Chapter 141: No Green in Sight, Yet Green in Heart (Also a chapter dedicated to thanking Platinum Alliance Lord Baiyi)

A burst of laughter erupted all around.

Some people even let out wolf whistles and strange catcalls.

Connecting this to Li Shaohua’s earlier actions, everyone casting glances his way wore that unmistakable, knowing look men share.

More than a few veterans of the battle of love, both men and women, fixed their gazes straight upon Li Shaohua's hair...

Beneath that layer of glossy hair wax, a faint, verdant glow seemed to shimmer.

Perhaps this was the highest realm of enlightenment—where one sees no green in the eyes, yet harbors the green firmly in the heart.

"Pfft..."

Li Shaohua coughed up a mouthful of stagnant blood, his complexion turning ghastly...

Unable to bear standing in place any longer, he covered his face and fled in humiliation.

The surrounding gazes were simply too unbearable, like razor-sharp knives slicing into his heart with every stroke.

He walked back to his seat in absolute silence, head bowed low, his eyes turning cold and fierce once more, clearly harboring vicious thoughts in secret.

This time, no one dared to mock or ridicule him to his face anymore.

However, the muffled snickers in the shadows never ceased for a moment.

...

"Why are you back?" For some reason, Xiao Nan felt a flutter of pleasant surprise in his heart.

He found it rather odd that facing Qin Shuang, the trace of dread was minuscule, while joy overwhelmingly dominated.

So much had happened recently, and it felt as though he hadn't seen the young girl before him in ages; surprisingly, a deep sense of nostalgia welled up within him.

"What? Are you not happy to see me back? Well then, I'll leave, and I won't stick around to watch you get beaten until you're crying like a baby."

Qin Shuang pursed her lips into a slight smile, still as unyielding and domineering as ever.

Though she claimed she was leaving, she showed no intention of loosening her grip on his arm. Instead, she held on even tighter, as if terrified that Xiao Nan might vanish if she looked away for even a second.

Xiao Nan looked at Qin Shuang, torn between laughter and tears, never expecting this little demoness to put on such an endearingly vulnerable act.

It was simply... too unexpected.

In his memories, this was a scenario straight out of a fantasy, yet it had manifested so naturally.

If the little demoness was Qin Shuang, who was the grand demoness? Naturally, it was Su Yuqing.

At that moment, Su Yuqing was practically ecstatic, slapping the table repeatedly, her hairpins scattered and hair disheveled, looking completely unlike her usual poised and elegant self.

As expected of the woman Tan Qiuyi dubbed a tigress and a madwoman, whenever she threw caution to the wind, she cared nothing for propriety or occasion.

"Qiuyi, look, just look! Doesn't Shuang'er have a bit of my youthful demeanor? Decisive, doing things her own way, straightforward and bold."

Wasn't she just praising herself?

Tan Qiuyi was at a loss for words, her heart filled with anxiety as she thought that things had gone terribly wrong.

A cold and aloof Qin Shuang was already such a handful, and now she had mastered this clinging, delicate art—wouldn't Little Nan end up completely wrapped around her finger?

As for little Xiao Bei, her wide eyes were filled with absolute horror.

She felt as though she were seeing her bruised and battered older brother all over again.

"Xiao Nan, you must take good care of yourself." Little Xiao Bei let out a solemn, aged sigh and offered a silent prayer.

...

Wei Yunyun, Nie Donglin, Dong Cheng, and the others could hardly believe their eyes.

They had heard various rumors to some extent in the past, but most of the time, they chose not to believe them.

After all, Qin Shuang had never shown any sign of closeness to Xiao Nan at school, rarely even exchanging a few words with him.

In the hearts of the male students, this top student was an untouchable goddess; and was she any different in the eyes of the female students?

She was an idol.

At that moment, the idol shattered, and everyone felt as though they could hear the sound of their innermost worlds collapsing.

This shock was even harder to accept than witnessing Xiao Nan stealing the spotlight earlier that day.

...

Sun Kai stood in a distant corner, silently watching his desk-mate...

That figure was now so very, very far away from him.

He didn't even harbor a shred of jealousy.

With a numb expression on his face, his inner voice was screaming frantically: "He has already reached the qualifying score for elite universities, he can even contend with Li Shaohua for the top spot in Yuanjiang First High, and he has won the heart of the goddess...

This is fake, all of it is fake. I must be dreaming."

Sun Kai vaguely remembered the times when he would patiently and meticulously explain difficult problems to Xiao Nan, feeling a sense of satisfaction when that impossibly handsome face wore an expression of admiration.

Back then, when he learned that his desk-mate had foolishly and blindly applied for the martial arts division—

To be honest, Sun Kai had been deeply disappointed, feeling a profound sense of exasperation that his friend would not amount to anything.

In this world, one should know one's place and play one's part, earning one's keep according to one's abilities.

His desk-mate was good at everything else, but he simply lacked a grasp of reality and was far too ambitious.

A martial arts university? Was that something someone like him could even dare to dream of?

Did he ever bother to check if he was even cut out for it?

And the result?

Sun Kai felt a storm of mixed emotions churn within his chest, before shrinking his neck and retreating deep into the crowd.

He felt like a humble insect hiding in the mud, gazing up at a majestic goshawk soaring high through the clouds.

That breathtaking silhouette slicing across the sky was dazzling enough to blind the eyes.

...

Enduring the immense pressure from her father, Zhang Xiaorou lowered her head and walked forward...

Carrying the expectations of over fifty young girls behind her, she had come to cheer Xiao Nan on.

Yet the moment she drew close, she found herself trapped, unable to advance or retreat.

Seeing Qin Shuang clinging so tightly to Xiao Nan, Zhang Xiaorou's eyes were filled with utter bewilderment.

Without realizing it herself, her pretty eyes had already turned red, as if tears were about to stream down at any second.

For a girl who seemed to be made of water, crying was practically a daily routine.

...

Zhang Yi had lowered his head so deeply it was practically tucked between his thighs.

He had no face left to show the world.

It was one thing for his pampered, delicate daughter to actively pursue a male classmate—that alone was already mortifying enough for a father.

Little did he expect an even more excruciating scene to unfold.

Namely, while she was busy pursuing him, the target was already spoken for.

Xiao Nan suddenly sensed something, raised his head with a smile and said, "Xiaorou, are you worried that I'll lose?"

"No, you will definitely win! You've always been the strongest."

Large tears fell from Zhang Xiaorou's eyes like pearls, yet her face blossomed with a radiant, dazzling smile.

She spoke loudly, not forgetting to wave her arm and strike a encouraging pose, radiating an unspeakable cuteness.

"Xiaorou, go for it... Xiaorou, you can definitely do it!"

A series of shrieks echoed from afar.

Zhang Xiaorou opened her mouth in stunned amazement and looked back. She saw her little group of friends laughing uproariously, apparently cheering her on instead.

"Cheer for what? Clearly I'm supposed to be cheering for Xiao Nan!" Her eyes filled with confusion as she yelled out, "You guys are shouting the wrong thing! Wrong thing!"

"You're not wrong at all, Sister Xiaorou! Work hard and snatch your man back!"

A short girl with ear-length hair waved her fist, veins bulging on her forehead as she shouted in a booming, utterly domineering voice.

Who knew how such a booming, mighty roar could erupt from such a tiny body?

This time, not only the young girls were laughing; every single student was laughing, and even the parents and teachers could not help but wear smiles on their faces.

The youth of young girls could set an entire summer ablaze, warming everyone's heart.

No matter how icy a heart might be, it would inevitably be melted by such passion.

Zhang Xiaorou finally grasped what had just happened.

She had gone up as a representative of the fans, only to be utterly betrayed and sold out by her own best friends in an instant.

Blushing furiously with embarrassment, she stole a quick glance at Xiao Nan and saw that he was looking back with a smile—not a trace of mockery or coldness in his eyes, only warmth.

Her heart warmed. Not daring to hold that gaze for long, she lowered her head to stare at the toes of her shoes, broke into a flurry of quick, dainty steps, and bolted straight back into her formation.

She hid deep within the crowd and refused to show her face again.

...

"Is that your little girlfriend?" Qin Shuang's tone was rather peculiar, though strangely devoid of any genuine anger.

"Why would you say that?" Xiao Nan was rather curious about what was going on inside Qin Shuang's head.

"The match is about to start. You must win and beat that hateful guy until his teeth are scattered all over the ground. If you can pull that off, I'll allow you to hold my hand from now on," Qin Shuang said with a deadpan expression, as casually as if she were discussing where to eat dinner today.

Yet, Xiao Nan acutely noticed that the tips of her ears had quietly turned a bright, translucent red.

Clearly, uttering those words had not been as calm and effortless as she pretended.

"Deal. Since you're finally showing some confidence in me, just wait and see."

Xiao Nan let out a hearty laugh.

He turned around and strode toward the elevated martial arts arena.

Up there, Li Shaohua was already standing with a broadsword in hand, his gaze icy as he waited quietly in silence.

...

Begging for subscriptions and support—I'm not very good at asking for these things... I'll just quietly release extra chapters and keep grinding away at the keyboard...