Chapter Seven: Don't Push Me to Take You Down

The sky gradually darkened as An Jing walked briskly and quietly along the path toward Doctoral Student Building No. 47. It was a secluded lane, not a single pedestrian in sight, only the gentle tapping of her footsteps breaking the silence.

Orderly rows of holly lined the road, low shrubs and a lush green lawn lending a profound serenity and peace to her heart. Yet, for no reason at all, those deep, bright eyes surfaced in her mind again—so luminous, yet so empty. His features were delicate and strong, but his expression was as wooden as ever...

“What on earth has he been through?” An Jing frowned, suddenly overwhelmed by a surge of inexplicable heartache.

The thunder of an engine grew closer, roaring from afar until it was right behind her. “Who drives so fast on campus?” she muttered, frowning and stepping closer to the roadside.

Screech—the red Warhammer 2 braked sharply, its body swerving past An Jing before coming to a halt, blocking her path.

She stopped, brows furrowed in annoyance as she gazed at the ostentatious car. She knew all too well who it was: the arrogant playboy who had pestered her so many times, whom she utterly despised.

The car door flew open, and Lin Tianyi leapt out, swaggering over with a fake gentleman’s flourish. “Miss, may I have the honor of inviting you to dinner tonight?” he grinned.

An Jing’s frown deepened as she regarded this smirking rich boy. She bit her lip, stepped aside, and tried to slip past him. Unexpectedly, Lin Tianyi suddenly spread his arms, nearly causing her to stumble into his embrace. She stepped back hastily, glaring furiously at him, saying nothing.

Lin Tianyi shrugged with feigned regret. “I’m just trying to make friends. Miss An, won’t you give me a little face?”

With a series of bangs, all the Warhammer 2’s doors flew open and several half-grown thugs jumped out, jeering, “Yeah, beauty, do you know who our boss is?” “No one dares show our boss disrespect!”

Lin Tianyi waved his hand with apparent indifference. “Enough. Don’t frighten the lady.” Yet beneath his composure, arrogance oozed from every gesture. Turning back, he said, “Miss An, please?”

An Jing’s expression was unchanged, her voice calm. “I’ve told you several times—I won’t go. Don’t waste your time.”

Lin Tianyi’s face darkened, his tone turning sinister. “So, you’re refusing to give face?” With a flick of his head, his cronies immediately closed in. One reached for An Jing’s chest, but she, anger flaring, dodged back and swung her right foot with all her might into his shin.

“Ow!” The kick, fueled by fury and force, sent pain shooting through the boy’s bone. He collapsed on the spot, while the others burst into raucous laughter. Lin Tianyi, however, merely sneered, spitting out, “Useless!”

The boys flushed with shame and anger, pouncing again. The one who’d been kicked sprang up, cursing as he lunged at her. Though An Jing fought back desperately, her slight frame was no match for them; in moments, she was pinned against the car hood, her books scattered across the ground.

Lin Tianyi grinned wickedly. “Well, little beauty, why not be obedient? Soon you’ll know what it’s like to be with me.” With another nod, his cronies began dragging and shoving An Jing toward the car.

Desperate, humiliated, furious, An Jing instinctively opened her mouth to scream, though she knew it was useless. Yet before any sound escaped, her eyes froze as she witnessed something incredible.

A black figure streaked toward them from dozens of meters away, a whirlwind who, in the blink of an eye, was upon them. He seized the hand gripping An Jing’s shoulder, twisted sharply—crack—a sickening snap and a pig-like scream as the arm bent at an unnatural angle.

The first scream had not yet faded when, one after another, agonized cries erupted—the hands clutching An Jing all broken in an instant!

It all happened in a flash. Before anyone could process it, the gang of arrogant bullies were writhing on the ground, clutching their mangled arms.

Still reeling from the shock, An Jing suddenly felt a warm, strong hand lift her lightly to her feet. Beside her stood Lei Dong, his face contorted with fury. But in a heartbeat, the fierceness melted away, replaced by warmth and concern. “Are you alright?” he asked gently.

An Jing was stunned and tried to speak, but out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a tall figure leaping from the car. In a single stride, the man was behind Lei Dong, his right fist swinging like a massive sledge toward the back of Lei Dong’s head, the force of it stirring the air with a suffocating gale. An Jing gasped, “Watch out—!”

But before the words had left her lips, Lei Dong had already spun like the wind, his right fist flashing out to meet the blow.

Bang! Crack! Two muffled sounds. The attacker grunted, stopped dead, clutching his wrist in pain. Without waiting for him to recover, Lei Dong’s right foot snapped out like lightning, striking the man square in the chest. With a whoosh, the man was launched over the Warhammer 2’s massive body and crashed to the ground.

“Lin Jiangnan?” Lei Dong growled at the fallen middle-aged man.

The one who’d been struck was none other than Lin Tianyi’s second uncle, Lin Jiangnan—the so-called “master” of Hanjing City.

But to call him a “legendary master” was not quite right. In fact, Lin Jiangnan truly was a formidable fighter. The Lin family’s second son, he’d been taken as a child by an unknown monk to learn martial arts, returning at twenty-three. In the seventeen years since, he’d never been defeated in a fight in the capital. Ten years ago, he joined the Guard Bureau, and during a combat training session, he’d defeated five opponents within a minute. With his elder brother Lin Jiangbei’s rise, Lin Jiangnan had become Deputy Director of Training at the Guard Bureau, a full colonel about to be promoted to major general.

Yet Lin Jiangnan could never have imagined that, attacking Lei Dong from behind, he couldn’t take even a single punch.

Still, Lin Jiangnan was tough. Despite the heavy blow, he flipped up from the ground and shouted, “You know me?”

“Pah!” Lei Dong’s voice was louder than his. “You think you’re worthy of being known by me? You think you’re fit to practice martial arts? You call yourself a soldier? You’re worthy of being a general?”

Smash! With a sudden kick, the Warhammer 2 seemed to lift off the ground and crash down onto Lin Jiangnan. Blood spurted from his mouth as he was pinned beneath the car, utterly motionless.

One punch, two kicks—the seemingly formidable opponent had his arm shattered, his body sent flying, and the three-ton Warhammer 2 had been kicked into the air! As Lei Dong walked around the toppled car to stand over the once-mighty but now utterly defeated man, An Jing’s mind went blank. Was this even human?

Lei Dong gazed down at Lin Jiangnan, whose body was pinned beneath the car, only his head exposed. He sneered, “Lin Jiangnan? Legendary master? Bah!”

With that, he spat on Lin Jiangnan’s head and delivered a heavy kick. The already unconscious Lin Jiangnan screamed awake, only to faint again instantly.

An Jing could never have imagined that the boy with those deep, empty eyes—the one who had bumped into her and apologized so distractedly—could be so ruthless, so brutal, even to a defenseless opponent. She gasped in horror, hurriedly covering her mouth, and glanced timidly at Lei Dong, afraid he might turn that ferocity on her. Yet, deep down, she sensed he never would…

For a moment, her emotions seesawed, her face flushing and paling by turns as she stood there, mind in turmoil.

Lei Dong looked up at her, as if reading her very thoughts. His fierce features softened instantly, and he smiled gently. “You don’t need to be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” Pausing, as if something was left unsaid, he added, “Never…” Realizing perhaps he’d said too much, he scratched his head awkwardly, unsure what else to say.

An Jing watched Lei Dong’s sudden shyness, his young face both strong and gentle, those dark, luminous eyes holding a strange, magnetic pull. A strange, unprecedented feeling welled up inside her, and she found herself nodding unconsciously.

Lei Dong smiled—a smile so bright and heartfelt that it seemed to fill his whole being with vibrant, joyful energy.

A blush rose swiftly to An Jing’s cheeks as she met his gaze.

Suddenly, Lei Dong’s expression turned fierce again. “Don’t move!” he shouted.

An Jing barely had time to react before she felt the cold press of metal at her temple. Seeing Lei Dong’s angry eyes, she instantly understood—a gun was being held to her head. Her beautiful body went rigid, but deep inside, she felt an inexplicable certainty: He will save me…

Clutching a gleaming, compact 64-style pistol, Lin Tianyi finally felt a shred of security. The scene he’d just witnessed had shaken him to his core—his usual band of arrogant cronies were all down in an instant, and his family’s indomitable guardian, his second uncle, had been crushed beneath a flying Warhammer 2, his fate uncertain.

He knew Lei Dong was famed among the capital’s elite for his fighting prowess; he’d even seen him knock out a Tibetan mastiff with a single punch. But his uncle? The Guard Bureau’s top fighter, renowned across the Republic’s martial circles!

The shock nearly drove Lin Tianyi mad, his body stiff with terror, instinct screaming at him to flee—yet fear pinned him in place. For a moment, as Lei Dong turned to humiliate his “invincible” uncle, Lin Tianyi almost felt relief. His mind cleared just enough for him to draw the pistol his uncle had secretly given him two years ago—a weapon that had given him the upper hand in every dispute since.

Now, with a gun in hand, Lin Tianyi’s confidence surged back. As a privileged scion, he was used to being the bully, not the victim. The crushing blow to his pride—and the sight of his supposedly invincible uncle possibly dead—left him unhinged. Now, regaining the upper hand, he was giddy with triumph. Remembering how Lei Dong had repeatedly ruined his plans over the past two years, he grew more excited, his voice shrill with hysteria. “Lei Dong, aren’t you supposed to be tough? Kneel for me, or I’ll kill this little bitch!” He cackled, imagining Lei Dong trembling before his gun.

Yet, to his astonishment, Lei Dong showed no fear—didn’t tremble, didn’t kneel. He simply glared at him coldly, voice icy and sinister: “Let her go. Don’t force me to kill you!”