Part 3
Starting from someone “accidentally” hitting a ball into the villa, the situation spiraled out of control. Around the exterior of the villa, hardly any glass remained intact.
On the second day after the Student Council was penalized with Yellow Cards, the thread [Does Lin Jinghang have any awesome achievements? On what grounds did he move into Shi Ye’s villa?] became a hot topic.
[I wanted to ask this ages ago. Did he win a world championship or get a tech award? Why did he occupy Shi Ye’s villa as soon as he enrolled? Even the Dealer (He Guan) didn’t have this kind of pomp back then, and he’s the President’s biological son, not a nephew.]
[Right, right, right. And bringing servants to school. I don’t know where he got such power; it completely violates school regulations.]
Someone from Lin Jinghang’s circle replied: [Didn’t Shi Ye bring people back then too?]
[Shi Ye brought an entire tennis training team. What did Lin Jinghang bring? An undebuted girl group, posting photos on BlueBook every night. Now netizens across the Federation think Floriman Academy is a nightclub.]
[The funniest part is that Lin Jinghang actually forbade us from training at the tennis court this morning. Talk about turning the world upside down.]
[Does he understand or not? That land belongs to our President. He can live there not because his uncle is Senator Wang, but because he is shameless.]
[Bro, take it easy, you’re using your real name.]
[If Wen Rong isn’t afraid, why should I be?]
Shi Ye: [So I propose, if the Student Council President really has to be changed, it can only be changed to Wen Rong.]
[???]
[???]
[Brother Shi, your primary task right now is to get the villa back.]
Shi Ye: [What’s the point of wanting a broken villa? It has a pile of restrictions. Might as well live off-campus, where I can build a shooting range.]
The Federation banned guns; shooting ranges were the only places ordinary people could touch a gun.
However, shooting range licenses were strict, and management was tight. There were only two or three in the entire Federation.
If Shi Ye built a shooting range, wouldn’t that mean he could touch guns every day?
No man could resist the temptation of guns.
[Holy crap, suddenly the villa isn’t appealing anymore. Brother Shi, this little brother has loved spy movies since childhood. Can you let me touch a gun?]
Shi Ye: [Still building. Once Wen Rong becomes Student Council President, it should be ready.]
[Understood! Writing to the Principal’s email right now, applying for Wen Rong to be Student Council President.]
A discussion sparked by the Tennis Club ultimately ended with writing letters to the Principal.
Leon and Zhou Xie were also in action, greasing the wheels with High Justice Ernst and several school directors, joining forces to suggest to the Principal that Lin Jinghang be replaced by Wen Rong.
The weather forecast said Floriman Academy was about to enter spring early.
The sun was scorching, and the entire academy heated up. The lights in the administration building stayed on all night, buzzing with activity.
Every day in the News Club group chat, Wen Rong could see Lin Qizheng screaming and going crazy. Zhang Jincheng and Zhang Lin didn’t reply—not out of habit, but because they were also busy.
This hustle and bustle even squeezed out the club voting. It wasn’t until the 400,000 funding was distributed that they realized they had actually achieved the club goal Wen Rong set at the start of the term.
Of course, the celebration party would have to wait until after the project seminar.
Friday morning, Zhou Xie sent a message to Wen Rong privately: [Go to the hotel today. I’ll cook.]
The message was sent, and a reply came quickly: [Okay.]
Screenshot taken, forwarded to the group of four.
Zhou Xie: [Who’s buying groceries?]
Shi Ye: [I have training this afternoon.]
Leon: [I’ll go with Wen Rong.]
Zhou Xie: [Did you ask Wen Rong?]
Leon: [No need to ask, he’ll definitely go with me.]
Shi Ye: [Wait, I’m going too.]
Leon: [Training?]
Shi Ye: [Coach is going on a blind date. Day off.]
Zhou Xie didn’t expose this improvised excuse. [Then the three of you go buy groceries. I’ll wait for you at the hotel.]
[Okay]
[Okay]
Zhou Xie was about to turn off his phone when a new message popped up.
[Cousin, what about me?]
Li Ao, who had been completely ignored, was finally remembered at this moment.
Zhou Xie: [Wash vegetables.]
Work distributed, the group chat should have gone quiet as everyone went about their business.
Shi Ye spoke up again: [Let me ask one thing, are you all wearing school uniforms today?]
?
What kind of ghost question was that?
Zhou Xie’s brain worked fast. After a moment of speechlessness, he understood Shi Ye’s subtext, so he replied: [What else would we wear if not school uniforms?]
Li Ao: [Yeah, what else would we wear but school uniforms.]
Two hours later, wearing his school uniform, Li Ao appeared at the “Secret Base,” staring wide-eyed at the three people in front of him, all sporting vastly different styles.
Even if the weather was sunny, it wasn’t the season to run around in a flamboyant tank top, and the muscles on Shi Ye’s arms obviously hadn’t cooled down yet; he looked like he had just finished boxing.
Leon wasn’t any better. At a time like this, he had actually approved the Research Center’s uniform, looking like he was about to go on stage and give a lecture to a group of researchers.
And his cousin—
Li Ao: “Cousin, do you have a meeting this afternoon?”
Leon’s gaze shifted left and right before he revealed a meaningful smile. “This suit is indeed suitable for a meeting. Won’t cooking later get it dirty?”
His cousin adjusted his cufflinks and said calmly, “I dress like this normally too.”
Li Ao: “You normally—”
His cousin glared at him.
Li Ao: “…”
“Um…”
A strange voice sounded. Li Ao finally noticed the fifth person. Old T-shirt, old jeans, the person who looked extremely plain by contrast—Wen Rong.
Wen Rong’s eyes dodged theirs. “You guys rest first, I’ll wash the vegetables.”
Great. The only audience member grabbed the vegetables and ran. The sound of splashing water rang out from the kitchen, dashing the three men’s little schemes.
“What the hell? We agreed to wear uniforms.” Shi Ye looked askance.
Leon smiled. “Even if spring is here, don’t run around like a pig in heat wearing a flowery jacket, okay?”
Zhou Xie: “We aren’t idiots. Why wear uniforms outside of school?”
Li Ao: “Cousin, I…” am wearing a uniform!
“Yeah, not idiots, why wear uniforms?”
Li Ao: “I—”
Before he could finish, Leon gracefully took off his jacket, revealing a stylishly designed shirt. “I’ll go help Wen Rong wash vegetables.”
Shi Ye: “I’ll go too.”
“We don’t need that many people.” Leon refused.
Li Ao tried to insert himself into the conversation. “You go get the alcohol. Get plenty, there’s an extra person.”
As soon as the words fell, six eyes shot toward him in unison.
Li Ao: “?”
Li Ao was bewildered. “Didn’t we always drink when we gathered for meals before?”
It was impossible not to have alcohol at a men’s dinner table. The four of them had followed their families to various banquets since childhood and had touched the stuff early on. When their relationship was still somewhat decent, they often gathered to drink a glass or two.
However—
The six gazes shifted to Wen Rong’s side.
Wen Rong sensed it and answered firmly, “I don’t drink.”
The city lights came on, casting the distant neon glow onto the floor-to-ceiling windows.
In the suite, only a dim night light was on. The five of them sat crookedly on the edge of the carpet.
“You guys have such a good relationship.” Clearly drunk, Wen Rong raised a wine bottle and shrieked, “Growing up together… is so good.”
“Bullshit! Zhou Xie has always been jealous that I’m better than him at everything.”
Zhou Xie tilted his head leisurely. “You’re drunk enough. When I met you, you could only crawl on the floor. What would I be jealous of?”
Wen Rong was convinced and nodded. “Right, what would the Dealer be jealous of?”
Li Ao: “…”
Even the forum nickname came out?
The scene was too funny. The person who said he wouldn’t drink was the first to get drunk. Shi Ye and Leon, for some reason, drank along with him. One leaned against the sofa in silent daze, the other rolled around on the floor just like when they were kids.
Luckily, his cousin was still sober.
Li Ao said, “Cousin, they’re all drunk. Why don’t we send them back to their rooms to sleep?”
Zhou Xie lowered his head and didn’t respond. Li Ao thought his cousin was disgusted by Shi Ye, so he stood up to pick up the mess his cousin didn’t want to handle.
Shi Ye rolled over and swatted him away. “Of course he’s jealous that I’m handsome, have a great body, can do anything, and…”
Li Ao: ??
Cousin, you can actually listen to this?
“Wait—” His cousin suddenly raised a hand, making a pause gesture. “Leon, get up. Shi Ye too. Li Ao, you listen as well. Wen Rong you… you do as you please.”
Li Ao didn’t know what his cousin wanted to do with two drunk people. He put down Shi Ye and sat obediently.
He watched Zhou Xie fish his phone from the coffee table, raising his voice. “The Principal is calling me.”
Oh, the Principal had new instructions.
“Little Xie, ah~”
Wait a minute, Cousin, that voice…
Li Ao watched helplessly as his usually unsmiling cousin suddenly changed face, pinching his throat to roar, “Uncle is also in a difficult position, you have to learn to judge the hour and size up the situation.”
This…
Zhou Xie returned to normal. “He will absolutely say this later.”
The next second, the call connected.
“Little Xie, ah, Wang Sichen notified me to postpone the project seminar. Uncle is also in a difficult position…”
Li Ao faintly felt something was wrong.
“You have to learn to judge the hour and size up the situation.”
Snap. His cousin hung up the phone with a slap and threw his head back laughing. “Hahahahahahahaha.”
!!!!
Li Ao didn’t know whether to be shocked that his cousin hung up on the Principal or at his cousin’s uncharacteristically crazy behavior.
Ah!
Cousin… Cousin, are you drunk too?!
Leon: “Pfft—”
Shi Ye rolled over and pounded the floor. “Hahahaha.”
Li Ao: …
Amidst the laughter, he despaired.
Holy crap, I’m the only one not drunk.
“You understand him so well! So he gives you orders while gaslighting you.”
Gaslighting?
Li Ao was still pondering if “gaslighting” was the accurate term when he saw Wen Rong laughing so hard he fell over, limbs flailing uncontrollably. His leg kicked up randomly, and his hands groped around, finding Shi Ye’s thigh. Slap, slap, slap, he patted it several times while laughing.
Shi Ye suddenly sobered up. He stopped laughing and shamelessly leaned over, like a concubine serving the emperor, resting on Wen Rong’s shoulder. “Wen Rong~ Is my thigh muscle nice to touch?”
“Nice to touch! I want to grow some too!”
“What kind do you want to grow?”
Wen Rong raised both hands to demonstrate, stretching his arms out, and accidentally slapped Leon’s knee. “Like this!”
Leon sat up abruptly. “Don’t learn from him, he eats protein powder.”
“Fuck! I do not! Zhou Xie is the one who eats protein powder.”
“Me?”
Li Ao saw his cousin make a “come here” gesture to Shi Ye. “Stinky brat, come here, I have words for you.”
Shi Ye waved his hands wildly. “I won’t.”
Then he huffed, “Wen Rong, he wants to hit me! Zhou Xie wants to hit me again; he loved hitting me in the past too.”
“Li Ao, grab him!”
Li Ao: “?”
“Hold him tight!”
I’m not holding him!
He didn’t know which eye his cousin used to see him holding Shi Ye. Zhou Xie raised his fist to pummel Shi Ye.
Shi Ye feigned weakness for only a few seconds before quickly sitting up and headbutting forward.
Bang.
Two heads collided with a loud thud. His cousin was knocked back.
Li Ao: “…”
What exactly are these drunks doing!
“Cousin, are you okay?”
Speechless as he was, Li Ao was still more concerned about his own cousin. Besides, his cousin had fallen, while Shi Ye was sitting just fine.
“No need—”
Zhou Xie sat up again. Two streams of nosebleed flowed down his philtrum. He wiped them with his hand, smearing blood across half his face. He glared viciously at Shi Ye, then, due to the drunkenness, bluntly grunted, “Can’t beat him.”
His ruthless gaze somehow drifted to Wen Rong. It spun around, and he spoke with ill intentions: “President.”
Li Ao opened his mouth wide, speechless for a moment, then reminded him, “Cousin, you are the President.”
Wen Rong: “Mhm, mhm.”
“Mhm what?! You aren’t the President.”
“You’re so annoying!”
Wen Rong puffed out his chest self-righteously. “I am the President. Call me President. Not allowed to call you.”
Li Ao: “…”
“Oh, President.”
No, Cousin, you…
“Who does the President prefer kissing? Shi Ye or Leon?”
A bomb exploded in Li Ao’s brain.
Kiss what?
Who kissed whom?
Oh my god—
During this time, just what has happened?!
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