Starforce Warriors-Chapter 497: Cornered

Li Xiaofei found himself instinctively raising his hand again to ruffle the twin-ponytailed girl’s hair. This small gesture immediately reignited the fury of the male student who had been keeping a close watch nearby.

The boy immediately sprang to his feet and stormed over to Li Xiaofei, anger written all over his face.

“You there! What’s your name? Which department are you from?” He demanded, his eyes drilling into Li Xiaofei with an intensity that could cut steel.

Before Li Xiaofei could even open his mouth, Ren Dong slammed her hand onto the table and jumped to her feet.

“Gong Qian, if you’re sick, go take your meds already!” she snapped, her voice full of disdain. “Stop bothering my friend, and don’t you dare harass me anymore.”

Her outburst drew countless stares from the students around them. Heads turned in the cafeteria, and all eyes were now on their table. When the students saw Ren Dong sitting with an unfamiliar boy and the fuming Gong Qian standing before them, most of them immediately pieced together what was happening.

After all, almost everyone knew about Gong Qian’s relentless pursuit of the well-endowed, twin-ponytailed girl from a remote northern region. It was a story that had circulated widely. Gong Qian himself had often bragged to his friends, claiming he would eventually win over the poor girl.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Yet, despite his usual success with women, he had met nothing but frustration and failure with Ren Dong. No matter what tricks he tried, she rebuffed him at every turn, leaving him humiliated time and again. This ongoing rejection had fueled Gong Qian’s obsessive desire to control her, to the point where it bordered on pathological.

Thanks to his interference, not a single boy in the department, or outside it, dared speak to Ren Dong anymore. Even the girls kept their distance, not wanting to provoke him.

But today, this same girl was openly dining in the cafeteria with a strange boy. To make matters worse, their interactions radiated warmth and intimacy. It was nothing short of a direct challenge to Gong Qian’s ego; a blatant affront that struck his most sensitive nerve.

A few of the students nearby couldn’t resist the urge to document the drama. Quietly, they pulled out their miniature light cores and began recording the scene.

Gong Qian's breathing grew heavy as he said, “Ren Dong, why are you treating me like this? Don’t you understand my feelings for you?”

Ren Dong rolled her eyes dramatically and replied, “Oh, thank you so much. Thank your ancestors from eight generations ago too. I’ve told you many times already, I have zero interest in you. Please, for the love of everything, take your true heart and feed it to some other fish.”

“You...” Gong Qian trembled with anger. “Ren Dong, don’t take my kindness and trample on it.”

Ren Dong sneered. “Funny, that’s exactly what I wanted to say to you.”

Gong Qian’s entire body shook with fury.

Turning his attention to Li Xiaofei, he demanded, “Hey, you! Which department are you in?”

Li Xiaofei shook his head calmly and replied, “I’m not from your university.”

“So, just an outsider,” Gong Qian scoffed, visibly relaxing. A cold smile spread across his face. “Listen, I’d suggest you back off and stop clinging to Ren Dong. Otherwise, you’re going to find yourself in big trouble.”

In Gong Qian’s eyes, anyone not from Zhendan University, especially in Jiangnan, where it was considered the best, was nothing more than trash.

Li Xiaofei sighed.

This is a university. And this boy, unfortunately, is a fellow countryman. If we’d been anywhere else, and if it had been anyone else talking to me like this, the grass on their grave might already be three feet tall.

He wasn’t one to hold back when taking action, but his restraint depended on the situation.

“Listen, my friend,” Li Xiaofei said with a patient but firm tone. “This is not how you pursue a girl. An overwhelming, borderline-obsessive possessiveness like yours will only scare her away. Trust me, in any relationship, sincerity is the ultimate key.”

But Gong Qian merely smirked disdainfully. “And who do you think you are to lecture me?”

Li Xiaofei shook his head, unimpressed.

This kid’s mindset is way too narrow. It’d be a miracle if he ever got Ren Dong’s affection.

They had finished eating, so Li Xiaofei turned to Ren Dong and said, “Let’s go.”

Without giving Gong Qian another glance, he stood up, ready to leave with her.

"Alright," Ren Dong replied, her face lighting up with joy. She affectionately took hold of Li Xiaofei’s arm, gathered the dishes from the table, and turned to leave.

“You...” Gong Qian trembled in rage.

He moved to block their way, glaring at Li Xiaofei. “You dare steal what’s mine? Are you bold enough to tell me your school and your name?”

Li Xiaofei chuckled lightly as he replied calmly. “I’m not a university student. Just a nameless nobody from the slum. No need for you to waste your thoughts on me. Focus on your studies and strive to improve yourself.”

He turned and walked away with Ren Dong, leaving Gong Qian standing there.

Gong Qian’s lips curled into a sneer.

So, he’s just a thug from the slum.

He had heard rumors that Ren Dong liked going to the slum to set up stalls and practice her skills. But he’d never imagined she’d fall for a common hooligan.

“Ren Dong, you’re degrading yourself,” Gong Qian shouted loudly at their retreating figures.

Ren Dong didn’t even glance back. She simply raised her hand and gave him a middle finger.

Gong Qian took a deep breath, his face darkening.

“You’ve left me no choice,” he muttered, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

***

When they reached the gates of the girls’ dormitory at Zhendan University, Li Xiaofei waved his hand. “It’s getting late. Go back and rest now.”

Ren Dong, grinning mischievously, said, “But I still want you to join me for a late-night snack.”

“Another day,” Li Xiaofei replied. “It’s really late tonight. If you don’t head back now, dormitory curfew might kick in, and you won’t be able to get back in.”

“Alright, fine,” Ren Dong said, but then she ran back and hooked her arm around his.

Li Xiaofei froze for a moment before realizing what was happening.

He tapped her lightly on the forehead and shouted, “Do you have to ‘drive’[1] all the time? Can you survive without it?”

This kid... she’d definitely picked up some bad habits since coming to the big city.

He couldn’t help but think back to when she was just an innocent little girl always trying to feed him medicine. Now, her ‘driving skills’ had advanced to the point where she could weave metaphors so sharp they seemed to echo with the clash of steel and the crash of water.

“Don’t forget to properly cultivate with the Divine Illumination Sutra I gave you,” Li Xiaofei said, patting her head fondly. “I’ll be staying in Haijing City for a while. This is my new LightChat contact for Haijing. Call me if you need anything.”

"Alright," Ren Dong said with a smile. She dashed forward, wrapping Li Xiaofei in a big hug before reluctantly turning to leave.

When she reached the dormitory entrance, she turned around once more, her face glowing with a cheerful smile as she waved at him. Only after waving did she finally step inside.

The moment the dormitory doors closed, Ren Dong rubbed her flushed face vigorously. The carefree demeanor of a seasoned flirt she’d shown earlier was nowhere to be found. Nervously, she patted her chest to calm her racing heart.

Feeling pleased, she hummed a little tune from her hometown, Liuhe Base City, as she made her way back to her room.

Outside the dormitory, Li Xiaofei turned and began to leave. The playful afternoon spent with his old friend had been a refreshing break that had melted away the mental strain caused by organizing countless martial arts manuals.

But he had barely walked a few steps when a group of students appeared to block him. Gong Qian stood in front, flanked by more than ten other students who surrounded Li Xiaofei.

“Well, well, didn’t think we’d meet again so soon, did you?” Gong Qian said with a cold smile.

Li Xiaofei shrugged and replied nonchalantly, “Not at all. I fully expected you’d try to corner me.”

Did something like this even require a guess?

As someone who had been a campus tough guy five centuries ago, Li Xiaofei had lost count of how many love rivals he and his martial arts club brothers had cornered back in the day.

This whole routine was practically second nature to him. Five centuries later, it seemed that campus courtship still followed the same old playbook.

"So what if you guessed?" Gong Qian sneered. "Do you believe I won’t make you leave this campus on a stretcher today?"

“I don’t believe it,” Li Xiaofei replied calmly, shaking his head.

Gong Qian gestured with a wave of his hand. “Then let’s make you believe. Get him!”

Several students moved forward, ready to act.

Li Xiaofei quickly raised his hands. “Hold on, hold on. Don’t be so rash, young men. Impulsiveness is the devil, you know.”

Gong Qian smirked coldly. “What’s this? Are you afraid now? It’s too late for that!”

Li Xiaofei shook his head again, a faint smile on his face. “Tell me something. Why do you think Ren Dong was so confident letting me walk around campus alone? Do you really think she doesn’t know what kind of person you are?”

Gong Qian froze for a moment, but his sneer quickly returned. “She trusts you because I’ve spoiled her. She doesn’t understand just how much influence I wield in this school.”

Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief.

Ah, the arrogance of a privileged student. If only he knew... Even your principal, Lu Xufeng, would greet me respectfully if he saw me.

Li Xiaofei suddenly stepped forward.

Boom!

The ground beneath his feet rippled like water as a shockwave radiated outward. A burst of energy surged forth, radiating from him like an invisible tide.

1. referring to having sex/fucking around. ☜