Nighttime, at the barbecue joint.
Over thirty people were packed tightly around two large tables, including Yao Shiming, Luo Yikang, Hu Li, Su Tian, members of the sports department, and the basketball team from Class (3).
The tables were laden with all kinds of grilled skewers, alcohol, and drinks, the atmosphere lively with boisterous laughter and clinking glasses.
“Come on, brothers, let’s toast to Brother Ji!”
Su Tian raised his glass and called out to the others.
“Too kind, too kind,” Ji Yuenian replied with a smile, lifting his own glass in acknowledgment before downing it in one go.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of all you brothers here. I also owe a lot to your cooperation in work matters.”
“Support? Nah, this is all thanks to Brother Ji’s own skills!” one of the underlings shouted.
“Exactly! Who in Wanqing Yongxing School doesn’t know Brother Ji as the most righteous and generous man around?”
“In our college alone, Student Council President Su Bai is virtue-less, and heartthrob Jiang Chi is talentless-Brother Ji is the one true hero among us!”
“What heartthrob? He won’t be one for long. This year’s title is definitely going to Brother Ji!”
“The one and only man in Wanqing’s history to hold both the titles of ‘School Tyrant’ and ‘School Heartthrob’!!!”
“Now, now,” Ji Yuenian waved off the praise, though visibly pleased.
“Success is luck, failure is fate. It’s just a silly title, nothing more.”
“Can’t say that,” a sports department member mumbled through a mouthful of meat skewers.
“I’m voting for Brother Ji no matter what!”
“Same here.”
“Me too!”
The rest of the group echoed in agreement, even those who had originally considered running for the title themselves.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Ji Yuenian smiled and stopped refusing. He raised his glass again.
“Then I’ll take this chance to thank all my brothers for your support!”
With that, he drained his cup.
“To Brother Ji-soon to be the heartthrob of the school!”
Another sports department member, perhaps drunk, stood up and shouted while raising his glass.
The moment the words left his mouth, the entire group burst into laughter.
Ji Yuenian’s smile remained, though the corner of his mouth twitched slightly-quickly smoothed over.
He glanced at Su Tian, who immediately understood and smacked the guy on the shoulder, forcing him back into his seat.
“Watch your wording!”
Su Tian scolded before raising his own glass high.
“To Brother Ji’s inevitable victory in the heartthrob election!”
Catching on, the others followed suit, shouting in unison, “To Brother Ji’s inevitable victory!”
“Cheers!”
Ji Yuenian smirked, tilting his head back to finish his drink in one go.
After rounds of drinks and plates of food, the gathering eventually came to an end, and the group dispersed.
Walking back to campus on the brick-paved road, Ji Yuenian gazed at the bright moon, lost in thought.
The sports department was secured.
The basketball team was secured.
This group of brothers was secured.
Now, all that remained was Chen Jiajia’s arts department—then the heartthrob title would be as good as his.
The thought alone lifted his spirits.
Sure, treating everyone to a meal might seem like bribery, but wasn’t navigating social connections just another form of personal charm?
Thinking back to a year ago—slaving away for half a semester, working tirelessly, only to lose to someone else’s “casual snapshot.”
Ji Yuenian’s mentality had shattered on the spot.
After a year of repeatedly studying “social etiquette,” I finally understood one truth: society is made up of people.
No matter how capable an individual is, their abilities must be realized through the functioning of society, which inevitably involves interactions between people— commonly known as social etiquette.
Suddenly, Ji Yuenian seemed to remember something.
He quickly pulled out his phone from his pocket, checked his balance, and upon seeing the pitiful single-digit figure, decisively deployed his “begging for money” tactic.
Bright Moon and Eternal End: Mom, poor poor, hungry hungry, food food. Rubbing hands in anticipation JPG.
[WeChat Pay received 1000 yuan.]
Looking at the 1000 yuan, Ji Yuenian suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
He missed his middle school days when he could spend money like water.
It wasn’t that his family had fallen on hard times or gone bankrupt.
Rather, his mom had heard someone say during a mahjong game, “Boys should be raised poor.”
With a wave of her hand, she slashed his monthly allowance from the 10,000 to 20,000 yuan he enjoyed as a rich kid in middle school down to a mere 1,000 yuan!
True, based on the average school meal expenses, 30 yuan a day was enough to fill his stomach-but that was all it did.
As the head of the sports department, center of the basketball team, and school bully, he had a whole crew under him.
Even if he didn’t treat them to a meal every month, just the usual AA gatherings made 1,000 yuan disappear in no time.
Bright Moon and Eternal End: Mom, could you give me a little more? Your baby is in his growth spurt, you know. Cutely nuzzling JPG. Originally, Ji Yuenian had just thrown it out there, not really expecting his mom to give him more.
But then…
Mother Ji: Sure.
Mother Ji: How much do you want?
Bright Moon and Eternal End: Surprised JPG / Skeptical JPG 2,000… would that work?
Mother Ji: Even 5,000 is fine, but on one condition.
Bright Moon and Eternal End: Your wish is my command, Mom.
Mother Ji: Recently, Mengrou kept complaining during mahjong that her son doesn’t talk much and doesn’t fit in. She’s worried he won’t adapt to society later. Aren’t you the sports head? Take that Jiang boy to more group activities-help him socialize and blend in.
Ji Yuenian:…
Bright Moon and Eternal End: I’ll try, but no promises.
Mother Ji: I’ll send you 500 for every group activity you take him to.
That Jiang boy, really—he was such a good student, so obedient as a kid, but now look how much he’s worrying Mengrou.
Pouting, Ji Yuenian’s expression turned slightly disdainful.
So, in your eyes, being “obedient” means reading all day, staying home all day, studying all day, turning into a complete bookworm, huh?
You raised him like that, and now you’re complaining he doesn’t know how to socialize.
The Jiang and Ji families had been close since their grandfathers’ generation, and Mother Ji and Mother Jiang were childhood best friends.
Logically, if nothing went wrong, Jiang Chi and Ji Yuenian should have grown up as inseparable buddies.
Unfortunately, Ji Yuenian was bold and competitive, while Jiang Chi was overly introverted and quiet.
This led to Ji Yuenian disliking him on sight. Add to that the fact that Jiang Chi was constantly held up as the “perfect child” by Mother Ji, always compared to Ji Yuenian and one step ahead in everything. Over time, the two became sworn rivals.
Failing to get more money from his mom, Ji Yuenian swiftly changed targets.
Bright Moon and Eternal End: Bro, hungry hungry, food food. Pitiful JPG.
[WeChat Payment Received: 5000 yuan]
Phoenix Perches: Enough? Let me know if you need more.
Moonlight Eternal: Love you, bro! Heart emoji.jpg
“Phoenix Perches” was Ji Haotong, Ji Yuenian’s elder brother.
Ji Yuenian wasn’t an only child. On the contrary, he had an older brother ten years his senior, who currently managed the family company alongside their father.
Ever since Ji Yuenian’s mother slashed his allowance by 99%, he had been relying on this generous older brother to get by.
Phoenix Perches: Study hard. Head pat emoji.jpg
Moonlight Eternal: Got it, bro. Nuzzle nuzzle emoji.jpg
Gazing at the four-digit balance in his account, his wallet plumped up again, and with it, Ji Yuenian’s confidence.
He raised his hand toward the crescent moon embedded in the night sky, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips.
The bright moonlight cast its silver glow, stretching his shadow long behind him while also falling into his palm.
This time, how could I not win against you?!