In the office, Lu Yun and Tie Xinlan were gently holding hands, tenderly chatting and whispering sweet nothings, their atmosphere warm and intimate. Then suddenly, a voice broke through the serene mood—sharp, abrupt, and completely out of place. "Lu Yun, are you still here? If so, come out quickly!" Lu Yun instantly recognized it was Zhou Quan’s voice. How strange—he had returned, yet hadn’t simply barged in to join them! "Lane Sister," Lu Yun said softly, "Zhou Quan has just arrived. I must go now." Tie Xinlan looked clearly disappointed, but knowing that Lu Yun couldn't stay forever, she composed herself and smiled gently. "Go ahead—just keep our little secret safe, okay?" Lu Yun gave a warm smile. "Don’t worry, Lan Sister. Even if someone holds a knife to my neck, I won’t reveal anything between us." Saying this, he kissed her cheek lightly before giving a graceful wave and stepping out of the office. Outside, Lu Yun immediately spotted Zhou Quan crouched by the wall, drawing circles with his fingers. He asked curiously: "Zhou Quan, when did you come back? Why didn’t you enter?" "Lu Yun," Zhou Quan exclaimed angrily, suddenly turning to face him, "I’ve been blackmailed by that pig—Zhou Gaoren!" Lu Yun was taken aback. Just moments ago, Zhou Quan had looked clear-eyed and composed; now his face was a blur of disarray—his nose, eyes, and mouth pressed tightly together like a pig’s head, with streaks of dark blood still dripping from torn corners of his lips. "What on earth happened to you? Who gave you this treatment?" Lu Yun pulled him aside to a quiet corner, his voice trembling in concern. "It's all that jerk Zhou Gaoren," Zhou Quan spat out a stream of blood, his face flushed with anger. "After being scolded by Iron Teacher, he didn’t go to class at all—he stayed glued to our every move. When I went alone to town, he beat a hasty retreat and arrived first, gathering some ruffians from the outskirts. He surrounded me before anyone could react—then started pounding on me!" "***," Lu Yun roared, voice strained and fierce, "He treats me like I’m breathing air—he speaks as if he’s just farting! I’m going to kill him; I’m going to personally take out that dog-son of a gun!" Zhou Quan chuckled bitterly. "I’m not stopping there—I'm going to make sure his father gets crushed too." His fierce expression and icy tone sent shivers down Lu Yun’s spine. "Quan, I’m truly sorry," Lu Yun said, knowing that all these words were just empty gestures—words that fell flat in the face of reality. "If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been thrown into this mess at all." "Hmph! You’re acting like a brother who’s been stuck with his own brother!" "His *own* brother?" Lu Yun felt deep shame now. His very own brother had been the one to take notice of Tie Xinlan—while he, Lu Yun, was left feeling sidelined and jealous! "Quan," Lu Yun said firmly, "We must settle this score." Zhou Quan nodded resolutely. "No rush. We’re not going to win against him just yet. I’ll head back to my hometown right away—I have a cousin who’s well-established in the business world. I’m calling on him. With his help, even these little ruffians won’t stand a chance." Lu Yun understood what “on the road” meant—Black Society circles. He hadn't expected Zhou Quan’s cousin to be so strong, and now he realized how much trouble this could cause once Zhou Quan’s cousin arrived. "Lu Yun," Zhou Quan said urgently, "Could you please take two days off for me? I simply must return now—I don’t have time to waste." Lu Yun was puzzled: "Even if you go back and summon your cousin, there’s still no rush—why not first attend to your injuries?" "There’s no time left," Zhou Quan replied. "I used a clever tactic to pressure Zhou Gaoren into agreeing—we’ll face off in an official duel two days from now. I have to leave right away." "What about your wounds then?" Zhou Quan waved his hand dismissively. "They’ll heal—just remember to get me approved for time off!" With that, he turned and disappeared without another word. "Remember to call me when you need me," Lu Yun shouted after him as he hurried away. Zhou Quan only waved once—he didn’t even look back—and a few moments later was gone from Lu Yun’s sight entirely. Back in the classroom, Lu Yun felt frustrated and returned to find Class President Liang Hongyu still deeply immersed in her book, neither resting nor chatting with anyone—no sign of having taken a break during recess. Without thinking, he sat down beside her, silent and distant, his gaze fixed on the empty space between them. "Lu Yun," Liang Hongyu noticed someone new at her side, turning to smile kindly, "you’ve missed another class again. The teacher covered quite a few important points in today’s algebra lesson—would you like me to help you catch up?" "No need," Lu Yun replied coldly. "I’m just not feeling well." "Oh," Liang Hongyu said, her good intentions now dimmed, blushing slightly as she turned back to her book. Lu Yun realized his own awkwardness and glanced at her. "Sorry, Class President—I wasn’t trying to be rude. I’ve just been feeling off today." "Alright," Liang Hongyu said, her cheeks still warm. "Are you upset about the incident in the dining hall this morning?" "How did you know?" "I was there too—several classmates saw it happen." Lu Yun’s mind spun. He asked: "What exactly did you see?" Liang Hongyu looked down at her book, speaking softly: "I saw you fighting someone over a girl. You were really fierce—like you were about to kill them." "And then?" She turned to look at Lu Yun, then quickly returned her gaze to the page. "I also saw you holding onto a very beautiful girl… She’s from our village. I think she's one of the top students here—the school's official beauty." Lu Yun felt deeply embarrassed now. Seeing that no one else was around, he decided it was perfect timing—to gently tease this shy class president and ease his own mood. So with a cheerful smile, he said: "Class President—actually, you’re the real campus beauty of our school!" "I… I’m not." Liang Hongyu blushed even more deeply. "Why not? Compared to your height, how many of them come close? Your figure is flawless—every curve and contour just right, skin as smooth as porcelain, hair flowing like silk. You’re the very image of a princess every boy dreams of!" "You… you’re such a dork!" Liang Hongyu exclaimed, this time burying her face in her book so deeply that she almost cried. Lu Yun laughed happily, then took the textbook from her hands and said seriously: "I’m telling the truth—ask any other guy in class, and they’ll all agree you’re the campus queen and a real Snow White!" Liang Hongyu tried to shield herself with both hands, now flustered. "Lu Yun… don’t go on! If you keep talking, I’m going to tell the teacher!" "Please," Lu Yun pleaded, his face flushed with confidence, "If you tell the teacher, I’ll be ruined—look at me now, how will I ever recover from that?" "But who cares about you? You’re such a fool!" Liang Hongyu nearly cried out. Lu Yun saw that he had reached the right balance—the moment of perfect timing. If he went on, this naturally shy class president might actually cry—so he gently placed the textbook back into her hands and smiled. "Class President, I was just playing around with you—I’m not taking it seriously. But there’s one thing true: you are indeed our school’s official beauty. They just haven’t noticed—you’re so well-liked that they simply didn’t see you at all!" Liang Hongyu had grown used to Lu Yun’s playful nature—though she still blushed, when he said the first part, her hands slowly relaxed and lowered. But then came his final remark—he didn't even finish speaking before she found herself with both arms fully covering her face again, flushed from head to toe. She wanted to scold him for a moment—but what could she say? His words not only amused her but also filled her with that quiet pride every girl cherishes—like being truly seen and admired. … End of Chapter 030: "The Country Beauty" and "Teasing the Class President"—Updated and completed!