Chapter 35: Golden Bell

A surge of inexplicable anger flared up from the depths of his heart. 

The more Ji Yuenian looked at the other person, the more irritated he felt, almost wanting to throw a couple of punches right then and there, forcing Jiang Chi to kneel on the ground in humiliation and call him “Daddy.”

But when he met those calm, unruffled azure eyes, he suddenly felt somewhat ridiculous for no reason.

Ji Yuenian lay back, sprawling out like a starfish as he tilted his head to gaze at the blue sky above. 

He took out the golden bell again and gave it a gentle shake. 

The crisp, melodious chime rang out clearly in the air, echoing softly.

“Do you know why I carry this bell with me?”

“I believe in you, Jiang Chi. After all these years of rivalry, you must be able to guess my true intentions.”

He abruptly changed the subject, and this time, Jiang Chi didn’t answer immediately but remained silent for a while.

Soon, he lifted his head, his burning gaze fixed on Ji Yuenian. 

His usually flat tone now carried a faint ripple: “You don’t just want to beat me once. You want fame too.”

“Exactly! I want fame, and I want your position!” Ji Yuenian admitted without hesitation.

He raised the bell high, sunlight filtering through its gaps and reflecting in his eyes.

“A true man born into this world should achieve greatness and leave his name behind!”

“In the three hundred years since Wanqing Yongxing School was founded, countless school tyrants and heartthrobs have come and gone like carp in a river—too many to count. But there’s never been a man who was both the school tyrant and the heartthrob. And I will be that man!!”

He clenched the bell tightly in his hand.

“I love this bell because its chime is loud-extremely loud. Only if I succeed will that clear, crisp sound resonate for millennia… Every future junior will hear it.”

“So… so…”

Ji Yuenian leaned forward, almost pressing into Jiang Chi, his eyes blazing like a little lion with its fur bristling.

“Jiang Chi, Jiang Chi, keep that seat warm for me! Next year, next year, the title of school heartthrob will be mine, it has to be!!”

“Brother Ji, something bad happened the water pipe burst!”

Suddenly, a boy came running from nearby, shouting urgently.

“Huh? Brother Ji, School Heartthrob, what are you two…” 

The boy froze when he saw Ji Yuenian’s posture.

“The water pipe burst? What happened? Never mind, just take me there.” 

Ji Yuenian sprang to his feet, his expression unreadable, and without waiting for the boy to say anything else, he hurried toward the site.

Jiang Chi remained seated, lost in thought as he replayed Ji Yuenian’s words. 

After a long pause, he suddenly smiled, a genuine expression crossing his pale face.

He murmured to himself, “Ji Yuenian… I actually envy you a little.”

By the time Ji Yuenian and the boy arrived at the scene, a crowd had already gathered apparently, the burst pipe had made quite a noise.

Ji Yuenian exchanged a few words with the students responsible for cleaning that area to get a rough idea of what had happened.

Apparently, some idiot had been swinging a mop around like a golden staff, and in the process, hit an exposed water pipe, causing it to burst.

Ji Yuenian felt a headache coming on. 

They hadn’t even finished visiting the lonely elderly folks, and now this? 

In all his years leading teams, this was a first.

“Does anyone here know how to fix a water pipe?” 

He paused, then added, “Extra credit for whoever does.”

When your own people make a mess, you’ve got to clean it up yourself. 

You can’t just leave a pile of chaos for the nursing home director to deal with.

No one answered. 

Everyone present was sixteen or seventeen, with all their skill points invested in gaming. 

When it came to practical tasks, sweeping the floor was manageable, but anything requiring technical know-how was beyond them.

“I can do it.”

“….”

Just as silence hung heavy in the air, a calm male voice sounded from nearby.

Jiang Chi, who had just put his mask and gloves back on, walked over.

“You can?”
Ji Yuenian shot him a skeptical look. 

This pretty boy who even gagged while taking out the trash could fix a pipe?

“Not yet,” Jiang Chi met Ji Yuenian’s gaze and shook his head. 

“But I will soon.”

With that, he pulled out his phone and searched for a “pipe repair” tutorial.

A few minutes later, he put his phone away and looked at the group. 

“Alright, I’ve got it.”

Ji Yuenian: ???

Everyone else: ???

The next second, Jiang Chi stepped forward, crouched beside the pipe, and pulled a waterproof sleeve from his bag, putting it on before turning to Ji Yuenian.

“Find a section of pipe, a saw, a soldering iron, and some sealant.”

Ji Yuenian instinctively moved to comply but then snapped out of it.

Wait a minute since when does a school bully take orders from the school heartthrob? 

If word got out, he’d lose all face.

He shot a glance at the kid who had broken the pipe, who immediately understood and dashed off. 

Within minutes, he returned with an armful of materials.

Jiang Chi took them, inspected each one, and got to work. 

His movements were stiff at first but quickly grew smoother.

In no time, the pipe was as good as new, functioning perfectly even when water was turned on.

Jiang Chi slowly stood up, pulling a tissue from his bag to carefully wipe the sweat from his forehead.

“Alright, everyone, clear out. Get back to whatever you were doing. I’ll check on each of you later,” Ji Yuenian announced loudly to the lingering crowd.

As people gradually dispersed, Ji Yuenian gave Jiang Chi a thumbs-up. 

“Nice one, kid! You’ve really got talent!”

He clapped Jiang Chi on the shoulder.

Jiang Chi stiffened slightly.

“Come on, let’s take a selfie,” Ji Yuenian said, pulling out his phone and gesturing.

“I hate owing favors. I’ll split the reward with you later.”

Jiang Chi gave him a puzzled look, not understanding the point of his habit of throwing money around. 

Seeing this, Ji Yuenian repeated what his mother had told him.

“So you dragged me into this volunteer gig just to milk the system?”

“Milk the system? Jiang, my man, I’m helping you fit in with the group!”

“Weren’t you hoping to see me embarrass myself?”

“Of course not! What kind of petty person do you take me for?”

Ji Yuenian retorted righteously, though inwardly he wondered-did Jiang Chi have some kind of mind-reading ability? 

It was like he was a worm in his stomach.

Soon, the two took a photo together, and Ji Yuenian sent it to his mother.

*    *    *

Meanwhile, in a VIP sauna room at an upscale spa.

Chen Mengrou and Huang Qingchuan, two mothers, were enjoying a rare moment of relaxation. 

In the steamy room, soft light bathed their bare skin.

Huang Qingchuan rested her head on her best friend’s shoulder, her fingers lightly tracing the fair skin, a glimmer of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

“Alright, stop touching me, little Huang,” Chen Mengrou’s voice carried a hint of helplessness.

“But I just want to look a little longer,” Huang Qingchuan cooed, pouting. 

“Those two workaholics at home finally went on a business trip, otherwise I’d still be stuck playing housewife.”

“Wasn’t being a housewife your dream?” 

Chen Mengrou narrowed her eyes with a teasing smile, feigning a sigh. 

“Imagine—our piano queen retiring for love. What a stir that caused. Who knows how many men shed tears over it.”

“Ahhh! Rou-Rou, you’re poking at my wounds again!” 

Huang Qingchuan pretended to be angry and made as if to pounce on Chen Mengrou.

Steam hung thick like curtains in the dim, golden light of the room. 

Amidst the playful chaos, the two chased and tussled with each other, their laughter ringing out intermittently. 

The air was filled with youthful energy and joy.

“Beep beep beep”—a phone encased in a waterproof plastic bag lit up with an incoming message.