Volume 2 Chapter 54
by Need_More_SleepVolume 2 + Chapter 54: The Turmoil Subsides
“So this means Qianxue has definitely won, right?” Ning Caiwei asked with a smug smile.
“Not necessarily,” Wang Qian replied, her expression serious.
“Why not? She clearly argued with Bai Yuxuan into silence and even forced him to leave the stage!”
“Did you forget the rules of the public debate? The final winner is determined by votes from the non-club students and the teachers who aren’t affiliated with any clubs.”
“But Qianxue already drove Bai Yuxuan off, who people will vote for isn’t obvious?”
“Not at all.”
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind them.
“Qianxue!” ×2
The two turned around in surprise to see Ouyang Qianxue standing there.
“Although I managed to overwhelm Bai Yuxuan by targeting his emotional weakness,” he said calmly, “his arguments were clearly more reasonable. I was still too naive. Those club presidents hid things from me, only when Bai Yuxuan exposed them during the debate did I realize how excessive some of those clubs really were.”
“That’s not your fault. They probably hid it because they were afraid you wouldn’t help them otherwise,” Ning Caiwei comforted him.
“Not only that, Bai Yuxuan also presented solid evidence of their misuse of funds and idleness. Fundamentally speaking, his decision to abolish those clubs was for the benefit of the entire school. Naturally, those non-club students and teachers would support him.”
“But Qianxue, you’ve overlooked one thing,” Wang Qian said.
“What is it?”
“Your popularity. At Sakura Academy, your helpfulness and gentle nature are far more beloved than Bai Yuxuan’s cold and distant demeanor. From the very beginning, people were already inclined to support you. And there’s another factor…”
Before Wang Qian could finish, the advisor’s voice rang out from the stage.
“The vote count for this public debate has been completed. According to the results, Ouyang Qianxue has won the debate by a narrow margin of ten votes!”
“What?!”
Ouyang Qianxue looked at the results on the screen in disbelief.
“Do you know why?” Wang Qian said to him.
“Besides your personality winning people over, those club presidents who were abolished must have rallied their friends and classmates to vote for you. Meanwhile, Bai Yuxuan was too confident, he believed he could win regardless, even if they canvassed votes for you. That’s why he lost.”
“I see…”
“Since the vote difference in this debate is minimal, the school has decided to make the following adjustments after considering both sides’ arguments. First, clubs confirmed to have misused funds will remain abolished. Second, some clubs will be merged and reorganized, for example, the manga research club and the animation club will be combined.”
As the advisor finished speaking, applause erupted throughout the hall.
“It’s finally been resolved perfectly. Now all that’s left is the field trip!”
Just as Ning Caiwei and Wang Qian were about to discuss the outing with Ouyang Qianxue, they suddenly realized he had already disappeared.
“Bai Yuxuan!”
Inside the student council office, Ouyang Qianxue stood before her, slightly out of breath.
“You heard the broadcasted results just now, didn’t you?”
“Mm.”
Bai Yuxuan nodded faintly, without even looking up at him.
“Even though my victory wasn’t exactly honorable, a win is still a win. You’ll honor our bet, right?”
“Mm.”
Her reply remained indifferent.
“Then listen carefully, Bai Yuxuan.”
Bai Yuxuan let out a cold laugh inwardly.
(She tried so hard to get close to me before, she’ll probably use this bet to force me to become her friend…)
But…
“My wish is to cancel the wish I made on your birthday before, the one where I asked you to keep your distance from me.”
“!”
Bai Yuxuan suddenly looked up at him in shock.
“I know that wish hurts you,” Ouyang Qianxue said gently. “But I don’t want to force you to be my friend either. A relationship formed through coercion has no meaning. Bai Yuxuan, my wish is to remove that restriction and give the choice back to you. You can choose to forgive me and become my friend, or not forgive me and continue to keep your distance.”
His voice was soft, sincere.
After hearing his words, Bai Yuxuan fell silent.
“You don’t have to decide right away. Take your time. Isn’t the school trip in a couple of days? You can tell me your answer then.”
He turned toward the door.
“But I want you to know this, no matter what you choose, I won’t give up on becoming your friend.”
With that, he glanced back at her once more before leaving the office, leaving Bai Yuxuan alone, caught in hesitation.
Ouyang Qianxue had once been the only person to truly enter her heart. Faced with the tempting possibility of becoming friends again, she naturally wanted to accept. Yet after he had once rejected her and now suddenly returned to get close again, her feelings were no longer just resentment, there was also doubt.
She feared that his renewed approach had ulterior motives. As the most likely heir of the Bai family, countless people sought to get close to her for personal gain. She was afraid that once he achieved his goal, he would leave her again.
She didn’t want to experience that kind of loss a second time.
“…What should I do?”
Standing alone in the empty student council office, Bai Yuxuan murmured softly.
Three days later, more than a dozen buses lined up on campus. The school had prepared them to take students on the field trip.
“Qianxue, let’s go! We’ll sit together!”
“No way! Qianxue is sitting with me!”
At the bus entrance, Ning Caiwei and Wang Qian were already arguing over who would sit beside Ouyang Qianxue.
At that moment, a teacher stopped them.
“Wait! Wang Qian, you can only sit in the back bus!”
The teacher pointed toward a slightly worn-looking bus behind them.
“Why?!” Wang Qian protested, aggrieved.
“This field trip is a reward for students’ efforts this semester. To encourage academic performance, students are given different levels of rewards based on their rankings. Those in the bottom 20%, like you, can only take that bus.”
Thus, Wang Qian was reluctantly escorted to the back bus, while Ning Caiwei wore a smug grin.
“Hehe, the obstacle is finally gone. Qianxue, let’s hurry and get on!”
She grabbed Ouyang Qianxue and headed toward the bus, only for both of them to be stopped again by a teacher.
“What now? Are my grades not good enough either?” Ning Caiwei demanded.
“It’s not about you, it’s about Ouyang.”
The teacher explained calmly.
“At Sakura Academy, the top-performing student receives the highest level of reward. The school will arrange for them to travel in the principal’s private car.”
“But I’m only ranked second in the grade…”
“Academic performance isn’t measured solely by exam scores. As the president of three clubs, you’ve represented the school in competitions and achieved outstanding results. After discussion, the faculty has made an exception, allowing both you and Bai Yuxuan to share the highest level of reward.”
“So, you’ll be taking that car.”
Following the teacher’s gesture, Ouyang Qianxue saw a luxurious vehicle parked nearby. Through the open door, he could clearly see Bai Yuxuan sitting in the back seat, her expression calm, unreadable, as she waited for him.
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