Chapter 20: Then Go and Pick from…

The students of Tanmyung High School felt that this semester’s gossip had truly been quite thrilling.

Xia Mi La actually had dinner with Zhao Taihe what direction was this heading?

One was Jin He’s fiance, the other was Jin He’s arrival… It sounded rather exciting.

Even those who usually disliked studying were eager to get to school during times like this.

However, the morning scene at school was somewhat disappointing, as no dramatic confrontation occurred.

When Xia Mi La stepped out of her car, she happened to run into Jin He walking toward the school.

Both of them saw each other.

In full view of everyone, Xia Mi La raised her hand to greet him. But Jin He expressionlessly averted his gaze and ignored her.

Everyone reached the same conclusion: last night’s dinner had made Jin He furious!

Of course, who wouldn’t be upset in such a situation?

But the more intriguing aspect was why Xia Mi La had done it.

After all, she used to be so obedient and would never cross lines or do anything Jin He disliked.

“Mira.” Xu Lian Yi spotted Xia Mi La from afar and hurried over to her side.

She was also very curious about the matter, so she linked arms with her and asked quietly, “Why did you go to dinner with Zhao Taihe yesterday?”

Xia Mi La replied, “He asked me out, so I went.”

“That simple?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…” Xu Lian Yi hesitated, wanting to say more.

Zhao Taihe definitely had ulterior motives, but she didn’t know how to warn her.

Xia Mi La laughed at her hesitation. “Don’t worry, I’m not that easy to fool.”

Recalling Xia Mi La’s recent series of actions, Xu Lian Yi gradually felt reassured.

“Okay.” She nodded, then remembered to thank her. “About my family’s dinner party yesterday thank you.”

Xia Mi La smiled. “It was nothing.”

The two chatted and laughed as they walked inside.

Before they even reached the classroom, there was new gossip.

Someone had anonymously posted photos on the school forum pictures of Jin He and Pei Duo Xing hugging in a convenience store last night.

People still found it hard to believe.

“Is Jin He serious?”

“What kind of charm does that sponsored student have?”

Some began to understand Xia Mi La’s behavior from the previous day.

“What’s this? They’re both doing their own thing now!”

“Has Xia Mi La finally come to her senses? Has she given up on Jin He?”

“I think she’s just trying to make Jin He jealous!”

Opinions varied widely. Xia Mi La couldn’t be bothered to explain. After all, people’s opinions changed every day.

The photos didn’t surprise her at all she had obtained them yesterday.

Besides Zhao Taihe, she had also sent people to keep tabs on Jin He. Although she wasn’t the one who uploaded the photos, having more leverage in hand was never a bad thing.

In the original comic, these two characters’ relationship had developed very quickly.

Love at first sight had triumphed over affection grown over time.

Perhaps, Xia Mi La thought, this was what they called biological attraction.

Well, let him like her then. The more he liked her, the better. The more he liked her, the sooner she could break off the engagement.

These photos clarified some stances.

Since Jin He cared so much about Pei Duo Xing, the Azure Dragon Hall definitely wouldn’t target her. Those neutral would have to weigh their options carefully. As for the White Tiger Hall they certainly wouldn’t hold back.

So this photo wasn’t Pei Duo Xing’s protective talisman, but rather the bugle call for a new round of conflict.

Zhao Taihe eagerly began doing what Xia Mi La had called “tasteless” behavior.

Such moral condemnation couldn’t stop him at all – anyone who made Jin He care this much was definitely someone he had to interfere with.

Thus, at noon in the cafeteria, during the busiest and most crowded time, Pei Duo Xing was assaulted by a plate of curry.

The white ceramic plate crashed to the floor with a crisp sound, startling everyone.

Xia Mi La followed the noise and saw Pei Duo Xing standing there in embarrassment, covered in food.

It seemed she didn’t have any spare school uniforms to change into, still wearing the same ill-fitting set.

Yesterday’s uniform had already gotten very dirty, and it was finally washed clean and dried, only to meet misfortune again today.

“Sorry about that,” the boy opposite offered an insincere apology. “It wasn’t intentional.”

He was from White Tiger Hall, and everyone knew he had done it on purpose.

Not far away, Jin He became furious and came over ready to fight, but was restrained by Zhao Taihe’s enforcer Bian Junye.

Then Jin He’s people stepped forward as well, both sides confronting each other with a group fight ready to erupt at any moment.

“A He,” Pei Duo Xing seemed somewhat frightened, reaching out to pull Jin He back.

“So sensitive, what can we do?” Zhao Taihe continued making sarcastic remarks from the side. “There will be many more accidents like this in the future.”

Jin He had been wanting to beat him up since last night, and now he could no longer restrain himself and directly threw a punch.

The two of them started fighting right there in the cafeteria.

“Wow,” Song Ya-yun couldn’t quite take it, “at least these two never used to behave like this in the cafeteria before.”

Not considering at all whether it might affect other students’ appetites.

“So immature,” Xu Lian Yi commented.

Xia Mi La shook her head, then lowered it to continue eating.

Today was Thursday, and there was a small tea party scheduled in the lounge.

Of course, it wasn’t just simply drinking tea together.

The biweekly tea party mainly provided members with an opportunity for major information exchange.

As people gradually filled the sofas, only Jin He and his close companions – the ones who had just accompanied him in the fight – were absent.

“Is A He still coming?” someone couldn’t help but ask.

Everyone carefully observed Xia Mi La’s expression.

Although they were all from Azure Dragon Hall, there were still small faction divisions.

Those from Han Lin’s faction looked at Xia Mi La with some sympathy. Everyone had seen how Jin He fought with Zhao Taihe in the cafeteria earlier for the sponsored student. They thought Xia Mi La, as the legitimate partner, was really keeping her composure, actually able to sit here presiding over the meeting without changing expression.

Those from Xia Hong’s faction felt somewhat indignant. Business marriages might lack genuine feelings, but basic respect should still exist. Both parties were equal, and their Xia Hong family wasn’t necessarily dependent on Han Lin.

“It doesn’t matter,” Xia Mi La said. “If he doesn’t come, we’ll…”

She thought Jin He probably wouldn’t be in the mood to concern himself with Azure Dragon Hall affairs today.

But before she could finish her sentence, the door was pushed open. Jin He had arrived, bringing his people with him, and beside him followed Pei Duo Xing.

Why was he bringing an outsider in? Everyone’s minds surfaced with rather unpleasant thoughts.

“Jin He,” Xu Lian Yi directly questioned aloud, “how can you casually bring an outsider in here?”

“She’s not an outsider,” Jin He swept a glance over the crowd, removed the Azure Dragon Badge from his chest, and handed it to Pei Duo Xing. “Starting today, she is a member of the Azure Dragon Hall.”

“How can this be!” Everyone murmured in discussion, “What qualifies Pei Duo Xing to join the Azure Dragon Hall?”

“A He,” several of Han Lin’s people grew anxious, “Are you joking?” “You really need to think this through carefully!”

No matter how much Jin He liked Pei Duo Xing, it was one thing for the two of them to mess around outside, but how could he bring her into the lounge? Placing the mistress right under the wife’s nose to disgust her was simply going too far and bullying her.

Did Xia Mi La really like Jin He enough to swallow this insult and endure such humiliation to this extent?

Even if she could, those around her couldn’t just stand by and watch.

What if she got angry and left? Everyone’s interests would suffer.

They weren’t wrong in their thoughts. While Xia Mi La’s face remained calm and unreadable, Xu Lian Yi beside her was nearly exploding with rage.

“Jin He,” she stood up abruptly from the sofa, glaring at him furiously, “Don’t push people too far!”

What Jin He hated most was Xu Lian Yi. He felt she caused too much trouble around Xia Mi La.

He hadn’t settled yesterday’s account with her yet, and today she dared to jump out again.

“Hah,” he looked at her, “Why don’t you tell me, why can’t she join?”

“She…” Song Ya-yun said, “She’s a Sponsored student.”

Even she knew that Pei Duo Xing was a Sponsored student with nothing to her name.

“Sponsored student,” Jin He sneered, “If we’re talking about Sponsored students, aren’t there other Sponsored students here too?”

He began calling names: “Li Cainv.”

Li Cainv indeed came from a poor family. She was a Sponsored student brought into the Azure Dragon Hall by Xia Hong, the female lead, but she was a computer genius.

Yesterday, Xu Lian Yi had asked for her help to obtain the campus surveillance footage as quickly as possible.

Usually, everyone occasionally sought her help with some shady tasks that couldn’t be done openly.

Li Cainv was the type who spoke little but worked efficiently. Whenever someone from the Azure Dragon Hall asked for her help, she would handle things perfectly without asking too many questions. So even though her family was extremely poor and her looks were ordinary, no one in the Azure Dragon Hall looked down on her.

Even now, when Jin He called her name, it made many people frown.

Though both were Sponsored students, how could Pei Duo Xing be compared to Li Cain?

But Jin He wasn’t finished yet. He continued calling names.

“Xu Lian Yi.” He looked at her with a disdainful expression, “Your father is just an ordinary employee at Xia Hong, with no reputation or shares. By that calculation, aren’t you just a Sponsored student too?”

Compared to Li Cainv and Pei Duo Xing, Xu Lian Yi’s family background was actually much better. But according to the school’s class classification, Jin He wasn’t entirely wrong.

But…

Song Ya-yun widened her eyes and voiced everyone’s thoughts: “Yi Yi is the top student in our grade, the student representative. Can Pei Duo Xing compare to her?”

She should have kept quiet. As soon as she spoke, Jin He targeted her again: “Song Ya-yun, your father and the artists from your company were charged together last month. They might be convicted and go to jail. As the daughter of a criminal, where do you think your superiority lies compared to others?”

Song Ya-yun was stunned by these words and immediately shut her mouth, not daring to speak another word.

Pei Duoxing had originally been extremely nervous when Jin He brought him in, but after hearing Jin He’s words, he immediately relaxed.

What was this? He had thought the people here would be incredibly noble, but they turned out to be quite similar to him.

If Xia Mila was surrounded by such people, what gave her the right to look down on him and prevent him from joining the Azure Dragon Hall?

At that moment, the atmosphere in the hall was somewhat suffocating.

Everyone felt Jin He’s words were a bit excessive, but they couldn’t find a good angle to refute him.

It was true the admission of sponsored students wasn’t without precedent; it was the same in the White Tiger Hall.

Bian Junye had enrolled as a sponsored student from JK Group. But since he was Zhao Taihe’s most trusted enforcer, no one would use his sponsored student status to cause trouble for him.

In summary, sponsored students had entered the lounge before, but they were all highly capable and convincing.

What abilities did Pei Duoxing have? Nothing noticeable yet, but if Jin He insisted on backing him, there wasn’t much anyone could do about it.

At this moment, Li Cainv, who was at the center of the storm, stood up.

She glanced at Jin He, then at Xia Mila, pushed up her thick, beer-bottle-like glasses on the bridge of her nose, and began to remove the Azure Dragon Badge from her chest.

———————–

Author’s Note: Cainv is awesome! [Cheers]

No update tomorrow~ [Please understand]