Aftermath

Jian Yixun had originally planned to wait downstairs until Xu Shuche sent him a WeChat message before leaving.

But before the message arrived, he suddenly heard a loud argument erupt upstairs.

Xu Shuche’s rented apartment was on the third floor.

The old building had poor sound insulation, so any loud noise could be heard clearly even from the first floor.

Jian Yixun couldn’t make out the exact words.

But his instincts told him the disturbance came from Xu Shuche’s floor.

He didn’t bother waiting to confirm.

Taking two or three steps at a time, he rushed up the stairs toward the third floor.

The moment he looked up, he saw Wang Shimei gripping Xu Shuche’s neck.

He hadn’t forgotten that their last argument had been caused by this idiot.

Instantly his anger flared like wildfire.

He rushed forward and punched Wang Shimei straight in the face.

The last time Wang Shimei showed up at the school gate, Jian Yixun had only knocked him to the ground.

But now old grudges and new ones mixed together.

Not only did Jian Yixun knock him down, he pinned him to the floor and began punching him repeatedly.

“I told you not to act like trash!” Jian Yixun roared angrily.

“Wasn’t the beating last time enough?”

“f*ck— you—”

Wang Shimei cursed viciously while struggling to break free.

But he was no match for Jian Yixun’s strength.

After three years in jail and years of laziness, his muscles had long disappeared.

How could he possibly compete with Jian Yixun—who was younger and played basketball every day?

By the time Jian Yixun stopped punching him, he didn’t even know how many blows he had thrown.

Only after someone pulled him away did his vision slowly clear.

“Officer, I heard people fighting outside,”

The one who called the police was an elderly man from the second floor.

“When I opened the door and looked upstairs, I was shocked.”

Wang Shimei’s face was bruised and swollen.

The moment he saw the police, he looked as if he had found a lifesaving rope.

“Officer! Officer!”

“This idiot tried to kill me!”

Blood ran from one nostril, and his entire face was battered.

He looked completely different from the man who had been threatening Xu Shuche at the door earlier.

“It was him who tried to extort money first.”

Xu Shuche suddenly spoke up.

“He tried to blackmail me.”

“That’s why my friend… my friend hit him.”

“Extortion?”

The police officer originally thought it was just a simple neighbor dispute.

But hearing that word made his expression turn serious.

“Do you have any evidence to prove he was extorting you?”

Wang Shimei didn’t believe Xu Shuche could possibly have any proof.

In his memory, Xu Shuche had always been quiet and obedient.

He never spoke up at times like this.

He didn’t seem clever enough for tricks either.

But Xu Shuche calmly took out his phone.

The recording app was still open on the screen.

“I started recording the moment I saw you outside my door.”

“It recorded everything until just now.”

“Whatever evidence you need is here.”

“If you don’t believe me, we can go to the police station and play it for the officers.”

Wang Shimei’s face instantly changed.

His face already hurt badly from the beating.

Now he forced a strained smile and reached toward Xu Shuche.

“Hey… why are you taking this so seriously?”

“We’re friends, right?”

“I was just joking with you.”

Xu Shuche didn’t soften at all.

His expression remained cold.

“You should think about how to explain it at the police station.”

Although Wang Shimei looked seriously injured, Jian Yixun had actually controlled his strength during the fight.

He hit hard—but not too hard.

It hurt a lot, but nothing was seriously damaged.

Even a hospital check wouldn’t find any real injuries.

This was a small trick Jian Yixun learned when fooling around with friends as a kid.

It was meant for dealing with troublesome hooligans.

He never expected it would come in handy here.

Wang Shimei continued wailing that he had been crippled.

He repeatedly demanded a medical examination and insisted the police lock Jian Yixun up.

But after the officers checked him, they told him nothing was wrong.

Just superficial injuries.

They had no idea why he was screaming so dramatically.

Xu Shuche and Wang Shimei were taken into separate rooms for statements.

One police officer remained to lecture Jian Yixun.

Jian Yixun listened obediently and admitted fault sincerely.

But his mind had already wandered next door.

What were they asking Xu Shuche?

What if Wang Shimei twisted the story?

What if his senior got into trouble?

Should he wait outside the door?

Jian Yixun imagined one dramatic scenario after another in his mind.

When the door to the next room suddenly opened, he jumped to his feet.

But the young officer in front of him glared.

“I’m still talking to you.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Don’t like being disciplined?”

“No, no.”

Jian Yixun gritted his teeth and sat back down.

“Please continue.”

“Sign here.”

The officer pushed a document toward him and spoke earnestly.

“In the future, be more careful.”

“Stay calm.”

“Not everything can be solved with fists.”

“When something happens, think first—one, two, three, four.”

“What are the consequences?”

“Is there a better way?”

“You’re a college student.”

“If you get a criminal record, how will you pass government exams later?”

“I’m not taking those exams.”

Jian Yixun signed his name and asked directly.

“Am I allowed to leave now?”

The officer had just said “Mm” when the previously obedient young man suddenly dashed toward the neighboring room.

“—!”

Wang Shimei’s voice screamed from inside.

“I’ll make you regret this!”

Xu Shuche stood up expressionlessly and bowed slightly to the officer.

The officer slammed the desk.

“Behave yourself.”

“You’re in a police station.”

“Who exactly are you threatening?”

“Tell me.”

Wang Shimei dared to bully Xu Shuche.

But he didn’t dare challenge the police.

With his bruised face, he sat down quietly again.

“Don’t worry,” the officer told Xu Shuche as he escorted him out.

“He’ll be detained for ten days and then sent back to his hometown.”

“If he harasses or insults you again, call the police.”

Xu Shuche nodded softly and thanked him.

Jian Yixun, who had been waiting anxiously nearby, rushed over immediately.

“Are you okay, senior?”

“Did you tell them it wasn’t your fault?”

“I…”

Xu Shuche looked at the injuries on Jian Yixun’s face and suddenly laughed.

“I’m fine.”

“Why are you so nervous?”

“I’m just worried about you.”

Jian Yixun coughed lightly.

“I… I wasn’t nervous.”

“I was just asking.”

A pharmacy stood right next to the police station.

Xu Shuche bought alcohol and cotton balls.

He pulled Jian Yixun to sit on a bench by the roadside and began cleaning his wounds.

“This might sting a little.”

Xu Shuche examined the bruises on his face carefully.

“Just bear with it.”

“I’ve had injuries before.”

Jian Yixun originally wanted to boast about how basketball injuries were much worse.

He almost said men shouldn’t cry over small wounds.

But the words stopped in his throat.

He suddenly felt like slapping himself.

Even after getting into trouble, his mouth still hadn’t learned restraint.

He needed to fix that habit.

Xu Shuche didn’t notice his thoughts.

Hearing his response, he sighed with relief.

“Fortunately, the injuries aren’t serious.”

“How serious could they be?”

Jian Yixun snorted.

“That idiot couldn’t even fight properly.”

“He scratched my face like a kid.”

“Back in high school he wasn’t like this. He…”

Xu Shuche started describing what Wang Shimei had been like in high school.

But halfway through, he stopped.

He suddenly realized something.

Even back then, Wang Shimei wasn’t really that powerful.

His reputation as a “school bully” came from bullying weaker classmates.

His so-called “academic success” came from threatening others into letting him copy their answers.

When he thought about it that way…

Wang Shimei was like a carefully crafted paper doll.

But fragile—ready to collapse with a single blow.

Maybe there had never been anything truly frightening about him.

“What’s wrong?”

Jian Yixun noticed Xu Shuche suddenly lost in thought.

He began nervously reviewing his own words.

“Did I say something that upset you?”

Xu Shuche took a deep breath and shook his head.

“No.”

“I just… figured something out.”

“What did you figure out?”

Jian Yixun didn’t quite understand.

But he kindly chose not to press further.

Instead he said confidently,

“If he ever harasses you again, call me.”

“I’ll beat him up again.”

A cowardly bully like that dared to bully others at school?

Jian Yixun despised people who formed gangs to bully others.

Especially someone like Wang Shimei—someone who looked decent but did disgusting things behind the scenes.

If he saw someone like that, he’d beat them up every time.

Xu Shuche shook his head gently and dipped the cotton ball into alcohol.

“Next time I can handle it myself.”

“If you beat him too badly, what if he tries to extort you?”

“He already tried to extort me.”

“And honestly… I was really scared when you hit him.”

Everything happened so suddenly.

Xu Shuche watched Jian Yixun rush forward and beat Wang Shimei mercilessly.

Each punch landed solidly.

It felt like Wang Shimei might end up crippled.

If something truly terrible had happened, Xu Shuche had already prepared a story.

He would claim he hired someone to beat Wang Shimei.

That Jian Yixun had nothing to do with it.

If anyone had to take the blame, it should be him.

Jian Yixun finally understood what he was afraid of.

He raised a hand awkwardly and gently brushed Xu Shuche’s cheek.

“I’m not stupid.”

“Why would I ruin my own life over trash like him?”

“I know my limits.”

The alcohol stung the wounds on his face.

But Jian Yixun felt strangely happy.

After smiling to himself for a while, he looked at Xu Shuche seriously.

“Senior.”

“Move back to the dorm.”

“You’ve seen it yourself.”

“The security in this place is terrible.”

“Anyone can enter.”

“The guard at the gate is basically decoration.”

“What if Wang Shimei comes back again?”

“Even if he doesn’t, he already knows where you live.”

“That’s a huge safety risk.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“I can’t feel at ease with you living here alone.”

His eyes filled with that pleading expression again.

“Come back and live in the dorm.”

“Okay?”