"That's what he said," Li Ming explained cautiously.
He had actually wanted to pocket the money, but the dormitory was cleared out at night, so he had to leave no matter what.
After thinking it over, he decided to pass along the message honestly.
They would have to meet sooner or later. Realizing this, Su Chen could not help but feel troubled.
That guy clearly had ill intentions, and who knew what sort of game he was playing with Jiang He.
But it was more or less as he had expected. Qi Chuan had clearly treated him as the breakthrough point, and Jiang He knew full well that he was being used as bait.
"I understand. Go tell him I'll be down in a while," Su Chen said with a nod.
Li Ming looked as though he had been granted a pardon and turned to leave at once.
"Wait..."
His steps froze. He very much wanted to ignore Su Chen and hurry downstairs, but after weighing it up for a moment, he reluctantly turned back.
"This is for you." Su Chen flicked out a gold coin. Li Ming hurriedly caught it, looking somewhat surprised.
"Thanks..." He forced out those two words before heading downstairs.
After giving it some thought, Su Chen simply returned to his room and continued improving the Candlefire Mental Training Method.
Since they would have to meet sooner or later, he might as well meet him later. He would deal with it tomorrow. Besides, he was not hungry right now.
Time passed, and the artificial lights of Southwind City gradually turned a soft earthy yellow.
Downstairs from the dormitory, Jiang He's aggrieved husband raised his head with a cold expression and stared at a certain floor.
Early the next morning, Su Chen woke leisurely and stretched. From yesterday afternoon until night, he had trained both his body and mind, leaving himself utterly exhausted. He had slept deeply.
This place was relatively safe. Southwind Academy was headed by the City Lord as its principal. The last time he had heard of an internal student dying was three years ago. The City Lord had personally sent people to investigate three times, implicating nearly a hundred people before finally letting the matter rest.
The various progress indicators on the panel were obvious.
[Strongman: 3%] [Candlefire Mental Training Method—Proficient: 15%]
He had already broken through his limits three times, and the requirements for [Scholar] had been reduced by another three months.
The amount of time reduced each time was not fixed. Once, it had directly dropped by two months. The pace was much faster than he had imagined.
This visible progress allowed him to see the rewards of every effort he made, filling him with motivation.
"But now I really have to go out."
After washing up, Su Chen rubbed his stomach and muttered to himself, He didn't wait downstairs all night, did he...?
The instant he stepped out of the dormitory, Su Chen sensed a gaze falling on him. Following it, he saw a figure standing beneath a thick yellow maple tree across the way.
He wore a tailored dark brown suit, immaculate in every detail. He was indeed handsome, with well-proportioned features and a pair of captivating blue eyes.
He really waited all night, Su Chen marveled inwardly.
Their gazes met. Qi Chuan stared quietly at Su Chen. He really did have a handsome face. No wonder he had caught his wife's eye.
This kid had been intimate with Jiang He in his own home. By all rights, he should have known what he looked like. Qi Chuan tried to find panic or unease on Su Chen's face, but found only calm.
When a lover was caught by the rightful spouse, he should at least feel a little guilty, right? Thinking of how Su Chen had toyed with him yesterday, Qi Chuan's mood worsened.
Though he thought this, he made no move. He simply stayed where he was, waiting for Su Chen to come to him so he could seize the initiative.
Then Qi Chuan's face darkened when he saw Su Chen turn around, seemingly intending to go back inside. Left with no choice, he could only call out sharply, "Su Chen!"
Quite a few passing students cast strange looks their way, but none paid them much attention.
Annoyed, Qi Chuan walked behind Su Chen and decided to strike first. "You dare do it, but not own up to it?"
Su Chen turned around lazily. "You are?"
"Drop the act. I'm Jiang He's husband!" Qi Chuan lowered his voice slightly as the dormitory security guards watched the two of them suspiciously.
"So you're one of us. A pleasure, a pleasure." Su Chen looked suddenly enlightened.
Qi Chuan paused, then sneered. "You're quite fearless. Do you think Jiang He will protect you?"
"No. I just thought that a senior as refined and courteous as you definitely wouldn't be the sort of person without manners," Su Chen explained.
Qi Chuan frowned slightly. This fellow's response was unexpected, making the many arguments he had prepared difficult to use. Still, he said coldly, "Why did you toy with me yesterday?"
"I didn't. Didn't I come down? The interval was just a little long, that's all." Su Chen looked puzzled.
Qi Chuan choked up. Too lazy to keep talking nonsense, his tone turned grim. "Kid, don't think you can rest easy. Aren't you curious why the time before you have to leave the city changed from three months to half a month?"
"Wasn't it half a month from the start?" Su Chen looked confused.
Qi Chuan held his breath. The kid before him did not seem like some lowly refugee who had never seen the world. He had thought the identity of Jiang He's husband would leave Su Chen at a loss.
Instead, his coercion and warnings felt like punches landing on cotton, stirring up a nameless fury within him.
"No, man, what exactly do you mean? Don't you big shots all play your own games? Don't you have a lover?" Su Chen feigned confusion. "Just because I slept with your wife once, you really got so embarrassed that you flew into a rage?"
Qi Chuan's eyes flickered. This kid was smarter than he had imagined. He would have to change tactics.
The sinister look vanished from his face, replaced by calmness. He led Su Chen into a corner and lowered his voice. "You're a smart person, so I'll be direct. I want to know what exactly happened that night."
"That night?" Su Chen looked shocked. He looked Qi Chuan up and down, seeming to hesitate.
Qi Chuan's gaze deepened. Su Chen's reaction did not escape his notice. This kid really did know.
"You big shots really are hard to understand..." Su Chen squirmed awkwardly, looking troubled. With a sigh, he said, "Fine. You're Jiang He's husband, after all. I suppose you can understand..."
"That night, I went to see her... she took off my clothes... red wine trickled across... her face was flushed... I said... she said... her voice was so... we had a great time..."
Qi Chuan listened intently at first, but his expression gradually turned ugly. "Enough!"
His eyes were dark and chilling, as though blazing flames might burst forth at any moment. Though he had ulterior motives, how could he possibly remain truly calm while hearing an explicit account of his wife's affair?
Eyes that could shoot fire? What kind of profession was that? Su Chen thought instinctively.
"Why are you getting angry? You told me to say it. I thought Jiang He was joking when she said you had a special fetish." Su Chen backed away repeatedly, looking utterly bewildered. "I didn't want to say it in the first place. I don't have any special fetishes."
Special fetish? Qi Chuan's expression shifted as he understood what the other party meant. Crimson patterns appeared across his cheeks.
No... He drew a deep breath and suppressed his anger again. The strange changes on his body gradually faded as he tried to speak calmly. "That's not what I want to know."
"Then what do you want to know?" Su Chen frowned.
Qi Chuan fell silent. Looking at the seemingly confused fellow before him, he felt unable to see through him. He had nearly lost control.
"...Southwind Academy is the cradle where Southwind City cultivates its core strength. Every class has a selected group of students who receive focused training. Resources, status, knowledge... they have everything."
"Since you're a smart person, you should understand that Jiang He cannot possibly invest many resources in you. Tell me what you know, and I can arrange for you to enter the focused training list."
"I can even delay the time you have to leave the city, so you can at least gain some ability to protect yourself."
Su Chen said helplessly, "What exactly do you want to know?"
Qi Chuan stared at him and did not press him further. He merely tossed out a gilded card and said blandly, "Think it over carefully. Once you've figured it out, break it."
Before you continue