Stirring Up the Winds and Clouds

In the bright light of the cafeteria, Yun Lan lowered his eyes to look at the reflective stainless steel edge of his tray, then lifted them to gaze at Honami Ichinose, who sat opposite him smiling without a hint of gloom.

How could he not see through it?

From the small gesture of her index finger pressing against her lower lip as she pretended to think; from the fleeting, overly precise sense of guidance in her eyes when she glanced toward that group of girls; even from the fact that she had specifically chosen this seat today—a spot with a wide view, easy to be "noticed"—every detail unfolded in his mind like slow-motion footage. This chance encounter was too natural, so natural that it revealed the seams of careful orchestration.

He could even sketch out in his mind how she had designed this scene: she probably winked at her friends beforehand saying "please," calculated the time he would appear in the cafeteria, and chose an angle that would be visible without appearing too deliberate. Honami Ichinose was never a calculating person, which made this little "scheme" of hers seem clumsy and... cute.

Yes, cute. When this thought surfaced, even Yun Lan was taken aback. It was immediately followed by a sense of almost helpless indulgence, like warm water flowing through his chest.

And then what? he asked himself internally.

Then, the answer was so clear it didn't require thought. His own little girl—besides spoiling her, what else could he do?

Honami Ichinose was the type of person who lived in the very center of the sunlight. Her kindness and enthusiasm were genuine; her world was bright and open. So, when she occasionally wanted to use a few small, harmless "tactics" to clumsily stake out a territory, like a small animal using its tail to circle an object it liked—what choice did he have but to play along?

He could even read the unspoken words behind this "setup" of hers: Look, this person is very important to me. Look, we are the kind of relationship that chats alone. Look, I know all about your curiosity, but this is my choice.

Then, let her make her declaration. Yun Lan could only reveal an expression of helplessness mixed with indulgence.

And Honami saw it all. The straw she was using to stir her drink slowed down, and the mischievous light in her eyes gradually melted into a softer, brighter emotion. She understood—he had seen through it, he had accepted it, and he was responding to her childish "declaration of sovereignty" in a silent and steady way.

"However," Yun Lan suddenly spoke, his voice calm, "next time you can just ask me to go shopping with you."

Honami blinked.

"You don't need to specifically arrange a 'chance encounter' in the cafeteria," he added, his tone devoid of blame, carrying only a faint, almost overflowing gentleness, "If you just say, 'Brother Yun Lan, keep me company this afternoon,' I would agree anyway."

The air went quiet for a moment.

Then, Honami Ichinose laughed. This time, it wasn't the bright, performative smile from before, but one that rippled from the depths of her eyes—a slightly embarrassed yet more authentic smile, with a faint blush even rising on her cheeks.

"You found out," she said softly, her fingers twirling a strand of pink hair.

"Yeah," Yun Lan replied, and he smiled too. The smile was faint, yet it allowed his constantly tense shoulders to relax completely.

In the distance, the observing girls seemed to notice the change in atmosphere as well. The whispering stopped for a moment, followed by a lighter, more teasing laughter, their gazes filled with a bit more understanding and blessing.

Sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, cutting bright patches of light onto the table. Yun Lan continued eating, and Honami sipped her drink in small mouthfuls. The invisible gazes in the air no longer felt like pressure, but instead became a sort of warm background noise.

He knew that from today on, some things would be different. And his only thought on the matter was—

It's pretty good.

Just keep spoiling her like this. Since this is what she wants, this is her way of expressing how much she cares.

"Since we've finished eating, let's go to the dorms and rest for a while!"

Honami Ichinose suggested.

"Honami, you go to my dorm and rest for a bit first. I don't think you'll go back to your own dorm, right? I have some things to take care of, so I'll leave first. Wait for me, little Honami."

Yun Lan explained in a measured, unhurried tone.

Yun Lan naturally had things to do, and that was—earning points by challenging clubs.

To be challenging clubs right after the opening ceremony; he believed no one in this school was faster than him. By making bets, he would harvest personal points from the second and third years to make life a little easier for himself and Honami.

"Is this the Chess Club?"

"Yes, may I ask who you are...? If you are a freshman looking to apply for membership, please come back tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day for freshman club applications."

"No, I'm here to exchange insights on chess with the seniors."

At a board in the corner, a second-year boy who had been studying an endgame looked up and raised an eyebrow. That was an interesting choice of words. Not "ask for guidance," not "observe," but "exchange"—a term that carried an equal, even faintly challenging tone.

"Of course, there has to be a stake. How about 100,000 points?"

Yun Lan looked at the seniors in the Chess Club and said.

"100,000 points? Junior, don't you need to live?"

"Although the school provides free daily necessities and vegetable sets, that's really not something an average person can live on." Seniors kept coming over, out of kindness, to persuade Yun Lan not to play for such high stakes.

"It's fine. If I lose, I can only say my skills are inferior and accept it. Besides, I have friends who will help me handle it."

An hour later, Yun Lan left the Chess Club with 1.5 million personal points and a contract. Yun Lan had spent 100,000 points to have the Chess Club members sign a contract.

The content of the contract was: they were not allowed to spread what happened in the club today; it had to be kept confidential.

After all, Yun Lan still had more wool to shear; he couldn't let other clubs realize something was wrong so quickly.

Chinese Chess Club.

"Seniors, sorry for bullying you with my skills, but thank you all for the sponsorship."

Yun Lan left the Chinese Chess Club with a smile; it only took him half an hour from entering to leaving. After all, he was very proficient in Chinese Chess.

Yun Lan's personal points reached 3 million.

Next, Yun Lan went to the Go Club and the Kyudo Club to issue challenges.

Let's just say the seniors were going to have a rough month.

Yun Lan's personal points reached 8 million.

Yun Lan checked the time. "It's getting late, I should head back. With the contracts, I don't have to worry about them talking. Though, I don't think they would talk anyway; after all, this kind of thing is quite embarrassing."