat - check your mirror first!"

After his alchemical transformation, Li Yun Dong's blood energy was overwhelming. A slight provocation could ignite a fight.

Suddenly his lower abdomen flared with heat that surged upward like erupting lava. When it broke through some unseen barrier in his chest, his hair snapped straight up as if struck by lightning!

Red veins bulged from his eyes as he roared: "Say it again!"

Though terrified, the girls stood their ground - until Zhou Qin squeezed Ding Nan's hand silently.

"Help! Someone's going to be killed!" Ding Nan screamed.

A crowd gathered during morning classes. Emboldened, she sneered: "Come on then! Hit me if you're brave enough!"

Li Yun Dong charged forward with clenched fists when suddenly...

"Hey, gutter trash!" Wu Hui - the sports club president resembling Wu Qilong - stepped in to protect Zhou Qin.

Before he could finish, Li Yun Dong's fist lifted him off the ground by his collar. "I'm going to kill you!"

The crowd gasped as Wu Hui turned purple-faced with oxygen loss.

"Bastard!" Li Yun Dong grinned viciously before releasing him...

Suddenly a melodious voice pierced through: "You're here!"

He froze, hair falling down instantly - it was the mysterious girl in red traditional Hanfu!