Chapter Thirty-Four: Are You Really High School Students?

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Changqing No. 1 High School's class schedule typically included four main classes in the morning, followed by three main classes and a self-study period in the afternoon—starting at two and ending at five forty. There were no evening study sessions. Although the school offered dormitory accommodations, its management of students was far from strict, a tradition dating back to its founding days.

Throughout class, Wei Dong had been whispering in Qin Anyi’s ear about what he should be mindful of at dinner that evening, even sometimes imagining various scenarios and rehearsing what he might say, nervous as if he were a true novice about to dine with the goddess of his dreams. His anxiety amused and exasperated Qin Anyi in equal measure.

During the self-study period, Qin Anyi suddenly spoke, “Wei Dong, I need your help with something.”

“Huh? What’s up?” Wei Dong, still lost in his theoretical dinner scenarios, responded absentmindedly.

Qin Anyi recounted what had happened at lunch, then continued, “Guo Qingyuan’s father is the secretary general of the city government, which complicates things. I don’t have the power to deal with it yet, so I need your help. I want both Wang Yiran and myself to represent the school in the knowledge competition next month.”

Guo Qingyuan was notoriously flamboyant at school, and he loved to boast about his family background. Almost everyone knew about his father’s official position—even someone as peripheral as Qin Anyi had heard rumors.

“Me?” Wei Dong blinked, eyeing Qin Anyi with suspicion for a long moment before asking, “Strange, why would you think I could help? Guo Qingyuan’s dad is a bona fide deputy department-level official. What makes you think my family could have any influence over him?”

“When Fang Hao stirred up trouble at lunch and I stopped him, you didn’t seem the least bit surprised, nor were you worried. That tells me you know what I’m capable of—those jocks were never a match for me. Otherwise, you’d have charged in to get beaten up alongside me, given your character,” Qin Anyi said with a meaningful look. “We’ve been desk-mates for two years, but I never showed any remarkable skills, except for yesterday afternoon. That was your only clue.”

“I know exactly how badly those guys were hurt yesterday—even the least injured would have been lying on the ground for hours. A fight that big, with more than a dozen people wielding weapons, right in a park so close to the school—yet no one came after me afterwards. Clearly, someone powerful suppressed the matter. Our school holds a special place in Changqing, and half the city’s big shots pay close attention to the area’s security. Whoever managed to hush this up must be extremely influential, with serious authority in the city. I don’t know your family’s exact background, but I do know that the city secretary general doesn’t have the clout to sway the public security bureau.”

Wei Dong’s chubby cheeks twitched, and he flashed a sheepish grin.

“That’s why I need your help,” he said. “Anyi, you’re a good fighter, which somewhat guarantees your safety. More importantly, you have no family background, so Guo Qingyuan wouldn’t take you seriously. The best part is, you’ve been spending so much time with Wang Yiran lately, and the whole school knows Guo Qingyuan likes her. After what happened at lunch, he definitely sees you as an enemy now.”

Wei Dong grinned slyly. “An enemy with no background is the most infuriating kind—if I were Guo Qingyuan, I’d get rid of you as soon as possible, by any means necessary. With an opponent you don’t have to worry about, you don’t need to be so cautious; that’s when Guo Qingyuan will slip up and leave a trail.”

“Are you guys really high school students?” Qin Anyi said, exasperated. He’d sat next to Wei Dong for two years, but never realized he was this calculating.

“It’s all about levels,” Wei Dong said smugly. “When you’re among people at the bottom, you have to act like them. Standing out too much gets you nowhere—being half a step ahead makes you a genius, a whole step ahead makes you a fool. You know that as well as I do, don’t you? Otherwise, why would you have laid low for two years, only revealing your talent recently because of an accident?”

He continued, “Hey, we’re brothers. Even if you’ve exposed some abilities, I’ll do my best to cover for you. I get it—standing out is a pain, everyone looks at you weird, and life loses a lot of its fun.”

“So... your grades...” Qin Anyi suddenly recalled that Wei Dong consistently ranked near the bottom of the class. Was that intentional too?

“Oh, that part’s real,” Wei Dong said, utterly matter-of-fact. “I just don’t like studying. What good are math, physics, chemistry, or languages? Nothing beats having a capable father. Recognize reality and you’ll avoid a lot of detours.”

“Fine. If Guo Qingyuan causes me trouble, I’ll do what I can to help,” Qin Anyi said, rolling his eyes but nodding in agreement.

“That’s my bro!” Wei Dong grinned. “So, Anyi, you’re still a virgin, right? Want me to set you up? I guarantee they’re experts—you’ll be left speechless, begging for mercy...”

“Get lost!”