Chapter 22: You didn't think it was over yet, did you?

Inside the cinema.

Everyone took their seats. Du Tiantian, sitting at the same desk, claimed the seat to He Chen’s left without hesitation, while Ruan Liuzheng sat to his right, with Xia Xue beside her. Lin Miaomiao and the others sat in the row ahead.

Before the film began, Lin Miaomiao kept turning around to chatter, insistently asking He Chen which movie character he liked best. She was only silenced when Fang Yifan, sitting nearby in the dark, snapped at her for lacking public etiquette, causing her to sit up straight and wait for the show to start.

He Chen smiled and glanced in Fang Yifan’s direction.

Ruan Liuzheng, sitting to his right, couldn't help but tug on his sleeve. Suppressing her shyness, she leaned in close to his ear. "Can you stop stirring up trouble, please?"

"Fine. I wasn't planning on it anyway," He Chen smiled.

"Zhengzheng, haven't you noticed?" Xia Xue leaned in to whisper to Ruan Liuzheng. "He doesn't need to try to stir up anything. His mere presence is enough to make Fang Yifan uncomfortable."

Ruan Liuzheng’s eyes widened as she looked at He Chen’s reaction. Seeing him smiling in silence, she finally understood why he had suddenly invited her to the movies. She felt a mix of irritation and amusement.

Before she could lean in to gossip with her best friend Xia Xue about whether all men were this competitive, the movie started. She had to swallow her complaints and focus on the screen.

In this day and age, Hollywood blockbusters weren't yet burdened by the "political correctness" of the future. The tone of such films was pure sensory stimulation: handsome men, beautiful women, gunfights, and explosions—the more intense, the better. Watching a blockbuster on the big screen was still quite an entertaining experience.

He Chen had watched *Mission: Impossible* in his previous life, but never in a cinema. Since so much time had passed, he couldn't quite remember the plot, so watching it again was quite enjoyable. There wasn't a single dull moment.

In the blink of an eye, the movie was over. The group stood up, still buzzing with excitement, and walked out while discussing their thoughts on the film. They gathered in small groups, chatting enthusiastically about the plot.

"I’m heading back now!" Seeing the girls head toward the restroom, Du Tiantian gave He Chen a quick nod and left. If it weren't for the fact that school hadn't officially started yet, and that his seatmate had invited him after such a dramatic transformation, he wouldn't have participated in such activities at all. He was, after all, someone focused on inheriting his family business to lighten his mother's burden, and he knew his own talents were quite average.

He Chen stood outside with Qian Sanyi to wait for the girls. Fang Yifan, who had come with Qiao Yingzi and Huang Zhitao, was also waiting nearby, staring daggers at He Chen.

He Chen found it amusing and walked straight toward him.

"Let it go, He Chen," Qian Sanyi urged, pulling at his sleeve. Although he knew Fang Yifan was the one looking for trouble, he also knew how ruthless He Chen was—he had sent Fang Yifan’s father to prison without a second thought. Now, seeing He Chen walk over, watching the previously aggressive Fang Yifan recoil a step in pathetic fear, Qian Sanyi felt uneasy.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," He Chen smiled, walking forward with determination.

"What do you want?" Fang Yifan tried to maintain a fierce glare, but as He Chen approached, he suddenly recalled the agonizing screams of Ji Yangyang and the inexplicable, involuntary physical reactions he himself had suffered in public. He felt his courage falter, glaring at He Chen with a look of bravado masking pure terror.

"I’m just here to remind you," He Chen said, looking down at him. "You don't really think this is over, do you?"

"What do you want?" Fang Yifan lifted his head defiantly, acting as if he were ready to take on whatever challenge He Chen threw his way.

"Didn't you send me a turtle?" He Chen laughed maliciously. "You know exactly what you meant by that, but you forgot that a turtle can be a noun, or it can be a verb. And force is reciprocal—it all depends on who is stronger and holds the initiative!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Fang Yifan felt a heavy weight on his heart, a strong, ominous premonition washing over him.

"What does it mean?" He Chen chuckled playfully. "The final year of high school starts soon. Before the placement exams, let me set you a reading comprehension exercise!"

With that, he looked toward Ruan Liuzheng as she exited the restroom. "Did you tell her?"

Ruan Liuzheng, face set in a frown, didn't want to engage, but seeing He Chen looking past her, she suddenly realized something. She nodded quickly. "I told her! Let's go!"

This cryptic exchange left Fang Yifan even more anxious, his sense of dread deepening. When his goddess, Huang Zhitao, and his childhood friend, Qiao Yingzi, emerged side by side, He Chen nodded and smiled at the goddess. Qiao Yingzi, typically as bold as a tomboy, averted her eyes, and Huang Zhitao offered a faint nod. Fang Yifan heard the sound of his own heart breaking. Watching the retreating back of He Chen as he left with Ruan Liuzheng and Lin Miaomiao, he shouted, "You are so toxic! You have no shame!"

"What’s wrong with him?" Lin Miaomiao looked back, confused.

Qian Sanyi was lost in thought.

Ruan Liuzheng, her face dark, didn't want to speak. When the movie ended, He Chen had whispered a few words in her ear, asking her to take the initiative to talk to Huang Zhitao, which had nearly infuriated her.

So that was it! He had invited her to the movies just to use her as a matchmaker to bridge the gap to another girl. However, she suspected he was only doing this to provoke Fang Yifan. She didn't believe for a second that He Chen, who didn't even care about the school beauties, would be interested in someone like Huang Zhitao, who barely qualified as a class beauty.

She had agreed in the end, but after He Chen’s question just now, her suspicion was confirmed, and she was still fuming.

She worried that if she didn't go along with him, He Chen might lose his temper and act directly without her as a "matchmaker," which would be even worse for Huang Zhitao. She chose the lesser of two evils.

From nearby came Fang Yifan’s anxious, agitated voice: "What did he say to you?" She felt a pang of sympathy. Any man would be anxious if their goddess were targeted by such a handsome, hostile guy with obvious ill intent—especially someone like Fang Yifan, who was prone to impulsive outbursts.

When Huang Zhitao gave the expected, evasive answer of "He didn't say anything," Fang Yifan became even more frantic, circling his goddess and demanding to know what He Chen had said so he could "analyze the malice" behind it. It sent chills down Ruan Liuzheng’s spine.

She couldn't help but glance at He Chen. Seeing him looking so calm and composed, she realized that everything was going exactly according to his plan.

He Chen was in a great mood. This trip to the cinema had been well worth it.

That’s right—he was doing it on purpose!

Fang Yifan had dared to provoke him by sending that turtle; simply sending his father to prison had been enough to settle the score. After all, He Chen wasn't a extremist who would hold a grudge to the death; he just wanted those who poked at him to feel the pain and learn their lesson so they wouldn't jump around in front of him again.

But even with his father facing jail time, Fang Yifan had still happily gone to see a movie with his goddess. Fang Yifan’s father might be able to tolerate such a "filial" son, but He Chen certainly wouldn't.

If you want to kill a snake, strike at its seven-inch mark; if you want to crush a dog, go for its goddess! There was nothing that made a "simp" more restless than having his goddess targeted by an enemy. As long as a person was mentally sound, just imagining the dark scenarios their goddess might face was enough to make one understand exactly how Fang Yifan felt.

Of course, Fang Yifan certainly didn't want to be the one to understand it!