Chapter 5: Sigh! Banquet & Capitalism

How would Jiang Yi compensate her?

Would he pull cash from his wallet and slap it against her face?
Or take out a card and tell her the password?

Lin Zhiyan’s imagination ran wild.

But sometimes reality was even more absurd than fiction.

Jiang Yi merely glanced around the room. Soon, he stood up, casually picked up the box of playing cards on the table, and tossed it in front of her. Then he sat back down on the sofa, leaning against the backrest.

Lin Zhiyan: “…What does this mean?”

Jiang Yi said, “These are made with gold foil and crushed gemstones. I think that’s enough compensation.”

This was the lounge he used back when he still spent a lot of time on campus. He’d bought the cards a year or two ago out of curiosity, but after getting them, he found them boring and left them here. If he hadn’t dragged her here today, he wouldn’t even have remembered they existed.

After speaking, the people restraining her let go as well, seemingly giving her the chance to inspect them.

Lin Zhiyan: “……”

This was ridiculous. A box of cards to brush her off?

She picked up the slightly heavy deck and drew out the cards. Soon, one card after another leapt from one hand to the other in a neat stream, looking from afar like a moving spring. Brilliant flashes of gold swept across her face, her dark eyes glimmering as she examined each card.

…There really did seem to be gold foil and gemstones reflecting the light. But with that tiny amount, how valuable could it even be? Might as well just throw tens of thousands of credits at her directly!

Seriously, stop acting cool and just hand over money, okay?

Lin Zhiyan pondered silently.

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. “You’re very skilled.”

He was referring to the way she shuffled.

After finishing, Lin Zhiyan stuffed the deck straight into her pocket. “Learned it from a part-time job.”

Jiang Yi thought briefly, then said, “Begin.”

“Wait.” Lin Zhiyan looked only at him. “The cards are enough compensation for my clothes. But what about emotional damages?”

“You can look up the value of that deck yourself.” Jiang Yi thought she was pushing her luck. “Don’t waste my time. Or would you rather miss your own speech too?”

“Although I don’t want to miss it, it’s not that important to me.” Lin Zhiyan sat with her back perfectly straight. Even while being restrained, her gaze remained unwavering. “You said you wanted to see my demonstration. Wanted to know how I fooled your eyes. But the truth is, you believed I made a fool of you and wounded your pride. That’s why you had me brought here and forced into this nearly humiliating position to make me submit. Isn’t that right?”

“If you think it’s humiliation, then it is.” Jiang Yi continued coldly, “I had people bring you here because, based on your behavior during questioning, I was certain you’d try to play tricks. So to avoid wasting each other’s time, using the fastest method wasn’t wrong.”

“What a convenient method.” Lin Zhiyan’s eyes curved slightly, the tear mole beneath them steeped in mockery as she smiled. “When you ask someone to do something, there’s always the possibility they’ll refuse. But you absolutely can’t tolerate rejection from someone you consider poor and sly, can you? Your time and dignity are so precious that other people’s dignity has to be sacrificed.”

“Correct.” Jiang Yi’s tone turned icy. “So how much is your dignity worth?”

“Not a single cent.” Lin Zhiyan replied calmly. “What I want is you.”

Jiang Yi lowered his gaze. “What?”

“You recreate the scene personally.”

Lin Zhiyan smiled, her eyes full of provocation.

Jiang Yi said, “This is your counterattack?”

“Exactly.”

Jiang Yi leaned forward, lowering his head to stare at her.

She tilted her chin up, letting him look.

The distance between them wasn’t especially close, yet he could still catch the faint scent on her body, something like flowers.

But not any familiar floral scent like lilies, roses, or jasmine. It was more like the smell of wildflowers in open fields—light, fleeting, the kind the wind could scatter in an instant, or the kind you might step on without noticing. Tiny, orderly flowers, like something drawn by a child.

The air fell silent, tense as stretched rubber on the verge of snapping.

Jiang Yi suddenly noticed a tiny mole hidden within her eyebrow, like a hesitant dot left behind by the tip of a makeup pencil.

“My pride isn’t so easily wounded,” Jiang Yi said.

He raised a hand. The person restraining her understood immediately, handing him the scissors before leaving the room. No one held Lin Zhiyan down anymore, yet she made no move to stand. Instead, she sat cross-legged on the carpet, pulled off her jacket, and extended her arm toward Jiang Yi.

“Please, assistant.”

Jiang Yi leaned forward, one arm braced on his knee. The scent of body wash and lingering moisture mixed with the dangerous shadow he cast over her. He let out a cold laugh, grabbed her wrist, and tugged her closer before using the scissors to snip open her sleeve bit by bit.

The crisp sounds of cutting rang out sharply. Cold metal sliced through pure white fabric, revealing ivory-colored skin inch by inch, the occasional brush of metal sending tremors across her body.

Jiang Yi deliberately lifted the scissors higher to avoid touching her arm.

Soon, the sleeve was completely cut away.

He picked up the arm clip and fastened it around her arm. The soft warmth of her skin tensed beneath his grip. Unable to help himself, he looked up at her.

Her expression remained perfectly composed. Lips pressed together, calm and severe.

He suddenly remembered the calluses on his own hands from years of training.

The thought vanished as quickly as it came.

After securing the arm clip and attaching the protective device, Jiang Yi stood and walked toward the table and chair, looking at her. Lin Zhiyan used the sofa for support, stretching out her slightly numb legs before walking over as well.

The table and chair were arranged exactly like the interrogation room. Even her coat still hung over the chair back.

So he really had been curious about how she did it. He’d even reconstructed the scene.

Jiang Yi said, “I guessed that when you stood up, the device was already in your hand. You sat down while distracting me. But at that moment, I saw clearly—your hands never moved.”

One hand had rested on the table while the other supported the side of the chair. At times she’d crossed her arms too.

Even if the device was only palm-sized, the moment she grabbed it, it should’ve been obvious.

“You didn’t see clearly,” Lin Zhiyan said.

As though repeating the trick—or perhaps demonstrating it again—she circled around Jiang Yi once more.

But this time, Jiang Yi turned with her.

And so he clearly saw the protective device slip from the arm clip in an instant. Her hand moved and caught it. Soon, she sat down in the chair, one hand on the chair back.

Jiang Yi frowned. Did she toss it in there at that moment?

But soon he saw she merely adjusted her position. One hand rested on the table, hidden by her fingers. Then she lifted her hand again, sweeping the device off the table. Her legs moved, trapping it between them. Next, she leaned back slightly, her shoulder nudging the hanging coat open just enough. Her hand brushed past the device on her legs, still appearing to support the chair’s edge, yet her fingers had already slipped the device into the coat pocket.

…Smooth and seamless, like something she’d practiced countless times.

Though not entirely flawless.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Yi said, “If I’d walked over to your side, everything would’ve been exposed.”

Lin Zhiyan smiled faintly. “You wouldn’t have.”

After saying that, she slowly walked closer to him.

Jiang Yi didn’t move, only watched her.

Lin Zhiyan said, “I had to believe you wouldn’t. Otherwise, I’d never have dared do it. I don’t know what records mean to people like you, but I know even the slightest stain on mine could alter the course of my life. If I got caught, the punishment would only worsen. If I didn’t, then maybe I’d still have a chance to preserve the image of being outstanding.”

Jiang Yi’s brows slowly furrowed. “If you’d honestly explained everything to me, then even after being transferred to internal school discipline, it probably would’ve been nothing more than a few days of community service.”

“I may not understand, but you never told me that either, did you?” Lin Zhiyan looked at him. “Or rather, you couldn’t even be bothered to explain. To you, this was just a trivial little case. You already believed you knew the truth. You only wanted me to hurry up and confess.”

Jiang Yi fell silent again.

After a while, he said, “Yes.”

“But the truth is, this wasn’t a small matter.” Lin Zhiyan’s expression turned faint, almost blurry with detachment. “For some people, excellence is just icing on the cake. For others, it’s survival. I attend this school on a full scholarship, and even then, I still can’t afford housing fees. If something like this goes into my record, it might ruin my chances at keeping that scholarship for years.”

She suddenly seemed to realize something, raising a brow. “Oh. I don’t even know whether it would affect my record. I only know that fear drives me to do everything possible to live like a spotless, outstanding person no one can criticize.”

…Was she really that scared back then?

Jiang Yi looked at her quietly. But only for a few seconds.

“It would indeed go into your file,” he said. “But it wouldn’t affect your scholarship eligibility. Besides, that deck of cards is a collector’s edition. It could probably cover a large portion of your expenses.”

“And regarding my failure to properly inform you…” He paused. “I apologize.”

Finally, Jiang Yi said, “I’m sorry.”

He truly wasn’t good at apologizing. Even those three words sounded stiff and awkward.

But Lin Zhiyan suddenly laughed.

“Check your pocket.”

Jiang Yi froze, instinctively reaching into his pocket. “Wha—”

Before he could finish speaking, he pulled out a playing card.

Jiang Yi: “……”

In that instant, irritation flared within him at being toyed with again, his face darkening.

“I told you,” Lin Zhiyan smiled—not mockingly this time, but with a sly hint of triumph. “You wouldn’t notice.”

“Oh, right. I used to work part-time as a magician’s assistant.”

Well, being a card dealer who cheated people technically counted as a magician’s assistant, didn’t it? Either way, both jobs involved making things appear and disappear.

Then Lin Zhiyan added, “It’s almost time for my freshman speech. You promised that once I finished the demonstration, you’d let me go.”

Jiang Yi nodded without speaking further.

But when she reached the door, he suddenly said, “What you said just now… was that only a distraction technique, or was it rea—”

“That’s not important.” Lin Zhiyan didn’t turn around as she twisted the handle open. “Whatever the answer is, it won’t change the fact that your apology lacked sincerity.”

Jiang Yi’s lips moved slightly.

Click.

The door locked shut behind her.

By the time he looked over, she was already gone.

Outside the door—

The moment Lin Zhiyan stepped out of the lounge, she noticed a figure leaning against the lounge across from it. The owner of that figure had platinum blond hair and was playing a terminal game with his arms crossed. He wore the Military-Political Department uniform, a sword hanging at his waist.

…People like this definitely weren’t to be provoked.

Lin Zhiyan lowered her head obediently and walked past. Yet for some reason, she could feel his gaze fixed on her, carrying a malicious sort of scrutiny. She quickened her pace and left swiftly, only finally breathing out in relief after returning to the auditorium.

What terrible luck. She’d only been here a few days, yet it already felt like landmines were everywhere.

Barely two minutes after returning, it was her turn to go on stage.

Lin Zhiyan took a deep breath and climbed the stairs step by step, her shoes making heavy sounds against the wooden boards. Below her stretched a sea of people. On either side stood teachers dressed in formal suits. And beyond them all rose the school’s towering, icy clock tower.

Dong— Dong— Dong—

The five o’clock bells rang out, sending a flock of white doves into the sky.

“And that concludes my freshman speech.”

Standing on stage, Lin Zhiyan delivered her final line.

Thunderous applause erupted.

Lin Zhiyan could clearly see Jiang Yi sitting among the students in the front rows, applauding as well.

It was absurdly funny.

The person who had used almost humiliating methods to drag her away earlier was now sitting below the stage as though nothing had happened, calmly applauding her.

Jiang Yi noticed her gaze and met it with his own. But the next second, she looked away.

Then she lifted the microphone and said evenly, “Thank you all very much for listening to my speech. Today, I also received a very special gift, and I’d like to share it with everyone here at the opening ceremony.”

Lin Zhiyan smiled slightly.

With a wave of her hand, a playing card seemed to appear from thin air in her fingers.

Instantly, the crowd burst into excited cheers.

She tossed away the card. Her slender pale fingers moved again, and suddenly an entire fan of cards appeared in her hand. She smoothly flicked them away, rotated her wrist, and in the blink of an eye another glittering stream of cards poured forth from her fingers.

The wind was strong. The shining cards drifted beautifully through the air alongside waves of screams and cheers. Light swept across her face and eyes, even turning her hair golden beneath the reflections.

In less than a minute, the entire deck had been “conjured” into existence through dazzling sleight of hand, scattering across the stage and floating into the audience.

Lin Zhiyan bowed in thanks and stepped off the stage.

Her footsteps remained light, her posture straight as a pine tree, as though she cared about nothing at all.

Jiang Yi stared at the chaotic spread of cards across the ground and lowered his gaze.

He knew this was her retaliation.

At that moment, he realized he’d said “my pride isn’t so easily wounded” far too early. Because now, his chest felt unbearably tight. He couldn’t tell whether it was anger at being provoked, frustration at being countered, or confusion about her.

—She didn’t even have enough money for housing, yet she still chose to do this.

Jiang Yi sat there for a while before finally leaving. This time, he left his coat behind, along with the secretly hidden playing card still tucked inside its pocket, abandoned on the empty seat.

After the lengthy speech portion ended, the formal evening gala began. From A-list celebrities to popular bands, every performance pushed the atmosphere of the freshman ceremony higher and higher. Colored lights flashed across the auditorium while applause and cheers rolled endlessly through the crowd. Yet some people sat with their heads lowered, staring at their terminals, completely detached from the lively atmosphere around them.

On the terminal screen was the school forum interface, the United Military-Political Academy logo glaringly obvious.

[United Military-Political Academy – Alumni Section – Roundtable Forum]
– Online users: 1365

[[HOT TOPIC #1] Opening Ceremony Discussion Thread]

[1L: No spamming. Stay on topic.]
[2L: Beep, student card check.]

[98L: The freshman representative from Literature is so pretty.]
[99L: Her little magic trick was really interesting too.]
[100L: How did she even do that? Was it a prop? Is it hard?]

[108L: There are tutorials everywhere online. Not hard, but being as smooth as her is probably difficult.]

[127L: Am I the only one who thinks she’s trying too hard?]
[128L: +1. District 16. Did a performance right after the speech. You all know what that means—she’s here fishing for rich guys.]

[130L: She got the top score in Literature this year. Why would she need to fish for rich guys?]

[131L: That’s exactly why it’s weird. With scores like hers, going into a practical major at a practical university would make way more money. Coming to United Military-Political Academy to study literature when she’s obviously not rich enough to afford that kind of luxury—if she’s not here to marry rich, then what? Planning to become a civil servant after graduation?]

[132L: I’m rich guys. Did you hear that? Hello? I said I’m rich guys.]

[133L: Poor people can’t do academics now?]
[134L: You completely missed the point.]

[149L: Did nobody notice the cards she used were the collector’s edition ZuosioS Golden Gem deck? I’ve been trying to buy one forever. Second-hand prices are already over 200,000 star credits…]

[150L: Over 200,000? Even spending my own money would hurt. Where’d she get that kind of cash?]
[151L: Probably fake. District 16 is famous for knockoffs lol.]

[152L: I bet she used her District 16 status to get in with lower standards.]
[153L: Maybe someone backing her helped polish her image…]
[154L: No proof and you’re already making up rumors?]

[179L: Wonder how the second-place student feels losing to someone from District 16.]
[180L: Don’t know about second place, but his brother’s probably losing it.]
[181L: There’s gossip???]
[182L: ZF. He’s been hyping L up for ages…]

[195L: LMAO first sisters marry into powerful families together, now brothers are teaming up for big ambitions too?]
[196L: Decoded. That freshman’s probably gonna have a rough time.]

[This thread has been deemed in violation of regulations and will be deleted in: 10]

The countdown ticked downward slowly. Soon, every reply disappeared, and the terminal returned to the homepage. A pair of elegant, long-fingered hands turned off the screen and slipped the terminal into a pocket as silently as a fish vanishing into darkness.

Lin Zhiyan knew nothing about any of this.

From a god’s-eye view, that was probably for the best. She would never know she had once come dangerously close to 200,000 credits. All she knew was that the persona she’d crafted had worked perfectly, and Jiang Yi would probably bother her less from now on.

The world was strange.

When you wanted money, you usually got neither money nor respect. But when you wanted respect, money would come endlessly—used to purchase the right to trample your dignity.

Sometimes nobility was the true passkey, while despicable behavior worked better as identification papers.

Lin Zhiyan’s philosophy was simple: the most important thing in life was having complete documentation.

After the opening ceremony came the banquet.

Lin Zhiyan originally planned to eat quickly and catch the last skyrail home, but she forgot what kind of social butterfly her new friend Aiwen was. And so a single meal stretched endlessly.

After dealing with wave after wave of people, she heard the distant ringing of the clock tower.

Great.

The last skyrail was gone.

Now she’d have to transfer several more times to get home.

Lin Zhiyan sighed. “Aiwen, I really—”

“Hello, Student Lin. Student Aiwen.”

A gentle voice interrupted her.

Both Lin Zhiyan and Aiwen turned in confusion, only to first notice a tall young man with gray-white hair tied behind his back. Loose strands framed a face so handsome it looked almost delicate. He wore a white-and-gold department uniform that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His icy gray eyes resembled countless tiny frozen needles gathered together, giving him an air of noble elegance.

…Damn. Did everyone from the Central District undergo genetic optimization or something?

Why was every single one of them so absurdly good-looking?

Lin Zhiyan enjoyed the visual feast, though she remained puzzled. “And you are…?”

“Senior Zephi?” Aiwen exclaimed in surprise.

“No need for formalities. I’m Zephi Solent, a third-year student in the Department of Finance.” As if sensing her confusion, he added, “The reason I approached you so abruptly is simple. My younger brother also studies in your department, but he’s rather introverted. He even skipped the ceremony to stay with me. Now that the banquet’s almost over and he still hasn’t met any of his classmates, I’m worried about him.”

Zephi smiled warmly, his manners graceful. Yet perhaps because his icy gray eyes were too clean—too cold—Lin Zhiyan felt no warmth or gentleness from him at all. Only something faintly sinister.

Aiwen widened her eyes. “Ah, I think someone was absent from the list.”

“Yes, that would be my younger brother, Li Siheng.” Zephi smiled again, but his gaze shifted toward Lin Zhiyan. His gray eyes were so clear they seemed capable of reflecting her entire figure. “He admires you greatly. In the entrance exams, you beat him by nearly twenty points.”

As he spoke, Zephi waved toward the crowd, his tone smiling.

“Siheng, come here. Say hello to… first place.”

Lin Zhiyan: “……”

Damn. That sarcasm was vicious.

What had she even done to offend him?

She’d barely gotten rid of Jiang Yi, and now another pair of brothers showed up treating her like some dungeon boss raid.

Don’t tell her these two also had one of those mechanics where if you didn’t kill them simultaneously, they’d heal each other.

Lin Zhiyan maliciously speculated exactly that.