OHD Chapter 7: He Ye wanted to punish him

Chapter 7: He Ye wanted to punish him

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

In P.E. class, the teacher only had everyone run two laps around the 400-meter track before giving them free time.

The girls either sat under the shade chatting or ran back to the classroom to gossip. The boys either played basketball or grouped up, engrossed in their phones playing games.

He Ye wasn’t part of the basketball group, nor was he into gaming.

Every P.E. class during free time, he would head to the ping pong tables behind the library, lie down, and drift off to sleep while listening to the occasional voice from the classroom carrying over the breeze.

But today, that wasn’t going to happen. Someone was deliberately trying to make trouble for him.

The basketball bounced off the ground and hit He Ye’s shin. Zhou Kai immediately frowned and turned to the body committee member who threw the ball, clearly unhappy. “What are you doing?”

The body committee member raised an eyebrow at Zhou Kai, signaling him to wait and see.

The class monitor walked over to Zhou Kai’s side, whispering, “This guy’s too arrogant. If we don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll think we’re all afraid of him and can’t handle him.”

Zhou Kai’s heart sank. He couldn’t help but think, Aren’t you guys just afraid of him? Besides, even when playing basketball, you guys probably wouldn’t be able to beat him!

The ball hitting his leg didn’t hurt.

He Ye glanced at the ball that had rolled away, then turned his cold gaze toward the group on the basketball court. He didn’t focus on the body committee member or the class monitor who had thrown the ball but rather locked eyes with Zhou Kai, who was frowning at him.

He Ye had already decided a few days ago: if this so-called “good-natured” class monitor dared to bother him again, he’d play along.

And now, the opportunity had been served right to his face.

He Ye put his phone away and began walking toward them, his steps deliberate and focused.

The body committee member, seeing that He Ye was actually coming over after being provoked, couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. Their group had clearly never been able to intimidate He Ye.

Exchanging a glance with the class monitor, the body committee member still boldly spoke, “I threw the ball. If you’re upset, why don’t you come fight us?”

Zhou Kai’s head was already throbbing at the thought of this. He was about to pull someone aside to stop them from making trouble, but when he turned around, he saw He Ye walking toward him with an intense gaze.

Zhou Kai froze, unable to move. He just stood there, meeting He Ye’s unblinking stare.

The class monitor noticed something was off, hesitated, and stood in front of Zhou Kai, blocking He Ye’s hostile gaze. He lifted his chin defiantly and said, “Come on, let’s have a match. You scared?”

He Ye looked at the class monitor, who was a head shorter and as skinny as He Ye had been back in middle school, and sneered, “A match? How are you going to do that? Are you all going to gang up on me?”

The class monitor glanced at the other boys, their faces clearly showing “don’t look at me, I’m not getting involved.”

In the end, there was no way to fight. They couldn’t possibly gang up on He Ye—talk about embarrassing!

Zhou Kai took a deep breath, pushed the class monitor aside, and stepped forward. He stared intently at He Ye, his heart pounding in his chest, and said, “Fine. Just you and me.”

Upon hearing Zhou Kai’s words, He Ye looked him over for a moment before grinning, clearly satisfied. He had been worried that the class monitor would back down, but to his surprise, Zhou Kai stepped up, ready to face him alone.

It was bold, audacious.

He Ye couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement as he watched Zhou Kai’s fiery determination, the spark in his eyes. Despite the mixed signals, He Ye had to admit that Zhou Kai was far more pleasing to the eye than the bunch of cowards around him.

“Alright then, how are we playing?” He Ye asked, his eyes still cold as he watched Zhou Kai, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

A few boys ran over to grab the ball and tossed it back. He Ye caught it smoothly, holding it by his side as he shot Zhou Kai a devilish smile. “Just so we’re clear, if you lose, don’t go running to the teacher claiming I’m bullying you.”

Zhou Kai’s face flushed, his reaction unclear whether from anger or the slyness in He Ye’s smile. He stepped forward, snatched the ball from He Ye’s hands, and retorted, “Who’s to say who’s going to lose? Same goes for you.”

Though his words were confident, Zhou Kai knew deep down that to beat He Ye was nearly impossible unless the sun rose from the west.

The class monitor and the body committee member hadn’t expected the situation to escalate this far. They tried to dissuade Zhou Kai. “He Ye’s not someone to mess with, his name says it all. Maybe you should just let it go.”

But Zhou Kai wasn’t backing down. He was determined to compete.

For Zhou Kai, playing basketball with He Ye was something he had never even dreamed of, and now, it was happening, almost like a dream come true.

The class monitor and body committee member, resigned to the situation, could only clear some space and set up a rule that favored Zhou Kai: the first one to score wins.

Everyone knew that Zhou Kai had a remarkable shooting accuracy—around seventy percent. As for He Ye… well, no one had ever seen him play basketball, so they figured he was probably not much of a threat.

Standing at the center of the court, He Ye took in the sight of Zhou Kai, who was crouched and ready, and felt the familiar rush of anticipation. It had been a long time since he last played, but he didn’t care. He’d make it work.

Wiping his face with his hand, He Ye crouched down, ready for whatever was coming. He had to win, and if he did, no one would dare mess with him again.

Zhou Kai was nervous—nervous for two reasons. One, because it was He Ye, and two, because it was He Ye on the opposite side of the court. Winning or losing didn’t matter much to Zhou Kai; he knew he was going to lose anyway. What mattered was He Ye himself.

The ball was tossed into the air by the body committee member, and as expected, He Ye swiftly snatched it, spinning around to avoid Zhou Kai’s defense.

Zhou Kai was caught off guard by the speed and ferocity of He Ye’s movements.

Damn! Is he really going to go this hard?

He Ye was aiming for a quick victory, but to his surprise, Zhou Kai managed to block him just as he leaped to take the shot. Not only that, he knocked the ball right out of He Ye’s hands.

And the look Zhou Kai gave him, the cocky little glint in his eyes…

It was enough to make He Ye want to punish him.

He Ye turned and chased after the ball, a cold smile spreading across his face. This time, he wasn’t going to end it too quickly. He’d give Zhou Kai a little hope, only to crush it ruthlessly when it mattered most. That was the real way to make him suffer.

Zhou Kai, however, was getting more and more frustrated. Every time he tried to dribble into the key for a shot, He Ye intercepted it. What was even more infuriating was that He Ye had multiple opportunities to take a shot himself, but instead of shooting, he’d just pass the ball or feign a move. It was almost like He Ye was playing with him, making him look foolish.

And those two-point shots? Zhou Kai had missed again and again. What the hell was going on? Was He Ye just toying with him?

After another interception, the ball went out of bounds. Zhou Kai wiped the sweat off his brow with his shirt and glared at He Ye, who was standing in front of him, equally sweaty and breathing hard. “Can you take this seriously? Are you playing me?” Zhou Kai snapped, his tone tight with frustration.

As soon as he said “playing,” Zhou Kai immediately averted his eyes, feeling his face burn. “Damn it…”

He Ye, wiping sweat from his forehead, glanced at him with a faint, almost smug grin. “So you just figured it out, huh? I’m playing you.”

The crowd watching from the sidelines had grown impatient. They were all hoping to see He Ye lose, wanting Zhou Kai to bring him down a notch and stop He Ye from wearing that annoying, smug look on his face.

The body committee member, seeing that time was running out, glanced at his watch and then gave Zhou Kai a signal. “Five more minutes, Zhou Kai. You’d better hurry up.”

Zhou Kai, frustrated, waved him off. As he turned around to keep his focus on He Ye, he muttered to himself, “Hurry? You’re the one who isn’t taking this seriously. Even if I had ten more minutes, it’s still going to be me getting toyed with by him.”

But then, something shifted. As He Ye dribbled the ball toward him, Zhou Kai felt a change in the atmosphere. He Ye had finally stopped playing around. He was serious now.

Zhou Kai immediately became alert, his focus sharp. The game had taken on a new intensity.

In truth, He Ye wasn’t done having fun, but hearing that time was almost up, he realized the game was pointless. He’d wasted all his free time messing around with this group. Even if he won, what would it change? The looks they gave him wouldn’t change. If anything, winning might make them resent him even more.

So, what was the point of this game now?

He Ye clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling up inside him. What the hell was he even doing here?

He Ye’s frustration boiled over. The game had lost its appeal; it felt like nothing more than a waste of time. His eyes hardened, and he focused solely on scoring, determined to push past Zhou Kai.

Zhou Kai was ready for him, blocking with his body, not backing down as He Ye used his shoulder to try and shove him aside. There was a brief moment of struggle, but He Ye’s patience was wearing thin. He was about to lower his gaze to check his footwork when something caught his eye—a vision that immediately caused his blood to run cold.

There, on Zhou Kai’s skin, was the tattoo—a delicate peony entwined with a black snake, its vivid red hues and the intricate detail almost leaping off his skin, as if it were alive. The image felt far too real, a surreal haunting that had invaded his dreams, and now it was here, in front of him, on Zhou Kai.

The realization hit He Ye like a ton of bricks.

He froze, his heart pounding in his chest. The one who had been tormenting his dreams—the one whose presence felt both alluring and dangerous—was none other than Zhou Kai. The same person he was standing face to face with now. The one who had unknowingly caused him so much mental turmoil.

Zhou Kai, oblivious to what was happening, continued to focus on the ball, and before He Ye knew it, the ball slipped from his hands. Zhou Kai seized the opportunity, darting toward the ball and sprinting toward the hoop, making an effortless, clean shot.

The sound of the ball hitting the ground was followed almost immediately by the school bell signaling the end of class.

The boys on the sidelines erupted in loud cheers, as if they had witnessed a live NBA game. Zhou Kai’s teammates, including the class leader and the body committee member, rushed over to congratulate him, eager to embrace him in celebration. But Zhou Kai, still riding the high of his victory, gently pushed them away, his face glowing with pride.

He turned to look back at He Ye, his eyes full of smug satisfaction. He had done it—he had won. A feeling of disbelief mixed with excitement surged within him. He never expected to defeat He Ye, not in a million years.

But as he walked away, flanked by the class leader and body committee member toward the school’s store, he failed to notice He Ye still standing there, glaring after him with an intense, murderous gaze.

He Ye’s fists clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms. The burning sensation in his chest intensified, threatening to explode. His body shook with anger and frustration as he watched Zhou Kai being celebrated as a hero, completely unaware of the devastating truth.

The realization hit him like a thunderclap. Zhou Kai—the one who had sent him those disturbing photos, the one who had been sending mixed signals, playing with him in ways that made He Ye feel like he was losing control—was the same person who had unknowingly invaded his life in the most twisted of ways.

He Ye’s mind spiraled, his emotions a storm. He wanted to scream, to confront Zhou Kai, to explode with the pent-up frustration that had been building inside him for so long.

But all he could do was walk away, fists clenched, his body trembling with the weight of the discovery.