You said you hated men, why are your eyes now full of love?

Morning classes were about to begin.

Ruan Qingqing rested her palm against her cheek, absentmindedly biting the tip of her pen, her expression dazed, clearly lost in thought.

The events of last night replayed vividly in her mind. Just remembering them sent ripples through her heart, like a lone boat adrift in stormy waters.

Looking back on her life over the past decade, she'd witnessed too much of humanity’s darkness.

Ugliness. Hypocrisy. Filth.

Most of her experiences were filled with darkness and embarrassment. The only colorful moments left were the days she had spent with Ji Mu.

It was strange, wasn't it?

Before she met him, her soul wandered the world alone—empty, monotonous, like a hollow shell of a person.

Like rusted gears grinding in place.

Like an old, weathered house with crumbling eaves.

Like abandoned train tracks overgrown with damp moss.

But after the day Ji Mu drove away Chu Yashi for her, ripples formed in the still waters of her heart. The once lifeless solitude she had known began to change drastically.

Each new emotional upheaval made her realize that she was not just a rigid, lifeless body.

She was… really living. With all the emotions—bitterness, joy, sorrow, warmth—just like anyone else.

"I don't want you to be alone…"

Muttering Ji Mu's words from last night under her breath, Ruan Qingqing pressed her hands to her cheeks.

The warmth of her palms spread over her skin.

An indescribable excitement spread wildly in her heart, flooding her senses, almost like she had become addicted to the feeling.

"Sisters! I just ran into Situ Yan, and he's so much more handsome up close!"

A girl burst into the classroom, practically glowing with excitement as she gushed to her friends.

"You wouldn't believe it; he's drop-dead gorgeous!"

Hearing the excited chatter around her about that scoundrel, Ruan Qingqing's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Unpleasant memories resurfaced, souring her previously good mood.

She couldn't understand what they saw in him. He was nothing but a useless pretty face.

Just as she was about to look away and stop paying attention, a comment from the girl beside her made her heart jolt.

"Oh, right! I also saw Ji Mu from our class there!"

The lovestruck girl speculated, "It felt like there was some tension between them. Do you think they’ve fought before...?"

"Wait, did you just say that you saw Ji Mu and Situ Yan together?" Ruan Qingqing interrupted, quickly walking over to her and staring at her intently. Her tone was filled with tension as she asked, "Where did they meet?"

"Yeah, so what?" the girl beside her said, annoyed. "Why should I tell you? Go look for yourself if you care so much—"

"I suggest you tell me." Ruan Qingqing’s voice was calm, but there was a noticeable pause. Her expression remained blank as she repeated, "Where are they?"

Her dark eyes were deep and unwavering. Though her tone was soft, the chilling coldness behind it sent a shiver down the girl’s spine.

"In... the corridor on the fifth floor."

"Thank you."

Ruan Qingqing gave a slight nod before turning on her heel and walking away without another glance.

Only after she was gone did the girl let out a relieved breath. "What the hell... When did Ruan Qingqing get so scary?"

For a moment, it felt like she had become a completely different person. The quiet, oppressive danger in her demeanor was suffocating, nothing like the weak and easily bullied girl she used to be.

She muttered to herself, realizing a cold sweat had already formed on her back.

…

Back to the present.

On the fifth floor of the school building, a sudden, thunderous crash from the hallway shattered the silence, immediately grabbing the attention of several classrooms.

Students exchanged glances, curiosity flaring as their focus on studying completely vanished. Some were already inching toward the windows, eager to see what was happening outside.

Bang—!

Suddenly, the tightly shut classroom door burst open as a figure was sent hurtling backward. Within moments, they flew over two meters through the air before slamming hard onto the podium.

Crash!

The podium crumbled under the force, splintering apart in an explosion of broken wood.

"Situ Yan?!"

As the figure's face became clear, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wait, that's really him?"

"What the hell happened?! Who could've beaten him up like that?"

The students whispered among themselves, their shock and astonishment evident in their tones.

No one could have imagined that the once untouchable prince of the underworld in Tianhua City would one day get knocked down so brutally in public.

A weak cough broke the silence.

Situ Yan stood up shakily from the pile of broken planks.

Pain coursed through every inch of his body, and even the slightest movement made his muscles feel as if they were being torn apart.

As he looked at the person in front of him, his once arrogant eyes were now filled with fear.

"You... you... stay away from me!"

His voice trembled as he saw Ji Mu approaching. Panic-stricken, he clutched his stomach and stumbled backward.

But Ji mu was much faster. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them.

"You—"

Smack!

Without saying a word, Ji Mu grabbed the half-finished glass bottle of Coke from the nearby table and smashed it over Situ Yan's head.

Cold liquid mixed with glass shards and blood streamed down his scalp. The world spun as he stumbled backward, barely managing to stay on his feet by crashing into a desk.

As if that wasn't enough, Ji Mu noticed another glass bottle on the table.

Ji Mu glanced at another glass bottle on the table.

"Sorry, I'll be borrowing this."

How polite.

The student who had just bought the drink and barely taken a sip twitched his mouth slightly.

What is this?

Civility first, then violence? Bowing before beating someone?

During the pause in the taunts, Ji Mu had already grabbed the last remaining glass bottle. Without hesitation, he hurled it forward.

Smash!

The glass shattered instantly, scattering into countless shards. The drink splashed over Situ Yan’s head in a downpour, mingling with the blood dripping from his wounds.

The extreme pain sent his vision spinning, drowning in a dark red haze. The whole world tilted, twisted, and then crashed.

His body collapsed under the weight of agony, dropping to one knee. The impact sent nearby desks and chairs toppling over, turning the entire classroom into a wreck.

As Situ Yan lay there motionless, like a beaten dog, Ji Mu's half-minute boost from Ancient Evil wore off.

Ji Mu exhaled. The more he used this ability, the more he adapted to its side effects.

He still felt drained, but at least this time, standing wasn’t impossible.

Forcing his trembling legs to stop shaking, Ji Mu slowly crouched down.

Glancing at the tattoo on his opponent's neck, he grabbed a fistful of the man's hair and yanked his head up.

"A tattoo? A gangster?"

Situ Yan's head was forced back, his blood-soaked face barely recognizable.

Even the phrase "beyond recognition" couldn't fully describe his state.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you, young master?" Ji Mu sneered. "A dull blade and a frail horse, what do you have to fight me with? You think you’re on my level? Do you even have the strength to challenge me? Who gave you the courage to kidnap Ruan Qingqing?"

Watching Situ Yan gasping for breath, Ji Mu coldly spat out his words.

"Don't you realize? She belongs to me (25 million)?"

You even screwed up my ranking match. You really deserve to die!

Ruan Qingqing ran up to the classroom door, slightly out of breath, just in time to hear Ji Mu’s words.

She froze.

A shudder spread through her, an electric tingle rushing from her fingertips to her toes. Her burning cheeks felt like they were fueling the erratic pounding of her heart, thump, thump, thump, each beat louder than the last—

Like fireworks bursting beside her ears.

Brilliant. Magnificent.

...

"Principal, I've already spoken to Ji Mu. I told him to keep a low profile as the exposure event approaches, and he promised not to cause any trouble."

"Good, as long as he promised."

The principal nodded and was about to discuss the work plan for the second half of the year when he suddenly noticed a disturbance in the fifth-floor hallway.

Outside Grade 12, Class 5, a massive crowd had gathered, completely blocking the doorway.

"It's already class time. Why are all these students still hanging around outside?"

Then, faint whispers reached his ears—

"A fight…"

"So fierce…"

His frown deepened as he quickened his pace. Let me see what's going on.

The moment the students noticed the big boss approaching, they collectively fell silent and shuffled aside to clear a path.

The moment he stepped inside, the principal was greeted with the sight of Ji Mu beating the hell out of the Underworld Prince.

The principal: "..."

The homeroom teacher, who followed closely behind, stopped dead in her tracks, mouth slightly open, too stunned to say anything.

The principal took a deep breath, feeling an oncoming headache.

Slowly, he turned to face the equally speechless teacher, his expression unreadable.

"This… is the absolute lack of trouble you guaranteed me?"

Hey folks! We've kept our words and dropped one extra chapter on hitting 15 votes on NovelUpdate.