The call ended.
Zhao Luyuan stared at his phone, laughing in anger.
"Is the Student Union External Relations Department now responsible for on-site enforcement?"
"Don't be impulsive," Lu Yibei stood up, "go down and clear things up."
The four of them headed downstairs together.
Zhao Yuxuan was standing at the dormitory entrance, with a white SUV parked behind him. He wore a printed short-sleeve shirt, a conspicuous mechanical watch on his wrist, and his hair was meticulously styled.
Seeing the four of them coming out at once, he didn't back down; instead, he raised his chin.
Already, a dozen or so students had gathered around to watch the spectacle.
Someone recognized Zhao Yuxuan and started whispering.
"Isn't he from the Student Union External Relations Department?"
"Yeah, his family owns a factory."
"Four against one, this should be interesting."
Several phones were discreetly raised.
Zhao Yuxuan's gaze swept across their faces, finally stopping on Chen Jiashu.
"Are you Chen Jiashu?"
"Yes."
"Wanwan already told me," Zhao Yuxuan sneered, "you couldn't win her over, so you and your roommates insulted her and even snooped through her Moments. A grown man acting so lowly?"
Chen Jiashu's face darkened.
"Did she tell you she's been hiding things from me?"
"Why should she tell you?"
Zhao Yuxuan took two steps forward.
"Did you really think that just because you helped her move a few times and bought her some cakes, she should be your girlfriend?"
"I never said that."
"You didn't say it, but isn't that what you thought?"
Chen Jiashu took a step forward.
"This has nothing to do with my roommates. If you have a problem, take it out on me, don't insult them."
"Now you want to act responsible?"
Zhao Yuxuan patted his shoulder, his actions full of disdain.
"If you had this self-awareness earlier and stayed away from Wanwan, nothing would have happened. But you stuck to her like a leech, and now you're dragging your roommates into it."
Chen Jiashu brushed his hand away.
"I've already said I won't bother her again."
"You better stick to your word."
Zhao Yuxuan adjusted his wrist that had been pushed away and glanced at the dormitory building.
"This is Pengcheng University, not a place for a few poor students to run wild. I know more people in the Student Union and among the faculty than you can imagine. If you mess with me, you won't even be able to decide how to write your disciplinary report."
Zhao Yuxuan's smile grew more pronounced.
"You're just pathetic, a typical laborer mentality. You think that by working harder and running more errands, you can earn someone's affection."
Zhao Luyuan stepped forward.
"Watch your mouth."
Zhao Yuxuan looked at him.
"Did I say something wrong?"
He pointed at Chen Jiashu's plain short-sleeve shirt.
"No money, no background, no insight. Just a pauper, what else can he do but be a laborer? Isn't it normal for Wanwan to look down on him?"
There were a few jeers from the crowd.
"Don't just argue!"
"The Student Union Vice President is quite impressive!" Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
"Four against one, are they going to fight or not?"
Some people, eager for chaos, even turned their phones horizontally in anticipation.
Lu Yibei frowned.
"Zhao Yuxuan, if you want to stand up for Jiang Wanwan, you should get the facts straight from start to finish. Insulting people won't solve anything."
"And who are you?"
"His roommate, and his brother."
"Then you're just another pauper."
Zhao Yuxuan glanced over the four of them, his tone increasingly disdainful.
"A bunch of guys living in a four-person dorm, eating cafeteria meals, and you think you're something just because you stick together? Let me make it clear today, someone like Chen Jiashu isn't even worthy of carrying Wanwan's shoes."
"Say that again," Zhao Luyuan's voice deepened.
"Can't hear me?"
Zhao Yuxuan walked up to Chen Jiashu, poking his chest with his finger.
"I said he's just a lowlife, a laborer, a pauper. Wanwan using him is already looking up to him. Does he really think he has the right to be picky?"
Zhao Luyuan's last nerve snapped.
He rushed forward and punched Zhao Yuxuan in the face.
"I think you're the one asking for a beating!"
Caught off guard, Zhao Yuxuan staggered back, hitting the SUV door.
The crowd erupted instantly.
"Damn, they really started fighting!"
"Record it, record it!"
"Go on, don't back down!"
Zhao Yuxuan wiped his mouth and kicked at Zhao Luyuan. Zhao Luyuan stumbled back a couple of steps but then lunged forward again.
The two of them were locked in a scuffle.
Just as Lu Yibei was about to separate them, Zhao Yuxuan broke free from Zhao Luyuan and swung a punch at Chen Jiashu nearby.
Chen Jiashu instinctively blocked, but still got hit on the chin.
At this point, no one could just stand by and watch.
Zhou Shuhang grabbed Zhao Yuxuan's arm from the side, and Chen Jiashu, eyes red, charged forward. As Lu Yibei pulled Zhao Luyuan away, he took a punch to the shoulder himself, and in return, pinned Zhao Yuxuan against the car door.
The scene descended into chaos.
Someone shouted "Stop fighting," their voice excited as if cheering for another round. Others were recording while directing the action.
"Left side! The left side is open!"
"Bro, hold your phone steady!"
In less than two minutes, Zhao Yuxuan's face was bruised and swollen, his printed short-sleeve shirt half-torn. Lu Yibei and the others didn't fare much better; Zhao Luyuan's lip was split, Chen Jiashu's chin was red, and Zhou Shuhang's glasses were nearly crushed.
"What are you doing! Stop it!"
The dorm supervisor and two campus security guards rushed out from the building, and the crowd of students quickly dispersed.
The group was finally pulled apart.
Zhao Yuxuan, holding his nose, pointed at Lu Yibei and the others.
"Just wait, this isn't over!"
He was helped away by two acquaintances from the Student Union, not forgetting to glare back at Chen Jiashu before leaving.
Lu Yibei and the others were also sent back to their dorm by the supervisor, awaiting the school's decision.
As soon as they stepped inside, the video was already up on the Pengcheng University Forum.
The title was simple and direct.
The video started from Zhao Luyuan's first punch, with none of the prior insults recorded. The footage only showed the four of them attacking Zhao Yuxuan, making it look like a premeditated group assault.
The comment section refreshed rapidly.
"Four against one and they're proud?"
"No matter the reason, starting a fight is wrong."
"Wasn't the one beaten from the External Relations Department, Zhao Yuxuan? His family seems to have ties with the school."
"These guys are probably going to face disciplinary action."
Some eyewitnesses tried to explain.
"Zhao Yuxuan was saying really nasty things before, the video isn't complete."
"He poked the guy's chest first and hit Chen Jiashu."
But these comments were quickly buried by replies like "four against one" and "starting a fight is wrong." No one cared about the full story; the first punch in the short video had already decided the narrative.
Even more troubling, the forum post was quickly shared in class groups and Student Union work groups. Within ten minutes, the view count had surpassed ten thousand, and even their names and majors were dug up.
As Lu Yibei scrolled through the comments, a video call from Zhang Zihan came in.
As soon as he answered, Zhang Zihan's shocked face appeared on the screen.
"Damn, it really was you guys?"
"You guys are too intense!"
Just as Zhang Zihan finished speaking, another delicate face squeezed into view.
"Let me see."
"This is my roommate, Chen Shishi," Zhang Zihan introduced.
Chen Shishi stared at Lu Yibei on the screen, then glanced at the forum video.
"Isn't that Zhao Luyuan and the others? So fierce."
She paused, her tone a bit worried.
"But if they just fought like that, aren't they the ones in the wrong? If the Student Union pursues this, it could be serious enough to affect graduation."
"And Zhao Yuxuan's family seems to have connections. His dad's factory has sponsored school events, and he knows a lot of people in the Student Union."
Zhang Zihan finally put away her amused expression.
"Yeah, are you guys okay?"
"For now, we're fine."
"What do you mean 'for now'?"
"Still waiting for the aftermath."
Lu Yibei hung up, and the dorm fell silent for a moment.
Zhou Shuhang adjusted his glasses and spoke first.
"We were a bit impulsive."
Zhao Luyuan touched his split lip.
"Couldn't stand the way he was insulting us."
"I know," Zhou Shuhang said, "that's why I joined in."
Chen Jiashu kept his head down.
"Sorry for causing you guys trouble."
"Enough," Zhao Luyuan waved it off, "we're brothers, we'll face whatever comes together."
Just then, Chen Jiashu's phone rang.
The caller was their counselor.
He answered, and the counselor's angry voice filled the dorm.
"The four of you, come to the Student Affairs Office immediately."
"Zhao Yuxuan's parents are already here."