Chapter 131: Two Plagues

The banquet had unknowingly reached its halfway point; the deep melody flowing from the cello was pleasant to the ear, the champagne tower resembled a crystalline castle, and the socialites moved freely through the banquet hall, discussing the latest business trends. Those smiles on their lips and the gestures of raising their glasses were all tacit social etiquette.

Shen Zhaojue sat in a quiet, secluded spot in the banquet hall, his tall, upright frame shrouded in dim light. He tilted his head back and took a sip of champagne, his gaze dark and unreadable as he watched batch after batch of people go to chat with and curry favor with Ling Wu...

Those people wore expressions of flattery, admiration, or amazement to varying degrees, and after clinking glasses with him, they would say a few words of well-wishing.

Shen Zhaojue withdrew his gaze, feeling that such an occasion was dull.

"Why is Shen sitting alone in the corner looking so dejected?"

The marble floor beneath Wei Ranxu's feet was polished to a mirror finish, reflecting his handsome figure. The handmade custom leather shoes on his feet were gleaming, making him appear exceptionally distinguished as he walked toward Shen Zhaojue.

Shen Zhaojue glanced at him: "Like a lingering ghost."

You're everywhere.

Wei Ranxu stood straight and sat down beside him, casting a large shadow: "Shen, that's not right of you to say. Our Wei Family and your Shen Family both belong to prestigious clans; since we received the invitation, there is no reason not to attend the banquet."

He cast his gaze across this banquet hall.

The famous paintings on the walls were each worth a fortune; the delicate brows of the figures in the oil paintings contrasted with the exquisite European-style reliefs, as if silently recounting the glory of a century-old family.

Shen Zhaojue had hated his sarcastic manner for a long time: "There are so many empty seats you aren't sitting in, yet those two eggs beneath your eyebrows are just like they have GPS tracking, fixed specifically on the seat next to me?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking composed: "Or is it... Wei Ranxu, do you like me?"

"........"

Wei Ranxu's languid expression froze slightly.

The air was deathly silent.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Wei Ranxu's calm and indifferent expression finally cracked a little. He pressed his slender fingers onto the leather sofa and, as if he had eaten something dirty, retched in disgust: "Ugh—"

After a long while, he looked at Shen Zhaojue expressionlessly: "You've disgusted me, I'll give you the win."

"......." Shen Zhaojue curled his lips: "Wei, don't go, stay and keep playing with me!"

He won.

But the method was a bit dishonorable.

After Wei Ranxu's back disappeared into the distance, Shen Zhaojue spat in the direction he had left: "Grandson, you're still too green to fight with your grandfather; go home and drink your milk!"

He saw Wei Ranxu swipe a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray and walk toward Ling Wu with a calm and composed air.

Shen Zhaojue could no longer sit still.

After Ling Wu smiled and said goodbye to an intellectual young lady, he looked up and saw the champagne tower flowing with endless golden foam, and then Wei Ranxu walked into his field of vision, raising the wine glass in his hand toward him from a few meters away.

Ling Wu likewise smiled and raised his glass in return.

Wei Ranxu had broad shoulders and long legs; he quickly bypassed the crowd to reach Ling Wu. He was wearing a collarless black suit, and apart from the turned-out white shirt collar and a green gemstone tie clip, there were no other miscellaneous colors on him. Those eyes were as sharp as a hawk's in the night.

Yet when he spoke, his expression suddenly turned relaxed: "I still wanted to tell you happy birthday in person."

"Shall we clink glasses?"

Ling Wu: "Of course."

A small section of wrist bone was exposed at the cuff of Wei Ranxu's suit. His distinct, bony fingers held the wine glass, and the rim of the glass was about to lightly touch Ling Wu's... but a figure was faster. Shen Zhaojue stepped forward quickly, snatched the glass of wine from Wei Ranxu's hand, shoved him aside with his elbow, and then looked at Ling Wu contentedly, clinking glasses with him in the posture of a victor.

"Clink!"

The wine glasses let out a crisp sound.

Shen Zhaojue swirled the wine in his glass and declared his victory to Wei Ranxu: "Thanks."

Then, ignoring Wei Ranxu's dark-as-night expression, he tilted his head back and downed the wine in one gulp.

"Good wine."

【Wei Ranxu: Six-six-six, the salty bean isn't salty anymore!】

【Wei Ranxu: Buddy? Didn't you say you didn't like him? What are you doing peacocking here?】

【Wei: Shen Zhaojue, are you eating a pancake (are you crazy)?】

【Laughing out loud, hahahahaha...】

【So childish, these two.】

【20 years old is exactly the age to be childish!】

【Just two college students, I get it.】

【Shen Zhaojue: Too slow, too bad!】

【Shen: Raising your hand isn't an apology, it's that you still need to practice, brother!】

【Shen: Opportunities are for those who are prepared; I see you can't handle it, little brother.】

Ling Wu's gaze lingered on their faces, wanting to speak several times but stopping. He pursed his lips and watched as Wei Ranxu shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away with a dark face; when he passed by Shen Zhaojue's side, the two of them briefly bumped shoulders.

The stance was just like when Shen Zhaojue and Ling Wu clinked glasses.

Sensitive as Ling Wu was, he sensed something unusual.

Shen Zhaojue brushed off the spot on his shoulder that had been bumped with disgust and deliberately looked at Ling Wu, saying: "Look at the character of this person, will you?"

Wei Ranxu, who had walked away: "......."

There's a phrase "your grandfather" (an insult) that I don't know if I should say or not.

Ling Wu seemed not to have expected him to be so thick-skinned, and his expression was a bit subtle.

But Shen Zhaojue was like a victorious peacock, showing off his beautiful tail feathers, proudly fanning them out, and leaning in close to him with a smile: "Eldest Young Master, I've already clinked glasses with you, can't you show me some favor?"

So Ling Wu also took a sip of juice, and only then did Shen Zhaojue nod in satisfaction.

Shen Zhaojue made small talk with him: "I haven't seen you at the Academy lately. I heard your uncle asked for leave for you; how is your health recovering?"

Ling Wu answered the question: "Not bad."

"You really do need to nourish yourself properly." Shen Zhaojue patted his shoulder quite suddenly, his fingertips clearly sensing that he was a bit gaunt: "You are too thin."

"It feels like you could be blown away by the wind."

Ling Wu felt a bit helpless: "It's not that exaggerated."

After not seeing him for a month, Shen Zhaojue actually felt that the youth had changed slightly; his brows, eyes, and figure were clearly the same as before, but the feeling was different—a soul-stirring sharpness had emerged from that gentle, water-like temperament.

It was like a sharp sword piercing the surface of the water, revealing a tiny bit of its keen tip to the light of day, or like waves being stirred up on a sea that was usually calm and waveless.

It was even more eye-catching.

Shen Zhaojue's heart itched uncontrollably, as if he had been put under a spell, his heartstrings tugged by every move Ling Wu made.

Yet he still clearly remembered that a few months ago, he had wanted to make Ling Wu leave Sike Academy in disgrace, wanted to bully him, trample him...

Shen Zhaojue did not understand; he was born of noble stock and had met all kinds of beautiful men and women—sexy ones, pure ones, cold ones, bright ones—but these people had never held much attraction for him.

Only when facing Ling Wu could he not control his desire to get close.

Tsk.

Strange, where did Ling Wu get such great charm?

Shen Zhaojue stiffly changed the subject: "Shao Yu is alright, isn't he?"

"Mm." Ling Wu nodded: "The Jin Family's medical equipment is the most advanced in the world. Fortunately, the fracture was reduced in time, and with the aid of medication, it will be fully healed before long."

"... That's good."

Shen Zhaojue noticed that when talking about Jin Shaoyu with Ling Wu, his words would increase, the sense of distance would vanish, and he would appear very easy to approach.

So he brought up a few more related topics.

The two of them chatted back and forth, Shen Zhaojue's brows and eyes lighthearted; after clinking glasses with him again, he saw Jing Du and Wei Ranxu walking toward them at the same time, the former with a haughty and indifferent expression, the latter with a "just you wait until I kill you" look on his face.

Shen Zhaojue narrowed his eyes.

Two plagues!

One with an ice-cube face, one a stinking idiot.

【Oh ho!】

【Shen, although your maneuvers are very powerful, the risk factor is still too high. Do you have any more underhanded tactics to recommend?】

【Silently lighting a candle...】

Ling Wu keenly noticed that his expression was off; he shifted his feet slightly and turned his body halfway, exposing his beautiful side profile to Jing Du and the others. Ling Wu only swept a rough glance over them before withdrawing his gaze.

"Ling Wu." Shen Zhaojue's large hand gripped his elbow, pulling him onto the same side as himself: "Stand next to me."

Ling Wu asked him: "What's wrong?"