Chapter 14: Come Over and Clean My Basketball

Song Kai ignored the whispers around him and went straight to his seat. Zhou Ran rested her delicate chin on her hand, looking at Song Kai with a smile. “Well, well, Song Kai, I never expected this. The coward’s changed! You even dared to talk back to Baldy. That’s progress! You’re finally showing a bit of the boldness that runs in my family.”

Song Kai laughed lightly. “Of course, it’s all thanks to you and your mother’s teachings: be domineering, never let anyone get away with anything, act like a tyrant, always ready to bare your fangs.”

Zhou Ran was momentarily stunned, then picked up her English textbook and smacked it down on Song Kai’s head. “Nonsense! You’re the domineering one—your whole family is!”

Song Kai caught her small hand. “See, look at you now, acting just like a shrew. Isn’t it obvious?”

“I’ll bite you to death!” Zhou Ran threatened, leaning over to bite his arm.

Song Kai pulled away at once, chuckling.

Zhou Ran pouted and ignored him.

But this scene, falling into the eyes of their classmates, stabbed at the hearts of many!

Who was Zhou Ran? She was undoubtedly one of the top beauties in their grade—stunning looks, an impressive family background, long legs and a voluptuous figure, and to top it off, she was brilliant—always first in class, among the top five in the entire school!

No one would disagree if you called her the goddess of Class Three, Senior Year.

And Song Kai? A fallen rich kid whose family had gone bankrupt, both parents gone, now so poor he could barely afford food. He’d become the classic loser, bullied by anyone and everyone.

Yet here he was, joking around with the goddess herself!

A group of boys glared at Song Kai, their eyes burning with jealousy.

Especially the group near Chen Haijun, who were even more indignant.

“Haijun, why the hell does that bastard Song Kai get to cozy up to Zhou Ran?”

“Yeah, it’s weird—she refuses to sit with any other guy, only him! And this morning they even came to class together, and both were late!”

“And don’t forget, the other day Song Kai stuck his finger up her skirt, and Zhou Ran was trembling…”

Haijun’s cronies kept fueling the fire.

Chen Haijun gritted his teeth and slapped his textbook. “All of you, shut up! Damn it, he won’t be smug for much longer. At lunch, I’ll have someone teach him a lesson he’ll never forget!”

Song Kai sat reading, dedicating himself to his studies. With the merging of souls, studying had become easy, but his grades were still so bad that he had to start making up lessons from the very first year of high school.

Soon, the morning passed.

Zhou Ran stretched lazily, then glanced over. Song Kai was still poring over his physics textbook. Only, he was reading so quickly—skimming as if he were skimming a novel, not a textbook.

Zhou Ran pursed her lips. Diligence was good, but this was physics, not a novel! Not even a genius could read that fast.

She tapped the book in front of Song Kai. “Hey! Idiot, reading like that is pointless. If you want to study properly, why not let me be your tutor?”

Song Kai brushed her hand away without looking up, offering only a perfunctory chuckle.

Zhou Ran felt a pang in her chest. Seriously? Song Kai was being so ungrateful! If it weren’t for her pity, she wouldn’t bother with such a useless cousin.

She pouted and, with a small hand, pushed his head. “Enough! Buy me lunch. Let’s go!”

Song Kai looked up, resigned. “Fine, I’ll treat you, but nothing on the menu over ten yuan. Also, let me finish this chapter first.”

“You’re hopeless!” Zhou Ran rolled her eyes.

“Be quiet. Wait,” Song Kai replied, not even glancing at her.

With nothing else to do, Zhou Ran sat there playing with her fountain pen.

The rest of the class was going crazy. Was Song Kai an idiot? The goddess asked him to buy her lunch, and he set a price limit and made her wait?

If he didn’t want to, they’d be more than willing to take his place!

Song Kai calmly finished the last page of his physics book, then turned to Zhou Ran. “Let’s go.”

She rolled her eyes but followed him out of the classroom. Quietly, she said, “Song Kai, you’d better be careful these days.”

“Why?”

“Chen Haijun’s out to get you. Don’t go anywhere alone in school, understand?” Zhou Ran said seriously.

Only then did Song Kai realize why she’d insisted he buy her lunch. She was worried about him. He just shrugged. “Well, thanks for your concern, little cousin. But honestly, Chen Haijun’s after me because of you. If you’d just tell him what our relationship is, he wouldn’t be so hostile.”

Zhou Ran pouted prettily. “No way! You’re a coward, a loser, and your grades are terrible. If people found out you’re my cousin, I’d be laughed out of school. I’m not doing anything that embarrassing!”

Song Kai was left speechless.

As they walked, suddenly a basketball slammed into Song Kai’s waist.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going! Are you blind?” a voice shouted.

Song Kai and Zhou Ran turned to see five tall students swaggering over. The leader was Zhang Meng, the center of the school basketball team.

All five were basketball players.

Zhang Meng pointed at Song Kai with a menacing face. “Idiot! Didn’t you see my ball coming? You walked right into it. Now pick it up and bring it over!”

Zhou Ran instantly saw through their act; these were definitely Chen Haijun’s men. He loved basketball, knew many players, and with his family’s background, getting them to rough up Song Kai was child’s play.

Zhou Ran glanced at the gorilla-like Zhang Meng, feeling nervous, but if she didn’t step up now, Song Kai was doomed.

She waved her brand new iPhone Eight at Zhang Meng. “Don’t start trouble! Or I’ll call the dean right now and get you expelled!”

Zhang Meng sneered. “Stay out of this, beautiful Zhou, or one day we might just corner you in an alley.”

Furious, Zhou Ran pulled out her phone to call.

Song Kai reached out to stop her. “It’s fine. It’s just picking up a ball.”

He bent down, picked up the basketball, and walked over to Zhang Meng. “Here. Keep playing.”

A crowd of students had gathered. Seeing Song Kai so meek, they burst out laughing.

“What a wimp. Who is that, anyway?”

“Some fallen rich kid, I think. The girl with him is the school beauty, Zhou.”

“Serves him right. A loser like him hitting on Zhou Ran.”

“Yeah, I mean, I’d probably back down too, but watching him get humiliated is still satisfying.”

The students laughed, some with schadenfreude, some with sympathy. It was lunchtime, and the corridor was packed.

Zhou Ran saw Song Kai obediently return the ball and stamped her foot in anger. Still, facing five guys built like telephone poles, what else could he do?

Song Kai remained calm; he really didn’t want any trouble. He tugged Zhou Ran along. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

She glared at him. “You’re such a coward! You make me so mad.”

“It’s nothing,” Song Kai replied, heading off.

“Wait!” Zhang Meng’s voice rang out behind them.

He sneered—just as he thought, Song Kai was a total coward. Chen Haijun was paying a thousand yuan for this? Easiest money ever.

Song Kai stopped, looking at Zhang Meng.

Zhang Meng spat on the basketball, then stared at Song Kai. “My ball’s dirty now—because of you. Clean it. Now!”

This time, even the onlookers couldn’t stomach it.

“That’s just bullying.”

“Who knows how that wimp pissed off Zhang Meng. Poor guy.”

“It’s all because he’s hanging out with Zhou Ran. She’s got plenty of admirers.”

The crowd gossiped.

Zhou Ran, furious, pointed her phone at Zhang Meng. “Just wait, I’m calling the police!”

Zhang Meng only sneered, completely ignoring her. He stared at Song Kai and said, “Idiot, didn’t you hear me? Lick my ball clean, or I’ll beat you to a pulp!”

Song Kai sighed and walked over to Zhang Meng.

“Song Kai! Stop!” Zhou Ran stomped her foot. “If you lick it, I’ll never speak to you again!”

In the crowd, Chen Haijun and his cronies were grinning.

“Haijun, you’re amazing! Getting Zhang Meng, the school’s top brute, on our side.”

“Yeah, look at that loser Song Kai. Zhou Ran won’t want him anymore.”

“So disgusting. You think he’ll actually do it?”

“He might—he’s probably scared of a beating.”

Chen Haijun squinted, anticipating the moment Zhou Ran would abandon Song Kai.

All around, there was mockery and ridicule, with a few sympathetic sighs.

Song Kai, however, remained composed as he walked up to Zhang Meng. “You want me to lick it clean?”

“No kidding! Are you deaf? You got my ball dirty—if you don’t lick it, am I supposed to?”

Song Kai just laughed…