After hanging up the phone, Jiang Li immediately went to the dean to retrieve all of Shen Muran’s school evaluations and competition scores from his student years.
Fortunately, Jiang Lintian had donated a teaching building to Jincheng University, which made the dean so cooperative in handling the matter.
The process went smoothly. Within less than five minutes of forwarding the materials to Ji Chengyu, the other party sent over the club’s invitation code.
Ji Chengyu: 【The talent looks very promising. Have him apply for the competition right away. Once the other member returns from competing abroad, we’ll notify him to come for joint training.】
Back then, Shen Muran had no connections and took many detours. This time, at least things could proceed more smoothly.
Jiang Li was in a good mood, humming softly to herself.
She walked under the shade of the trees, a gentle breeze sweeping past the green belt, carrying the fresh scent of grass and leaves.
At noon, the entrance to the cafeteria was the most crowded spot, and today it was completely packed.
“Tsk, move aside.”
Lu Zheng raised his chin, deliberately speaking loudly to draw the attention of those present. “About that incident on the forum yesterday, the dean told me to apologize to you publicly.”
He intentionally blocked Shen Muran at the cafeteria staircase, standing two steps higher than him.
“Sorry about that.”
He sneered, offering a very flippant apology.
“Oh, right, I also broke your racket yesterday. Young Master Ji told me to replace it for you. It’s an expensive brand, so be careful with it.”
Lu Zheng deliberately emphasized the word “expensive,” his eyes scanning Shen Muran up and down, filled with disdain and contempt.
He then forcefully threw the tennis racket at Shen Muran’s chest. The other didn’t catch it, and the racket clattered onto the steps.
The crowd of onlookers grew larger, chatting openly and brazenly in front of the two.
“Is Shen Muran out of his mind? Daring to make Young Master Lu apologize to him? Wasn’t deleting the post enough?”
“Probably Miss Jiang’s doing. You have no idea, yesterday…”
“Huh? So Young Master Lu is doing this to vent for Xu Jiarang?”
The whispers buzzed like mosquitoes, drilling straight into their ears.
Shen Muran held his lunchbox, standing tall and straight. He lowered his gaze to look at the old racket on the ground, his expression showing no fluctuation.
The man was like a deep pool of water.
Lu Zheng hated Shen Muran’s calm demeanor—it made him feel like he was putting on a one-man show.
“Pick it up!”
Lu Zheng jabbed Shen Muran’s shoulder forcefully, his tone deliberately condescending. “What? An old racket suits you perfectly, doesn’t it? If you find someone to recycle this brand, you could still sell it for twelve hundred!”
Shen Muran: “I only want three hundred.”
“Three hundred, my ass!”
Lu Zheng was infuriated by Shen Muran’s indifference and slapped the lunchbox out of his hand.
The glass lunchbox crashed directly into the edge of the staircase, shattering with a loud bang. A sharp fragment grazed Shen Muran’s right cheek, leaving a deep cut.
Warm rice mixed with vegetable soup spilled all over the floor. The onlookers’ pant legs were splattered with tomato sauce, and the circle around them instantly widened.
Shen Muran raised his hand and lightly touched the wound, rubbing away the blood with his fingers. He lowered his gaze to look at the mess of food on the ground.
“Three hundred and thirty.”
Lu Zheng laughed in anger, pulling out four crumpled red banknotes from his wallet. He tossed them onto the ground and stomped them firmly into the rice.
“Compensation. Pick it up.”
“Consider the extra seventy as payment for your hard work cleaning this up.”
The man’s haughty mockery stung like needles. “I even paid you according to an hourly worker’s wage—more than enough, no less.”
Shen Muran lowered his gaze, quickly pulled out his phone and pressed the shutter button, capturing Lu Zheng’s despicable act of stepping on the currency.
“Tell me, can you go to jail for intentionally damaging legal tender?”
Lu Zheng sneered coldly, unfazed by the threat. “You bastard, you’re asking for it.”
Just as his fist was about to land, a young girl stepped between the two.
“Jiang Li?”
Lu Zheng’s fist remained raised, though the anger in his eyes faded slightly. “Step aside. We can talk after I teach this guy a lesson—”
Jiang Li looked at Lu Zheng expressionlessly. “Did no one ever teach you since you were little that apologies should be sincere?”
“Wh-what?”
The girl suddenly closed in on Lu Zheng.
The steps were narrow, startling him into stumbling and falling, his backside landing in a pile of leftover food.
“What are you doing?!”
The girl smiled faintly. “Flashing four hundred bucks and acting like a brainless bully? How shameless.”
“Putting on such airs, and you don’t even hold any position!”
As soon as she spoke, Lu Zheng felt countless mocking, amused eyes fixed on him, his face flushing red with anger.
He pointed at Shen Muran behind Jiang Li. “So you’re dead set on standing up for him today?”
“Yes.”
Lu Zheng pressed his tongue hard against his cheek. “No wonder the dean made me apologize, and the forum posts were taken down so quickly. Turns out someone found a backer.”
“Seriously, has Miss Jiang been that bored lately?” He scoffed. “Even a poor bastard’s broken racket needs you to step in?”
“Are you my dad or my mom? Mind your own business.” Jiang Li gave a half-smile. “And what gives you the right to call someone a bastard? His parents are each other’s original spouses. Tell me, you purebred young master, do you even know how to use that word?”
The surrounding onlookers: “…”
…Purebred?
Everyone knew this was Lu Zheng’s catchphrase.
He’d call anyone a bastard when he was angry, and the students were used to it.
But in such a tense argument, Jiang Li’s sudden “purebred” remark had many pinching their thighs hard to keep from laughing out loud.
Lu Zheng’s rage skyrocketed. Just as he was about to retort, Jiang Li’s sharp tongue struck again.
“Haven’t seen you in a while. Has the purebred young master’s family gone bankrupt? The racket you gave as compensation is old. If you’re struggling financially, just say so. I’m sure Shen would agree to give you a few extra days.”
The girl kicked the tennis racket Lu Zheng had brought over with her high heel.
Then she turned her head to Shen Muran. “Right?”
Her sarcastic remarks left Lu Zheng looking as if he’d swallowed a pound of excrement.
Shen Muran lifted his eyes.
In the cafeteria, Jiang Li stood beside him in her high heels.
Completely ignoring the gazes directed their way.
Even Shen Muran, slow as he was, understood that Jiang Li was seeking justice for him.
So he tactfully agreed.
Jiang Li slowly crouched down. “If photos of you trampling on currency in public and humiliating a classmate get leaked, how much do you think the Lu family’s stocks will drop tomorrow?”
Her makeup was light, seemingly just a simple lipstick, her face devoid of excessive expression, yet her demeanor was sharp and unyielding.
Lu Zheng felt his blood run cold, his hands and feet icy.
Without a doubt, his grandfather would kill him.
He blustered weakly, “What do you want?”
“Compensation. One thousand.”
Jiang Li opened her payment QR code and held it out, her gaze sweeping indifferently over Lu Zheng’s face as if looking at a wild dog barking mindlessly.