MCFEM C39

Chapter 39 – Don’t You Think Gu Yang Is Terrifying? …

On the way back, Lu Ji’s mind kept replaying what he had just heard, so much so that he didn’t even realize he had stepped back into the classroom.

Xie Wu happened to look up and noticed that Lu Ji had a cut on his face, his whole demeanor dazed and sluggish.

“What on earth happened to you?” he asked.

Since when had their school become this dangerous?

Lu Ji glanced at him and, almost instinctively, explained: “I followed Gu Yang just now and saw him being hassled by some punks at the school gate. I stepped in to help.”

As soon as he said that, the other students, who had been absorbed in their own things, all raised their heads.

Xie Wu and Yu Bai were startled.

Yu Bai quickly asked: “Are you both okay?”

From the looks of it, aside from Lu Ji’s scraped face, he didn’t seem badly hurt. Gu Yang was practically unscathed.

They both sighed in relief.

Ye Chen and Lu Ran, however, focused on one particular detail—Lu Ji had followed Gu Yang.

That carried implications.

During their time alone just now, had Lu Ji heard something from Gu Yang?

Lu Ran looked visibly nervous.

He was terrified that Lu Ji might have heard something he shouldn’t, something that could tip the scales against him.

Ye Chen’s expression darkened.

As long as Gu Yang remained, it was like a sword perpetually hanging over his head, keeping him from ever knowing peace.

Still, today’s incident gave him an idea—perhaps there was a way to solve this once and for all.

He Ming’an stepped forward, his hands firmly on Gu Yang’s arms, carefully checking him from head to toe.

Only after confirming everything did he relax his expression: “A’Yang, I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m fine. He’s the one who took a hit with a stick.” Gu Yang lifted his chin slightly in Lu Ji’s direction.

He Ming’an turned to Lu Ji: “Lu, how do you feel now? If you’re in pain, I’ll take you to the hospital immediately. Don’t force yourself.”

Lu Ji replied mechanically, saying there was no need.

His head was still bent in thought.

“I already checked him. No bones were hurt.” Gu Yang said lazily.

Hearing that, He Ming’an stopped pressing the issue.

Softly, he asked, “A’Yang, what happened? Where did those punks come from?”

“No idea. They just suddenly surrounded me.” Gu Yang’s tone was airy, as if he hadn’t taken the matter to heart at all. He wasn’t even interested in figuring out who was behind it. “If it weren’t for Lu Ji, I don’t know how things would’ve turned out.”

At that, the end of his words carried a faint trace of laughter.

“Lu, we owe you one.” He Ming’an smiled warmly at Lu Ji. “I had to step away for a bit—if not for you, A’Yang wouldn’t have returned safe.”

“It’s nothing.” Lu Ji slowly lifted his head, his expression somewhat strange. “If anything, I should be the one thanking him.”

He said this and walked toward his seat, only to trip again, stumbling awkwardly and clutching at his desk for balance.

Those words made Lu Ran’s heart sink. He stared at Lu Ji with a mix of anxiety and resentment, unable to decipher the meaning, then glanced at Gu Yang—only to unexpectedly lock eyes with He Ming’an’s smiling gaze.

Frightened, he hurriedly lowered his head.

“I’ll have the school investigate thoroughly.” He Ming’an said. “This was too vicious. If we ignore it, others might be hurt in the future.”

Though he spoke so, in his heart he already had a rough guess.

Others in the class also had their suspicions.

“Speaking of which, why is Nie Ying skipping again today?” Xie Wu remarked drily. “Does he even come here for anything more than a name?”

“He probably hasn’t recovered yet,” Xu Qingfeng said. “After such a big incident, he’s likely still hiding somewhere licking his wounds.”

No sooner had he said this than he noticed Gu Yang walking toward him.

He was so startled he nearly toppled over with his chair.

As a modern youth who mostly believed in science, Xu Qingfeng generally had a pragmatic attitude.

His mother and grandmother believed in Buddhism, so he’d pray around exam time or festivals, but to him, fortune was divine blessing and misfortune just superstition.

Up to now, the tally was Nie Ying, Lu Ran, Xie Wu, and Shen Mingjun—four votes, plus Ying Jiayi’s one. By sheer ratio, it was safer to keep his distance.

So he had always regarded Gu Yang with a sort of reverent wariness.

But Gu Yang had only been walking back to his seat. Xu Qingfeng, huddling away like a hamster, made it impossible not to notice him.

Gu Yang glanced at the doorway, then at Xu Qingfeng.

There was nothing unusual.

Yet under that chilling gaze, Xu Qingfeng wished he could dig a hole and vanish.

He prayed frantically—he had never done anything heinous, only begged that his parents were truly his parents, that no baby-swapped-at-birth plotline would ever cling to him!

After a moment, Gu Yang’s inner voice came.

【That temple Xu Qingfeng’s grandmother donated to—its abbot eventually absconded with the donations.】

【He wasn’t a proper monk at all, eating meat and drinking, kicked out from his previous temple for stealing incense funds.】

【Truly fearless of divine punishment.】

Xu Qingfeng: !

He slammed his desk in outrage.

He knew it! That monk had never been trustworthy. Yet his grandmother had donated tens of thousands, time and again!

No—he had to go while the fraud was still around and force him to return the money. He had to reclaim what belonged to his grandmother!

Xu Qingfeng charged out of the classroom with remarkable determination.

Lu Ran’s face grew even paler.

Even something so trivial, Gu Yang knew.

Then wouldn’t he be… utterly doomed?

Gu Yang himself hadn’t wanted to know such things, but the original novel had wasted thirty chapters on this subplot.

Families with gravely ill members were always drawn to temples. Through one such connection, Song Yinxing had helped Xu Qingfeng’s grandmother recover her stolen money and expose the fake monk, thus forging a bond of goodwill.

Gu Yang had nearly fallen asleep reading those tedious chapters.

If it had been a physical book, he would’ve torn out every single one.

–

After school, the class was packing up. It was Friday, so there was more to take home.

In the middle of it, Yu Bai took a call outside.

It was from his father.

“I’m still at school,” Yu Bai leaned against the railing. “Oh, you’re heading to Nancheng for work? Bring back some roast duck when you return—I love that stuff.”

He listened as his father rambled—asking how school life was, whether his friendships were going well.

Yu Bai knew the man was just bored during the car ride, but he kept up the patience to chat.

“You mean that proposal you asked me to have done? Yes, Gu Yang never opened the file, but he said it was fine—probably forwarded it for later review.” Yu Bai sounded uncertain.

He had worried. His family’s company was in internet entertainment, not very established. He feared their work wouldn’t measure up to an old conglomerate like the Gus.

But Gu Yang had said it was fine.

He wouldn’t possibly pull any tricks in front of the Gu family executives… right?

After all, this plan had been crafted by their planning department head and a top team.

Yu Bai reassured himself. His father praised him for being resourceful, for building connections at school.

If not for knowing the Gu heir, they’d never have gotten in touch with an independent studio partner, let alone discussed collaboration.

Sometimes, just being the introducer was enough to open doors—others would respect the connection.

His father grew more and more enthusiastic, urging him to watch for classmates’ struggles and lend a hand when possible, to pave the way for his own success.

Yu Bai gave a chilly smile.

Forget struggles—in just these few days, he’d learned a mountain of juicy dirt.

Pity he had no way to use it.

As he hung up, someone suddenly slung an arm over his shoulder.

Yu Bai stiffened.

This lack of boundaries—it could only be Ye Chen.

“Xiao Bai, you and your dad sure are close,” Ye Chen said with half-genuine admiration.

Yu Bai forced a smile.

“How many kids in your family?”

“I have a sister.” It wasn’t a secret. Even if he didn’t like Ye Chen, there was no need to sour relations.

“Oh?” Ye Chen’s tone turned meaningful. “Are you sure it’s only a sister?”

Yu Bai’s face hardened, smile vanishing. “What do you mean?”

“Why so touchy?” Ye Chen teased. “It’s common enough, isn’t it? Can you really be sure your dad never strayed?”

“Impossible.” Yu Bai’s denial was firm. His father was always either working or glued to his mother’s side.

Ye Chen prodded: “So is it your mother who’s strong-willed, or her family background that’s powerful?”

Yu Bai could no longer bother with politeness. He shoved Ye Chen’s arm off and started to leave.

“You’ve never been scared?” Ye Chen called after him. “Gu Yang knows everything. He knew Ying Jiayi’s future husband, knew Nie Ying was a housekeeper’s son, even knew Xu Qingfeng’s grandmother was conned.”

“He knows so much—don’t you think that’s terrifying?”

“He doesn’t just know himself—whatever he knows, we all hear. Every secret exposed. Do you really want someone like that around, always fearing your own skeletons?”

“After all, who doesn’t have something to hide?”

At that, Yu Bai turned back. His face, usually cheerful, was now cold, expression complicated.

“Because of Gu Yang’s voice, Jiayi escaped her suffering. Xu Qingfeng reclaimed what was stolen. As for Nie Ying…”

Yu Bai paused. He disliked even mentioning him. But since it was out: “I don’t see why being a housekeeper’s son is shameful. Earning money with your own hands—he’s no criminal’s child. If he feels inferior, that’s on him, not anyone else.”

From the moment he first heard Gu Yang’s thoughts, Yu Bai had felt like a raccoon loose in a melon patch—gorging until he was numb.

Even celebrity gossip paled in comparison.

Why bother with entertainment pages when real life around him was so much juicier?

With Ye Chen’s warped personality, of course something dark lay hidden.

So Yu Bai asked: “Is that why you’re so fixated? Afraid Gu Yang will air out your dirty laundry?”

Ye Chen’s face instantly darkened.

Even after Yu Bai left, his expression didn’t recover.

His attempt to stir trouble had failed. He turned aside with a sharp click of his tongue.

Meanwhile, the vague notion in his heart had solidified into something clear.

–

At Guanyue Middle School’s main gate, Uncle Huang was, as always, waiting early. When Gu Yang approached, he got out to open the rear door.

“The matter you instructed me to handle has been arranged. That student will be here tomorrow.”

Gu Yang remembered only just mentioning it—yet already it was done.

The man, past fifty, looked gentle and kind, his words delivered lightly. Having watched the boy grow up, he held the mindset of an elder.

Gu Yang rarely asked for anything. So when he did, the request had to be met.

After confirming the target, Uncle Huang tapped into his network, passing along the message while concealing his own involvement to minimize rejection.

When Song Yinxing was stopped by the lady downstairs, he had hesitated.

She introduced a tutoring job—said a distant relative of hers worked in another household and thought of him, since his grades were so good.

The student to tutor was the same age, quiet, not talkative, but with a kind heart. He even kept pets—they’d surely get along.

The woman spoke like a matchmaker extolling a bride, and something about it felt subtly off.

But the work sounded easy. A car would take him home afterward, and the pay was high.

He needed the money. So he decided to at least check it out.