Song Xingqiu spent two consecutive nights in the dormitory attending online classes. Ultimately, online classes were not as convenient as face-to-face instruction. While the results were acceptable, the efficiency fell far short of what Song Xingqiu had imagined. The teachers simply did not meet his expectations.
The educational content of the Empire and the Federation was different. Besides catching up on the specific curriculum expanded by Axellonia, Song Xingqiu had to relearn all the Empire’s foundational subjects. Consequently, he had an overwhelming amount of coursework to make up. This was no longer just a matter of skipping a grade; while the basic subjects before high school were simple enough, high school material was more troublesome. He had to start catching up from the tenth grade curriculum, or he would find certain areas fragmented and incoherent.
He decided to self-study the foundational content of the tenth and eleventh grades. There was not much he had never learned; only a small portion was different, and a quick self-guided review would suffice. Relying on a teacher would make the progress too slow, and he did not know how long it would take to finish.
Axellonia Academy held monthly exams. Before Song Xingqiu transferred, the monthly exams had just ended. Fortunately, he still had a month to prepare. Without the disturbance of bored individuals, Song Xingqiu went to the library during the day to study. Over the past two days, he had been focused on tenth grade foundational knowledge. The library displayed all textbooks, expanded content, explanatory books, and workbooks from the tenth to the thirteenth grades to facilitate student self-study. Resources outside the school were not as comprehensive.
Song Xingqiu estimated he could finish a book every two or three days. He did not plan to hire someone outside the school to purchase books for him. It would be a waste of time and space.
On his fourth day at the school, Song Xingqiu went to the library to self-study for the second time.
“You do not need to follow me. You can go do what you want to do,” Song Xingqiu said to Wu Hongzhou, who was following closely behind him. He had to dismiss his little lackey. He had no interest in studying tenth grade material in front of a business partner while maintaining the status of a thirteenth grade student. Song Xingqiu wanted to save face.
A trace of suspicion flashed in Wu Hongzhou’s eyes. For two days in a row, Song Xingqiu had come to the library immediately after lunch and dismissed him each time. Having been Song Wenyue’s lackey for so many years, Wu Hongzhou’s daily routine consisted of attending classes and following Song Wenyue. As the lackey Song Wenyue used to like best, this was the first time he had been shunned by a master.
Wu Hongzhou was not used to it. He looked at Song Xingqiu’s unchanging expression and then realized something. Song Xingqiu was likely handling business matters that were not convenient for him to see. He kindly reminded Song Xingqiu, “The Axellonia library is indeed very quiet, but we can also return to the dormitory to rest at noon.”
In his view, if Song Xingqiu really needed to handle documents that others should not see, he did not have to come to the library. Would it not be more convenient to go directly to the dormitory? Song Xingqiu did not deny it and simply replied, “I understand.”
Wu Hongzhou made his point and did not continue to linger. He had said what needed to be said, leaving the rest to Song Xingqiu’s choice. Once he was sure Wu Hongzhou had left, Song Xingqiu could finally begin his self-study. Although Axellonia was just a school, it was extraordinarily large. It had everything from a golf course and a horse stable to a ballroom and a screening room. There was even a commercial street. Except for the ten days before exams when students would rush to the library to cram, everyone spent their spare time enjoying themselves. A place of quiet study like the library was usually empty.
This made it convenient for Song Xingqiu to secretly catch up on his lessons. As he had the previous day, he went to the section housing the tenth grade materials. Imperial books, especially textbooks, were very expensive. While the young masters and ladies of the great families certainly did not lack money, for poor scholarship students, books represented a huge expense.
When studying without a teacher, borrowing textbooks and supplementary materials from the library was the most cost-effective method. Song Xingqiu had already used his permissions to check the library’s borrowing records. By seeing which books were borrowed most frequently, he could find the best study materials by following the rankings. He did not plan to borrow the books and take them back to the dormitory. He had too much to catch up on, and carrying two books as thick as bricks would be too conspicuous on the road. Since he read quickly, borrowing and returning them would be a waste of time.
After looking around and confirming no one else was present, Song Xingqiu took out the physics book and the analysis guide he had not finished yesterday. He sat down and continued to grind through them. He read some parts very quickly and others very slowly. Much of the knowledge he had already learned, but the terminology was different from the Federation textbooks, so a quick review was enough. For the parts he had never studied, he had to take his time.
Song Xingqiu studied quietly. After about half an hour, he heard a set of footsteps outside. He frowned and, after a second of hesitation, made a decision. He picked up his books and walked to a corner hidden behind the bookshelves. It was a corner he had discovered by accident yesterday. It was very well-hidden. People borrowing books would not come here for no reason. Staying here, he did not have to worry about anyone discovering him.
Tucked away in the corner, Song Xingqiu continued to flip through the books rapidly. He had to read faster. His plan was to finish all the foundational content for the tenth and eleventh grades within this month. Combined with the night classes from his tutors, he hoped to rank in the middle during next month’s exams.
Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps clearly heading in his direction. Had he happened to encounter a first-year scholarship student coming to borrow books? His luck was poor, but generally, people would not wander into this specific corner. Just as he thought this, a clean, nervous, and hurried face unexpectedly came into his view.
Shen Qianyan.
The name immediately jumped into his mind. Before arriving, he had looked over the profiles of all the prominent characters in the book. Shen Qianyan was naturally among them. Since arriving at the school, Song Xingqiu had not officially interacted with the protagonist of this novel world. Their only intersection was on his first day, when they were on different floors of the cafeteria and both shamed Song Wenyue simultaneously. Song Xingqiu had confronted him head-on, while Shen Qianyan had used an attitude of indifference to side-step Song Wenyue’s ego.
He did not expect their first face-to-face encounter to happen under these circumstances. Shen Qianyan was startled to see someone there, but then he thought that anyone in this part of the library must also be a scholarship student who might help him. However, once he saw Song Xingqiu’s face clearly, his relief vanished and was replaced by shock.
“How could it be him?”
Song Xingqiu reacted quickly. He shoved the heavy books into Shen Qianyan’s arms and pulled the boy toward him. Shen Qianyan confusedly took the books; Song Xingqiu’s strength was not something he could break away from. In the blink of an eye, he had been dragged inside.
The narrow space could barely fit the two of them. Shen Qianyan could even clearly feel Song Xingqiu’s warm breath. He felt his body brush against Song Xingqiu’s. Thinking of something, Shen Qianyan turned pale and instinctively tried to resist. But with his thin arms and legs, how could he be a match for Song Xingqiu? Song Xingqiu could pin Song Wenyue to the ground and beat him; Shen Qianyan was no challenge.
Sensing Shen Qianyan’s struggle, Song Xingqiu tightened his grip on the boy’s wrist. Shen Qianyan was shocked by the immense strength. Although he knew of Song Xingqiu’s feat of taking on three people at once and knew he was not as frail as he appeared, he did not expect his strength to be so terrifying. There was no possibility of breaking free. The pressure and deterrence he felt were even stronger than what he felt from Song Wenyue!
Blood drained from Shen Qianyan’s face. He felt despair, thinking it would have been better to be caught and beaten by Jiang Xing and the others. He had never seen Song Xingqiu’s methods of torture, but these noble young masters were each more terrifying than the last.
Song Xingqiu saw Shen Qianyan’s expression, but he did not care. Without effort, he wedged Shen Qianyan into the corner. He whispered into Shen Qianyan’s ear, “Be quiet. Do not make a sound.” His voice carried a hardness that allowed no refusal. He then stepped out.
Left alone in the corner, Shen Qianyan’s mind was still reeling. What was going on?
Song Xingqiu smoothed the wrinkles in his clothes. As expected, hurried footsteps appeared a second later. They were messy and frantic. Before the people appeared, their voices arrived. Before Song Xingqiu even saw the shadows of those chasing Shen Qianyan, he heard several people shouting classic villainous lines like thugs in a movie.
“It has only been a few days, and your ability to run has improved again.”
“Why waste that useless effort? You had the guts to defy Brother Song, but you do not have the guts to face us?”
“If we find you today, you are finished!”
“Do you think we cannot find you just because you ran into the library?”
“If you know what is good for you, come out yourself and go kneel and apologize to Brother Song! If Brother Song is in a good mood today, he might let you off the hook.”
Song Xingqiu recognized Jiang Xing’s voice; the other was likely Xue Chengyi. The two of them were working in tandem to intimidate Shen Qianyan, looking exactly like brainless minor villains from a television drama.
Song Xingqiu slowly stepped out from behind the bookshelf. When his figure first entered their sight, Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi were very satisfied.
“That is more like it… Holy crap!”
“Why is it you?!”
The excited voices instantly turned into shrieks of terror. The two of them sounded as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi nearly jumped out of their skins.
Song Xingqiu stopped, stood straight, and gave a cold sweep of the room. Looking at the two who had chased Shen Qianyan here, he said with a half-smile, “Who did you say was finished? Who did you say should kneel and apologize to Song Wenyue?”
Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi had come to teach Shen Qianyan a lesson. Ever since the day in the cafeteria when Shen Qianyan had given Song Wenyue no face and intentionally ignored him to finish his meal despite the tense atmosphere, Song Wenyue had wanted to deal with him. Unfortunately, Shen Qianyan had hidden well over the past few days, staying either in offices or in his dormitory. Although Song Wenyue had ordered people to mess with his locker, desk, and chair, those small punishments were nothing to a tough nut like Shen Qianyan, who was long accustomed to that level of bullying.
Song Wenyue was naturally not satisfied. Today, he finally found an opportunity when Shen Qianyan was alone and immediately sent Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi to chase him. Seeing Shen Qianyan run into the library in a panic, the two were secretly happy, thinking they had him trapped. No matter how large the library was, the space was limited. Once Shen Qianyan ran inside, he was caught!
The two had rushed in excitedly, thinking they could catch Shen Qianyan and claim credit from Song Wenyue. They did not expect that instead of finding Shen Qianyan, they would find Song Xingqiu! It was no different from reaching into a ditch to catch an eel and pulling out a king cobra.
After the experience of the first day, they had no doubts about Song Xingqiu’s strength. If even Song Wenyue did not dare to provoke him, they certainly would not. Seeing Song Xingqiu appear, both of their faces changed simultaneously.
Xue Chengyi hurried to explain, “No, no, Brother, we were not talking about you. We are looking for someone else.”
Jiang Xing also nodded frantically. “Yes, we are looking for Shen Qianyan. It has nothing to do with you.” He was so scared that he even used a polite form of address.
Song Xingqiu raised an eyebrow. “Shen Qianyan?”
Xue Chengyi forced a smile. “Yes, an unpleasant kid who offended Song… offended Song Wenyue. We have some business with him.”
Xue Chengyi had wanted to say “Brother Song,” but facing Song Xingqiu, he could not even get the word “Brother” out.
Song Xingqiu withdrew his smile. He did not buy their flattery and looked at them coldly. “If you have business, go to the classroom or the dormitory. Do not come to the library. Is the library a place for you to cause trouble?”
Seeing Song Xingqiu stop smiling, Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi were scared out of their wits. Xue Chengyi quickly agreed, “No, no, of course not.”
Jiang Xing tentatively tested the waters. “Then we will not disturb you. Would it be okay if we look around the library very quietly?”
Song Xingqiu did not speak; he just looked at them. Xue Chengyi tugged at Jiang Xing, signaling the dimwit to stop talking. He bowed and scraped with a smile. “We will not look, we will not look. We will not disturb you. Please take your time reading.”
Xue Chengyi grabbed Jiang Xing and hurried out of the library. Since Song Xingqiu was here and had spoken, if they were so blind as to wander around, even if they found Shen Qianyan, could they really beat him in front of Song Xingqiu? What if Song Xingqiu found their arrogance annoying and beat them instead? Even Song Wenyue could not handle him; what could they do? Song Xingqiu and Song Wenyue were so at odds that Song Xingqiu might have already wanted to act against them once he knew Shen Qianyan was someone Song Wenyue was targeting. Regardless of the situation, leaving was the right choice.
Xue Chengyi did not dare to delay for a second and quickly led Jiang Xing away.
Once they were gone, Song Xingqiu walked back to the corner and looked at Shen Qianyan. Shen Qianyan also looked at him. His gaze toward Song Xingqiu was complex. He had heard the entire conversation. Song Xingqiu had driven Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi away for him. He did not dare to be so bold as to think Song Xingqiu was helping him, but Song Xingqiu had indeed helped him.
Although Song Xingqiu had been at the academy for less than a week, Shen Qianyan’s feelings toward him were subtle. He was not like some foolish scholarship students who thought Song Xingqiu was a prince about to save them from a dragon. Song Xingqiu was not like them. He was a member of the upper class. He and Song Wenyue were of the same kind. Helping scholarship students was not his intention; it was just a side effect of his conflict with Song Wenyue.
Having dealt with these beasts for over a year, Shen Qianyan had long ago stopped having illusions about any of them. He hated Song Wenyue, and he similarly hated Song Xingqiu. But his hatred for Song Xingqiu was wavering today after he had been helped. Shen Qianyan repeatedly reminded himself that Song Xingqiu did not truly want to help him; he only acted because he was at odds with Song Wenyue!
Just then, Shen Qianyan saw Song Xingqiu look directly at him and slowly reach out a hand. His handsome face was backlit, his features cool and sharp; he truly had a fine appearance. Shen Qianyan’s mind went blank for a second. Song Xingqiu being five centimeters taller than him should not have felt oppressive, but because of the ruthless impression he left on others, Shen Qianyan’s heart rate instantly accelerated.
He instinctively took a step back. He could not tell if he was more afraid or more embarrassed. In the cramped space, there was only him and Song Xingqiu. Behind him was a solid wall; there was nowhere to run.
Shen Qianyan thought of Mu Huaizhi. That playboy had expressed “interest” in him more than once, implying that if he were willing to follow him, Mu Huaizhi could protect him from Song Wenyue. Shen Qianyan only felt disgusted. That guy specifically targeted beautiful, helpless scholarship students, throwing them away when he got bored. Those he abandoned became perpetual topics of school gossip. Many became depressed, dropped out, or self harmed as a result.
“Was Song Xingqiu also planning to?”
Shen Qianyan’s hands clenched. Song Xingqiu watched as Shen Qianyan stared at him blankly, his expression changing repeatedly. This little guy was no better at controlling his expressions than his cheap nephew. He could tell what he was thinking at a glance. It was one thing for those hopeless students to think about such things every day, but why were even the high achieving scholarship students’ heads filled with this stuff? Was this the power of romance novels?
To stop Shen Qianyan from overthinking, Song Xingqiu’s clear voice suddenly rang in his ear: “Books.”
Shen Qianyan froze for a second before realizing Song Xingqiu was asking for his books back. He hurriedly handed the books back to Song Xingqiu. After taking them, Song Xingqiu stepped out of the small space.
Shen Qianyan’s face turned bright red! The man had held out his hand for a long time to get his books back, and Shen Qianyan had spent that time imagining all sorts of nonsense. Shen Qianyan’s inner self wanted to bang its head against a wall. Heavens, what an embarrassment! Fortunately, Song Xingqiu did not know what he was thinking, or he would be too ashamed to face anyone. How could he have thought Song Xingqiu had the same character as Mu Huaizhi?
After taking the books, Song Xingqiu did not turn back to look at Shen Qianyan. He returned to his seat and began to study. He was not worried about Shen Qianyan seeing him read these books or discovering the secret that his grades were so poor he had to start from the tenth grade. Given Shen Qianyan’s situation and reputation at school, he would not spread rumors.
Shen Qianyan was different from Wu Hongzhou.