Chapter 12: Shameless Lin Xiaohe!

"Old Jiang."

Shi Lei lowered his head slightly, his voice so light it was almost blown away by the wind.

He was embarrassed, not wanting others, especially this silent old man who always seemed to see through the world, to see his current bruised, swollen, and embarrassed state.

But the etiquette and respect for elders carved into his bones still made him stop his stumbling steps and bow slightly to Jiang Ye by the door.

On that bruised, swollen, and deformed face, he managed to squeeze out an expression that was uglier than crying.

Seeing this scene, even Jiang Ye, who had seen all the warmth and coldness of the world, sighed rarely: "Little Shi, you are so heavily injured, and you still want to come to practice fist techniques."

Jiang Ye's voice remained low and hoarse, yet it seemed to carry a hint of indescribable slowness compared to usual.

He didn't ask why the other party was injured.

Shi Lei's body stiffened imperceptibly, then forced himself to relax.

He pulled at his broken corners of his mouth, wanting to make an indifferent expression, but it touched the wound, making him gasp in pain, and he could only lower his gaze, staring at his mud-stained shoe tips, his voice tiny but carrying a stubbornness:

"Just some skin injuries, it shouldn't hinder practicing fist techniques..."

He didn't dare to look into Jiang Ye's eyes, as if afraid of seeing pity or doubt in those aged but insightful eyes.

Jiang Ye didn't speak, just looked at him quietly for a few seconds.

That gaze wasn't sharp, but heavy, as if it could weigh how much of the youth's words were forced support and how much was unwillingness.

Finally.

Jiang Ye just shook his head very lightly, lowered his eyelids again, waved his hand, and his voice returned to the usual flatness:

"Go, don't force yourself."

Shi Lei responded lowly, then buried his head and walked step by step into the inner courtyard.

Jiang Ye's gaze followed the stumbling yet stubborn back until he disappeared behind the screen wall.

The moment Shi Lei stepped into the outer courtyard, it was like a huge rock thrown into a lake, stirring up huge waves.

"My god! Hu Hu Shidi Shi Lei is here!"

"How is he injured so heavily!"

"Could it be that he really had a conflict with the Wild Wolf Gang!"

"Those people are really black-hearted and ruthless..."

The outer-courtyard disciples instantly exploded, with gasps of surprise, sympathy, and horror rising one after another.

Gazes, whether direct or evasive, glued onto Shi Lei, and others turned toward the other side involuntarily—

There, Lin Xiaohe was standing side by side with Hu Tian, their arms almost touching, discussing a fist stance detail intimately.

Shi Lei's gaze also moved slowly along with the gazes of the crowd that were self-evident.

When he saw the figure of Lin Xiaohe and Hu Tian almost leaning together, his body, which hadn't completely bent even in pain and humiliation, shook violently, as if hit hard by an invisible heavy hammer; the wounds seemed to collapse at this moment, bringing sharp pain.

And Lin Xiaohe, not far away, seeing Shi Lei come in with a face full of bruises, frowned, as if seeing a plague god.

Her face changed again and again, and she quickly whispered a few words in Hu Tian's ear, then walked quickly to Shi Lei.

"Lin..."

Shi Lei pulled at his broken corners of his mouth, and the hoarse voice only spat out one word.

"Zhang Zhang Shixiong Hu Hu Shidi Shi Lei!"

Lin Xiaohe's sharp voice interrupted him unceremoniously, her volume rising, carrying a rush and accusation of wanting to clear herself,

"Zhang Zhang Shixiong Hu Hu Shidi Shi Lei, you really harmed our family these past two days, do you know that!"

Shi Lei's pupils shrank, and he froze in place.

"You were fierce and ruthless with those people from the Wild Wolf Gang, and injured several of them!"

Lin Xiaohe spoke rapidly, her finger almost pointing at Shi Lei's chest, but she retracted it as if it were dirty.

"You were fine, you fought happily, and ran away after fighting! Leaving a mess!"

"They turned around and found our house, blocking the door to demand medical fees and medicine money! They almost emptied our family assets!"

"Do you know how my parents have spent these two days?!"

Every word was like a knife, every sentence piercing the heart.

Shi Lei's body trembled violently, not because of the pain.

But because of a chill colder and more piercing than fists and feet, spreading from his heart to his limbs and bones in an instant.

He stared dead at this face that had been smiling and full of reliance on him just two days ago, but now it was full of shirking, accusation, and harshness.

"I rely on... this Lin Xiaohe is too..."

"Wasn't it her who cried and begged Shi Lei to help at the beginning?"

"Shi Lei stood up for her, fought with the Wild Wolf Gang, came back injured like this, and instead became the culprit?"

"This... this skill of turning her face and not recognizing people is truly absolute!"

"The world is like

The surrounding disciples were left dumbfounded, almost unable to believe their own ears.

Many had heard with their own ears and seen with their own eyes how Lin Xiaohe had pestered Shi Lei and begged for help so pitifully in the past.

To act in such a way now—twisting black and white, and crossing the river only to burn the bridge—was simply chilling.

For a moment, gazes of contempt, anger, and disbelief fell upon Lin Xiaohe as if they were tangible.

However, these murmurs remained extremely low.

As the crowd's eyes swept over Hu Tian, who stood behind Lin Xiaohe with an arrogant expression and watched coldly, and recalled his "superior bone structure" talent and the vaguely visible shadow of Zhang Xu behind him, the indignation on their lips was swallowed back down.

Seeking advantages and avoiding harm is human instinct.

Everyone was also afraid that if they spoke carelessly, they would be targeted and retaliated against by this woman.

"You..."

A rattling sound came from Shi Lei's throat, as if blocked by a blood clot; his eye sockets turned blood-red in an instant, and he stared fixedly at Lin Xiaohe, but despite a thousand words, he couldn't spit out a single one.

Lin Xiaohe felt a jolt in her heart at his desperate and terrifying gaze, but then a stronger sense of annoyance and determination surged up.

She sneered, her voice becoming increasingly clear and sharp:

"Hu Hu Shidi Shi Lei, please don't come near me in the future, and don't talk to me either. I'm afraid Hu Hu Shidi Hu Tian will misunderstand!"

Having said that.

She turned around abruptly as if shaking off something dirty, her face instantly changing into a soft and gentle smile, and like a bird returning to its nest, she returned to Hu Tian's side lightly and quickly, even subconsciously leaning behind him to seek protection.

"Heh... hehe..."

Watching her back, Shi Lei suddenly let out a low, broken, and miserable laugh.

There was no anger in that laughter, only boundless desolation and self-mockery.

"Shi Lei, is it?"

Hu Tian spoke at the right moment, his voice carrying a coldness that was deliberately imitated and condescending.

He gently held the small hand Lin Xiaohe had proactively offered, as if declaring ownership, his gaze glancing sideways at the disheveled Shi Lei.

"Did you hear Sister Lin clearly? From now on, stay away from her! Otherwise..."

He paused, his chin slightly raised, "I won't be polite to you."

After the 'baptism' by Zhang Xu last night, Hu Tian had already drawn a clear line between himself and these "ordinary" outer-courtyard disciples struggling at the bottom.

Especially after hearing Lin Xiaohe say that Shi Lei only had mediocre bone structure, the last remaining bit of etiquette he had for a senior brother vanished completely.

He addressed him by his full name, his tone arrogant.

He had completely forgotten that he, like Shi Lei, was also from a bitter background in the countryside.

Just yesterday, he was still a timid and reserved country boy.

The world turns, and one knows the warmth and coldness of it for oneself.

Shi Lei didn't speak again, and didn't even look at the intimate couple again.

He just turned around slowly, step by step, walking toward the corner at the very edge of the outer courtyard.

His back was as lonely as a wounded beast abandoned by its pack in the wilderness, walking alone toward a dead end.

Outside the gate.

Jiang Ye, who had heard all these sounds, shook his head slightly.

"Sigh..."

Another soft sigh.

The wind in front of the gate seemed to have grown colder.