Chapter 6: Are You a Dog?

“What are you trying to do?”

Lu Zixue gripped the back seat of the Phoenix bicycle tightly, struggling with Li Ye. In just a few seconds, sweat had soaked his palms.

He had a premonition: if he let go now, this bicycle—his source of countless envies and confidence—would be lost to him forever.

“You’re asking what I’m doing?” Li Ye looked at Lu Zixue calmly. “Of course, I’m taking back my bike. Got a problem with that?”

A problem? Of course not.

But Lu Zixue felt there was a huge problem. If Li Ye took the bike, how would his classmates see him? How would Gao Xiaoyan see him? How would the teachers see him?

“You can’t... this is mine... my sister gave me this bike,” Lu Zixue said anxiously, searching for a suitable excuse.

In the past, Lu Jingyao, his sister, had been Li Ye’s queen; whatever she said, Li Ye obeyed unconditionally. Surely, he would obey today as well?

But Li Ye shook his head, displeased. “Whose bike is it? Is it your sister’s?”

“...”

“If it’s not your sister’s, what right does she have to give it to you?”

By now, a crowd had gathered around them. Feeling the bewildered gazes fixed on him, Lu Zixue was on the verge of tears.

“Your father said he didn’t want it, he said so back then,” Lu Zixue clutched the back of the bike as if deeply wronged, yet convinced of his own reasoning.

Indeed, Li Ye’s father, Li Kaijian, had thrown the betrothal gift out of the house, cruelly saying it was “fit only for feeding dogs.”

But Li Ye refused to accept those words, especially after Lu Jingyao sent money to County No. 2 High School.

If the money was intended to cancel the engagement, why not send it to both families?

Perhaps Lu Jingyao thought that sending money to Li Ye would prevent Lu’s father from returning it in person and suffering further humiliation from the Li family.

But the rumors targeting Li Ye at school weren’t part of her consideration.

The Li Ye of the past might have silently endured this injustice, but the Li Ye now...

Ha! You show no mercy, neither will I.

If you won’t teach me a lesson, I’ll keep pushing.

Li Ye stared coldly at Lu Zixue. “What did my father say back then? That stuff was for feeding dogs. So, tell me... do you think... you’re a dog?”

Buzz—

Lu Zixue felt his mind explode.

His pride, his confidence, collapsed in an instant. The echo of “Are you a dog? Are you a dog?” thundered relentlessly in his ears.

But Li Ye wasn’t finished. Releasing the bike’s handlebars, he gave one more tug and said, “If you’re a dog, then bark for me, and I’ll give you the bike.”

A shame beyond words, a disgrace without parallel.

At this moment, Lu Zixue had no other thoughts—only the unbearable humiliation weighing on him.

He understood well enough that this Phoenix bicycle had been a betrothal gift from the Li family to Lu Jingyao. Now that the engagement was broken, the bike no longer belonged to Lu Jingyao, let alone to him.

But Li Ye’s public humiliation made him feel like an innocent, pitiful victim.

“Awooo~~~”

---

The psychological endurance of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old is limited. At last, Lu Zixue burst into loud tears.

The crowd of onlookers, already packed in layers, now leaned forward on tiptoe to see better. The entrance of County No. 1 High School was completely jammed.

“Brother, the teacher’s coming... this is getting serious,” Li Dayong, tall and burly, tugged at Li Ye’s sleeve as several figures pushed through the crowd.

“No problem; we’re not afraid of trouble,” Li Ye said coolly.

Having faced countless situations in his past life, this was nothing to him.

He casually pulled the bicycle closer. Lu Zixue, crying loudly, no longer dared to struggle with him.

“What’s going on here? What are you two doing?”

A teacher, stern-faced, squeezed into the center of the crowd and questioned Li Ye and Li Dayong harshly.

Teachers of this era naturally held authority over students. Towering over 1.8 meters, Li Dayong shrank his neck under the teacher’s interrogation, like a patron caught by the police in a shady place.

But Li Ye remained unfazed, replying mildly, “We’re not doing anything, just taking back what’s ours.”

“What’s yours?”

The teacher’s gaze sharpened. “You... you’re Li Ye, right?”

“Yes, nice to see you again, Director Yao.”

Li Ye recognized the teacher well and had a strong impression of him.

When Lu Jingyao’s father had said, “If Li Ye can get into college, I won’t object,” Li Ye insisted on repeating a year.

Though the Li family was angry, they still managed to arrange for Li Ye’s admission to the repeat class at County No. 1 High School through the security chief’s connections.

County No. 1 High School had the highest quality teaching and university admission rates in all of Qingshui County. The Li family did their best for Li Ye.

Yet, just as Li Ye was about to enroll, Director Yao of the high school’s academic affairs blocked him, saying he didn’t meet the school’s admission standards.

Li Ye’s grades were indeed below the requirements; Yao’s actions were justifiable but dealt a heavy blow to the sensitive young man.

This was part of why he changed from cheerful and sunny to silent and withdrawn. The conflict with Director Yao was by no means trivial.

Yao narrowed his eyes and asked sternly, “If you’re not a student here, why are you causing trouble?”

Li Ye respected teachers of this era; they truly dedicated themselves to educating students.

But Yao’s disdainful glance irritated him.

Suddenly angered without cause, Li Ye retorted, “Teacher, whether or not I’m causing trouble, even if I am, you have no right to interfere, do you?”

Yao’s eyes widened, his voice severe: “Why don’t I have the right? This is County No. 1 High School—”

“This is the street,” Li Ye interrupted, pointing to the road beneath them. “You can manage things as you like inside the school, but outside... you have no jurisdiction.”

Li Ye had long been annoyed by similar situations in his past life.

After driving around for ages, finally finding a parking spot, only to have it blocked by cones or even locked by the stores along the street.

Buying or renting a shop doesn’t give you ownership of the street outside, does it?

Ridiculous.

But Li Ye’s anger now paled before Yao’s fury.

Such an insolent student must be put in his place.

So many people were watching. If the esteemed director of teaching at County No. 1 High School was bested by a student, how would he lead the rest?

“I may not manage the street, but I manage the students. If you make my student cry, I’ll deal with you.”

---

Director Yao’s sharp gaze swept over Li Ye before turning to Lu Zixue. “Tell me, how did he bully you? I’ll stand up for you.”

Lu Zixue, seizing the chance, sobbed, “He... snatched my... bicycle.”

“Well then! Brazen daylight robbery, and right in front of County No. 1 High! If I don’t arrest you today—”

Yao lunged to grab Li Ye’s sleeve like a ferocious old cat defending her young.

There was only one 26-inch Phoenix bicycle in the school. Lu Zixue rode it daily, so no one doubted his story.

Li Ye casually shrugged off Yao’s grip.

“Director Yao, please note, if teachers could arrest people at will, what would be the point of the police?”

“...”

Yao was silenced again. A reasonable man himself, he disliked nonsense.

Yet facing Li Ye’s blatant disregard, his anger boiled over.

“Go get the security department!”

Several students hurried to the school gate to summon the security officers.

In this era, the security department was no mere “guards” but a formidable joint defense force, capable of apprehending criminals easily.

Before the students reached the gate, the security officers had already arrived.

Yao pointed at Li Ye. “This is a robber. Arrest him.”

But the officers glanced at Li Ye and smiled. “No way. We know this kid. How could he be a robber?”

“...”

Yao suddenly recalled that he had offended the security chief by blocking Li Ye’s admission before.

But Yao feared no one. “Chief Ma, this kid openly robbed our student right outside the school. You can’t show favoritism.”

“Robbing a bicycle?”

Chief Ma looked at Li Ye, then at Lu Zixue, and waved his hand. “Director Yao, we can’t handle this.”

“Why not?”

Chief Ma patiently explained, “Because there’s no registration record for the bike with us. It’s simple—just walk a few hundred meters to the North City Police Station. They can check who the bike belongs to.”

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, bicycles had a strict registration system. You needed a letter of introduction from your workplace to register the bike at the police station, get a license plate and certificate, and even undergo annual inspections.

Yao thought for a moment after hearing Chief Ma’s words. “Fine, then we’ll go to the police station.”

But Lu Zixue was dumbfounded. He knew exactly whose name the bike was registered under.

If they went to the police station, once the truth came out, Yao would surely turn against him!

“I’m not going to the police station. The chief there is related to him... Teacher, I ride this bike every day...”

Yao paused, looking at the uneasy Lu Zixue, finally sensing something was wrong.

In an instant, he felt as if he had swallowed a fly—a sickening realization.

Who else could understand the feeling of a reasonable man suddenly realizing he was the one in the wrong?