Chapter 23: Striving to Become the Next Jiang Changyuan

"Jiang Changyuan, you lost. What is the meaning of this?"

Vice President Zhao Dongliang pushed the chubby boy aside, lifting his chin as he strutted toward Jiang Changyuan in a show of arrogance.

Jiang Changyuan opened his mouth, about to concede, but caught the sight of the chubby boy and his friends, their faces red with indignation. He caught his tongue just in time. If he were to happily agree, who knew what these hot-headed loyalists might do if they lost their resolve and gave up on themselves?

"Zhao Dongliang, don't push us too far!"

"Just because you have good grades, you think you can bully a group of underachievers? How do you even have the nerve to show your face here?"

The impassioned outburst instantly gave the chubby boy and his friends a backbone; their dejected spirits vanished in a heartbeat.

"If you're men, let's make another bet! We will definitely surpass you in the next monthly exam!"

"That's right! If we lose next time, I'll bow down and apologize to you!"

The shouting grew chaotic. The chubby boy and Ding Shizheng took the lead, rushing to the front with fierce expressions, ready to throw hands if they didn't get an answer.

Zhao Dongliang retreated in alarm, shielding the student council members behind him while continuing to clamor.

"Next time is next time, this time is this time."

"A bet is a bet. Are you saying you can't afford to lose?"

"Who are you calling a sore loser? You..."

The chubby boy, shaking his fist, was beyond furious and about to rush forward when he was stopped by the quick-witted Jiang Changyuan. If a fight broke out, it would be even harder to clean up.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Changyuan looked at his opponent coldly. His followers felt a pang of heartache; they felt they had dragged Young Master Jiang down. Otherwise, they wouldn't be forced to disband their Student Society.

"Are you absolutely determined to force us to disband the Student Society?"

"And what if I am?" Zhao Dongliang hid behind his peers, sneering. "Regardless of who shows up today, your society will be disbanded. I, Zhao Dongliang, have said so!"

"Good..."

"And since when did you have such authority?"

Just as Jiang Changyuan was about to give in, a deep, solemn voice rang out from behind the crowd.

Jiang Changyuan and Zhao Dongliang changed color on the spot, the same thought crossing both their minds: *It's over.*

Seeing Gu Qing return, Su Yingying let out a long sigh of relief. Before the exam, Gu Qing had already told her that this bet would be voided.

"President, they lost but refused to disband the Student Society. We were just making them honor the bet."

"You were called away by the director, so we didn't inform you."

As Gu Qing stepped forward, Zhao Dongliang immediately stepped up to curry favor. However, Gu Qing didn't even glance at him, walking straight to Jiang Changyuan’s side, oblivious to the way the latter's mouth was twitching.

"I reached a private agreement with Jiang Changyuan a few days ago. The bet is void."

"The Student Society does not need to be disbanded."

"What?!" Zhao Dongliang blurted out in shock. They had come all the way here, and he was saying the bet didn't count?

The student council members began to whisper among themselves. How had they heard nothing of this? But the idea that their president had been bought off by Jiang Changyuan was impossible.

"The bet might be void, but the Student Society must be disbanded!" After a moment of thought, Zhao Dongliang pushed those in front of him aside and stood at the forefront with a forceful posture.

"Vice President Zhao, do I need to repeat myself?"

"President, a school can only have one representative student body, and we, the Student Council, are the only one recognized by the school."

Facing Gu Qing’s furrowed, displeased brow, Zhao Dongliang showed no panic, only mounting anger. "If the Student Society isn't disbanded, who are the students supposed to believe? In the long run, will there even be a place for us, the Student Council?"

His words were met with unanimous agreement from the rest of the council. Since the rise of the Student Society, everyone from the director down to the students had voiced complaints about them. If the society didn't disband, who would be the legitimate authority? If it truly came down to a point where only one could exist, they weren't even confident in their own ability to compete with the Student Society.

Jiang Changyuan cleared his throat and spoke with righteous indignation. Since the male lead was being so helpful, he had to take the opportunity to boost his own favorability.

"Thank you for your kindness, President Gu, but I cannot let you be put in a difficult position. So, I have decided to disband the stud—"

"Ultimately, the mistake was mine."

The words stuck in his throat. Jiang Changyuan wore an expression of being trapped in limbo. He wanted to grab Gu Qing by the shoulders and shake him, asking, *Damn it, where is your ambition?*

The chubby boy and the others stared at Gu Qing in horror. He was actually speaking up for them and taking the blame?

"I admit that I was narrow-minded before, viewing Jiang Changyuan and his group through tinted glasses."

"You might not know this yet, but the reason Jiang Changyuan didn't have his scores posted isn't because he did poorly, but because he did too well."

Director Lu had called him over earlier to discuss the grades. Although Gu Qing had underperformed due to personal distractions, Jiang Changyuan’s scores were even more shocking.

From an underachiever to a top student—to avoid causing a commotion, Director Lu hadn't released his scores but had called Gu Qing in to inquire about the situation.

"In this monthly exam, Jiang Changyuan and I tied for tenth place in the grade."

The students inside and outside the classroom erupted. Jiang Changyuan? Tenth place? It was as if someone had told a bad joke and then informed them it was true.

The chubby boy’s round face lit up with excitement. He had previously assumed Jiang had performed poorly and had selectively avoided mentioning grades in front of him. What a turnaround! Jiang was the one among them quietly achieving greatness!

Jiang Changyuan, receiving the shocked attention of everyone for the first time, remained expressionless while wailing internally. *I don't want the flowers and applause; I want the Student Society disbanded!*

"Young Master Jiang is a legend!"

"Young Master Jiang, you are my god..."

His followers cheered wildly. Jiang doing well made them happier than if their own grades had improved. Unlike the jubilant chubby boy and his friends, Zhao Dongliang looked utterly disbelieving.

"I only just broke into the top hundred. How could Jiang Changyuan reach the top ten in such a short time?"

"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't. I'm in the same class as Jiang Changyuan, and I saw clearly how much effort he put in."

"No! It's impossible..."

"The teachers of each subject personally verified the answers in the director's office. Are you saying they could be wrong?"

Gu Qing frowned, scanning the student council members with a hint of disappointment and self-reproach. If he, as president, hadn't set a bad example, would his subordinates have been so fixated on Jiang Changyuan?

"After spending time with them, I have deeply realized my errors. I misunderstood Jiang Changyuan."

"I hope everyone can view this as a challenge for mutual progress. If Jiang Changyuan can go from the bottom of the class to the top ten, so can you."

"As long as you are willing to work hard, you too can become the next Jiang Changyuan!"

Gu Qing’s encouraging words stirred the blood of everyone except the Student Council members. Yes, if an underachiever could become a top student, why couldn't they be the next?

The adoring gazes washed over him, and Jiang Changyuan felt numb. Every plan he made fell through, and Gu Qing always found a way to thwart his wishes from an angle he never expected.

As expected, the male lead was the biggest obstacle on his path to destiny.