Chapter Two: The “Protection Fee” Incident

“Weren’t you hungry?” Jiang Changyuan spread his hands. “If you’re hungry, you have to eat. Why would you ask such a question?”

Su Yingying looked puzzled. Had their relationship really reached that level?

“But… but I can’t let you spend money. Hotpot is expensive.”

Jiang Changyuan was deeply touched. This girl was really so thoughtful!

“It’s just a little money, a trivial amount. I’ve got plenty of money!”

“No, no,” Su Yingying shook her head repeatedly. “My mother said we shouldn’t take advantage of others.”

So principled?

Jiang Changyuan pondered for a moment, then patted Wang Kang on the shoulder. “Do me one more favor—buy two fast-food meals, one with a chicken leg, one with a duck leg.”

“Got it! Coming right up!”

The two of them hurried away and returned within three minutes, carrying the boxed meals.

Jiang Changyuan handed one box to Su Yingying.

“Here you go. You think hotpot is too expensive, but you’ll at least accept fast food, right?”

Su Yingying clutched the hem of her clothes, biting her lip. “This still costs dozens.”

“Just take it,” Jiang Changyuan said without giving her a chance to refuse, pressing the box into her hands.

“Your mother isn’t well, and you only eat twice a day. If you keep this up, you’ll become malnourished.”

Having said that, Jiang Changyuan didn’t wait for her reply and quickly rode off on his heavy motorcycle.

Su Yingying hugged the box, feeling a warmth in her heart.

But shortly after, she found herself puzzled: how did Jiang Changyuan know she only ate twice a day? And about her mother’s illness—she hadn’t told anyone that.

The doubt didn’t last long, as the aroma of the braised chicken leg in the box soon captivated her senses.

Afraid the meal would get cold, she hurried home.

After they left, Wang Kang and Zhang Qiang held the money Jiang Changyuan gave them, their feelings complicated.

“Old Wang, do you think our Dragon Society will really disband?”

Wang Kang sighed. “What else can we do? Jiang Shao can’t control us anymore. And after he asked for our thoughts, if we keep being irresponsible, it’d be unfair to him.”

Zhang Qiang propped his cheek with his hand, gazing at the bustling street crowd before his eyes brightened suddenly.

“Old Wang, I’ve made up my mind. We won’t disband the Dragon Society. Instead, we’ll grow stronger and bigger. When Jiang Shao finishes his college entrance exams, we’ll give him a surprise!”

At the Blue Bay Villa, Jiang Changyuan parked his motorcycle in the underground garage.

He removed his helmet and ran his hands through his hair, feeling that his slicked-back hairstyle looked utterly ridiculous.

He pushed his hair down and changed out of his foolish outfit. Lying on his bed, he pondered his situation.

Su Yingying had already apologized and treated him, so there shouldn’t be any hidden troubles.

As for that club, he had already disbanded it.

From now on, if he acted like a simple, unassuming rich second generation, the male lead probably wouldn’t be connected to him at all.

Still, to be safe, it’d be best to transfer schools directly.

“Mom, Dad! I want to transfer schools!” Jiang Changyuan sprang out of bed with a somersault and shouted as he entered the living room.

Jiang Zhenguo put down his newspaper, pulled out a Seven Wolves cigarette, and scolded him with a flushed face, “You little punk, causing trouble at school again? I’ve already tried transferring you to every school in the city! Where else do you want to go?”

“Uh…” Jiang Changyuan recalled carefully—indeed, it was true!

The foolish author’s setup had him causing chaos at every high school in the city district.

Damn, there was no escaping now!

“Heh, Dad, I was just joking.”

“You’re definitely hiding something. Spill it. What’s really going on?” Jiang Zhenguo snapped his belt loudly and lunged toward Jiang Changyuan.

“Dad! I didn’t do anything!”

“Ah!”

“Dad, stop hitting me!”

“Ah!”

Receiving a beating for no reason, Jiang Changyuan wanted to cry but had no tears.

It seemed that transferring schools to get away from the female lead was impossible for now. Since he was in the second year of high school, the most natural way was to separate after getting into university.

The next day, at the school gate.

Jiang Changyuan wore a loose light blue uniform, his messy hair falling casually over his forehead, blending in with the many ordinary high school students.

He rubbed his burning backside and sighed deeply.

“What a curse!”

“Hey, who’s that?”

“Why isn’t the school bully wearing his cyberpunk outfit today?”

“Hair down too. I can’t even recognize him.”

“Shh, keep it down. If he hears you, he’ll slap you silly.”

Hearing his classmates’ whispers, Jiang Changyuan paid them no mind.

With his bag slung over one shoulder and hands in his pockets, he headed toward the teaching building.

But after a few steps, he overheard explosive news.

“Just saw one of the school bully’s lackeys blocking Su Yingying outside the girls’ restroom. She’s probably in trouble.”

Jiang Changyuan’s face darkened. He grabbed the speaker by the collar.

“Which restroom is Su Yingying in?”

The kid with a flat-top hairstyle trembled and stammered, pointing toward the gymnasium.

“Behind the gym’s restroom.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Changyuan dropped his bag and sprinted off.

He had planned everything, but forgot he still had his own people at school.

If Su Yingying got hurt today, all his efforts yesterday would have been for nothing!

The flat-top kid, still shaken, was about to slip back into the classroom.

At that moment, a tall, handsome boy wearing a red armband stopped him.

“What’s got Jiang Changyuan in such a hurry?”

“He’s bullying Su Yingying.”

The flat-top spoke rapidly, “You student council guys better handle this, but don’t say I told you.”

Hearing this, the student council members grew serious and hurriedly rushed over.

Behind the gymnasium, near the restroom.

“Su Yingying, I heard you took a part-time job last night?”

A spiky-haired student, his uniform crooked and posture casual, with small, shifty eyes, sized up Su Yingying.

“What… what does that have to do with you?” Su Yingying’s expression was tense as she hid inside the girls’ restroom.

The spiky-haired boy sneered and slowly said, “If you know what’s good for you, hand over the money. I don’t want to hit a woman.”

Su Yingying instinctively covered her uniform pocket, her face pale with fear.

“This is money I earned. I can’t give it to you…”

The spiky-haired boy laughed angrily, rubbing the back of his head.

“Think carefully. This is protection money Jiang the school bully told me to collect. If you don’t pay, you’ll face the consequences after school.”

Jiang the school bully…

Jiang Changyuan?

Su Yingying thought of him and naturally recalled the chicken and duck legs from last night.

She swallowed hard and mustered courage. “You’re lying! He’s not that kind of person!”

The spiky-haired boy’s eyes nearly popped out!

What the hell?

Who isn’t that kind of person?

Jiang Changyuan?

Are you kidding me?

Is there anyone worse than him at school?

Not far away, Jiang Changyuan stopped in surprise.

Had his image in Su Yingying’s heart really reached that good a place?

“Refusing a toast only to drink a penalty wine—I’m going to settle you right now!”

The spiky-haired boy lost patience and stepped toward the girls’ restroom.

“Stop!”

A voice full of justice came from behind. Jiang Changyuan turned around, goosebumps rising all over.

In the sunlight, a tall, handsome student stood backlit.

Here he comes, the male lead is about to show off!