Chapter Five: The Troubles Brought by a Vampire Girlfriend

Liu Shiyu was about to leave when a flashy white sedan cruised down the road behind her. The sound of tires against the pavement faded as the car stopped. The driver was a handsome young man with refined features, his hair styled fashionably, and he carried a calm, composed air.

Jiang He, twenty-one years old, was likewise an elite member of the Supernatural Disaster Association. He had participated in several demon-hunting missions before and had been assigned to work with Liu Shiyu, so the two were acquainted.

Catching sight of her graceful silhouette, he halted, lowered the car window, and called out, "Shiyu, what are you doing here? I happened to be looking for you."

His gaze swept over the school nearby, a flicker of puzzlement in his eyes.

Liu Shiyu paused, looking over. "Jiang He?"

"Perfect timing. Get in, I'll take you to the association's branch for the assembly." Jiang He patted the passenger seat.

"Assembly... Is there a mission?" Liu Shiyu settled in, fastened her seatbelt, and closed the door.

"The Fourth Abyssal Entity—'Tyrant' Black Night Yaksha. They say we've found a lead," Jiang He replied, his face growing grave, hands tightening on the steering wheel. "A large-scale crusade is about to begin."

"There's a clue for that monster?!" At hearing the name, Liu Shiyu's expression changed immediately, her eyes glinting with a cold, sharp light.

...

At the cafeteria window, Cheng Feng ordered tomato scrambled eggs and braised beef with potatoes, his face twisted in frustration.

As usual, the cafeteria aunt's shaky hands meant the portions were meager. Every time Cheng Feng watched, he wished he could snatch the ladle and serve himself.

At the cold drinks window, seeing the price tag, Cheng Feng couldn't help but complain, "It's absurd—a tiny cup of cola costs three yuan!"

The bearded cafeteria uncle poured the cola and placed it on Cheng Feng's tray, smiling as he replied, "That's normal, kid. At McDonald's, it would be seven yuan."

Cheng Feng scanned the busy cafeteria. The seats were nearly full, and everyone wore the same blue school uniform. He couldn't spot Chen Yue anywhere.

He took his tray and cola to a random seat by the window and started eating alone.

It tasted awful.

That was Cheng Feng's first impression. Apparently, even after crossing over, the cafeteria food in schools everywhere tasted exactly the same.

He chomped down for a while before two figures passed by his table and stopped.

A voice rang out, immediately provoking irritation: "Hey, Cheng, eating alone?"

Cheng Feng fished out the sparse beef slices from the potatoes and chewed them, then looked up. He saw two grinning boys. From the original owner's memories, he didn't know them, but could guess they were fellow seniors.

Was this trouble caused by the original owner's habit of fighting for the class?

"You two, do you need something from me?" Cheng Feng, sensing their hostility, nonetheless calmly finished his meal.

"Gao Qiang wants to see you. Come with us." The speaker was a boy with a buzz cut.

Gao Qiang?

From the original owner's memories, Gao Qiang was well-known—a notorious bully from the neighboring class. Tall, muscular, never holding back in a fight, he even had a record of sending someone to the hospital off-campus. Definitely a ruthless character.

No one really knew his family background, but he clearly had connections. He acted arrogantly in school, teachers ignored him, and almost no one dared provoke him.

Ordinary students avoided Gao Qiang, fearing a random beating if he was in a bad mood.

The original owner had never met Gao Qiang before. How had he gotten himself into this mess?

In truth, even if Cheng Feng refused to go, these two couldn't do much to him. But refusing outright would mean backing down—losing all dignity.

At this age, in high school, what mattered most?

Face.

Cheng Feng wiped his mouth simply. "Tell me, what do you want?"

"You'll find out. Are you scared?"

Cheng Feng remained expressionless. "Lead the way."

"Good, follow me."

Hands in his pockets, Cheng Feng followed the two, calm, as if he were going for a stroll rather than a fight.

Just as he was leaving the cafeteria, he ran into Xia Qingyao.

After school, Xia Qingyao had been sorting the teacher's assignments. Now, finished, she came to eat, only to run into Cheng Feng. The boy pretended not to recognize her and kept walking.

"Cheng Feng." Xia Qingyao had seen the two boys before and recognized them as troublemakers. She called out, trying to stop Cheng Feng.

He didn't look back, kept walking, leaving only a cool silhouette behind him. "Mind your own business."

Soon, following the two across the sports field, they reached the area near the school gymnasium. Cheng Feng saw a man.

Sitting on a large stone, wearing a black tank top and athletic shorts, was a tall, muscular man, smoking, wisps of blue smoke curling around him.

Several cigarette butts, still glowing faintly, littered the ground.

The man's face carried a natural ferocity, the kind that could scare children to tears. His bronzed muscles revealed his athletic background.

For the old Cheng Feng, this guy was someone never to be trifled with.

"Boss Qiang, he's here," the buzz cut boy called.

Gao Qiang was in no hurry. He leisurely finished his cigarette, tossed it to the ground, crushed it under his shoe, and finally fixed his gaze on Cheng Feng.

So this was a pretty boy.

Gao Qiang's voice was icy, his eyes hostile. "You're Cheng Feng, aren't you? Do you know why I called you here?"

"That's a question for you."

Cheng Feng's gaze met Gao Qiang's, unyielding in presence—when dealing with thugs, one must be even more of a thug.

Sure enough, Gao Qiang's face darkened, already sentencing this reckless kid. He pressed on, "Jiang Qian is your girlfriend?"

"Yes." Cheng Feng didn't deny it; after all, the whole class knew.

Gao Qiang's words grew venomous. "I heard you took her to a hotel last night. Is that true?"

Cheng Feng frowned. "She's my girlfriend. Where I take her is none of your business."

"How dare you speak to Boss Qiang like that!"

The buzz cut lackey was furious. In his experience, most students faced Boss Qiang with fear, groveling and submissive.

This was the first time he'd seen someone so reckless—it looked like Cheng Feng had never been beaten into tears before.

"I'm speaking with your boss. Who gave you, a dog, the right to butt in?" Cheng Feng shot him a look of disdain, as if regarding unclassifiable garbage.

"You—!" The boy was livid.

"Excellent! Well said!" Gao Qiang suddenly raised his voice and stood up from the stone, his towering, muscular frame nearly two meters tall, bronzed muscles gleaming in the sunlight, radiating overwhelming intimidation.

Cheng Feng's gaze remained cool. "Just say what you want. What do you really want?"

Gao Qiang had no appreciation for Cheng Feng's bravado. He'd seen this type before—after tasting his fists, they'd beg for mercy, crawling home to their mothers. It had never failed since he entered high school, and there was nothing novel about it.

"I'm not making things difficult for you. One sentence: leave her."

His voice brimmed with threat. He pressed his fists together in front of his chest, knuckles cracking ominously, leaving no doubt about his raw strength.

"So that's it, I understand. You're interested in her, but I got there first—that's why you came to me."

Cheng Feng nodded knowingly. He had no interest in Jiang Qian—in fact, she was an enemy—but at least, for now, she was officially his girlfriend. Gao Qiang's words were a direct insult.

Though this scenario was clichéd, it was not uncommon in high school.

At this age, boys are at their most rebellious and impulsive.

Gao Qiang issued his last, cold ultimatum. "So, what's your answer? I advise you to know your place, unless you want me to knock your teeth out and make you a laughingstock."

"I suppose you’ve always gotten your way by threatening other students, haven’t you?"

Cheng Feng rolled up his sleeves, eyes sharp. "Personally, I have no interest in playing dumb or showing off. So let me tell you straight—right now, I’m much stronger than you."

"Heh! You dare lay a hand on me?"

Gao Qiang grinned, a terrifying smile stretching his mouth, his powerful muscles swelling to an exaggerated degree.