Chapter 5: Don't Anger the Prince

"Then what do we do?" she asked, her face a mask of misery.

Shen Xinghao smiled. "Trust me and Xi, alright? At worst, it'll just be a harmless prank."

Xing Yun sighed. "Fine. I guess I have no choice but to trust you."

When the flamboyant blossoms began to spread like wildfire across the campus, burning the sky red, Qianzhi knew that summer was coming to an end. On the hill behind the school, the maple leaves were beginning to turn yellow, one by one. She didn't know when it had started, but she'd developed a strange fascination with all things basketball. She started paying close attention to the school newspaper—not for news about the 'Three Princes', of course, but because it listed the times and locations for every one of the school basketball team's games. From then on, two more figures could always be found lingering by the basketball court.

At dusk, the light of the early autumn sun slanted through the dense, yellowing leaves, casting long shadows across the crowded playground. Xia Qianzhi and Tang Qiqi stood quietly in a corner of the basketball court, silently watching Zhong Mingjie play. On the court, he was dark and handsome, sweat tracing paths down his well-defined face, drop by drop, glistening in the sunlight. After what felt like an eternity, a shrill whistle blew, and the court erupted in a chorus of cheers.

"Long live Zhong Mingjie! Long live our captain!"

"Zhong Mingjie's team won again! That's several games in a row! Looks like their class is a lock for the championship this year!"

"Of course! Who is Zhong Mingjie? He's the captain of our school's team! If he can't win the championship, who can?" A group of girls standing near Qianzhi chattered excitedly.

"He's actually pretty handsome! I wonder if he has a girlfriend?" said a girl with long hair.

"Hey! Haven't you always had a crush on Xing Tuo? Changed your mind that fast?" another girl, a bit chubby, reminded her.

"I do like Xing Tuo! But you know he doesn't seem interested in girls at all! So, I think it's more realistic to find a boyfriend like Zhong Mingjie! Even if he's not as perfect as Xing Tuo!"

"Please! You can't even compare Zhong Mingjie to Xing Tuo!" a tall girl couldn't help but interject.

The other girls nodded in unison. In their eyes, no one could ever measure up to Xing Tuo.

Listening to their conversation, Tang Qiqi was about to explode with anger. She deliberately raised her voice and said, "Qianzhi, look at those girls. A whole bouquet of fools." It was, in short, her way of calling them boy-crazy.

Hearing her friend insult someone so creatively, Qianzhi couldn't help but laugh. Just then, Zhong Mingjie, fresh from his game, saw them and ran over, a smile on his face. "What's so funny?"

Qianzhi stifled her laugh, glanced at Qiqi, and said, "Nothing. Congratulations on another win!"

"Right, since you won, you have to treat us! Our Qianzhi here comes to cheer for you every single time!" Tang Qiqi said, as if suddenly remembering something important.

Zhong Mingjie answered readily, "No problem! What do you guys want to eat?"

Qianzhi quickly interjected, "Don't listen to her, it's really okay."

"Xia Qianzhi!" Tang Qiqi glared at her. "Why are you being so polite! Zhong Mingjie already said he'd treat us!" What an idiot, completely unable to seize an opportunity!

"It's fine, I've been wanting to treat you guys for a while now," Zhong Mingjie said.

"But..."

Before Qianzhi could say another word, Tang Qiqi cut her off, deciding for them. "Then it's settled! It's getting a little late today, so how about you treat us to lunch at the school restaurant tomorrow?"

"Sure!" he replied cheerfully.

"Hey, Zhong!" One of his teammates seemed to need him.

"See you tomorrow, then. Bye!" Zhong Mingjie waved to them and ran off toward his teammate.

"Qiqi! Weren't you a little too forward?" Even though it was the school restaurant, Qianzhi knew that the prices there were anything but cheap, easily comparable to a four-star establishment.

"Ah, don't worry about it. He can afford it!" Tang Qiqi said with an air of indifference. She suddenly leaned in closer, a smirk on her face. "Or are you worried I'll eat him into bankruptcy?"

Seeing her mischievous grin, Qianzhi sighed helplessly.

"Alright, let's get going."

"Give it up! I think Zhong Mingjie has a girlfriend!"

"Which one of those two do you think is his girlfriend?"

"I think it's the one with long hair!"

"..."

Behind them, the gossiping girls on the playground were still in fervent discussion as they watched Qianzhi and Tang Qiqi walk away.

The school restaurant, quaintly named "Stars and Dots," was located on the top floor of the "Cherry Blossom Building" on the east side of the campus. Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows, it offered a panoramic view of the Cherry Blossom Garden. The Cherry Blossom Building was eight stories tall; the first seven floors housed the library's archives, which held a vast collection of books from all times and places, earning it the nickname "Book Building." It was now lunchtime, and Stars and Dots was nearly full. At Haixin High, most students came from wealthy families, so despite the restaurant's expensive menu, it never lacked for customers. Still, the number of tables was limited, so many students brought their own packed lunches. Qianzhi's lunch, like most students', was a bento box she brought from home, which she could heat up in the microwave provided in every classroom.

This was Qianzhi's second time setting foot in Stars and Dots. The first time she had eaten here was on the first day of school. Xing Yun had told her that lunch was available in the school restaurant, so she hadn't brought a lunch box. As it turned out, that one meal wiped out all the money she had on her. When the waitress told her the price, she thought she had misheard. Luckily, since it was the first day, she had brought a little extra cash, otherwise she would have died of humiliation. She was not an extravagant person. Although she had a rich father, she never spent money carelessly. She had never imagined that a restaurant inside a high school could be so expensive. From that day on, she had never stepped into Stars and Dots again. To her, eating here was nothing short of a sin. So many people in the impoverished regions of China couldn't even afford a meal, yet the people here could casually spend an astonishing amount on a single lunch. These people, it seemed, had all forgotten they were merely high school students.

When she and Qiqi arrived at the restaurant, Zhong Mingjie was already waiting inside.

Lunch began in a joyful atmosphere.

Halfway through the meal, Qianzhi saw Xing Tuo and his two friends stroll in with their usual air of importance. The already full restaurant immediately had people giving up their seats for them. As he passed by, she knew he had seen her. She could even feel the chill of his gaze as it swept over her.

They sat down at a table not far from hers, and a feeling of dread began to creep over her. Qiqi, beside her, also sensed that something was wrong. "What is it? Why do you look so pale? Are you not feeling well?" she asked, reaching out to feel her forehead. "Huh, why is it so cold? Are you okay? Is the air conditioning in here too strong?"

Zhong Mingjie immediately shot her a concerned look. "Are you feeling cold?"

Qianzhi pulled her hand down and gave them an uneasy smile. "I'm fine, really. Let's hurry up and eat."

"You have to tell us if you're not feeling well!" Zhong Mingjie said, his voice laced with care.

"I will."

Just as she spoke, a waiter brought over the orange juice Qianzhi had ordered. He had just finished saying, "Enjoy," when Xing Tuo's domineering voice rang out from the other table. "Waiter, bring that glass of orange juice over here! I'm dying of thirst!"

The waiter smiled. "Please wait a moment, sir. I'll bring you another glass right away!"

Xing Tuo drawled lazily, "I want *that* one." His gaze fell on Qianzhi, full of provocation.

The atmosphere turned strange. The entire restaurant fell silent.

The waiter looked troubled. "But, this young lady ordered it first. I..."

"I'll say it again. I want that glass. Bring it to me. Now!" Xing Tuo cut him off, his tone permitting no argument.

Lei Xi chuckled. "Hey! Don't you never drink orange juice?"

Xing Tuo's voice was flat. "I feel like drinking it now!"

The words made it perfectly clear: he was deliberately picking a fight with Qianzhi.

Qianzhi desperately told herself to endure it, to not stoop to the level of someone like him. Especially not in front of Zhong Mingjie; she didn't want to give him a bad impression.

Looking at Xing Tuo's arrogant face, Tang Qiqi couldn't take it anymore. She didn't care if he was a prince or a frog; she was about to stand up for her friend. "You..."

"You! Don't you go too far!" Zhong Mingjie stood up, staring at Xing Tuo, his voice low and steady.

Tang Qiqi looked up at him in surprise. He had said what she was about to say! No wonder Qianzhi liked him. If he had stayed silent at a moment like this, she would have looked down on him.

Xing Tuo's scornful gaze landed on him. "And who are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. But don't you think you're being utterly unreasonable?"

"Unreasonable?" Xing Tuo sneered. "I don't think so. This is the first time I've ever heard someone say that to me."

He sized up Zhong Mingjie coldly. "Why don't you tell me, how am I being unreasonable?"

Zhong Mingjie met his gaze with a cold one of his own. "Throwing your weight around school and bullying students because of your family's connections—what kind of man does that make you?"

Xing Tuo's expression turned icy and terrifying. He stood up and slowly walked over to Zhong Mingjie. His voice was soft, almost gentle. "Say that again."

Shen Xinghao and Lei Xi exchanged a glance and also stood up. Shen Xinghao's expression grew complicated, and the look of someone enjoying a good show vanished from Lei Xi's face. The smile that usually lingered on his lips was gone.

"I said..." Zhong Mingjie was about to speak again.

"Don't say it!" Qianzhi shot to her feet, cutting him off, her eyes pleading with him. A terrible premonition washed over her. He had already enraged Xing Tuo. She remembered what Xing Yun had told her not long ago: "You'd better not get into any conflicts with my brother. He's the kind of person who's capable of anything. If someone truly angers him, he won't let them off easily."