He consciously followed behind Song Xingqiu, blocking Shen Qianyan’s view.
Song Xingqiu asked Shen Qianyan, “Has Song Wenyue caused you any trouble lately?”
Song Xingqiu was not particularly interested in Shen Qianyan’s motives for speaking with him. If Shen Qianyan truly intended to seek his help, Song Xingqiu would not consider it overstepping. It was common knowledge throughout the school that he and Song Wenyue did not get along; for Shen Qianyan to seek him out to deal with Song Wenyue was simply the choice of a smart man.
If he were in Shen Qianyan’s position, he would have started testing the waters to secure such a powerful connection long ago. However, based on what he knew of Shen Qianyan’s personality, this stubborn mule likely had no such intention.
Shen Qianyan shook his head. “Since the day at the library, they have not come looking for me.”
Song Xingqiu was genuinely surprised by this unexpected answer. Shen Qianyan had been with him lately, and it was impossible for Song Wenyue and the others not to know. With new grudges added to old ones, if Song Wenyue actually possessed the endurance to hold back, Song Cheng would not have come to him for help in the first place.
Since they had not troubled Shen Qianyan, it could only mean one thing.
Song Xingqiu spoke as if to himself, “It seems they are preparing a grand surprise for me.”
Shen Qianyan thought the same. Song Wenyue had been far too quiet over the past two days, a silence that left him with a faint sense of unease. He had been wondering how to warn Song Xingqiu to be careful. However, he was not close to Song Xingqiu, nor were they friends; saying such things abruptly felt too presumptuous.
Hearing Song Xingqiu react so quickly, he felt a weight lift from his heart.
It was actually quite funny. Song Wenyue always looked for trouble with him, so he never had a kind word for Song Wenyue and always maintained a hardened attitude. Mu Huaizhi said he was like a hedgehog, covered in spines. Whenever he faced that group of bastards in the F4, he automatically became a firecracker.
Yet, in the face of Song Xingqiu, perhaps because Song Xingqiu acted so much more kindly and normally compared to Song Wenyue’s group, Shen Qianyan actually did not know how to interact with him. He always felt constrained in Song Xingqiu’s presence.
Song Xingqiu took out his phone, typed a few lines, and sent them. Shen Qianyan noticed that after Song Xingqiu finished typing, he seemed to switch to a different application. He watched it for a long while before turning off the phone.
Song Xingqiu had been checking the surveillance in his dormitory living room. On the screen were Song Wenyue, Jiang Xing, and Xue Chengyi. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. How could his nephew’s methods be so childish and never show any improvement?
He had installed the surveillance out of his naturally cautious personality; he had not expected it to actually come in handy one day. Knowing his foolish nephew’s intentions, Song Xingqiu was no longer in the mood to continue reading.
Song Xingqiu said to Shen Qianyan, “It is already five o’clock. Let us go have dinner.”
Shen Qianyan had no objections. It was indeed getting late. He needed to finish dinner quickly and return to his dormitory. At Axronia, the dormitory was the safest place. As long as the door was locked, no one else could get in. Song Wenyue had not troubled him for several days, but he still prioritized vigilance.
Song Xingqiu returned the book to its original place.
From Monday to Friday, after the afternoon break ended, Song Xingqiu and Shen Qianyan would leave the library to attend their afternoon classes. This was technically the first time they were leaving the library together during a rest period.
Shen Qianyan began to hesitate again. He wanted to ask Song Xingqiu if he wanted to walk with him. They were not exactly friends, but they could be considered acquaintances, could they not? After all, they had spent many days together in the library, and Song Xingqiu had even borrowed his notes.
Then he felt that even if Song Xingqiu and Song Wenyue were at odds, Song Xingqiu surely would not want to walk with a person of lower status like him. Yet, deep down, he truly hoped to get a little closer to Song Xingqiu. Shen Qianyan was so conflicted he felt like he was being twisted into a knot!
Finally, Shen Qianyan made up his mind. He decided to try. He began to speak, “Song,”
However, before he could finish his sentence, Song Xingqiu had already stepped toward the library entrance and said to someone at the door, “You are here.”
Shen Qianyan froze, unable to imagine who Song Xingqiu was talking to. Did Song Xingqiu actually have other friends in this school? He had read on the forums that Song Xingqiu was currently seen as a threat at Axronia; no one dared to bully him, but no one dared to approach him either.
He took two steps forward and saw the person standing in front of Song Xingqiu. He recognized him. It was Wu Hongzhou.
Wu Hongzhou had timed his arrival perfectly to pick up Song Xingqiu and go to the restaurant. For Wu Hongzhou, it did not matter how Song Xingqiu viewed him, whether as a subordinate or a partner. Wu Hongzhou had to place himself in the correct position. Serving Song Xingqiu with a humble attitude would never be the wrong move.
He did not know what Song Xingqiu did in the library, and he would not interfere or disturb him, but he would be there to leave with Song Xingqiu when the time was right. In the eyes of outsiders, they were already a group with bound interests.
Following Song Xingqiu’s instructions, Wu Hongzhou had not entered the library and stayed by the entrance. Hearing a voice from inside the library clearly calling out to Song Xingqiu, he immediately looked back toward the sound.
Wu Hongzhou and Shen Qianyan’s eyes met. Both of their pupils constricted in shock.
Wu Hongzhou thought, Why is he here? Shen Qianyan thought, Why is he here?
The news of Wu Hongzhou betraying Song Wenyue to join Song Xingqiu had long been spreading through the school. Even though Shen Qianyan usually kept to himself, it did not stop other students from filling him in with excited descriptions of the brilliant clash between the three of them.
However, the fact that Wu Hongzhou was one of Song Wenyue’s men was deeply rooted in Shen Qianyan’s mind. His brain could not process the shift for a moment. Seeing Wu Hongzhou, his first reaction was that Song Wenyue had found them! Then he remembered that Wu Hongzhou had already defected to Song Xingqiu.
Wu Hongzhou usually maintained his cool and composure. However, upon seeing Shen Qianyan behind Song Xingqiu, he still blurted out a question to Song Xingqiu, “Why is he here?”
Song Xingqiu thought, What is with this strange, accusatory tone?
Shen Qianyan bit his lower lip. As expected, Song Xingqiu had not told Wu Hongzhou that he was also here. Did Song Xingqiu not want Wu Hongzhou to know the two of them were acquainted?
Shen Qianyan could well understand Song Xingqiu’s reasons for doing so. After all, at Axronia Academy, if a noble student played with scholarship students, they would be mocked by other nobles. In more serious cases, they would be ostraged and end up in the same situation as the scholarship students. It was only normal for Song Xingqiu to hide his existence from Wu Hongzhou.
Just as Shen Qianyan was about to pretend he did not know Song Xingqiu, Song Xingqiu had already gathered his thoughts and answered naturally, “He is here to study.”
Song Xingqiu sensed the subtle, tense undercurrent between Shen Qianyan and Wu Hongzhou. He did not think much of it, assuming it was just a bit of tension from old enemies meeting again. He certainly did not fear Wu Hongzhou’s questioning. If Wu Hongzhou asked, he would answer.
Hearing Song Xingqiu’s reply, Wu Hongzhou did not relax; instead, he was even more shaken. This was because it was Song Xingqiu who answered him, not Shen Qianyan. Song Xingqiu had not even turned around to confirm before he knew the person was Shen Qianyan. He had not let Shen Qianyan answer because he already knew exactly what Shen Qianyan was doing there.
Everything happening before his eyes indicated that they knew each other and were quite familiar. As the first person Song Xingqiu knew at this school and his subordinate, Wu Hongzhou walked with him every day, yet he had no idea Song Xingqiu also knew Shen Qianyan! Wu Hongzhou’s heart sank inexplicably.
Shen Qianyan’s eyes widened in disbelief that Song Xingqiu had actually acknowledged his presence. His breathing grew rapid, and his burning gaze felt as if it wanted to bore a hole through Song Xingqiu’s back. His mood soared uncontrollably.
The atmosphere was delicate. Shen Qianyan looked at Wu Hongzhou, and Wu Hongzhou stared at Shen Qianyan. Finally, both of them looked at Song Xingqiu.
Song Xingqiu thought, Why are they looking at me?
He knew Shen Qianyan and Wu Hongzhou used to be enemies. However, as the strategist, Wu Hongzhou never got his hands dirty; the ones who actually attacked Shen Qianyan were Jiang Xing, Xue Chengyi, and Song Wenyue. Logically, the hatred between these two should not be that deep. Did they really need him to resolve such a small conflict and mediate for them?
Song Xingqiu did not bother with them. He broke the silence and said to Wu Hongzhou, “Let us go. We are heading to the restaurant.”
Song Xingqiu took the first step and walked away. He did not call for Shen Qianyan.
Hearing this, Wu Hongzhou instinctively glanced at Shen Qianyan and saw that he was not following. Only then did Wu Hongzhou retract his gaze and say, “Alright.”
He consciously followed behind Song Xingqiu, blocking Shen Qianyan’s view.