Fang Nian was frightened by the situation, shaking his head in refusal like a startled lamb.

I didn’t care about him, whether he was willing or not. I stubbed out my cigarette, grabbed his hair, and pinned him against the wall, forcing him to kiss me.

That was when Fang Heng caught us, leading to today’s events.

Fang Nian’s face turned pale, his lips trembling as his voice quivered, “You’ve sweet-talked me for so long, why won’t you do it now?”

Because your brother won’t let me.

I rubbed my sore throat, feeling a surge of anger.

“Because I’ve fallen for your brother.”

---

Fang Nian gave me 645 yuan, enough to cover my meals for two months.

When I got home, He Li was lying on the sofa smoking, her body covered in rashes.

Her disease was getting worse. It was a filthy illness, and she didn’t want to treat it, nor did she have the money to.

I counted out 500 yuan, put it on the coffee table for her meals and medicine, hoping I wouldn’t come home one day to find her as a corpse.

I couldn’t sleep well that night. My throat hurt, my body hurt.

I dreamed of Fang Heng. He beat me, kicked me, stepped on my face with his foot. His blows were hard, his eyes were cold. He seemed determined to beat me to death. I woke up trembling and continued to shake after.

The day Fang Heng switched classes, I was dozing off in the back row. He pulled out the chair next to me and sat down.

The bell rang, and he grabbed my hair to yank me awake.

Annoyed and ready to curse, I swallowed my words when I saw it was him.

Damn. Why is it this psycho?

Fang Heng flipped through my books and snorted, “Wow, I’ve never seen such a pure-bred waste like you before.”

I was furious but a bit scared of Fang Heng.

He was brutal to me last time. Seeing him again made my throat hurt.

Being insulted wouldn’t kill me, so I pretended I didn’t hear him and tried to go back to sleep.

Fang Heng smacked me on the head with my book, “Wake up and pay attention in class.”

Even a mud figure has some temper.

I clutched my head and snapped back, “Stop bothering me! You mind your class, I’ll mind my sleep. If you’re that annoyed, go sit somewhere else.”

Fang Heng glanced at me and said, “A few nights ago, Xiao Nian came home and fought with me.”

How is that my business?

Fang Heng continued, “He said you like me.”

I was instantly wide awake.

That little brat Fang Nian—does he tell his brother everything?!

Fang Heng smirked, his tone rising slightly, “So, do you like me?”

I swallowed, “I was lying to Fang Nian.”

Fang Heng selectively ignored my words and sat beside me.

“Pay attention in class. I don’t like being liked by trash.”

Damn it.

Fang Heng just wanted to torment me. He didn’t just force me to listen to the lesson, but after class, he even checked my notes.

I didn’t understand a thing, and my notes were a mess.

Fang Heng frowned, tossed me his notebook, and ordered me to copy it.

I gritted my teeth, “I need to use the bathroom.”

Fang Heng smiled, “Hold it.”

The entire break I was stuck copying notes. During class, I was sweating from holding it in.

Fang Heng didn’t let up, pressing his hand lightly on my stomach during problem-solving, making me tremble uncontrollably. I let out a low groan and slumped onto the desk.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fang Heng’s lips curve slightly.

Damn pervert.

---

The moment the bell rang, I bolted to the bathroom, drenched in sweat.

Just as I pulled up my pants, someone put their arm around my shoulder. It was Liu She, the leader of the school delinquents, or simply, the school bully.

Without looking at me, he spoke, “Yan Ze, did you break up with Fang Nian?”

I didn’t respond.

Liu She loved digging into my business. He even knew how many times I went to the bathroom in a day.

After zipping up, he turned to me and said, “Since you’re done with him, you wouldn’t mind if I had a little fun, right?”

“Back then, you said you had your eye on him and asked me to do you a favor and not mess with him. Out of brotherhood, I let him be. But now, you better not stop me.”

Liu She was an idiot. When he set his sights on someone, he’d torment them until they broke.

When I first started hanging out with him, I watched him bully a boy so relentlessly that he ended up depressed and had to drop out.

If I hadn’t joined him, the same thing would have happened to me.

Fang Nian was his original target.

Later, I said I liked him and told Liu She to leave him alone.

Liu She stared at me for a while, then chuckled, “Fine, I’ll let you have him.”

Now that things had turned out this way, I had no reason to stop Liu She.

I zipped up and said, “Do whatever you want.”

I’m a piece of trash, and I can’t even take care of myself. Besides, Fang Nian isn’t like me. He has someone to protect him.

I didn’t go back to class. Instead, I snuck out of school to work at a barbecue shop.

On my way home, I saw Liu She with a group of guys in the alley. Fang Nian was kneeling on the ground, covered in dirt. His pale face was swollen with a handprint.

His glasses had been knocked off, and he was blindly groping around on the ground.

Liu She smiled as he lifted his foot to step on Fang Nian’s hand.

I glanced over, pretended not to see, and turned to leave.

Just as I was about to exit the alley, I saw Fang Heng, drenched in sweat, rushing around looking for someone.

I hesitated for a moment and told him, “Fang Nian is in there.”

Fang Heng shot me a cold look, picked up a metal rod, and pushed past me, storming into the alley.

I took a deep breath, but before I could exhale, a hot hand grabbed mine and dragged me back into the alley.

Fang Heng, holding the rod in one hand and dragging me with the other, growled, “You think you can stay out of this? Dream on!”

---

Things were complicated now.

Fang Heng charged in and, without a word, swung the rod at Liu She’s back, knocking him down instantly.

The lackeys looked at Liu She, then at me, and finally at Fang Heng.

“Damn, Ze-ge, who is this guy?!”

Before I could answer, Fang Heng swung again.

The scene turned into chaos.

Someone shouted, “Damn it! Yan Ze’s with him! Who cares who he is, get him!”

Damn it!

I kicked away a guy charging at me, my mind heating up as I clenched my fists, ready to fight.

But Fang Heng grabbed my collar, pulled me behind him, and placed his glasses on my nose.