The next day, Mingli’s school term began, and Xie Heng entered the classroom just as the morning self-study bell rang.
The moment the boy appeared, the entire class, including the teacher standing at the podium, froze for a second, glancing at him with a mix of surprise and nervousness.
At that moment, the same thought popped into everyone’s mind:
How many days in a row has the school tyrant arrived on time?!
During the last week before the holiday, Xie Heng had shown up every day, which had already seemed odd to both classmates and teachers. After some private discussions, they had unanimously concluded that it was just a fleeting phase.
—Maybe his Dad disciplined him?
It wouldn’t be the first time. In the past, whenever Xie Heng got into major trouble, the school would call his parents, and for a few days afterward, he’d temporarily behave, only to soon return to his old ways.
So everyone had assumed that the short holiday would act as a reset button, and once school resumed, he would inevitably go back to being late and skipping class.
Yet here he was. It was cutting it close, but still on time.
“Xie Heng?” Even the homeroom teacher was startled.
Xie Heng glanced at the teacher without responding, hands in his pockets, walking in with casual indifference. He ignored the teacher and didn’t look at anyone.
Today, he was dressed in a black windbreaker with black pants, though there was a slight difference in shades. Instead of basketball shoes, he had switched to a pair of lighter sneakers.
His striking blue hair instantly drew attention. It was the kind of bold color that most people couldn’t pull off—like the fluorescent pink of the lipstick world, a guaranteed disaster.
But on Xie Heng, it somehow worked.
His pale skin, sharp features, and vibrant energy gave him a presence that made even such an ostentatious hair color seem effortlessly natural.
Some girls whispered among themselves.
“Does anyone else think Xie Heng looks even better now?”
“I noticed before the break—his style has improved, and he doesn’t seem as intimidating anymore…”
Unfortunately, Xie Heng, wearing his headphones, didn’t hear the compliments.
His outfit had been chosen by Lu Xi, who had always disapproved of his fashion sense. She had even taken the trouble to reorganize his wardrobe with the help of the household staff, picking out coordinated outfits for him.
As for his hair, it had been slightly flattened from sleep that morning. Just as he was about to leave, Lu Xi had stopped him, applied some styling product, and quickly fixed it.
That was why he had cut it so close to being late.
As he walked past the third row, a bespectacled boy was twirling his pen, only for it to slip from his fingers and clatter to the ground, landing right at Xie Heng’s feet.
The boy froze.
Seeing Xie Heng’s expressionless face and the sideways glance he cast his way, the boy panicked and blurted out, “S-Sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose…”
Would the school tyrant think he was being provoked?!
Xie Heng was baffled.
The guy dropped his pen, why was the guy apologizing to him?
Without a word, Xie Heng bent down, easily picked up the pen with his long arm, and tossed it back onto the boy’s textbook before heading to his seat.
The bespectacled boy : ?
The rest of the class : ???!
The school tyrant not only wasn’t annoyed, he even picked up the pen for the boy… Was this some kind of heartwarming, good-deed-of-the-day moment?!
His deskmate, a girl named Huang Ying, shifted forward slightly to give him space and greeted him softly, “Good morning, Xie Heng.”
After the book-borrowing incident last time, she wasn’t as afraid of him anymore.
Besides, despite his intimidating looks, Xie Heng wasn’t as bad as the rumors suggested. As long as you didn’t provoke him, he wouldn’t bother with you. He rarely swore and wasn’t someone who picked fights for no reason. He wasn’t nearly as terrible as people made him out to be.
Xie Heng curled his lips slightly.
He didn’t feel good.
Not at all.
After realizing he had to buy Christmas gifts, his anxiety peaked.
In the past, Xie Heng often felt restless, believing his Dad didn’t care about him, that others didn’t understand him, that no one really paid attention to him… But looking back now, he thought all of that was just pointless teenage angst!
His current problems were far more concrete and realistic.
He was broke as hell!
And there was something else he was even more reluctant to admit… He was truly terrible at studying. According to Xu Jiaming, he had fallen too far behind in his coursework—there was no way to catch up all at once. So improving by fifty ranks in the midterms wasn’t going to be easy.
Hit with a double blow, Xie Heng felt utterly dejected.
He clenched his molars.
It was tough, but he had never backed down from a challenge before. If he said he was going to move up fifty ranks, then he damn well was going to do it.
When the time came, he’d print out the rankings and slam them right in front of his Dad’s face, making him take notice!
With determination burning inside him, Xie Heng even stopped dozing off in class. At most, he would rest his eyes for a brief moment when exhaustion hit.
“I’ll nap for ten minutes. Wake me up when time’s up.”
Huang Ying : “……”
This was the first time she had ever heard of someone setting a wake-up call for sleeping in class.
When the time was up, she glanced at the teacher, then at the boy slumped over next to her. Summoning her courage, she lightly poked him with the cap of her pen. “Ten minutes are up.”
Xie Heng hadn’t fallen fully asleep—he was still somewhat aware. The moment she called him, he sat up immediately.
Huang Ying hadn’t expected him to actually get up. She was a little surprised.
But what happened next was even more shocking. Xie Heng flipped open his textbook and asked her where the teacher had left off. She stared blankly for a few seconds before snapping back to reality and telling him.
Xie Heng had always been bold and reckless, whether it was sleeping in class or talking, he never bothered to lower his voice, completely unafraid of being caught by the teacher.
Most teachers didn’t even dare to confront him.
Just like now, during their homeroom teacher’s physics class, while everyone else sat quietly, the teacher noticed some movement near Huang Ying’s desk. He glanced over, saw that she was talking to Xie Heng, hesitated for a moment, then pretended not to see anything.
But the other students all saw it.
Especially the one sitting behind Huang Ying—who had the clearest view of all.
What?! Huang Ying, who was usually timid like a little rabbit, actually dared to talk to the school tyrant? Not only that, she even poked him with a pen?!
And the most unbelievable part? The school tyrant actually woke up without getting mad and even spoke to her nicely?!
During the break, Xie Heng glanced at Xu Jiaming, who was sitting a few rows away. Finding it too inconvenient to ask him questions, he simply stretched out his long legs, placed his textbook in the middle of the desk, pointed at a section, and raised an eyebrow at his deskmate. “I don’t get this. Do you?”
Huang Ying : “……”
She did, but… was the school tyrant really asking her to teach him?
Her emotions were a complicated mess, but despite her confusion, she still carefully explained the problem to him.
It wasn’t just her, no one else in class believed that Xie Heng was genuinely trying to study.
Before long, rumors started spreading around the school, saying that he treated his deskmate differently, that there was something ambiguous between them.
The gossip was detailed and vivid, and it quickly reached Ruan Tian’s ears.
She absolutely didn’t believe it and was even annoyed, telling the girl who passed the message not to spread gossip.
“It’s true! My cousin is in Xie Heng’s class, and she saw it with her own eyes. Xie Heng even took the initiative to ask that girl about a question.”
Ruan Tian was stunned for a moment and asked uneasily, “Then… what does she look like? Is she very pretty?”
She asked, but she didn’t really believe it. After all, she was the school beautym who at this school could possibly be prettier than her?
Qi Sisi rolled her eyes. “Not pretty at all, just a total bookworm. How could she compare to our Tiantian?” Then she added, “You don’t need to worry too much. My cousin was just casually mentioning it. You know what Xie Heng is like, how could he possibly be interested in an ordinary girl?”
Hearing that, Ruan Tian finally felt a little better.
That’s what she thought too.
Xie Heng was someone with impossibly high standards, ordinary girls wouldn’t even catch his eye. This kind of rumor was just nonsense.
But she was still a little uneasy.
Ever since the gala, she had run into Xie Heng at school several times, but neither of them had spoken to the other. A few times, she had wanted to take the initiative to make peace, but whenever she saw his cold and aloof expression, she backed down again.
Maybe today… she should take the first step.
She didn’t even have to do much, just talk to him like she usually did and give him an easy way to smooth things over. After all, that night at his house hadn’t ended well for them.
She really shouldn’t have cried like that at his place. Thinking back on it now, Ruan Tian felt nothing but regret. How embarrassing.
With hopeful anticipation, she waited until the end of the evening self-study session.
The school was bustling with students pouring out. Most didn’t board at school and were heading towards the gate.
Ruan Tian’s grade, the second grade, was on the fourth floor, while Xie Heng’s, the first grade, was on the second. She was the first to leave her classroom, and sure enough, she spotted Xie Heng at the stairwell.
He walked down lazily, his schoolbag slung casually over one shoulder, his long legs carrying him effortlessly through the crowd. He was, without a doubt, the most eye-catching person there.
She immediately picked up her pace to follow him.
By the time they reached the school gate, a line of luxury cars was parked along the tree-lined road. Most of the students here came from wealthy families, and to show off, parents always sent the best cars in the house to pick them up. It was practically a high-end car exhibition.
The Xie family’s car, however, was understated. It didn’t have the flashy appearance of those exotic sports cars, but it had been modified for top-tier safety and privacy. Its windows were even bulletproof.
After all, for a prestigious family like the Xie’s, there were always people with bad intentions to guard against.
Ruan Tian had deliberately told her family not to pick her up today. She quickened her steps and caught up to Xie Heng, slightly out of breath.
“Xie Heng!”
The boy frowned when he saw her. “What do you want?”
“I… My family’s driver took the day off, and no one’s here to pick me up. Could you give me a ride home?” Ruan Tian tilted her head up to look at him, her eyes soft and pleading.
Xie Heng asked flatly, “Where do you live?”
“Jade Mansion on Fuyuan Road.”
“That’s not on my way. Ask someone else.”
With that, he pulled open the car door and got in without hesitation, his profile cold and indifferent.
“…”
Ruan Tian hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection.
She bit her lip, feeling both angry and embarrassed. There were so many people around, and plenty of classmates had seen their exchange. With him rejecting her so outright, wouldn’t she become a laughingstock?
She took a step closer, softening her tone. “But… I don’t really know them that well. Can’t you just give me a ride?”
Her voice carried a hint of a pout.
The young girl looked quite pitiful, and giving her a ride wouldn’t be any trouble. Even the driver uncle felt a bit soft-hearted.
After all, he had been young once too, and it was obvious at a glance that the girl was here for Young Master. She was beautiful, surely Young Master wouldn’t be that heartless?
Sure enough, this time, Xie Heng didn’t reject her outright but instead pondered for a few seconds.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Ruan Tian’s brows relaxed, and she brightened up.
Xie Heng glanced at her, lifted his eyelids nonchalantly, and asked, “Do you have money?”
She was stunned, not understanding his meaning. “Yeah, I do. Why?”
Xie Heng pulled out his phone, did a quick search, and then showed her the screen. “From school to your house is ten kilometers. A luxury ride on a taxi app costs 215 yuan. I’ll give you a discount and charge you 200.”
Ruan Tian’s face stiffened.
She thought she had misheard and asked in shock, “You’re charging me?”
Xie Heng countered, “Why would I take you for free?”
The driver and the other students were dumbfounded. Uh… this was a bit confusing.
It was just a simple ride—was charging her really necessary? And wasn’t Ruan Tian rumored to be his girlfriend? What kind of turn-off move was this?!
Ruan Tian could no longer smile. Her eyes reddened, as if she had suffered an immense grievance. “Are you that short on money?!”
“Duh. I’m broke, very broke,” Xie Heng replied. Seeing that the deal wasn’t going through, he immediately lost interest, rolled up the car window, put on his headphones, and left Ruan Tian with an indifferent profile.
“……”
Ruan Tian had never been this humiliated before, not even last time at the Xie family’s house.
It was rush hour after school, with so many people watching!
She held back her tears and only let them fall after getting into her best friend’s car.
Qi Sisi didn’t know how to comfort her and could only keep cursing Xie Heng. “What a jerk! If he didn’t want to take you, fine, but did he have to say such humiliating things? That’s just cruel!”
Everyone knew how rich the Xie family was. His clothes, his shoes—each piece cost thousands. And yet he was asking a girl for a couple hundred yuan in cab fare?
This incident, unsurprisingly, caused an uproar.
Too many people had witnessed it after school, and the two people involved—Xie Heng and Ruan Tian, the school tyrant and the school flower—were already a high-profile pair.
Less than an hour after school, the forum was flooded with over a dozen discussion threads.
[Did anyone see that? The school flower got ruthlessly rejected by the school tyrant. Did they break up?]
[Getting rejected isn’t the weird part. The weird part is that XH actually asked RT for money and refused to take her without it.]
[I heard Young Master Xie say he’s broke. Hahaha, funniest joke of the year!]
…
Of course, while everyone was gossiping, no one was actually dumb enough to believe that Xie Heng was short on money. There was only one possible explanation for his actions.
The money thing was just an excuse. It was his way of making Ruan Tian give up on him for good.
And honestly, it was a brutal strategy! Just think about it. No matter how handsome a guy is, if he starts nitpicking over a mere hundred yuan and refuses to do even a small favor, how much of a turn-off would that be? No matter how godly his face was, this ship was officially sunk.
Many replies were cursing Xie Heng, calling him a scumbag, saying he was heartless, and that after getting with the school flower, he no longer cherished her. No amount of money or good looks could make up for this. Others speculated that he had suddenly lost interest because he had found a new girl.
Although these voices were loud, a small number of people voiced their dissent.
[Wait, seriously? When did Xie Heng ever say he was dating the school beauty? Hasn’t this always been just a rumor spread privately? He never admitted it!]
[+1. I’m in the same class as the school tyrant, and I really don’t think he’s dating anyone. He gives off major ‘eternally single straight guy’ vibes…]
[Not letting her ride in his car isn’t a big deal, right? Just because she’s the school beauty, does that mean he has to pamper her unconditionally? He’s not her Dad…]
In short, opinions on the forum were all over the place.
But the dominant narrative was still that Xie Heng was a scumbag. As for why, many couldn’t even explain it. The most ridiculous reason? Some people simply claimed, “He just looks like one!”
Even so, those hiding behind anonymity only dared to refer to him as ‘school tyrant’ or use abbreviations when mentioning him.
Xie Heng was being trashed all over the forum, and even students from other schools had heard about it. After all, he was already infamous, and Ruan Tian was also a hot topic.
But he himself had no idea. He only found out that evening while gaming with Song Siyang.
Xie Heng : ?
—Are they all insane?
A scumbag? A new fling? What if he just needed money?
The one with money is his Dad, not him. He’s just a broke high schooler!
But Xie Heng didn’t care. People could say whatever they wanted, it wasn’t like they mattered to him.
He was well aware of his reputation at school and had long since gotten used to it.
The next day, Xie Heng went to school as usual.
He arrived neither early nor late. As soon as he reached the classroom door, he saw a large crowd gathered around something.
“Move.” He had one earbud in, standing tall and imposing, tilting his head slightly with an impatient expression.
The moment everyone saw him, they scrambled to back away.
He overheard some murmuring behind him.
“So scary… I nearly had a heart attack.”
“Why did that new fling take the day off today? I wanted to see what she looks like to have beaten the school beauty.”
“She looks super average. Xie Heng must be blind…”
Xie Heng stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and swept his gaze coldly over the crowd. His lips curled into a sneer.
“You talking about me? Speak up.”
He didn’t care if they were guys or girls—he gave zero face to anyone.
The gossipers immediately paled, nudging and pulling each other before bolting like their lives depended on it. The rest of the crowd quickly scattered as well.
Xie Heng went back to his seat. When the morning self-study bell rang, he finally realized his deskmate was absent.
Only then did he remember those comments from earlier.
Those bastards… they weren’t calling my deskmate my new fling, were they?
What kind of nonsense is this?!
Gossip was a powerful force—regardless of gender or social circles, there were always people ready to jump on the latest drama.
That day, another thread popped up on the forum.
[Shocking! The real reason the school tyrant asked the school beauty for money…]
—The original poster claimed that not long ago, Xie Heng’s Dad had found himself a new wife, who was young and stunning. She had completely bewitched him, and maybe even whispered some pillow talk that led him to cut off Xie Heng’s allowance.
—That’s why Xie Heng resorted to such measures. It had nothing to do with a new or old lover.
This was a juicy piece of gossip!
A lot of people immediately replied to the post. Many had seen that during the school gala, Xie Heng had brought a young woman with him. Most assumed they were siblings.
So they weren’t siblings, but a stepmother and stepson?
[So that’s how it is. Suddenly, I feel bad for the school bully. He acts so tough outside, but at home, he gets bullied by his stepmother.]
[Stepmothers, you know how they are. Mine’s an actress. One day, I’m running away from home for sure.]
[Then why did he bring her to the gala?]
[Maybe his dad forced him. Ugh… where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather too!]
Xie Heng never paid attention to the school forum, but this time, Xu Jiaming forwarded him the post. He only saw it the next morning at breakfast.
“I already reported it. The post should be deleted soon,” Xu Jiaming said.
Xie Heng scrolled through the comments and nearly exploded with rage!
Who the hell were these people? Stirring up nonsense like this? A bunch of clueless nobodies talking as if they knew anything!
He lost his appetite. Tossing his chopsticks aside, he picked up his phone, his expression dark as he furiously typed:
[OP, you better wait for me. Spreading rumors? Don’t blame me if I come after you…]
He hit send, only for the page to suddenly disappear.
A red message appeared: This post has been reported and deleted for violating forum rules.
“…”
Lu Xi had been watching him eat just fine a moment ago. Now, he suddenly looked frustrated, his blue-streaked hair practically standing on end as if he was ready to fight someone.
She cleared her throat and asked casually, “What happened now? Who dared to mess with our little Young Master?”
Xie Heng was fuming.
But with Lu Xi right there, he couldn’t throw a tantrum. Holding back, he slammed his phone onto the table and muttered, sounding almost aggrieved, “Someone spread rumors about me.”
And about you.
He swallowed the second part of his sentence, afraid that if he said it out loud, she’d get mad and maybe even pass out.
Lu Xi chuckled. “You’re so intimidating, who would dare spread rumors about you?”
Then, as if remembering something, she added, “Oh right, give me ten minutes. I need to go to school with you to take care of something.”
Xie Heng looked up, surprised.
Could it be… she found out about the post and was going to school to stand up for him?