Chapter 10: Two Girls Fighting

The next morning, Shang Li stepped out of her rental apartment with a canvas bag slung over her shoulder. As she looked up, she saw a crowd gathered downstairs.

Aunt Wang from the neighborhood committee and Granny Zhang were surrounded by residents, chattering away, and explaining something.

Aunt Wang shouted, “Everyone, don’t worry! Our neighborhood is still very safe. That Zhao Mazi, he just spends all day drinking and doing nothing. It’s possible that he just slipped and fell, you know?”

Someone in the crowd contradicted, “Hey, that’s not right. I heard that he had a big hole in the back of his head and was knocked unconscious. How could he fall so badly?”

Granny Zhang said, “He must’ve been drunk and fell backwards, probably hit his head on a rock, who knows?”

Another voice raised a doubt, “But that’s strange. Also, the surveillance cameras around this area were all broken last night. Doesn’t that seem a bit fishy?”

Shang Li pushed through the crowd and peeked inside.

The crowd had naturally formed a circle, and in the center, there was a dried-up patch of deep red bloodstains.

Shang Li quietly pulled Granny Zhang aside. “Granny Zhang, what happened?”

“Ah, little beauty, you’re here?” Granny Zhang frowned, her wrinkled face scrunching up. “It’s that drunkard, Zhao Mazi—the one who’s always following you around. He got drunk last night and fell. The back of his head got a big hole, and someone had to carry him away not long ago.”

Shang Li whispered, “Oh, I see… He was still…”

Granny Zhang seemed not to hear Shang Li’s words and continued, “I heard that all the evidence of the dirty things he’s been involved in has been handed to the police. Looks like he’s not getting out for at least three years.”

While the two were talking, a middle-aged woman beside them interrupted, “I was the one who found Zhao Mazi this morning. His head looks like it was smashed by someone. There’s no way he just fell like that. And now the evidence is in the police’s hands. It really looks like someone is deliberately getting back at him.”

Aunt Wang reassured, “If it’s revenge, then the bad guy got what was coming to them. Anyway, our neighborhood is safe. Everyone, don’t worry, go on, go on!”

Though she heard this, Shang Li still felt a lingering doubt. However, the fact that Zhao Mazi was locked up was a good thing. From now on, she wouldn’t have to worry every time she came back from a night shift.

At this moment, Shang Li was in a hurry to get to school and didn’t have time to think much. She quickly slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out of the residential neighborhood.

…

As she passed the entrance of the Medical School, Shang Li spotted, not far ahead, Tan Weiwei fiercely blocking a pretty girl.

The two of them stood facing each other, looking extremely emotional, as though they were in the middle of an argument.

The girl being stopped by Tan Weiwei had an expression full of anger and dissatisfaction. Her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she wanted to argue back but hesitated because of Tan Weiwei’s strong stance.

Tan Weiwei had her hands on her hips, leaning forward, shouting at the girl, completely disregarding the strange looks the onlookers were casting in their direction.

“Gu Wanying, do you have no shame? Who sends such disgusting messages to someone else’s boyfriend in broad daylight? Why don’t you just strip naked and lie in Chu Yan’s bed?!”

Gu Wanying bit her lip, her words seeming a bit weak. “He’s unmarried, and so am I. What messages I send is none of your business!”

Tan Weiwei almost laughed in anger. “Listen to you! Is that even human language? The country spent so many years teaching you a compulsory education, and all you’ve learned is shamelessness, no sense of decency!”

Gu Wanying’s almond eyes widened in shock. “What did you say?!”

Tan Weiwei was fearless. “Shout, go ahead! Shout louder, let everyone know you stole someone else’s boyfriend! Is the threshold for admission to Jingdu University so low now? With you standing there, you’re dragging down the average quality of Jingdu University!”

The crowd around them was growing, and it felt like the situation had exploded. The air was filled with gossiping whispers, with waves of chatter rippling through the crowd.

Shang Li quickly stepped forward and grabbed Tan Weiwei. “Weiwei, let’s talk later. Someone’s filming a video.”

“Let them film, it’s not my fault. It’s this green tea b*tch who asked for it!”

At that moment, Ning Mo appeared from around the corner.

She glanced at Tan Weiwei with an air of superiority, then said politely, “Classmate, let’s talk calmly. Even if Gu Wanying was in the wrong, did you ever think about how others might view you for shouting at her like that?”

Tan Weiwei rolled her eyes at Ning Mo, a vicious light flashing in her gaze. “I don’t care what others think of me. It’s Gu Wanying who’s being shameless—why should I just swallow my anger? I’m going to rip her mouth apart!”

At this, Gu Wanying could no longer hold back. She took a quick step forward and grabbed Tan Weiwei by the collar. “Watch your mouth!”

Tan Weiwei was fearless as always. Now that the other girl was attacking her, she had no reason to hold back either.

She grabbed Gu Wanying’s hair with one hand and yanked it violently, making Gu Wanying scream in pain.

“I’ll beat the shameless crap out of you!”

“Aaaahhh!!”

In an instant, the two women were tangled up in a fierce fight. Around them, a large crowd of medical students had gathered, some in three circles, some in four, filming videos, sending messages, and calling for students from other faculties to come watch.

Shang Li’s heart tightened. She quickly rushed forward, trying to pull the two apart.

“Weiwei! Stop! There are so many people watching!”

As she tried to break up the fight, suddenly, without any warning, an overwhelming force surged from behind, crashing violently into Shang Li’s slender body.

In that moment, Shang Li felt she completely lost control of her body. With a startled cry, she involuntarily lunged forward.

In her panic, she tried to steady herself, but stumbled and fell heavily onto the cold, hard ground.

Luckily, her reflexes kicked in, and she instinctively pushed off with her elbow, or else her head would have slammed into the ground.

Her high ponytail had been yanked loose, and she couldn’t even tell where the hair tie had flown off to.

Meanwhile, the two women were still fighting fiercely, each of them matching the other blow for blow.

Tan Weiwei slapped Gu Wanying in the face, and she screamed in pain. “Tan Weiwei, stop it!”

“You hit me first! Why should I stop?!” Tan Weiwei replied.

The surrounding students were thoroughly entertained.

“Are those two the campus beauties from the Design School? What are they doing fighting with people from the Medical School?”

“Hurry, take a picture and post it on the school forum!”

“Make a TikTok video!”

Shang Li, panicked, got up. She pushed herself off the ground, only to feel a sharp pain shoot through her hand.

Great, her hand wasn’t dislocated, was it?

Just as she was feeling lost, suddenly, someone from behind gathered her long hair, pulling it into a low ponytail.

The heat from their fingertips against her cool neck made her breath catch.

Lu Tinghe was standing behind her, tying her hair neatly, then gently tugging her towards him. In an instant, her back collided with the man’s broad chest.

He glanced sideways at the two women still battling fiercely, his tone mocking. “What a show, like a circus. Keep going, maybe they’ll be too embarrassed to come back to school tomorrow.”