After dinner, Song Xingqiu was sent back to school by Father Song’s driver.
When he arrived back at school, it was already evening. The autumn sun set quickly; it had still been bright when he left home, but by the time he reached the academy, only the dark golden afterglow remained.
On the way back to the dormitory, Song Xingqiu received many scrutinizing glances.
People stole quick looks at him and then hurriedly withdrew their gazes, afraid to meet his eyes.
The news that Song Xingqiu and Song Wenyue had gone home in the same car, only for Song Wenyue to return to school alone first, had already spread throughout the campus forum. Everyone was curious about what had happened.
Now, meddlesome students had posted about Song Xingqiu’s evening return to the forum.
Everyone was shocked; the turn of events was completely different from what they had imagined!
They had assumed that Song Xingqiu would definitely suffer during this visit to the Song house, perhaps being lectured by Song Wenyue’s parents and returning to school in disgrace.
No one expected that the one to return first would actually be Song Wenyue!
And the way he looked upon his return did not seem like someone who had gained an advantage; rather, he looked like he was harboring a stomach full of anger.
“The negotiations have broken down; the possibility of the two of them coexisting peacefully has completely vanished.”
“Song Wenyue was the first to return to school. Song Xingqiu seems to have stayed home for dinner. Does that mean?”
“What is there to ‘does that mean’? Song Wenyue is undoubtedly the sole heir to the Song family. Perhaps Song Xingqiu was kept at home for an afternoon of reflection.”
Someone uploaded a candid photo of Song Xingqiu. In the photo, Song Xingqiu’s expression was relaxed, and he even seemed quite happy. There was not a trace of annoyance to be seen.
“Let me ask you, where does he look like someone who has been ‘reflecting’?”
“On the other hand, I heard Song Wenyue’s mood was very low when he returned.”
“What does this mean? Even at home, Song Wenyue could not suppress Song Xingqiu?”
“Could it be that the old man of the Song family exerted his influence?”
“This Song Xingqiu is truly sinister; even the Song family cannot restrain him! What will happen to the school in the future?”
“The weather at Exronia is really about to change this time.”
Everyone had been waiting and praying for Song Xingqiu to be disciplined by Song Cheng and his wife upon returning to the Song home. To their utter astonishment, their prayers had once again failed. The forum was in an uproar.
The students discussed it fervently, trying to discern clues from the micro-expressions of Song Xingqiu and Song Wenyue. In the end, two points were generally agreed upon:
The relationship between Song Xingqiu and Song Wenyue had not been reconciled. Not only that, but a total break had been officially declared.
Even at home, Song Wenyue failed to get the better of Song Xingqiu. At least based on their performance today, Song Xingqiu had won a second time.
This unexpected result made many people feel restless.
Could the weather at the academy really be about to change?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the campus.
Crash!
In the dimly lit room, colorful spotlights flickered wildly, dazzling the eyes. Song Wenyue slammed a wine bottle onto the floor. The glass shattered instantly, splashing deep red liquid everywhere. Several beautiful boys visiting for the first time screamed in fright, then quickly covered their mouths in panic.
In the dim light, the wine spread thick and sticky, and the characteristic sweet aroma of wine filled the air.
Mu Huaizhi spoke lazily, his tone carrying a hint of distaste: “Hey, Song Wenyue, do not take your anger out on my wine. Do you know how much effort I put into getting these bottles in here?”
He remained indifferent to Song Wenyue’s outburst.
As he spoke, he gave a light laugh and pinched the waist of the person sitting on his lap, his voice low and soft: “Even if you do not drink, my little darling still wants to, right?”
Sitting on his lap was a youth of sixteen or seventeen with an extremely pure face. Having had a few glasses of wine, his cheeks were flushed, his eyelashes trembled, and his eyes were glazed and dazed.
His waist was incredibly thin. Mu Huaizhi’s pinch made him snap out of his daze, and a hint of sober consciousness struggled through his blurred expression.
He nodded dizzily, though he had not actually heard what Mu Huaizhi said.
Seeing this, Mu Huaizhi laughed heartily. He took a sip from his wine glass and then leaned down to kiss the youth’s moist lips. Amidst the youth’s short cry of surprise, he transferred the mellow red liquid over, pulling him closer to deepen the wine-scented kiss.
The sounds of wet, lewd contact and heavy breathing were clearly audible in the room.
Qin Xiushi sat in the corner. His half-closed eyes opened, looking coldly at the scene before turning away in annoyance. He picked up his headphones and put them on.
Not far away, Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi shrunk their necks, trying to minimize their presence.
On the surface, Exronia was very strictly managed; alcohol was prohibited on campus, and students had a curfew and needed to clock in.
While the entertainment facilities available at the school were extensive, they lacked a sense of excitement.
This was a secret base established by Mu Huaizhi, hidden deep within the school, specifically used for playing certain games that should not be seen by others.
In the room, including the one on Mu Huaizhi’s lap, there were three boys brought by Xue Chengyi to provide excitement; all were special admission students.
Song Wenyue had been so angry he had not even eaten lunch before returning to school. Seeing his foul mood, Mu Huaizhi had specifically organized this gathering for him.
Normally, Mu Huaizhi did not like to play like this on campus because of the limitations; this time was all for Song Wenyue.
Song Wenyue’s mood had finally improved slightly, but seeing the discussions on the forum made him explode with rage again.
Bastards! They are all bastards!
The more Song Wenyue thought about it, the angrier he became. He picked up another bottle of wine from the table. Mu Huaizhi’s head throbbed, but this time Song Wenyue did not get the chance to throw it. The door to the room moved, and the handle turned.
Several people looked toward the door simultaneously. Sure enough, a second later, Jiang Baixie’s cold face appeared behind the door.
He frowned as he scanned the room, his eyes filled with undisguised loathing. When his gaze swept over Mu Huaizhi, the latter immediately raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, a fawning smile plastered on his face.
“Get out,” he said coldly.
Jiang Baixie did not name names, but the two beautiful special admission students acted as if they had received a grand pardon, lowering their heads and running out.
“Wait!” Mu Huaizhi suddenly called out to them.
The two who had already reached the door froze in place and turned back apprehensively.
Jiang Baixie stood by the door, the pressure around him terrifyingly low. They did not dare look up, afraid of meeting his icy gaze.
It was too awkward.
“Take this one with you too.” Mu Huaizhi pushed the youth in his arms.
The youth was heavily intoxicated. Hearing Jiang Baixie’s words, he tried to stand up but was too weak and fell back into Mu Huaizhi’s arms.
The two special admission students hurried back, supporting their drunken companion on either side and retreating hastily.
Once everyone was gone, Jiang Baixie gave Mu Huaizhi a flat look before stepping into the room. He closed the door behind him and switched on the overhead light.
Under the piercing white light, the mess in the room had nowhere to hide.
Jiang Baixie’s face darkened further, his voice carrying a sharp edge: “Did we not agree last time that you would not do this kind of thing in school anymore?”
Mu Huaizhi looked innocent and said slyly, “Last time was last time, and this time is this time. They are different.”
The two looked at each other, the atmosphere subtle, with invisible sparks flying in the air.
Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi wailed inwardly: Please, let these two not start an argument!
Jiang Baixie loathed this kind of mess the most, especially acting recklessly within the academy. Last time Mu Huaizhi organized a group activity on campus, Jiang Baixie nearly had him disciplined. The matter even reached the Mu family, finally ending with Mu Huaizhi begging for mercy and promising never to do it again.
After that incident, it took a long time for the two to reconcile.
In the end, it was Song Wenyue who broke the stalemate. He waved his hand impatiently, not taking the confrontation between Jiang Baixie and Mu Huaizhi seriously. He said with annoyance, “Enough, stop arguing. It is already annoying enough.”
He offered a rare explanation for Mu Huaizhi: “He did not do anything out of line this time; he just had a couple of drinks with those special admission students. We were all watching; what kind of trouble could he cause?”
He frowned. “If you really want to pursue this, come at me. It was because I was unhappy that he organized this to cheer me up.”
Jiang Baixie ignored them and looked directly at Qin Xiushi in the corner.
Qin Xiushi, who had been huddled there, looked up and gave an “OK” gesture, confirming that Song Wenyue’s words were true.
Jiang Baixie’s expression softened slightly.
Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi breathed a sigh of relief.
When the gods fight, the mortals suffer.
Song Wenyue glanced at the mess on the floor. Before he could speak, Xue Chengyi immediately took the hint and said, “We will clean up once this is over.”
“No, we will do it right now!”
As Xue Chengyi spoke, he went to get the cleaning tools. Jiang Baixie scanned the sofas and ultimately chose to remain standing, seemingly finding them too dirty.
Mu Huaizhi noticed his small movements and secretly rolled his eyes: What a poser.
Jiang Baixie did not want to linger here, so he did not beat around the bush and asked Song Wenyue directly: “What is going on with that forum post?”
Jiang Xing was so startled by the direct question that he jumped and hurriedly peeked at Song Wenyue’s expression.
Fortunately, although Song Wenyue was unhappy, he did not go so far as to lose his temper at Jiang Baixie.
In fact, for him, Jiang Baixie asking this question was a relief and an outlet.
After all, in this small F4 group, only Jiang Baixie was reliable enough to discuss things with; the other two were either trash or lazy, neither of them being normal people one could communicate with.
After Jiang Baixie asked, Song Wenyue even seemed somewhat eager.
He recounted his experience of going home with Song Xingqiu, getting angrier as he spoke: “Do you guys think my parents have gone crazy? Song Xingqiu is my grandfather’s son! If we are talking about fighting for the inheritance, he should be fighting my father. What does it have to do with me?”
Mu Huaizhi let out an exaggerated “Wow”: “Song Xingqiu wants to be the heir to the Song family? That is huge news. It looks like I should butter him up.”
Song Wenyue was speechless: “Are you sick?”
While he cursed Mu Huaizhi, his heart tightened. At that moment, Song Wenyue suddenly realized where the problem lay.
He thought this matter was absurd and had told his friends to denounce Song Xingqiu. But from their perspective, Song Xingqiu was now a candidate for the inheritance just like him. Would they really turn around and try to please Song Xingqiu?
Even Qin Xiushi in the corner put down his headphones and looked over, clearly interested.
Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi looked at each other, their eyes filled with terror. Song Xingqiu becoming the heir to the Song family; was it true? They had been causing trouble for him just two days ago; would they be liquidated in the future?
Seeing everyone’s varied expressions, Song Wenyue’s heart sank, and he regretted his loose tongue.
He was so stupid! Song Xingqiu had not made a sound, and his father had not made a public statement, yet he had proactively leaked the news.
It was practically digging his own grave.
Just as he was thinking about how to fix it, Jiang Baixie, who had been listening quietly, spoke up after two seconds of thought: “They have not gone crazy. It is impossible for Song Xingqiu to become the Song family heir.”
“They are just using him as a whetstone to create a sense of crisis for you.”
Jiang Baixie calmly analyzed the true intentions of Song Wenyue’s parents.
Song Wenyue suddenly saw the light, his gloom swept away. He immediately threw his previous regret to the wind and said with wild joy: “Right! Right! That is the truth!”
“I was really blinded by anger at Song Xingqiu; I could not even figure out something so simple. You are right, how could my parents let him inherit the Song family? It is just a method to stimulate me.”
He flopped back onto the sofa, both amused and angry. “The old man is going through male menopause, pulling such a boring trick.”
While he cursed, his expression was clearly relaxed. It seemed he had been truly frightened earlier.
Mu Huaizhi smiled and spread his hands, feigning regret: “It looks like I still have to cling to your leg. I cannot count on Song Xingqiu’s side anymore.”
Now that he understood his father’s intentions, Song Wenyue was no longer tense and laughed as he cursed: “Even if they really gave him the qualification to compete, the winner would only be me. Do you really think that little bastard Song Xingqiu could compare to me?”
Mu Huaizhi laughed loudly: “Indeed, indeed. How could Song Xingqiu possibly compare to you?”
Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi also hurried to flatter him.
Song Wenyue felt physically and mentally refreshed.
Jiang Baixie lowered his eyes to hide the mockery within. Someone who loses their composure just by hearing a bit of news is not worthy of saying such words. If it were a truly fair competition, Song Wenyue would not even be able to compare to one of Song Xingqiu’s toes, and he would not have needed to be angry for an entire afternoon only to wait for his guidance. However, it was also convenient to use him as a blade.
Thinking this way, Jiang Baixie showed no flaws on the surface.
With the crisis averted, Song Wenyue’s head stopped aching, his back stopped hurting, and he even felt hungry. He had been too angry to eat lunch or dinner today; now that he had relaxed, hunger immediately surged up.
He was in a great mood and was about to get up to eat when Jiang Baixie blocked his path. Speaking warmly, he made a suggestion: “In that case, do not target Song Xingqiu anymore.”
Acting exactly like a good roommate and president, he analyzed it for Song Wenyue: “His return to the country must have been your father’s idea. If he can figure things out, he will naturally be well-behaved; if he cannot, your father will take action.”
“You do not need to care about what Song Xingqiu does at all. As long as you make even a little progress, your father will be satisfied.”
As Jiang Baixie spoke, his brow furrowed, and his tone became much more severe: “I have not mentioned yesterday’s matter yet; you went too far. Fortunately, you did not succeed, otherwise, the academy might not have been able to suppress it.”
Mu Huaizhi leaned in curiously: “What did you guys do behind my back yesterday?”
He was dissatisfied: “Are we still brothers? You did not even call me.”
As the old matter was brought up again, Song Wenyue immediately felt embarrassed. One sentence from Jiang Baixie made him remember the humiliation of being pinned to the ground by Song Xingqiu’s bodyguard yesterday.
His face instantly turned gloomy, and his voice rose, ignoring his previous happiness as he said viciously: “Do not target him? He is exactly who I am targeting!”
“It is my father’s business if he does not have that intention, but Song Xingqiu definitely intends to use me as a stepping stone to rise!”
“I will never let him off!”
“Wants to be my whetstone? He should weigh himself first! See if he can handle that responsibility.”
The more Song Wenyue spoke, the angrier he became. Jiang Baixie’s advice was like adding oil to the fire, instantly igniting his agitation and hatred for Song Xingqiu.
Mu Huaizhi was frustrated: “Hey, what riddles are you guys speaking? Pay attention to me! What happened last night? Tell me; maybe I can help.”
No one paid him any attention.
Song Wenyue slammed the sofa hard and said fiercely, “Everyone, think of a way. We must give him a lesson!”
Jiang Baixie acted as if he had not expected his comforting words to provoke him instead, rubbing his temples with an expression of fatigue.
Mu Huaizhi, however, licked his lips excitedly, an unusual light flashing in his eyes: “Actually, I quite like him. Do you guys not think he is very good-looking?”
He turned to Song Wenyue and made a lewd gesture: “Why not leave him to me?”
Song Wenyue snapped: “Get out!”
No matter how much he hated Song Xingqiu, the man was still his little uncle and his father’s biological younger brother. If he really let Mu Huaizhi succeed, where would he put his face?
Jiang Baixie looked at them coldly. Upon hearing what Mu Huaizhi said, a flash of disgust crossed his face, but it quickly vanished.
Seeing that Jiang Baixie and Qin Xiushi remained silent and Mu Huaizhi was unreliable, Song Wenyue gave up on seeking their opinions.
He snorted coldly: “If you guys will not help, then forget it; I do not need it. As long as he is still in this school, he cannot escape my palm!”
He ordered Jiang Xing: “Find a few people to keep a close eye on him. Report to me as soon as he is alone.”
Jiang Xing hurried to comply.
Jiang Baixie’s voice suddenly rose. Usually good-tempered, his voice was now suppressed with indignation: “Song Wenyue!”
As the student council president, he loathed these private actions the most. Whether he knew about it or not was one thing, but now Song Wenyue was slapping his face in person, so his tone immediately became heavier.
Song Wenyue was not afraid of Jiang Baixie’s anger at all. He spread his arms across the back of the sofa with a haughty expression.
Exronia had always been like this. It was just that before it was special admission students, and now it was Song Xingqiu. These were the rules and traditions of Exronia, and Jiang Baixie could not stop them.
Jiang Baixie closed his eyes, his chest heaving slightly. When he opened them again, much of the severity in his eyes had faded. He sighed, knowing he could not persuade him. His tone softened, carrying a kind of helpless compromise: “Do not always go head to head. If you really want revenge.”
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting away to the broken glass on the floor. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and he finally spoke in a low, rapid voice, as if afraid he would regret it: “He has transferred for a week and has not joined a club yet. You can wait until he joins a club and let the president card his credits.”
As he finished speaking, he immediately pursed his lips and frowned slightly. He quickly added a sentence in a lower voice, but with a clear bottom line: “But remember, do not go too far.”
Song Wenyue had not been paying attention, but his eyes lit up upon hearing the second half.
He clapped and laughed loudly: “Jiang Baixie, you really are a genius!”
“This is a great idea! I am familiar with almost all the club presidents; they would surely be happy to card Song Xingqiu’s credits. How did I forget this!”
Song Wenyue stood up wanting to hug Jiang Baixie, but the latter took a step back to avoid him.
A look of worry and regret appeared on Jiang Baixie’s usually calm face, as if he regretted coming up with the idea. Had he known Song Wenyue would react so strongly, he would not have said it. Now it was too late.
Mu Huaizhi shook his head and clicked his tongue: “Tsk, Song Xingqiu is in for it.” He still felt his own suggestion was better, but unfortunately, they did not adopt it.
Using clubs to card credits was a standard method they used to bully special admission students. Because it was so common, it had become a habit, which was why they had forgotten it this time. It was only when Jiang Baixie reminded them that they remembered.
Right, they could do that!
Since he had a strategy, Song Wenyue did not delay further and got up to call the club presidents he knew.
Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi quickly followed.
Mu Huaizhi gave a bored yawn: “Today’s fun ends here.”
Just as he stepped toward the door, a hand stretched across, blocking his path. It was Jiang Baixie.
Mu Huaizhi raised an eyebrow. Jiang Baixie always disliked him causing trouble, but today he had done nothing; he did not even know what happened last night. Could he still find fault with this?
Jiang Baixie’s voice was calm, carrying an unquestionable tone: “Clean up the room before you leave.”
Mu Huaizhi was stunned and was about to call Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi when he realized they had already left with Song Wenyue.
He looked at the floor again. Xue Chengyi and Jiang Xing said they would clean, but after cleaning for ages, the shattered glass was still on the floor; he did not know what they had actually cleaned.
Damn it! Could it have been intentional?
He looked at Qin Xiushi, who was walking out from the corner. Qin Xiushi looked straight ahead, walking past with big strides, leaving behind the words: “I did not drink.”
After a thought, he added: “I did not play with the special admission students either.”
Jiang Baixie watched Qin Xiushi leave and then looked back at Mu Huaizhi.
Mu Huaizhi: “…”
Without another word, Jiang Baixie closed the door, locking Mu Huaizhi inside the room, and ordered: “Do not come out until you have finished cleaning.”
“I will come to check tomorrow.”
At this time, everyone had returned to their dorms. Mu Huaizhi could not even call anyone. If he did not listen to Jiang Baixie, the guy might get angry and just tear down his entire hideout.
Jiang Baixie was truly capable of doing that!
Mu Huaizhi’s head throbbed, and he was completely sober now. He stared hatefully at the closed door for a long while before finally resigning himself to his fate; he could only clean it up personally.
He crouched down dejectedly to clear the glass fragments.
After picking them up for a while, he suddenly exploded. “Damn it, Song Wenyue is really a piece of work! Always leaving a mess for me!”
Monday morning.
“Student Song Xingqiu, this is the club application form. You can choose a club you like to join.” Standing before him was the student in the seat in front of him, who was also the class monitor.
After speaking, the whole class immediately cast secret, expectant looks.
The class monitor reminded him: “After filling out the form, give it to the homeroom teacher.”
“At Exronia, although clubs are extracurricular, they are counted toward credits and grading; they are a very important activity.”
“If you do not participate in a club, you will not be able to gather enough credits to graduate.”
After the monitor finished speaking, his eyes flickered unconsciously. The sound of chatting in the class gradually dimmed until only the monitor’s voice echoed in the classroom.
Song Xingqiu acted as if he had not noticed this eerie atmosphere. He smiled, took the club application form, and thanked the monitor: “Okay, I understand. Thank you.”
After saying that, he casually placed the application form under a book and then waited for the teacher to enter the classroom for the lesson.
The malicious, curious, and sticky gazes surrounding him quickly disappeared in disappointment.
During the break, Song Xingqiu took out his phone and glanced at the message sent by Wu Hongzhou.
As he had thought, the so-called clubs at Exronia were quite complex. Just as the monitor had said, clubs at Exronia were extremely important, even affecting a student’s graduation. If one could not obtain enough credits in a club, they would face the difficulty of being unable to graduate.
After leaving school, many companies would specifically look at the comprehensive club evaluation grade from Exronia when hiring; they believed the evaluation grade could indicate a student’s social abilities.
Unsurprisingly, these clubs were all controlled by noble students. Noble students possessed the final grading power and the authority to assign points.
This was another privilege subtly granted to noble students by the academy.
That noble students could bully and mistreat special admission students at will had always been a systemic issue.
In every aspect, the academy was constantly bestowing privileges upon noble students, while special admission students were like lambs on the chopping block.
Everyone’s fate was decided from the moment they enrolled.
Song Xingqiu’s choice of club had already become the hottest topic among the students; everyone was guessing which club he would eventually choose.
But no matter what choice he made, there was only one outcome for him.
Submission and compromise.
“It was my oversight; I actually forgot about the club situation,” Wu Hongzhou said with a hint of annoyance in his tone.
The difficulty of clubs was always something special admission students had to worry about.
For Wu Hongzhou, the worry about clubs simply did not exist, so naturally, it had not occurred to him.
Song Xingqiu was quite calm: “What difference would it make whether you remembered or not? It is not as if your reminder would mean I did not have to join a club.”
Was this the new trick Song Wenyue and Jiang Baixie had come up with?
It really lacked any originality.
Wu Hongzhou stabilized his thoughts: “Then what club do you plan to join?”
During the break, Wu Hongzhou had already sent Song Xingqiu basic information about several large clubs in the school.
Song Xingqiu glanced at them briefly. There was no essential difference between the major clubs; the content was uninspiring.