Today I Will Also Be the Male Protagonist’s Rival - Chapter 51

Second period in the morning, after class.

Huo Shu lay on her desk, dozing off.

Last night, the moment she closed her eyes, Su Yu’s face kept appearing in her mind, making it impossible for her to get a good night’s sleep.

“Hey, Huo Shu, did you hear?”

The girl at the desk in front turned around and whispered, “Last night, someone got into a fight at the school gate and was caught by security. I heard they might report it to the school leaders.”

Huo Shu blinked her sleepy eyes. “Mm?”

“You stayed up late studying again, didn’t you? No wonder you’re the top student—your perseverance really is on another level.”

Her deskmate gave her a thumbs-up before lowering her voice again. “It was someone from our class— that new transfer student Shen Luan—he got into a fight with Zhao Feng from No. 3 High. You’ll see, he’s definitely going to get scolded later.”

Huo Shu gave a faint “oh.”

She had never been interested in this kind of gossip.

“Shen Luan, huh? Not only is he handsome, I heard his family’s rich. Too bad he’s a terrible student.”

“Oh.”

Seeing that Huo Shu wasn’t interested, her deskmate dropped the subject. “Alright, I won’t bother you. Go back to sleep.”

“Mm.”

Huo Shu lowered her head again.

Bang!

The desk rattled from a hard knock.

“Damn! What kind of crappy desk is this?”

The voice swore after the hit, and a foot kicked the desk, sending it toppling over. Books scattered all over the floor.

Half-asleep, Huo Shu tumbled down with it, her knee hitting the desk leg with a sharp pain.

She instantly woke up, frowning in annoyance.

The one who had kicked her desk was a group of boys. The leader was tall and stood lazily, showing no intention of apologizing as he walked right past her.

“You…”

Huo Shu took a deep breath, pushed herself up, and asked through clenched teeth, “Classmate, shouldn’t you apologize?”

Her deskmate tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “That’s Shen Luan. Just let it go.”

“Apologize?”

Shen Luan suddenly laughed, giving her a slow once-over before sneering. “Class monitor, and… who exactly do you think you are?”

His tone was unfriendly, laced with hostility.

Huo Shu tightened her fist and said each word clearly, “You knocked over my desk, then kicked it. Shouldn’t you apologize?”

“Your desk bumped into me,” Shen Luan frowned and said darkly. “I’m in a bad mood today, so don’t waste my time. And don’t think that just because you’re a girl I won’t do something to you.”

At that, the boys around him burst into laughter.

“Luan-ge, seems like there’s a lot of people fishing for attention these days.”

“Hahaha, did you see our Luan-ge’s good looks and stage this just to make him remember you?”

“Luan-ge, it’s just a girl. Don’t bother with her.”

Their loud laughter drew the attention of the whole class.

Huo Shu bit her lip and stayed silent, bending down to quietly gather her books.

She had never met such rude people before.

Compared to them, Su Yu’s temper really was good.

She pressed her lips together, and before she realized it, her mind wandered back to Su Yu. The thought made her inexplicably sad.

Suddenly, a pair of slender hands reached out past her to pick up one of the books.

She looked up, stunned.

The girl was wearing a white T-shirt and black-and-white track pants. Her features were sharp and cold, with no trace of a smile—someone who clearly wasn’t easy to mess with.

“Su… Su Yu.”

The girl ignored her, weighed the book in her hand, then walked straight over to Shen Luan and smacked him in the face with it. Her voice was cold.
“Didn’t your mother teach you to be polite to girls?”

Catching him off guard, the book left a red mark across his face.

“Damn it!”

He cursed, but when he saw who it was, his tone faltered. “Su Yu? What… what are you doing here?”

Su Yu raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to report to you wherever my father is?”

Shen Luan: …

After a long pause, he gritted his teeth. “Su Yu, don’t go too far. I never hit women.”

Su Yu dusted off her hands, glanced at his head, and sneered. “Impressive. But if you’re so capable, how’d Zhao Feng manage to crack your head open?”

Her eyes were full of disdain, tinged with mockery.

Flustered under her gaze, Shen Luan defended himself. “Why don’t you look at Zhao Feng? I split his head open too!”

Su Yu sneered again. “Tch, and you think beating up trash like him is worth bragging about?”

Shen Luan: “… What the hell do you want?”

Su Yu stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him in front of Huo Shu. “Apologize!”

“Get lost!”

“Still acting tough?”

She smirked, yanking his collar down hard. “Kid, was I asking you?”

She was frighteningly strong. The movement tugged at his wound, making him hiss in pain. He tried to break free but couldn’t.

Zhou Cheng leaned in, eyes full of mock tears. “Luan-ge, now you know how I felt last time, huh?”

“She’s not even a girl—her strength is insane.”

Shen Luan ground his teeth.

These idiots were still laughing—couldn’t they see he was being manhandled?

“Still not apologizing, kid?”

Su Yu held his head down with one hand and flicked his wound with the other. “What a real man.”

Shen Luan’s mouth twitched in pain.

Was this woman a devil?

He had just opened his mouth when the boys nearby started whispering.

“Luan-ge is really tough. If it were me, I would’ve surrendered ages ago.”

“That’s why he’s Luan-ge, and you guys are just his lackeys.”

“You all should learn from Luan-ge’s level of self-control.”

Shen Luan: …

These people were going to get him killed!

After a long moment, he ground his teeth and lowered his head. “Sorry.”

“Louder.”

“Sorry!”

“That’s enough.”

Su Yu abruptly let go of him. “Good boy, go play.”

Shen Luan rubbed his neck and looked at her with a complicated expression. “What exactly are you doing at First High? Don’t tell me you came here just to mess with me?”

“Get a grip.”

The girl gave him a sidelong glance and sneered. “Where do you get such an inflated ego?”

Fuming, Shen Luan turned away.

Su Yu yawned and looked back—her little girl was standing there, clutching her books and staring at her.

“What are you thinking about?”

She walked closer, waving a hand in front of her eyes. “Huo Huo, spacing out?”

Huo Shu turned her head, the tips of her ears faintly red. “Why are you here?”

How strange.

She had just been thinking of her, and then she appeared right in front of her.

“I transferred schools.”

Su Yu crouched down, picking up her books one by one. Then, as if remembering something, she turned and walked toward the back.

Shen Luan took a step back, frowning. “What now?”

“Getting books.”

Su Yu picked up the books, dusted them off, and then turned back as if she’d just remembered something. “Oh right, I’ve transferred to First High. Which means… this school is under my jurisdiction now!”

She paused, giving him a sideways glance. “You—get lost.”

Shen Luan: …Damn it.

The boys nearby quickly held him back.

“Luan-ge, calm down. You can’t beat her—don’t be rash.”

“Luan-ge, acting on impulse is the devil’s path. Endure for now, and when we get stronger, we’ll get revenge.”

“Get stronger my ass—we’re in our final year. In a year we’ll graduate. Which means… for the next year we might have to live under her shadow.”

Ignoring them, Su Yu walked straight back to Huo Shu, handed her the books, and leaned lazily against the desk. “Bro, trade seats.”

Huo Shu’s deskmate instantly caved, packing up his things without a word. “All yours.”

“Thanks.”

Su Yu curved her lips into a smile and offered a verbal IOU. “I’ll treat you to a night out at a bar sometime.”

When she smiled, the coolness in her face softened, making her features far less intimidating—and dazzling to look at.

The boy scratched his head, a little flustered. “O-okay.”

Huo Shu bit her lip. “You still go to bars?”

Su Yu leaned closer with a teasing smile. “Why?”

“You’re still young. Don’t go to bars so often.”

“Want to control me?”

She laughed and lowered her voice. “If you want to control me, then be my wife.”

Huo Shu’s face flushed in an instant, and she sat silently in her seat.

But Su Yu didn’t let up, leaning in again. “Huo Huo, why aren’t you talking?”

Huo Shu covered her ears, annoyed. “You’re so annoying.”

She didn’t take it to heart. Instead, she suddenly bent down. “Let me see your leg.”

Huo Shu yelped, drawing the attention of the whole class.

Her face went red as she held down her pant leg and whispered, “What are you doing?”

“Checking the injury. You little girl—what’s going on in your head all day?”

Su Yu lifted her pant leg and took a glance. Her pale calf was covered in a large, alarming bruise.

Her expression immediately darkened. Standing up abruptly, she strode over to Shen Luan.

“What do you—”

Before he could finish, he saw the girl suddenly swing her long leg and kick the desk in front of him.

Catching him off guard, he toppled forward, face-first into the floor.

“Damn it—”

“Sorry about that.”

Su Yu crouched slightly, patted his head, and said with a sweet smile, “Big sis here holds grudges—so just bear with it.”

Shen Luan was in so much pain he wanted to cry. “You—”

She suddenly withdrew her hand, turned around, and left.

When she reached the front again, her voice softened. “Huo Huo, let’s go. I’ll take you to the infirmary.”

Shen Luan pounded the desk in frustration, gritting his teeth. “Damn it, this woman’s lawless. Is there no one who can rein her in?”

A group of boys quickly crowded around.

“Luan-ge, are you okay?”

“How about we take you to the infirmary too?”

“Come on, let’s go.”

The boys exchanged looks before half-dragging, half-carrying him away.

From childhood until now, when had he ever been treated like this? Everyone else pampered him—yet here at First High, he’d been trampled twice by the same girl.

Infirmary

“Miss, Huo Huo’s afraid of pain—be gentle with her.”

“Miss, just disinfecting is fine? Shouldn’t you wrap it up too?”

“Miss—”

The girl’s constant chatter was completely at odds with her cold and beautiful appearance.

Huo Shu leaned back against the bed, cheeks slightly flushed. She lightly thumped the bed. “Enough. You’re going to drive the nurse crazy.”

The nurse chuckled and gave her instructions. “The skin’s not broken—just a bit of bruising. I’ve disinfected it and applied a bruise ointment. It’s nothing serious. It should be fine in ten days to two weeks. Just take it easy these next few days and avoid strenuous exercise.”

Huo Shu obediently nodded.

The nurse left with the tray.

Su Yu was just about to lecture her when she suddenly heard the girl’s soft voice—

“Su Yu… why are you so good to me?”