Chapter 73: He Throws a Punch at Nie Ying
Bang—
The metal locker in the changing room was dented inward by a fist, creaking noisily.
Nie Ying took a deep breath, panting heavily, and slowly withdrew his fist, completely ignoring the bruises forming across his knuckles.
His features were already sharp to begin with, and now his entire body radiated a frightening ferocity.
After venting his anger, he casually grabbed a towel, walked out to the poolside, threw the towel onto the ground, and plunged straight into the water.
At this time the swimming pool was not open, so the temperature-control system hadn’t been turned on. The icy water wrapped around his entire body. Under these almost self-punishing conditions, the violent agitation inside him was forced down little by little.
Nothing had been going smoothly.
He didn’t know when it started, but his life had felt as though someone had cursed it—there hadn’t been a single good day.
He didn’t even want to mention the mess in the Nie family anymore.
His biological mother, who had previously acted out a show of motherly love for him, now couldn’t even be reached by phone. When he tracked down her address and went there, he was told the resident had already moved away.
Ha.
Haha.
That was really something.
Was it because she had heard rumors that he had fallen from power?
She couldn’t wait to cut ties, even though not long ago she had been eagerly trying to acknowledge him.
…What a bitch.
Sure enough, people couldn’t afford to fall into hardship.
Only when you had money and power would others rush forward to lick your boots.
For some reason, he had a vague feeling that things shouldn’t have been like this for him.
That subtle, hazy awareness only made the anger he had suppressed for so long burn even more fiercely.
After swimming more than a dozen laps around the pool, most of his energy had finally been spent. Nie Ying climbed out, half-sitting on the edge. He ran a hand through his hair and draped the towel over his shoulders.
Just thinking about his hair made him even angrier.
A few days ago that old bastard had summoned him for a lecture. Pointing at his hair, he scolded him harshly, saying he had only ever seen people dye white hair black, never black hair white. At such a young age, instead of behaving properly, he was just acting like a delinquent.
That damn father of his had immediately called a stylist back and forced him to dye his hair back in the old residence.
Right there in the living room, in front of so many servants—and in front of those idiots like Nie Siyu.
Humiliating him like that—
Nie Ying truly felt his father had been driven half-mad by the pressure. Did he really think that acting more obedient now would turn the situation around?
Useless. Completely useless.
The things that bold little assistant had exposed were enough to nail them to the wall. In the past few days, the losses in Nie Corporation’s shares had been catastrophic. That old bastard had probably long since begun to see them as thorns in his side.
It couldn’t be salvaged anymore. Anyway, even without them, the old man could always elevate the second branch of the family.
Unless something happened to the other branch…
Thinking of this, the restless expression on Nie Ying’s face slowly darkened. No one knew what he was thinking, but storm clouds gradually gathered on his face.
Where had things started to go wrong?
Nie Liuhua. Nie Siyu. He Ming’an. Song Yinxing. And…
Gu Yang.
He listed the names one by one. When he reached the last name, an odd expression flashed across his face.
“Were you calling me?”
A lazy voice came from above him.
The voice wasn’t loud, but the timing was eerily perfect—like when you’re walking alone at night and someone suddenly taps you from behind.
A chill ran down from the water in his hair along his spine. Nie Ying slowly lifted his head.
The sky outside was dim, but some unknown light stabbed into his eyes. He squinted before finally seeing the person clearly.
Gu Yang was sitting on the diving platform above.
Perched loosely on the edge, legs dangling and swaying. Those gray eyes looked down at him indistinctly.
Nie Ying tugged at the corner of his mouth. It looked like he wanted to smile, but the expression never quite formed.
“What are you doing here?”
“Me?” Gu Yang pointed at himself. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he needed the gesture to see clearly. Even his speech slowed down a little. “I’m just sitting here for a while.”
The anger that had finally been suppressed in the icy water erupted again in an instant.
Thinking about all the humiliation he had suffered these days, and his uncertain future, Nie Ying’s mind exploded with a bang. Everything in his vision shook violently. Even the foot he set on the ground trembled, slipping slightly when it landed.
He grabbed the metal railing and rushed up the stairs step by step, not even bothering to put on his shoes.
Disordered, heavy footsteps rose from below, gradually becoming clearer.
Gu Yang’s expression didn’t change. He continued looking down at the swimming pool.
Without his glasses, everything on his retina looked like an oil painting splashed with turpentine.
He watched the cobalt-blue liquid flowing below, his fingertips repeatedly rubbing the anti-slip bumps on the edge of the platform.
The rooftop was locked, and the library must be crowded at this hour. He had only wanted to find somewhere to pass the time.
What bad luck.
Gu Yang clicked his tongue unconsciously.
Nie Ying had already climbed up in one breath. His gloomy gaze fixed on Gu Yang’s back, though his rationality hadn’t completely collapsed yet.
It certainly wasn’t because of his father’s warning. He himself knew how terrible his situation was now. He couldn’t do whatever he wanted like before.
But adding a little trouble was still possible.
And Gu Yang had just happened to walk straight into his line of fire.
Nie Ying silently ground his teeth, looking at Gu Yang like prey already within reach.
Because in his impression, Gu Yang was still that frail waste who couldn’t survive without relying on others.
Old Master Nie had two sons. Any paternal affection he had left had long been worn away by the group’s future and interests. He always placed eggs in two baskets—the one who performed better could stand higher in the company.
So from childhood, the rule Nie Ying believed in was survival of the fittest. Whether resources or attention, everything had to be fought for—bitten for—snatched by any means necessary.
Only by standing high enough could he become someone above others.
Then those snobbish people around him would scramble to come and act like his dogs.
And if he disliked someone, he only needed a single look—there would always be others eager to deal with that person for him.
How wonderful that feeling was.
Which was why he looked down on Gu Yang—who had never shown the slightest intention of competing.
That attitude was like lowering one’s soft neck before the beasts even began fighting, handing everything over for others to decide.
So the only person who could stand on equal footing with him was destined to be Gu Qingxu.
He had even maliciously speculated before: if one day something happened to Gu Qingxu and the Gu Corporation fell into chaos without its backbone, what would happen to this delicate parasitic flower?
“Sitting alone so high up—are you planning to perform another suicide jump like last time?”
Nie Ying said slowly, malice thick in his tone.
“Too bad there’s no audience this time to appreciate your performance.”
“He Ming’an seems to have left the school for something,” he added lazily, leaning against the wall without stepping closer. Otherwise he didn’t know what he might do. “So where’s your other new lover?”
“Does it feel that good to have some poor stray dog circling around you? Didn’t expect your taste to have degraded to this level.”
“But if he were here this time, at least he could pull you back while you were putting on your dramatic suicide act. Wouldn’t that save you from looking too pathetic?”
There was another reason Nie Ying didn’t step forward.
That strange inner voice of Gu Yang’s.
As he stabbed verbally at Gu Yang’s heart, he was also trying to provoke it—hoping to hear something from that voice that could help him turn the tables.
So he added more fuel to the fire.
“If you really want to jump, then hurry up and do it.”
The figure that had still not turned around showed only a side profile from this angle.
Elegant and delicate. The rippling water reflected onto his face, making it look hazy and unreal.
“Okay.”
The barely audible reply came from over there.
Before Nie Ying realized what was happening, the figure slowly tilted forward.
In that instant it was like a slow-motion shot in a movie, the frames advancing one by one.
He finally realized what was happening and reached out to grab him—but he didn’t even touch a corner of his clothes.
Right before his eyes, the person who had been sitting there fell.
The body struck the water.
It was an almost destructive kind of beauty—like someone smashing an entire glass dome. Ripples collided with each other, splashing up countless droplets as invisible sound waves spread outward.
Nie Ying stood at the edge of the platform, his hand still outstretched.
Even looking down from this height made one’s breathing quicken.
Why would someone sit in a place like this?
It’s over.
That was the only thought in Nie Ying’s mind.
He looked up in panic, searching for cameras. When he confirmed that the surveillance equipment was running normally, the tension in his face finally relaxed.
Great. That meant Gu Yang falling had nothing to do with him.
That lunatic had really jumped.
He didn’t want the already terrible situation to become even worse.
He hadn’t even spared a thought for Gu Yang below when another splash sounded—much smaller this time.
Gu Yang’s consciousness became hazy.
His senses were distorted. The blurred scene in his eyes looked like flowing, melting sapphires. As pool water poured in around him, he could smell the sharp scent of chlorine. Beneath it lingered a nearly sweet metallic rust smell.
Sure enough, just as unpleasant as he had imagined.
Before his consciousness dissolved completely into the water, he felt someone supporting his arm, lifting his head above the surface, then slowly bringing him to shore.
Hair spreading in the water brushed against his skin.
His eyelashes trembled, though his eyelids felt too heavy to lift.
When he opened his eyes again, he heard the beeping of machines and smelled the familiar scent of disinfectant in the air.
Gu Yang didn’t even need to look to know where he was.
Hearing quiet voices nearby, he reluctantly opened his eyes.
“You’re awake.” Xia Chun, standing directly opposite him, noticed first. He let out a subtle sigh of relief and helped raise the hospital bed when Gu Yang tried to sit up.
Gu Yang was still adjusting his position when the light in front of him suddenly disappeared.
Someone pulled him into a tight embrace.
Too tight—almost crushing him into their chest. Gu Yang could hear the pounding heartbeat inside.
Silently confessing panic and fear.
He slowly raised his hand and patted Song Yinxing’s head.
After finally calming down a little, Song Yinxing let go. He knew he had lost his composure—Gu Yang had just woken up and needed rest.
When Xia Chun called him earlier, his blood had frozen. His brain hadn’t even reacted yet; his body had already moved. By the time he regained awareness, he was already standing outside the hospital room.
“Were you the one who pulled me out?” Gu Yang asked, looking up at Xia Chun.
Xia Chun had returned to his cold expression. He nodded calmly.
He didn’t explain why he had been there.
Even though the swimming hall wasn’t open, he had happened to see Gu Yang enter and felt an inexplicable bad feeling, so he followed inside and stayed for a while.
But that reason would make it seem like he cared too much about Gu Yang—completely contradicting his decision to keep his distance.
Now that Gu Yang was awake and Song Yinxing was by his side—and several classmates from Class Eleven had arrived—he planned to leave quickly.
But just as he was about to say goodbye, another visitor entered the room.
Gu Qingxu.
Before coming in, he knocked casually a few times, but didn’t wait for permission before pushing the door open.
Leaning against the doorway, he glanced at Gu Yang lying in the bed. Seeing that aside from a pale complexion there were no other visible injuries, he sneered:
“You really know how to cause trouble. Such a small thing and you’ve made such a huge commotion.”
The meaning of “huge commotion” was quickly revealed.
Gu Yuhui had also rushed over.
He was still wearing a very formal business suit—clearly just coming from some important occasion.
Seeing Gu Yang on the hospital bed, he ignored everything else and hurried forward to check on him.
Gu Yang seemed distracted. He responded absentmindedly, his face still extremely pale from the shock, leaning quietly against the bed with his eyes lowered.
In that instant, the scene overlapped with a distant memory.
A figure long blurred by time was suddenly redrawn with startling clarity.
Gu Qingxu watched his father’s rare display of tenderness with cold eyes. A mocking curve appeared on his lips, but in this atmosphere he said nothing.
“You were studying perfectly fine—how did it end up like this?”
After finishing his concern, Gu Yuhui’s voice dropped as he turned toward the vice-principal behind him.
The vice-principal broke out in cold sweat and looked helplessly at Xia Chun, who had been the first to discover and rescue Gu Yang.
Xia Chun hadn’t wanted to speak in this situation and attract attention, but under the vice-principal’s gaze he remained silent for a moment before softly saying,
“He fell from the diving platform.”
“The diving platform? Why would Gu Yang go up there?” Gu Qingxu couldn’t help asking.
Xia Chun shook his head, indicating he didn’t know. Quietly, he glanced at Nie Ying.
As the other person involved, Nie Ying had arrived only moments later.
He had deliberately timed his arrival to avoid putting himself in a passive position.
After Xia Chun called the ambulance and it looked like the situation would blow up, he had asked the vice-principal to check the surveillance footage, intending to clear himself completely.
But now the vice-principal showed an awkward expression.
The cameras had been recording at the time—but for some reason, none of them had captured the diving platform.
Even though the angles had been carefully adjusted when they were installed.
It was truly strange.
When he arrived at the scene, the only people present were Xia Chun, who had saved Gu Yang, and Nie Ying.
But he couldn’t just invent what had happened.
“What? The cameras didn’t record it?” Nie Ying’s voice shot up in disbelief. If the vice-principal hadn’t looked so miserable, he might have thought the man was joking.
Suspicious gazes fell on him.
Now Nie Ying finally started to panic.
“What are you looking at? What does this have to do with me? Gu Yang jumped by himself! If you don’t believe me… ask him!”
He didn’t expect Gu Yang to say anything good for him.
Instead, he turned to look at Xia Chun, a faint threat already in his gaze.
Xia Chun fell silent again.
He had indeed seen Gu Yang fall on his own, with Nie Ying still some distance away.
But he couldn’t guess Gu Yang’s intentions, and he didn’t want to accidentally ruin things for him. So he simply said,
“I didn’t see either.”
“Huh? Are you kidding me?” Nie Ying’s eyes widened. He sneered. “The platform was completely empty. You saved him so quickly, and now suddenly you’re blind?”
He laughed coldly several times, about to say more—
When suddenly someone grabbed his collar.
Nie Ying was about to see who had the guts to do that.
It turned out to be Song Yinxing.
The very same “poor bastard” he had mocked before, the one he had nearly forced to kneel and lick his shoes in apology.
Now Song Yinxing’s eyes were bloodshot.
His fist smashed straight into Nie Ying’s face.
Caught completely off guard, Nie Ying was knocked backward onto the floor.
But Song Yinxing didn’t stop there.
He sat on top of him and kept punching.
Nie Ying groaned, trying to fight back, but he had already lost the initiative and could only take the blows for the moment.
Everyone in the hospital room was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
But not a single person stepped forward to break it up.
They simply watched in silence as Song Yinxing’s fists fell again and again onto Nie Ying’s head.
