Duan Xifeng was by no means someone to be bullied. He finished the rice in his lunchbox, then slapped the table and broke his chopsticks on it.
He gruffly said, "What do you mean? Because I'm eating, I'm somehow connected to you, a young lady? How conceited of you!"
Bai Xiaoxiao slowly tidied the handkerchief in her hand.
With a mocking expression, she said, "We at Shuyu Pavilion learn needlework and how to be ladies. But you! You disgrace the reputation of our families. Are we not allowed to speak of it?"
The women in Shuyu Pavilion had to abide by the rules in class.
They dared not overstep.
Therefore, upon seeing Duan Xifeng's actions, these people were both jealous and resentful.
Why should they be controlled by all sorts of restrictions?
Yet this woman in front of them, with her coarse features and extremely ugly appearance, could do whatever she pleased.
As Bai Xiaoxiao's voice grew louder,
the people behind her instantly stood up, surrounding Duan Xifeng and his companions.
Duan Xifeng threw down what he was holding, "What is your deal? Are you planning to fight today?"
He rolled up his sleeves, brandishing his thick arms forward.
Bai Xiaoxiao let out a sharp laugh, "Don't act presumptuously in front of us. You're just bringing a little girl, so what if you have strength? If you don't follow the rules of Shuyu Pavilion, you should get out."
"Yes, get out."
The people behind her raised their arms, echoing Bai Xiaoxiao's words.
"Get out."
Little Yihao had never witnessed such a commotion. He could sense the intense malice in people's eyes.
He was very scared, tears welling up in his eyes, and he tightly held onto Duan Xifeng's arm.
In a childish voice, he said, "Auntie, I'm really scared. Can these people please stop bullying us?"
Duan Xifeng's heart trembled. He covered Xiao Yihao's ears with his hands.
"It's alright, I'm here. They wouldn't dare bully you."
He glared fiercely at Bai Xiaoxiao.
"Say one more word, and I really won't let you off!"
Bai Xiaoxiao, with a look of arrogant defiance, saw Duan Xifeng crying and deliberately put on a scornful expression.
"Where did this little girl come from? She's so scared just by us speaking a few words. You and your aunt should get out. What are you?"
Gu Qianying had not revealed herself to Duan Xifeng until then, only exchanging a few words occasionally when no one noticed.
Therefore, she hadn't stepped forward immediately when the trouble started.
But Bai Xiaoxiao had gone too far today...
Gu Qianying dropped the food box in her hand, immediately turned back, squeezed into the crowd, and directly shielded Duan Xifeng and Xiao Yihao.
Her gaze was sharp as she fixed it on the person in front of her.
She interrogated them word by word, "What does this have to do with you? And bullying someone else's child, do you have any shame? I truly look down on you."
Seeing Gu Qianying again, Bai Xiaoxiao recalled the insults she had suffered earlier and immediately roared in anger.
"Don't meddle in other people's business, or I can't guarantee I'll let you off today."
Gu Qianying's face was frosty, and she said coldly,
"I am going to manage this matter today. You are bullying others for no reason, insulting them with your words, and spewing nonsense. Someone like you should be the one to get out, because no matter how many classics you read, it won't cleanse your dirty mind. It will only become more tainted and disgusting."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was startled, staring at Gu Qianying with fearful expressions.
"This person is too daring to speak like that!"
"So powerful! This is Bai Xiaoxiao! She's a killer!"
Bai Xiaoxiao, being Bai Yufeng's cousin and a noble lady, was a collateral branch of the Shengyu family, but she was quite favored by the clan leader.
Her status among these people
was clearly the highest.
Gu Qianying's previous repeated confrontations with this person had already earned their admiration.
And today, Gu Qianying had taken it a step further.
They no longer dared to look directly at Gu Qianying, and in their hearts, they felt that this person was even more terrifying than Bai Xiaoxiao.
Bai Xiaoxiao's teeth gnashed in anger.
"You, you, you, you dare to scold me like this? Do you know who I am?"
Gu Qianying closed her eyes slightly, then directly raised her hand and swung it forward.
With a loud "slap," the sound of the palm strike was deafening.
Five large red finger marks appeared clearly on Bai Xiaoxiao's face.
Gu Qianying slowly raised her eyes, her gaze undeniably cold, and uttered three words.
"Get out."
The blow landed so quickly that people hadn't even reacted. Although the slap wasn't on their faces, they still felt a burning sensation on their cheeks, a sharp pain.
Gu Qianying looked down from above, "Are you leaving or not? Bai Xiaoxiao, I've already given you enough face."
Bai Xiaoxiao scrambled backward, fleeing frantically. She had been unwilling before, but today, she was truly terrified.
After Bai Xiaoxiao retreated, the people on the scene lost interest and dared not cause further trouble. They scattered like birds, disappearing without a trace.
Gu Qianying brushed the dust off her hand.
Composing herself, she walked over to Xiao Yihao.
"Stop crying. Mother said she would always be by your side, but you must also remember that you are a man."
If Gu Qianying hadn't said this, Xiao Yihao wouldn't have felt anything.
But after being told this, he felt even more wronged and rushed into Gu Qianying's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm scared."
Duan Xifeng looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. I have no experience, and I'm used to eating like that. I didn't expect these people to be so sharp-tongued and malicious."
He gritted his teeth, filled with regret.
"If I weren't afraid of my strength being too great and crippling them, I would never have let them off."
Gu Qianying sighed and patted her elder brother's shoulder. "Brother, if I may be frank, your appearance just now was truly intimidating."
Duan Xifeng feigned a wronged expression. "Sister, you've really changed. You actually dislike me. As an elder brother, do I have no authority anymore?"
Gu Qianying rolled her eyes and pushed him away, warning him cautiously.
"Don't try to act like that in front of me. Be careful in the future, but if they dare to trouble you again, don't hold back. Forget about holding back or going easy. Anyone who dares to bully my son deserves to die."
Duan Xifeng and Xiao Yihao both gave a thumbs up.
"Big Sister is mighty."
Despite their earlier interaction, Duan Xifeng and Xiao Yihao's identities could not be easily revealed.
Gu Qianying did not interact with them further afterwards, maintaining a detached demeanor and attending to her own affairs.
However, an accident soon occurred.
A plague inexplicably broke out in Shuyu Pavilion.
The plague came suddenly, catching everyone off guard.
The place was as if shrouded by dark clouds, with everyone appearing gaunt and exhausted, coughing incessantly.
Even Bai Yangping was affected. The plague caused Shuyu Pavilion to come to a standstill. The entire academy was sealed off, not even a fly allowed to escape.