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

Chapter 3 - Ridiculous, Not Violent Enough

Sounds of shock erupted one after another, and the crowd could no longer maintain their earlier stance of just watching the commotion. One by one, they fled in terror, clutching their heads and scurrying in all directions.

Shrieks of agony echoed through the hallway of the entire floor.

This demonstrated the damage a mop covered in excrement could do.

Within minutes, all the students in the class had fled in panic, leaving the once noisy classroom empty and desolate.

It was supposed to be a relaxed and easy time.

However!

Even though he had just appeared extremely fierce, he had actually been careful to maintain the difference in strength and angle.

After all, a broom covered in excrement only retains its full deterrent effect before it actually makes contact with the enemy.

So, after a series of intimidation tactics, he hadn't even touched a single person's clothes, let alone soiled the floor.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his control over details had reached an amazing level!

"If you cannot clean a room, you cannot clean the world."

Casually throwing the mop into the bucket in the corner, Ji Mu clasped his hands behind his back and gazed up at the ceiling at a 45-degree angle, a sudden sense of loneliness as a master filling his heart.

"Uh..."

A soft, gentle voice reached his ears.

Ji Mu turned to see the girl who had been bullied earlier standing behind him. Her beautiful eyes, filled with a deep, autumnal clarity, looked shyly over, like two clear, green ponds.

Her face was delicate and charming, her skin as soft as sheep's fat jade, glowing even more brilliantly as the sunlight streamed through the window.

She was clearly the type with a gentle personality, unaware of worldly affairs - no wonder she was bullied by others.

Ji Mu muttered to himself.

His gaze didn't linger on her stunningly beautiful face for long.

He glanced at her and then looked away without hesitation.

"Why haven't you left yet?"

"I..."

Even though it was just a simple and ordinary question, Ruan Qingqing still felt a sense of helplessness.

"I-I wanted to..."

Her voice was soft and slow, like that of a small animal.

She kept fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, as if that was the only way to relieve her inner tension.

"I wanted to thank you, Ji Mu..."

"No need."

"Huh?"

The delicate and gentle girl looked over in a daze.

Noticing her confusion, Ji Mu lazily explained, "You were the one who provoked me first. I was just defending myself."

"But..." Ruan Qingqing hesitated, but before she could say anything more, Ji Mu continued.

"But on the other hand..."

Suddenly remembering something, the young man casually pulled out a chair behind him and sat down. His knuckles tapped lightly but audibly on the desk, making a "knock, knock" sound.

"Come to think of it, this whole ordeal was more or less because of you. A simple thank you isn't enough - you owe me a reward."

"Reward..."

Ruan Qingqing froze for a moment.

It was a very ambiguous word.

It could easily be associated with other unpleasant scenarios.

Due to her appearance, she had suffered many instances of unfair treatment in the past.

Not just the malicious targeting by other girls.

...and those boys who were overly flattering.

But their flattery was transparently false, mixed with ulterior motives.

Especially the way they looked at her, it was truly despicable.

Ruan Qingqing curled her fingers and gently bit her lip.

Could it be that Ji Mu wanted to...

Ji Mu: "?"

Is it really that difficult to consider? Was my hint not clear enough?

Seeing the girl's wandering expression and the discomfort radiating from her entire being, he couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated.

Why does it feel like I'm forcing someone to do something against their will? Am I the villain here?

Ji Mu remained silent.

Tired of waiting, he simply held out his hand and made his intentions clear.

"Give me money."

He stopped halfway, feeling it wasn't precise enough, and added,

"Helping deserves a reward. Don't tell me you expected it for free."

Ruan Qingqing was stunned for a moment. Only now did she realize that he meant the reward literally.

"No, no."

She panicked and shook her head.

Realizing that she had completely misunderstood his intentions, the girl's cheeks flushed with a layer of red.

An overwhelming sense of shame surged through her, making her wish she could find a hole to crawl into.

"Well, um... I have some cash with me."

To distract him from the embarrassment, Ruan Qingqing hurriedly took out some money from her backpack and handed it to him.

"Is this enough?"

"Well..." Ji Mu was about to nod in agreement when his gaze accidentally fell on her hand.

A pile of crumpled bills was clenched tightly in her hand, with a noticeable sheen of oil on them.

They seemed to have passed through many hands, with clear signs of repeated folding and crumpling.

None of the bills were large denominations, the highest being fifty, the rest being small denominations like fives and tens.

Even the girl's clothes were simple, almost washed-out.

Swallowing his words, Ji Mu subtly looked away.

Not very well off at home, huh...

His thoughts didn't show on his face. He stood up from his seat as if nothing had happened.

Of course, he took a 10 yuan and a 20 yuan bill from her hand.

Watching the young man's actions, Ruan Qingqing blinked in confusion.

Huh? He only took two bills...

The girl, who hadn't expected this at all, couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

Seeing that he had no intention of taking more, she gently reminded him, "Ji Mu, you can actually take some more..."

"Just this much."

Ji Mu waved his hand dismissively, cutting off her words.

The crumpled bills dangled in the air.

"Now we're even."

He looked away, not seeing her hesitant expression, and turned to head for the door.

Ruan Qingqing stood frozen in place, left alone.

She watched as his tall, slender figure gradually disappeared from view.

A surge of complicated emotions filled her heart.

It wasn't negative, nor was it the same discomfort she felt when she was ostracized before.

It was hard to describe.

But... it wasn't uncomfortable.

In the empty classroom, the girl pressed her lips together.

At that moment, she didn't even notice that the bills in her hand were being deeply pressed and deformed by her thumb.

"Ji Mu... is a good person."

————

"Made a clean 30 yuan, not bad."

Ji Mu went up to the roof to catch some wind and stuffed the money into his pocket.

Leaning against a good spot for some shade, he recalled the various experiences he had just gone through and closed his eyes with a yawn.

He didn't like to owe favors.

Of course, he didn't like others owing him favors either.

So taking money was the perfect solution.

Thirty yuan was an amount that was neither too much nor too little. Given the girl's circumstances, it wouldn't cost her too much and it wouldn't seem too casual - just the right balance.

It also saved her from worrying too much about today's incident.

But...

While the favor issue was resolved, the encounter with school violence right after the transfer wasn't a good sign.

Especially that woman named Chu Yashi, she seemed to have a lot of influence in this school.

Being targeted by such a local bully, the days ahead were bound to be chaotic.

"Tsk."

Ji Mu clicked his tongue and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"What a hassle. Maybe I should just transfer again."

[Ding——]

Just as he was muttering to himself, a cold electronic sound suddenly rang out.

"Hmm?"

Sensing something unusual, he suddenly opened his eyes.

This is...