Making Use of Someone

Jimo escorted Jiang Wangshu back to his dorm.

Jiang Wangshu pushed the door open and paused.

Jimo had tidied up a little, leaving the room barely presentable.

But there was no way to restore it to its former state. Signs of the destruction were still visible everywhere.

The box of tissues had vanished, the chair was scuffed, and there was paint on the clothes that wouldn't wash out.

Jimo glanced at Jiang Wangshu.

"A few days ago... when I came back to get something, someone had already been here. People from the student council were looking for you."

"Mm."

Jiang Wangshu walked in expressionlessly. He picked up a school uniform from the chair and said quietly, "It's ruined."

Jimo thought he was worried about having no uniform to wear. "It's fine. I'll buy you another one from the academic affairs office."

A school uniform from the academy wasn't cheap, but the money was nothing to Jimo.

Jiang Wangshu shook his head and said softly, "I'm sorry I ruined your clothes."

He should have returned Jimo's uniform long ago. He'd had so many chances afterward, but he'd coveted that little bit of warmth and ended up ruining it all.

Jiang Wangshu had always thought that if a day came when he had no excuse to see Jimo, he could use returning the uniform as a reason to ask him out. As a result, he'd put it off until now.

Only then did Jimo notice that his own name was embroidered on the uniform.

He had given it to Jiang Wangshu to change into in the dorm when they first met. He had several uniforms and hadn't noticed one was missing.

"It's fine." Jimo didn't think much of it. "It's just a uniform."

Jiang Wangshu lowered his eyes, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Jimo said, "The student council probably won't give you any trouble lately."

When Jimo had left the infirmary earlier, he'd been a little worried. After spending so much time on the forum, he'd felt sure someone would be staking out the infirmary entrance for Jiang Wangshu. But now it seemed Huang Zhenghao was too busy trying to find whoever had made the post to bother with him.

It looked like the post he'd made that day had done at least a little good.

Jimo patted Jiang Wangshu on the shoulder. "I'll take the uniform and throw it away. Get some rest."

He tugged at it, only to find he couldn't pull it away. Jiang Wangshu said, "I'll wash it. It should come out."

Huh?

Jimo had wanted to point out that it was covered in paint, but in the end he only nodded.

Perhaps that would make Jiang Wangshu feel a little better.

Jimo stayed in his dorm all afternoon, doing nothing but watch Jiang Wangshu busy himself.

The dorm was peaceful. No one came knocking.

But with Jimo sitting there, Jiang Wangshu couldn't settle down to work either. After taking so many days off, he probably had a lot to catch up on.

Jimo stood up. "Xiao Shu, I'll get going."

"Mm."

Jiang Wangshu stood and saw Jimo to the door without asking him to stay.

Over the past few days, Jimo had been busy dealing with the student council and running back and forth to the infirmary. Aside from attending the necessary classes, he'd made hardly any progress with his revision.

At this rate, there was no way he'd pass the assessment.

Then Jimo remembered that half his participation grade for management had been deducted, and his mood immediately darkened.

On the way back to his dorm, he began planning the rest of his revision.

With Jiang Wangshu all right for the time being, Jimo settled down and focused on his studies. He went to the library to revise and look up materials as soon as class ended, spinning like a top for days on end. He wished he could devour his books and cram the knowledge straight into his head.

So he didn't know that, barely had he left that day, someone came knocking.

Not long after Jimo left, someone knocked loudly on Jiang Wangshu's dorm door. The person outside sounded frantic.

"Wangshu, Wangshu, you're back, aren't you? Hurry and hide. Don't stay in the dorm, it isn't safe here. While you were away these past few days, they came looking for you here every day."

It was Wang Yue's voice. There was no need to say who "they" were.

Jiang Wangshu was folding clothes. His hands didn't tremble at all, as though he hadn't heard, or perhaps had already been prepared.

"Really, Wangshu, trust me one more time." Wang Yue's voice grew more and more frantic. "There's no time, they're here..."

Jiang Wangshu finally spoke. "Go."

It fell quiet outside the door. A moment later, there was a sudden crash, as if someone had kicked it.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Jiang Wangshu, open the door! I know you're in there."

Jiang Wangshu paused. He first put the uniform in his hands deep inside the cabinet and locked it, then went over to open the door.

As soon as the door opened a crack, it was shoved violently inward. Several student council members rushed in. The door struck Jiang Wangshu, sending him stumbling back several steps. When he regained his footing, a patch of his forehead had already reddened.

He swept his gaze over them and found, to his surprise, that Huang Zhenghao wasn't among them.

What a pity.

The student council member in the lead grabbed Jiang Wangshu by the collar. "Fuck, you sure know how to hide. You even managed to get three days off. You pissed off F4, and you think you can still hide anywhere?"

That member of F4 had even pretended to ask if he needed help that day. How hypocritical.

Jiang Wangshu's gaze was icy, but his lips curved upward as he stared straight at the other man. "If you've got the guts, beat me to death right now!"

The man was momentarily dazed and flinched for an instant. Before he could grasp that feeling, the provocation set him off. "I'll beat you crippled today and make you get out of the academy."

The group was so brazen that they started beating him without even closing the door. They were utterly lawless. Jiang Wangshu could fight back at first, but they outnumbered him, and he was rather thin. Soon he was no match for them.

The fight became a one-sided beating.

But that was exactly what he wanted.

Fists rained down on him. Jiang Wangshu gritted his teeth, not knowing how long he'd been beaten, until an angry shout finally came from the end of the corridor.

"What are you doing?!"

The blows stopped, and a jumble of footsteps sounded beside him. Someone cried out in panic.

"What do we do? Why is Professor Mosi here?!"

"We're dead, we're dead! Run!"

Class divisions existed in Easton, and there were many ways to torment people. Although the school rules forbade fighting on campus, no one cared in private, but it still couldn't be brought out into the open.

Much less be witnessed by the powerful and influential Professor Mosi.

No wonder the student council members were so panicked.

Jiang Wangshu shielded his head with his arms, his head hanging low. A deep, dark malice lurked in his eyes.

Could they get away?

He had long since committed each and every one of their faces to memory.

Mosi didn't give chase. He stood where he was, watching the student council members flee, and only turned back to Jiang Wangshu after they disappeared around the corner. "Are you all right? Are you badly hurt?"

Mosi was tall and thin, dressed in a crisp suit. His gaze was sharp behind his gold-rimmed glasses, giving him an efficient air. He didn't look like an old man at all.

Jiang Wangshu leaned against the corner and struggled to stand, addressing him as professor.

"Mm." Mosi went over and helped Jiang Wangshu to his feet.

As he moved, the hem of Jiang Wangshu's shirt rolled up, revealing patches of bruising. Mosi fixed his gaze on them.

He lifted the fabric a little higher, immediately exposing more injuries, some darker than others.

Mosi said gravely, "Easton isn't a concentration camp. You're an excellent student, child, but you shouldn't waste your time here."

"All right, I understand, Professor."

Mosi's gaze held the same cold glint as the light reflected from the metal fountain pen on the left side of his chest.

"You're very clever. I'll help you deal with your current troubles. I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Yes."

Mosi left, and Jiang Wangshu leaned wearily against the back of the door and let out a breath.

He had made use of Professor Mosi.

He hadn't spent those three days in the infirmary doing nothing.

Jiang Wangshu wasn't as optimistic as Jimo. His status as a special-class student made him somewhat more realistic and wary. He knew the student council wouldn't let him off.

He was tired of them making trouble for him from time to time, too.

There were many things he couldn't settle down to do.

Professor Mosi had come to his dorm this time to pick up an important document. Jiang Wangshu had used an excuse to make Mosi come in person.

Even though Jiang Wangshu knew Mosi would easily see through his crude little trick.

But it had worked, hadn't it?

At least he could temporarily say goodbye to those endless troubles, big and small, settle down, and devote his important energy to people and things.