Lin Huai said coolly, “Nothing much, have you recovered from your injury?”
“Yes,” Pu Chengji replied with a broad grin stretched across his face. “The doctor said I could be discharged, so I came back as soon as I could.”
Despite the fact that Pu Chengji had sustained a serious beating, his self-confidence soared after the incident. And in this world, getting beaten up took a lot of courage, especially so because he did it for his friends. Certainly, there was an air of self-assurance about Pu Chengji now.
Still in a bad mood, Lin Huai gave a brief nod, and taking his cue, Pu Chengji ended the conversation, moving back to his seat. As per usual, he cast furtive glances around the class, but was surprised to find that something had changed—those who had previously looked down on him now eyed him with a mixture of jealousy, hesitancy and fear. Of course, there were more than a few gloating expressions as well.
Not accustomed to all the attention, Pu Chengji felt overwhelmed for a moment. He had always been treated like dust, not attracting anyone’s attention, until now. Puffing out his chest, his eyes reddened as he strolled back confidently to take his seat. The student sitting in front of him turned around and passed a bag of melon seeds to him, smiling flatteringly. “Brother Ji, a small gift for you.”
Pu Chengji was startled for a brief moment but recovered to accept it haughtily, before casting an appreciative glance in Lin Huai’s direction. He was grateful, as he knew that his status right now was all thanks to Lin Huai’s unassailable position in class. Even if he had to get beaten up another ten times, it would still be worth the effort!
After calming his emotions, Lin Huai leaned over and whispered, “Hey Mianmian, no matter what misgivings you have about me, this matter with Xuan Yuzhai concerns your safety and innocence. I suggest you inform me before you attend the banquet. If you insist that I not follow you, then perhaps you should not attend the banquet at all. This person is a lot more scheming than you or I can imagine.”
Wei Qimian remained silent. Lin Huai sighed and stopped talking as well.
Today was Friday, which meant that the banquet would be taking place this weekend. After class, Lin Huai phoned Wei Sihai to confirm that he would be heading home this weekend, before instructing Wei Sihai to have someone keep an eye on Wei Qimian. If she were to head out for a get-together at any point in time, it was imperative that he be notified at once.
Wei Sihai agreed to his request, before asking, “How have your interactions been with Mianmian over these past couple of days?”
“Not bad.” Lin Huai had no intention of telling Wei Sihai that he had been framed. “Mianmian has a great personality, so we get along well.”
Surprised, Wei Sihai asked, “Really?”
“Of course.” If not for that misunderstanding, Lin Huai would certainly have gotten along well with Wei Qimian, which left Lin Huai puzzled as to why Wei Sihai would be so incredulous.
Wei Sihai breathed a sigh of relief, switching to a more relaxed tone. “Well well, you’re really something. You might not know this, but even though my daughter has a great personality and doesn’t put on any airs or graces, she has had little interactions with the opposite sex beyond simple pleasantries. Very few guys have complimented her personality and said that she’s easy to get along with. But from what you have described, I can rest easy. Oh, by the way, why did you say that if she were to head out, you were to be notified at once? Did something happen?”
Such a small detail was unlikely to escape Wei Sihai’s notice. After all, he had made a name for himself as a business tycoon over the years.
Not giving away anything, Lin Huai said lightly, “Just a small matter. As her bodyguard, I can handle it. “
“That’s settled then.” Wei Sihai was abundantly clear about Dragon Shield Bodyguard Group’s policy. While executing any assignments, Dragon Shield bodyguards were entitled to remaining silent. Throughout the country, only Dragon Shield Bodyguard Group had the wherewithal to enforce such a policy.
As Wei Sihai was about to end the call, Lin Huai suddenly asked coldly, “May I ask a question?”
“Oh, sure. What is it?”
In a serious tone, Lin Huai asked, “With Yulan College in such a mess, why aren’t you taking more control?”
Wei Sihai paused for a moment and gave a deep sigh, before replying, “I did think of doing so at first, but I quickly realized that the operating model of the college itself was a big hindrance. By accepting so many dropouts, many of whom dislike studying in the first place, it’s inevitable that things have gotten to where they are today with so many of them gathered in one place. But because my wife poured her heart and soul into establishing Yulan College, I am unwilling to give up on it entirely, hence the status quo for now…”
“All right, I understand,” Lin Huai said. “Anyway, I’m hanging up for now. I’ll let you know if anything else crops up.”
“Ok, I’ll make sure to have someone keep a lookout at home this weekend. If she heads out, I will notify you.”
Deep in thought after hanging up the phone, Lin Huai wondered if Yulan College was really beyond saving. As board chairman, had Wei Sihai really tried his best? At the start, Lin Huai had been focused on carrying out his assignment and had not really given much thought to any matters related to the school, but having been a student for a few days, he felt a lot differently now. As he looked at the situation from this angle, something struck him as not quite right—if Wei Sihai had done his utmost best in maintaining order at the school, surely the school authorities would not turn a blind eye to everything?
There were fights taking place everywhere in the school. If nothing else, surely the school should punish all those involved in brawls happening in broad daylight? What he saw, however, was school leadership and teachers turning a blind eye to anything that happened.
If Wei Sihai enforced just a little bit of discipline and replaced those indifferent school leaders, would the school still have such a chaotic atmosphere?
Suddenly, a horrible thought struck Lin Huai—what if the school ended up the way it was because of the willful negligence of Wei Sihai?
Such a thought would be unlikely to cross the minds of most people, but Lin Huai—who had gone through all sorts of ups and downs—was not most people. As he contemplated the thought, it sent chills down his spine.
“Forget it, I’m definitely overthinking this. After all, his wife poured her heart and soul into this, so he has no reason not to take notice of Yulan College.” Lin Huai exhaled as he walked back to class. As he watched Wei Qimian concentrate on her homework, he became even more convinced that he was thinking too much. With his mind at rest now, he returned to his seat.
Throughout the entire day, Wei Qimian unsurprisingly ignored Lin Huai. In unison, her other dormmates kept staring daggers at Lin Huai, and only Niu Haijiao did not dare to make eye contact with Lin Huai.
As students filed out of the teaching building, Wei Qimian and her friends walked in front of Lin Huai. Song Tingting could be vaguely heard angrily exclaiming, “This Lin Huai is really too much! You really can’t judge a book by its cover, huh? Mianmian, to think that I wanted to match you two together originally! I think it’s best that you stay away from him now.”
Wei Qimian nodded unenthusiastically, her mood downcast.
Considering how Song Tingting was such a frank and outspoken person with no ill intention, Lin Huai was not really angry at what she just said. His anger towards Niu Haijiao had also subsided by now. While a friend’s betrayal would certainly sting, Lin Huai no longer considered Niu Haijiao his friend. As for Wei Qimian… they had only interacted with each other for a few short days, and besides, the scene at that time was definitely misleading, so Lin Huai had no reason to be angry anymore.
On the other hand, his will to fight had been ignited by Xuan Yuzhai, who seemed to have several tricks up his sleeves, and would definitely be a worthy opponent.
Lin Huai and Wei Qimian were walking in opposite directions. Wei Qimian and her friends were probably heading home, while Lin Huai was stopping by at the canteen before going back to his dormitory.
Lin Huai had barely taken a few steps when Xuan Yuzhai approached him grinning. As they stood face to face, Xuan Yuzhai looked mockingly at Lin Huai and said, “Fifty thousand dollars seems out of your reach now, ehh? A word of advice for you, Lin Huai—in this world, not everything can be solved with your fists. Brains over brawn, y’know?”
Frowning, Lin Huai asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“You still don’t get it, do you?” Xuan Yuzhai said, as though he were talking to an idiot. Grinning broadly, he added, “I gave Niu Haijiao fifty thousand, and in exchange she agreed to help me frame you.”
“So you were the one!!” Lin Huai grabbed Xuan Yuzhai’s collar, roaring angrily. “Why would you do that?!”
“Chill man, chill. Lots of students are watching us, you know,” Xuan Yuzhai said, smiling. To an outsider, he might appear impressively composed, but only Lin Huai knew what a degenerate he was.
Feeling indignant, Lin Huai loosened his grip on his collar.
“This is all for Wei Qimian.” Since Wei Qimian and her friends had left already, Xuan Yuzhai did not need to conceal anything either. “Wei Qimian is too nice a girl for someone like you to be with!”
His face turning a dark shade of red, Lin Huai said angrily, “All that just to destroy our relationship?! I suppose you made me transfer schools previously because of Mianmian too, huh? Xuan Yuzhai, you really are despicable.”
“Despicable? Me? You might not want to admit it, but I outwitted you. Don’t think that you are capable just because you were able to deal with Zhang Chunyu, because lowlifes will always be lowlifes.”
Having finished his gloating speech, Xuan Yuzhai swaggered off with a smile—the same usual graceful and polished smile—on his face. As he left, the exasperation on Lin Huai’s face vanished, replaced by a confident smile. Lin Huai had long known why Xuan Yuzhai was targeting him, so his earlier outburst and confusion was merely an act to dull Xuan Yuzhai’s senses.
Lin Huai chuckled to himself, thinking, Come the weekend, let’s see who outwits who, and who’s the true lowlife.
“Brother Huai, Brother Huai!” Pu Chengji rushed up to him, out of breath. “I just heard, you and Niu Haijiao…?”
Lin Huai asked, “Do you really think she’s my type?”
Niu Haijiao was actually quite pretty, but Lin Huai had deep misgivings about her at the moment.
Smiling apologetically, Pu Chengji answered, “Of course not, but I heard two students discussing it just now, so I gave them a good dressing down.”
“Ignore all that slanderous gossip. In time, everything will become clear.” Lin Huai gave Pu Chengji a pat on the back. “This weekend, you’re following along to help me.”