Save That Miserable Protagonist - Chapter 5

Following the system’s real-time navigation in his mind, Lu Xun strolled leisurely toward the back door of Classroom 305. Before he even stepped inside, the sharp sounds of mockery and jeering were clearly audible.

“Why are you still acting so noble, Pei Tingsong? The photos are crystal clear! Do you even know how much a presidential suite at the Grand Hyatt costs per night? It is a place you could not afford even if you worked for ten years!”

“Hey, do not say that. Our great scholar Pei might actually know. After all, maybe he earns that much in a single night.”

“No wonder he was unwilling to accept Sun Qing’s confession. It turns out he looks down on us poor students and only likes rich people.”

“This top student usually acts like he is above everyone, but who knew he played so wild in private?”

Hearing these biting insults, Lu Xun paused. He thought to himself that these people were truly nasty. Based on a single photo, they were ready to nail someone to a pillar of shame.

With his arms crossed, Lu Xun leaned lazily against the doorframe. A playful smirk curled on his lips as he found himself looking forward to Pei Tingsong’s reaction. Tilting his head slightly, he watched the drama unfold with composed interest.

Inside the room, Pei Tingsong stood as before, his somewhat thin frame ramrod straight. He stared at the boy in front of him, his cold eyes narrowed. It was only then that Lu Xun noticed Pei Tingsong had slight “sanpaku” eyes—the white showing under the iris. Because his eyes were large, it was not usually noticeable, but with his face set in a cold expression now, it emphasized them and gave him a fierce edge.

Pei Tingsong spoke icily, “You take one photo and want to claim I am gay? Even if I were, what does it have to do with you? I would not be interested in you anyway.”

As he finished, Pei Tingsong looked the boy up and down, then let out a mocking laugh, appearing utterly dismissive. Lu Xun realized that this was likely Pei Tingsong’s true personality. He was proud, possessed a bit of a temper, and had a sharp, caustic tongue.

The boy’s face flushed red at the stinging sarcasm. He pointed a finger at Pei Tingsong and roared angrily, “Of course you do not like me because you only like people with money! I did not say it earlier because we are classmates and I wanted to save you some face. But since you do not want it, I will be blunt: I saw you with my own eyes last night at a bar, tangled up with a middle-aged man. Do you dare deny it?”

As soon as he said this, the noisy classroom fell silent. Students traded glances, followed by a wave of hushed whispering. Everyone was an adult; they knew exactly what Jiang Hao implied. Their eyes began to surreptitiously scan Pei Tingsong. It was clear that if Pei Tingsong could not provide a valid explanation, the rumor of a Medical School student being kept by a middle-aged man would become a fact and spread through Jiangcheng University via presentations by the afternoon.

Hearing this, Lu Xun clicked his tongue. He asked lazily in his mind, “System, which girl is the one who likes Pei Tingsong? Is she here?”

[Third row, left side of the classroom. The girl in the light blue shirt.]

“Hmm?” Following the system’s guidance, Lu Xun’s gaze swept over. Seeing the figure with her head bowed, Lu Xun was puzzled. “If she is here, why isn’t she speaking up for him? Does she not like him?” After all, this whole mess started because of her.

The system’s voice was flat and piercing: [Because the core of the rumor lies in that undeniable photo and Pei Tingsong’s inexplicable high spending. In the face of absolute facts, emotional trust is worthless. Furthermore, everyone knows Pei Tingsong’s financial situation.]

The playful smile on Lu Xun’s face faded slightly. Looking at that solitary figure in the classroom, a tiny, unfamiliar pang pricked Lu Xun’s heart like a needle. The feeling came and went so fast he did not even have time to process it. Frowning slightly, Lu Xun asked instinctively, “So, in the original timeline, no one stood by him at this moment?”

[Correct. He was always alone.]

The system’s cold, affirmative answer left Lu Xun feeling strangely unsettled. Just as Lu Xun was about to enter the classroom to intervene, Pei Tingsong, at the center of the crowd, suddenly laughed. It was different from the resigned, cynical smile Lu Xun had seen the previous night. This laugh was full of mockery, and his tone was equally derisive. His cold eyes looked down on them.

“Jiang Hao, you should rely on yourself to chase the girl you like. Framing others will not earn you extra points.”

Even surrounded by malicious rumors, and though his face was pale to the point of being translucent, Pei Tingsong’s back remained straight. He was like a green pine that would rather break than bend. The strange emotion in Lu Xun’s heart vanished, replaced by a flash of genuine appreciation in his eyes.

Inside the room, after Pei Tingsong finished speaking, he kept his eyes lowered, staring coldly at the man before him. His dark pupils were filled with disdain. Combined with his height, he looked every bit the picture of someone looking down on a lesser being. Even Lu Xun thought Pei Tingsong looked a bit arrogant with that expression, let alone Jiang Hao, who was being treated like a piece of trash.

Jiang Hao took a deep breath, suppressed his rage, and glared at Pei Tingsong. “I am not going to argue about that. But is it true you were with a middle-aged man last night? Is it true you went to a presidential suite? Can you explain that?”

Pei Tingsong fell silent for a moment. He could not explain it, of course; those things had happened. But no matter what he felt inside, he could not show weakness. Showing weakness would only signal guilt. He narrowrd his eyes at Jiang Hao and said icily, “Is there any necessity for me to explain my business to you?”

Seeing him fail to argue, Jiang Hao flashed a triumphant grin. “You cannot explain it, can you? Because you actually did those things.”

Pei Tingsong looked around at the farce. The crowd was bustling, but he did not intend to explain further. In the eyes of those with hidden agendas, any explanation would just be viewed as an excuse. Giving Jiang Hao a cold glance, Pei Tingsong turned to leave.

But just as he was about to step away, a crisp knocking sound came from the back door. Knock, knock. The two light taps were clear and abrupt, instantly capturing the attention of the entire class. Along with the sound came a lazy voice, one powerful enough to make everyone hold their breath: “What are you all chatting about? It is so lively, let me have a listen too.”

Every gaze swung toward the back door. Pei Tingsong was no exception. Standing against the light was a tall man. Even simple casual clothes could not hide his innate air of nobility. It was unclear how long he had been listening, and his face remained expressionless. He simply stood there, doing nothing, yet he radiated an invisible pressure. The rowdy classroom became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Almost everyone recognized him: Lu Xun. He came from a prominent family, topped the school’s donation lists and honorary alumni boards, drove a supercar every day, and was someone almost no one dared to approach.

Lu Xun’s gaze calmly swept the room, finally landing on Jiang Hao in the center of the crowd. He tilted his head slightly. Under his gaze, Jiang Hao became visibly uncomfortable and his face turned pale. Finally, Jiang Hao gave a sheepish smile, his previous bravado completely vanished. “Young Master Lu, what brings you here?”

Pei Tingsong found the scene amusing. He thought to himself that an aura built on money really was the most effective. Look how everyone went silent the moment Lu Xun appeared. Looking at the spineless coward before him, Pei Tingsong’s lips curled in mockery. He did not know why Lu Xun had suddenly appeared. Was it to add more fuel to the fire, or something else?

Pei Tingsong could not guess, but he did not want to stay in a classroom that existed only to mock him. Giving the crowd a cold look, he turned to walk away. Lu Xun, who had been watching Pei Tingsong out of the corner of his eye, saw this. Stepping forward, he naturally blocked Pei Tingsong’s path, yet he maintained a proper distance and did not actually touch him.

He then faced the crowd, a faint, polite, yet distant smile playing on his lips. “Sorry to interrupt. I thought I heard someone mention a suite at the Grand Hyatt.”

His gaze settled gently on Jiang Hao. Lu Xun’s voice was mild but allowed no argument. “I did indeed ask Student Pei for a favor last night. I booked a presidential suite for him to rest afterward. Is there a problem? Do I need to explain this to everyone?”

That single, light sentence effectively settled the matter. A series of stifled gasps echoed through the room. Students looked at one another with eyes filled with shock and inquiry. They could not fathom how Pei Tingsong was connected to Lu Xun, but with Lu Xun himself testifying, who would dare say there was a problem?

Even Pei Tingsong was completely stunned. He looked up sharply at Lu Xun, his eyes filled with shock and wariness. He was afraid Lu Xun would say something even more outrageous that would permanently ruin him.

“You,” he started.

Before he could get another word out, Lu Xun interrupted with a smile. He looked at the silent students, especially the terrified Jiang Hao. His tone remained gentle but carried a clear warning. “I recently asked Student Pei for help regarding some of my family’s investments. Since it got late, I opened two rooms for us to rest. Why? Are you all very interested in my private affairs?”

At this point, Lu Xun gave a slight nod toward Pei Tingsong in apology. “It was my oversight. I did not expect a single photo to cause Student Pei such distress.”

The speech was flawless. It explained the source of the suite, preserved Pei Tingsong’s dignity, elevated his status, and took all the responsibility onto himself. Perfect! Lu Xun praised himself internally.

Turning back to Pei Tingsong, he saw the other man standing still and silent, though his tightly pressed lips seemed to twitch slightly. The image of that isolated figure from earlier flashed in Lu Xun’s mind. Looking back at the crowd, he let out a soft laugh, his gaze brushing over Jiang Hao before returning to the room.

His voice was not loud, but it reached every ear. “However, the habit of creating rumors and throwing mud at a hardworking, outstanding classmate based on a single photo and some suspicion is a very bad one. Fortunately, I came today to prove his innocence. If I had not, would you not have ruined someone’s reputation and future over a picture? We are here to seek knowledge, not to be gossips and judges. Do you not agree?”

Lu Xun spoke with polite warmth, yet his words felt like invisible slaps across the faces of those who had joined in the jeering. Jiang Hao, in particular, turned red and white in turns, looking as if he wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear on the spot.

Seeing this, Pei Tingsong turned his head slightly to look at Lu Xun, and his gaze met Lu Xun’s smiling eyes. Seeing the mirth in those eyes, Pei Tingsong’s heart gave an unprovoked thud. The Lu Xun before him was a world away from the lazy, malicious man who had forced him to kneel the night before. This version was elegant, powerful, and polite. With just a few words, he had pulled him out of the mire and provided an irreproachable, even prestigious, reason for everything. He had even mocked those people on his behalf.

At this moment, Lu Xun almost seemed to be glowing. Pei Tingsong loathed him and hated his actions from the night before, but he was even more wary of Lu Xun’s sudden kindness. Yet, logic told him that this man had just saved him. He had always been alone, but now someone had intervened for him. Regardless of whether the motive was good or bad, the rescue was real. A complex whirlpool of emotions churned in his chest: humiliation, gratitude, wariness, and deep down, a sense of security from being protected that he was loath to admit.

Lu Xun was still speaking, his gaze pointedly scanning Sun Qing and Jiang Hao before returning to Pei Tingsong. “Student Pei is indeed very outstanding. It would not be strange for anyone to like him, would it?”

His heart was pounding, a sensation that made Pei Tingsong feel a sense of panic. Lowering his eyelashes abruptly to hide the turbulence in his eyes, Pei Tingsong gave Lu Xun a cold glance. Without a word, he pushed through the crowd and walked out of the classroom, never looking back.

Seeing this, the gentle curve of Lu Xun’s lips slowly vanished. He turned, leaning into the ear of the deathly pale Jiang Hao. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he whispered a cold threat: “Do not let me find out you have played any more little tricks. Pei Tingsong is my person. You do not want to find out what happens to people who mess with what is mine.”

After saying this, Lu Xun pulled back and flashed a fresh smile at the terrified Jiang Hao. Then, he turned and strode away.