Chapter 96: A Temporary Pause

The Iwasaki Group was Iwasaki Eiji’s greatest asset; his greatest achievement in life was becoming the second son of the Iwasaki family, though this was not by his own choice, but pure luck.

But likewise, the Iwasaki family was his greatest constraint; the larger the family, the stricter its control over its heirs—not only because their public conduct directly affected the conglomerate’s image, but also because it was for their own good, since any one of them might become the primary heir, and only through strict discipline could they truly grow into capable leaders.

The Iwasaki family was a vast and flourishing clan, with many talented young men among both direct and collateral branches; even if they could not inherit the Mitsubishi Group, they were still formidable contenders for other key positions. As the biological grandson of Iwasaki Yoshio, Iwasaki Eiji naturally wanted as much as possible.

Unfortunately, his talents paled in comparison to his cousins and brothers—he was visibly overshadowed, nowhere near as impressive as his older brother, Iwasaki Eiyo.

As he grew older, his father’s expectations for him became increasingly harsh; he was frequently scolded at home, and any minor mistake would earn him a furious berating. Over time, this left Iwasaki Eiji with deep psychological scars.

Not long ago, he had been yelled at again by his father, so he simply stayed at school and refused to go home—gaining some peace and quiet.

Now Luo Quan was threatening to drag him into a mutual destruction, escalating the matter. Never mind what would happen to her—he himself would face serious trouble.

Just thinking of his father’s face, as fearsome as a night demon, sent cold sweat trickling down Iwasaki Eiji’s back. Yet even so, he did not crumble like a coward and beg Luo Quan for mercy—he showed a shred of backbone, not bringing shame to the Iwasaki name.

But remaining silent indefinitely was no solution; Luo Quan had already pulled out her phone and was preparing to call the Chinese Embassy. If she actually made the call, the consequences were unpredictable.

“Luo Quan!” At the critical moment, Inoue Aozora stepped forward and grabbed her phone, shielding his good friend from disaster. “We’re all classmates at the same school. Why escalate this? It’ll only harm both of you—and the school’s reputation.”

Luo Quan chuckled. “Inoue-senpai, it’s not me clinging to him—I’d actually prefer he leave me alone. After all, he’s the heir to the Mitsubishi Group; dealing with me would be effortless for him.”

“Iwasaki-kun, right here in front of everyone, swear you’ll never bother Luo Quan-san again!” Inoue Aozora turned to Iwasaki Eiji with a stern tone, winking frantically.

Iwasaki was inwardly overflowing with gratitude toward Inoue Aozora, but his expression remained impassive: “Since the president has intervened, let this matter end here. I swear I won’t lay a hand on you again.”

Luo Quan laughed. “Hah! So you finally admit you were behind it?”

Iwasaki Eiji froze. “I didn’t…”

“Whatever. I wasn’t hurt anyway.” Luo Quan waved her hand, signaling she had no interest in his feeble denials. “I’m giving Inoue-senpai his due. I hope you can act like a man this time—at least honor your promise.”

Finally, Luo Quan glanced at the ruined room and asked Inoue Aozora curiously, “Inoue-senpai, this room’s décor must’ve cost a fortune. Estimate the damage—I’ll transfer you the compensation.”

Inoue Aozora hurriedly smiled. “It’s just pocket change—I’ll cover it myself.”

Luo Quan smiled. “No, that won’t do. I barged in here on my own initiative and caused everyone trouble. If you pay now, what kind of person would I be?”

“Don’t worry—I’m not bleeding cash. My latest album’s selling quite well.”

Everyone had forgotten—this eighteen-year-old girl was likely the wealthiest among them. In just two months since her debut, she’d sold over eight million albums; her royalties alone were astronomical. If Asia’s youngest female billionaire list were published this year, Luo Quan would surely be on it.

“Since you’re so insistent, I’ll send you the damage estimate later,” Inoue Aozora agreed.

The matter was resolved. Luo Quan bowed again to the startled young gentlemen, then quietly left the room.

“Even though Quan Shui is gone, I can still smell her body scent…” Someone sniffed loudly, inhaling deeply.

“Are you that perverted?” His companion looked disgusted.

“Still, if I could marry Quan Shui, it’d be wonderful.”

Iwasaki Eiji growled, “That she-devil? Marry her and you’ll be beaten to death!”

His remark broke the tension—everyone burst into laughter, easing the awkwardness.

Sato Shuichi smiled. “I think Luo Quan’s actually pretty decent—reasonable, too. If I got bullied outside, she’d stand up for me!”

“Already recorded. I’ll play it for Suzune later,” a friend behind Sato grinned wickedly, waving his phone—no one knew if he was serious or joking.

“Hey, you bastard!” Sato panicked, lunging to wrestle the phone away.

“These guys…” Inoue Aozora rubbed his forehead and sighed. “By the way, Iwasaki, take Nishihiko to treat his wounds—don’t want them getting infected.”

“Just minor scrapes. I’ll handle it myself.” The man in sunglasses stood, walked to the back of the lounge, pulled out a white first-aid kit, found a disinfectant spray, and sprayed it on his injuries.

From start to finish, Imperial Princess Masako had watched the chaos in silence, her expression shifting from impulsive to calm, then finally settling into something resolute—bright, then tinged with uncertainty.

The next day, Aileshe Activity Hall.

“So Iwasaki Eiji just made peace with you?” Yun Jingxiao and the others stared at Luo Quan, astonished.

“It wasn’t him making peace with me—it was me making peace with him,” Luo Quan corrected the hierarchy. “All Inoue-senpai did was give Iwasaki Eiji a graceful way out.”

Anzou Yu rarely smiled—but now he did. “Regardless, it’s wonderful this is over.”

Kamaya Suzune stared at him curiously. “Strange—you’ve been smiling all morning. What’s got you so happy?”

Anzou Yu blushed, stammering: “Haruko… she replied to me last night.”

“You’re still contacting her?” Miyano Natsuko sounded angry.

Anzou Yu weakly explained: “I just sent her a goodnight message… as usual.”

“And then?” Suzune asked.

Anzou Yu beamed. “She said ‘goodnight’ back—and sent a smiley face.”

What a pathetic love-sick dog, Luo Quan thought to herself.

Yesterday she’d seen a girl sitting beside Iwasaki Eiji—strikingly beautiful, definitely not the sweet, innocent Haruko Anzou was obsessed with.

Iwasaki Eiji must’ve found a new flame; Haruko, now without a target, had returned to manipulate Anzou again.

Yun Jingxiao hesitated, then said to Anzou Yu: “I’m not sure if I should say this.”

“What is it?”

“Love should be mutual. If it’s one-sided, the power imbalance makes it doomed to end in tragedy.”

Anzou Yu quickly defended: “But Haruko does give back!”

Kamaya Suzune shook her head. “I only see you buying her lunch, bringing her milk tea in the afternoon, giving her an umbrella in the rain, helping her with homework on weekends. Where’s her contribution?”

“Her smile is her greatest gift.”

Everyone froze, speechless.

What an ultimate tool! Luo Quan nearly shouted—Anzou Yu had the same vibe she once had. Clearly, love-sick dogs are the same everywhere.

Most love-sick dogs never win, but a rare few endure and finally triumph. Judging by Anzou Yu’s determination, convincing him to give up is hopeless—she could only hope he’d become one of the lucky few.

“Everyone’s here,” a gentle voice came from behind them.

Anzou Yu jolted upright. “Haruko! You’re here!”

Kamaya Suzune and Miyano Natsuko’s expressions darkened. Both were upright girls who despised girls like Haruko—but since they were all in the same club, they held their tongues.

Luo Quan also turned to look—curious to see the girl who had bewitched Anzou Yu.

Hmm… she was indeed beautiful, and skilled with makeup—just a light touch of cosmetics made her look pure and adorable.

Several Aileshe members gazed at her with admiration, but only Anzou Yu could speak to her.

“You must be Luo Quan,” Haruko walked over, extending a delicate hand. “I love your songs—I’m your fan!”

“Thank you for your support,” Luo Quan took her hand, offering a professional smile.

Haruko smiled. “I thought you were a gentle girl from your songs. But yesterday I heard from the karate senpai—you’re actually quite fierce!”

Luo Quan raised an eyebrow—was this a backhanded insult calling her a tomboy?

“What do you mean?” The other members asked curiously.

“You don’t know?” Haruko feigned shock, covering her mouth. “Yesterday Luo Quan went straight to Inoue-senpai’s lounge and beat up Iwasaki-senpai and Kobayashi-senpai. I heard they were covered in blood—looked terrible.”

“Really?” Yun Jingxiao and the others stared at Luo Quan. They’d known she’d resolved the issue—but not like this.

“Well…” Luo Quan pursed her lips. “I did hit them—but not to the point of being covered in blood.”