Forgive Me, I Wounded Your Pride

A major incident occurred in Class 3-2, drawing a crowd of curious students and teachers alike.

To this moment, no one could make sense of it.

Everything had been perfectly normal—until it wasn't.

How could they have all collapsed so suddenly? It was nothing short of bizarre.

"Do you think the kids in Class 2 were abducted by aliens or something? I saw someone being carried off by the medics just now, still twitching."

"Hmm, that actually sounds plausible."

"I read in a novel once—this looks more like a failed tribulation."

"Oh, give me a break. You think this is some kind of cultivation fantasy?"

As Lin Fan approached the classroom door, he noticed many students staring at him. A calm smile played on his lips as he nodded at them politely.

"Hello, classmates…"

Ding ling ling—!

The school bell rang.

The gathered students dispersed.

The once-crowded classroom was now empty, save for Lin Fan sitting silently by himself.

In that tranquil solitude, he felt as if he had returned to Green Mountain.

His eyes fixated on the blackboard, Lin Fan slowly closed them. He could feel a current flowing within him. As he followed its course, a deep sense of comfort spread throughout his body.

The Body-Tempering Technique.

It had revealed to him the reality of cultivation. He had no idea where the technique had come from, but its effects were undeniable—his body was stronger, tougher.

Tap tap.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway.

"Chen Yang, why are you here?" The homeroom teacher rushed over, having just escorted the students to the hospital. She had returned to the classroom hoping to understand what had transpired.

But to her surprise, she found Chen Yang sitting there alone.

"I'm waiting for class to begin," Lin Fan replied calmly.

The teacher was momentarily speechless.

Something felt off about Chen Yang. She couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but there was definitely something strange about him.

"Do you know what happened to your classmates?" she asked.

Lin Fan thought for a moment. Perhaps this explanation would suffice.

"I'm not sure. When I turned around, they were all lying on the floor. I guess… studying really is exhausting. It's not easy at all."

"Well, continue studying quietly here for now," the teacher said. She still had to check on the students at the hospital. As their homeroom teacher, she bore responsibility for what had happened. If things went poorly, she could face harsh criticism—or worse, miss out on the Outstanding Teacher selection.

"Understood." Lin Fan nodded and picked up his book, reading with quiet focus.

At the hospital

The nurses nearly panicked upon seeing so many students rushed in at once.

According to the doctors, an entire class had collapsed.

"What were these kids doing?" the nurses murmured. "Why play such dangerous games instead of just focusing on their studies?"

"They're nothing like we were," one muttered. "We used to bury ourselves in our books. No time for anything else."

"Cut off the patient's clothing," the doctor ordered.

Yang Zitian groggily regained consciousness, just in time to hear that.

"Wait—don't cut my clothes… They're Armani… very expensive…" he muttered weakly before passing out again.

The doctor nearly exploded in frustration. Armani? At this rate, he'd be buried in Armani paper robes.

Skyvision High School

Ding ling ling—!

The school bell signaled the end of the day.

Lin Fan closed his book and stepped out of the classroom.

He had self-studied several texts and found great wisdom within them. One thing had become clear: to cultivate, one must first broaden their knowledge.

Though seemingly unrelated, all things in this world were interconnected.

As Lin Fan was about to exit the school gates, a petite girl with braided hair and a flushed face ran up to him, panting.

"Here."

The girl shoved something into Lin Fan's hands and, blushing furiously, turned and fled.

He looked down to see a neatly folded envelope, sealed with a tiny heart sticker.

Inside was a handwritten letter:

Dear Chen Yang, you are a refined and elegant boy. I've admired you for a long time. No one else has noticed how handsome you are, but I have. I really like you, and I hope you'll be my boyfriend.

If you say yes, I'll buy you delicious food every day.

I'm looking forward to your reply. Muah!

Lin Fan read the letter for a moment, then murmured to himself,

"They once said that people like me—people with mental illness—don't deserve love.

Yet someone just gave me a love letter.

Perhaps… in someone's heart, I, too, am a beautiful existence."

"I'm sorry."

"My life belongs to the path of cultivation."

He carefully tucked the letter away and continued walking toward the school gates.

At that moment—

A hand landed on his shoulder.

"Chen Yang, where do you think you're going? Why don't you come hang out with us?"

Lin Fan lifted his hand to shield his nose. A sour, musty odor—unmistakably from someone who hadn't bathed in quite some time—assaulted his senses.

He turned to see who it was.

After a brief recollection, he recognized the student.

Dry, yellowing hair. Tall and lanky. Eyes brimming with rebellious defiance.

Realizing his action might be misinterpreted, Lin Fan lowered his hand and said apologetically,

"Forgive me, classmate. I shouldn't have covered my nose. The smell you carry is not toxic, nor is it harmful—it's simply the scent of prolonged unwashed human skin. But still, I was wrong to make such a gesture. I must have hurt your pride. I sincerely apologize."

The tall, thin student—Tang Jie—instantly went cold. Fury flashed in his eyes. He was itching to punch Chen Yang, but restrained himself. This was still school, after all.

"You must have a death wish. Just wait—outside, I'll beat you to a pulp."

His gang of delinquent friends doubled over laughing.

They hadn't expected Chen Yang to be so… savage.

It was hilarious.

Tang Jie's face turned an ugly shade of blue as he glared at his underlings, instantly silencing them.

They followed Tang Jie not out of admiration, but for survival. No one wanted to be bullied at school. And being close to a school tyrant had its perks—it felt powerful, invincible.

Who would dare cross us? Who would dare provoke us?

"Let's go. We'll see how tough you are outside." Tang Jie sneered. "If you scream, I'll beat you every time I see you. I don't care if I get expelled. I'll wait for you at the gate every day. Let's see who can protect you forever."

Lin Fan replied calmly, "You misunderstand. I won't scream, nor will I let you be expelled."

"Let's start over. Hello, classmate."

He extended his hand in greeting.

Tang Jie glanced at him with contempt, as if he were looking at a lunatic.

Passing students turned to look.

They knew who Tang Jie was.

The school bully. Rumored to have ties with shady characters outside.

He always ran with a gang, targeting weaker classmates.

Many despised him.

Yet curiously, many of those same people tried to get close to him—almost as if knowing Tang Jie gave them a sense of superiority.

And now, watching this scene unfold—

They could only pray…

That Chen Yang wouldn't be beaten too badly.

(End of Chapter)