Over time, he will eventually show his true colors.
On the other side of the room, indignant murmurs spilled from Song Wenyue’s mouth.
“People who lack class are simply classless. Imagine clinking water glasses just to take a drink.”
“How can he be so pathetic and pretentious?”
Song Wenyue, who had been secretly watching Song Xingqiu and Wu Hongzhou, mocked them as he witnessed the two clink their glasses together. Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi kept their heads down and ate fervently, not daring to utter a word.
Yesterday, they had gone to Wu Hongzhou’s dormitory to ask why he had betrayed Song Wenyue. They were met with the answer that it was an internal conflict within the Song family.
Was the business of the Song family something they could interfere with?
Naturally, they had nothing to say to that and left immediately with their tails between their legs. Now, listening to Song Wenyue’s bitter remarks, it was obvious he was jealous of the bond between Song Xingqiu and Wu Hongzhou. This left both of them feeling quite slighted.
Clearly, Song Wenyue was supposed to have three lackeys. Why was it that only Wu Hongzhou had been moved to Song Xingqiu’s side because of a family internal conflict, while they had not even received a single phone call?
It was not that they necessarily wanted to follow Song Xingqiu. However, at the very least, they felt they should have been given a call to let them make a choice. They might have even taken the opportunity to reaffirm their loyalty to Song Wenyue. Did nobody understand the proper procedure? Did even lackeys have to be ranked into different classes?
Mu Huaizhi ate a bite of his post-meal dessert and asked Song Wenyue, “By the way, what exactly is this internal conflict Wu Hongzhou mentioned? I am incredibly curious. Can you not just ask your father?”
Song Wenyue replied irritably, “I am not asking! The old man has reached male menopause; his temper is deadly. We end up in a fight after just two sentences.”
He then let out a cold laugh and added, “What internal conflict could there be? It is nothing more than that bastard getting a bit older and gaining some ambition, then begging my grandfather to let him come back and stir the pot.”
The bastard Song Wenyue referred to was, naturally, Song Xingqiu.
He said disdainfully, “Do you think he has the courage to go see my father? He only knows how to show off in front of me at school! A half-blood’s vision is limited to this. What use is it for him to act all high and mighty in front of me? Is my father going to give the inheritance to him instead of me? Absurd!”
Who else could it go to? He was an only son. As the rightful heir of the Song family, no matter how much he argued with his father, the company would eventually be his. That was the source of his confidence.
Mu Huaizhi shrugged. “Then why did Wu Hongzhou go over to him? Wu Hongzhou is a rare, intelligent man.”
Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi felt personally attacked by that comment.
Song Wenyue frowned. “Who knows? Perhaps it was an order my grandfather gave to Wu Hongzhou.”
To him, that felt like the only possible answer.
Mu Huaizhi did not dwell on it further. He watched the scene of Song Xingqiu and Wu Hongzhou chatting with great interest. “The two of them seem to be getting along quite well.”
Observing Song Wenyue’s obvious breakdown, Mu Huaizhi smirked and tilted his chin toward Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi, winking at them. “Song Xingqiu is so good to Wu Hongzhou. Do you two feel mistreated following our Wenyue?”
Song Wenyue’s face instantly darkened.
Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi shook their heads frantically. “No, not at all!”
Xue Chengyi flattered him, saying, “We love following Brother Song! Our Brother Song is the ironclad future successor of the Song Group. How can a discarded reject like Song Xingqiu compare to our Brother Song? There is no need for you to compare yourself to him, Brother Song. That would be beneath your status.”
Hearing Xue Chengyi’s words, Song Wenyue’s expression softened considerably. He still did not understand why Wu Hongzhou had chosen Song Xingqiu. Originally, he had intended to ask about it when he called his father yesterday. However, his father did nothing but criticize him, and hearing his voice made Song Wenyue lose his appetite.
His mother, on the other hand, adored him, perhaps even to the point of excessive indulgence. He had called her last night, but she knew absolutely nothing.
The more Song Wenyue thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Seeing Song Xingqiu and Wu Hongzhou acting like that made him unable to finish his meal. Eating together and acting all close, how disgusting!
He sneered, “It really is just like him, specifically picking up things others do not want.”
After speaking, Song Wenyue gulped down a mouthful of cold water to cool his temper.
Qin Xiushi, who had been sitting silently the entire time, looked up with a slight arch of his brow. “He was not given by you, was he? Is it not that Wu Hongzhou did not want you anymore?”
Song Wenyue’s brain buzzed. He was already in a bad mood, and just as he had managed to comfort himself, Qin Xiushi exposed the truth. He instantly exploded in a fit of rage. “Qin! Xiu! Shi!”
The small corner suddenly became lively. Mu Huaizhi quickly tried to mediate. “Wenyue, do you not already know what Xiushi’s temper is like?”
He then turned to complain to Qin Xiushi, “And you, Qin Xiushi, can you please say a few fewer words?”
Mu Huaizhi felt a headache coming on. It was a strange world. With Jiang Baixie and Wu Hongzhou gone, he had become the most rational person in the group. He only teased for fun, but Qin Xiushi seemed intent on starting a world war.
Qin Xiushi ignored Song Wenyue entirely. Having said his piece, he lowered his head and continued his lunch.
The commotion reached Song Xingqiu. He glanced over at the chaotic scene and remarked, “It is quite lively over there.”
Without Song Xingqiu having to ask, Wu Hongzhou explained on his own, “Qin Xiushi is always like that. Even though he is a member of the F4, he always stays detached. He is cold and disinterested in everything. He is very sharp-tongued, or rather, he enjoys saying things that sting. This is not the first time Song Wenyue has been provoked by him. However, he is very capable. He is a financial genius who has been playing the stock market since he was a child. It is said he has already made a billion through stocks. His family is famous for their investment prowess. You may have heard of his father, Qin Li.”
Song Xingqiu nodded in understanding. “So, he is a ‘God of Stocks’.”
Back in the Federation, he had met Qin Li and shared a brief conversation with him. Qin Li was indeed a formidable figure.
While they were speaking, the commotion at Song Wenyue’s table ended. Mu Huaizhi had said, “Do you want to let your little uncle see you as a laughingstock?”
Song Wenyue was forced to stop. After a moment, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He gave the nearby sofa a vicious kick. However, because the furniture on the second floor was of such high quality, the sofa did not budge. The force reflected back into his own foot, causing him to jump up in pain with a sharp hiss.
Before he could worry about his foot, Song Wenyue quickly looked toward Song Xingqiu, fearing he would see a mocking expression. However, he found the seats were already empty. He looked around and saw that Song Xingqiu and Wu Hongzhou had already finished their meal and left.
Despite the loud commotion, Song Xingqiu had not even turned his head. Wu Hongzhou, however, had. After locking eyes with Wenyue, Wu Hongzhou immediately turned back, his mouth moving as he clearly said something to Song Xingqiu.
From this angle, Song Wenyue could not see Song Xingqiu’s expression or movements. He only understood one thing: that guy had not looked back at him once, even at the very end. Song Wenyue felt a surge of stifled anger in his chest.
Wu Hongzhou reported to Song Xingqiu, “Song Wenyue got angry and kicked the sofa, hurting himself.”
Song Xingqiu replied, “…”
Song Xingqiu felt that his eldest brother was quite unfortunate. Song Cheng was a fairly reliable person, so how did he manage to have a son who was missing a few brain cells? Did the nephew take after the uncle?
Song Xingqiu let out a light tut. “Handing the Song family over to that kind of person would truly be the end of it.”
Wu Hongzhou remained silent, not taking the bait. He was a smart man. Song Xingqiu’s attitude when discussing the Song family heir yesterday was intriguing, and Wu Hongzhou had formed a bold guess. However, he did not dare to jump to conclusions. Could it really be? But Song Cheng was still alive and well, after all. Wu Hongzhou could not figure it out.
Song Xingqiu did not mind Wu Hongzhou’s silence. It was impossible for him to be completely uninterested in the Song family; his appetite had always been large. Unfortunately, Song Cheng was capable, and the elder Mr. Song had already given most of the shares to him. The company was filled with Song Cheng’s people. Until Song Cheng died, he would not be able to obtain the Song Group.
By the time Song Cheng passed away and he had to snatch the company from his nephew, he would likely be in his sixties or seventies. He did not know if he would still have the energy or the drive to fight his nephew for power then. Regardless, it was better to first secure the things Song Cheng had personally delivered to him. One must be able to digest the good things they take.
Seeing Song Xingqiu leave the restaurant, Song Wenyue followed closely behind. The students in the restaurant finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. While they remained calm on the surface, the forum posts were being refreshed at lightning speed.
I have never had such a suffocating meal. Is the academy really about to change? Who exactly is the current boss of the academy? Please give me a definitive answer! Even Brother Song had to avoid his edge. I haven’t eaten a good meal in two days. Song Xingqiu is the real demon. Is he really going to climb over Brother Song’s head? Where does a discarded son get the confidence to be so arrogant?
The noble students, who usually loved to pick on the scholarship students, were uncharacteristically quiet. They were terrified of crossing Song Xingqiu or Song Wenyue. Song Xingqiu made no further moves, and Song Wenyue did not cause any more scenes. Life passed peacefully for two days.
Compared to the gloomy noble students, the scholarship students had many more smiles on their faces. When Song Xingqiu was in the classroom, he could frequently feel probing, curious gazes from the scholarship student in his class. These looks were filled with scrutiny and an unconscious sense of envy. Because of Song Xingqiu’s presence, that student had enjoyed a few days of peace.
The student’s gaze was complex; it was not entirely one of gratitude. When Song Xingqiu happened to glance over, the student would lower his head like a frightened quail, not daring to meet his eyes. Song Xingqiu frowned; this fellow gave him a very strange feeling. He did not recall such a character in the book; he was likely just an extra.
Song Xingqiu stopped worrying about him. His reputation was polarized between the scholarship students and the noble students.
The noble students, of course, found it detestable that a half-blood like Song Xingqiu was so arrogant. The Song family was already in Song Cheng’s hands. Song Xingqiu would be nothing in the future, so how could he be compared to heirs like them? Being on the same level as Song Xingqiu was beneath them. They desperately wanted to move against him. However, since Song Wenyue could not get the better of him, they did not dare to act, fearing Song Xingqiu’s frantic retaliation. They were now waiting for Song Wenyue to strike again so they could take the opportunity to kick him while he was down.
The scholarship students, however, had a very favorable view of Song Xingqiu. Many days had passed, and there was no news of him bullying any scholarship students. Aside from the first day when he struck back at Song Wenyue, he had been very quiet. He was completely different from those noble young masters and ladies who walked with their noses in the air. Furthermore, because of his presence, the noble students were now as quiet as mice and had temporarily stopped their bullying. For the first time since enrolling, they had experienced a few days of peace.
Shen Qianyan was the only one among the scholarship students who held no goodwill toward Song Xingqiu. He firmly believed that Song Xingqiu was no different from the other noble students; he was only behaving now because he was also being ostracized by them.
Over time, he will eventually show his true colors.