Chapter 46: Taking the Schoolbag

Not a single lackey remained; on the horizontal bar, only Qiu Hui, Lu Qi, Zhang Peiyue, and Ding Sina were left. No one feels good after being humbled, and Qiu Hui, recognizing the awkwardness, silently lit a cigarette.

“Hui, are we just going to accept defeat?” Zhang Peiyue still refused to give up. After speaking, he stared at Lu Qi. “Seventh Brother, aren’t you going to say something?”

“He’s here to show off!” Qiu Hui gritted his teeth.

But it wasn’t just a simple show of force; Xiao Cheng’s move was shrewd. He dumped the schoolbags in the classroom, leaving the problem to Zhang Peiyue and Qiu Hui. Whether they retrieved them or not, either option was awkward. If opinions diverged, discord was inevitable—it was reminiscent of the ancient tale of two peaches and three warriors. For a student, a schoolbag is like a weapon to a soldier; the bait was set, and there would be no shortage of fish biting the hook. If they decided to retrieve the bags, they’d have to swallow their pride and be grateful to him, and in doing so, they’d owe Wen Xiaocheng a favor, making future confrontations much more difficult.

Qiu Hui was well aware of the predicament: if he went to retrieve the schoolbag now, how could he ever face Xiao Cheng again?

Yet, the boy’s arrogance was infuriating!

“Hui, let me handle this!” Lu Qi, who had been silent, finally spoke up.

“How are you going to handle it?”

“I’m not much for words—my fists are my language!” Lu Qi replied.

Ding Sina had been standing to the side for a while, her long legs clad in black stockings, strikingly conspicuous in the modest campus. Her large eyes fluttered as she watched the group’s troubled expressions, amused. “Seventh Brother, you deal with it first. If you can’t sort it out, I’ll take over!”

———

In Class Eight’s classroom, chaos still reigned. After Zhang Peiyue left, everyone relaxed. Several girls quickly gathered around Xiao Cheng, led by Liang Qing’er, all eager to find out what had happened on Friday.

“Not much. They brought a group, I brought a group, a fight broke out—it didn’t last five minutes, and they all fled, leaving their schoolbags behind. Since we’re all from the same school, I kindly brought their bags back for them. That’s all.”

He spoke lightly, but hadn’t lied, especially about the “I brought a group” part.

“How do you know those people?” Liang Qing’er was the most inquisitive.

Of course, Xiao Cheng wasn’t about to admit he’d tricked them into helping. He simply replied, “They’re friends.” They’d shared drinks afterward—calling them friends wasn’t untrue.

But “friends” hardly satisfied the curious girls. Liang Qing’er pressed further, “You know such tough friends—why didn’t you ever call them before?”

“They’re not exactly good people. I don’t like being around them much. I was forced into it, you all saw how Zhang Peiyue and his lot behaved.”

With that, he won over many supporters. Girls who’d previously kept quiet now found their voices, all criticizing Zhang Peiyue, and Xiao Cheng’s popularity soared.

Just then, the first person came to retrieve his schoolbag. This boy, Ren Chao, was a senior. He barged into Class Eight without a word, heading straight for the pile of schoolbags in the corner. Although Xiao Cheng sat at the back, his eyes missed nothing. He stood up, the crowd parted, and Xiao Cheng pointed at Ren Chao’s nose, his expression unfriendly. “Where are you from?”

There’s a saying: a beaten quail, a defeated rooster. After losing once, it’s hard to face your opponent again with courage, especially when time, place, and people are against you. As a senior, Ren Chao was stunned by the question and only after a moment managed to answer anxiously, “Weren’t you letting us retrieve our schoolbags?”

“Yes, go ahead,” Xiao Cheng replied, but his gaze remained fixed on Ren Chao.

With so many eyes watching, Ren Chao felt immense pressure. He searched the pile, found his schoolbag, slung it over his shoulder, and hurried out—the feeling was unbearable; he just wanted to escape.

“Stop!”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you even know how to say thank you? I carried your bag all the way back here for you. Didn’t your mother teach you to be polite and civilized?”

Ren Chao flushed with embarrassment. “Thank you.”

“Go on.”

The girls who’d just been chattering around Xiao Cheng fell silent; everyone sensed a shift. A senior, whom they usually avoided in the halls, was now timidly obeying Xiao Cheng, not daring to utter a word in protest...

After the first suffered, the rest quickly learned. Most knocked before entering, and remembered to say “thanks” when leaving. Xiao Cheng was fair—if they thanked him, he’d nod and reply, “No problem.”

People came and went in Class Eight, the pile of schoolbags dwindling, and Xiao CD never made trouble for anyone—until Chen Guo.

“Stop!”

Everyone entering felt an inexplicable pressure: Xiao Cheng’s unfriendly demeanor, and the unusual looks from Class Eight’s students. No matter who it was, they instinctively became subdued, and Chen Guo was no exception, stopping as soon as Xiao Cheng called out.

“You carry two schoolbags to school?”

Chen Guo was puzzled, explaining, “No, this one’s Hui’s. He asked me to bring it back for him.”

“Each should take their own. If you take it, what happens if he comes asking me for it? Qiu Hui should fetch his own!”

Chen Guo hesitated, his face troubled.

“Put it down!” Xiao Cheng’s voice was quiet, but he stood up. “I said, put it down!”

Just then, the warning bell rang. Chen Guo dared not linger, dropped Qiu Hui’s bag, grabbed his own, and rushed out.

Qiu Hui should fetch it himself—everyone heard the words, and understood their meaning.

Qiu Hui, the school’s boss! Xiao Cheng was inviting a direct confrontation.

Downstairs, Class Four of the third year—Qiu Hui’s class.

The bell rang for class. Chen Guo, carrying a single schoolbag, hurried inside. Qiu Hui’s eyes widened as he saw him. The two sat one behind the other. Once Chen Guo settled, Qiu Hui kicked his chair from behind. “Where’s my schoolbag?”

“He said everyone should take their own—you have to go get yours yourself!”

“Who said?”

“Wen Xiaocheng!”

“He says you can’t take it, so you just listen? You’re afraid of a second-year kid?”

Chen Guo fell silent. Truth be told, he was a little afraid.

“Damn!” Qiu Hui cursed fiercely. “He’s openly trying to embarrass me!”

Nearby, Lu Qi overheard and joined in. “Hui, just bear it till noon. I’ll go talk to him then, and while he’s gone, you grab your bag.”

“What are you going to talk about?”

“A duel! Settle it with fists!”

Lost face in the group fight, he’d reclaim it in a one-on-one. In this school, Lu Qi was the Lu Bu of their time!

“Fine! Anyone who slaps me, I’ll make him pay back tenfold!” Qiu Hui growled, clenching his teeth.

Just then, their homeroom teacher, Mr. Qin, walked in, pointed at Qiu Hui, and barked, “You! Get out! Coming to school without your bag—what do you think you’re here for?”

The slap came right on cue...