Chapter 56: I Refuse to Take the Blame

"Scapegoat!"

Upon learning his identity for the day, Chen Fan was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding and clutched the Elder card, trembling.

"It can't be... impossible..."

A glance, both distant and intimate, made the Elder's hair stand on end. He shivered, shook his arm, and the card leapt from his embrace, bouncing away in its bathrobe several steps.

"Relax, it's not what you're imagining. Each card's abilities are tied to its identity. The curse you cast won't rebound onto yourself," the Elder said, pausing to wrap the bathrobe more securely.

Hearing this, Chen Fan let out a long sigh of relief. "I thought I'd have to take the fall for something. Thank goodness."

The Elder winked mischievously. "Being the scapegoat is actually quite useful—it's like a luck exchange. Sacrifice yourself to benefit others, plenty of room for maneuver."

Chen Fan yawned, ignoring the unfamiliar terminology. He nudged the Elder card aside with his foot and promptly fell asleep.

...

"Well, it's only 9:30. I can grab breakfast in the cafeteria before class," Chen Fan woke naturally, finding himself alone in the dormitory.

The Elder complained, "Do you realize your stinky socks made me take another shower yesterday?"

Chen Fan began his morning routine at a leisurely pace, paying no mind to the Elder's protests. "Come on, you're old. No need to get so worked up. You’re practically halfway into the coffin, just waiting for the lid. Why so aggressive?"

The Elder produced a box of cigars from his pocket, lit one, and muttered, "Skipping class and moving so slow. Luckily the teacher didn’t take attendance today."

"Thunk."

Chen Fan suddenly set his water cup aside, mouth full of foam. "Weren’t the first two periods free?"

Seeing the Elder’s ambiguous smile, Chen Fan anxiously checked his schedule. Sure enough, he had unknowingly missed an English class, just as the Elder said.

"There’s only fifteen minutes left of English. No point going now," Chen Fan convinced himself, unperturbed.

Periods three and four were calculus. Chen Fan had grabbed a computing textbook by mistake. Instructor Han spoke in a thick rural accent, and Chen Fan, sitting in the front rows, couldn’t catch a single complete sentence.

He had hoped to rely on the blackboard for salvation, but he was too inexperienced. Han fired off explanations like a Gatling gun, never pausing for breath or to reload, and the key points would have to be pieced together later.

"This..."

The bell signaling the end of class broke Chen Fan’s concentration. After an hour and a half, his notebook bore only his name, class, and student number.

"I miss the days of playing the fool, just shouting ‘awesome’ all day. When can I do that again?" The memory of that bizarre night was still vivid in his mind.

"You—have you fallen for another girl?"

"No, darling, let me explain."

A commotion sounded behind him, and driven by curiosity, Chen Fan instinctively moved closer, just as he would at any spectacle outside school.

"There can't be any gangsters in school, right?"

Recalling the last time he ran into his nemesis, Chen Fan felt a twinge of fear, but curiosity won out, and he edged nearer.

It was a couple arguing, likely newly in love—their bickering seemed more playful than bitter.

The girl wore her hair in a neat ponytail and a striped shirt, her looks unremarkable but pure, probably new to relationships. The boy was a fair-skinned, sharp-eyed fellow, clearly athletic, the type who never lacked female admirers.

The dynamic was uneven; the girl seemed to be in the weaker position, Chen Fan concluded.

The girl accused, "Tell me, what’s your relationship with Jingjing? Why were you two together in the library?"

"Which Jingjing? You must have mistaken her for someone else. None of the girls I know are called Jingjing."

"Don’t lie. I saw you had her name saved on your phone last time. Stop denying it!"

The boy, caught in his lie, grew impatient. "Ha, so you snooped through my phone? Always acting like a stalker. Ever heard of privacy?"

"So you admit it—you really have something going on with Jingjing," the girl began to cry.

"Think what you want. Yes, I know Jingjing, but there’s nothing between us. Believe it or not."

"Damn, this guy’s got the girl wrapped around his finger," Chen Fan, self-styled relationship expert, analyzed quietly.

The crowd grew, and the boy, embarrassed, grabbed the girl’s arm. "Let’s talk later. Making a scene like this helps no one. We’ll resolve it in private."

The girl pulled away, keeping her distance. "Afraid I’ll spill your secrets?"

"Young people these days are hilarious, always acting out TV dramas," Chen Fan chuckled, content to watch the spectacle instead of returning to his room.

Whether the commotion was too loud or for other reasons, his comment reached the couple. The boy turned and snapped, "What’s it to you, outsider?"

"Yeah, what’s it to you? Who are you to comment?" To Chen Fan’s surprise, the girl was suddenly siding with the boy.

"What? Trouble just from watching the show?" Chen Fan stared at their united front, finding it hard to reconcile with their previous demeanor.

Were the actors replaced? Or was the script rewritten?

Chen Fan was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond. Seeing the fair-skinned boy ready to fight, Chen Fan, knowing his own limits, prepared to run, but was quickly caught. They tussled, and a brawl ensued.

The fight didn’t last long before bystanders separated them. Chen Fan upheld his proud tradition of dirty fighting, leaving the other guy covered in bite marks and spit.

The boy cursed, "Let me go so I can teach this punk a lesson!"

"You can’t even handle your girlfriend, but you want to mess with me? Next time I see you, I’ll beat you to a pulp. Dare to give your name?"

Chen Fan fired back, always holding a grudge. He’d store up his grievances and wait for a chance to retaliate, especially if he got a violence card.

"Hmph, I’m Wang Kehan from the Sports Academy. Not afraid to take you on."

"I’m Wei Youlong from the Accounting Academy. Come find me anytime," Chen Fan replied, equally bold.