Name Your Terms

Jimo stood there straight, a little surprised that Ke Yueyi knew about it, but not very. He had been prepared for this ever since he approached Chen Ziwu to be his investor. "What do you want?"

This time, he didn't even call him Brother.

Ke Yueyi chuckled and casually pulled a sheet of paper from the table, handing it to him. "Wipe your face. You're covered in sweat."

Jimo looked at him for a moment before reaching out to take it.

Ke Yueyi turned and glanced at the exercise equipment in the corner. "You were doing push-ups just now. Have you been working out lately?"

"Yes."

"How long can you keep it up? Let's have a contest. If you can beat me, I won't interfere with your investor."

Jimo looked at his broad upper body. Even through his clothes, he could sense the strength in his arm muscles. Jimo had seen those sleek lines in the changing room at the riding grounds. With his current physical strength, he had no confidence he could beat Ke Yueyi.

He didn't fight battles he wasn't sure he could win.

Jimo said calmly, "No. I just finished working out. It wouldn't be fair."

But he thought, Just give me six months. No, three months, and I'll dare to challenge Ke Yueyi.

Ke Yueyi wasn't at all surprised that Jimo refused. With his slight build, no amount of working out would make him a match for Ke Yueyi. He had only said it to tease him. "Then come to a banquet with me."

Jimo made no attempt to hide his reaction, frowning right in front of him. He was clearly irritated to the extreme. No one could put up with such an overt threat.

For a moment, no one spoke in the dorm room.

Ke Yueyi watched him quietly. Jimo's dark eyes were clear and cold, and Ke Yueyi had no doubt that, if circumstances allowed, Jimo would attack him.

He said, "You don't have to do anything. Just stay by my side. It's a good deal, isn't it?"

"All you have to do is accompany me to a banquet, and you'll get a lot in return, including the first place in your group that you want most."

Jimo's pupils abruptly contracted. His voice turned sharp, and he nearly lost control of his emotions. "Stay out of my business!"

He hadn't expected the joke he'd made to Jiang Yu that day to come out of Ke Yueyi's mouth one day.

If he relied on Ke Yueyi to take first place, what would be the point? All his hard work would become a joke. No one would care how much he had put into it; they would only gossip about him behind his back, and all he would hear would be Ke Yueyi's name.

His ranking would become a prop for Ke Yueyi to display his power.

It would erase all his hard work.

Ke Yueyi watched him with a heavy gaze, seemingly wondering how Jimo had grown so bold.

Under his gaze, Jimo calmed down and took a moment to recover. "I can agree, but stay out of my business. That includes Chen Ziwu and my grades."

Ke Yueyi looked away. "Don't let it happen again."

Jimo knew what he meant. Couldn't he stand it when Jimo spoke a little forcefully?

Ke Yueyi said, "Come find me in the lounge at seven on Sunday evening."

Jimo answered quickly this time. "Okay."

He suddenly remembered something else and added, "Let's forget about what happened with Wang Ming."

Seeing the confusion in Ke Yueyi's eyes, Jimo reminded him, "The student council guy from the cafeteria that day. The past few days have been enough."

"Mm," Ke Yueyi replied.

With that, Ke Yueyi turned to leave. The moment he pushed open the door, Jimo called out to him. "Wait. What if I can beat you in a fight?"

He meant a fight, not a contest. A contest would be a simple test of physical fitness, and Jimo wasn't confident about that. But there was a lot more to a fight.

Besides, he had put up with Ke Yueyi for a long time and had wanted to beat him up for ages.

Ke Yueyi paused and looked back at him. The light in the room illuminated half his face in profile, leaving the other half in shadow and giving him an air of arrogance and disdain for no particular reason.

He said, "Name your terms."

"All right, Brother, I'll remember that."

Jimo's lips curved as he watched him turn and leave.

Don't let it happen again?

No, this was only the beginning.

Nothing could be more satisfying than having a legitimate excuse to attack Ke Yueyi and knock him down, especially when Ke Yueyi wouldn't be able to say anything about it.

That was the confidence he had gained as a professional international kickboxer who had competed in tournaments large and small, winning so many trophies that there was no more room for them in his cabinet.

Jimo went to take a shower. By the time he came out, the heat in his body had subsided. He picked up his phone and saw that Jiang Wangshu had replied.

[Yes, he invited me. I heard he invited quite a few people this time.]

After sending that message, Jiang Wangshu immediately sent another. [I'm sleepy, so I'm going to bed. Good night, Brother.]

Jimo had wanted to ask for more details, but he had to let it go, thinking he could still ask him in person tomorrow.

Jimo: [Good night.]

For several days in a row, he couldn't find him.

Jimo noticed that Jiang Wangshu had been busy lately—especially busy. Every time he found him, they would exchange a few hurried words before Jiang Wangshu disappeared.

When Jimo asked what he was busy with, Jiang Wangshu would always talk around the question and never get to the point.

The schools that had finished their exams had already started their holidays early, and the teaching buildings were empty. Jimo had gone to his dorm once but hadn't found him there, and Jiang Wangshu had already quit his part-time job. Even if Jimo wanted to find him, he didn't know where to start.

He asked the system, [Is the male lead avoiding me?]

The system replied, [Maybe he really is just busy.]

Jimo thought that made sense. Jiang Wangshu really had no reason to avoid him.

Time flew, and before he knew it, the weekend had arrived.

Jimo had stayed in the dorm for the past few days, and Ke Yueyi hadn't come looking for him again. Apart from working out and occasionally leafing through a book, he had done nothing else.

As night fell and seven o'clock approached, Jimo got up and headed for the lounge without even changing, wearing a heavy black down jacket.

He had timed it perfectly, arriving right on the dot.

As soon as he entered the lounge, he spotted Ke Yueyi sitting on the sofa. He seemed to have been waiting there for a long time.

Hearing the noise at the door, Ke Yueyi gave Jimo a casual glance, put down his book, and started to get up.

Just then, a basketball flew straight at Jimo. He tilted his head to dodge, and the ball flew past his ear.

Bang!

With a clatter, the basketball struck the table, and things shattered all over the floor.

Jimo turned to look at the culprit.

He Zhenglin stood not far away and shrugged. "Ah, sorry. It slipped out of my hand," he said without a trace of sincerity.

Jimo bent down and picked up the ball, slowly bouncing it twice. He, too, wore a smile. "It's fine."

As soon as he finished speaking, his movements suddenly quickened. After a few feints, Jimo raised his hand and threw the ball back at He Zhenglin.

"Catch!"

There was no way that throw was meant to be caught. The ball had been hurled straight at him. He Zhenglin dodged it, but the trophies in the cabinet weren't so lucky. They were all knocked askew. Fortunately, the cabinet door was locked.

Before anyone could speak, Jimo looked at him apologetically. "Ah, sorry. Brother Zhenglin, did I throw it too hard?"

Even the wording of his apology was the same.

He Zhenglin frowned deeply at Jimo. He thought Ke Yueyi had spoiled him far too much, letting him develop such a temper.

Back at the riding grounds, he had already thought that Jimo was always trying to steal the spotlight, putting on an act of playing the hero and saving a beauty. He had been extremely unpleasant to watch.

He hadn't expected Jimo's temper to have grown even worse in the short time since they last met.