TRWSB – Chapter 51 Zhuang Hao vs. Qi Shaorong

Qi Shaofu and Qi Shaorong were deep in conversation when a student entered the room.
“Qi, the principal is asking for you.”

“Third Brother, excuse me,” Qi Shaorong said.

Qi Shaofu nodded. “Go ahead, don’t keep the principal waiting.”

Principal’s Office

“Ah, Qi, you’re here! Please have a seat.” Principal Hu Feng greeted him warmly, a smile lighting up his face.

Qi Shaorong nodded and sat across from Hu Feng, whose seemingly harmless face wore a benevolent expression.

Knowing all too well the cunning nature behind Hu Feng’s kind facade, Qi Shaorong remained cautious. “Principal, you wanted to see me? Is there something I can help with?”

Hu Feng handed him an envelope. “Take a look at this.”

Qi Shaorong opened the letter and glanced at it. “The Qi family wants the school to expel me?”

Hu Feng nodded. “That’s correct.”

“What do you think about it, Principal?” Qi Shaorong asked.

“I believe you’re a diligent and outstanding student,” Hu Feng said righteously. “Our academy prides itself on being an open-minded institution. We won’t dismiss an excellent student like you over baseless rumors.”

“Thank you, Principal.” Qi Shaorong smiled faintly.

“Qi, you’re quite well-liked, you know?” Hu Feng remarked.

“Why do you say that, Principal?” Qi Shaorong asked, puzzled.

“Before you arrived, Mentor Zhuang Ling came to speak on your behalf.”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

Hu Feng chuckled. “I also heard Zhuang Hao has quite the admiration for the Evil Healer. Too bad the healer ignores him. Qi, are the rumors true? Did the healer choose you over Zhuang Hao?”

Qi Shaorong’s eyes flashed with surprise as he observed the principal’s gossip-driven enthusiasm.

He thought to himself, Even the principal can’t escape the allure of juicy gossip.

“Well, the Evil Healer and I are friends. Our relationship is probably closer than what he has with Zhuang Hao,” Qi Shaorong replied.

Hu Feng patted Qi Shaorong’s shoulder encouragingly. “I see! If the healer chose you, it shows you outshine Zhuang Hao in certain aspects. Keep it up—I’m rooting for you!”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

Leaving the principal’s office, Qi Shaorong encountered Zhuang Ling.

“Qi, are you alright?” she asked.

Qi Shaorong glanced at her. “Mentor Zhuang Ling, why wouldn’t I be?”

“The Qi family doesn’t recognize your talents. They’ll regret abandoning someone like you,” Zhuang Ling said firmly.

“You’re too kind, Mentor.”

Zhuang Ling smiled. “I believe in you. By the way, I’ve already asked Mentor Sun Lin to deliver the letter to the Evil Healer’s estate.”

“Great. I’ll inform him to keep an eye on it,” Qi Shaorong replied.

Zhuang Ling nodded. “Thank you.”

Qi Family

In a separate courtyard, Qi Shaoyu sat brooding.

“What’s Principal Hu Feng’s response to the situation now that it’s blown up?”

“Principal Hu Feng hasn’t reacted much. It’s as though nothing happened,” her maid answered.

“What’s he planning?”

“Miss, that principal is famously unpredictable. No one knows what he might do. But no matter what, Qi Shaorong is no longer part of the Qi family. Even if Tianlan Academy doesn’t expel him, he’ll have no place there.”

Qi Shaoyu gritted her teeth. She had expected Qi Shaorong to apologize and beg for forgiveness after being expelled from the family. Instead, he accepted it with startling composure, leaving her feeling like her efforts had landed on soft cotton.

“Principal Hu Feng must see value in keeping that waste around. Perhaps he stands to profit from him,” Qi Shaoyu said.

Her maid hesitated before adding, “It’s not just that, Miss.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve heard that Qi Shaorong spent 100,000 gold coins on a pass for the advanced library at Tianlan Academy.”

“100,000 gold coins! Where did he get that kind of money?” Qi Shaoyu exclaimed.

“Isn’t he being supported by the Evil Healer? That healer is known for hoarding wealth,” the maid replied.

Qi Shaoyu: “…”

Tea House Meeting

Qi Shaorong was stopped by a female student as he left the academy.

“Qi, Zhuang Hao wants to talk to you. He’s waiting at the tea house across the street. Let me take you there,” she said, her tone revealing her admiration for Zhuang Hao and disdain for Qi Shaorong.

Qi Shaorong followed her to the tea house, musing at Zhuang Hao’s ability to charm admirers effortlessly.

Inside, Zhuang Hao dismissed the girl with a few words, and she left, beaming.

“Qi Fourth Young Master, we meet again,” Zhuang Hao said.

“Zhuang Young Master, to what do I owe the pleasure? I’m just a Qi family outcast, shunned by all. It’s rare for someone like you to risk public backlash to meet me,” Qi Shaorong replied.

Zhuang Hao’s expression remained serious. “I’m not one for beating around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

“Go ahead.”

“I heard you told Qi Shaoyu that you’re being supported by the Evil Healer. You may not care about your reputation, but don’t drag the healer’s name through the mud,” Zhuang Hao said, his tone sharp.

Qi Shaorong toyed with his teacup, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “You’re very concerned about the Evil Healer, aren’t you?”

“I like him,” Zhuang Hao replied earnestly.

Qi Shaorong’s heart skipped a beat. This kid’s seriously confessing?

“Do you like him as a person, or do you like what he represents?” Qi Shaorong asked with feigned curiosity.

“Is there a difference?”

“No difference,” Qi Shaorong replied lightly. “Either way, you don’t stand a chance.”

Zhuang Hao stared at Qi Shaorong and said, “You haven’t answered my question yet. What right do you have to discredit evil doctors?”

Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Hao’s accusatory face and a bit of evil taste flashed through his mind.

Qi Shaorong took out a gold card and said to Zhuang Hao, “Master Zhuang, do you know what this card is?” Before Zhuang Hao could speak, Qi Shaorong opened his mouth, “The money cards found in the Royal Trading Company are divided into ordinary cards, silver cards, gold cards, and purple gold cards. The issuance of purple gold cards is very limited, less than two hundred.”

“This purple gold card is generally awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to the country. To some extent, this card also symbolizes a person’s status. Master Zhuang, where do you think I got this one?”

“The evil doctor gave it to you?” Zhuang Hao asked with a frown.

“Young Master Zhuang is really smart. He guessed it right at the first try.” Qi Shaorong snapped his fingers at Zhuang Hao and said with admiration on his face. “Xiao Xie gave it to me because he knew I was short of money. The old emperor is a bit stingy! He only gave me 300,000 gold coins, which is not enough!”

Zhuang Hao stared at Qi Shaorong and suddenly clenched his fists, his eyes filled with an unconcealable fierceness.

Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Hao’s expression, and suddenly a complicated feeling flashed through his mind. It seemed that the joke was a bit too much.

“Can you give me this card in exchange for the amount of money in it? I’ll pay it, plus an extra 10,000 gold coins.” Zhuang Hao asked, restraining his expression.

“Young Master Zhuang is indeed a rich man. I won’t even blink an eye at adding an extra ten thousand gold coins. Deal!” Qi Shaorong said generously.

Zhuang Hao paid the gold coins without saying a word and took the gold card from Qi Shaorong’s hand.

Zhuang Hao stood up and said, “Sorry, I have something else to do, so I’ll leave first.”

Qi Shaorong nodded and said, “Go ahead.”

…

Qi Shaorong stood upstairs, watching Zhuang Hao walk out of the restaurant in a daze, and couldn’t help but sigh.

Qi Shaorong glanced casually and unexpectedly saw Bi Liuyun in the restaurant. Bi Liuyun folded his arms, watching the scene leisurely, with a bright smile on his lips.

Bi Liuyun walked upstairs, smiled at Qi Shaorong and said, “Qi Shao, would you like to have a drink together?”

Qi Shaorong nodded and said, “Sure!”

Qi Shaorong followed Bi Liuyun into the private room, “Qi Shao, when Zhuang Shao left just now, he seemed to have a very unhappy face!”

Qi Shaorong sighed and said, “There’s nothing I can do. Who made him like the evil doctor?”

Bi Liuyun looked at Qi Shaorong and smiled brightly, “How could Zhuang Hao fall in love with the evil doctor? He is so unlucky.”

Qi Shaorong Rong looked at Bi Liuyun who was gloating, and said coldly: “This guy, his vision is not very good!”

Bi Liuyun chuckled, leaned back in the chair, and said with his hair hooked: “In my opinion, the vision is good, but the eyesight is not very good.”

Qi Shaorong looked at Bi Liuyun who was watching a good show, and said: “You seem very happy?”

Bi Liuyun said with disapproval: “How could it be? I look very happy?”

Qi Shaorong: “…” He was shaking with laughter, so of course he should be considered happy.