Chapter 76: Campus Storm

Ye Fei observed the group. Liu Lei was the quintessential second-generation official; Lu Sicheng belonged to a family with a shadowy legacy, exuding a subtle air of a rising kingpin; Rong Cheng carried the faint aura of a foreign aristocrat, the scion of wealth. Each of the three was distinct, their backgrounds rooted in different strata of society. As Ye Fei studied them, they too, though still engaged in their own rivalry, discreetly sized him up. Clearly, none were the foolish heirs one might expect—they were all sharp-minded.

While Ye Fei formed his own impressions, Lu Sicheng and the others quietly thought, “This man is unusually calm. Facing the pressure from the three of us, he remains composed. He won’t be easy to handle.”

Exchanging glances, Lu Sicheng, Liu Lei, and Rong Cheng reached a silent understanding, preparing to probe Ye Fei. Just then, the bell for class rang, thwarting their plans.

As Lu Sicheng and Rong Cheng left, Ye Fei offered them a smile.

Liu Lei, accompanied by Chen Hao, moved to the back of the classroom, casting Ye Fei a resentful look. He knew that with Zhang Xiaoxiao present and on Ye Fei’s side, he stood no chance of forcing Ye Fei out of his seat. He could only swallow his frustration and scheme anew.

Meanwhile, Zhao Kai skipped class to seek out Ling Fei, the girl he always liked.

The brief encounter between the school’s three most prominent figures before class was quickly noticed by the gossip-loving students from the journalism department. Before the lesson was half over, sensational news was already spreading across the school’s website and major forums:

“Three Suitors Vie for School Beauty: Zhang Xiaoxiao Stands by Mysterious Stranger.”

…

“Today, our class welcomes a new student. You may not know him yet—Ye Fei, come introduce yourself and greet your classmates!” announced the homeroom teacher, the beautiful Liu Jiaying.

Ye Fei confidently stepped onto the stage, waved to his classmates, and smiled, “Hello everyone, I’m Ye Fei, the new arrival. From now on, we’ll be classmates.”

“Ye Fei, tell us about your family, your age—we don’t know anything about you!” someone called from below.

Ye Fei smiled amiably. The warmth of his classmates felt oddly forced. Just moments ago, their hostility had been palpable; now, their friendliness seemed almost suspicious. He guessed immediately: Liu Lei, Lu Sicheng, and the others must have prompted them to dig into his background, so they could strategize and avoid any missteps.

“Actually, I’m an orphan, just returned from abroad. As for my age, I’m twenty-seven this year,” Ye Fei replied.

“An orphan—” “Twenty-seven, that’s so old.”

“So he’s just an orphan. Who knows what stroke of luck led Zhang Xiaoxiao to fancy him?”

The class murmured among themselves, though their less flattering remarks were exchanged in hushed voices.

Liu Lei, sitting at the back, flashed a triumphant smile and squinted provocatively at Ye Fei.

Ye Fei remained composed, noting Liu Lei’s reaction. He had indeed prompted the questions, clearly wary of Ye Fei’s family background and anxious to avoid stepping on a landmine. Yet, for all his cleverness and scheming, Liu Lei was still a product of the sheltered greenhouse, unable to keep his composure.

As the saying goes, a thousand people hearing the same words will have a thousand interpretations. No matter how others judged Ye Fei, in Zhang Xiaoxiao’s eyes, his status as an orphan only made her wish to comfort him more. At twenty-seven, six years her senior, Ye Fei struck her not as old, but as possessing a mature charm far beyond that of the campus’s youthful boys.

“All right, Ye Fei, return to your seat for the lesson,” said Liu Jiaying, the homeroom teacher. She hadn’t known Ye Fei was an orphan and now found herself overcome by a maternal impulse.

“Everyone, let’s continue the lesson.”

With the teacher present, the class passed quietly. The next period was P.E., and some students were already looking forward to it.

Outside the classroom, a few furtive students—armed with notebooks, laptops, and phones—eavesdropped, recording Ye Fei’s introduction with bright, excited eyes. These were the campus’s news reporters, its gossip columnists and entertainment writers, responsible for covering every school ranking, beauty list, competition, and student drama.

Soon, their reports flooded the network, and news about Ye Fei proliferated:

“Shocking News: The Mysterious Man Is an Orphan”

“The True Identity of the Mysterious Man”

“The Untold Story of Ye Fei and School Beauty Zhang Xiaoxiao”

“Explosive! The Mysterious Outsider’s Rise to Win the Rich School Beauty”

Within less than a class period, Ye Fei became the headline figure across campus media. Even the top ten campus beauties could not compete with his popularity today.

“Ye Fei?” In another classroom, a junior girl propped her chin with her hand, twirling her pen, curiosity in her eyes.

“Ye Fei?” The president of the campus karate club heard his members mention the name, and responded with interest—not so much in Ye Fei, but in the fact that Lu Sicheng, Rong Cheng, and Liu Lei now faced a rival, and Zhang Xiaoxiao was so affectionate with Ye Fei. He imagined their expressions must be priceless.

“Ye Fei?”

… Elsewhere, Ye Fei’s name was on the lips of many students. Most had never heard of him before, but after today, everyone knew the name. Logging onto the school network, they saw: Wow, Zhang Xiaoxiao’s mysterious boyfriend?

Many students knew that the next class was Zhang Xiaoxiao’s P.E. session. Expecting a spectacle, several skipped their own classes to wait by the sports field, eager to witness the drama unfold.

…

The bell rang.

Ye Fei was still unaware of the brewing storm, noticing only that Zhang Xiaoxiao seemed unusually anxious beside him.

“Xiaoxiao, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Ye Fei asked, concerned, gently touching her smooth forehead to check her temperature.

“I’m fine,” Ye Fei replied.

“Ye Fei, the next class is P.E. I’m worried Liu Lei and the others might cause you trouble,” Zhang Xiaoxiao said.

“Oh, that’s all? Don’t worry, I thought you weren’t feeling well! Turns out you were worried about me,” Ye Fei laughed, utterly unconcerned.

Damn—he actually touched Zhang Xiaoxiao, and she didn’t resist. The two spoke and laughed intimately, confirming the rumors: the new arrival, Ye Fei, was truly Zhang Xiaoxiao’s mysterious boyfriend.

Many boys had clung to a sliver of hope, but seeing the pair so affectionate, like a couple lost in each other, their hearts finally shattered.

He seemed so ordinary! His clothes combined were worth less than a single branded item many students wore. Zhang Xiaoxiao choosing him—it was like a flower blooming atop a pile of manure.

Liu Lei, too, saw this scene, rage flaring up inside him until it burned in his throat. But with Zhang Xiaoxiao present, he couldn’t act, though in his mind he’d killed Ye Fei countless times with his gaze.

Lu Sicheng and Rong Cheng’s underlings quickly reported the scene to their bosses, both of whom were livid.

Campus reporters captured the moment, uploaded it online, spawning a fresh wave of news, rumors, and secrets.

Ye Fei, Zhang Xiaoxiao, and her close friends headed out onto campus, surprised to find so many students gathered. Many whose classes didn’t have P.E. this period had come anyway.

“Wow, they actually appeared together. I thought the photos were staged, but now I believe it,” a male student lamented.

“That’s Ye Fei—so plain! Not even as good as me. Why didn’t Zhang Xiaoxiao choose me?” another compared himself silently to Ye Fei.

“So Zhang Xiaoxiao likes this type. If I’d had the courage to confess, maybe I’d be the one beside her now,” said a student who looked much older, seemingly in his thirties.

On the sports field, students buzzed with conversation—both boys and girls. Most boys felt envy, jealousy, and resentment toward Ye Fei, while the girls, apart from Liu Lei’s fan club, were generally fair-minded about him.