Chapter 22

Seeing Zhou Ruixin's puffed-up, angry expression, the young playboys exchanged glances and wisely kept silent.

Before filming had even begun, they were already waving around scripts and project proposals, having gathered over 33.5 million Empire coins in investment. Adding the 2.5 million they already had, the total production budget came to 36 million—more than enough for Li Rongxiu to meticulously produce an inspirational urban film.

Even so, it still failed to satisfy Li Rongxiu's ever-growing appetite. After carefully reviewing all the sponsors' information, he finally realized he had overlooked a big fish...

Zhang Yaolin was the eleventh-generation descendant of Old Master Zhang, imperial tutor to three dynasties. He was also the current principal and chairman of the board at Diwan High School. Influenced by his family traditions, Zhang Yaolin had received the most traditional Confucian education in the country from childhood. Although he had spent some time studying abroad after high school, he had gone to Country Y, which likewise respected tradition. Thus, naturally reserved and conservative, Zhang Yaolin had not been influenced by those "open-minded" foreign ideas. He remained an old-fashioned, tradition-upholding, learned, and respected master of Confucianism.

After becoming principal of Diwan High School, his greatest and most praised achievement had been changing the school's former tradition of admitting only children from wealthy and influential families. He opened the school's doors to outstanding students from poor backgrounds and established the Diwan Outstanding Student Scholarship, thereby educating generations of excellent, well-grounded students from humble families and cultivating more talent for the Empire.

For that very reason, Zhang Yaolin had held the Li family's children in high regard and had been full of expectations when Li Rongxiu first enrolled. Yet a few months later, he regretfully discovered that Li Rongxiu's every performance was worlds apart from that of his elder brother, Li Rongyu, who was known as a "monstrous talent." While sighing in disappointment, Zhang Yaolin had no choice but to accept the reality that Li Rongxiu was merely a good-for-nothing playboy who lived to eat, drink, and have fun.

Thus, after receiving his secretary's phone report, Zhang Yaolin truly could not understand what serious business such an idle young wastrel could possibly have with him.

After pondering it for a moment, Zhang Yaolin's curiosity was piqued. He set aside his work and signaled for his secretary to bring Li Rongxiu in.

This was the second time Li Rongxiu had entered the principal's office since enrolling. The first had been shortly after he started school, when Principal Zhang had inexplicably summoned him, lectured him at length about the country and the world, then sent him away with disappointment written all over his face. At the time, Li Rongxiu had only been thinking about showing off his newly acquired sports car to his friends and had paid no attention at all to the principal's intentions.

This time, however, Li Rongxiu had come burdened with a major mission. He did not want to return empty-handed, so, adhering to the truth that one had to bow one's head under another's roof, the deeply uneasy Li Rongxiu pretended to be calm as he greeted Principal Zhang. After receiving permission, he sat down properly.

He took a soft breath and steadied his slightly restless mind. Then he presented the proposal he had prepared long ago to Zhang Yaolin with both hands and said slowly, striving to sound rigorous yet respectful, "Hello, Principal Zhang. This is our team's competition proposal for the school anniversary. Please review and approve it..."

"Oh?" Zhang Yaolin accepted the proposal from Li Rongxiu, but did not open it. He merely placed it casually at the corner of his desk and said with a genial smile, "According to our school's traditions, individual student entries for the anniversary competition do not need to be submitted to the school for review before the celebration. I assume Student Li knows this school rule."

Li Rongxiu nodded with a smile. "As a student of Diwan High School, of course I know our traditions and rules. However, aside from asking the school leaders to approve our competition proposal, I also hope the school can allocate funds to support our work."

Hearing this, Zhang Yaolin could not help shaking his head with a laugh. Apart from marveling at how boldly the Li family's sons spoke and acted, he could only reiterate, "As your elder and teacher, I am very pleased to see you working hard for the school anniversary and for your own futures. But I regret to tell you that apart from student organizations publicly approved and supported by the school, our school has no precedent for providing funds to private teams."

"More than ten years ago, our school also had no precedent for admitting students from poor families." Li Rongxiu smiled faintly. Then, seeing the thoughtful look on Zhang Yaolin's face, he paused before saying meaningfully, "As a Diwan student, I respect tradition. But I also believe the school is willing to make the best changes while respecting tradition. After all, Principal Zhang, you once said that everything is constantly changing. We respect tradition, but that does not mean we must cling rigidly to old ways. Change is what drives Diwan's continued growth and progress. It is also what has allowed the Empire to thrive and prosper for five thousand years."

This had been Zhang Yaolin's first public speech after taking over as Diwan's principal. He had never expected that, after so many years, he would hear his own declaration repeated by a student as supposedly unlearned as Li Rongxiu. Moved, Zhang Yaolin could not help recalling his soaring ambitions from those years. Then he thought of that student who had once amazed him and filled him with such expectations. Smiling slightly, he picked up the proposal from beside the desk again and gestured to Li Rongxiu. "You have thirty minutes to convince me."

An hour later, Li Rongxiu left the principal's office with a smile as brilliant as a spring breeze, utterly satisfied.

Chapter 22

When Li Rongxiu returned home from school, waves of exhaustion washed over him. Perhaps he had been overworking his brain lately, because whenever he relaxed, his whole body became increasingly sluggish. He returned to his room, took a shower, and dozed off again while waiting for dinner. In the end, the ringing of his phone woke him.

Still reluctant to open his eyes, Li Rongxiu reached beneath his pillow and fumbled around before pressing the phone to his ear. The other end remained silent for a long time. If not for the faint, broken breaths and slight choking sobs, Li Rongxiu would almost have thought no one was there.

Still, Li Rongxiu did not speak first. He lay there unhurriedly with his eyes closed, burying his entire face in the blanket and enjoying its warmth and its silky-soft, comfortable touch. Then he stretched luxuriously, rolled over on the bed, and finally sat up.

At last, Shen Manyao's aggrieved voice came through the phone, tinged with tears. She pleaded softly, "Rongxiu, I feel so awful right now. Can you come keep me company?"

Li Rongxiu raised his brows. Across both his past and present lives, he had never received such soft, vulnerable treatment from Shen Manyao. Yet the heroic scene of saving a beauty, which he had once fantasized about for so long, had long since vanished amid their prolonged mutual revenge and hurt. Li Rongxiu did not hesitate even for a moment before decisively replying, "No."

Then he cleanly hung up, tossed the phone onto the bed, got up, and went downstairs.

The men and women of the Li family were sitting on the sofas in the living room, watching the evening news. Father Li and Eldest Brother Li were absent because there had been a problem with a hotel ingredient supplier in the capital. The two had to rush over overnight to deal with it, ensuring that the company's hotels could open as usual the next morning.

In short, the Li family's two men had no choice but to regretfully miss dinner that night.

Zhuang Meiru looked over her son's somewhat pale, clearly just-awakened face and tired expression. Her heart aching for him, she pulled him to sit beside her, took his hand, and rubbed it as she said, "Your grandfather specially told the kitchen to make crystal pork hock and roast whole lamb tonight, both your favorites. He said you've been studying hard these past few days and need something nourishing. You have to eat more later."

The Li family's health regimen generally called for light dinners. Usually, Li Rongxiu, who craved meat and could not go without it, naturally could not get used to those bland health dishes. He would often order the small kitchen to add a meat dish, a habit Old Master Li greatly disapproved of. He had scolded Li Rongxiu several times, saying he did not know how to care for his body and would suffer for it when he got old. Yet today, he had actually taken the initiative to order extra dishes for him...

Li Rongxiu looked at Old Master Li in surprise, only to see him cough twice with deliberate severity before saying with a stern face, "Eating too much, especially greasy food, at night makes digestion difficult. Remember to take a walk outside after dinner. You are not allowed to sit down within two hours, much less lie in bed playing on your phone or using the computer!"

Beaming, Li Rongxiu went over and sat beside Old Master Li. He wrapped an arm around his grandfather's shoulders, rubbed against him, and said in a cutesy voice, "Got it. I'll walk an extra hour tonight. Big Brother won't be back tonight, so how about I practice Taijiquan with you tomorrow morning, Grandpa?"

Sitting nearby, Grandmother Li said sadly, "You'll only practice Taijiquan with your grandfather?"

Li Rongxiu quickly added, "Of course not. I'll also help Grandma water the flowers. Then, when Grandma isn't paying attention, I'll pick all the roses in the greenhouse—after all, the girls at our school love the flowers Grandma grows. They say the blossoms are big, fragrant, and beautifully colored, with more life to them than the ones sold outside. They're perfect for making handmade DIY perfume and soap."

Grandmother Li put on a look of astonishment. "So that's why a batch of flowers always disappears from my greenhouse every so often. It turns out you've been causing trouble, brat. Today, I finally caught the real culprit. No, starting tomorrow, you have to come work in my greenhouse every day to compensate me for my flowers."

Li Rongxiu widened his large, dark eyes, covered his mouth with both hands, blinked innocently at Grandmother Li, and cried, "Grandma, you can't be so cruel. I'm your real grandson, but those flowers and plants aren't."

The Li family immediately burst into laughter. Old Master Li narrowed his eyes as he felt his eldest grandson's body leaning against half his shoulder. He snorted and said, "Acting cute won't help you. I'm taking your words seriously today. If you can't get up tomorrow morning, I'll have Old Zhong wake you with a basin of ice."

"I will! I'll set my alarm tonight, and I'll definitely get up tomorrow morning." As he spoke, Li Rongxiu stood up and strode toward the dining room, urging them as he walked, "When are we eating? I'm starving! I think I can eat three huge bowls!"

The Li family had already been waiting for Li Rongxiu to come downstairs. Seeing how willing he was to go all out for a meal, they exchanged smiles.

However, the next morning, Li Rongxiu still failed to practice Taijiquan with Old Master Li. At around four in the morning, Old Master Li was awakened by a phone call. Apparently, one of the Evening City Grand Hotel's ingredient suppliers had also run into trouble. Old Master Li had no choice but to personally travel to the supplier's place of origin to discuss a solution.

Thus, when Li Rongxiu woke punctually at six thirty in the morning, only Grandmother Li, Mother Li, and his younger uncle remained at home.

"What's going on? Why have so many suppliers run into problems within a single day? Could someone be deliberately targeting the Li family?"

It was no wonder Li Rongxiu thought so. The timing of this was simply too strange.

"No one is deliberately targeting the Li family, but strictly speaking, this matter does have something to do with the Chi family..." Li Bingru, whose sources had always been well informed, had immediately asked his friend Baron Hernand about the facts after Old Master Li received the call that morning. Now, he began explaining it to the curious Li Rongxiu.

It turned out that the Chi family had relied on currying favor with the Yao family and had specially invested a vast sum in building a shipyard, intending to enter the international shipbuilding market in one stroke with the Yao family's support. Yet after the matter between Chi Junrui and Shen Manyao was exposed, it directly affected the marriage agreement between the Yao and Chi families.

Now that the Yao family had unilaterally torn up the contract between the two families, the Chi family's shipyard had lost the Yao family's assistance and encountered a bottleneck in overcoming technical challenges that it could not resolve. But in order to restore the Chi family's prestige and calm the violent plunge of Chi family stocks, the head of the Chi family had no choice but to take a desperate risk and announce to the media that the cargo ships built by their shipyard had fully met technical standards and could be put into service.