"How can you call it repaying kindness with ingratitude? Department Head, I could never repay your kindness!"
Jiang Linyuan replied at once, but this time Shen Wanyu didn't answer.
Stingy Department Head, why hasn't she activated the Reward Card yet?!
Jiang Linyuan shook his head, put his phone away, and looked over at Su Muzhi, who was grinning.
Once I'm done with Liu Tingting, I'll use you, you smiling viper, to farm Reward Cards.
Su Muzhi noticed Jiang Linyuan's gaze. The corners of her mouth lifted, and her eyes curved like crescent moons, brimming with amusement.
"Classmate Jiang, you're looking at me with bad intentions. Don't tell me you've fallen for me?"
Spring flowers are red, you lecher.
You think I like you just because I looked at you?
I'm going to give you a proper review, Downer Girl.
"You can insult my taste, but don't insult my character! I'm devoted to Department Head!"
Jiang Linyuan looked sideways at Su Muzhi.
Su Muzhi's mouth twitched.
Leaving aside whether this man even had any character, what did he mean by insulting his taste?
What's wrong with my face?
Jiang Linyuan paid no attention to Su Muzhi's thoughts and pointed toward the Badminton Club members training up ahead.
"Classmate Su, I didn't bring you to the Badminton Club so you could suck up to me. You should get to training, too."
Who was sucking up to you?!
Su Muzhi's brows shot up, and she was just about to say something when Jiang Linyuan put on a serious face and said,
"I'm going to the bathroom. Stay right here and don't move."
After scoring a verbal win, he immediately made himself scarce.
Hit and run—anyone could do that!
Did he think he hadn't noticed Su Muzhi clenching her little fists? If he stayed a moment longer, that woman was going to get physical with him.
Sigh, the dangers men faced.
The Badminton Club's results during the past few days of intensive training had been less than impressive.
They'd been dead last for ages, and even after bringing in Su Muzhi, an Outer Realm Heavenly Demon, their fallen sect was still a shambles. They hadn't made any noticeable progress.
"Classmate Su, do you think we'll win the Four-School League?"
"We will."
Su Muzhi spoke with a serious expression after practice, then shook her head.
"Though I'd like to say that, it's still going to be too difficult."
Jiang Linyuan sighed, too.
The Badminton Club's level couldn't exactly be called a gathering of the best and brightest. It was a complete mess.
Only two or three people were any good.
But losing was losing. It had little to do with him; he was just a middleman.
Liu Tingting was the real key.
"Little Su, how's the actual work going?"
Thinking of that, Jiang Linyuan asked again about Liu Tingting's fish pond.
Su Muzhi put on a fake smile.
"Classmate Zhuang Yan has already made everything clear to those two."
"How did Liu Tingting react?"
Jiang Linyuan asked again.
Su Muzhi paused, then said,
"She's been training really hard these past few days. Nothing unusual."
What was up with this Little Green Tea? Her whole fish pond was about to blow up, so why was she still playing badminton?
Had she attained enlightenment?
As if she'd noticed Jiang Linyuan's confusion, Su Muzhi smiled again and said,
"Don't you know? Liu Tingting used to be on the school badminton team. She got cut later, but if she performs well in the competition, she might be able to rejoin."
Jiang Linyuan froze, then nodded.
"That's the first I've heard of it."
"You're not taking this seriously, Classmate Jiang. You're not even as invested as I am!"
Su Muzhi put on a stern little face and reminded him solemnly.
Jiang Linyuan scoffed.
"If I'm doing everything, what do I need a wingwoman like you for?"
Su Muzhi: ...
Her fists were clenched tight.
One day, she'd hang that man's head from a streetlight.
The big head and the little head, both of them.
"So Liu Tingting isn't just any ordinary green tea, then?"
Jiang Linyuan mused.
As the saying went, a person without dreams was no different from someone without a care in the world.
Liu Tingting clearly wasn't someone without a care in the world.
No matter how calculated she was, her love of badminton was genuine.
"What's the matter? Regretting it?"
Su Muzhi narrowed her eyes and smiled at Jiang Linyuan.
"Regretting what?"
Jiang Linyuan was baffled. He had no idea what had gotten into this crazy woman.
"Have you ever considered how the fish pond blowing up would affect Liu Tingting?"
Su Muzhi reminded him.
Jiang Linyuan looked at her as if she were an idiot.
"Of course. It'll damage her reputation and set off a storm of gossip. Don't you know something that obvious?"
Su Muzhi couldn't tell if he was pretending to be clueless or genuinely didn't get it, so she spoke plainly.
"Liu Tingting's been training hard lately. If the gossip starts spreading, do you think it'll affect her? She's done a lot to prepare for the competition."
Jiang Linyuan fell silent.
What was Little Su doing, feeling sorry for a pretty girl? Her mindset was all wrong.
It wasn't like he was making up rumors. He was just telling people what she'd done herself.
She'd brought it on herself. If it affected her, so be it.
But then he thought it over and looked at Su Muzhi hesitantly.
"Are you into women?"
Su Muzhi had no idea what Jiang Linyuan was thinking. She flashed him a sweet smile.
"I like men."
"Mm, no need to explain. I won't fall for you."
Jiang Linyuan waved a hand.
Su Muzhi let out a long breath, her chest rising and falling. She said irritably,
"I don't like you either."
Seeing her blush a little, Jiang Linyuan figured she'd helped him a lot, so he ought to give her a little reward.
"Classmate Su, thanks for your help this time..."
"You're welcome. Just remember how good I've been to you."
Su Muzhi cut him off with a beaming smile before he could finish.
Looking at her smile, Jiang Linyuan sensed something was off.
What exactly was this woman after? And what was the deal with Liu Tingting having been on the school team?
He thought about it for a while. He still felt he should ask Department Head for some information, so he took out his phone and messaged Shen Wanyu.
"Department Head, Liu Tingting used to be on the school badminton team. Do you know anything about that?"
"That's Liu Tingting? You really can't judge a book by its cover. I heard she's two-timing."
"She's always so serious when she plays. She's a good actress."
"Stop talking. She's looking over here."
"Quick, let's go!"
On the badminton court, Liu Tingting hit a high clear. Her opponent failed to return it and hurried off to pick up the shuttlecock.
She wiped away her sweat and looked at the two girls who'd been whispering moments ago, gripping her racket tightly.
At the Badminton Club, her outstanding looks and superb skills had always made her a target of envy.
Zhuang Yan's drama had caused a huge stir a while back, and now, just as her own fish pond had capsized, her reputation had taken a nosedive.
Almost everyone in the Badminton Club kept their distance from her.
"Heh, you little green-tea bitch. What happened to all that swagger?"
At the sound of the voice, Liu Tingting turned and saw Zhuang Yan sneering at her.
"Was this your doing?"
she asked.
Zhuang Yan folded her arms across her chest.
"What, you're allowed to do it, but I'm not allowed to talk about it?"
Liu Tingting was silent for a moment, then gave a faint smile.
"If you couldn't keep an eye on your own boyfriend, why take it out on me?"
Zhuang Yan was furious at first, but soon calmed down.
"Wang Bo was an idiot. I was wrong about him. But I'm even more fucking sick of green-tea bitches like you."
"Finished?"
Liu Tingting asked calmly.
"Because I'm going back to practice."
Zhuang Yan was taken aback, then gave a derisive snort.
"Your business is all over the Campus Wall. Your academic advisor even called you in for a talk last time, and you still have the nerve to play? Let me put it bluntly: what right do you have to represent the Badminton Club in the Four-School League?"
"Isn't a competition about skill?"
Liu Tingting retorted.
"You got cut from the school team and still think your skills are that amazing?"
Zhuang Yan raised her racket disdainfully.
"Come on, I'll fucking play against you."
Liu Tingting let down her ponytail and answered crisply,
"Sure."
Before you continue