Chapter 23

So naturally, it had to be avoided—plus, there was still a balcony ahead; if I couldn’t stop in time, it’d be dangerous, this height isn’t low at all, fall down and at the very least I’d break an arm or a leg, no more peace and quiet for me.

Fuck, what do I do now? I should’ve analyzed whether running down this long corridor was feasible, but… it’s hard to predict someone would be here, especially a girl, really annoying, the words don’t need retracting, but I need to add one: girls who appear suddenly aren’t cute at all, I hate them the most.

Right now, it seems only the tool in my hand can be relied on—I hope you won’t let me down.

The black plastic bag was carelessly tossed aside along with the pillow, and Yi Zhen repositioned the long mat in his arms, swiftly sidestepping the girl, his body hurtling sideways with momentum toward the wall.

He rapidly unfurled the mat, using its clean side as a somewhat ineffective cushion.

*Thud!* His slender frame slammed into the wall through the mat, his face twisted in pain—clearly, this little cushion offered him almost no protection, even risking added injury; everything was a gamble, and it seemed he’d lost…

“You, you okay?”

At that moment, a thin voice came from beside him—urgent, flustered, mostly terrified; all this was clear from her expression, clearly she’d never encountered such a situation before and had no idea how to handle it.

“Hand, phone!”

Yi Zhen didn’t need to think—he knew exactly who to rely on—but his arm was dislocated, barely able to move, his forehead drenched in blood, looking like a major car crash scene; who knew how long his already meager supply of blood would last…

“Ah! You, what do you need the phone for? Maybe… maybe I should go call someone?”

The girl vaguely understood Yi Zhen needed something, but she was confused—shouldn’t she call for help right now? Why a phone? Could it be…?!

Oh no! So resilient—he wants to delete the recording before passing out! Should I grant his wish, or call for help immediately? So hard to decide…

No, no, better call Xiao Ting—I wonder if she’s nearby, I’m so worried.

“Hand, phone!”

Yi Zhen slumped down, ignoring the mat falling on him, his trembling hand fumbling in his pocket for the phone—once the video played, he’d be fine.

Though his head spun from the impact and his arm throbbed painfully, his mind never forgot that ability—if he acted fast, he could erase it.

He needed the girl’s help, but the first time he only got “Should I call someone?”—his heart burned with urgency, forcing him to act on his own; women are ultimately unreliable, and if Lu Lu were here, her unquestioning obedience is exactly what he needed right now.

“Hey hey hey, don’t rush, I’m calling right now, she’ll come soon, ugh… what’s that smell?”

The girl had been far away earlier, only catching a faint odor, which she’d ignored—but as she slowly approached, she received the same treatment as Zhen Lin and the others, grimacing and pinching her nose, stepping back quietly; this further chilled Yi Zhen’s already blurred vision.

Though his eyes were blurry, he still sensed her retreating steps—apparently, he’d misplaced his trust; hurry, grab it, play the video quickly, just a few seconds then shut it off.

Then pack up and leave—women are obstacles in the way.

Since smelling that strange odor, the girl had no desire to approach, standing quietly behind the half-closed door, pulling out her phone—the call had already been answered, but she hadn’t turned on speaker, so no sound came through.

Girl: “Hello!”

Xiao Ting: “Hello, what’s wrong, Rong Rong? You called but didn’t speak, I thought something happened to you.”

Rong Rong: “Actually nothing much, where are you now? At school?”

Xiao Ting: “In the dorm. Did something happen?”

Rong Rong: “Can you come down? There’s a guy here—he crashed into the wall, sitting there, can’t move at all, don’t know what’s wrong.”

Xiao Ting: “Huh? What? Crashed into a wall? Who’s that stupid? Did he get dumped and can’t take it? Stay away, don’t let him do anything crazy to you.”

Rong Rong: “I’m fine, just scared a bit—really just leave him alone?”

Xiao Ting: “Yes, go, these guys who break up and lose it are crazy—you better leave fast.”

Rong Rong: “Okay, fine, I’m leaving, thanks, Xiao Ting, love you~”

Xiao Ting: “Love you too~ Hurry back, there’s a new drama today, let’s watch together.”

Rong Rong: “Okay okay, I’m coming back!”

Rong Rong kept chatting with Xiao Ting, temporarily forgetting she needed to leave.

Then, a faint video sound suddenly pierced the silent space.

“Hello, what would you like to ask?”

“Medical issue.”

…

“Huh?”

Rong Rong heard the video’s sound—why did it sound so odd? And wasn’t the sound coming from behind?

She’d been standing behind the closed half-door, turned away—not only had she lost the smell, she’d also forgotten Yi Zhen entirely. Now hearing the noise, she turned curiously—and bumped straight into Yi Zhen, who had just managed to stand.

“Ah! Y-you! You weren’t able to move before! You were even slurring your words—how are you standing now?! And, and…”

Rong Rong was speechless—how could someone who looked so broken suddenly become lively again? Was this moral decay, or had science lost its foundation?

“Thank you for ignoring me—I’ll make sure to thank you properly.”

Yi Zhen didn’t waste words, simply bowed, then closed his phone. Since the matter was settled, he’d brush off his hands and leave. As for how he’d repay her—that depended on how cruel he chose to be. Right now, he had no plan, but maybe one would come later.

“Hey, how am I ignoring you? I was calling for help! If you don’t appreciate it, fine.”

Rong Rong now felt more confident—any normal person wouldn’t sprint so fast through a classroom building, right? Don’t they know balconies are low and you could fly right out? How dangerous! And I did call for help—she just didn’t come, that’s not my fault. I did reach out, and he can’t deny that.

“If holding a phone and giggling counts as calling for help, maybe there’d already be people surrounding me—but there aren’t. I won’t argue with you—fools are impossible to reason with.”

For the first time in his life, Yi Zhen was truly angry—this woman suddenly appeared, then ignored him, kept refusing his phone request, and after he painfully rose, he witnessed the scene that ignited his fury.

But after several thoughts, he still didn’t act—because it’d be useless: it’d only hurt his body and bring him public backlash, with zero benefit.

Better to find a way to punish her later. Right now, just tidy up and leave. He’d already memorized her face—could never forget it. He hated her, but not enough to ruin his own future.

As for why this treatment didn’t expel any foul-smelling substance—it was obvious the toxins were already mostly gone. He didn’t know if this would happen again, so he decided to always carry extra clothes—better safe than sorry.

“Y-you! Wait right there! Give me your class and name—I’ll teach you a lesson!”