His favorability toward Song Xingqiu rose by a few points.
Song Wenyue naturally saw Shen Qianyan’s movements. His jaw tightened, and his mouth twitched. To say he was angry was an understatement; he was practically numb.
Shen Qianyan. It was Shen Qianyan again!
Normally, he would have gone to find trouble with Shen Qianyan long ago. But today, given that Song Xingqiu had just given him a beating, he could not muster the slightest desire to confront another “tough nut.” He could not bear the feeling of being defied by a second person. He was already in a foul mood, and he did not want to give Song Xingqiu another reason to laugh at him.
After glancing at Shen Qianyan, Song Xingqiu no longer looked up. The more relaxed Song Xingqiu appeared, the more Song Wenyue did not dare to act. This would not work, that would not work. Song Wenyue felt even more stifled.
With his rage having nowhere to go, Song Wenyue scanned the restaurant, and his gaze finally landed on Jiang Xing. His eyes turned increasingly cold as he looked at him.
Jiang Xing: “???”
Having finally crawled up from the ground like a thief, Jiang Xing had not even had time to brush the dust off his clothes before he was met with Song Wenyue’s “death stare.”
Jiang Xing: “…” Brother, do not mess with me!
Jiang Xing wanted to cry but had no tears. He had already “laid down” to share the hardship. Why was Song Wenyue still looking for a reason to pick on him?
Looking at Jiang Xing’s large frame, Song Wenyue found him more and more of an eyesore. What a waste of such height. How could he be so spineless?
Song Wenyue wanted to curse Jiang Xing out for being a “dog.” Why had Jiang Xing not stepped forward to help earlier? If the three of them had attacked Song Xingqiu together, they might have subdued him long ago! No matter how formidable Song Xingqiu was, could he really take on three people at once?
This spineless dog had actually chosen to lie on the ground. Did he have no dignity? Bastard!
Song Wenyue vented all his fury on Jiang Xing. If Jiang Xing knew what Song Wenyue was thinking, he would have been speechless. If he had any dignity, he would not be Song Wenyue’s “dog” in the first place. Did being Song Wenyue’s lapdog count as having dignity?
Just as Song Wenyue was about to move, Mu Huaizhi, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines for a long time, finally took action.
Seeing Song Wenyue aim his crosshairs at Jiang Xing, Mu Huaizhi frowned slightly but quickly regained his composure. He strode toward Song Wenyue, threw an arm around his shoulder, and gave him a heavy pat. He successfully stopped Song Wenyue’s internal aggression and easily defused Jiang Xing’s crisis.
Mu Huaizhi smiled and said to Song Wenyue, “Alright, alright. Jiang Xing has not had it easy today either.”
Song Wenyue was still tensed up.
Mu Huaizhi lowered his voice: “So many people are watching.”
Song Wenyue’s hands relaxed. The smile in Mu Huaizhi’s eyes did not reach the bottom. Being beaten up was embarrassing enough, and Song Xingqiu had not left yet. If Song Wenyue turned on Jiang Xing, he would only be losing his own face and the face of their “F4” group. There was a limit to how much humiliation he was willing to endure by association.
After calming Song Wenyue down, Mu Huaizhi looked at the relaxed Song Xingqiu and sighed with exaggerated emotion, “Wenyue, your uncle is indeed your uncle. He really has some skills.”
“You have studied Sanda since you were a kid, have you not?”
Earlier, Mu Huaizhi calling Song Xingqiu “uncle” was a provocation. Now, emphasizing the word “uncle” was meant to highlight Song Xingqiu’s status as an elder. It was only natural for an elder to be stronger than a junior. A junior facing an elder must show respect. One could not truly go for the kill.
Mu Huaizhi had given Song Wenyue a way out. His words saved some face for Song Wenyue, making the situation sound less pathetic when retold.
Sensing the meaning behind Mu Huaizhi’s words, Song Wenyue’s expression softened slightly. He still refused to acknowledge Song Xingqiu as his uncle, but since this narrative made the scene look a bit better, he did not voice any objection.
Song Wenyue glanced at Mu Huaizhi beside him and at Qin Xiushi, who was watching from a distance without moving. He did not expect Mu Huaizhi or Qin Xiushi to help him. In fact, his earlier attempt to attack Song Xingqiu in public had not even been his original intention. He had only wanted to scare Song Xingqiu, but Song Xingqiu had remained unfazed, which had provoked his rage.
If they truly wanted to make a move, they would choose a more secluded place and would not need to do it personally. Fighting or ganging up in a public place like the restaurant was not a wise choice. If things got too loud or flashy, the academy would not sit idly by.
Song Wenyue stood tall again. From the outside, the scene looked quite imposing. Song Wenyue was flanked by two lackeys, both tall and fierce-looking. Usually, this would carry a lot of pressure. However, having just been floored by Song Xingqiu, the “pressure” now felt like a hollow facade.
Evidently, Song Wenyue did not see it that way. He stepped forward to throw some parting words at Song Xingqiu, glaring at him fiercely: “Song Xingqiu, you had better stay alert at all times.”
“Your campus life has only just begun!”
Hearing this, Song Xingqiu looked up and smiled at Song Wenyue, replying nonchalantly, “Okay, I understand.”
His attitude was so gentle it was as if he were truly speaking to a beloved junior. Thinking of this, Song Wenyue’s face turned green. He felt like vomiting!
Song Wenyue was in a foul mood. Looking at the two “useless” people behind him only made it worse. Standing there with three defeated losers was an eyesore.
Just as Song Wenyue was feeling frustrated by his collective defeat, someone walked toward them. At this moment, aside from the stubborn Shen Qianyan, everyone else wished they could turn into thin air. Forget walking around. People did not even dare to eat. One Song Xingqiu, one Shen Qianyan. And now, who else?
He turned his head with a grim expression.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Song Wenyue’s gloomy face instantly brightened. The person arriving was none other than his final follower, Wu Hongzhou.
Wu Hongzhou wore the same black school uniform as the others and wore gold-rimmed glasses. He walked at a steady pace, looking refined and handsome with a reserved, steady aura. He did not have any of the loud, brash energy that Jiang Xing or Xue Chengyi possessed.
Wu Hongzhou held a special status among Song Wenyue’s three followers. To the outside world, Jiang Xing was the leader of the three, but that was a misunderstanding. Jiang Xing was tall and visually striking, making him appear dominant. In reality, the true leader of the followers was Wu Hongzhou.
Wu Hongzhou’s father was a rising star in the electronic technology industry over the past two years, enjoying some fame and running a medium-sized company. Wu Hongzhou was his only son, so the company would inevitably be his in the future. He was different from Jiang Xing and Xue Chengyi, who only had stock dividends. Once out of school, he would be Song Wenyue’s partner in the business world. Or rather, Wu Hongzhou had chosen to get close to Song Wenyue and act as his follower specifically to quickly build connections for his family and pave the way for his own future.
Among the three, Wu Hongzhou was the smartest, essentially Song Wenyue’s strategist. He never did the dirty work. He simply offered ideas, anticipated Song Wenyue’s thoughts, and relayed his orders. He was more like a counselor. Song Wenyue’s favorite follower was Wu Hongzhou.
“Hongzhou, you are here,” Song Wenyue’s eyes lit up as he spoke.
Wu Hongzhou nodded to him. Finally, a member of his side had arrived who had not been beaten by Song Xingqiu. Song Wenyue was delighted. He desperately needed Wu Hongzhou to help him break the current awkward deadlock.
Noticing Wu Hongzhou carrying food, he frowned slightly in confusion. “I did not order this. I remember you do not like eating things with a sour taste.”
Before Song Wenyue could even finish his sentence, he watched helplessly as Wu Hongzhou placed the meal tray on the table in front of Song Xingqiu.
Song Wenyue: “…” Song Wenyue: “?”
Song Wenyue was speechless, confused, and shocked. What was the situation? Not just him, but the other two followers and Mu Huaizhi blinked in disbelief, unsure of what was happening.
On the second floor, students who witnessed this pulled out their phones, their fingers moving so fast on the screens they left afterimages. This was too explosive! Students on the first floor could not see clearly, but after receiving messages on their phones, small gasps of shock erupted. The crowd was in an uproar. Such a dramatic scene was even more earth-shattering than Song Wenyue losing to Song Xingqiu!
Song Xingqiu had been looking at the menu on his tablet the whole time. Hearing the commotion beside him, he looked up and smiled at Wu Hongzhou. “You are here.”
He did not look surprised at all, as if he had known all along that Wu Hongzhou would appear.
Wu Hongzhou nodded. “Mr. Song, the dish you mentioned wanting to try yesterday. I had the restaurant kitchen prepare it. It just came out.”
In two simple sentences, Wu Hongzhou explained the origin of the lunch and what he had been doing just now.
Song Wenyue: Wait, buddy, the most important thing right now is not explaining the food, is it? The observing students: “?” The F4 and followers who saw the shocking reversal: “!”
Song Wenyue, experiencing being “betrayed” like this for the first time, was shocked beyond measure. What did this mean? Wu Hongzhou had abandoned him to throw himself into Song Xingqiu’s arms?
The confusion on his face was completely undisguised, or perhaps he simply could not hide it anymore. Given the situation, who could stay calm? He was the future heir of the Song family! Wu Hongzhou abandoning him for Song Xingqiu was something he completely failed to comprehend.
He knew Wu Hongzhou chose to stay by his side for his family’s business interests and for profit. Song Wenyue had known this all along and did not care. People surrounding heirs like them came and went for the sake of benefit. It was no big deal. As long as the “blade” known as Wu Hongzhou was useful, obedient, and smart enough, that was sufficient. In exchange, he was willing to give Wu Hongzhou the benefits and protection he needed. In their world, relationships based on interest were the most solid.
That was why he could not understand Wu Hongzhou’s choice. Was Wu Hongzhou insane?
The entire hall was in a furor. One wave had not yet subsided before another rose. The students would not be finishing their lunch today. Everyone was stunned by this shocking turn of events.
What was going on? Had Wu Hongzhou switched sides?
Song Xingqiu was not at all surprised. He had anticipated this scene long ago. Without even looking at Song Wenyue, the smile on his face deepened. He said to Wu Hongzhou, “Thank you for your hard work.”
“You should eat quickly too. You have class in the afternoon.” After a moment’s thought, he added, “Also, no need to call me Mr. Song. Just call me by my name. You are not my subordinate. You are my classmate.”
Wu Hongzhou’s slightly tensed expression relaxed. He hesitated for a moment. “Alright, Song. Xingqiu.”
This younger son of the Song family, who had shone so brilliantly in the Federation’s business world, did not seem as difficult or terrifying as he had imagined.
Song Xingqiu pointed to the seat next to him. Wu Hongzhou understood immediately and sat down. He ordered a standard lunch on the tablet and waited quietly for the server to bring it.
From the moment he arrived until now, Wu Hongzhou’s facial expression had not shown much fluctuation. In reality, he had already been stunned several times by the sight of Song Xingqiu standing there unscathed while Song Wenyue and the others stood around looking foolish. Downstairs, when he heard people whispering about the Song family “uncle and nephew” fighting, his heart had skipped a beat. He thought his new master was going to be injured today.
Yesterday, he had subtly suggested that Song Xingqiu choose to eat in the right-hand area of the first floor. He had informed Song Xingqiu of the school’s rules and situation in meticulous detail, including the three-tier restaurant zones. Song Xingqiu had only replied that he knew what he was doing.
Wu Hongzhou’s worry had been justified. No matter how much Song Xingqiu had excelled in business and finance over the last two years, Song Wenyue’s lackeys actually knew how to throw a punch. The world was unfair, yet in some ways, it was very fair: no matter how much money or power you had, your physical body was still just a regular human frame.
He never imagined that Song Xingqiu’s fists were also so formidable!
As expected, someone like Song Xingqiu would not come to Axelenia unprepared or empty-handed. Wu Hongzhou had previously felt that Song Xingqiu was too arrogant. Now it seemed he had underestimated the man.
His favorability toward Song Xingqiu rose by a few points.