Chapter 16: Before Nine-Thirty

Morning light filtered through the half-open blinds, throwing pale, washed-out patches on the floor.

The rain from last night had stopped, and the air smelled of earth and damp hay.

Xu Zhou had been woken up by the cold. He must have set the air conditioner too low last night.

He moved his leg, and the silver chain slid across the sheets with a dull, rasping sound.

He sighed, opened his eyes, and sat up.

As a modern-day pacifist who believed in putting in only thirty percent effort at work, his first waking thought was not about how to survive Saint Lester, a den of aristocratic wolves.

He put on his slippers, dragged the silver chain behind him, and went downstairs in a slow daze.

The ground-floor living room smelled of fried eggs and buttered toast.

Mateo, in a loose gray hoodie, sat sprawled at the kitchen island, flipping through a sports weekly with one hand.

At the clinking of metal coming down the stairs, he raised his eyes. His gaze lingered on Xu Zhou’s exposed ankle for a second.

“Finally getting up?”

He folded the newspaper and slapped it onto the table, then pushed a black insulated lunchbox over. His tone was harsh, though his gaze drifted a little.

“Had the cafeteria drop it off. Eat up. If it goes cold, I’m not reheating it.”

The lunchbox was packed full: warm black truffle scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and even a cup of warm milk.

Xu Zhou sat down, picked up a fork, and took a bite.

The temperature was just right. It had clearly been timed to the minute it would reach him when he woke up.

“Senior.” Xu Zhou swallowed the eggs, his voice still rough from sleep. “Give me back the key.”

Mateo’s hand, holding a cup of American coffee, paused.

He looked at Xu Zhou sideways, his dark brows lowering into a rough, wary expression.

“What do you want it for? I told you, I’m getting the tech department to take it off today.”

“No, don’t bother the tech department.”

Xu Zhou turned on his phone, which he had turned off the night before. He opened the message Theodore had sent, turned the screen to face Mateo, and slid it over.

On the display, Theodore’s abbreviated name stood out clearly in the cold glow.

Mateo glanced at it, and his already grim face turned completely black in an instant.

“Theodore Vale.”

He spat the name through gritted teeth. The coffee cup hit the quartz countertop with a hard thud, splashing a few drops of dark brown liquid.

“Who the hell does he think he is? Routine registration, and he takes it into his Black Rose tea room? Is he doing this for the registration at all?”

“He’s aiming at you and Gu Yanli.”

Xu Zhou’s expression was calm as he kept chewing on his toast.

“If I don’t go, the moment nine o’clock passes, the safety alarm will go off. The Discipline Office and the Student Life Department will be facing off outside Arden Residence.”

He paused. “Senior, do you want your private residence to become the center of attention for the whole school?”

Mateo’s chest heaved violently.

He stared at Xu Zhou, then at the message on the phone, as if trying to burn a hole through the screen.

“No.”

Mateo pulled the small silver key out of his pocket and held it between his fingers, but he didn’t hand it over.

“I’m going with you. That fox Theodore talks rules all day, but he’s dirtier inside than anyone. If you go alone, he’ll find some way to play you.”

Xu Zhou drank a sip of milk and looked up, sounding tired.

“Senior, if you come along, Theodore will probably love it.”

Mateo paused. “What do you mean?”

“If you act, he records it. If you wreck his tea room, he reports it directly to the Discipline Office. Then I’ll be the person involved, stuck there all day making statements while you two handle the aftermath.”

Xu Zhou put the empty milk cup down and said flatly, “I only slept four hours last night. My head hurts. I just want to get there, sign the form, and come back to sleep.”

Mateo’s face stiffened.

He stared at Xu Zhou, at the faint dark circles under the young man’s eyes from lack of sleep. He swallowed back the angry words already at his lips.

His temper was bad, but he could tell Xu Zhou was truly exhausted.

If he went with him, Theodore would find some way to provoke him, and he definitely wouldn’t be able to hold back from throwing a punch. In the end, the one who suffered would still be Xu Zhou.

Mateo clenched his fist, stifling his frustration. Finally, with extreme reluctance, he slapped the warm key into Xu Zhou’s palm.

“Take it.”

Mateo ran his hand through his messy hair in irritation. His tone was awkward, but he gave Xu Zhou’s shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“Nine-thirty. If you’re not out of that tea room by nine-thirty, I’m skipping class and going straight to Black Rose to get you.”

“Got it.”

Xu Zhou put the key away and stood up.

***

Morning mist hung over the baroque spires of Saint Lester.

Xu Zhou had just stepped out of the marble arch of Arden Residence when he stopped short.

It had rained last night. A damp chill hung in the air. He pulled his uniform jacket closed and looked toward the driveway.

Two cars were parked there in silence.

On the left was a Rolls-Royce formal sedan, bearing the golden double-pistol emblem of the Black Rose society.

A uniformed driver in white gloves stood respectfully beside the rear door. Clearly, he had been sent by Theodore to “escort” Xu Zhou.

On the right, a black Discipline Office service car was parked under the shade of the trees. Its window was half rolled down, revealing half of Gu Yanli’s cold profile.

Gu Yanli rested one hand on the steering wheel. His black silk gloves gleamed dully in the morning light.

He turned his head. His ink-black eyes landed on Xu Zhou from several meters away, cold and detached.

“Get in.” Gu Yanli’s voice was low, with the tone of an order. “I’ll take you to the Student Life Department.”

On the other side, the Rolls-Royce’s driver stepped forward and bowed politely.

“Mr. Xu, Mr. Vale is already waiting for you in the tea room. Please.”

Xu Zhou stood on the steps, feeling the chain around his ankle, and looked at the two luxury vehicles blocking his way.

First thing in the morning, these rich kids were forcing him into a multiple-choice test.

If he got into Gu Yanli’s car, Theodore would definitely make a big deal out of it.

If he got into Theodore’s car, Gu Yanli would probably call it a safety hazard and impound the vehicle on the spot in the name of the Discipline Office.

Xu Zhou, a student just trying to get through an early morning, sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform.

Going to this school was damn tiring.

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