Chapter 82: With You on a Cold Night

As the saying goes, bad news travels fast.

While Su Chunfeng was still in the small conference room of the school administration building being questioned and comforted by the vice principal and some teachers, the evening self-study session had just ended. On campus, news had already begun to spread about his shocking act: he had single-handedly barged into Class 12, Senior Grade 3 with two blades, powerfully intimidated Qian Jingjiang and several others including Zhou Fan, and forced the school bully Qian Jingjiang to bow down and beg for mercy right in front of everyone…

The news spread as quickly as the raging cold wind on this winter night, swiftly sweeping across the entire campus.

Moreover, rumors always become more outrageous the more they are passed around. Later, some even said that Su Chunfeng had directly slaughtered Class 12, Senior Grade 3, hacking and stabbing many people.

Fortunately, the facts were right there, and excessive rumors would naturally collapse on their own.

When Su Chunfeng forced himself to gather his energy and physical strength to walk out of the office building, he found that quite a few students had already gathered in small groups outside, looking in his direction—among them were Li Zhichao, Feng Gang, and their group who had been questioned first and then released, now waiting for Su Chunfeng; also, students from Heyi Town like Han Qiang and Zheng Wentao, who felt chills down their spines and trembled with fear at the sight of Su Chunfeng; and some students who were quite influential and famous in school and were particularly shocked upon hearing about the incident. They had all specifically come to see what this high school freshman, who seemed to appear out of thin air and had so intimidatingly subdued Qian Jingjiang, even though they had hardly heard of him before, looked like—did he have three heads and six arms?

And there was Wang Haifei, standing alone in the biting cold wind, her expression full of anxiety and worry, waiting for Su Chunfeng.

“You guys go back first, I want to walk alone for a bit…” Su Chunfeng said with a smile, waving his hand to Li Zhichao and the others who had gathered around, while walking toward Wang Haifei.

Seeing this, Li Zhichao and the others all understood and smiled knowingly.

“Let’s go, everyone, go…” Li Zhichao turned his head and jokingly shooed the crowd: “What are you still standing there for? Want to be a third wheel?”

Everyone laughed.

That night was the proudest night for them, as people from Dongwangzhuang Township and Guanmiao Township, at County No.1 High School—from now on, their status among the students of County No.1 High School would rise to the top level. They could proudly tell other classmates, I’m from Guanmiao Township, I’m from Dongwangzhuang Township—Su Chunfeng’s hometown!

“Chunfeng…” Wang Haifei stepped forward, looking at Su Chunfeng with concern: “Are you okay?”

“Hmm.” Su Chunfeng raised his arm and wrapped it around Wang Haifei’s shoulder.

“Don’t…” Wang Haifei was startled and quickly tried to pull away. After all, in front of so many students, Su Chunfeng was not usually like this.

“Hold onto me, I have no strength…” Su Chunfeng whispered weakly in her ear.

Wang Haifei’s heart trembled, and she also felt that the arm Su Chunfeng had wrapped around her shoulder was very heavy, as if his whole body was leaning on her. Wang Haifei immediately stopped struggling and extended her right arm to wrap around Su Chunfeng’s waist. It looked intimate, but she was actually using force to support Su Chunfeng’s body so he wouldn’t tilt or stagger.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the two of them walked unhurriedly, intimately like this, into the distant night.

“Where are we going?”

“To the Basketball Court, find a place to sit for a while.”

“Oh.”

Wang Haifei supported Su Chunfeng, who was forcing himself to stay alert and strong, all the way to under the basketball hoop adjacent to the Playground at the Basketball Court.

Under the basketball hoop was a cement slab that was pressed down. The cement slab had already been cleaned, but there was still some snow at the edges. Su Chunfeng completely ignored the cold of the cement slab. He let go of Wang Haifei and plopped down—when he came out of the office building, he could hardly hold on anymore.

He didn’t want people to see his pitiful state of being weak and possibly even suddenly falling while walking. That would greatly damage the prestige he had worked so hard to build.

So, he could only ask Wang Haifei to help support him as he left.

“Chunfeng, what’s wrong with you?” Wang Haifei squatted beside Su Chunfeng, her face full of anxious worry.

“Let me calm down, rest for a bit… I’m dizzy.” Su Chunfeng shook his head slightly, leaned against the cold basketball hoop, slightly closed his eyes, silently recited the Spell Incantation and Mind Cultivation Technique, calmly sensed and guided the Qi of Five Elements from the world into his body to make up for the mental damage caused by the powerful Backlash from nature, and soothe the needle-like pain in his skin.

He knew that after this Art Casting, he would not be able to cast any more for at least a week.

Wang Haifei’s heart was filled with anxiety and worry, but seeing Su Chunfeng’s condition, she dared not disturb him. She could only stand up and silently guard him from the side.

Waiting is always the longest time.

But for Su Chunfeng, more than an hour passed before he knew it. When he suddenly snapped out of his meditation and cultivation, he saw in the dim environment that Wang Haifei was hugging her arms tightly, hunching her shoulders, lowering her head, and pacing lightly around the basketball hoop a few meters away to keep warm.

“Haifei…” Su Chunfeng reached out and, with some difficulty, pushed himself up from the cement slab to stand.

“Ah, Chunfeng, are you feeling better?” Wang Haifei quickly walked over. Ignoring that her own hands and feet were now numb from the cold, she reached out to support Su Chunfeng’s arm.

Su Chunfeng, whose mental state and physical skin were feeling much better now, was full of guilt and gratitude in his heart. He said repeatedly: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. On such a cold day, I made you stay here with me and freeze.”

“It’s nothing.” Wang Haifei shook her head and said worriedly: “What exactly happened to you? On such a cold day, you had to sit outside, and, and you seemed like you fell asleep.” Wang Haifei couldn’t help but gently touch Su Chunfeng’s forehead. She exclaimed in alarm: “Wow, so hot. Do you have a fever? Let’s go to the hospital…”

“No need, I’ll be fine after sleeping it off.” Su Chunfeng shook his head and said: “It’s getting late, Haifei. Thank you for staying with me.”

“Why say such things?” Wang Haifei blushed.

“I’ll walk you back to the dormitory so you can rest early.” Su Chunfeng grasped Wang Haifei’s cold little hand, warming it with his own warm palm, as they walked towards the Girls’ Dormitory Building.

“Are you really okay?”

“Don’t worry, I know my own body.”

“But, but why do I feel like you’re acting strange… On such a cold day, you had to run to the Basketball Court and sit here for so long…”

“It’s quiet here. My head is dizzy and I feel feverish.”

“Was it… too much stress?”

“Maybe.”

…

When Su Chunfeng returned to the dormitory, it was almost midnight.

The dark dormitory was quiet.

He gently pushed the door open, went in, closed the door behind him, and then tiptoed toward his inner bunk. Immediately, he heard a rustling sound, and everyone in the dormitory sat up from their beds.

“Chunfeng, you’re back.”

“Where did you go?”

“So late…”

The roommates’ unusually warm welcome was as if their own family member had gone missing, and they had been anxiously waiting at home, finally seeing him return.

“You’re all still awake?” Su Chunfeng asked, somewhat surprised, with a smile as a greeting. He walked to his bunk and was about to take off his shoes and climb up when he heard the timid, faltering voice of Han Qiang from behind: “Chun, Chunfeng… Um, I’m sorry. You, you’re a magnanimous person, please forgive me. I won’t dare do it again.”

Su Chunfeng ignored him. He took off his shoes, climbed to the top bunk, didn’t even bother to take off his clothes, pulled back the covers, lay down, and covered himself. Then he turned to look at Han Qiang, who was sitting restlessly and fearfully in the lower bunk opposite him in the darkness, and said with a smile: “Han Qiang, I considered you a friend. I really didn’t expect you to do something like this.”

“Chunfeng, I, I know I was wrong, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Han Qiang’s voice choked up, and he was so scared he was almost crying.

“No need to apologize, and I won’t hit you either.” Su Chunfeng smiled and said: “Learn your lesson. Don’t always think about bullying people. Don’t do this again in the future. Be good.”

“Yes, I know, I know.”

“Go to sleep.”

Su Chunfeng turned over, lay flat, closed his eyes, and couldn’t be bothered with anyone else anymore—he was extremely tired now.

Inside the dormitory, it was quiet.

Han Qiang sat dumbly on the edge of his bunk, silent.

The other classmates also didn’t discuss anything. They only admired Su Chunfeng in their hearts: he was a great buddy, righteous, magnanimous, imposing, truly awesome; at the same time, they all secretly despised Han Qiang: what a coward, Chunfeng is such a good person, he considered you a friend, and you actually played a dirty trick!

…

Just like when he was in junior high at Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School, Su Chunfeng became famous after one fight.

Afterward, he didn’t show off arrogantly or act domineering and look down on everyone like many students who become famous through group fights. Instead, as before, he peacefully studied, exercised, cultivated, fell in love… and lived his life. He would often chat casually with classmates. When there were arguments, often when the other person regretted their impulsive harsh words and was terrified, Su Chunfeng would act as if nothing had happened, magnanimously laugh it off.

He also gradually realized that at this age, in such a campus life with a group of teenagers, occasionally using some seemingly childish and rough violence could actually have unexpectedly good effects. For example, now he could peacefully and calmly enjoy campus life without worrying that someone would cause trouble for him for no reason.

Because, no one dared to provoke him for no reason.

Time flew…

The first semester of high school life, with the arrival of the Final Exam, was about to end.