Chapter 7: The Bully, Deng Yong

The three didn’t delve further into the topic. Someone’s stomach was growling, truly on the verge of collapse from hunger.

The Western restaurant wasn’t far—just four or five minutes by car. Unfortunately, all the private rooms were full, leaving only seats in the main hall. It was a bit noisy, but better than having nowhere to sit.

Before long, the dishes they ordered arrived one after another. Su Tang didn’t stand on ceremony and began eating ravenously, as if she hadn’t seen food in three days.

“Chen Yang, this meal is on me!” Halfway through, Shen Yanran suddenly spoke. “I know your family’s financial situation isn’t great. I have no intention of kicking someone when they’re down. If not for my mother asking me to meet you, I wouldn’t have come. So…”

Before she could finish, Chen Yang waved his hand dismissively. “I understand. Don’t worry, I won’t cling to you.”

Hearing this, Shen Yanran breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s for the best. If there’s ever an opportunity, we can still be friends.”

“Yanran, aren’t you being a bit heartless?” Su Tang pouted, even feeling a trace of sympathy for Chen Yang.

In truth, Su Tang was the most guileless, pure-hearted girl of the lot. Shen Yanran, on the other hand, was somewhat motivated by profit and ambition. Chen Yang could see this clearly.

Just then, a boy approached, eyes alight with surprise. “Yanran, what a coincidence! You’re here too? Seems fate is on our side!”

“Deng Yong?” Shen Yanran saw the boy clad in designer brands, his hair dyed blond, and a barely perceptible look of disgust flashed in her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

Deng Yong was her classmate from senior year, an unrepentant school bully who relied on his family’s power and influence to torment classmates. He was also one of her many pursuers.

“Of course, I’m here to have fun.” Deng Yong concealed the heat in his gaze, trying to put on a gentlemanly smile. His eyes lingered on Su Tang. “Little Tang, you’re here too!”

Her petite, adorable face paired with a figure that defied her innocent looks made the heat in his eyes flare anew.

Shen Yanran and Su Tang were known as the most famous pair of sisters at Yunzhou University. Shen Yanran was a renowned beauty, exquisite from childhood, her flawless looks and model-like long legs securing her title as campus queen—an object of longing for countless lonely men in the night.

Su Tang’s charm lay in her cuteness, though she fretted about her overly developed figure, favoring the loosest clothes for comfort.

Deng Yong’s life dream was to conquer this famous pair.

“Disgusting!” Shen Yanran caught the shift in his expression, grabbed Su Tang, and tried to leave.

Deng Yong, seeing his prey about to escape, blocked their path at once. “Yanran, Little Tang, what’s the meaning of this? Why do you want to leave as soon as you see me? Am I really that repulsive to you?”

Repulsive barely scratched the surface—it was outright loathing.

“Deng Yong, get out of the way and stop blocking us!” Shen Yanran snapped.

A shadow flickered in Deng Yong’s eyes, his lower body growing hot.

“Yanran, I’ve pursued you from freshman year to senior, but you won’t even spare me a glance. Now that we’re graduating, you’re still pretending to be coy?” His tone grew more sinister, almost menacing.

He pressed on. “Let me be frank—my big brother is Blade, a street boss. He’s nearby. If you know what’s good for you, come with me to the bar tonight, or else…”

He left the threat unfinished, but his gaze swept across Su Tang and Shen Yanran, lingering hungrily. Had this been a different place, he wouldn’t have hesitated to act.

His words frightened Su Tang, who instinctively retreated.

Though Shen Yanran was scared, she knew this was a society governed by law. She didn't believe Deng Yong would dare to act so brazenly in broad daylight.

With that thought, Shen Yanran spoke forcefully. “Deng Yong, if you try anything, I’ll call emergency services!”

“No need for that—it’s too much trouble,” a lazy voice sounded. Chen Yang stretched and stepped forward, deftly shielding the two girls behind him.

Deng Yong frowned, his voice cold. “Kid, who the hell are you to meddle in my business?”

“Get lost now, or I’ll break your legs!” Deng Yong spat venom, showing no restraint.

He didn’t realize that the last person who spoke to Chen Yang this way had already had his legs broken—the third young master of the Chu family. Deng Yong was small fry; even Wang Mingyuan wouldn’t bother with him, let alone Chu Feng.

Chen Yang wasn’t one to meddle, but today he was resolute.

First, Shen Yanran was Aunt Bai’s daughter, and Aunt Bai was his mother’s close friend.

Second, he genuinely liked Su Tang, finding her interesting.

With these thoughts, Chen Yang glanced at Deng Yong and spoke without wasting a word. “Listen carefully—I’ll only say this once. If you turn around and leave now, I’ll pretend nothing happened.”

His words stunned everyone present, especially Shen Yanran. She couldn’t believe Chen Yang, of all people, would dare speak so boldly.

Deng Yong was a notorious bully, trained in taekwondo. Usually, it took two or three people to handle him.

“Chen Yang, I know you mean well, but Deng Yong isn’t just anyone—don’t provoke him!” Shen Yanran whispered urgently. “If necessary, I’ll call emergency services—no matter how tough he is, he wouldn’t dare challenge them openly!”

She reached for her phone, but Chen Yang stopped her. “I said, for a minor issue like this, there’s no need to involve emergency services.”

Deng Yong heard this and smirked, half mocking. “Kid, you’ve got guts. In that case, I’ll let you off—so long as you…”

Before he could finish, Chen Yang scratched his ear, sounding impatient. “You sure talk a lot. Are you a woman?”

His words enraged Deng Yong.

Furious, Deng Yong swung his fist at Chen Yang. Years of training lent his punch a force of at least three hundred pounds, enough to cripple an ordinary person. He believed Chen Yang would be severely injured, if not killed.

It happened in an instant—so fast the two girls couldn’t react, much less intervene.

“Ah…” Shen Yanran and Su Tang covered their eyes and cried out.

It’s said that when women face danger, they’re helpless except for screaming—this was no exception.

The two girls kept their eyes covered, afraid to look.

In their minds, Deng Yong’s 1.85-meter frame made him a formidable fighter; Chen Yang was surely about to be sent flying.

Suddenly, Chen Yang’s voice rang out. “How long are you planning to keep your eyes covered?”

Hearing this, the two girls slowly opened their eyes.

What greeted them left them utterly shocked.

Chen Yang stood there, unscathed and calm. Deng Yong, who had been so menacing moments before, now lay on the ground, groaning like a dying dog.

He looked seriously injured.

What had happened?

Shen Yanran and Su Tang stared at Chen Yang in bewilderment.

Chen Yang offered no explanation, merely spreading his hands and shrugging. “I’m not sure. Maybe the guy had a pang of conscience and beat himself up.”

Huh?

A black line seemed to cross both girls’ foreheads.

Did they look like fools? Or three-year-olds? Were they that easy to trick?

Shen Yanran wanted to press further, but at that moment, Deng Yong, still writhing on the floor, painfully struggled to his feet.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto Chen Yang as he roared, “You bastard! Just wait—I’ll make you pay dearly!”

Chen Yang was unfazed. “What, you want to lie down again?”

He hadn’t gone all out, only given Deng Yong a light lesson. But if Deng Yong insisted on being reckless, Chen Yang wouldn’t mind sending him on his way.