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n87 Outside His Expectations

nEveryone in the toilet froze, shocked by Guan Lei’s sudden entrance.

nGuan Lei had thought Shen Xi was being bullied. He would be the hero to save the damsel in distress. After all, Shen Xi was not only his classmate but also the enemy of his enemy, in other words, his partner.

nHowever, the scene that greeted Guan Lei shocked him to the core. A plump girl lay prone on the ground under Shen Xi’s heel. He met Shen Xi’s startled gaze with cautious suspicion.

nNext to Shen Xi was a young girl who stared at him blankly. In front of them were six girls kneeling on the ground with their mouths stuffed with their socks, their faces red and swollen.

nGuan Lei’s original aggressive stance morphed into a wooden façade. “What’s going on?” He asked Shen Xi.

nGuan Lei was like a ray of hope for those girls kneeling on the floor. They immediately spat out their socks and hurried past Shen Xi, swarming around Guan Lei.

nGuan Lei’s expression changed, saying, “Get away from me! Don’t come near me!”

nHis fierce tone scared the girl who was about to pull Guan Lei’s hand to ask for his help, causing her to withdraw like she had been bitten.

nStill, it did not stop her from laying blame at Shen Xi’s feet. “Please help us! That ruthless hoodlum is bullying us!” She said while sobbing pitifully.

nSave them? Guan Lei eyed the plump girl, bloodied and bruised under Shen Xi’s heel, then back at the red marks marring Shen Xi’s face and school uniform. He frowned and asked, “Shen Xi, are you okay?”

nThe girls crowding around him took a step back. Could he be Shen Xi’s accomplice?

nWith that thought in mind, they tried to flee, but Guan Lei stopped them, preventing any from escaping.

nGuan Lei shut the door to the ladies’ and locked it. He directed his attention to the girls around him, his eyes narrowing dangerously, “Before this mess is cleared up, none of you may leave. All of you are to stand facing the wall.”

nThe girls shuffled in the direction Guan Lei indicated, trembling as they faced the wall. Shen Xi alone was scary enough. Now that she had a helper, what were they supposed to do?

n“I’m fine.” Shen Xi did not know what to make of her new classmate. His concern for her was endearing, which drove home the message of how awkward her current situation must look to him. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she removed the foot she had on Tao Zi’s face. She had an image to maintain!

nGuan Lei nodded, seemingly satisfied by her answer. “That’s good. We’re classmates. We can’t let others push us around.”

nHe turned to Zhao Yuan. She was the woman who stood next to Shen Xi earlier.

nShen Xi had entered the ladies’ toilet alone. This other girl was unfamiliar. Since Shen Xi entered the ladies’ toilet by herself, this girl next to her must have been in cahoots with those other girls who swarmed him.

nGuan Lei pointed at Zhao Yuan and said angrily, “And you, go stand with your friends facing the wall!”

nZhao Yuan’s eyes grew to the size of copper bells as she stared at Guan Lei in disbelief. How could he treat her so poorly when he warmly greeted Shen Xi, acknowledging her as his classmate. His words to Shen Xi continued to echo in her mind, “Are you okay?” He asked, but when it was her turn, he said, “Go stand with your friends facing the wall!”

nZhao Yuan touched her face. Did she look like some hoodlum?

nSeeing Zhao Yuan’s inertia, Guan Lei grew impatient. “Don’t make me repeat myself.” A note of warning crept into his words.

nShen Xi quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Guan Lei, Zhao Yuan is our classmate.”

nGuan Lei was taken aback by the revelation. He only knew Jiang Xue and Shen Xi. He did not know the other girls in his class.

nZhao Yuan gave Guan Lei the stink eye as she introduced herself. “Hello, my name is Zhao Yuan. I’m your classmate.”

nGuan Lei coughed, attempting to cover up his awkwardness. “My mistake. I thought you were with them.”

nZhao Yuan forced out a smile. Guan Lei had mistaken her for an accomplice to the girls facing the wall, yet he did not apologise. Such handsome features were wasted on him.

nGuan Lei possessed a deep masculine charm that made him look rugged, while the mole under his eye added a sense of mystery which drew a person in.

nAlthough it was only the second day since Guan Lei’s transfer, many students were his avid fans, gushing over him on the school forums.

nNo one really knew what he was like. They viewed him as a cool, handsome young man, stoic and unapproachable.

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