When Li Yingni saw Shen Xingkong and Chang Le running towards her, she subtly signaled to Shen Xingkong that she had brought reinforcements. Shen Xingkong, too focused on escaping, grabbed Chang Le and ran straight to hide behind Teacher Gao.

“What are you two doing? Why are you in such a hurry?” Teacher Gao frowned, remembering Shen Xingkong as the uncouth student.

“Teach... Teacher Gao... on the mountain... on the mountain...” Chang Le was so exhausted he could barely speak.

“There are wolves on the mountain, Teacher Gao... we encountered wolves...” Shen Xingkong, drenched in sweat and with his stomach cramping in pain, had to come up with a believable excuse.

“What? Wolves on the mountain?” Teacher Gao’s face turned pale. As a woman, the mention of wolves made her hair stand on end.

Just then, Wang Lei and his lackeys caught up. Upon seeing Teacher Gao, they immediately stopped in their tracks.

Despite the murderous glints in their eyes, indicating they would love nothing more than to tear Shen Xingkong and Chang Le apart, they didn’t dare go too far in front of a schoolteacher.

Teacher Gao, unaware of the conflict between the two groups, assumed they had also been chased down the mountain by wolves.

“Wang Lei, did you see the wolves too?”

“Huh? Wolves? We...” Wang Lei was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on to what was happening. “Yes, we saw wolves too. Right?” He desperately signaled to his lackeys.

“Yes, yes, we all saw wolves,” the lackeys chorused in unison.

“This is outrageous! How could there be wolves here? The government is so irresponsible. Quickly, gather the students. We need to leave this place and return to school immediately,” Teacher Gao, thoroughly frightened, couldn’t wait to leave the terrifying place.

Apart from Shen Xingkong, Chang Le, and Wang Lei’s gang, the other students were also terrified at the news of wolves. All thoughts of having fun vanished, and they hurried to the main road to flag down a bus back to the city.

It wasn’t until they were on the bus that Shen Xingkong and Chang Le finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had narrowly escaped danger today. Though Wang Lei would undoubtedly try something once they were back in the city, for now, they were safe.

Wang Lei and his lackeys sat not far from Shen Xingkong and Chang Le on the bus, occasionally turning around to glare at them. Shen Xingkong and Chang Le acted as if they didn’t notice, even humming a little tune as if nothing had happened.

It took more than half an hour to travel from the outskirts back to school. Sitting next to Shen Xingkong was an elderly lady who got off before they reached the city. As soon as she left, someone immediately swapped seats and sat beside Shen Xingkong, making him pause. The person who had moved over was none other than the class monitor, Li Yingni.

“Are you free at noon?” Li Yingni asked quietly, her head down.

“Free? Are you asking me?” Shen Xingkong, having been in the same class as Li Yingni for a year and a half, had never paid much attention to her, nor had she ever paid much attention to him.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Yes, I... ahem... I’d like to invite you to lunch.”

“But I...” Shen Xingkong’s eyes darted around, never having expected the class monitor to invite him to lunch.

“Do you not want to have lunch with me?” Li Yingni looked up, her expression full of disappointment.

From the time she was in kindergarten, Li Yingni had always been the elite child in the eyes of her parents and teachers. She was proficient in all the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting—and her academic performance was stellar. If it weren’t for her determination to become a doctor and her mother’s poor health, she wouldn’t have chosen to attend the local medical school when she took the college entrance exam.

Because she was so focused on her studies, she rarely interacted with boys, let alone invited one to lunch. Today, she had been lured into the grove by Wang Lei, and if it hadn’t been for Shen Xingkong arriving in time, she might not have escaped unscathed.

She felt the need to repay Shen Xingkong for saving her, so she decided to invite him to lunch. But to her surprise, Shen Xingkong seemed hesitant, which hurt her self-esteem.

“Hehehe!” Shen Xingkong narrowed his eyes and smiled mischievously, looking a bit annoying. “It’s not that. I just... well, I eat a lot, and I’m worried you won’t be able to afford it.”

“Pfft!” Li Yingni couldn’t help but laugh, her delicate face blooming like a lotus flower—graceful and pure.

In the front row, Chang Le suddenly turned around, stretching his neck and grinning wickedly, his eyes darting between Li Yingni and Shen Xingkong.

“Lunch, huh? Can I join you? Hehe!”

“Do you drink rat poison?” Shen Xingkong shot back, rolling his eyes at him.

“...Forget it. You two enjoy yourselves!”

The bus finally arrived at Z City’s bus station, and the students all got off, including Teacher Gao. She had been so frightened today that she didn’t bother to supervise the students and instead hailed a taxi to take her home, planning to sleep off her fright.

No matter how bold Wang Lei and his gang were, they didn’t dare retaliate against Shen Xingkong and Chang Le in such a crowded place as the bus station. They could only leave in frustration, with Wang Lei signaling to Shen Xingkong as if to say, “Just you wait.”

Since getting off the bus, Li Yingni had quietly stayed by Shen Xingkong’s side, saying nothing as she waited for him to take her to lunch.

Chang Le glanced at Li Yingni, then leaned in close to Shen Xingkong, whispering mysteriously, “Here, take this. Safety first.”

“What?” Shen Xingkong felt something being stuffed into his hand. He looked down to see a condom, nearly choking in disbelief. “You pervert, keep it for yourself. Just be careful it doesn’t break.”

Shen Xingkong threw the condom back at Chang Le’s face, then strode away, leaving him behind. Li Yingni continued to follow him silently, pretending she hadn’t heard anything. And Shen Xingkong... he was thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being followed by a beautiful girl.

Across the street from the bus station were many restaurants, both high-end and affordable. Since Li Yingni was the one treating, Shen Xingkong decided to let her choose. He stood on the opposite side of the street, pretending to admire the view.

Li Yingni understood his hint, looked around at the restaurants, and eventually chose a northeastern cuisine restaurant, known for its hearty and substantial portions.

The restaurant was quite clean. The two of them sat at a table by the window. The waitress handed them menus, and Li Yingni motioned for Shen Xingkong to order. He didn’t hold back, ordering five or six dishes, both meat and vegetables, though he didn’t order any alcohol—he wasn’t that shameless.

When the food arrived, Li Yingni stood up gracefully and poured tea for both of them.

“Shen Xingkong... today, today... thank you.” Li Yingni blushed, her hand trembling slightly as she held the teacup.

“It was nothing. Just be more careful around Wang Lei in the future. He’s not a good person.” Shen Xingkong downed his tea in one gulp, then picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

Li Yingni didn’t seem to have much of an appetite. She sat down but kept her head lowered, not saying a word, her delicate face clouded with worry.

After eating for a while, Shen Xingkong looked up and saw how distressed Li Yingni seemed. He sighed, put down his chopsticks, and asked, “Alright, tell me—what really happened on the mountain today?”