Upon hearing Lin Yuechan's words, Liu Ziqiang looked as if he'd just seen a ghost in broad daylight.
"Yuechan? Are you kidding me? Jiang Chen is your boyfriend?"
Lin Yuechan raised her chin proudly and replied, "Ugh, do you think I have time to joke with someone like you?"
To prove her point, she looped her arm through Jiang Chen's, the two suddenly looking very close.
Jiang Chen winced inwardly—clearly being used as a human shield—but he didn't resist. Being clung to by Lin Yuechan didn't feel bad at all. In fact, it was oddly comforting… like drinking warm milk from a baby bottle.
He muttered dryly, "Miss, just a reminder. You don't have any balls, so you can't possibly feel this kind of pain."
Lin Yuechan shot him a glare, her teeth gritted. "You jerk! I'm being harassed and you're still joking around?"
Jiang Chen gave her a casual shrug. "I have a rule—when something can be solved with action, why waste time arguing?"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, as if you're a man of principles. Fine, let's see your 'action' then."
Without another word, Jiang Chen turned and walked toward the still-shocked Liu Ziqiang.
Ziqiang's mouth twitched. "Jiang Chen, you've got guts to go up against me for a girl?"
Jiang Chen just grinned, showing off his bright white teeth.
Then, without warning—
SMACK!
A sharp slap landed on Liu Ziqiang's left cheek.
Before he could even recover—
SMACK!
His right cheek followed suit.
Everyone nearby froze.
"You… do you know who I am?" Liu Ziqiang stammered. "You actually dare hit me?! Come on then, hit me again if you dare!"
SMACK!
Jiang Chen dusted off his hands and grinned, "I've met many shameless people, but you take the cake—begging for more slaps like that. As a classmate, how could I refuse such a sincere request?"
"You…!"
"Oh, no need to thank me," Jiang Chen replied coolly. "I was happy to help."
He crouched down, picked up the discarded roses from the ground, and gave them a sniff. Then he said clearly, "By the way, Lin Yuechan is my girlfriend. If you try anything again, it won't just be a couple slaps next time. Got it?"
Though his voice was calm, his tone carried undeniable authority.
Liu Ziqiang, always full of arrogance, actually trembled under Jiang Chen's steady gaze and didn't dare make a sound.
Jiang Chen gave his shoulder a light pat. "Take care of yourself."
With that, he walked back to Lin Yuechan, completely ignoring the stunned silence left behind.
"All settled," he said cheerfully. "Let's go, Yuechan. Time for class."
And just like that, Jiang Chen casually reached for her hand.
Lin Yuechan blushed furiously.
She lightly struggled, trying to pull away.
But Jiang Chen held on firmly and said with a smirk, "Hey, didn't you just say I'm your boyfriend? At least act like it."
She paused, then stopped resisting. There was logic in his words, after all.
Jiang Chen gently brushed a stray hair from her cheek. "That's a good girl."
"Ugh… Why does that sound like you're praising a puppy?" she muttered, cheeks turning pink.
Her big, watery eyes blinked in disbelief. For a moment, she thought, This jerk… maybe he's not so bad after all.
While she was still trying to sort through her feelings, Qin Yanyan suddenly came skipping up from behind and squeezed herself between the two of them.
"Xue'er, wasn't our Jiang Chen sooo cooperative today?" she teased. "Especially the part where he flicked your hair. So. Cool."
Lin Yuechan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out.
The three of them walked into Class 7, the key class of their senior year.
Lin Yuechan and Qin Yanyan were deskmates. Jiang Chen sat just behind Yuechan.
Soon, the school bell rang.
Their homeroom and mathematics teacher, Chen Weiwei, walked in gracefully—wearing a fitted black professional suit and white-strap high heels, as elegant as ever.
A hush fell over the class as students sat up straighter.
Chen Weiwei gave a warm smile and began, "Students, today we'll be reviewing last week's monthly exam."
Jiang Chen rested his chin in one hand and stared with great interest at the beautiful woman standing at the front. She radiated both intellectual and mature charm.
Strange… why didn't I notice how attractive Teacher Chen was in my past life?
As if sensing his gaze, Chen Weiwei suddenly looked up—her eyes locking onto his.
Jiang Chen didn't flinch. He just smiled.
Chen Weiwei was used to attention, but this was the first time she felt someone appreciating her—not in a lustful way, but more like a master craftsman admiring a piece of fine art.
She steadied herself, then pointed at Jiang Chen. "Ahem, Jiang Chen, explain how to solve this trigonometry problem."
The class collectively turned to look at him, expecting a disaster. Jiang Chen was known to hover near the bottom ranks of the class.
And this wasn't just any question—it was a difficult one from the college entrance exam review section.
To everyone's surprise, Jiang Chen calmly stood up and said, "Teacher Chen, do you want me to answer in Chinese—or would you prefer English?"
The room burst into chaos.
Chen Weiwei blinked in shock. "You… you can answer in English?"
Jiang Chen nodded confidently. "It's just English. Piece of cake."
Chen Weiwei, half in disbelief, said, "Alright then. Go ahead and explain it in English."
Jiang Chen cleared his throat, then said clearly:
"I don't know."
The entire class nearly fainted from laughter.