Breaking Free: Love & Rebellion at Blackthorn Academy.-Chapter 67: XU QINGSHAN

Hua Rong scanned the paper in her hands, eyes moving from one competition to the next.Eight competitions in total. Three are scheduled for the first day, another three for the second, and the final two are left for the last day.

Solo and group dancing, swimming, boxing, art, fashion design, racing, and archery.

Most of them were solo performances, but from the way the schedule was listed, it looked like the solo and group dance events would close the competition on the final day.

Hua Rong let out a long sigh and collapsed into a nearby chair, letting her arms dangle over the sides.

"Already tired?"The familiar voice made her glance up. Xu Lingwei was standing beside her, hands stuffed casually in his pockets, his hazel-brown eyes glinting under the hall lights. His sharp but easygoing features carried that usual mix of lazy amusement—and today, a little extra smugness too.

"It's going to be a nightmare figuring out who's going to participate in what!" Hua Rong complained, waving the paper like it was a death sentence.

"That's right," he said, leaning slightly on the back of her chair. He watched the paper fluttering in her hand and added, "But honestly? I don't think picking for archery and dancing is going to be a problem."

"Why?" she asked, tilting her head, a little suspicious.

Xu Lingwei smirked, the faintest dimple appearing on one cheek. He shifted closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret."Because we're the only club members for those activities."

He wasn't wrong.

Hua Rong was the only student who ever used the abandoned archery range at Blackthorn Academy, and Xu Lingwei was practically the sole soul keeping the dance club alive. Everyone else either lacked interest or dropped out long ago.

She blinked. "Wait... that means we have to do it ourselves?"

"Exactly," he said, looking far too pleased with himself.

Hua Rong groaned, slumping lower in her seat.

But something clicked in her mind—the memory of yesterday's chaos in Headmaster Jian's office.

"Hey," she said, straightening up and turning to look at him, "why did you make such a scene back there anyway? In the headmaster's office?"

Xu Lingwei casually rolled his eyes upward, pretending to think. His scent—clean with a faint hint of fresh soap and something darker underneath—drifted close when he leaned just slightly toward her.

"You'll find out today," he said with a mischievous glint in his gaze.

"What?!" Hua Rong sat up straighter, the paper nearly falling out of her lap. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Xu Lingwei simply smirked, tapping her forehead lightly with two fingers before pushing himself off the chair and sauntering away, leaving her confused and slightly annoyed—and a little worried about what exactly he meant by that.

.....

"So," Jian said coolly, folding his hands atop his desk, his sharp eyes glinting under the office lights, "you want your son out of this academy?"

He leaned back in his chair with casual ease, surveying Xu Qingshan the way a cat might look at a crow making too much noise."And why exactly," Jian continued, voice dripping with polite disinterest, "should we agree to that?"

Xu Qingshan stiffened. His jaw flexed with barely concealed contempt."My son," he said, voice hard and low, "is a model student. He doesn't belong here among these... these degenerates."

For a moment, Jian said nothing, only watching him with a mild, almost lazy interest.Then he chuckled — a soft, dry sound."You're right. If you had come a few days ago, perhaps I would've even personally escorted him out for you."He paused, letting the words sink in."But not now."

Xu Qingshan's brows furrowed, irritation flashing in his eyes. "Why? Why not now?"

Jian's smile grew sharper, a blade hidden behind silk."Because," he said, "your son is no longer the flawless figure you imagine. After what he caused a few days ago, he's no better—or worse—than anyone else here. He's finally human."

Xu Qingshan stepped closer to the desk, lowering his voice to a dangerous growl."You do realize who you're speaking to, don't you?"He pulled out a card from his wallet, placing it down deliberately — the emblem of the city council shimmering in gold."I can shut this place down within a month if I so wish," he threatened. "One call, Headmaster Jian."

For a few seconds, Jian simply stared at the card, as if it were a piece of lint someone had dropped on his desk.Then, with an almost theatrical boredom, he flicked it off the edge of the table with one finger, sending it fluttering to the floor.

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"I know exactly who you are," Jian said calmly. "And I know exactly how little it matters here."

Xu Qingshan's face turned red, a rare crack in his normally icy demeanor.

"You see, Mr. Xu," Jian continued, still perfectly composed, "this academy was designed for those deemed... unworthy by society's rules. We're outside your reach. Your name, your money, your threats—" he smiled again, slow and devastating, "—they don't mean anything inside Blackthorn."

Xu Qingshan opened his mouth to argue, but Jian cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Save your breath," he said smoothly. "Your son will remain. He'll face what he's chosen, just like every other student here."

He stood up slowly, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed but commanding."And maybe, if you're very lucky, Mr. Xu..."He leaned in slightly, voice a conspiratorial whisper,"...he'll turn out better than you did."

The room buzzed with unspoken fury as Xu Qingshan glared at him.Without waiting for another word, Jian turned away, dismissing him without even a second glance.

"Have a good day," he added, almost sweetly.

Xu Qingshan stood frozen for a second longer, then, realizing he'd lost completely, stormed out, the heavy door slamming behind him

Jian leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming lightly against the desk.His mind wandered — not to paperwork, not to the upcoming competitions — but to one of his quieter students: Xu Lingwei.

From the very first day, the boy had been the kind that usually didn't belong at Blackthorn.Good grades, polite behavior, no outbursts, no fights.If Jian hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought the records were fake.

Strange, he thought, a small, absent-minded smile touching the corner of his lips.Students like him don't usually end up here.

Maybe it wasn't a punishment. Maybe Lingwei had his own reasons.Jian didn't believe everyone who landed at Blackthorn was bad — some were just... misplaced.And sometimes, students weren't running from discipline.They were running from something else.

Maybe he's just avoiding someone, Jian mused. Or something.

He gave a small shrug to himself, brushing the thought away like dust from his sleeve.Lingwei hadn't given him any real trouble — well, until the small chaos the other day — but even that had been handled quickly.

Nothing to worry about.

After all, Blackthorn had seen far worse than one boy trying to stay invisible.

With a quiet breath, Jian returned to his papers, the thought already fading into the back of his mind.