Chapter 1, Friendship is everlasting

The crimson liquid in the cup swayed, and through the wine, Jiang Xinshu saw a face that was the current Li Jie, yet it also resembled the radiant Li Jie from five years ago, shining like the sun

Chen Shang was sitting anxiously on the first floor, eagerly staring at the door on the second floor of the cafeteria where Li Jiejin was. Suddenly, he noticed that there were two groups of people sitting at the tables around him, all of whom were closely related to Jiang Xinshu in the academy. He couldn't help but feel secretly anxious, hesitating whether he should go back to find someone to support him.

When he first entered Youhua Academy, Yu had already written down his list of prey, but due to Li Jielian's brilliant performance against eleven challengers, he changed his mind. He preferred to have such a friend, someone worth crossing off a name from his list of prey.

Li Jie neither nodded nor picked up the woman's clothes to wear, nor did he angrily point at Jiang Xinshu's nose and curse at her

Li Jie smiled, this is Jiang Xinshu, so thoughtful in consideration, truly giving him face... However, Li Jie knew that he was destined to be disappointed today

Li Jie patted Chen Shang on the shoulder, feeling good about being cared for by a friend. "Because Zhao Zhi's relationship with Jiang Xin's third girlfriend is suspicious, he has always been concerned about it. The latter part of what he said was: Zhao Zhi will not go tomorrow, and the past will be forgotten."

Jiang Xin held his wine glass, swirling it gently, the liquid obscuring Li Jie’s chin. He was not in a hurry, for he knew that Li Jie was an intelligent person

Li Jie nodded directly, as they were friends and naturally aware of each other's situations. Jiang Xinshu has an older sister who, as the eldest daughter, faces significant pressure. She has worked particularly hard since childhood and has performed very well in the two years since graduation, earning great respect from her family

Li Jie! You cannot go!" Chen Shang wore a stern expression, and his emotions shifted from initial anxiety to despair. He had already said enough and had to repeat his previous advice. "Everyone knows Jiang Xinshu's unscrupulous style! He is determined to secure the internship evaluation at the academy. Zhao Zhi inexplicably withdrew and willingly accepted third place, simply because Jiang Xinshu made it clear that if he dared to go tomorrow, he would no longer exist in Yanhuang City!"

You two have a chat, Li Jie, and do not waste the good intentions of Xin Shu.

Jiang Xin stared coldly at Li Jie for a full seven seconds, then suddenly exhaled with a mocking laugh. "The information is inadequate; the parts hidden in your hands will leak the informant's details, won't they?"

For a moment, Jiang Xin's lips twitched, and the button-shaped data disk in his hand was suddenly crushed by him

"It is truly commendable that you can consider things from my perspective so thoughtfully; you are indeed a friend. I wish for our friendship to last forever." Jiang Xinshu smiled heartily, as this was a very good outcome. "As for tomorrow's matters, at eight o'clock in the evening, I will send someone to inform you."

For Jiang Xinshu, if many of his past misdeeds at Youhua Academy were to fall into his father's hands, his younger brother, who is two years his junior but equally outstanding, would undoubtedly become the focal point of his father's hopes. Moreover, if his elder sister were to add further pressure, his future in the Jiang family would be bleak

"It's nothing, I am friends with him." Li Jie smiled lightly, casually tidying his black hair before walking into the private room

Zhao Zhi? Jiang Xin fell silent, the confusion in his eyes quickly dissipating as he pondered. He had to admit that he had just overlooked Zhao Zhi.

He always remembers the soft light reflected in her beautifully adorned eyes on the balcony of the dormitory building, along with the wind lifting her long, emerald-green hair

However, the slender Chen Shang adjusted his glasses, feeling uneasy. This was because the college assessment before graduation was of utmost importance, as it determined the direction of the internship in the final year. Even though Jiang Xinshu did not care about the allocation of positions that came with grades, his strong-willed nature, coupled with the expectations of his family, made it difficult for him to let go

Jiang Xinshu did not pause at all and had no intention of giving Li a chance to speak. Maintaining an arrogant posture to exert pressure, she continued: "If you do not go tomorrow, then just nod your head, pick up the ice water in front of you, and, as usual, we can chat casually; if you insist on going, that is also fine, but as long as you treat me as a friend, you must care about my face, Jiang Xinshu. Then put on that woman's dress and drink the juice. And then—there are a total of thirty-three people in the two private rooms. If you can escape from their siege and leave the cafeteria, regardless of whether you are injured or not, you can go tomorrow, and we will still be friends." And then—there are a total of thirty-three people in the two private rooms. If you can escape from their siege and leave the cafeteria, regardless of whether you are injured or not, you can go tomorrow, and we will still be friends.

Li Jie took out a data disk the size of a button from his pocket and slowly pushed it in front of Jiang Xinshu. Under the latter's puzzled gaze, he smiled and raised his hand to gesture.

At the end, Jiang Xinshu's emotions nearly reached their peak, so she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

Li Jie—has he really just left like this? Huh?

Li Jie was neither hurried nor slow, with a slight smile, his voice as calm as ever. Although, in reality, he was not as composed as he appeared, for this was the best approach he could take at the moment. As for whether the outcome would align with his hopes, he was not a prophet and could not be entirely certain. "Old Jiang, I think you should consider it again; Zhao Zhi will help your father see things from a different perspective"

Jiang Xin raised his wine glass, shaking it gently, his eyes reflecting the calmness that always emanated from Li Jie’s face. He admired Li Jie’s confidence, yet he did not appreciate being hurt by such confidence; however, at this moment, he felt more absurd than anything else.

Li Jie’s eyes revealed an inexpressible sorrow, and his voice grew softer. "It is precisely because we have already parted that I can only do my utmost to keep my promise, for it is no longer possible to discuss it with her."

Jiang Xinshu's emotions quickly calmed down because of these words, but he did not remain silent for long. He smiled and shook his head, saying: "This may earn praise in the eyes of others, but unfortunately, my father is a fierce tiger. When I told him that I gave up the chance to strive for first place for the sake of a weak friendship, he would not say that I am loyal and commendable. Instead, he would define me in his heart as a weak and incompetent fool! If your appreciation for friendship only reaches this level, it truly disappoints me!"

Li Jie had such preparations, which was not very surprising to Jiang Xinshu; otherwise, he would not have held this person in such high regard

It is said that his parents invited people from the clan for two reasons: first, for reliability, and second, out of fear that he might harm the female bodyguard. The second concern, of course, does not stem from his parents' sense of morality or justice; rather, they are unwilling to have a woman working as a bodyguard become too closely involved with Jiang Xinshu, and they also do not want to worry about whether such a woman might go "mad" and stab their precious son after a breakup.

Because she is a member of the family, Jiang Xinshu holds her in great respect, and the two of them refer to each other as close friends, usually calling her Sister Xi. Sister Xi is, of course, one of the many beautiful sights that many people in Youhua Academy cherish.

Jiang Xinshu is taller than Li Jie, and not just in height. At Youhua College, Li Jie is seen as the tall, rich, and handsome type by most of his classmates, but for him, his situation is merely that of an ordinary person among the tall, rich, and handsome individuals in the college. In contrast, Jiang Xinshu, who stands before him, is the true tall, rich, and handsome figure, and even in Yanhuang City, he belongs to the top tier.

Jiang Xinshu knows that, of course, he knows all of this. In Youhua Academy, many people are aware of the matter regarding Yu. And friends, of course, know that Li Jie, a few years ago, on a morning illuminated by the dawn in the academy dormitory, bathed in sunlight, made a declaration of love—"Yu, you do not need to wait until graduation; you can give your heart to me now! For I will surely be the first in the graduation internship competition!" These words were spoken by me, Li Jie. Within three days, I will be here, and I will welcome anyone from our cohort without exception! And friends, of course, know that Li Jie, a few years ago, on a morning illuminated by the dawn in the academy dormitory, bathed in sunlight, made a declaration of love—"Yu, you do not need to wait until graduation; you can give your heart to me now! For I will surely be the first in the graduation internship competition!" These words were spoken by me, Li Jie. Within three days, I will be here, and I will welcome anyone from our cohort without exception!

"Sit down," Jiang Xinshu gestured for Li Jie to take a seat beside him, pointing to the wine, juice, and ice water in front of him. Only then did he sit down, crossing his legs and slightly raising his head to gaze at the composed Li Jie, saying: "If it were someone with whom I have a casual relationship, I would have to let him drink three cups of wine before discussing anything else; if it were a beautiful woman, I would invite her to drink juice; I know you prefer ice water, so today what you drink ultimately depends on how much you value our friendship."

In the private room, Jiang Xinshu, with short blue-black hair, dismissively sent away the person who reported back, asserting that it was impossible for Chen Shang to be the one Li Jie had brought in to lend support.

Among that group of people, there were also those who knew Chen Shang. Seeing that he did not intend to leave, someone went up to report back in the private room

How could someone as intelligent as you go so far as to hurt a friend like me for a woman who has already left

So you hurt me just to dwell on the past? Jiang Xinshu's thoughts were pulled back to reality, and the Li Jie before her transformed back into his appearance of today. My father has always advised me that a person may experience temporary setbacks, but they must never accept a single failure

Jiang Xinshu smiled, stood up, and Li Jie also smiled as he stood up, shaking the hand that he extended.

The recognition received upon graduation will determine the extent of hope that the Jiang family places in him at that time, and the height of this starting point undoubtedly holds decisive value

Jiang Xinshu was very unhappy, the smile on his face faded, and his gaze fixed on Li Jie, adding a hint of coldness to his eyes. ... However, he was not someone who lacked even this little patience; he held the button data panel, pressed it, and the blue lens on his left eye immediately began to read the contents within.

In that moment, a look of sorrow appeared in Li Jie’s eyes. In this era of material scarcity, although the price of data disks cannot be considered expensive, they are certainly worthy of being cherished

Li Jie also understood his situation. This statement essentially means that his father learned about his dark past, which is no different from the outcome of losing the competition for his graduation internship.

Friendship endures through the ages. Li Jie secretly let out a sigh of relief; avoiding a falling out between friends is certainly a positive outcome. Then, I will wait at home for good news

Jiang Xin was typically accompanied by the beautiful bodyguard Jiang Xi, who was also from his clan.

I cherish our friendship" Li said, smiling as he raised his hand to signal Jiang Xinshu, who was glaring at him, to calm down. Seeing that he had restrained his emotions, he continued: "Your father has always been very concerned about Zhao Zhi. His decision to abstain is due to both your reasons and mine. If you were to do the same as him and abstain on the spot to uphold the integrity of our friendship, even though you did not achieve first place, you would certainly not have lost.

She went out, and Jiang Xinshu stood up, a smile on her face, yet it was tinged with a hint of deliberate malice.

However, he recalled Li Jie specifically advising him not to wait, and even more so not to call anyone else, and ultimately managed to restrain himself

Li Jie turned to leave, but before he could reach the door, he heard Jiang Xinshu's displeased voice calling out from behind.