Chapter 26: School Begins

Chapter 26: School Begins

The uncomfortable feeling was quite similar to when he first crossed over.

The only difference was that the symptoms weren’t as severe as last time; this time, he could still get out of bed and didn’t need to go to the hospital.

The system chimed in helpfully, "Looks like your spiritual pool is about to level up again."

Xu Qingran froze for a moment.

The advancement of his spiritual pool was now tied to the mission of winning over Shen Tingyu, which meant... progress?

Both Xu Qingran and the system remembered last night’s events and went quiet.

The system’s brain nearly fried.

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow.

So—Shen Tingyu is into that kind of thing?

Knowing this ordeal would boost his spiritual pool to A-level, the fever suddenly didn’t seem so unbearable.

He got out of bed and walked to the desk, picking up the light tablet to see how the Xu family's drama had developed in the few days since he returned from the Fairy Star System.

The posts on Star Horizon’s homepage pleased him, and he casually upvoted every post and comment trashing Xu Qingan. The wild theories and predictions from clueless netizens also gave him a good laugh.

Xu Qingran spotted posts about his school and others mentioning his live streams.

He leaned on the desk, thought for a moment, then opened the hottest post about the school banquet live stream.

The latest reply popped up: "1876651L: No matter what you say, didn’t Xu Qingran still wreck the event? With that temper, no wonder Colonel Lu dumped him!"

Xu Qingran skimmed it, then fired off a reply with his main account: "Since everyone’s here, check out my new live stream room on Star Joy, room 594088. Follow and tip if you like!"

He spammed the same reply three times.

Before logging off, he shot back at the poster: "Is he even worth it?"

"I’m not taking back trash. Who knows what diseases Xu Qingan’s carrying?"

Once he was done, he closed the tab and headed downstairs to change.

It was already past lunchtime.

Shen Tianyi was glued to a movie in the living room, completely oblivious to Xu Qingran coming downstairs. The dining room was pristine, not a crumb in sight. In the kitchen, the adorable little robot was tidying up, stashing clean dishes in the cabinet.

Xu Qingran silently poured himself a cup of hot water.

Today must’ve been grocery day; Auntie Song was out, and the fridge was nearly empty. He sipped his water, eyeing the fridge. Since he had to cook anyway, why not stream it?

He grabbed the slightly wilted strawberries and veggies, plus some leftover wonton wrappers and noodles. He quickly logged into his new live stream room, set up the small planet prop, and got to work.

Viewers flooded into the live stream almost instantly.

Thanks to the buzz from Star Horizon, his stream wasn’t as big as Shen Tingyu’s, but it still pulled in hundreds of thousands of viewers in no time.

"What? I just came in to follow, and he's already live?"

"I'm crying, it's the same kitchen as last time. He really is living at the general's house, wuwu."

"I don't believe it! This is fake; it must be a set!"

Most are here just for the gossip.

"I want to hear all the juicy details about the love triangle and the betrayal!"

"You seem more like the type to steal Xu Qingan's lover! Are you sure you didn't set up those photos yourself?"

"But the Xu family already admitted this morning that Xu Qingan is indeed the half-brother of the eldest son of the Xu family."

"Xu Yan cried buckets at the press conference, just like he did when the Xu lady passed away. It all feels so fake!"

Xu Yan is the name of the Xu family's patriarch.

Xu Qingran also just found out that the Xu family has publicly acknowledged this matter. But with the facts out there, if they can't handle the pressure and are forced to verify paternity, public opinion would only get worse. Coming forward now to admit and apologize is indeed the better choice.

Besides, haven't those in the Xu family wanted to do this for a while now?

Now that it's out in the open, they can openly favor Xu Qingan as their own son.

"Thinking about it deeply, was the death of the eldest son's mother really...?"

"I even suspect that Xu's father knew about this! By killing Xu's mother, the two lovers could then be together without any issues!"

"Scary, I remember that Xu Yan and the eldest son's mother had a very high compatibility... But indeed, affairs happen, even with legendary compatibility."

Xu Qingran tossed the prepared dumplings into the pot with the vegetables to cook, and as he turned to start the noodles, he responded: "Regarding my mother's matter, a friend is already compiling evidence to sue that aunt of mine."

"Without any surprises, she should be sent to the Tower of Evil." He smiled slightly, his tone devoid of any sorrow.

"Young Master Xu, you mentioned you're also going to school. Which one are you attending?"

"Could it be one that nobody's heard of?"

"A student rejected by Grandis Medical School—definitely not a top-tier one."

Xu Qingran's eyes flickered as he smiled meaningfully: "My school? It's in a very remote place."

"There's only that one school around, and it's very far from home." Surrounded by sea and heavily guarded, ordinary people can't go there.

"Popularity? Well, when I went there that day, I didn't see many people." Shen Tingyu took him through a special passage reserved for high-level personnel, and indeed, he didn't see many people on that road.

After saying this, he successfully garnered a bunch of mocking comments, most of which were likely from Xu Qingan's 'fans'.

Xu Qingran scooped up the cooked noodles, rinsing them in cold water: "There's no need to mock universities other than Grandis."

"Every school has its significance, and only a few can get into the top ones. Moreover, I believe that capable people can shine no matter where they go."

"Ah, I mean someone as excellent as me. Please don't start imagining yourselves and fantasizing about reaching the peak of life."

The mood in the comments started to sour again.

"...Damn."

"QwQ really annoying."

"This loser's mind is completely understood."

Not long after, the barrage, which had just started to calm down, suddenly began scrolling at an extremely fast pace again.

"Holy crap! Colonel Lu has also responded, admitting he slept with Xu Qingan before breaking up with the eldest son!"

"??!"

"Guys, right now! Silver Dragon TV is live!"

Xu Qingran had just finished serving the wontons and soup when he caught wind of this news. Never one to shy away from drama, he opened the split screen on his device and immediately went online to join in on the gossip.

In the live news broadcast, Lu Cheng was bowing as he apologized to the public: "It was my failure to manage my personal emotions that caused all this chaos. The responsibility is mine, so please stop blaming Xu Qingran and Xu Qingan."

As he stood up, Xu Qingran noticed his tired expression. The dark circles under his eyes were pronounced; he likely hadn't rested much these past few days. The usual sparkle in his eyes had vanished, and he looked utterly exhausted.

Lu Cheng continued, "I also want to let everyone know that Xu Qingan and I are engaged, and our relationship won't end because of this."

After Xu Qingran left that day, Lu Cheng was so overwhelmed by the revelations that he lashed out at him on the spot. Xu Qingan, terrified, kept crying, and the scene was utter chaos; they couldn't communicate properly.

It wasn't until they retreated to the hotel's VIP room, where they were alone, that Xu Qingan tearfully confessed about the bed photos. He said he had been bullied and oppressed by Xu Qingran for years and finally got to be with the person he loved, so he couldn't resist the urge to show off.

As for Xu Qingran's accusation that he orchestrated the disruption of the engagement banquet, he flatly denied it. He only mentioned that he had friends who had been defending him and speculated that it might have been their reckless actions done without his knowledge.

Those who had tied Xu Qingran to the South 13th District were all dead, leaving no witnesses, making it impossible to uncover the truth.

But after all these events, Lu Cheng's perception of Xu Qingan's docile and obedient nature inevitably cracked. Before responding on the news, he was still torn about whether to end the engagement with Xu Qingan, which for him felt more like a gamble.

It wasn't until he was in a foul mood and stumbled upon Xu Qingran's ruthless reply in a trending forum post.

Lu Cheng gathered his wandering thoughts, standing on the high platform facing a sea of cameras below, his expression somber and his heart calm as still water: "I will marry Xu Qingan, and I will not rekindle my past relationship with Xu Qingran, so please stop blaming or harassing him, and let this matter end here."

Back in Shen Tingyu's kitchen.

Xu Qingran held a steaming bowl, eating noodles as he watched, his face as expressionless as ever. The barrage, however, began to wildly speculate, convinced that he had meticulously orchestrated all this to win back Lu Cheng, only to end up empty-handed.

Xu Qingran didn't bother to explain, until someone asked him: "What are you eating today, host?"

He swallowed the noodles puffing out his cheeks and replied, "Today I'm having strawberry wonton vegetable soup noodles."

"?"

"Huh??"

"You again?!!"

The attention of the live broadcast room's barrage instantly shifted, and unsurprisingly, it went crazy again.

"Host, are you deliberately messing with us?"

Xu Qingran watched this barrage float by and answered, "Yes."

"Anyway, I can eat comfortably no matter what I do, so why should I choose the one that makes you happy too?"

"..."

"I really, why did I click into this live broadcast room."

"Xu Qingran, do you really not care about your public image anymore?"

Xu Qingran: "If I cared a bit more, would the country give me a hundred million every year?"

The chat fell silent again.

Someone said, "Although it wouldn't, you could gain more love and praise from people."

Xu Qingran took a bite of the dumpling, puzzled, "Would this love make me gain muscle overnight, or make me strong enough to take down your general in a fight?"

"If it doesn't hurt or itch, why should I hold back for something so meaningless? Are you just bored and looking for drama?"

Xu Qingran has never cared about these things; he only cares about whether he is happy or not.

He glanced up casually and said indifferently, "Whether you like me or not is your business. I don't need it, and I just want to live my life in the most comfortable way. If you don't like it, leave."

"..."

"Damn, this guy is really unyielding."

"Damn it, I actually think it makes sense."

As the chat buzzed, Xu Qingran polished off his special dish, not even leaving a drop of soup. Just as he was about to end today's live broadcast, he saw a thoughtful comment float by.

"The eldest son doesn't look too good today, and his voice is a bit hoarse. Is he feeling unwell?"

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow and was about to respond when someone walked into the kitchen.

Shen Tingyu held an empty coffee cup, glancing between him and the dirty pots, before asking, "...Did you just wake up?"

His hair was a bit messier than usual, and he was only wearing a plain black cotton jacket. Even after a night, the exhaustion on his face hadn't faded, indicating that the recovery speed of his mental pool was very slow, and the bruise on his cheek was still clearly visible.

Xu Qingran thought to himself that he must have hit him pretty hard last night.

"Yeah, I was hungry, so I whipped something up," he said as he handed the dishes to the cleaning robot.

The black-and-white robot, about half their height, buzzed past them towards the sink, taking Shen Tingyu's empty cup with it.

Shen Tingyu remained silent.

He woke up late today and assumed Xu Qingran and the others had already eaten, so he finished off the leftovers in the dining room.

The live broadcast chat became excited again.

"Help! It's General Shen in the flesh!"

"Wuwuwu, I can't kid myself anymore—they're living together."

"Why cry? Didn't you hear the Shen family say Xu Qingran's real match is Shen Tianyi? Living together is nothing to worry about!"

"But what can adults and kids even do? It's more worrying that two hot-blooded men might spark something! Especially since the general is type E—he controls it well, QAQ, but he's naturally lustful. Can he really resist such a handsome eldest son..."

The two in the kitchen didn't notice the quiet uproar in the live chat.

Shen Tingyu noticed Xu Qingran looking worn out, his face flushed, and casually asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

Xu Qingran rarely got sick in his past life, but when he did, it was serious. So whenever he felt unwell, his mood and temper would swing wildly. Blaming Shen Tingyu for his illness, he snapped, "Yeah, it's all your fault from last night."

He didn't think there was anything wrong or suggestive about what he said.

The chat went quiet again.

Then they were left speechless.

"?"

"...Huh??"

"I must have misread that sentence."

Shen Tingyu paused, thinking he meant catching a cold from being out all night on the mountain due to his delay yesterday.

Seeing him still in the kitchen, Xu Qingran asked lazily, "Then why are you still at home? Playing hooky again?"

Shen Tingyu chuckled in frustration, "After all the fuss last night, you still won't give me a break?"

He didn't see anything wrong with his reply.

But the live audience thought something was off.

The chat went eerily quiet for a moment.

Until a small emoji floated by.

"TAT."

What kind of seducer is Xu Qingran! It didn't take long for him to tarnish the general's reputation!

The so-called seducer, after eating and drinking his fill, glanced over and ended the stream, leaving only the tip QR code.

The audience fell into a brief silence again.

"I'll throw money at you, you greedy little thing!"

After Xu Qingran's stream ended, more threads popped up on a popular forum. Among them, a thread questioning Shen Tingyu's capabilities was oddly revived.

The latest reply:

"17665L: Just one night and he's calling in sick? The general's really not up to it."

·

The drama at Xu Qingan's banquet paused after some involved parties responded. Rumors said the Xu family lost partnerships, hurting their reputation, with the old master still hospitalized.

Lu Cheng and Xu Qingan stayed low-key, with the Lu family avoiding interviews, sparking rumors.

Xu Qingran didn't bother with the aftermath. His fever broke after three days, and his spirit pool evolved to A-level after a good night's sleep.

After a brief lull, Grandis University's colleges finally started classes.

With only top students admitted, media swarmed the college gates, grabbing students for interviews. For instance, the sought-after medical college 'randomly' picked the now-famous Xu Qingan.

Xu Qingan smiled confidently on camera, unaffected by recent events, answering clearly.

Various comments emerged on the internet again.

"I get Xu Qingan—after years under his brother's shadow, landing his dream engagement would make anyone want to flaunt it."

"Yeah, at least he's better than his hot-headed brother."

"Young Master Xu's school probably doesn't even rate interviews, huh? Haha."

There were also some different voices.

"Ridiculous, wrong is wrong. How can you justify meddling in someone else's relationship?"

"Some netizens' values and comments are truly eye-opening."

"Let me make it clear, I'm definitely not defending that little trash Young Master Xu, but green tea mistresses, get lost!"

Apart from the Medical School, Law School, Computer Arts, and others, the most anticipated at Grandis is undoubtedly the Military Academy. However, the Military Academy has strict rules, and the media can only conduct interviews at the outermost gate, farthest from the base.

This live broadcast was watched by countless people from both factions of the empire.

Some came to see the spectacle, some were concerned about the new developments among the national elite, some wanted to see handsome men and beautiful women, and some were simply curious to join in the fun and gossip. The scale was massive, with almost all major entertainment venues across the country broadcasting it live on their TV screens.

Shen Tingyu sat in his office, the screen on the wall also broadcasting the news.

His adjutant happened to come in and stood by his side to watch, smiling with narrowed eyes: "Hey, I'm really looking forward to this year's new students. I wonder if there will be any stunning talents."

Shen Tingyu stared at the host in the live broadcast and smiled faintly: "Indeed, I'm looking forward to it."

He had just returned to his post today. The adjutant turned to look, and just as he was about to focus back on the TV, he suddenly noticed the faint, not yet completely faded bruise on his face.

The adjutant was surprised: "General, are you hurt?"

Shen Tingyu leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands on his legs, paused for a moment, and then smiled and replied, "I was accidentally scratched by a cat with a bit of a bad temper."

The adjutant: "Huh?"

"Is that what a cat scratch looks like?"

"Oh! It seems that the new students of the Military Academy have arrived at the school one after another this year. We don't have much time left, so please, cameraman, quickly capture the first lucky one with me!" the reporter said excitedly.

Comments and bullet comments on various platforms were buzzing with anticipation.

"I trust this host's taste. Every year, the ones she picks are eye-catching handsome guys. The first one this year must be too!"

"Will it be someone like Lu Cheng, Shen Tingyu, Xie Nanjun, or Su Wenming?"

"The handsome and sunny young men like Qi Heqian and Song Zifei last year were amazing!"

"Hahahaha, if Young Master Xu shows up, it would be absolutely hilarious."

"Please don't scare us with that bullet comment!"

"Xu Qingran is notoriously super F-level weak. How could he possibly go to military school? Even in a counterattack novel, it wouldn't be written like this, okay!"

As they chatted, the reporter's eyes lit up, and she finally found her first interviewee.

"Hello, are you a new student at Grandis Military Academy? Would you mind giving us a quick interview?"

As the reporter's voice trailed off, the camera turned to another person.

The boy in the frame was wearing a light yellow jacket and slim-fit jeans. Hearing this, he took off his sun hat, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. His long eyelashes lifted slightly, and those captivating peach blossom eyes gradually filled with a faint smile.

He raised the corner of his mouth at the camera, his expression a mix of pride and teasing: "Sure."

The comment section and bullet comments fell silent for a few seconds.

Countless people's thoughts miraculously connected at this moment.

——Holy shit!!!