Chapter 94

Chapter 88: Passion Wounds

A few days passed quickly. During the day, Wen Liang reviewed systematically according to the plan. The problems that had once given him headaches now seemed much simpler. Occasionally, when he encountered questions he couldn't solve, he would record them and discuss them with Ji Su and the others after school. During this time, he spoke on the phone with Zuo Yuxi and learned that An Baoqing had already dealt with Bai Huan, delivering the VIP card of the luxury hotel to him. These small matters were not something Wen Liang had time to worry about. An Baoqing had been in Qingzhou for a long time and certainly had ways to reach Bai Changqian's doorstep.

On Thursday evening, Wen Haiming called from Guanshan. The father and son had no mood for casual conversation. The progress in the province, which Wen Liang had learned from Zuo Yuxi, was more than what Wen Haiming knew. Wen Haiming also understood this and briefly mentioned it before directly saying, "Xu Fuyan is very angry about Wei Gang's matter. He's afraid you'll alert the snake by beating the grass." He didn't explicitly say the more important point: the leader hated it most when subordinates acted without permission, especially at such a critical moment. Whether Xu Fuyan felt manipulated or disrespected, it was not good for Wen Liang.

Wen Liang sneered, "I knew he would be angry, so I didn't inform him before taking action against Wei Gang. It's fine; Zuo Yuxi is a partner, not a subordinate, so there's no need to seek permission for everything. Besides, this has its benefits. At least it makes Xu Fuyan understand that he doesn't have the final say in Qingzhou now. Whether he will in the future depends on how sincere he is."

Wen Haiming sighed, "I'm afraid Xu Fuyan already knows you're behind this. After all, he knows about your conflict with Wei Gang. Once the situation in Qingzhou stabilizes, whether he will settle accounts with you will depend on how broad-minded he is."

Wen Liang could sense his father's anxiety and worry, and said, "Don't worry. By the time Xu Fuyan fully controls Qingzhou, if I can't break out of this small circle, he can settle accounts with me then."

Wen Haiming didn't understand the meaning of these words but realized Wen Liang's determination. "Alright, do your best and leave the rest to fate. If it really comes to that, I'll resign from this small position."

Wen Liang laughed, "That day will never come! Dad, don't plan to get off the train halfway. I still dream of being a young master one day, to show off in front of my classmates."

Wen Haiming was at a loss, about to hang up, when Wen Liang said, "Wait a moment. Since we're talking about this, I think we should report to Xu Fuyan. His involvement will make things easier. Here's the thing, Bai Changqian has a son..."

After Wen Liang finished speaking, there was a long silence on Wen Haiming's end. Wen Liang probed, "Dad?"

"It's you!" Wen Haiming's exasperated voice made Wen Liang move the phone away a bit. "At a time like this, you're still causing trouble? Xu Fuyan is about to succeed in Guanshan..."

Wen Liang interrupted him, laughing, "Dad, just tell Xu Fuyan. I guarantee he won't be angry this time."

After hanging up, Wen Liang fell into deep thought. Xu Fuyan was a patient and cunning person, lacking neither vision nor strategy. He should have been an excellent ally. However, his weaknesses were as obvious as his strengths—lack of decisiveness, no courage or resolve to go all in, and a tendency to prioritize stability before victory. This might be a common flaw in the political arena, but in the life-and-death battlefield of Qingzhou, it was almost fatal.

At its core, he was a contradictory and self-interested person. This is why he was furious about Wei Gang but excited about Bai Huan. The former only brought harm, while the latter, though with risks, clearly had more benefits. Adding a significant weight to their side before the battle began, why wouldn't Xu Fuyan be happy?

Saturday was supposed to be a rest day, but Qingyi High School was organizing a major exam on Monday, so the weekend was shortened to just Sunday. After school on Saturday afternoon, the girls from Class 1 and Class 2 gathered together, about twenty of them, chattering as they walked toward the school gate. They were clearly divided into two groups. Xu Yao's group had only seven or eight people, while Class 2 had about fifteen, showing the difference in popularity. Wen Liang and Liu Zhihe followed at a distance. Liu Zhihe laughed, "Wen, will your reinforcements work? I heard these girls have a high stake in this bet. Don't let Xu Yao lose face, or you might have a hard time."

Wen Liang was confident, "Tan Yu sings Zhang Xueyou's songs like a recording, it's the original voice, he will definitely win!"

"Tan Yu? That's why I say you lack judgment. Look at my appearance, how much it resembles Zhang Xueyou. If I participate, we'll definitely win."

"First, learn to sing 'The World Only Has a Good Mother'..."

Liu Zhihe laughed, stroking his chin, and said regretfully, "If you and Gu Wenyuan were the main characters, it would have a bigger impact, and I could make some money from it."

"Ah, always trying to fleece one sheep. Why not broaden your horizons a bit? Speaking of Gu Wenyuan, he's been quiet these past few days. I wonder if he'll be involved in what Bai Huan is doing tonight."

Wen Liang ignored Liu Zhihe and quickened his pace. Tan Yu stood a few meters away from Xu Yao, with Bei Mi beside him, talking about something. Wen Liang frowned slightly but quickly returned to his usual expression, showing no signs of abnormality. He smiled, "Why not go over? You know Xu Yao, don't be so formal. We need your help tonight."

Tan Yu glanced at Bei Mi and smiled bitterly, "I'll stay here, we'll go together later." Seeing Wen Liang's gaze on Bei Mi, he quickly explained, "Bei Mi said she wants to join in. Since it's just singing, I agreed. Is it okay, Brother Wen?"

"It's fine, more people means more fun. But call me Wen Liang, not 'Brother.' You might be older than me." Tan Yu was indeed older than Wen Liang.

Tan Yu said embarrassedly, "I heard the guys who hang out with Liu Zhihe call you that..."

Liu Zhihe, who had just walked out of the gate, seemed to hear his name and turned to look, then slowly walked over.

Wen Liang laughed, "They are who they are, you're a good student, why follow them?"

"You're here to help. Without you, they would lose badly. If anyone should call you 'Brother,' it's them!" Bei Mi deliberately avoided looking at Wen Liang, but her disdain and sharp words were clear.

Wen Liang seemed not to hear her, his expression calm as he instructed Tan Yu, "Remember to go together." He turned and walked toward Xu Yao, completely ignoring Bei Mi.

For a girl who considered herself beautiful, this was the greatest humiliation.

Bei Mi stomped her foot, her alluring eyes almost spitting fire, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly. Only one thought echoed in her mind: "Let you be smug, let you be smug, I'll make you pay, sooner or later..."

Liu Zhihe, who had just walked over, heard Bei Mi's words. After Wen Liang left, he sneered, "Bei Mi, long time no see, you're getting more beautiful."

Bei Mi, who had once been a little godfather at Minghua Junior High, didn't dare offend him. Most boys either cowered in fear or acted boldly, but all treated her with respect and flattery. Almost all the influential figures at Minghua Junior High had been involved with her, except for Liu Zhihe, who never fell for her tricks and always treated her coldly.

When Bei Mi smiled, a shallow dimple appeared on her smooth cheeks, her eyes exuded a seductive allure, and her white teeth sparkled in the sunlight, making her red lips even more alluring.

"Zhihe, why are you here? Are you going to sing tonight too?"

Hearing her affectionate tone, Liu Zhihe's eyes were full of disgust. He said coldly, "You'd better not go tonight. That place isn't for just anyone!"

Bei Mi was stunned, her face turning red with anger, tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn't dare say anything. Tan Yu, feeling heartbroken, grabbed Liu Zhihe's collar and said, "Apologize to her!"

Liu Zhihe laughed, "Do you know what happened to the last person who grabbed my collar? Let go now, and I'll let it go for Wen Liang's sake."

"Apologize!"

Bei Mi knew Liu Zhihe's methods but remained silent, not stopping Tan Yu, allowing him to tangle with the other. This alone showed how much Tan Yu meant to her, which was chilling.

Liu Zhihe, a seasoned figure, immediately saw this and laughed, "Wen Liang has a brother like you, what bad luck. Fine, I won't argue with a fool. Whoever wants to go can go, it's just for fun."

This was almost an indirect apology. Tan Yu, not a fool, knew Liu Zhihe said this for Wen Liang's sake, let go, and stepped back.

Liu Zhihe, as if he had found something amusing, walked over to Wen Liang and whispered, "Is he for real? Is your brother crazy?"

Wen Liang, while talking to Xu Yao, kept an eye on the situation. Knowing Liu Zhihe had given him a lot of face, he smiled, "That's called devotion. You, a roughneck, wouldn't understand! Do you think everyone is as heartless as you?"

Liu Zhihe was about to argue when the girls from Class 2, led by a sweet and petite girl, walked over. The leader said, "Xu Yao, since you chose Dandelion, let's go there. But Xicheng is far. How will you get there? We'll have Bai Huan bring a car to pick us up."

Xu Yao said coolly, "We'll take the bus..."

Before she finished, the girls burst into laughter. "So the Zhang Xueyou fans are this level?"

"Knowing this, we should have had Bai Huan bring motorcycles to pick us up, to save Class 1 from embarrassment."

"Right, how about this, we'll squeeze in, just to be nice."

Almost instantly, Xu Yao and her group were overwhelmed by the girls' ridicule. The two classes had been at odds for a long time, and this was a perfect opportunity to strike back. Xu Yao was furious, about to speak, when three black Audis slowly drove up and stopped in front of everyone.

Bai Huan got out of the front passenger seat, ran to the back, and opened the door, raising his hand to block the top of the car in a gentlemanly manner. In the puzzled gazes of the girls, a girl got out of the car, simply dressed, but in that moment, she captivated everyone's hearts.

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