Engage in something bold and unconventional.

Xu Lin walked straight over, and as he drew nearer, the other person lifted their head and looked at him. In that instant, he was certain—the gaze belonged to her! Eyes filled with malice and dissatisfaction!

The other person seemed to recognize his face as well. She sprang up and broke into a run. Xu Lin was taken aback but quickly followed, closing the distance behind her. Suddenly, she spun around, swinging the tailoring knife in her hand directly at him!

Xu Lin dodged back, narrowly avoiding her attack, then kicked her wrist. The knife flew out of her grasp! His heart still pounding, Xu Lin glanced at the knife lying on the ground. Chu Fengyi rushed over and swept her leg, knocking the attacker to the floor!

With one hand, she pinned both of the girl’s arms, swiftly pulled loose her own shoelace, and tied it tightly around the girl’s wrists.

“Let me go!” The girl trapped beneath shouted, but Chu Fengyi stared coldly at her, tightening the shoelace even further.

Xu Lin quickly grabbed Chu Fengyi, afraid if she pulled any harder, she might break the girl’s arm.

“Huff… Xu Lin, are you alright?” Chu Qingchan ran over, panting heavily, her hands braced on her knees as she nearly stumbled.

“I’m fine, but looking at your frame, you really ought to exercise more.”

“Alright, when we get back, I’ll exercise with you,” Chu Qingchan replied. Xu Lin felt a stir in his heart—there were all kinds of exercise, and she was clearly being suggestive.

Just then, several uniformed security guards hurried up. Seeing one girl pinning another, and two people standing nearby, they all paused in surprise.

“What’s going on?” they asked.

Soon after, the girl’s homeroom teacher, grade director, and the vice principal arrived.

“Student Liu, you said you’ve felt someone following you lately?” The vice principal, Mr. Tang, wise and sharp, was the first to ask.

“Yes, since last week. At first I thought it was just my imagination, but the feeling grew stronger. I asked my roommates if they felt anything, but they said no. I started wondering if it was just me, and I was afraid to call the police, thinking it would reflect badly on the school. So I kept quiet until today, when Mr. Xu Lin noticed it too.”

“So at lunchtime, we discussed it briefly. Mr. Xu Lin and the two Miss Chu sisters offered to help me see if we could catch the person who was stalking me. Just now, Mr. Xu Lin and the others pretended to leave, and I lured the person out. That’s when all this happened… I never expected it to be Zhu Meihan—a classmate of mine, although we’re not in the same dormitory. I was shocked when I came down just now.”

After finishing, Liu Qinuan clenched her fist and grabbed Chu Qingchan’s arm, feeling a bit unsettled.

“Zhu Meihan, explain yourself,” the teacher pressed.

“I didn’t do anything. I just happened to be here watering the flowers, trimming them.” She was still bound by Chu Fengyi’s shoelace, her face emotionless.

“Then why did you run?” Chu Fengyi stepped in front of her, glaring coldly. Zhu Meihan instinctively shrank back.

“Principal Tang, she deliberately tried to hurt someone with that knife just now. Luckily, no one was injured. I think we should involve the police immediately,” Chu Fengyi said, her tone forceful and unyielding as she stared at the principal. The old principal wiped the sheen from his forehead.

This was clearly a student matter, and the donor of their new sports field was involved, along with a friend who was an actor promoting charity for the school. But calling the police would certainly impact the school’s reputation. As vice principal, he had to consider the bigger picture.

“Let me ask her first. Zhu Meihan, were you spying or not?”

“I… wasn’t spying. I just looked at Student Liu a few times, that’s all!”

“Why would you spy?”

“I really wasn’t spying!”

Chu Fengyi frowned, raised her hand, and slapped it against a nearby thick tree trunk. The bark cracked open, revealing a deep fissure in the wood. The teachers jumped in shock. Wood chips flew onto the girl beside them, making her shudder.

Xu Lin’s heart surged as he watched Chu Fengyi. She was usually a feisty, mischievous fairy, often only pretending to be angry or to smile, but this time she was genuinely furious—and all because of him. Truth be told, as a man, seeing a woman get angry over him out of concern, he couldn’t help but feel a little pleased.

Still, he grabbed Chu Fengyi’s wrist, afraid she might punch again and finish off the tree, which was barely clinging to life.

Chu Fengyi, in turn, squeezed Xu Lin’s hand, calming herself a bit. “Speak up—what’s going on? Otherwise, we’ll call the police and your parents.”

Chu Qingchan kept her eyes glued to her sister and Xu Lin’s hands, alarmed. Something really was happening between these two! This couldn’t go on. She’d have to talk with Xu Lin—or Chu Fengyi—later. The two of them weren’t right for each other, even if they were truly in love. Father would never agree—and she didn’t want to, either.

Suddenly, a voice rang in Xu Lin’s mind: [Chu Qingchan’s affection increased by 5 points. Current score: 44.]

What just happened? Xu Lin glanced at Chu Qingchan, noticed her gaze, and realized his hand was clasped with Chu Fengyi’s.

He was affected as well—damn it! But why did seeing them holding hands raise her affection score? Was Chu Qingchan jealous?

Yet Chu Fengyi paid no attention to all this, continuing to talk with the principal and teachers. The girl’s homeroom teacher crouched down beside her, gently persuading.

But Zhu Meihan remained silent, unmoved even by Chu Fengyi’s demonstration. Chu Fengyi decided to call the police.

Just then, Liu Qinuan, who had acted as though she had nothing to do with any of it, walked over to the girl and knelt down.

“Miss Zhu, can you talk to me? I know you don’t mean me any harm. You could have just come to me directly—there’s no need to follow me around like this.”

“No… Nuan Nuan, I can’t…” At last, prompted by Liu Qinuan’s gentle words, she finally spoke.

“You called me Nuan Nuan. You’re one of my fans, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ever since you played Little Ouhé, I’ve admired you!”

Suddenly, the gloomy girl transformed, brimming with excitement like a fervent fan.

“Yes, yes, you like me—whether you want to chat, study, or ask for an autograph, you can always approach me. But why do this? It’s affected me, and everyone else.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but I just can’t control my feelings. I even wrote you a letter—did you know?”

“A letter…”

“A confession letter.”

“Huh? I’ve had some letters—mostly people wanting to be friends. You…”

“Yes, Nuan Nuan, I like you—not that kind of liking, but that kind of liking!”

Everyone nearby froze at those words. Xu Lin was stunned. No wonder he’d felt a gaze full of malice—it was all because of this.

He’d thought it was a boy; then, upon seeing a girl, suspected jealousy. Now, it turned out she was a rabid fan, and after all that, she just wanted to kindle a sapphic romance!