"That's exactly what he said." Li Ming explained cautiously.
He'd honestly been tempted to pocket the money, but the dormitory ran clearance checks every evening — he'd have to leave regardless.
After weighing his options, he decided to deliver the message honestly.
There was no avoiding this encounter. Su Chen realized as much, and the thought made him feel uneasy.
This man harbored ulterior motives and was locked in some kind of chess match with Jiang He.
But just as he'd predicted from the start, the man had clearly identified him as a pressure point. Jiang He knew it too — she was using him as bait.
"Got it. Go tell him I'll be down shortly." Su Chen nodded.
Li Ming looked like he'd been granted a pardon. He spun on his heel to leave.
"Wait..."
His steps locked up. Every fiber of his being screamed to just bolt downstairs, but after weighing the consequences, he reluctantly turned back.
"This is for you." Su Chen flicked a gold coin his way. Li Ming scrambled to catch it, looking surprised.
"Thanks..." He forced the word out before heading downstairs.
Su Chen thought for a moment, then simply went back to his room to keep practicing the Candlelight Mental Forging Method.
Since a confrontation was inevitable, he might as well push it back — deal with it tomorrow. He wasn't hungry right now, anyway.
Time trickled by. Nanfeng City's artificial light source gradually shifted to a soft, earthy yellow.
Below the dormitory, Jiang He's aggrieved husband stared upward with a cold expression, eyes fixed on a particular floor.
Early the next morning, Su Chen drifted awake and stretched lazily. Between the physical training and mental exercises that had consumed yesterday afternoon and evening, he'd pushed himself to complete exhaustion and slept like the dead.
It was relatively safe here. Nanfeng Academy was headed by the City Lord himself. The last time a student had died on campus was three years ago — the City Lord had personally dispatched investigators to review the case three times over, implicating nearly a hundred people before he was satisfied.
The progress on his panel was clearly visible.
[Strongman: 3%]
[Candlelight Mental Forging Method — Mastery: 15%]
He'd already broken through three limits, and the Scholar's requirement had shrunk by another three months.
Each reduction wasn't a fixed amount — one time it dropped by two whole months. The pace was considerably faster than he'd anticipated.
This kind of visible progress, where every ounce of effort yielded tangible results, kept his motivation running high.
'But I really do need to head out now.'
After freshening up, Su Chen rubbed his stomach and muttered, 'He didn't actually stand out there all night, did he...'
The instant he stepped out of the dormitory building, Su Chen felt a gaze land on him. He traced it to its source — beneath a thick yellowish maple tree across the way stood a figure.
Dressed in a tailored dark-brown suit, impeccably groomed, undeniably handsome — sharp features, a pair of striking blue eyes brimming with charisma.
'He really did wait all night.' Su Chen felt a pang of grudging respect.
Their eyes met. Qi Chuan studied Su Chen in silence. A handsome face indeed — no wonder he'd caught his wife's eye.
This kid had been intimate with Jiang He at their home. By all logic, he should know what Qi Chuan looked like. He tried to spot panic or anxiety on Su Chen's face, but found only calm.
'Caught in the act by the husband, and not even a shred of guilt?' Qi Chuan thought, recalling yesterday's humiliation. His mood soured further.
Despite his irritation, he made no move. He simply waited where he stood, letting Su Chen come to him — maintaining the upper hand.
Instead, Qi Chuan's face darkened when he saw Su Chen turn around, seemingly about to go back inside. Left with no choice, he barked: "Su Chen!"
A few passing students cast curious glances but didn't pay much attention.
Qi Chuan fumed inwardly. He strode up behind Su Chen and went on the offensive, his voice sharp: "Dare to do it but not own up to it?"
Su Chen turned around at a leisurely pace. "And you are...?"
"Drop the act. I'm Jiang He's husband!" Qi Chuan lowered his voice. The dormitory security guards were eyeing them both with suspicion.
"Ah, a kindred spirit! What an honor." Su Chen's face lit up with mock recognition.
Qi Chuan blinked, momentarily thrown, then let out a cold laugh. "Quite the brazen one, aren't you? Think you're untouchable because Jiang He has your back?"
"Not at all. I just figured someone as refined and cultured as you, senior, couldn't possibly be the rude type." Su Chen explained earnestly.
Qi Chuan's brow furrowed. This kid's reactions were completely unexpected — all the rehearsed arguments in his arsenal were suddenly useless. He pressed on, voice still icy: "Why did you mess with me yesterday?"
"Did I? I came down, didn't I? Just took a little longer than expected." Su Chen gave him a puzzled look.
Qi Chuan's words caught in his throat. Done wasting time on games, his tone turned menacing: "Kid, don't think you can rest easy. Aren't you the least bit curious why your deportation date got moved up from three months to two weeks?"
"It wasn't always two weeks?" Su Chen looked genuinely bewildered.
Qi Chuan nearly choked on his own breath. The kid standing before him didn't act like some ignorant, bottom-rung refugee. He'd expected the revelation of being Jiang He's husband to throw Su Chen off balance.
Instead, his attempts at intimidation and pressure slid off like punches thrown at cotton — it infuriated him.
"Look, man — what do you actually want? You big shots all have your own thing going on, right? Don't you have a mistress or two?" Su Chen feigned confusion. "You're really this upset over one night with your wife?"
Qi Chuan's eyes glinted. This kid was sharper than he'd assumed. Time for a different approach.
The menace drained from his face, replaced by cool composure. He guided Su Chen to a secluded corner and dropped his voice: "You're a smart one, so I'll be straight with you. I want to know what actually happened that night."
"That night?" Su Chen's eyes went wide. He looked Qi Chuan up and down, seeming to wrestle with himself.
Qi Chuan's gaze was deep and probing. Su Chen's reaction told him everything — the kid definitely knew something.
"You big shots really are beyond me..." Su Chen squirmed, his face a picture of reluctance, then sighed. "Fine — you are her husband, after all. I suppose I can understand..."
"That night, I went to see her... she took off my clothes... red wine splashing... her cheeks were flushed... I said... she said... her voice was so... we had a wonderful time..."
Qi Chuan had been listening intently at first, but his expression grew steadily darker until he snapped: "Enough!"
His eyes burned, searing flames nearly erupting from them. Self-serving plans aside, hearing a graphic play-by-play of his wife's bedroom escapades made genuine composure impossible.
'His eyes can literally shoot fire? What kind of class is that?' Su Chen found himself wondering.
"Oh, so now you're upset? You're the one who asked me to talk." Su Chen recoiled in exaggerated confusion. "I didn't even want to say anything. Teacher Jiang He mentioned you have some... special preferences, but I thought she was joking."
'Special preferences?' Qi Chuan's expression shifted as the implication sank in. Crimson veins traced across his cheeks.
'Not now...' He drew a deep breath and suppressed his fury. The anomalous changes across his body gradually receded as he forced himself to speak calmly. "That's not what I want to know."
"Then what do you want to know?" Su Chen frowned.
Qi Chuan said nothing, studying this seemingly bewildered young man. He couldn't get a read on him — and he'd nearly lost control.
"...Nanfeng Academy is the cradle of Nanfeng City's future pillars. Every year, a select group of students is chosen for elite training — resources, status, knowledge... the works." He abandoned the interrogation and shifted to a measured pitch:
"Since you're a smart one, you should understand — Jiang He can't possibly invest many resources in you. Tell me what you know, and I can get you onto the elite training roster."
"I could even push back your deportation date. Give you at least some fighting chance out there."
Su Chen sighed helplessly. "What exactly do you want to know?"
Qi Chuan held his gaze and said nothing more. He simply produced a gilded card and tossed it over, his voice flat: "Think it over. When you've decided, snap this in half."