Before Song Lian entered the classroom, there were very few people inside. Most had gone downstairs to watch the basketball game.
Now that Su Zhiyi and her two friends had left, the classroom was nearly empty, leaving only Su Qinghuai, who had no interest in basketball.
And Song Lian, who had yet to leave.
Song Lian stood at the doorway, watching Su Zhiyi leave until her figure disappeared at the end of the corridor. Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze.
The tenderness and affection for Su Zhiyi vanished, replaced by a cold indifference and the oppressive aura of someone in power.
He walked step by step to Su Qinghuai's desk, his strides steady, graceful, and composed.
This time, Su Qinghuai did not ignore Song Lian. The moment Song Lian stopped in front of his desk, he lifted his head and fixed the man before him with an icy, hostile glare.
The man dismissed his hostility with contempt, sweeping his gaze over Su Qinghuai as if appraising an object before letting out a soft laugh.
Finally, he delivered a light, dismissive verdict.
"You do have the kind of face Zhiyi likes."
Su Qinghuai showed no signs of embarrassment or anger. Instead, he replied calmly, "So you admit she likes my face? I'm honored to have the approval of her ex-fiancé."
The words "ex-fiancé" were pronounced with heavy emphasis, each syllable a sharp blade that mercilessly struck the man who had shed his gentle disguise before him.
But Song Lian was not provoked by his words. He responded with perfect composure, "Why are you so eager to see me as your rival?"
"Let me say something you won't like to hear." He spoke in the calmest tone, delivering the most caustic words. "I've never seen you as a threat. Because I know you don't stand a chance against me."
"The Xu family affair—that was your doing, wasn't it?"
Su Qinghuai's words carried icy barbs, hinting at the barely contained fury beneath his cold exterior. "What if it was? What if it wasn't?"
Song Lian shook his head helplessly. When he spoke next, his words were slow and deliberate, every gesture exuding the refined elegance of someone accustomed to power—a stark contrast to Su Qinghuai's barely concealed anger.
"Even if you can snatch it away by offering double the price, what of it? If something isn't meant to be yours, you won't get it even if you offer ten times the price."
"Zhiyi is still young. It's normal for her to want to have fun. Don't take it too seriously. Even if she has ten pretty boys like you around her, who have nothing but their looks to offer, in the end, the only one who will stay by her side is me. Only me."
"Don't you agree?" He curled his lips, speaking unhurriedly. "Even if Zhiyi genuinely liked you, you could never be with her."
"The actual head of a family versus a successor who's just getting involved in the family business and is still under the family's control—who wins and who loses? You're not hopelessly stupid; you should understand."
Su Qinghuai's composed expression darkened, the chill in his eyes intensifying. His fingers tightened on the corner of the book, tearing a hole in it.
"You really can't hide your emotions." Song Lian noticed Su Qinghuai's small movement and let out a sigh of relief, delivering his final blow. "I was overthinking it. Zhiyi won't truly fall for you."
"You know that to her, you're just a convenient tool for now. She approached you with a purpose. Once you're no longer useful, she'll discard you without a second thought."
After throwing those harsh words at Su Qinghuai, who he deemed unworthy of being called a rival, Song Lian smoothed the wrinkles on his cuffs and instantly slipped back into his gentle mask.
As if he was not the one who had just cruelly mocked Su Qinghuai.
"Zhiyi is waiting for me downstairs. I don't have much time to chat with others. Although I know I'll inevitably run into you again, I hope I won't see you around Zhiyi too often."
"I can afford ten times the price. If you want to keep playing, I'm game."
Thump!
Just as Song Lian was about to leave the classroom, a loud thud came from inside.
He turned his head again toward the corner of the classroom.
The young man who had been sitting at his desk suddenly stood up, his eyes sharp as blades.
"I can pay ten times the price too."
"Twenty times, thirty times—I can afford it."
"Who are you trying to intimidate with borrowed authority? Anyone can talk tough. Don't act as if you've already won, like you don't care at all. The reason you came to me is that you're feeling threatened." A rare smile appeared on Su Qinghuai's usually cold and indifferent face—a mocking, contemptuous smile. "She was with me last night. You sensed that, didn't you?"
At the mention of last night, a crack appeared in Song Lian's gentle mask, revealing the twisted jealousy beneath.
Su Qinghuai returned the blow without hesitation.
"Let's wait and see, ex... fiancé."
"After all, to her, aren't you just a convenient tool too?"
"You and I are the same—both disposable. Once she finds a tool to replace you, you'll be useless."