Beauty and the Bodyguard

“Heh heh, nice going there boss. Tang Yin’s mom seems to like you a lot!” Xiaobo commented. “Heh, one New Orleans recipe and you got her to like you!”

“Well, I thought it’d be nice if I improved the food here a bit, since you like it so much. I don’t find it particularly tasty as it is.” Lin Yi said as he sent a smack at the back of Xiaobo’s head. “What’re you thinking about?”

“Heh heh, nothing, nothing.” Xiaobo shook his head.

Lin Yi only smiled, shaking his head as well. The guy was probably thinking that he liked Tang Yin, didn’t he? Lin Yi decided not to explain himself anymore- he _did_ announce his ‘intentions’ to Tang Yin earlier, despite it all.

The twelfth graders were always a lot quieter during lunch compared to the tenth and eleventh graders.

Lin Yi and Xiaobo were standing at the end of the hallway, basking in the March sun coming through the window. It wasn’t too hot- it was actually a pleasant warmth the sun was sending them.

This weird-ass bullshit mission the old man threw at Lin Yi…… It’d really set him on a different track in life. His world was, at the moment, a peaceful and mellow one. No danger, no tension…… It was nice.

“Boss, it’s Zou Ruoming and Zhong Pinliang.” Xiaobo said, pointing at a spot under a basketball hoop outside on the field.

Lin Yi looked in the direction Xiaobo was pointing- the two were talking to each other sideways from Lin Yi’s perspective, and he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying from just one side of their lips. Although, Lin Yi himself didn’t possess any sight techniques- he’d probably be unable to tell what they were saying even if he could see them.

“What does Zou Ruoming’s family do?” Lin Yi reckoned that he’d probably have future conflict with Ruoming because of Tang Yin and everything. Last Friday was merely the beginning.

“Zou Ruoming’s dad… He does real estate development, but he’s not a very honest businessman. He always owes his employees their salaries.” Xiaobo answered. “His brother is a thug in the northern district, Zou Ruoguang. He’d always go beat his dad’s workers up with his men if they cause any trouble. He’s the guy keeping them in line……”

“Oh? You seem to know a lot?” Lin Yi asked curiously. Zou Ruoming wasn’t even in their class.

“Well that’s caz Zou Ruoming always brings that stuff up to show off. It’s why he’s living such a nice life at school.” Xiaobo explained. “Almost everyone at this school knows about his history!”

“Doesn’t he worry that people will go causing his family trouble because of that.” Lin Yi asked with a curl of his lips. _Gangster, huh? Maybe I should get Huaijun to teach his brother a lesson someday._

Zou Ruoming and Zhong Pinliang stopped talking at that moment- Ruoming was walking towards the exit, while Pinliang seemed to be making his way back to class.

Ruoming simply wanted to have an idea of Lin Yi’s background from Zhong Pinliang. That Friday night was just too humiliating- he couldn’t just let something like that go without doing anything.

He’d decided to consult his elder brother about the matter.

Lin Yi made his way back to the classroom with Xiaobo, and saw that Mengyao was watching cartoons on her MP4 with Yushu again. Zhong Pinliang, on the other hand, moved his chair beside Mengyao, chuckling like an idiot as he watched the cartoon with the girls. Could someone of his IQ even understand the plot in the show?

Yushu pointed at Zhong Pinliang sneakily upon seeing Lin Yi enter the room.

Lin Yi noticed that he’d been getting along with Yushu really well recently- there was a nice little bond between them at that point. He’d have really considered getting closer to her if she weren’t Mengyao’s best friend… He wanted to experience what young love was like, but that dream seemed so far away…

Yushu was probably complaining about how annoying Pinliang was being, thinking that Lin Yi could help them out a bit as she saw him come in.

Lin Yi smiled faintly, giving Yushu a nod as he walked to where Pinliang was quickly. Pinliang seemed to have sensed Lin Yi’s malice, as well, but couldn’t quite figure out why Lin Yi was coming at him for- he hadn’t done anything to piss him off the last couple days, after all.

Lin Yi, on the other hand, didn’t give a shit what Pinliang was thinking! He walked over and kicked at his chair, sending Pinliang flipping and falling onto the ground with a loud flop.

“Don’t block my way.” Lin Yi said, stepping over Pinliang’s body without so much as one look at him.

Silence!

Absolute, complete silence!

It was already quiet to begin with, but even the soft murmurs between friends ceased as they raised their heads to behold the insane scene that had just taken place!

After all, Zhong Pinliang was the big shot, the big bully in the class no one dared stand up to! Lin Yi’s existence rewrote all of that, and this scene fortified everyone’s fear and respect towards the man. Lin Yi had made his place known, loud and clear.

After all, the guy sent Pinliang sprawling onto the ground just because he was in the way! That was no justifiable reason for something like that- no one in the class would ever do something like that!

No one in the _school_ would do something that insane!

Even a fellow Big Four like Zou Ruoming wouldn’t be as cocky to go that far..!!

“Lin Yi……” A toxic rage flashed through Pinliang’s eyes. He couldn’t just _let_ Lin Yi do this to him!! He wanted to spring up, he wanted to throw his life on the line and drag Lin Yi down with him!!! An indescribable sensation of humiliation and helplessness overtook Pinliang as he held his fists in tight rage.

_Lin Yi…… You fucking wait!! Zou Ruoming’ll be taking care of you soon enough, you’d better enjoy your cockiness the few days it’s gonna last!!_

Zhong Pinliang silently picked himself up from the ground, and put his chair back at his seat before sitting down.

Mengyao only watched in complete shock as Lin Yi’s figure walked away- the guy was a natural-born monster! That kick may have been ruthless, but it had style… A man like Lin Yi was incredibly reliable.

“Yao Yao, you have to admit- Shield Bro’s really cool……” Yushu said with a thumbs up, a tinge of admiration in her eyes.

“He’s stolen your heart, hasn’t he, Shu?” Mengyao commented, a little uncomfortable with that romantic look on Yushu’s face.

“Hehe, maybe a little, but don’t worry, Yao Yao. I won’t fight you for him.” Yushu said with a grin. “Your choice is my choice.”

“You-!” Mengyao couldn’t take it anymore- she tapped her knuckle at Yushu’s head, wondering what was inside the girl’s head. Why was she so passionate about that promise they’d made as kids? Was it because of Lin Yi, or was it because of her?

Mengyao still couldn’t comprehend the sensations she was feeling.

“Was it you who gestured to Lin Yi? You told him to do that, didn’t you?” Mengyao whispered.

“Ah? You noticed..?” Yushu blinked. “Well, I mean come on- I did it for you, you know…… You don’t wanna listen to him chuckle like an idiot right beside us right?”

“Fine, you win, but Shu, you have to take Lin Yi’s image into consideration… He keeps this up and the school will probably have him expelled sooner or later! You think he has the background to prevent that from happening like the others?” Mengyao said with a bitter smile.

“Didn’t Uncle Fu put him into the school? That’s enough of a background, right?” Yushu said, evidently knowing what was going on. “It’s Uncle Chu who arranged him a place at the school, you know. It should be fine.”

*[Long Taos]: side characters in Chinese operas who perform acrobatics and fight scenes

*[12.47 to 13.07]: don't ask me about the tree sap