Demonic King of the Metropolis

In the morning, as Tang Jie and Chen Shuran walked into the school, they were greeted by Zhang Jie and his more than twenty followers. Although there was no grand lineup like last time, they still swarmed forward. As soon as Tang Jie entered the school gate, he was surrounded.

“Boss, where have you been these past few days?”

“Boss, was there some sort of mission?”

“Boss, I’ve been taking care of your other girlfriend these days, and she’s doing well…”

Smack! The one who accidentally let this slip immediately got a hard slap across the face.

Zhang Jie shot a fierce glare at the fat guy he had just slapped. It was only then that the fat guy realized his slip of the tongue-especially with Chen Shuran standing right there.

“Brother, you weren’t around these past few days, but I’ve done everything exactly as you instructed.” Zhang Jie was quick on his feet, smoothly explaining to Tang Jie how well he and the others had looked after Li Feifei.

Tang Jie nodded, and Chen Shuran, standing nearby, didn’t seem to mind what the fat guy had said earlier. With Tang Jie and Chen Shuran surrounded by the group, they headed toward the teaching building.

As soon as Tang Jie turned the corner, he noticed someone standing at the classroom door. The person quickly turned and walked back into the classroom upon seeing him-it was Li Feifei.

Looking at her face, Tang Jie could clearly see gratitude and even a hint of shyness. Was she trying to thank him? Based on this, Tang Jie figured that Li Feifei’s father must have recovered. Feeling relieved, he thought about how the Chen family’s villa had been almost completely wiped out: though Chen Feng, that sly old fox, and the mysterious masked man were still at large, the other masters had been gravely injured. It would take them a long time to recover, meaning no one would cause him trouble for the time being. Meanwhile, Li Feifei’s situation had also been resolved. Now, he could focus on attending school peacefully and recuperating.

With these thoughts, Tang Jie’s face broke into a smile, and he couldn’t help but whistle.

“Hey! Shuran-Jie, you’re here!” As soon as they stepped into the classroom, an ear-piercing voice came from Xiao Ran. She noticed Chen Shuran, whom she hadn’t seen for several days, and the fact that Tang Jie had appeared alongside her. A mischievous and knowing expression spread across her face.

“Well now, you two-”

“What nonsense are you thinking?” Chen Shuran, familiar with Xiao Ran’s antics, immediately guessed her thoughts from the look on her face. She quickly walked over to stop her.

“Hmph, still pretending? Look at your face-it says it all. Don’t think that denying it will fool me,” Xiao Ran said, catching the faint blush on Chen Shuran’s face and refusing to let it go. She hadn’t seen Chen Shuran or Tang Jie all week and had thought something might have happened. But now, seeing them show up together and in good condition, her suspicions were piqued. Her teasing was playful at first, just out of habit, but Chen Shuran’s unusually flustered reaction-and her blushing face-only added fuel to her fire. What did this mean?

Tang Jie glanced at Xiao Ran and didn’t mind her teasing at all. But he was in an exceptionally good mood today. Scanning her from head to toe with mischief in his eyes, that signature playful smile spread across his face. He looked at Xiao Ran and, pretending to be surprised, said, “You’ve changed!”

Xiao Ran instinctively became alert and stared at him. “What do you mean I’ve changed? I’m still me. What are you up to now, you annoying Tang Jie? Be careful, or I’ll have Shuran-Jie deal with you!”

“I mean, your body has changed,” Tang Jie responded, unfazed by Xiao Ran’s scolding. He was too accustomed to their frequent banter to take it seriously.

“What nonsense are you spouting now? How have I changed?” Xiao Ran immediately thought Tang Jie was hinting that she had gained weight, her biggest fear. Over the past few weeks, she had been on a strict diet in hopes of looking her best when she went on a date with Qin Haozhong.

Tang Jie kept his playful grin and deliberately fixed his gaze on her chest. “It’s right here-how did these grow bigger again? It’s only been a few days. Who’s been… helping you out with that?” The last sentence was whispered so softly that he practically said it into her ear, making sure Chen Shuran couldn’t hear.

“You…” Xiao Ran’s face instantly turned bright red. It was as if her apple-like cheeks were radiating embarrassment and frustration. But words failed her, and she didn’t know how to rebuke him without making it even more awkward.

“Alright, quit messing around. Class is about to start,” Chen Shuran said, shaking her head with a helpless smile. She was all too familiar with their antics and decided to step in before things escalated further.

“The class teacher is here!” came a shout from a student standing by the doorway, as punctual as an alarm clock with this daily reminder.

Moments later, the crisp sound of high heels tapping against the floor grew louder, and Jin Yan, the class teacher, entered the room.

“Good morning, teacher!”

“Good morning, students!”

“Alright, let’s start class now.”

Everyone stood briefly and then sat down, preparing for the new day ahead. But Tang Jie’s thoughts were elsewhere-particularly on Li Feifei, who had remained unusually quiet since his arrival.

He distinctly remembered seeing her standing by the classroom door earlier, as if waiting for someone. When he had walked over, she immediately turned and went back inside. Did she have something she wanted to say to him?

Pondering this, Tang Jie couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty. The question lingered in his mind all the way until the second class ended. During the break for physical exercise, Tang Jie deliberately told Chen Shuran his chest still felt a bit sore, using it as an excuse to stay behind in the classroom. He asked her and Xiao Ran to head out without him.

Sure enough, after Chen Shuran and the rest of the students left, Tang Jie noticed that Li Feifei remained in the classroom.

When the classroom was finally left with just the two of them, Li Feifei spoke up.

“Tang Jie, are you free this evening?” Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, and she kept her head lowered, avoiding his gaze. Tang Jie turned to look at her, and with just one glance, he could tell she was feeling shy.

“Is something going on? Is your father’s illness better now?” Tang Jie asked gently, his tone warm. Truthfully, one reason he had stayed back was that he didn’t want to do the outdoor activities. But the other reason was his curiosity-he wanted to find out if Li Feifei’s father had truly recovered.

“Yes, he’s much better now. My father wants to thank you. He hopes you can come over for dinner tonight. Would you be able to come?” Li Feifei raised her head as she spoke, her expression hopeful as she looked at him.

Tang Jie hesitated for a moment. His first instinct was to politely decline since he genuinely didn’t want to go. But then he worried that refusing her offer might embarrass her. However, as his thoughts turned to Chen Shuran, an entirely different sense of apprehension surfaced. Even though he and Chen Shuran hadn’t explicitly defined their relationship, it was more than clear that she now regarded him as “hers.” While Chen Shuran was elegant, understanding, and incredibly composed, Tang Jie had also realized one undeniable truth about her-she was fiercely possessive. While she could appear calm and empathetic on the surface, when it came to certain matters, she could be wildly jealous in the blink of an eye.

“I appreciate the invitation. Please convey my gratitude to your father and let him know that I’ll visit when I have the time. But unfortunately, I can’t make it tonight. And really, what I did wasn’t anything worth thanking me for,” Tang Jie replied after a brief pause. He chose his words carefully, speaking in a tactful tone to avoid making her feel uncomfortable.

“Oh… alright. I’ll let him know,” Li Feifei said, nodding. She didn’t push the matter further, and her expression showed no signs of disappointment or confusion. As she spoke, however, she seemed hesitant, as though there was still something left unsaid. Tang Jie noticed her lips part slightly, as if she wanted to speak again but held herself back.

For a brief moment, she looked up at Tang Jie, her face tinged with an awkward shyness. Finally, biting her lower lip, she gathered her courage and nervously asked, “That night… um… that night you…”

Tang Jie immediately understood what she was referring to. Before she could finish, he broke into a mischievous grin and interrupted her, “Which night are you talking about? Sorry, I can’t remember.” He intentionally feigned ignorance, his gaze wandering toward the window to avoid meeting her eyes.

Li Feifei’s face flushed redder, and her head dropped even lower. Her hands fidgeted nervously with each other as if grasping for any semblance of composure. Tang Jie noticed the silence and turned back to look at her. Gone was the cool and aloof demeanor she usually exuded. Instead, she looked like a shy, vulnerable young girl. Honestly, she looked so adorable in that moment that Tang Jie couldn’t help but think how endearing it was.

“Alright, don’t dwell on it too much. What’s in the past is in the past. From now on, we’re just friends. If there’s ever anything you need help with, you can come to me,” Tang Jie said sincerely. He’d already sensed what was bothering her and wanted to both reassure her and make his stance clear.

The truth was, even now, Tang Jie hadn’t entirely forgotten about that night. He was a healthy, young man in the prime of his youth. Seeing someone as stunning as Li Feifei, cold and elegant yet so vulnerable, slowly undressing in front of him was the kind of scene that could stir any man’s deepest desires. It wasn’t something easy to walk away from-his resolve had been tested to its limit. Though he’d managed to keep his self-control, it remained an unforgettable moment.

“So, are you and Chen Shuran just friends, or…?” Li Feifei asked cautiously, her words trailing off as she tried to gauge Tang Jie’s reaction. Tang Jie immediately understood the deeper implication of her question. She was subtly asking about the nature of his relationship with Chen Shuran.

“I’m her bodyguard, specifically assigned to protect her,” Tang Jie replied directly. After all, Li Feifei probably already knew more about the Chen family than Chen Shuran herself, so there was no need to hide his true role. Besides, another reason he decided to be upfront was because he didn’t want Li Feifei to misunderstand his relationship with Chen Shuran and possibly feel upset.

Wait a second-why did he care so much about Li Feifei misunderstanding? She hadn’t said she had feelings for him, so wasn’t he just overthinking things?

“Alright, I understand. Well, let me know when you’re free-I’ll be waiting for you at home,” Li Feifei said, clearly still focused on her plans to invite Tang Jie over for dinner to properly thank him. Tang Jie glanced at her and suddenly noticed a shy, bashful look in her eyes as she gazed at him. It was strikingly similar to how Chen Shuran had looked at him not long ago.

And Li Feifei-such a dramatic change from her usual demeanor. Just moments earlier, when she had walked into the room, she still had that same proud, aloof air when looking at others. But when she faced him…

Could it be that she was… interested in him? Tang Jie’s mind wandered as he considered the possibility. For a moment, he felt as though a sea of peach blossoms had bloomed right before his eyes, their delicate fragrance already drifting into his nose.

For the next two weeks at school, life was relatively peaceful. Tang Jie’s injuries had mostly healed, and each day passed with beauties by his side and an abundance of romantic attention-a time as vibrant as spring itself.

One afternoon after school, as Tang Jie and Chen Shuran walked out of the school gate together, Tang Jie’s phone suddenly rang-it was Viper. From Viper’s tone on the other end of the line, Tang Jie could tell something urgent was up. Viper explained that his organization was in trouble and that this time, they really needed Tang Jie’s help.

Tang Jie recalled that it had been nearly twenty days since Viper first brought up this request. At the time, he’d had to set the matter aside due to his injuries. Now hearing from Viper again and sensing the gravity of the situation, Tang Jie decided not to delay any further and agreed without hesitation, telling Viper that he could meet him that same evening.

Viper’s tone noticeably relaxed after getting Tang Jie’s confirmation. Tang Jie ended the call and first accompanied Chen Shuran back to the villa. At this point, Tang Jie couldn’t help but reflect that the three-month period he had promised his master to protect Chen Shuran was almost over. If nothing unexpected happened in the final few days, he would have successfully completed the mission.

The thought of finally regaining his freedom, being able to do whatever he wanted, and having a hefty savings of one million yuan in his bank account brought a wave of relief washing over Tang Jie.

Back at the villa, Tang Jie changed into a fresh set of clothes and gave Chen Shuran a few brief instructions before heading out. Once in a taxi, he called Viper again to confirm his location. After hanging up, Tang Jie told the driver the destination.

As the car began to move, Tang Jie quickly realized that the route led toward the suburb of the city.