Chapter 3: Eat Shit!

Lin Huai laughed softly.

“It looks like I'm making enemies on my first day.”

"Relax, I won't let them trouble you,” Wei Qiamian said apologetically.

Lin Huai's grinned confidently.

“They can't bother me.”

“Oh my God,” one of their classmates said. “He's the one who just beat up Zhang Jindong on the basketball court. No wonder I felt like I'd seen him.”

“I was there too. He beat Brother Dong until his face was covered in blood!”

“Brother Dong is one of the toughest freshmen in the sports department. We shouldn't mess with this guy.”

For a moment, those hostile gazes lessened, but plenty of people looked smug. Zhang Jindong wasn't the type to just give up. They looked forward to watching him teach Lin Huai a lesson.

Hearing to the surrounding discussion, Wei Qimian's scooted her chair away from Lin Huai.

Lin Huai noticed it, and sighed, putting on a hurt frown.

“I thought transferring to Yulan would mean I could finally focus on my studies. Now, instead of being snubbed by rich kids, I’m almost beaten on my first day. Am I so useless that there's no school where I'll be able to work in peace?”

Sure enough, Wei Qimian's looked over in sympathy, biting her lip.

“Where'd you go to school before this?” she asked softly.

She looked so sexy when she bit her lip, Lin Huai felt like he was falling in love already. His heart was racing, but he kept his expression gloomy, trying to look mysterious and quiet.

“Tongcheng Music College,” he said, voice heavy with regret.

“But if you ended up here …”

"I've wanted to study music since I was a child. My dream is to have my voice heard all over the world, but I'm from a small down with no good farmland, and the harvest this year wasn't very good. The tuition for the music college was too high. This was the only school to transfer to.”

When speaking about music, Lin Huai's eyes lit up with excitement. When he talking about being forced to transfer to another school, Lin Huai spoke with soft heartbreak. It was obviously working. Wei Qimian looked at him with tender sympathy. Maybe he could be an actor someday.

Wei Qimian wiped her eyes.

“That explains the late transfer. I wasn't expecting my new classmate to be a musical genius. Unfortunately, the music schools are expensive. I like music very much. Who is your favorite musician?”

“My favorite is Bach, the German composer,” Lin Huai said, shining with passion. Some people call him 'the Father of Western Music'. He could play the the organ, violin, and the harpsichord.”

“You like Bach too?” Wei Qimian asked, eyes bright with excitement.

Lin Huai had researched Wei Qimian. She was interested in music, painting, and dance. Seeing her expression, he'd could tell he'd found his in.

“Yeah,” he said, smiling cheerfully. “Bach’s music style integrated the styles of so many different places. He combined the best of Italian, French and German traditional music so seamlessly. His music was wonderful.”

"In my opinion, he is the greatest musician of all time in Germany,” Wei Qimian agreed.

“Agreed. But a few of my opinions about him are a bit more controversial.”

“Can I hear them?”

When he said this, Wei Qimian's eyes were full of passion.

Lin Huai couldn't lose this chance. He decided to strike while the iron was hot, showing off every bit of knowledge he'd gathered. Wei Qimian admitted some of his ideas had never even occurred to her. At the end of the class, Wei Qimian looked at him, blushing.

“Oh, I missed half the lecture today. Next time we talk, we need to wait for break. Geez, talking to you makes me feel like a little kid. I doubt even our music teacher knows half as much as you. Only a professional music teacher would have a chance at keeping up with you.”

Lin Huai laughed.

“I haven't even started to get into it.”

Wei Qimian grinned. Even Lin Huai's cheeky side was charming.

As they chatted. Lin Huai noticed the boy who'd talking up Zhang Jindong came to the doorway, trying to subtly get the attention of a few trouble makers. They came over to chat, occasionally glancing at Lin Huai.

This dumb-ass had seen the fight and still thought they could take him?

Lin Huai knew that Zhang Jindong had convinced himself he had a chance. He probably though he'd only lost because of Lin Huai's sneak attack. If he recruited a few computer science kids, he'd have a chance to drive Lin Huai out of his own department.

Lin Huai wasn't worried in the slightest. His plan was to chat with Wei Qimian, so he chatted with her and ignored the troublemakers. When the boys passed by Lin Huai on their way back to the desks, they shot him nasty looks, but seemed afraid to voice their opinions in front of Wei Qiamian.

After returning to their seats, they resumed their whispering.

“Those guys are trouble,” Wei Qiamian told Lin Huai softly. “Look at the guy with a dragon tattoo on his arm. His name is Zhang Chunyu. His brother is a bigshot scumbag in second year called Zhang Chunlei. Everyone calls Chunyu 'Second Lei' and shows him a lot of respect. He's sort of the boss of the class.”

Lin Huai glanced back. Zhang Chunyu was about 6'2” and had a tattoo on his arm. He saw Lin Huai was looking at him and drew his thumb across his throat..

“I think they're targeting you,” Wei Qimian said softly. “Maybe it's because you're a transfer student?”

Lin Huai smiled.

“For all we know, they're all talk. Besides, my personality will win them over sooner or later. Because I’m a nice young man who is keen to learn and versatile.”

Wei Qimian giggled.

“You've got thicker skin than I'd expect.”

Lin Huai glanced back at the bullies and chuckled.

"If you don't believe me, just watch. Sooner or later, they'll fall to my charms."

Wei Qimian was the clearly the goddess of the freshmen year. Lin Huai getting on her good side was bound to make him plenty of enemies.

The second class was Chinese language and literature. Wei Qimian focused on her studying, face serious. Not many students were bothering to study at all, and none of them were as focused as Wei Qimian. Even if some of these students would behave themselves in a regular class room, the environment made it too tempting to goof off.

Lin Huai’s had already studied past university level. He spent a few minutes of pretending to listen to class seriously, but he was stealing glances at the goddess beside him for the rest of class. Who would be able to help it? Soft and delicate skin, long eyelashes… The class wasn't boring at all.

Lin Huai’s arm would occasionally “accidentally” bump Wei Qimian’s arm. When Wei Qimian looked at Lin Huai, he would look steadily ahead, listening to his own racing heartbeat… It wasn’t that Lin Huai never been with another woman, but he'd never experienced this feeling before. It was as though a simple smile, a simple gaze, a brush against his arm, would make his heart beat faster.

A class period passed by quickly. Afterwards, Lin Huai walked out of the classroom and into the men’s bathroom at the end of the hall. Just as he was unzipping his pants, Zhang Chunyu walked in with a few underlings. The underling beside him kicked open every stall.

“Get out of the way, Second Lei wants to do his business here. Everyone else, get out.”

A muscular youth stumbled out of the stall, grumbling, but smiled when he saw Zhang Chunyu.

“Second Lei, which small fry are you teaching a lesson to?”

“Our class's business has nothing to do with you,” Zhang Chunyu said indifferently.

The boy spit on the ground, glared at Zhang Chunyu, and walked straight out. A few of Chang Chanyu's party bristled.

“What crawled up his ass?”

“Yeah, Second Lei, we should teach him a lesson too.”

“Official business is more important.” Zhang Chunyu put his hand on Lin Huai's shoulder, smiling, “Hey transfer student, I'm afraid you can't leave.”

“Oh, why?”

Lin Huai finished urinating. He looked at Zhang Chunyu, pulling up the zip of his pants. His calm demeanor only made Zhang Chunyu more enraged.

Zhang Chunyu turned to two of his followers.

“Both of you go into the hall and keep lookout! Don’t open the door no matter what you hear!”

“Okay, boss!”

They closed the door behind them. Zhang Chunyu stretched his fingers and chuckled.

“You’re arrogant. I don't think you are afraid of me at all!”

Lin Huai put his hands into his pockets, looking at Zhang Chunyu with disdain.

“You think you’re amazing because you’re tall?” he asked, smiling. “If you're so strong, stand up for yourself. Zhang Jindong ordered you to deal with me, right?”

Seeing that Lin Huai was still calm, Zhang Chunyu's looked at him with genuine surprise.

"Yes. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for offending Brother Dong. I just happen to want Brother Dong to owe me a favor. Even if I don’t beat you up, he would beat you. The sports students aren't easy to deal with.”

Lin Huai chuckled.

“Going around preying on the weak... Why do you deserve to be the boss of the class? I think you deserve to eat shit.”

Zhang Chunyu's face twisted. He grabbed Lin Huai's collar.

“What did you say?” he snarled.

“I said you deserve to eat shit.”

“Guys, help me wreck him,” Zhang Chunyu growled. “Don't hold back. Whatever happens, I'll take responsibility!”

As Zhang Chunyu’s fist came at Lin Huai’s face, three of his underlings rushed forward with him!