Chapter 24 [VIP]

The system is certain that the powerful NPC is treating the host like a child.

Tan Quelu thought about what the driver had said that day and felt it was normal: "That's how mature adults are; it's called support."

"Wei Guan is trying to support me. Look, he downloaded so many cartoons for me. Isn't he just trying to make me happy?"

"I see," the system suddenly realized.

Then a slight worry crept in: "But F3 is his younger brother. Host, what if we harm F3? Won't the big boss blame us?"

“Wei Zhiyan is Wei Zhiyan, and Wei Guan is Wei Guan.” Tan Quelu closed the memo app and asked in confusion, “Even if I killed Wei Zhiyan, what does it have to do with Wei Guan? I wouldn’t lay a hand on Wei Guan.”

"He is a mature adult, and adults don't care about these things."

Is that so?

The system dared not utter a sound, always feeling that the host's logic was particularly frightening.

Tan Quelu ignored it and opened the tablet to concentrate on watching "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf".

As the day passed, St. Weston University, just as Wei Guan had predicted, completely overhauled all the regular subjects for the Senior 12 A class, significantly slowing down the pace of instruction. The A class students, of course, were unhappy and began demanding a change of professors.

However, the school administration didn't tolerate their behavior this time. After nearly a week of protests, they still haven't given any response. Many people are venting their anger on the forums.

[I've had enough! Class A is the pinnacle of St. Weston's academic world, are these professors crazy for slowing us down?]

[How disgusting! The curriculum is almost on par with those of specially admitted students. It's humiliating to think about.]

Why did this suddenly happen? Could it be that Zhong Wan got pressured by his family for that special admission offer? But the Zhong family alone couldn't have done that, and besides, they wouldn't listen to him anyway.

[I went to see the chairman, but the three of them have been busy with a project at an Eden subsidiary and knew nothing about this.]

[Ugh, so frustrating, I need to find something to do... Is the welcome dinner next month going to be held?]

[Yes, and the welcome party is mandatory socializing; even the specially admitted students have to come.]

[Fine, now I can vent my anger. Those poor, pathetic bastards just wait.]

The welcome party is a traditional event in St. Weston.

Social interaction is inevitable among wealthy families, and St. Weston, as a social circle for the descendants of these prominent families, also places great importance on banquets. Each grade level holds a welcome banquet every semester.

The welcome banquet for senior high school students is usually held in mid-October.

The system got excited: [Host, the second biggest plot point in the original story is about to begin!]

It reads the plot aloud: [In mid-October, the protagonist and F1 are getting along well and are about to officially become a couple. Just then, F2 unexpectedly enters the protagonist's life—at a welcome party, the protagonist is bullied because he's alone and accidentally falls into the pool. He can't swim, and just as he's about to drown, F2 reaches out and pulls him ashore.]

The protagonist is extremely grateful, but little does he know that F2 has a malicious nature; rescuing him is merely a pretext for further torment. F2 sits on the shore, having the protagonist repeatedly thrown into deep water, coldly watching his pathetic and stubborn struggles. Thus begins the love-hate relationship between F2 and the protagonist!

If F1 is the long and arduous journey of a rebellious young man searching for love, then F2 is the hellish pursuit of a cold-faced iceberg.

Tan Quelu was writing on her test paper when she heard this and asked, "Is the protagonist's hand healed?"

The system immediately replied regretfully: "[It's alright. He went to the infirmary yesterday and received an injection of the most advanced growth factors; the minor fracture he suffered from punching the wall has healed instantly.]"

The system felt that the host was right; the protagonist's physical abilities were comparable to Ultraman, and he remained as resilient as ever no matter what happened to him.

It was clearly impossible for Tan Quelu to get the other person to stay in the dormitory and avoid the welcome banquet.

Speak of the devil and he appears.

As soon as the school bell rang, Xia Xing ignored the indifferent gazes of the students in Class A and walked out of the classroom side by side with Tan Quelu.

He had white bandages wrapped around his hands, and whether intentionally or not, he waved them in front of Tan Quelu several times.

Tan Quelu turned to look at her, her face showing concern: "Xiaoxing, is your hand injured?"

Xia Xing hummed in agreement, her usually sunny face now showing a downcast expression, and she said with a self-deprecating tone, "I accidentally hit the wall that day... So you still care about me. I thought you only cared about romance."

"How could that be?" Tan Quelu immediately shook her head, frowning as she explained, "I was just busy studying, I didn't mean to ignore you. Xiaoxing, you will always be my best friend."

"No matter who I date, you will always be the most important person to me."

Xia Xing turned his head and saw the boy's clear, sincere eyes. Those eyes were truly beautiful, so beautiful that he couldn't bear to see any sadness or sorrow within them.

In the past, he only loved himself, only cared about himself, and advocated extreme egoism.

The Seagull Welfare Institute was merely a ladder for him to climb higher. Everything Xia Xing did was to discard his lowly status, sever his dirty past, and become the noble person he was meant to be again.

He refused to accept being born into the wrong family; he would fight for it by any means necessary.

So what if he's an adopted son of the Xia family? With this identity, he might still be able to scheme for more.

It's different from the green variety.

Tan Quelu is a good boy.

Xia Xing looked away, and after a long while, she smiled and said, "I know you're my best friend too. Forever."

Tan Quelu then relaxed his brows and smiled as well.

But soon, he heard Xia Xing say again, "Your boyfriend doesn't seem to care about you much. He hasn't even called you these past few days, has he?"

The F3 team has been busy this week working on a project for Eden Group's subsidiary, so much so that they've skipped school and taken almost a week off.

Zhong Wan apologized every day on WeChat, and each apology was followed by a transfer of two million yuan.

Tan Quelu shook her head, seemingly understanding her boyfriend: "They're busy with a big project, I know that. Besides, I don't understand these things, and bothering him would only cause trouble."

Xia Xing frowned sharply: "You're his boyfriend, what do you mean by 'causing trouble'? It's just a stupid project, what's so great about it?"

“Xiao Xing, you don’t understand.” Tan Quelu lowered her head, her eyelashes drooping halfway under her soft hair, obscuring her eyes: “That’s an Eden Group project, something people like us can never get our hands on in our entire lives.”

They stopped on a deserted path, sunlight illuminating Tan Quelu's face. Xia Xing clearly saw the faint bitterness and inferiority complex on his face: "The gap between me and Awan is too big. This isn't something you can change with just a few words. What those people on the forum said is actually true..."

"I'm not good enough for him."

A surge of anger suddenly rose in Xia Xing's heart.

He originally intended to sow discord between Tan Quelu and Zhong Wan, hoping that Tan Quelu would realize Zhong Wan's ruthlessness and coldness as soon as possible, break up with her quickly, and return to the way she used to only look at him.

Who would have thought to hear such self-deprecation?

Xia Xing suppressed her anger, grabbed Tan Quelu's hand, and looked at the boy seriously: "Quelu, you are no worse than anyone else."

"Those rich kids on the forum only care about family background. But if they were like us, growing up in an orphanage, working for the director every day, and not enjoying any educational resources, what kind of life would they lead?"

"No one can do it better than you. Green, you are the best."

Tan Quelu looked up and tightly grasped Xia Xing's hand, as if grasping the only thing that could support her: "Really?"

"real."

Xia Xing answered decisively. He grasped the other's fingertips and smiled gently at Que Lu: "Besides, so what if they look down on your family background? It's nothing. Come on, I'll take you to the nearby shopping mall."

"At the welcome party next month, I won't let you be looked down upon by anyone."

Tan Quelu never wore any of the expensive clothes that Zhong Wan gave him.

But at this moment, he nodded obediently, looking at Xia Xing with eyes full of trust, a smile appearing on his porcelain-white and pure face: "Okay. Xiao Xing, I'll listen to you."

Xia Xing met his gaze and finally realized something:

Even though Zhong Wan used sweet words to win Tan Quelu's heart and make him her theoretical boyfriend, in Quelu's heart, the person he could trust, rely on, and confide in most would always be him.

Tan Quelu refused Zhong Wan's gift.

However, she obediently accepted Xia Xing's gift.

This can only prove one delightful fact—he loves him so much.

......

Tan Quelu treated the protagonist like a pig butcher in a scam and slaughtered him for a whole day.

Even after swiping her bank card dry and returning home laden with countless clothes and jewelry, Xia Xing still smiled with immense happiness.

The more he talked about and the more he bought, the bigger his smile and the more smug he became.

Haha, all he knows is that Tan Quelu loves him the most. Zhong Wan? Just a stupid guy who'll break up with him sooner or later.

The system is, to put it mildly, difficult to maintain.

Back in the dorm, I closed the door.

As usual, Tan Quelu tossed the items into the wardrobe and casually flicked his wrist: "System, estimate the price."

[Okay!] The system quickly calculated: [Based on market prices, it's about 500,000! Host, the protagonist is still not rich enough; he can't even reach half of the daily tribute from F1!]

“He gave me three million last week, so this five hundred thousand should be the last money I can get.”

Tan Quelu lay back on the bed, opened her tablet, and continued watching cartoons: "What a waste."

[That's right, that's right, a useless protagonist!] The system immediately chimed in, afraid that the host would remember it: [Host, should we dress up and stun everyone at next month's welcome party?]

It really wants to see its host wearing beautiful clothes and jewelry.

"I'm good-looking enough to stun the whole audience."

Tan Chulü never wears expensive clothes.

From childhood to adulthood, the only occasion his parents ever dressed him up nicely was during the entire church prayer. His white robe and wreath were brand new, and Tan Quelu sat serenely before the zither, more holy and compassionate than any statue of Guanyin.

He knows he's good-looking, but he doesn't care whether he is or not.

Because no matter how beautiful it is, it's just flesh and blood. Limbs will be broken and chopped, facial features will be contorted in pain, and voices will wail and become hoarse.

Tan Quelu had seen too many beautiful traitors executed. Beauty could not bring them any pity or forgiveness; on the contrary, it made them even uglier when they were twisted.

The system responded with an "oh," and inexplicably felt a little disappointed.

Tan Quelu was staring at the screen when she saw Grey Wolf getting jealous because of the appearance of Little White Wolf. Suddenly, her phone vibrated.

He answered the call casually and heard Zhong Wan's tired but excited voice: "Que Lu, I'm done with work, I'm downstairs at your dorm now!"

Tan Quelu got up, opened the balcony door, and looked down. Sure enough, the blond boy was standing downstairs, with a black motorcycle parked on the side of the road, smiling at him.

It's so annoying, interrupting his cartoon watching.

Que Lu raised her hand and waved excitedly downstairs: "Ah Wan, I'm coming down right away!"

Zhong Wan's smile widened instantly.

Tan Quelu closed her tablet and was about to go downstairs to see her boyfriend when Xia Xing suddenly came out of the room and asked casually, "Quelu, did Zhong Wan come to see you?"

"right."

"Then I'll go down with you." Xia Xing smiled brightly, took a few steps forward, and casually took his wrist: "You're my best friend, and I haven't really met your boyfriend yet."

Tan Quelu blinked and nodded obediently: "Okay."

Zhong Wan stood under the brilliant sunset.

The project wasn't actually finished this week, but he really missed Tan Quelu, so he left the finishing touches to Xie Chenbi and Wei Zhiyan, and then slipped away.

I've been neglecting him since we started dating. I wonder if he'll be upset?

Zhong Wan felt guilty. He knew how much Tan Quelu liked him and cared about him, but Zhong Lin had given him a strict order to do a good job on this project. If Zhong Wan wanted to have more say, he had to satisfy his grandfather.

He has turned eighteen, and his grandfather is considering a marriage alliance.

Zhong Wan understood that the prerequisite for resisting this order was strength, so he worked very hard this week, so hard that even Wei Zhiyan was surprised.

He looked at Zhong Wan and frowned: "Wan, are you serious?"

Zhong Wan stared at the data on the screen, her cold eyes calm: "I've always been serious about Que Lu."

Wei Zhiyan seemed lost in thought for a while before finally smiling and saying, "Alright, Little Green Sparrow is indeed quite good. Go find him, Shen Bi and I will clean up the mess."

Xie Chenbi remained silent.

Zhong Wan patted them on the shoulder, silently expressing her gratitude. Without even having time to eat, she sped to the bottom of the Elm Green dormitory building.

Tan Quelu quickly went downstairs.

Just as Zhong Wan smiled, she saw another tall boy holding a parasol, leading Tan Quelu, and leisurely approaching her.

—Are you out of your mind, using a parasol in the middle of the evening?

Tan Quelu turned her head and introduced them to each other: "Awan, this is my best friend, Xia Xing."

"Xiaoxing, this is my boyfriend, Zhong Wan."

Xia Xing smiled brightly but did not speak.

Suddenly, he reached out and straightened Elm Green's collar, his tone intimate: "Elm Green, the dress you liked this afternoon is out of stock. I'll take you to buy it again tomorrow."

Elm nodded obediently: "Okay."

"I'm going up now. Come back early tonight, I'll be waiting for you."

Xia Xing waved casually, not even glancing at Zhong Wan, and turned to leave, clutching the red plaid handmade umbrella.

Zhong Wan stared coldly at his back. After a while, she turned to Tan Quelu and asked, "Did that idiot steal your umbrella?"

He was very familiar with Tan Quelu's craftsmanship; the red plaid umbrella was clearly made by Tan Quelu.

Tan Quelu lightly slapped him and frowned: "What are you saying? I gave you the umbrella, why are you cursing me?"

Was it given to him?

Heh. Forget about sending Xie Chenbi and Wei Zhiyan.

Why send this idiot to me who I could kill with one punch?

Seeing his expression, Tan Quelu was puzzled: "Have you forgotten Xiaoxing? You met her when school started, right at the entrance of St. Weston."

How could Zhong Wan possibly still remember Xia Xing? Upon hearing this, her face turned cold, her expression as sour as if her father had died: "What 'big gorilla' or 'little gorilla'? Don't call me that so disgustingly."

"Also, what kind of clothes are you talking about? Why didn't you tell me if you had clothes you liked? Didn't I give you money? If it's not enough, just ask me for more."

Zhong Wan tends to speak harshly when she gets angry. Tan Quelu frowned, shook off his hand, and said in a calm voice, "What does your money have to do with me? Why should I ask you for it?"

Zhong Wan laughed angrily: "You didn't take the million I transfer every day? This money is specifically for you. I'm your boyfriend, why are you using someone else's money?"

He speaks without thinking and is more impulsive than before.

Ever since that day when she sent Tan Quelu back to her dormitory, Zhong Wan would occasionally feel excruciating pain without warning.

The excruciating pain lingered in her neck, so vivid it felt as if she would die any second. These past few days, besides being busy with the project, Zhong Wan had also seen a doctor, but they found nothing wrong.

Xie Chenbi and Wei Zhiyan even suggested that he find a master to dispel bad luck.

As soon as she finished speaking, Tan Quelu's face turned completely cold.

After a long pause, he said nothing and turned to leave.

"Bird Green!"

Zhong Wan's face darkened, and she immediately chased after him to block his path. Tan Quelu stopped in her tracks, slapped him expressionlessly, and said, "Zhong Wan, we're breaking up."

Zhong Wan's mind went blank from the slap and those words.

People watching nearby were terrified when they saw him suddenly slapped. They immediately ran away without looking back, fearing that Young Master Zhong would lose his temper and hit someone with his bicycle.

Tan Quelu continued, "Since you don't trust me, don't like my friend, and think that his concern for me and buying me clothes for the New Year's Eve party is for ulterior motives, then there's no need for us to be together."

"After all, what those people on the forum said is right, I am not good enough for you."

“I didn’t spend a single penny of that money, and I will return it all to you.”

After saying that, he walked around Zhong Wan and left.

Zhong Wan suddenly realized what was happening and immediately grabbed Tan Quelu tightly: "I'm sorry, Quelu, don't break up. It was my fault, I didn't mean it that way..."

He lowered his head, his arrogant and haughty eyes filled with urgency, as if he wanted to tear his heart out and show it to Que Lu. Que Lu looked at him coldly, her gaze devoid of any emotion, making Zhong Wan's heart sink and feel icy cold, almost as if she wanted to die.

Don't look at him like that.

Don't stop loving him.

Don't let him gain love only to lose it.

"Green Sparrow, please forgive me..."

“Alright.” Tan Quelu nodded, his expression unchanged. “Then kneel down now.”

Zhong Wan immediately knelt in front of him.

From childhood to adulthood, no matter how much Zhong Niangui beat him, he never knelt down, and even when being punished in front of his grandfather, he refused to bend his spine.

Because he detested anything that showed weakness or yielded, and anything that made him appear pathetic. His pride couldn't bear it.

But now, Zhong Wan wished she could show Tan Quelu all the scars on her body that she had accumulated over the years, hoping that he would take pity on her and not abandon her so suddenly.

They were so sweet together just last week.

The blond boy's face turned deathly pale. Ignoring the horrified gazes of the students in the distance, he gripped Elm Green's fingertips tightly and pleaded like a dog, "Elm Green, I really know I was wrong. Please forgive me."

"Really."

"real."

Tan Quelu lowered his eyes, his icy gaze suddenly thawing. He reached out and hooked his hand around Zhong Wan's clenched fist, sighing softly, "Alright then..."

"I will only forgive you this once. Get up."

Zhong Wan stared at him, not getting up for a long time, as if she was confirming something.

Tan Quelu frowned impatiently: "Aren't you getting up?"

Zhong Wan immediately stood up and held his hand tightly: "I'm sorry, Que Lu."

Tan Quelu looked at him for a long while, then shook her head and gently rested her head on his straight shoulder: "It's okay."

"Don't doubt me like that anymore. Those people on the forum look down on me, do you look down on me too?"

"I didn't mean that." Zhong Wan was filled with remorse and held a grudge against those talkative men.

It's normal for Que Lu to be upset, given the vast difference in their family backgrounds and the gossip surrounding him. It was he who was thoughtless, deliberately saying those things to upset him.

He should be more understanding of Elk and share the burden with her.

Zhong Wan hugged Que Lu tightly and coaxed him softly, "It's my fault for not giving you enough security. This project is finished now. I'll help you choose clothes, and we'll go out together at the welcome party next month. I won't let you be looked down upon."

"Mmm." Tan Quelu nodded, touched, her voice full of dependence: "Zhong Wan, it's so good to have you."

Zhong Wan didn't say anything, but hugged the thin boy in her arms tightly, so tightly that his veins bulged.

They didn't break up.

Elm still loves him.

very nice.

......

Tan Quelu treated F1 like a pig butchering scam, exploiting them for an entire night.

He stood in the store with an innocent smile, watching F1 racers go on a shopping spree in the luxury goods section for him, while the system's excited counting kept ringing in his ears:

[Three hundred thousand! Five hundred thousand! Eight hundred thousand! One million two hundred thousand! Two million!!]

When Zhong Wan returned to her dormitory building in the early morning, three luxury cars, fully loaded with goods, followed behind her motorcycle.

The luxury goods store clerk respectfully carried the items upstairs. Xia Xing sat on the living room sofa, expressionless as he watched Zhong Wan holding Tan Quelu, a gentle smile spreading across his sharp and arrogant face.

"Tell me what you like next time, so you don't have to bother others."

Tan Quelu didn't speak, seemingly because she was shy and concerned about the presence of others.

Looking at his long, fluttering eyelashes, Zhong Wan suddenly felt a strong urge to kiss him or pat the top of his head and tell him that she truly loved him.

However, Zhong Wan respected Que Lu's wishes and forcibly suppressed this impulse, finally only holding hands with the boy.

He gently stroked the calluses on the other person's hand, his ears burning as he bid farewell: "Chiu Green, I'm leaving."

Okay. Good night.

Tan Quelu smiled at him, her black pupils sparkling. Zhong Wanxin's heart melted instantly, and the smile on her face didn't disappear even when she got into the car.

He stepped on the gas and sped back to the manor in just a few minutes. The moment he got out of the car, a sudden flash of blackness caught him off guard.

Zhong Wan remained expressionless, gripping the car door tightly, enduring the excruciating pain.

After the excruciating pain, he suddenly saw something vaguely for the first time.

He saw a pair of blurry hands.

Slender, tall... with thin calluses on the tiger's mouth?

"Young Master?"

The butler, who was waiting at the door, looked at his young master standing there and asked in confusion.

"......fine."

The blond boy took a few steps, then stopped, his eyes suddenly darting around.

There are thin calluses on the tiger's mouth.

The butler was startled when he saw the expression on his young master's face. He couldn't describe the expression; he only felt a chill run down his spine.

"Go check Tan Quelu's file."

A cold voice suddenly rang out.

"Find his medical examination report for enrollment and give it to me."

......

The system was unaware of the F1 flashback.

It happily tallied up its day's gains, watching as Tan Quelu calmed down the jealous and gloomy protagonist with just a few words and returned to his room unharmed, and it was truly impressed.

[Host, you're amazing!]

After washing up, Elm Green bowed her head and closed her eyes in prayer as usual, her tone as calm as ever: "It's alright."

He simply copied the language his mother and father used to talk to him when he was young, and slightly changed the direction to apply it to these people.

In the past, there were many people in the church who were willing to die for mothers and fathers, and he was one of them.

Tan Quelu was already very familiar with these rhetoric.

The system, still shaken by the host's breakup threat earlier that evening, thought: "[Host, I never imagined F1 was so desperate for love. No matter how much I humiliated them, they wouldn't break up, clinging on like a dog.]"

But what if one day he discovers that the host was lying?

A note from the author: