The Unworthy Protector

As one of the male leads in the dating game, Lin Moshu’s appearance was naturally exceptional.

Compared to Jiang Zhe, who had now transformed into a slender and beautiful youth, Lin Moshu was tall and robust. His arms were powerful, and his handsome facial contours were sharply chiseled. When his face was cold, he exuded a formidable presence.

Standing beside the ‘white lotus’ female lead, the height difference between them was striking.

It was almost as if a father were accompanying his daughter.

“Jiang Zhe, what are you doing!”

While Jiang Zhe silently and swiftly observed Lin Moshu, Lin Moshu himself had reached out and grabbed nothing but air. His brows furrowed involuntarily, bewildered as to why Jiang Zhe had suddenly intervened to pull Ning Ran away.

Lin Moshu had initially paid no mind to this impoverished student, who was famous for his beauty but lacked any special talents and had dismal grades. However, one day, he witnessed Jiang Zhe and Su Lianlian strolling together on the sports field.

The sight of them chatting and laughing made him deeply uneasy.

Su Lianlian was only meant to smile by his side. This man, who possessed mere beauty but nothing else, was unworthy of standing beside the adorable Su Lianlian.

Lin Moshu had originally intended to teach Jiang Zhe a harsh lesson. Yet, after Su Lianlian noticed his intent, she pleaded with tear-filled eyes not to harm him, insisting they were merely ordinary friends.

Because of her status as an impoverished student, other girls refused to associate with her. If Jiang Zhe were to be injured, she would have no friends left at Fenghua High.

Seeing Su Lianlian’s pitiful, tear-streaked face, Lin Moshu could only suppress his anger, forcing a magnanimous expression as he nodded, indicating he would not bully her friend.

By intentionally ignoring Jiang Zhe and treating him as if he were invisible, the two, who otherwise had no interaction, managed to maintain a fragile peace.

Neither of them dared to shatter that delicate illusion.

But now, Jiang Zhe was actually shielding Ning Ran!

Recalling Su Lianlian’s joy when speaking of Jiang Zhe as her friend, and then seeing Jiang Zhe, like an ungrateful wretch, protecting Ning Ran, Lin Moshu felt a surge of intense displeasure.

How could Su Lianlian consider Jiang Zhe a friend?

He was unworthy!

His fury suddenly flared. Lin Moshu sneered, “Ning Ran laid hands on Su Lianlian, and you just stood by watching? You can’t even protect your own friend. What a complete waste!”

“Oh, Moshu, please don’t speak of Jiang Zhe that way.”

Jiang Zhe fell silent, inexplicably labeled a ‘waste’. He then watched as the ‘white lotus’ female lead began to cry, her tears flowing instantly, like a faucet.

Without hesitation, she openly flirted with Lin Moshu in front of everyone, yet did not forget to cast a lingering, amorous glance towards Jiang Zhe.

In that instant, Jiang Zhe felt a cuckold’s hat flying rapidly toward him, attempting to forcefully land upon his head.

“Lin Moshu, are your eyes faulty? I wasn’t the one bullying Su Lianlian. If you want to throw a tantrum, don’t drag others into it.”

Before Jiang Zhe could speak, Ning Ran, who had been momentarily caught off guard and pulled behind him, reacted swiftly. Instead of hiding like an ostrich, she stepped forward assertively.

Her chest out, head held high, and chin slightly lifted, she exuded a certain disdain, as if pride were etched into her very bones.

She would never cower behind others like a coward.

In that moment, she resembled a small swan gliding on a lake, proudly raising its long neck.

However, upon noticing Jiang Zhe’s gaze, the proud swan instantly transformed into a ruffled kitten. Ignoring Lin Moshu who stood before her, she immediately glared fiercely at Jiang Zhe.

She had not forgotten what had just happened.

This impoverished student had dared to grab her foot!

Once she dealt with Lin Moshu, she would definitely make him pay!

Jiang Zhe, despite being glared at, felt no anger. Instead, he almost wanted to laugh. Yet, remembering the upcoming plot, the smile vanished from his lips without a trace.

Ning Ran’s arm was about to be dislocated.

Thanks to his noisy niece’s persistent recounting of the game’s plot, combined with Jiang Zhe’s excellent memory, he could rival professional players when it came to the storyline of this ‘Heartbeat Love Simulator’; he remembered it with remarkable clarity.

In the game’s plot, the female lead, Su Lianlian, gained an invitation to Fenghua High after saving a mysterious wealthy old man, directly joining the second year. Unpopular due to her impoverished status, she was deeply saddened by the students’ ostracization.

She subsequently encountered several male protagonists in succession at various locations, including the school sports field, music room, and student council office. Currently, she had successfully met five male protagonists and was in the early stages of developing a vague affection for them.

Against this backdrop, the villainess young miss, Ning Ran, provided an assist. She brought a retinue of followers to trouble Su Lianlian and Jiang Zhe, which drew Lin Moshu to intervene.

Completely disregarding their engagement, he loudly reprimanded Ning Ran. The commotion attracted other students, and as everyone watched, Jiang Zhe, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke.

He articulately listed Ning Ran’s various misdeeds, asserting that Su Lianlian was merely being targeted for standing up for him.

The very kind Su Lianlian, protected by both of them, immediately declared she would not pursue the matter with Ning Ran. She only hoped they could become good friends, but Ning Ran mocked her, saying a toad wished to eat swan meat.

This unreasonable attitude provoked Lin Moshu’s displeasure. When he tried to leave with Su Lianlian, Ning Ran blocked him, enraging Lin Moshu, who pushed her away, causing Ning Ran’s arm to dislocate.

Afterward, ignoring Ning Ran’s injury, he simply walked away with Su Lianlian. Jiang Zhe, with a cold, silent sneer, left alongside them.

Due to the enthusiastic dissemination by the other onlookers, the incident of Lin Moshu attacking Ning Ran because of Su Lianlian spread widely. Her fiancé publicly defending another woman thoroughly humiliated Ning Ran, the villainess young miss, prompting her to deliberately target Su Lianlian.

As Jiang Zhe rapidly recalled the game’s plot, Ning Ran’s unrestrained voice had already drawn curious students to gather around, wondering what had happened.

Although most had little impression of the newly enrolled Su Lianlian, Ning Ran and Lin Moshu were far from strangers.

Ning Ran’s beauty was undeniable; she was known as Fenghua’s most beautiful campus belle.

Lin Moshu was handsome and distinguished. Despite his somewhat aloof demeanor, his prominent family background ensured he firmly held the position of Fenghua’s campus heartthrob.

These two outstanding individuals were also engaged, which transformed the ordinary spotlight into a powerful searchlight, instantly seizing all attention.

“Oh, it’s all my fault. I only wanted to protect my friend. Sister Ning, please don’t blame Brother Lin. Brother Lin only wanted to help me.”

As more people gathered, Su Lianlian stopped using the intimate ‘Moshu’ and instead referred to him repeatedly as ‘Brother Lin’. Her eyes were red from crying, and she looked utterly pitiful, as if she had been bullied.

Su Lianlian’s looks were not bad. While she lacked Ning Ran’s alluring charm, she possessed a pure ‘first love’ face, appearing as pristine and flawless as a clean sheet of white paper.

Such a tearful, pitiful appearance easily swayed people’s sympathies.

“Su Lianlian, don’t be afraid. Just tell us what happened!”

The atmosphere was perfectly set. Lin Moshu cast an encouraging gaze at Su Lianlian, urging her to bravely speak of Ning Ran’s misdeeds. He would stand by her.

Such a good girl like Su Lianlian should not suffer injustice!

“I…”

“A moment, please. As one of the parties involved, allow me to explain fairly!”

Just as Su Lianlian was mustering the courage to speak, Jiang Zhe, who had been silent all this time, suddenly interjected.