A Deal with Horikita Manabu

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Horikita Suzune froze in place, her mind in turmoil.

Fake...

The gentle brother from before was a fake, and the one standing before her now was the real one.

Yet he wanted to hit her?

Instinctively.

The girl refused to believe it.

Rather than denying herself, she felt this was merely a story concocted by the imposter before her to gain her trust.

She couldn't tell.

I really can't tell!

Suddenly.

The details of both brothers surfaced in her mind.

No matter how much she didn't want to believe it, the man before her undoubtedly fit the image of her stern brother from her memories.

After all.

The real brother.

Would never say those mushy things.

In an instant, her reddish-purple fox eyes lost their focus, and Horikita Suzune's breathing grew rapid.

After confirming the situation.

The girl instantly turned soft and weak.

Oh my god...

What on earth did I say to my brother?!

And.

In front of that bastard, too.

Horikita Suzune's face turned pale, and her gaze drifted involuntarily toward that guy's direction.

Xu Nuo.

This guy.

Wore a half-smile on his face.

Damn it.

Is he mocking me?!

The girl bit her lower lip hard, her nails digging into her palms, as she couldn't help but scream internally.

How humiliating!

She wanted to say something to salvage the situation, but her throat felt blocked, unable to utter a single word. Only one thought remained in her mind—

I'm socially dead...

At this moment.

Unlike his sister, who was on the verge of a breakdown.

Horikita Manabu remained calm. He adjusted his glasses, his sharp eyes fixed intently on the young man before him.

"Huu..."

"Let's get straight to the point."

Taking a deep breath, Horikita Manabu was the first to break the silence, speaking concisely, "Name your price. What do I need to pay to have that video deleted?"

As he spoke.

He paused, proactively offering a number.

"Two million Private Points."

"This price is enough for you to live quite comfortably... You heard our conversation just now, didn't you? This school isn't as simple as you think."

His tone carried a profound meaning in that final sentence.

Seeing this.

Horikita Suzune pursed her lips, feeling inexplicably embarrassed for her brother. She desperately wanted to tell him—

The rules of this school were told to me by this guy.

But...

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

She decided it was best to remain a wallflower for now.

Hearing this.

Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow. He didn't mind his brother-in-law's mysterious act and simply fell into quiet thought.

Two million.

It had to be said that Horikita Manabu's offer was quite generous—for a Class D student who had just enrolled, this was an astronomical figure.

But...

"I'm not interested in points."

Xu Nuo shook his head, his tone light and indifferent.

Holding a massive fortune of eighty million, he couldn't be bothered by a mere two million; he might as well let his brother-in-law use it for his retirement.

"?"

Horikita Manabu frowned slightly.

He didn't want money?

Then what did he want?

"I want two spots in the Student Council."

The next second.

Xu Nuo resolved his confusion, his pitch-black eyes staring straight at Horikita Manabu. "I don't need any high-level executive positions, just the most ordinary member spots will do."

"But I will decide who fills them."

"..."

Horikita Manabu fell silent, feeling somewhat surprised inside.

Student Council spots?

This request...

Was harder to handle than two million points.

No.

To be more precise, it was worth much more.

After all.

The Student Council held immense power in this school, capable of accessing information and resources unavailable to ordinary students, and could even, to a certain extent, influence the competitive landscape between classes.

Even ordinary members possessed certain privileges.

For instance.

Prioritizing your affairs and so on.

Therefore.

It was by no means something that could be measured by a simple two million.

But...

Horikita Manabu remained silent, his gaze slowly shifting between Xu Nuo and the sister standing behind him.

That video.

If it were leaked, the impact on him personally would be secondary; the real trouble was that once Suzune's ridiculous and childish appearance was exposed...

Then.

Her situation at school would become even more difficult.

And this.

Was precisely what he least wanted to see.

"...Fine."

After only two seconds of silence, Horikita Manabu made his decision. He adjusted his glasses and said in a deep voice, "I agree to the two Student Council member spots."

"But the candidates for these spots must pass my interview. If their abilities are insufficient, I reserve the right to refuse."

This was his final shred of stubbornness.

After speaking.

Horikita Manabu paused, his eyes turning serious, his tone revealing a hint of appreciation and probing.

"However, Student Xu Nuo."

"Since you are interested in the Student Council, why not join it yourself? With the ability you just displayed... I could appoint you directly as Secretary."

"Or."

"--Vice President!"

This invitation.

Although there was an element of probing, he was also being sincere.

As the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu had always possessed a keen eye for people—anyone capable of responding calmly to his sudden ambush, and even turning the tables, was certainly no ordinary person.

He was definitely no mediocrity!

Furthermore.

The composure the other party displayed in the face of a crisis, along with this level of control over the situation...

Plus.

He was in Class D, just like his younger sister.

And they were very close!

At this thought, Horikita Manabu's mind began to stir.

Perhaps...

"No need."

Xu Nuo interrupted him directly, a mocking smile curling the corners of his lips. "I have no interest in that."

"Student council matters."

"It's better to leave those to the President to worry about."

Hearing this, Horikita Manabu nodded, showing no signs of disappointment, and then spoke straightforwardly.

"When can the candidates be finalized?"

"Soon."

After thinking for a moment, Xu Nuo gave his answer. "At the latest, I will hand you the list in seven days."

"Good."

The deal was struck.

Xu Nuo readily picked up his phone and deleted the video he had just recorded right in front of them.

However.

In reality, he had already uploaded it to the cloud.

Of course.

This wasn't to keep it as a threat or anything; it was merely for posterity, so he could show it to Horikita Suzune after they were married in the future.

That would surely be interesting.

As for taking money without delivering, Xu Nuo wouldn't do anything so low-class; the video would not appear on campus.

"..."

Meanwhile.

Seeing that the other party had no intention of leaving, Horikita Manabu slowly turned around to look at his younger sister—

The girl was still standing in place, her lips pressed tightly together.

"Suzune."

Horikita Manabu spoke, his tone returning to its usual coldness. "I will find time to explain that matter to you in detail. I'm leaving now."

With that, he strode away.

He didn't even mention having her expelled anymore.

Left behind.

Only the two of them remained, staring at each other.

"..."

Horikita Suzune kept a straight face, but if one looked closely, they could see her delicate, small earlobes were slightly flushed; she was struggling to regain her composure.

Deep breath.

Deep breath again.

Her reddish-purple fox-like eyes slowly lifted, her gaze locking once more onto that infuriating face before her.

Xu Nuo.

This guy was leaning against the wall, holding that damn phone in his hand, watching her without blinking, a faint, mocking smile hanging on his lips.

That carefree appearance.

It was as if nothing had happened at all.

But.

He had seen her at her most vulnerable just moments ago...

Damn it...

Horikita Suzune bit her lower lip, yet she still forced herself to speak, her tone clearly unnatural.

"You,"

"Are not allowed to tell anyone."

"If you dare mention anything about tonight to anyone..."

"I will—"

She stopped mid-sentence.

She was stuck.

She glared at Xu Nuo, attempting to strike a threatening pose, but her face was far too flushed, and her eyes still held lingering traces of panic, much like a drunken kitten.

She looked completely limp.

There was zero intimidation factor.

"You will what?"

Xu Nuo asked with a beaming smile.

"..."

Horikita Suzune opened her mouth, only to find that she couldn't come up with a single convincing threat.

What could she even do?

Stab him to death with a compass?

Berate him with her sharp tongue?

Or go and complain to her older brother?

No... none of it would work; she couldn't do any of it.

"In short, you are just not allowed to say anything!"

In the end.

The girl could only manage to squeeze out that one sentence, her voice cracking slightly. Once she finished, she spun around abruptly and ran toward the dormitory with unsteady footsteps.

Tap, tap, tap—

The sound of her footsteps echoed through the night.

There was no trace of the usual icy, sharp-tongued girl in this frantic escape; it was simply...

"So cute."

Xu Nuo watched her retreating figure and couldn't help but laugh.

Afterward.

He also headed toward the dormitory.

Moonlight spilled over the pitch-black alley, leaving behind only the pure white playing card embedded in the wall.

It remained motionless in the night breeze.