TRWSB – Chapter 46 Extravagance

The Principal’s Office.

“Principal, the student is here.” The student responsible for leading the way quickly scurried off after delivering the message, as though the person inside the office was not the principal, but a man-eating demon.

“Ah, Student Qi, you’ve arrived?” Hu Feng said with a smile.

Qi Shaorong respectfully bowed to Hu Feng. “Greetings, Principal.”

“No need to be so formal. Student Qi, I assume you’re aware that three students entered your dormitory and ended up seriously injured?” Hu Feng asked.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Principal, I only just learned about this myself. At the time of the incident, I wasn’t in my dormitory at all. For the sake of security, I had set up a few ‘small devices’ in my room. Unexpectedly, they really came in handy—it seems some unsavory characters attempted burglary in the academy! This kind of underhanded behavior is truly disgraceful.”

Qi Shaorong continued, “Those thieves have received their just deserts. However, I also understand that my dormitory suffered damage during the incident. As this indirectly amounts to damage to academy property, I feel deeply regretful. Here is 10,000 gold coins—a small token of my apology.”

Hu Feng chuckled. “Student Qi, you clearly are a law-abiding and exemplary student. As for those troublemakers like Qi He, their behavior is indeed reprehensible. Rest assured, the academy will support you in this matter.”

“It’s a blessing for Tianlan Academy to have a principal like you, whose insight and fairness rival those of the wisest leaders. Surpassing Shenghuang Academy is only a matter of time!”

Hu Feng nodded approvingly. “Student Qi, you certainly have good judgment.”

Qi Shaorong extended his hand again, producing another card with 10,000 gold coins. “Since my dormitory is now damaged, I would like the academy to assign me a new one—a standalone courtyard.”

Hu Feng glanced at Qi Shaorong with a smirk. “Student Qi, you’re certainly generous with your resources.” Internally, however, he wondered: Isn’t Qi Shaorong supposed to be an underappreciated member of the Qi family? Even Qi Shaofu has a limited allowance. Where does Qi Shaorong get his wealth?

“I’ve spent many years living independently, doing small business ventures. I’ve managed to save a little money, but it has nothing to do with the Qi family,” Qi Shaorong explained.

Hu Feng laughed. “I see. Student Qi, feel free to voice any other requests.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Principal. I’ll take my leave now,” Qi Shaorong said with a polite nod.

Hu Feng smiled and waved him off. “Very well.”

Shortly after Qi Shaorong left, Zhuang Ling entered Hu Feng’s office.

“Principal, did Qi Shaorong just visit you?” Zhuang Ling inquired.

“Indeed, he did.”

“You didn’t make things difficult for him, did you?”

Hu Feng looked at Zhuang Ling curiously. “Instructor Zhuang Ling, you seem quite concerned about Student Qi.”

Zhuang Ling chuckled. “Yes, I am. After all, the dormitory incident wasn’t really his fault.”

“True enough. That scoundrel Qi He couldn’t afford a private dormitory and decided to covet Qi Shaorong’s. His attempt to take it by force only ended in embarrassment for himself.”

Hu Feng paused, then looked at Zhuang Ling in puzzlement. “But why the special interest in this student? To be honest, this Qi Shaorong is quite different from the rumors. He’s very impressive. I established the elite class to attract wealthy families, but most of the students are just pretending to have means. They’re far less resourceful than Qi Shaorong.”

Zhuang Ling smiled knowingly. Among the three major academies, Shenghuang Academy was famous for its wealth, while Tianlan Academy was notoriously underfunded. The principal had clearly racked his brains to improve the academy’s standing.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Qi He lay on the bed groaning in pain. Qi Shaofu and Qi Shaoru sat nearby, watching over him.

Qi He’s mother sobbed uncontrollably. “Shaofu, Shaoru, you must stand up for Xiao He! That fourth sibling of yours returned and immediately inflicted such cruel harm on his own family! Xiao He only went to visit his dormitory, but he nearly lost his life!”

Qi Shaofu frowned, feeling uneasy. He had already investigated the incident thoroughly. Qi He had coveted Qi Shaorong’s private dormitory and got beaten for it. Refusing to give up, Qi He snuck into Qi Shaorong’s room while he was away, only to fall into the traps Qi Shaorong had prepared. As a result, Qi He ended up half-paralyzed.

What intrigued Qi Shaofu more was Qi Shaorong himself. To his knowledge, their father had only covered Qi Shaorong’s tuition fees. Beyond that, the family had provided no financial support. Yet Qi Shaorong could afford a private dormitory.

For reference, even at the Royal Academy, Qi Shaofu shared a dormitory with others. His allowance of 1,000 gold coins was meant to last six months. Qi Shaorong’s apparent affluence was perplexing.

Qi Shaoru furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong with that fourth brother of ours? I’ve repeatedly warned him to keep a low profile, yet he keeps making trouble!”

Qi Shaoru disliked Qi He but tolerated him for his usefulness. Now that Qi He had been humiliated, her own image was tarnished as well.

Though Qi Shaoru disliked Qi He, she loathed Qi Shaorong even more. She firmly believed that if Qi Shaorong hadn’t existed, she would have been the one engaged to Zhuang Hao.

After learning that Zhuang Hao liked the mysterious “Evil Doctor,” who was also Qi Shaorong’s friend, Qi Shaoru’s resentment toward Qi Shaorong only deepened.