NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7:
Chapter 7:
“Something’s definitely off with this girl…”
“Could it be that my stunning outfit and sincere confession actually won her over?”
“Is that why she’s suddenly uninterested in Long Haotian?”
Watching Li Ruo’s graceful figure as she walked away, Lin Liang shook his head, dispelling the thought.
“No way, she has to hate me.”
“Besides, the original plot only described her heart skipping a beat; it didn’t say how she reacted!”
“Yeah, she’s an ice queen. Even if she felt something, she wouldn’t act like a regular girl.”
Reassuring himself, Lin Liang turned his attention back to Long Haotian.
The “Shura” flashed a wicked grin, and Lin Liang could practically hear his inner monologue.
“Hmm, an interesting woman, able to resist my charm.”
It was easy to confirm that Long Haotian was infatuated.
Lin Liang couldn’t help but sigh.
“If only Li Ruo were as easy to read as Brother Dragon here…”
Leaning against the pillar, Lin Liang slowly stood up, realizing he hadn’t finished his lines yet.
As a dedicated villain, he took his role seriously.
Leaving without delivering a parting threat? Impossible.
Pointing at Long Haotian, he shouted,
“How dare you kick me… do you know who I am?”
“I’m the rightful heir of the Lin family!”
“I’ll make sure you regret this!”
With that, Lin Liang clutched his chest and turned to leave.
Long Haotian snapped out of his admiration for Li Ruo’s beauty and watched Lin Liang’s “retreat” with a sneer.
“He dares to compete with me for a woman?”
“The Lin family? Just a bunch of spoiled brats—I’m not afraid of them!”
Once again, Long Haotian grinned arrogantly.
The surrounding onlookers began murmuring amongst themselves.
“Wow, he really challenged the Lin family!”
“But he looks so fearless… how cool!”
“It’s no wonder Li Ruo is our campus goddess—she’s got two handsome guys fighting over her!”
“I’m rooting for this Long guy!”
Among the crowd, a girl in sportswear watched Lin Liang’s retreating back with a smile.
“Just as I thought, he’s at least a late-stage Golden Core Stage master!”
From the crowd, she had caught a glimpse of…
Lin Liang flying backward even before Long Haotian’s kick made contact!
She hadn’t been sure at the time, but…
Seeing him jog off with ease, despite having just crashed into a marble pillar, confirmed her suspicions.
It was clear now: this Lin Liang was no ordinary person!
“No wonder he was so bold in the video yesterday.”
“Reaching the Golden Core Stage at such a young age—he has every right to be arrogant!”
This girl was none other than the white-clad martial artist who had also received the video preview yesterday.
She was Bai Xin, the sole heir of the Bai family, one of Jiang City’s ancient martial families!
She looked at Long Haotian with newfound disdain.
Yesterday, she had felt some sympathy for him, thinking he was unfairly labeled a fool.
But now she realized he truly was brainless.
He couldn’t even tell whether his kick had landed—how foolish!
Besides, martial arts were supposed to start with cultivating one’s character…
Yet here he was, kicking people at the slightest disagreement—a true brute.
Bai Xin shook her head.
Long Haotian was nothing compared to Lin Liang.
Despite Lin Liang’s bold words in the video, he had the composure to evade a kick, then feign anger with a few empty threats.
His maturity, combined with his young mastery of Golden Core Stage, showed the potential of a true master.
Her thoughts turned to her own training.
She had been stuck at Golden Core Stage for a while now…
Perhaps a duel with him could be the breakthrough she needed?
With this thought, Bai Xin quietly slipped out of the crowd.
She pulled out her phone and sent a message to a friend, “Cover for me with the teacher—just say there’s an issue with the martial arts club!”
Then, she headed in Lin Liang’s direction!
Meanwhile, Li Ruo, who had no classes today, entered the library.
Usually free from distractions, today her mind was filled with images of Lin Liang.
“That guy… really is annoying.”
Looking at the rose she had somehow ended up holding, Li Ruo felt a wave of irritation.
The thought of him holding it in his mouth for so long, probably covering it in saliva…
She wanted to throw it away.
Yet, for some reason, she felt it would be a waste to discard it.
“Oh well, it’s not the flower’s fault.”
She sighed and made her way to her favorite study room.
A thought crept into her mind.
Maybe… the Lin Liang from the video was the one putting on an act?
After all, the video was for an audience, so perhaps he was just shy?
Lost in thought, Li Ruo pushed open the study room door.
Inside, she saw a female classmate with a large bouquet of roses beside her.
“Li Ruo,” the girl’s face lit up upon seeing her, “come sit here—I’ve got an extra seat.”
She quietly gestured for Li Ruo to join her.
Although beautiful and aloof, Li Ruo was also known for her kindness, often helping her classmates.
She didn’t have the typical “ice queen” drama of being envied or excluded.
Li Ruo hesitated but walked over.
She noticed her friend, Xiao Ya, moving her own roses to the floor, and asked, “Xiao Ya, did your boyfriend give you those roses?”
Xiao Ya chuckled and shook her head.
“I wish! No, these are from that big shot in the finance department, Lin Liang. He was handing out thousands of roses to random girls this morning. Anyone who passed by got some!”
“Oh, by the way, Li Ruo, isn’t he chasing after you? Are your roses from him too?”
Li Ruo shook her head, expressionless, and walked over to toss her rose into the trash.
“No, I just picked it up along the way.”
Xiao Ya nodded.
“Yeah, that makes sense. He was giving hundreds to strangers… If he were really pursuing you, he’d have given you thousands!”
Li Ruo smiled slightly, nodding along.
“Lin Liang, you two-faced, hypocritical scoundrel!” she fumed inwardly.
Her smile had started to look rather forced.