Chapter 76: Tian Dao Trapped in 'Desperation'

"Uh… Tian Dao… can you come out for a second?"

Midway through a quiet afternoon break, Tian Dao was hunched over his desk, meticulously calculating Popularity Points gains and plotting his spending strategy for the next few days—when a faint, almost imperceptible voice cut through the silence.

He slowly lifted his head, the edge of his sunglasses slipping down to the tip of his nose, revealing a sliver of pale cerulean iris.

Huh?

Staring at the girl standing beside his desk—someone who had barely spoken a word all semester—Tian Dao’s face was a mask of confusion.

What on earth did she want? They’d barely interacted.

Seeing Tian Dao’s bewildered expression, the girl’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson, like a ripe apple. Steam practically billowed from her head, a telltale sign of overheating—literally and emotionally.

Tian Dao froze.

What in the world was going on?

And… what was her name again?

After rummaging through the labyrinth of his memory, Tian Dao finally recalled her identity.

"Qianxia, what’s up? You can just say it here—going out feels like too much trouble."

Hearing that, Qianxia’s face turned even redder.

Then, under the curious, gossipy stares of their classmates, she suddenly slammed a small gift box into Tian Dao’s arms and bolted from the classroom like a startled rabbit, hands covering her blazing face.

Tian Dao stared at her retreating figure, then at the box in his hands.

At last, it clicked.

Ah… so this was the setup.

Wait—she was confessing?

Before he could decide whether to open the mystery package now or wait until he was alone, Qianxia’s bold move acted like a spark.

Instantly, a wave of boldness swept through the rest of the girls in class.

"Tian Dao, this is my homemade bento!"

"Tian Dao, wanna go to the Stellar Beast Exhibition this weekend?"

"Tian Dao…"

One after another, they descended on him like a coordinated mob, their voices rising in unison.

Tian Dao instinctively tried to back away. His sunglasses slid completely off his nose, and cold sweat broke across his forehead.

Wait—were you all grouping up to raid the boss?!

Before he could come up with a response, the flood of girls overwhelmed him entirely.

The once-quiet classroom erupted into chaos.

At that moment, Chen Kong—arms full of two lunch boxes—walked in through the back door.

He paused, surveying the scene: his desk shoved into the corner by the crowd, and Tian Dao now surrounded by a horde of girls.

He blinked. "W-what the heck is going on?"

"Can you be serious?" Chen Kong turned to see Isabelle standing beside him, her tone casual.

Unlike the distant, polite girl he’d first met, Isabelle now treated Chen Kong and the others as true friends.

After the incident at the resort hotel, she’d learned the truth: Tian Dao and the others weren’t just transfer students—they were bodyguards her father, Dorian, had hired.

But despite the title, Isabelle had never seen them as mere protectors.

They were peers—same age, shared experiences, and a bond far deeper than ordinary classmates.

"Ah," Chen Kong said, finally understanding. "So this is why Tian Dao’s getting mobbed. Everyone’s panicking because they think if they don’t act now, they’ll never get a chance again."

Isabelle smiled. "So… how’s Tian Dao back in your world? Is it the same?"

Chen Kong paused, then nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. But… in our place, people are a lot harder to win over."

He paused, then added, "Getting their approval? That’s not easy."

"Really?" Isabelle tilted her head, intrigued.

She didn’t fully grasp what “approval” meant—but given that all of them were Stellar Envoys, she could guess the stakes.

If those Envoys were around their age, then earning their respect would be extremely tough.

After all, she knew firsthand just how high the bar was for the Stellar Prodigy class.

And suddenly, she pictured Tian Dao effortlessly defeating each of them—then effortlessly recruiting them all.

The image was so absurdly entertaining, she couldn’t help but laugh.

"Kong," she said, grinning, "I don’t know what Tian Dao was like back then… but from your description, he wasn’t exactly this kind of guy, was he?"

Chen Kong tilted his head, thinking.

…Actually, now that she said it, it did make sense.

In the base, Tian Dao had never picked on him—but he had been known to beat up everyone else.

Take his sister, Chen Xing—she was practically punished every three days, sometimes even daily.

Sure, it wasn’t Tian Dao’s fault—she asked for it, every time—but still, the pattern was undeniable.

In short, Tian Dao in the base? He was a walking, talking, crab-on-the-street—unstoppable, bullying anyone who crossed his path, leaving them utterly defeated.

So when Isabelle asked, Chen Kong answered without hesitation.

"Yeah. In a way… Tian Dao is exactly like that."

"Exactly like what?"

Before he could finish, a familiar voice cut in from behind.

Kalolin.

Chen Kong stiffened, his neck snapping back like a marionette.

"K-Kalolin… you… you’ve been here the whole time?"

Ignoring his flustered expression, Kalolin stared at the scene—Tian Dao surrounded by girls, laughing, blushing, utterly overwhelmed.

Her face remained calm. Too calm.

But beneath that serene mask, a storm brewed.

Danger.

Warning.

Tian Dao felt it.

A massive, blood-red "Danger" flashed across his mind.

No hesitation.

Driven by pure survival instinct, he spun around—directly into the source of the threat.

There she stood—by the back door—Kalolin, her expression icy, her gaze sharp as a blade.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She tapped the doorframe with her fingers.

The sound wasn’t loud—but in the sudden silence, it rang like a gavel.

The classroom froze.

And then, in a tone utterly unlike her usual cold demeanor, Kalolin smiled.

Soft. Gentle. Unnervingly sweet.

"Tian Dao… come out here for a moment."

The moment she said it, Tian Dao felt his blood run cold.

Oh no. This is bad. This is very bad.

No hesitation.

The boy who never responded to anyone’s calls—now shot up like a rocket.

"O-oh! Sure! Right away!"

Kalolin nodded, then turned and walked toward the rooftop.

Tian Dao followed without a word.

He dared not hesitate.

Because he knew—just one second of delay, and the world would become his personal hell.

Meanwhile, the girls, watching Tian Dao vanish so easily, exchanged glances.

Disappointment. Resignation. A quiet, shared sorrow.

They’d been beaten—by her.

Kalolin was the final boss.

Only when both were gone did Chen Kong finally snap back to reality.

He turned to Isabelle, puzzled. "Weird… why’d Kalolin come here today? She never shows up during lunch breaks."

"Oh, that?" Isabelle grinned, pulling out her phone. "I invited her."

She showed him the chat.

> Isabelle: Someone’s confessing to Tian Dao. You wanna come see?

> Kalolin: Be right there.

Chen Kong’s eyes widened.

So that’s how it happened… I was set up.

But then he looked at the scene again—Tian Dao walking toward the rooftop, back straight, shoulders tense.

And he realized…

My situation was bad… but Tian Dao’s?

He’s in for way worse.

Kalolin’s smile had been too sweet.

And her eyes? They were already calculating.

Chen Kong turned to the empty hallway.

He stared at Tian Dao’s distant silhouette.

And quietly whispered:

"Sorry, Tian Dao… I hope you come back alive."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end