The moment He Jun Lin heard that voice, his expression stiffened slightly . His fingers curled a little but quickly relaxed as he tried to keep himself composed .
Yan Hao Xiang, however , was far less calm . He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the group standing in front of them . The boy who had spoken stood in the center , arms crossed , looking down at He Jun Lin with amusement. The others beside him had similar sneers , clearly enjoying the scene .
He Jun Lin let out a quiet sigh and tried to step past them, but the boy in the middle moved just as fast, blocking his way again.
“What’s the rush, He Jun Lin? ” The boy smirked , tilting his head slightly . “ We haven’t even had a proper chat yet . ”
Yan Hao Xiang's gaze darkened. He glanced at He Jun Lin , who remained indifferent on the surface , but there was a subtle tension in his posture that didn’t escape his notice .
Yan Hao Xiang crossed his arms and leaned slightly toward him , clearly not planning to let these guys do as they pleased .
“ And who the hell are you ? ” Yan Hao Xiang asked lazily, though there was a sharpness hidden in his tone .
The boy finally turned his attention to Yan Hao Xiang, sizing him up before chuckling .
“ Oh ? You’re the new transfer student, right ? ” He scoffed. “ Didn’t expect you to be so protective of He Junlin . Are you sure you wanna get involved with him ? ”
Yan Hao Xiang frowned . He didn’t like the way this guy spoke, as if He Jun Lin was someone to be avoided. He glanced at He Jun Lin again , but the latter remained silent, as if he was used to this kind of situation .
That only made Yan Hao Xiang even more annoyed .
The boy stepped closer to He Jun Lin, lowering his voice just enough that Yan Hao Xiang could still hear .
“bYou know, He Jun Lin , no matter how hard you try , you’ll always be that pathetic loser who doesn’t belong anywhere . ”
* *— BANG ! —* *
Before the words even settled , Yan Hao Xiang kicked over a nearby chair . The loud crash instantly filled the cafeteria, drawing countless eyes to the scene .
His expression was ice-cold as he locked eyes with the boy in front of himv. The casual attitude from earlier was completely gone , replaced by an unmistakable authority .
“ Do you even know who you’re talking tov? ” Yan Hao Xiang’s voice was calm, yet it carried an overwhelming pressure .
For a momentv, the air seemed to freeze . The boys in front of them stiffened slightly .
“I think you already know who I am , ” Yan Hao Xiang continued , a slow , mocking smile appearing on his lips . “ But if you don’t , I wouldn’t mind letting your parents come and recognize me . ”
The group’s expressions immediately shifted . They might have known Yan Hao Xiang wasn’t someone ordinary , but now they were truly realizing just how out of their league he was .
“ Or… ” Yan Hao Xiang’s gaze swept over them, his tone light but laced with warning . “ Are your families powerful enough to challenge the Yan Corporation ? ”
The moment * * " Yan Corporation " * * left his mouth , the leader’s face paled instantly .
His smirk twitched slightly before he clenched his jaw and cast He Jun Lin a sharp glare . He then muttered under his breath , “ Tch , lucky bastard . ”
Then, without another word , he spun around and walked off . His group quickly followed , eager to escape the situation .
Watching their retreating figures disappear from the cafeteria , Yan Hao Xiang clicked his tongue in annoyance .
“ What a joke . ” He turned back to He Jun Lin, only to find the latter looking down, lost in thought .
“ Hey, are you just gonna keep putting up with this ? ” Yan Hao Xiang frowned .
He Jun Lin was silent for a moment before finally whispering , “ …Thanks . ”
Yan Hao Xiang blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then he scoffed and waved a hand dismissively .
“ Thank me for what ? I was just handling some trash . ”
With that, he casually patted He Jun lin’s shoulder and grinned . “ Come on, let’s eat . ”
He Jun lin looked up at him, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips . Then, he nodded .