I Have a Heart of Justice

For a long moment!

Ye Liangchen, his face slapped to one side, finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You... you hit me?"

Long Aotian stepped forward, his gaze calm yet piercing as he stared at Ye Liangchen.

That look—Ye Liangchen knew it all too well. Some people screamed and cursed when angry, but others wore a mask of serenity, beneath which raged a storm of fury.

In that instant, Ye Liangchen was transported back to the terror of being dominated by Long Aotian in his past life. He stumbled back, fear plastered across his face. "W-what do you think you're doing?"

"Have I not told you before that smashing someone else's door is unacceptable behavior?" Long Aotian's voice was low and dangerous.

Once, he had banged on Hu Yuying's door, scaring his little follower so badly her face turned ghostly pale.

Though Hu Yuying hadn’t been physically harmed, the incident had left a shadow of fear in her heart.

Long Aotian could never forget that day—how Hu Yuying had been on the verge of tears, torn between seeking his help and fearing she’d burden him.

The thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t met her, if she hadn’t reached out, made his blood run cold. How terrified and helpless she would have been alone.

Pulling someone out of darkness was painstakingly difficult, but destroying them? That was frighteningly easy.

He had worked so hard to breathe life and confidence into his little follower.

And now this fool dared to stalk Yuying and Qingxue? The anger simmering inside Long Aotian flared.

Without realizing it, they had carved out a vast space in his heart.

Faced with this version of Long Aotian, Ye Liangchen’s rehearsed grand speeches died in his throat.

He never imagined that even after his "dark transformation," Long Aotian would still dare to strike him.

Damn it! Was his dark persona being completely disregarded?

Clutching his cheek, Ye Liangchen spat, "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to! I’m here to stop you!"

"Even if you hit me, I won’t back down. Everyone knows I have a heart of justice." His eyes darted to Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning. "Come here. As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you."

Lin Wanning shot him a cold glance. "Are you out of your mind? Do we know you? Are we close? And since when have we been in danger?"

Li Qingxue exhaled slowly. Back at University A’s field, she thought she’d made herself crystal clear. Yet here he was, still forcing his twisted ideals onto her.

"Enough, Ye Liangchen. What’s happened to you? You’ve become unrecognizable—and repulsive."

Their words struck like knives. Pain—sharp, searing pain—lanced through Ye Liangchen’s chest.

He’d come to save them, and this was their response? Ingratitude and scorn?

He was the one who’d been hit! He was the victim! So why were they siding with Long Aotian instead of him?

His mind reeled. No—this was unacceptable. Impossible.

"Haven’t you figured out Long Aotian’s true nature yet? He’s—"

"Ah—!" Ye Liangchen yelped as he staggered back, nearly losing his balance.

Not just Ye Liangchen, but Long Aotian and the two girls gaped in shock—at Hu Yuying.

She withdrew her delicate hand, her earlier fear entirely absent this time.

She couldn’t let Long Aotian shield her forever. She wanted him to see how strong she’d become—strong enough to protect him too.

And this creep had the audacity to disrupt their time together? Unforgivable!

Ye Liangchen stared at her, wounded and bewildered. "Why... why?"

"No ‘why.’ If anyone should be asking, it’s us. Why stalk us? Why kick down our door? Why pretend you’re some savior when we barely know you?"

"Why can’t you leave us alone?"

The words resonated with Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning.

Lin Wanning had always found it bizarre—how he acted like he knew her intimately, preaching about "saving" her when she’d never asked for it.

Li Qingxue had nothing left to say.

They’d known each other for nine years, but Ye Liangchen was now a stranger—lying to teachers, claiming her "romantic distractions" ruined his studies, even pressuring her to throw her exams.

If this was his idea of salvation, she wanted none of it.

Ye Liangchen laughed—a bitter, hollow sound.

He’d poured his heart into rescuing them, only to be met with blame instead of gratitude.

Pathetic. Would they only wake up after Long Aotian left them broken and bleeding?

"Guess it was all just my wishful thinking," he muttered with a broken smile.

His devotion meant nothing to them—just some nuisance they didn’t know.

That hurt more than Long Aotian’s slap.

He whipped his head up, glaring. "You’re loving this, aren’t you?"

Long Aotian’s palm struck again. He’d been itching to do it—this guy never shut up.

In Ye Liangchen’s warped mind, everyone else was wrong. Stalking, door-kicking—all justified.

Resisting made Long Aotian the villain, while Ye Liangchen played the martyr.

Even Long Aotian’s patience had limits. Right now, he couldn’t stop himself.

"Waaah! You hit me again! Who gave you the right?"

"If anyone’s at fault, it’s you! How dare you treat me like this?" One slap was bearable, but two? Ye Liangchen crumbled.

Long Aotian yanked him up by the collar. "As long as they call me ‘brother,’ I’ll protect them."

"Try this again, and I swear—I’ll throw everything I have at burying you."

"Look at me. Look. At. Me."

Trembling, Ye Liangchen obeyed.

Long Aotian’s eyes—terrifying, unhinged—mirrored the madman from his nightmares. A primal, bone-deep fear took hold.

"Tell me you understand."

"I... I understand."

Watching Ye Liangchen's retreating figure as he fled, Long Aotian let out a sigh. If possible, he wouldn’t have chosen this path—but for now, it seemed like the best solution...

["The spirit of chivalry never rests!"]