First Love... Gone!
The girl who had just given Lin Fan a love letter now hid quietly behind a tree, secretly peeking out.
She wanted to know—
How would Chen respond to the letter she had finally mustered the courage to deliver after days of internal struggle?
But when she saw Tang Jie sling his arm around Chen Yang and lead him off toward the school's back gate, panic surged through her.
Those boys were trouble.
They were going to bully him again.
To her, Chen Yang was a delicate soul—clean, gentle, soft-spoken, always kind to others.
Many of her classmates thought he was effeminate, said they didn't like that kind of boy. They preferred someone like Tang Jie—commanding, dominant, and always in the spotlight.
Whenever arguments broke out among the girls, the moment someone mentioned their boyfriend was him, the notorious fighter who even had ties outside of school, the other side would instantly fall silent, afraid.
But she hated those kinds of students the most.
School should be a place for learning, a beautiful space—not a battleground where the strong preyed on the weak.
In the alley
Tang Jie shoved Lin Fan against the wall, wearing a sinister grin.
"You were acting pretty cocky just now, weren't you?"
With that, he lifted his leg and kicked at Lin Fan's shin.
Lin Fan's expression didn't change.
Tang Jie winced. It felt like he had kicked a steel beam—pain shot up his leg.
The students around them chuckled, not taking Chen Yang seriously at all.
To them, he was just meat on the chopping block. What could someone like him possibly do against them?
"Hand over your money," Tang Jie ordered.
"Money? You mean these pieces of paper?"
Lin Fan pulled a few bills from his pocket and smiled kindly. "If a classmate is in need, I have no objection. It brings me joy to help others."
"Bullshit," Tang Jie spat. "We don't need your help. This is extortion. From now on, you'll bring money here every day. Miss a single time, and you're dead."
He grabbed Lin Fan's collar, eyes full of menace.
He lived for this feeling—watching fear spread across someone's face. It fed something dark inside him.
"Stop it!"
A voice rang out from the alley's entrance.
It was Cao Fangfang.
She was clearly terrified, but still stood tall. "How can you bully a classmate like this? I'm going to tell the teacher!"
Tang Jie sneered. "What the hell does this have to do with you? Get lost."
A boy snickered, "Wait a sec—she's that girl from Class Six, right? Didn't she confess to some guy and get flat-out rejected?"
"Chen Yang, come on! Let's go tell the teacher together!" Cao Fangfang shouted.
Lin Fan turned to look at her.
The girl who had just handed him the love letter.
Such courage…
But Tang Jie wasn't interested in her interference. He started rifling through Lin Fan's pockets and pulled out the very love letter Cao Fangfang had given him.
"Well, well—what's this? A love letter? Someone actually sent you a love letter?" he laughed. "Let's find out who wrote it. Then I'll beat the crap out of you right in front of her, just to show her what kind of loser she likes."
"Cao Fangfang, huh? Hahaha—so you're the one who wrote this? Let me read it out loud!"
This was his favorite kind of entertainment—
Deriving joy from other people's misery.
"Don't you dare!"
Tears welled in Cao Fangfang's eyes.
She had written that letter after lying awake for nights, whispering thoughts into her pillow until they finally took shape in writing.
But her protest only made them more eager.
Snap.
Lin Fan grabbed Tang Jie's wrist and said calmly, "You've gone too far. This isn't right."
"Fuck you," Tang Jie cursed, raising his hand to slap him—
Boom!
Lin Fan yanked him forward and slammed him against the wall. Hard.
The back of Tang Jie's head struck the concrete. He clutched it in pain, barely keeping himself from screaming.
The others stood frozen, eyes wide, like they'd just seen a ghost.
"Don't just stand there! Beat him up!" Tang Jie roared.
But the boys who followed him looked at each other in disbelief.
This soft-spoken, delicate Chen Yang had suddenly transformed into something… unrecognizable.
Lin Fan turned his head, giving them a chilling glance.
Their eyes met his—and for the first time, they felt fear.
He clenched his fist and launched it toward Tang Jie.
Tang Jie's eyes widened in horror.
He could feel the wind from that punch.
He flinched and shut his eyes tightly.
Bang!
A deafening crack echoed in his ears. Sharp pain followed. Splinters of debris had sliced his ear.
When he dared to open his eyes—
He saw Lin Fan's fist embedded in the concrete wall beside him.
A dent had formed. Cracks spiderwebbed outward.
"You've crossed a line," Lin Fan said evenly. "Do it again, and I won't be so polite."
Blood trickled down his knuckles—his own, torn from the jagged wall.
He let go of Tang Jie, casually grabbing the edge of his shirt to wipe the blood off.
"Don't bully others again. Do you understand?"
His expression was calm—too calm.
There was something almost inhuman in his stillness. It sent chills down everyone's spine.
"I… I understand," Tang Jie stammered.
He was trembling.
He had never seen anyone punch through a wall.
What if that punch had landed on his face instead?
The thought alone was terrifying.
Lin Fan gently patted his cheek and smiled warmly.
"Good boy. Go home and eat dinner. Your family's waiting. Eat well—put on some weight. You're too thin, and that's not healthy."
The boys who had followed Tang Jie watched in horror.
"Chen Yang, we won't do it again. Goodbye!"
They ran—scattered like frightened animals.
After all, they were just kids.
None of them had ever seen anything like this.
Tang Jie, too, scrambled away, practically crawling.
Lin Fan stooped to pick up the love letter, still smiling, and walked up to Cao Fangfang.
He extended his hand.
"Hello, classmate."
She looked at his face—his smile now seemed to glow, warm like the sun.
She reached out, trembling.
His hand was warm.
Soft.
His fingers were long, his nails impeccably clean.
Beautiful.
How I wish… I could hold this hand every day.
"Chen Yang… will you be my boyfriend?" she asked softly. "I know I'm not perfect, but I'll try. I'll become someone as amazing as you. I'll treat you so well… I'll listen to you, always."
Her face turned crimson with embarrassment.
She stole a glance at him—
He was still smiling.
A glimmer of hope rose in her chest.
"Chen Yang… is that okay?"
"…No," Lin Fan replied gently.
Then turned and walked toward the bus stop.
Crack.
Something inside her shattered.
Cao Fangfang felt her hopeful heart break into pieces—crushed mercilessly.
She collapsed into a squat, sobbing.
First love…
Gone.
(End of Chapter)