Chapter 1981 — Spread Through the Whole School

The two thugs had made it plain enough just now: these two might well be from one of the great families. East Sea had no shortage of them, and any family at all — even the Kang family, who had not yet risen to that rank — could crush an antique dealer with ease. So of course he dared not offend them.

Han Jingyi picked out a bronze cauldron that looked rather fine, while Wei Zhao casually took another one to study when he got back. But as they were leaving, Wei Zhao still handed the stall owner two hundred yuan, for he did not wish to take advantage of the man. Two hundred was about the cost price of these two cauldrons plus the one that had been damaged earlier.

With the cauldrons bought, Wei Zhao had no further urge to wander, and Han Jingyi's purpose had been the cauldrons all along, so the two of them walked straight out of the antique market and headed for the school. It was nearly time for classes to let out.

……………………

East Sea Engineering University.

News traveled especially fast on campus — and a piece of news as explosive as Xu Shilan coming to attend the freshman gala was, naturally, spread through the entire school in no time at all.

Everyone might have doubted the rumor, but the medical students were all brimming with confidence, thumping their chests and swearing they had already video-chatted with Xu Shilan — and that she had personally chosen the act they were to perform.

Not only that, but Xu Shilan was coming tomorrow, to rehearse with them and go up onstage with them at the freshman gala.

What was more, the class monitor of the medical program, Bai Weituo, had declared on the campus BBS that this was in fact a challenge — that he was performing this act entirely for a girl, a girl he liked.

Bai Weituo wrote out the terms of his wager with Zhang Duopan in brief on the BBS; his purpose in doing so was to keep Zhang Duopan from backing out and denying it later.

Of course, it was even more to win He Meiyue's favor.

Bai Weituo wrote with great sentiment, saying that his true feelings for He Meiyue had moved Xu Shilan, and that only after learning He Meiyue was her fan had Xu Shilan agreed to do him this favor.

The claim was desperately far-fetched. Setting aside how Bai Weituo had even come to know Xu Shilan, even if he had managed to get in touch with her, Xu Shilan would never come to a freshman gala for the sake of a stranger.

If Xu Shilan's kindness overflowed to that degree, she would have more than enough to keep her busy every day and no time for anything else.

And yet, even so, some people were moved by Bai Weituo's sincerity — He Meiyue among them.

"Meiyue, Bai Weituo really is thoughtful! He knew you were Xu Shilan's fan, and he actually got her to come — and posted publicly that it was all for you!" Chai Xiaoling said excitedly, staring at the campus BBS.

"Oh, it's all because of that mess Zhang Duopan started. This time, who knows what it must have cost Bai Weituo to get Xu Shilan here!" He Meiyue was no fool. She knew Bai Weituo could not possibly have brought Xu Shilan here over something like being "moved." Xu Shilan's appearance fee was astronomical, and ordinary people could not book her at all.

And this time, if Zhang Duopan had not brought in Xu Shilan's junior apprentice Cheng Yiyi to attend the freshman gala as well, Bai Weituo would never have been able to get Xu Shilan. Now, to overpower Zhang Duopan, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and hire a star.

How much Bai Weituo had spent, He Meiyue did not know — but Zhang Duopan, through his family connections, had found Cheng Yiyi and still paid two hundred thousand in appearance fees, and that was a discounted rate for a personal favor. Cheng Yiyi was, after all, only a newly risen star, nowhere near Xu Shilan's league; without the halo of being Xu Shilan's junior apprentice, likely few would even know her name.

And two hundred thousand just to go onstage and sing one song — that price really was no small sum.

Clearly Zhang Duopan had staked a fortune on this. As for Bai Weituo bringing in Xu Shilan, in He Meiyue's estimation he must have spent at least a million — and even a million might not be enough to secure her.

Though He Meiyue knew that Wei Zhao, from Bai Weituo's dorm, seemed to have plenty of money, she did not want Bai Weituo to owe Wei Zhao too much.

Among her many suitors, He Meiyue was rather more favorably inclined toward Bai Weituo, so if she truly chose him, she naturally did not want him owing so many favors — for He Meiyue was not one who liked to be beholden to others.

"Meiyue, you look rather unhappy. If someone performed an act for me, I'd be thrilled to death — but that Zhao Shengji, all he can do is waddle over and treat me to a meal. He's good for nothing else!" Chai Xiaoling said enviously.

"Ah, I'd rather be like you. Do you really think it's a good thing, having men jealous over you?" He Meiyue shook her head.

As the two were talking, Wang Xinyan pushed open the dorm door and came in. At the sight of her, Chai Xiaoling immediately asked excitedly, "Xinyan, how about it? Your class really did bring in Xu Shilan, didn't they?"

Chai Xiaoling could have called Zhao Shengji, but she and he had not yet made their relationship official, and she was unwilling to appear so forward. Wang Xinyan had just come back, so she asked her instead.

"Huh? You know already?" Wang Xinyan had only just learned the news herself. She had gotten a call from Bai Weituo and gone to Wei Zhao's dorm, but Wei Zhao was not there, so she had followed Wei Zhao's arrangement and practiced a bit of extra work for the performance. Now she had just returned to hear her roommates chattering — these people's news traveled fast indeed!

Of course, Wang Xinyan did not yet know that Bai Weituo had already, in his impatience, posted his declaration of war.

"It's all over the campus BBS — looks like it's true, then?" Chai Xiaoling said, a little excited. "Last time Xu Shilan held a concert in Songshan City, I really regretted not going! But it was right before the college entrance exams — otherwise I'd definitely have gone to see it. This time, Xu Shilan coming to school for the freshman gala is a real opportunity — at last I'll get to see her in person!"

"Yeah, I regretted not going then too, but the exams were right around the corner — who could get leave for it?" He Meiyue said regretfully. "This time it's really put Bai Weituo out... Say, Xinyan, you're close with Wei Zhao. For Xu Shilan to come to the freshman gala this time — was it his doing? How much did he actually spend?"

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