Chapter 4: The Campus Belle and the Ex-Girlfriend

Monday.

Zhou Chen went to school today.

Gu Zhaoyue had originally intended for Zhou Chen to rest at home for a few more days, but with the college entrance exam approaching, every bit of study counted.

Zhou Chen’s chest wound was indeed severe, but as long as he avoided strenuous activity, it posed no major problem.

Carrying his backpack and walking through the campus, he was just like any other passerby.

That changed once he entered the classroom, where his classmates all cast strange looks his way.

Most were admiring, some sneering with disdain.

“Zhou Chen is fierce. If it were me, I wouldn’t dare fight with a thug.”

“Tch! That’s just stupidity, overestimating oneself. What if the thug had hurt the hostage because of that?”

“He never studies properly, only knows how to do reckless things.”

Some who didn’t get along with Zhou Chen muttered among themselves.

What they didn’t realize was that Zhou Chen’s senses had sharpened tremendously; he clearly heard every word.

Their mouths were on their faces—let them say whatever they wished.

Gu Zhaoyue entered the classroom and went straight to Zhou Chen’s side, inquiring about his condition.

Before leaving, she said, “You’re still injured. After school, walk with the teacher. She’ll take you home on her electric scooter.”

This caused the boys in the class to show looks of envy and jealousy.

Being personally driven home by such an exquisite and popular homeroom teacher—and on an electric scooter that offered close proximity—how could they not be envious?

Halfway through the first period, the leadership of City No.1 High School came personally to check on Zhou Chen’s condition.

They arrived with the police and even presented a banner of commendation.

Such attention quickly made Zhou Chen famous within City No.1 High School.

Everyone knew that Class 2 in the third year had produced a heroic figure who had fought a knife-wielding criminal and rescued innocent middle school students, stitching more than twenty stitches as a result.

A girl sitting in the front row center of the classroom looked at Zhou Chen with an unusual gaze.

After the math class, Zhou Chen felt somewhat embarrassed—his foundation was weak, and despite his enhanced spiritual strength, he still struggled to understand.

After all, mathematics requires strong abstract and logical thinking.

In truth, if he could just catch up on all the previously missed points, he would have a breakthrough and might become a math prodigy within a few days.

After class, Zhou Chen, holding his math book, intended to seek help from the math teacher but was called out.

“Zhou Chen.”

The voice was crisp and pleasant, and its owner was strikingly beautiful.

Unlike Gu Zhaoyue, Cai Yameng’s beauty was youthful and fresh, perfectly fitting the image of a campus goddess.

Her fair skin glowed with a rosy hue; long eyelashes fluttered with innocence and charm.

Her developing figure stood out, and even loose school pants couldn’t hide her long, elegant legs.

Cai Yameng wore a high ponytail and emanated a distinctive youthful fragrance as she approached Zhou Chen.

As the school belle of City No.1 High School, Cai Yameng was immensely popular; wherever she went and whatever she did, she was always the center of attention.

“What is it?”

Zhou Chen replied flatly.

Not out of affectation, but simply because he felt no fondness for the school belle.

The reason was simple: they were family friends.

Zhou Chen’s grandfather and Cai Yameng’s grandfather were close friends.

However, trouble arose in the generation of their fathers.

Back when Zhou Xiang and Cai Yameng’s father were at the same university, they were good friends.

At that time, Cai Yameng’s father had a female admirer, whom Zhou Xiang considered to have questionable character, so he advised Cai Yameng’s father to stay away.

But Cai Yameng’s father ended up with that admirer anyway.

In retaliation, the woman once hired thugs to beat Zhou Xiang, breaking several of his ribs.

Originally, if Cai Yameng’s father had ended things with the woman, the conflict would have resolved.

But the woman became pregnant with Cai Yameng, and by then both Zhou Xiang and Cai Yameng’s father had graduated.

Over the years, for unknown reasons, Zhou Xiang never received an apology from Cai Yameng’s father.

Thus, the two families severed ties.

“Is there something you don’t understand in math? You can ask me,” Cai Yameng said to Zhou Chen.

The moment she spoke, many boys in the class thumped their chests in frustration.

Had they known that being heroic would earn them a personal ride home from the beautiful homeroom teacher and private tutoring from the school belle, they would have fought the thug themselves.

“No need.”

Zhou Chen declined indifferently, then quickly left the classroom.

He had no desire to associate with Cai Yameng.

He believed that Cai Yameng’s gesture was out of a sense of obligation due to their parents, and since she hadn’t helped him before, her offer now was merely pity because of his injury.

Zhou Chen was a proud man and could never accept help from Cai Yameng.

Cai Yameng paused, then silently returned to her seat.

“Yameng, I have a question I don’t understand. Can you help me?” The class heartthrob approached Cai Yameng, flashing a smug smile.

Cai Yameng responded coldly, “Call me by my full name. If you don’t understand something, ask the teacher.”

This was not because she disliked him, but simply her nature.

Her title of “school belle” was always preceded by “ice queen.”

On his way to ask the math teacher, Zhou Chen was stopped by a girl.

She was well-dressed, somewhat daring in her attire, and wore perfume.

“Zhou Chen, I heard you got hurt.”

Though her words sounded caring, Yang Tong’s expression held no genuine concern.

Yang Tong was Zhou Chen’s ex-girlfriend. Compared to Cai Yameng, she was in a completely different league.

She carried an allure unbefitting a student, with no hint of innocence.

Now that Zhou Chen had become a cultivator, he had long since let go of Yang Tong.

He once wondered what had blinded him to be attracted to such a woman.

For ordinary people, she was indeed pretty.

And she knew how to dress to captivate many boys.

But compared to Gu Zhaoyue or Cai Yameng, she was utterly overshadowed.

Zhou Chen was confident that in the future, he would never lack for extraordinary beauties by his side.

He even felt somewhat thankful that Yang Tong had broken up with him early, allowing him to see her true colors.

So, he ignored her.

At that moment, Li Fan, the top student from Class 1 of the third year, approached and naturally wrapped his arm around Yang Tong’s waist.

With a victorious smile, he said, “Baby, isn’t this your heroic ex? I heard there’s a knife scar on his chest.”

“Zhou Chen, can I have a look?”

Li Fan wore designer clothes. Not only was he an academic star, but his family was also very wealthy.

On his eighteenth birthday, his family gifted him a luxury car worth over half a million yuan.

He usually arrived at school in this car.

Good grades, tall and handsome, and rich—he was the male idol of many girls at City No.1 High School.

At first, he had pursued the ice queen goddess Cai Yameng, but for some unknown reason, he suddenly stopped chasing her.

Zhou Chen ignored them and walked past.

But Li Fan smugly called out behind him, “Your girl is very… moist.”

Those words caused Zhou Chen’s body to tremble slightly.

Throughout their long relationship, he and Yang Tong had only held hands and hugged, never kissed.

At first, Zhou Chen thought Yang Tong was conservative, raised with strict family discipline.

He naturally liked girls like that.

Only those who love themselves can truly love others.

But hearing this, Zhou Chen understood—the reason Yang Tong exuded a certain allure was because she had fully transformed from girl to woman.

But they had just broken up!

In just a few days, she had already been with Li Fan.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Chen turned around, his gaze cold.

“Yang Tong and I have nothing to do with each other anymore. Whatever you do is your own business.”

“And you, Yang Tong, my father saved your mother’s life. Is this how you repay him?”

“From today on, I want no ties with you. The past is past—I won’t hold grudges.”

“But if you continue to conspire against me with him, be prepared.”

After speaking, Zhou Chen left without looking back.

Before departing, he released a soul-devouring worm that consumed some of Li Fan’s spiritual energy.

He did not consume Li Fan’s soul entirely—Li Fan had not yet sunk that low.

But losing this portion of spiritual energy would impair Li Fan’s memory and logical thinking.

Since you’re a top student, I don’t mind witnessing the fall of a scholar to herald the rise of this new academic god!