Chapter 39: So They Are the Real…

After Jin Can left, the atmosphere in the lounge remained tense.

Jin He currently had no way to deal with Jin Can’s provocations.

Because of his affection for Pei Duo Xing, he had ruined his own engagement and was now viewed as a thorn in his parents’ side. If Jin Can went home to complain about him again, he would definitely face severe consequences.

At school, he was equally helpless against Jin Can. There was simply no way to use the Azure Dragon Hall to suppress him.

Jin Can had quietly established his footing at the school.

Backed by Xia Mi La’s Vermilion Bird Hall, and after showcasing his skills last time to secure benefits for the hall, all members of the Hanlin Faction had to regard him with greater respect.

This proved one thing: whatever Jin He could accomplish, Jin Can could achieve as well. It made the reality of Han Lin now having two heirs completely tangible.

Moreover, Jin Can had no conflicts with Zhao Taihe their relationship was passable.

From this perspective, Jin Can was actually faring better than him at Tan Ming.

Jin He felt deeply frustrated, the same irritation he had experienced at Xia Mi La’s Vermilion Bird Hall party resurfacing.

Suppressing his impatience, he turned to Pei Duo Xing: “Why did you have to speak up just now? You don’t understand anything at all.”

“I…” Pei Duo Xing lowered her head, explaining softly, “I thought with Xia Mi La’s gentle and fragile personality, she would definitely refuse.”

Jin He: “…”

Xia Mi La had never been afraid of such betting competitions before. Though she didn’t particularly enjoy them, back then, she would always accompany him in whatever he wanted to do.

Besides, what did Xia Mi La have to fear?

Now, representing the Vermilion Bird Hall with so many people around and behind her, she was even less likely to back down easily.

Pei Duo Xing raised her head again, her eyes slightly reddened, looking somewhat aggrieved: “I was just afraid of losing, and I didn’t want to see you in a difficult position.”

Her intentions were indeed genuine.

Jin He knew that.

Despite his myriad grievances, he couldn’t vent them on Pei Duo Xing. In the end, he just sighed: “I know. I’m not blaming you. It’s just that you know too little and understand nothing, which leads to such presumptuous actions… Let A-Zhe tell you more about school affairs. You never used to listen before, thinking you didn’t want to get to know anyone else. But being completely ignorant will inevitably lead to embarrassment. Let’s not continue like that from now on.”

Although he didn’t lose his temper, his foul mood and numerous worries made his words somewhat harsh.

Pei Duo Xing’s face turned pale.

Just ten minutes ago, she had thought herself incredibly clever, only to face consecutive humiliations afterward. And the final verdict of being “completely ignorant” had actually come from Jin He himself.

Jin He didn’t pay much attention to her feelings; he was already heading out.

He had a match to compete in soon, and he certainly didn’t want to lose. Winning was his only thought now.

Following behind him, Pei Duo Xing felt her mood sink to the lowest point, overwhelmed by a tide of disappointment.

In a top chaebol like Han Lin, she had originally thought Jin He was also at the pinnacle, and that by staying by his side, she would have nothing to worry about.

But it turned out that wasn’t the case at all.

Jin He could do nothing about Zhao Taihe, could do nothing about his younger brother who had just returned, and was even almost at a loss with Xia Mi La.

She hadn’t dared to ask Jin He earlier – what if they lost?

Now she could only ask herself while trembling with fear – what should I do? What if we lose…

*

The weather was pleasant today. A few wisps of thin clouds drifted across the clear blue sky, the breeze was exceptionally gentle, only occasionally brushing past the ears, and the temperature was neither too hot nor too cold – just perfect.

Han Lin’s golf course offered absolutely stunning scenery. Three themed courses were arranged in an orderly layout, with vast stretches of neatly trimmed lawns spreading out like emerald green carpets. Everywhere the eye could see presented a view that delighted the heart and refreshed the mind.

Since Xia Mi La didn’t need to participate in the competition, she was completely relaxed.

She walked over to Sun Yongmin and patted his shoulder to encourage him: “Senior, don’t hold back today. Play as well as you can, preferably beating them all to the ground.”

Compared to Jin He, Sun Yongmin actually had much more talent in golf.

However, he was also feeling a bit nervous now: “But what if we lose?”

He hadn’t expected to be thrown into the battlefield as soon as he arrived today. And with the stakes being the ‘King’s Game,’ it was quite significant.

“It’s fine even if we lose.” Xia Mi La laughed. “Victory and defeat are common in battle. If we lose, there’s still me. The venue is so beautiful, just enjoy yourself today, senior.”

Sun Yongmin didn’t think he would lose, but hearing Xia Mi La’s words helped him relax even more.

“Mm.” He nodded, gazing longingly at the distant scenery. “It really is beautiful. Hey, I’ve been wanting to come in and see this place for a long time.”

Given his previously hostile relationship with Jin He, he truly hadn’t expected that one day he would be able to enter Han Lin’s golf course. Now, with excitement and anticipation mixed together, he couldn’t wait for the competition to begin.

Jin Can remained standing by Xia Mi La’s side the whole time, just silently listening to their conversation without saying anything.

Perhaps having taken the reassurance Xia Mi La offered, Sun Yongmin was in excellent form today. With the competition nearly half over, his score was already far ahead.

He played so well that Ding Yuan had no choice but to complain: “Hey, professional players are banned from competing!”

Zhao Taihe, standing nearby, chuckled at this. Leaning on his golf club, he glanced at Xia Mi La, who appeared completely relaxed and content while watching the match.

“She’s really getting off easy.” He withdrew his gaze, his smile fading as he turned to Ding Yuan with a somewhat serious expression. “Just beat Jin He. We absolutely cannot lose to him.”

Ding Yuan understood the importance of this matter and immediately composed himself, nodding seriously. “I know.”

*

After half the competition was over and before changing courses, everyone went to the restaurant for lunch and a short break.

Jin He was currently ranked third and didn’t appear in the restaurant at all.

Bai You Na searched around the restaurant but couldn’t find any trace of him, couldn’t help but mutter quietly: “Really, even if you’re losing, you still need to eat.”

Then she saw Pei Duo Xing holding a packed meal box preparing to leave.

So she had packed the food to take to the lounge and eat together.

Although Bai You Na looked down on Pei Duo Xing from the bottom of her heart, she still followed her out of the restaurant and stopped her in the corridor.

“What do you want?” Pei Duo Xing turned around, her expression somewhat guarded as she looked at her.

“How about we form an alliance?” Bai You Na stated her purpose directly. “You have no one else to rely on at school, and I need someone to help me deal with Xia Mi La.”

Pei Duo Xing had heard that Bai You Na and Xia Mi La were stepsisters with no blood relation and didn’t get along well.

But even if their relationship was strained, it was still better than her position as an outsider.

What did she have that Bai You Na could possibly want? She had no power or influence. If they formed an alliance, she would just become a pawn to attract hostility for Bai You Na.

Why would she do such a thankless task?

Moreover, Bai You Na had already set her up once before.

That time when Jin He and Xia Mi La had arranged to meet for dinner – it wasn’t some romantic reunion date as Bai You Na had made it out to be, but rather Jin He needed Xia Mi La’s help with some important matters they needed to discuss.

Because of Bai You Na’s instigation, she had impulsively gone to disrupt their meeting.

Then there was what happened in the lounge this morning… Although Jin He’s words had been harsh, they weren’t completely unreasonable. She had made a fool of herself because she didn’t understand them, didn’t understand these people. Having learned her lesson, she couldn’t recklessly join their conflicts now.

Besides, she didn’t want to make an enemy of Xia Mi La.

While their positions might place them on opposite sides, Xia Mi La had never actually targeted her. Why should she keep provoking conflict?

And that Xia Mi La… she had initially thought she was just a simple, harmless little bunny, but now she understood – a Chaebol Heiress who commanded so much respect was anything but simple.

In any case, her goal was simply to graduate from Tanmyung High School safely under Jin He’s protection.

Based on this, she disliked Bai You Na even more than Xia Mi La.

Because Bai You Na’s affection for Jin He was quite obvious. She liked Jin He – otherwise why would she remain in Azure Dragon Hall for his sake?

So they were actually true love rivals.

On one hand, this woman had feelings for her boyfriend, and on the other hand, she wanted to use her to deal with Xia Mi La. How convenient for her!

Pei Duo Xing therefore rejected her quite directly: “I’m sorry, I don’t need to rely on anyone else, and I don’t have anyone I want to deal with. So you should find someone else.”

Having said this, she picked up her lunch box and continued walking forward.

Watching her retreating back, Bai You Na took a deep breath… She couldn’t believe it. This Pei Duo Xing actually dared to ignore her like this?

She had condescended to recruit her, and this woman had arrogantly rejected her before turning and walking away.

Damn it, that bitch! Who did she think she was!

She stood in the corridor cursing Pei Duo Xing viciously for quite some time before slowly calming down and returning to the dining hall.

In the bright, clean dining hall, everyone sat together in small groups.

Xia Mi La sat at the largest round table, accompanied not only by her two close friends Xu Lian Yi and Song Ya-yun, but also by Jin Can and Sun Yongmin.

The atmosphere at that table was excellent, with laughter occasionally drifting over.

Song Ya-yun was the most talkative, animatedly telling some story that had Sun Yongmin and Xu Lian Yi laughing heartily.

Xia Mi La sat nearby, quietly smiling as she listened to her speak, her demeanor both indulgent and affectionate.

Even the usually expressionless Jin Can appeared quite relaxed, his expression softer than usual.

That scene of joyful harmony made Bai You Na somewhat jealous.

However, she wasn’t the only one feeling jealous, though others had different perspectives.

“What exactly does Song Ya-yun have to deserve this?”

The table next to her was gossiping, with disdainful voices continuously drifting over.

“Her family used to be decent, but now her father is about to go to prison. What right does she have to sit beside Mira?”

“Probably relying on sheer audacity.”

“Ugh, I could never stoop to her level.”

“Don’t underestimate her. Not only is the Vermilion Bird Hall currently thriving, but even before it existed, Mira was incredibly generous. She clings to Mira like sticky candy, acting cute and flattering her. Those ridiculously expensive diamond bags Mira gives them away without a second thought. Isn’t that better than snagging a rich husband?”

“That’s true. But Mira doesn’t seem as easily swayed now. I’ve noticed Song Ya-yun has been carrying that same bag for a long time.”

“Maybe Mira has finally seen through her true nature.”

Bai You Na thoughtfully shifted her gaze to the Chanel bag beside Song Ya-yun… It did seem like Ya Yun had been carrying it for quite a while.

She couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile. If money could buy influence, then someone close to Xia Mi La would be far more useful than that Sponsored student Pei Duo Xing.

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Author’s Note: An extra chapter will be posted at 12 PM noon~ [Cheers]