Chapter 50: Don't lower your head, the crown will fall

He Chen had guessed there would be lingering ripples.

But he had cooperated where he should, and reminded where he should.

He had done his best for this schoolmate, Qiao Yingzi.

So he didn't think about these things anymore. He spent the whole morning roaming the planetarium, went home on time at noon to eat, and then practiced Turtle Breathing for a nap.

In the afternoon, he read Daoist scriptures to nourish his Dao Qi.

Ruan Liuzheng saw it, clearly holding back again and again, but finally couldn't help it, and started probing in a roundabout way about who the girl who gave him the Dao scriptures was, what their relationship was, and why she thought it looked abnormal.

He Chen looked at her with a strange expression.

It wasn't that he didn't know she had little feelings for him, clearly her sisterly affection had changed.

There was nothing strange about that.

What he found strange was that she was now focused on questioning him about the library girl he wasn't even that familiar with, while not knowing that her classmate Qiao Yingzi had already kissed him by a stroke of luck.

If she knew, he wondered what expression she would have.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Ruan Liuzheng had originally wanted to probe in a roundabout way, but once she started, she couldn't stop, probing endlessly, yet never seeing He Chen respond, which made her a bit annoyed.

"I think you're right!" He Chen spoke up.

"Which sentence is right?" Ruan Liuzheng was both happy and worried.

What she was happy about was that He Chen not only responded but also agreed with her words.

What she was worried about was that she didn't know which sentence he thought was right; she hoped it wasn't the one where she suspected there was a problem between them...

"You said that the palace maid in the illustration who is holding the rope from the front while smiling is actually your face; that sentence is very right." He Chen looked at her with a half-smile.

"..." Ruan Liuzheng's face turned red instantly, and she was speechless.

She wasn't stupid; how could she not hear that He Chen was pointing at her, disliking her for questioning him endlessly? If she continued like this, she would really be like the palace maid in the illustration who was strangling the emperor with a rope.

As expected of someone who could make Li Laoshi and the others lose their composure!

When it came to being roundabout and sarcastic, she was far inferior!

Only then did she realize she had revealed her tracks and felt embarrassed. She glanced at He Chen, and seeing he didn't take it to heart, she calmed her trembling heart slightly and walked away as if nothing had happened.

The night passed without incident.

The next day was Monday, and the first week after the class division officially began.

The whole school had flag-raising and morning exercises.

After the activities ended, when each class was preparing to withdraw in an orderly fashion, a sudden uproar arose. The homeroom teacher leading the team was just about to scold them when they were reminded by a student to look at the podium.

They saw the famous Ji Yangyang walk out from the basic class and head straight for the podium.

"What is he doing?" Qiao Yingzi hurriedly asked her best friend: "Didn't you say he didn't have to go up and say it?"

"I did say it!" Huang Zhitao's expression was a bit anxious, looking straight toward He Chen's class, and she soon reacted: "It shouldn't be that He Chen went back on his word; I'm afraid it's his own pride at work, sigh!"

"No way?" Qiao Yingzi was stunned: "He's doing it for real? I can't even tell which one is more embarrassing for a moment."

Although He Chen racing Ji Yangyang and completely crushing Ji Yangyang, who was determined to be a professional racer, as a novice, had caused a sensation for a while.

But it hadn't reached the point where everyone knew.

And many people just threw it aside after hearing it, not taking it to heart at all.

After all, this kind of rich young master showing off wasn't the first or second time; if everyone took it to heart, who would have the spare time!

But now, when everyone was about to forget, you go up on stage and do this, it makes it hard for people to forget even if they want to.

Huang Zhitao could only anxiously watch Ji Yangyang, who was on stage with an indifferent expression but whose fists were already clenched unconsciously.

As a "soulmate" of over two years, she was naturally worried about his mental and psychological state, but now that he was already on stage, she couldn't bring herself to chase after him and pull him down.

It wasn't that she lacked the courage, but that she lacked the status and position.

She wasn't anyone to him, and now they weren't even classmates; rushing up would only cause more discussion and gossip.

And based on her understanding of Ji Yangyang's stubborn mule temper, she wouldn't be able to pull him down even if she went up.

The facts were exactly as such.

Ji Yangyang had come up with the determination that even if he lost the person, he wouldn't lose the formation.

Of course, he didn't want to come up and be this embarrassed.

When Huang Zhitao told him he didn't have to go up to fulfill the bet, he was actually inclined to go up; when his mother told him the same thing, he was even more determined to go up.

In terms of studies, although he couldn't compare to He Chen, he prided himself on not being much worse than He Chen; it was just that he had no heart for studying.

But now, He Chen's grades had soared, and his had plummeted.

In terms of being handsome and popular, he drove a 3-million-yuan sports car to school, but he hadn't stolen any spotlight in front of He Chen.

Huang Zhitao, who had been ambiguous with him, now said "He Chen" this and "He Chen" that. He didn't want to admit it, but even in terms of being miserable, he couldn't compare to He Chen.

Now, even his last pride, his racing dream, had been crushed into slag by He Chen's tires.

He was truly broken.

But he absolutely wouldn't agree to lower his head to He Chen.

He would fulfill his word; even if he lost the person, he wouldn't lose the formation. No matter how bitter or angry he was, he had to hold his head high and keep his last bit of pride and dignity.

Otherwise, wouldn't he really be like He Chen mocked—losing seven to zero and still unwilling to admit defeat, wanting to continue competing, losing all face!

And how would he face He Chen in the future?

Wouldn't he be like the Jade Emperor beaten by the Monkey King, infinitely looped and KO'd, never able to lift his head again?

He rushed onto the stage now to admit defeat, just so he wouldn't lose completely and utterly!

Thinking of this, he slightly lowered his high chin, searched for He Chen on the playground below with his eyes, looked at He Chen from afar, and conveyed his unyielding pride.

Beside him, the principal was constantly whispering to him to go to his office to talk, not to be impulsive, and so on.

How could he pay attention!

He had always been indifferent to District Chief Ji, and would roast him whenever he could.

The principal was both anxious and helpless.

He naturally had heard about the bet between Young Master Ji and He Chen and didn't want Young Master Ji to be this embarrassed in public, but he couldn't pull at Young Master Ji in public either, lest his good intentions be taken as a donkey's liver and lungs by the young and impulsive Young Master Ji, resulting in thankless effort.

He Chen, standing in the class line, naturally saw Ji Yangyang's movements. With his exceptionally good eyesight, he could even clearly see the various micro-expressions on Ji Yangyang's face.

His deskmate Du Tiantian roasted in disbelief: "He's not doing it for real, is he?"

"Don't lower your head, the crown will fall! Don't shed tears, He Chen will laugh! Is it strange?" He Chen teased.

"..." Du Tiantian was almost amused by He Chen's summary and teasing, but knowing the occasion wasn't right, she hurriedly held it in, staring fixedly at Young Master Ji on the stage who had quickly lifted his chin again after looking this way, as if he were truly afraid that He Chen would laugh and the crown would fall. Seeing Young Master Ji lock onto He Chen, he took the microphone from the podium, and under the gaze of everyone, took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

"I am a racer!"

"I am a racer!"

"I am a racer!"

Important things are said three times. When he said it the last time, Ji Yangyang's emotions were a bit agitated, and he even teared up, wishing he could add two more words: "I am not a racer anymore!"

But he endured it in the end.

And the teachers and students on the playground, seeing the District Chief's young master really shout such embarrassing words, were silent for a moment, and then there was an uproar.

The law does not apply to the noble!

How can a prince committing a crime be treated the same as a commoner!

Young Master Ji being forced to this step, is it the brilliance of human nature, or the victory of morality? ===== CHAPTER 51 =====