By the time Qi Xiuyi collapsed onto his bed, the sky outside was already completely bright.

He closed his eyes, wanting to sleep, but Qi Wendong’s words kept replaying in his mind.

You just need to be well-cared for at home…
Don’t run around causing trouble…

Damn it!

What did he mean, Qi Wendong!!

What right did he have to say that about him?!

Qi Xiuyi opened his eyes in anger, glaring at the headboard.

The more he glared, the angrier he became, and the more wronged he felt.

It wasn’t until the sound of rustling footsteps came from outside the door, along with the muffled, unified shouts of “Young Master!”, that Qi Xiuyi suddenly realized it was already broad daylight.

Qi Xiuyi’s eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night, and his heart was pounding from the all-nighter.

But a ball of frustration had accumulated in his chest, and his thoughts, uncontrollably following this frustration, became even more active. Naturally, sleep was out of the question.

Qi Xiuyi was incredibly annoyed and simply rolled over and got out of bed.

The places where he had been beaten were mainly on his back. As he turned over, pain shot through him everywhere, making him suck in his breath.

He had to slow down his movements, carefully using his elbows and knees to support himself on the bed, trying hard to avoid the bruised areas, before he finally got off the bed.

He had just opened the door and hadn’t even had a chance to go out when his sensitive ears caught a sound from a distance:

“…transfer… sophomore…”

Qi Xiuyi’s ears immediately perked up, and he quickly caught the keyword “B University.”

B University. Sophomore.

Were they talking about him?

He didn’t bother to wash up and strode directly towards the dining room on the second floor. “What transfer? Who’s transferring? What are you guys discussing behind my back!”

In the dining room on the second floor, Qi Wendong was sitting at the head of the table, holding a bowl of porridge and sipping it in small mouthfuls. His eyes were downcast, reading a document on the dining table, ten lines at a glance.

The butler sat to his right, helping Qi Wendong turn the pages of the document while also explaining something to him in a low voice.

Hearing the commotion, the butler immediately stood up and turned around, surprised and worried. “Young Master Xiuyi, why are you awake so early? Are your injuries hurting too much? Do you need me to prepare some painkillers for you?”

Qi Wendong’s reaction was much more indifferent.

He didn’t even lift his eyelids. His eyes continued to scan down the document, line by line, as he casually greeted him, “Morning.”

Just as his eyes finished scanning the entire document, he briefly commanded, “Turn the page.”

The butler immediately bent down to turn the document for Qi Wendong.

Qi Xiuyi’s patience was already thin. Seeing that neither of them answered his question, he immediately strode forward and squeezed himself in with force. “Don’t discuss my matters behind my back! …What are you looking at?”

His gaze fell on the densely packed small characters in the document.

He accurately caught a sentence: B University transfer procedures…

Qi Xiuyi: ?!

Transfer procedures?

Who was transferring?!

Qi Xiuyi’s first reaction was to think of the exams he had skipped these past few days.

Could it be that they were going to…

The butler smiled. “Young Master Xiuyi, Young Master Wendong plans to transfer to B University next semester, in the same grade and major as you. You two might even be able to attend classes together then.”

Qi Xiuyi subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

But then, his eyes widened again. “The same major as me?!”

B University was the best school for business in the country. His father had donated a building to get him into B University, hoping that he could personally take over the business in the future.

But now, his father was going to get Qi Wendong into B University. Didn’t this mean…

Qi Xiuyi’s mind went blank.

Before he could say anything, he saw Qi Wendong put down his bowl, slowly wipe his mouth with a cloth, and say, “Attending classes together is probably not possible.”

Qi Wendong: “I heard you failed many courses before, and you didn’t go to a single exam these past few days. From the looks of it, your graduation is a big problem.”

Qi Wendong tossed the cloth to the side, pulled the document out from under his elbow, and said without lifting his head, “Why don’t you just drop out? It’ll save you the embarrassment of getting a certificate of incompletion.”

If it were any other time, Qi Xiuyi wouldn’t have cared at all about such an attack on his grades.

He was the noble young master of the Qi family, he had whatever he wanted. He was different from those poor commoners who had to get high scores to graduate and find a job.

Did he lack these two points on his transcript?

At most, he would get a scolding from his parents.

But at this moment, having lost the confidence of his identity, being mocked for his grades by this “legitimate young master of the Qi family,” Qi Xiuyi felt for the first time the sensation of blood rushing backwards, gathering and swelling in his brain.

He instantly exploded and jumped up. “Who… who’s dropping out?! Qi Wendong, what right do you have to point fingers at my affairs!”

At this moment, Qi Wendong had just turned to the last page of the document. After quickly scanning it, he picked up a fountain pen, signed his name “Qi Wendong” at the bottom of the page in a grand and elegant script, and then threw the document to the butler.

Qi Wendong stood up and finally glanced at him.

Seeing his face flushed with anger, he actually laughed out loud and patted his face twice with the cold fountain pen.

“Fine, I won’t point fingers. I’ll let Dad do it, alright?”

The fountain pen was casually dropped onto the dining table, rolling around a couple of times.

The curly-haired young master turned and left, leaving behind a light and airy sentence: “Go and rest up. Don’t think so much. Dad and I will come up with a good plan.”

Qi Xiuyi felt that Qi Wendong was humiliating him, looking down on him.

He immediately wanted to chase after him and stop Qi Wendong to question him loudly, but his path was blocked by the butler.

The butler persuaded him in a gentle tone, “Young Master Xiuyi, you’ve just been injured and didn’t sleep well last night. Getting so emotional right now is not good for your body. Let’s go out and wash up, shall we, Young Master? For breakfast, I’ll have the kitchen prepare your favorite…”

Qi Xiuyi was furious. “…Get out of my way! …Lin San! You’ve been with me for so many years, are you siding with him now too! …Ahhhhh Qi Wendong! Get back here! Explain what you mean…”

Unfortunately, Qi Wendong entered his room without even turning his head back.

He was steady and composed, not stirred up by him at all.

Qi Xiuyi had no choice but to be dragged away by the butler to complete his washing up.

Then he was pressed down at the dining table to eat.

After he was done, the butler grabbed him again and took him downstairs to change his medicine and bandages.

Qi Xiuyi lay on his stomach on a chair, letting the family doctor apply medicine all over his back.

His eyes were vacant. He stared at the snow-covered trees outside the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in a daze.

He suddenly realized that the things Qi Wendong had said to him before he went to sleep really might be his future.

His father wouldn’t see him.
His father wouldn’t give him his living expenses either.
All the treasures he had collected had also been confiscated by his father.
His father was arranging for Qi Wendong to enter B University, which meant that from now on, the resources for his upbringing would be completely tilted towards the other.

He had nothing to play with, nothing to buy, nothing to do, and no reliable friends to hang out with.

…So, besides being kept at home and乖乖 not causing trouble, what else could he do??

Qi Xiuyi belatedly began to feel down.

He was extremely unwilling. His mouth felt bitter, and he sadly buried his face in his arms, staring blankly into the darkness within his arms.

He even began to have wild thoughts.

He wondered if it was because he had disappointed his father too much that God had sent Qi Wendong to him, letting him return to the country, letting him be discovered by his father by chance, and letting him be brought home to punish him.

“Tap, tap, tap.”

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from upstairs.

Qi Xiuyi didn’t need to look up to know that those were Qi Wendong’s footsteps.

“…No, Dad, I think…”

That was Qi Wendong’s voice.

It was different from the casual and sarcastic tone he used when speaking to him.

When Qi Wendong spoke to his father, his attitude was serious and respectful. But compared to his own attitude towards his father, Qi Wendong was clearly more at ease.

Qi Xiuyi thought of how he had insisted on calling his father every day these past few days, yet none of his calls were answered. He closed his eyes in disappointment and buried his head tightly in his arms, wishing he could close his ears as well.

But before he could, Qi Wendong’s words continued to drift into his ears.

“…continue studying business, it will be very difficult for him to graduate… I suggest letting him repeat a year and switch majors. There’s no need to continue…”

Qi Xiuyi’s eyes snapped open, and he looked up, his eyes spitting fire!

He jumped off the chair at lightning speed. To the family doctor’s astonished cry of “Young Master Xiuyi…!”, he took the stairs two at a time, running up and rushing to Qi Wendong’s side.

Qi Wendong was startled by his sudden approach.

His short, slightly curly black hair swayed gently with the wind created by his rush, revealing a pair of surprised and slightly annoyed beautiful eyes.

But Qi Xiuyi didn’t pay any attention to this sight. He shouted angrily, “Who allowed you to make choices for me? I’m not transferring, I’m going to study this major! If you can study it, why can’t I?!”

He anxiously tried to snatch Qi Wendong’s phone with his two hands, which were wrapped up like balls, shouting at the phone, “Dad… Dad! Don’t listen to Qi Wendong. I don’t want to repeat a year. I, I can study! If he can do it, I definitely can too!”

Silence on the other end of the phone.

Qi Wendong was pushed against the railing on the second floor. To prevent him from grabbing the phone, he held it in his right hand and stretched it far out over the railing.

Faced with Qi Xiuyi’s physical pressure, Qi Wendong seemed a little annoyed. His features were already delicate, and when he got annoyed, he looked a bit like a little deer that had had its toes stepped on.

It was just that Qi Wendong’s mouth had always been sharp. As soon as he opened it, any cute description like “little deer” would be shattered to pieces by his words.

Qi Wendong let out a cold laugh, mocking, “Can what? Nearly thirty courses over three semesters, do you even have ten that you’ve passed?”

Qi Xiuyi’s face flushed red, and he roared back even louder, “That’s because I wasn’t trying!”

Qi Wendong let out a light “yo,” his eyebrows raised high. “Your next sentence, are you going to say that you were surrounded last night because you weren’t trying to fight?”

Qi Xiuyi was so angry his face turned red and then white. “You…!”

He gritted his teeth, his chest heaving violently.

He couldn’t understand how he could have thought Qi Wendong was a good person last night. He must have been blind as a bat!!

Qi Xiuyi was furious and, without thinking, blurted out, “Qi Wendong! If you’re so capable, then come and compete with me! You’re not afraid to compete with me on the same stage, are you? Is that why you’re trying to push me off first!”

Qi Wendong’s eyes widened in surprise, and he laughed until tears came out. “Compete with you? Compete in what? In who has more failing subjects?”

Qi Wendong pressed his hand on his chest, firmly keeping the distance between them at a minimum safe distance.

Qi Wendong smiled slightly, the pride and contempt in his eyes particularly obvious under the harsh sunlight.

He said, “Qi Xiuyi, even if we don’t mention the difference in our bloodlines, just in terms of ability, you have nothing that can be compared to me, right?”

“Since that’s the case, why humiliate yourself? It would be more effort-saving to listen to my advice from last night and lie down at home.”