Chapter 29 [VIP]

Zhong Wan reached out and caught Tan Quelu, who was running towards her.

"Ah Wan!"

A youthful aura suddenly filled my breath.

The familiar, faint scent of soap wafted to her nose. Zhong Wan hugged Elm tightly, feeling as if she were embracing a warm, flowing moonlight. In her lucid state, she felt an overwhelming longing.

But in the end, they walked all night.

The blond boy unconsciously took a small step back, slightly out of breath.

He paused for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice: "Green peacock."

"I'm here!"

Tan Quelu looked up at Zhong Wan with great surprise and worry in her eyes: "Weren't you in the hospital? Why are you back in St. Weston? And you're still wearing a hospital gown. Where's the Zhong family driver? Isn't the housekeeper with you?"

A barrage of questions came crashing down on her, questions that Zhong Wan usually found most annoying.

But at this moment, the smile on his face grew even brighter, like a domestic dog that had been reborn with full health; his pale and weak complexion couldn't hide his joy.

He knew that Elk must love him and care about him.

Why else would he be in such a hurry? It's all his fault for not taking care of his health and making the other person worry.

"I'm fine." Zhong Wan gazed longingly at Que Lü's face, not telling him about what happened at the hospital, but only whispering, "I missed you so much, that's why I came to see you."

“Que Lu, during the time I was in a coma, I kept feeling like I was dreaming about you, but when I woke up and opened my eyes, I couldn’t remember anything.”

Tan Quelu said seriously, "It must be because I was too worried about you, and you noticed, so I thought about you during the day and dreamed about you at night."

Zhong Wan nodded: "I think so too. You've been forced to stay in St. Weston these past few days and haven't been able to come see me. Have you been feeling very sad? I'm sorry, Elk Green, I promise I'll never make you worry again."

Tan Quelu nodded, her eyes bright: "Then I believe you."

Zhong Wan looked at him and suddenly felt weak and her nose tingled.

How strange that someone believed in him more than he believed in himself. Even though he was in such a sorry state, completely unlike his usual self.

Tan Quelu met his gaze, somewhat worried: "Awan, what's wrong? Should I take you back to the manor?"

“No need,” Zhong Wan immediately refused.

I walked all night to get here, just wanting to see Tan Quelu's face and talk to him. If I then let him take me back to the manor, how could he possibly be my boyfriend?

Moreover, his grandfather's warning had just been issued, and it was uncertain whether the manor would accept him.

This is the price of being rebellious, and Zhong Wan accepts it.

He asked Elk Green, "Are you going to eat?"

"Yes, the cafeteria has some new dishes recently, and special admission students can get a discount."

Zhong Wan smiled unconsciously, her expression gentle, and said, "Okay, then you go ahead, I'll go back by myself."

"Then you should take care of yourself."

Tan Quelu waved to him, turned around, and left briskly without looking back.

Zhong Wan stood there, watching the boy's slender figure disappear around the corner.

After a while, he exhaled and left as well, returning to the Zhong family manor in St. Weston.

The butler was indeed already waiting for him at the door.

There were no servants behind him. He stood alone in the sunlight. After a while, he suddenly squinted and saw the boy slowly walking towards him from a distance.

The housekeeper almost didn't recognize Zhong Wan.

The boy had blond hair and was wearing a simple hospital gown that he would never normally wear. His face was pale and his forehead was covered in sweat; he had never looked so disheveled.

But his unruly eyes were not cold or fierce; instead, they were calm, as if he had found the greatest comfort somewhere.

"...Young Master."

Zhong Wan hummed in agreement, looking at the tightly closed door behind him. "Did Grandpa tell you?"

"Yes, young master." The butler lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Why don't you just apologize to him? The Tashan project just went bankrupt recently, and he's in a bad mood. Why do you have to keep arguing with him?"

Zhong Wan is not a stubborn playboy. He has a cold and ruthless personality, but he knows how to adapt and is willing to work hard and improve himself. Otherwise, the old man would not have been secretly considering him as a core member of the next generation and nurturing him.

But the boy shook his head: "You don't need to try to persuade me."

After speaking, he surprisingly did not get angry. Under the butler's astonished gaze, he left the Zhong family and went to Wei Zhiyan's residence.

The other person was playing games all night. When the maid told him he had arrived, he raised an eyebrow, threw down the controller, and rushed out to see what was going on.

"Oh, isn't this our young master Zhong?"

Wei Zhiyan leaned against the doorway, looking at his disheveled good brother, his handsome face full of schadenfreude: "What happened? You angered the Emperor Emeritus for Little Green Sparrow and got exiled?"

The maid respectfully served warm green tea and went to the guest room to prepare Master Zhong's bath clothes.

Wei Zhiyan quickly instructed, "Don't give him my clothes, not even ones I haven't worn. Go buy him a few new pieces, but remember not to spend too much."

"Yes, young master."

Zhong Wan ignored Wei Zhiyan's somewhat unusual sarcastic tone.

The most urgent task is to achieve something so that Grandpa will acknowledge my worth.

"Zhiyan".

He looked at the other person, his blond hair revealing sharp, arrogant eyes, and asked seriously, "What did President Wei say about the Eden project last time?"

......

After getting her food, Tan Quelu still prepared to take a photo for Wei Guan to check in.

The system asked him: [Host, F1 looks so pathetic. Is he about to be abandoned by the Zhong family?]

Tan Quelu didn't care: "I don't know, probably."

【Then let's break up with him quickly! F1 is nothing without money, he's not worthy of the host!】

Tan Quelu asked in confusion, "Why did you break up?"

The system was speechless: [But host, if we don't break up, won't you be constantly giving F1 positive feedback? What if he falls for someone else and regains his memories? That's very dangerous!]

[Last time, F1 secretly investigated the host behind his back, which shows that he doesn't completely trust the host yet. If the host slips up, he will definitely eliminate you without hesitation!]

Given F1's character, they might get angry and retaliate against Tan Chulü.

However, the system was actually more worried that he would be killed by Tan Quelu in a casual manner, which would really be the end for him.

Tan Quelu held up her phone, her tone as usual: "How much assets does the Zhong family have in total? How much money did Zhong Wan give me?"

Those so-called jewelry and accessories gifts are nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

[...]

The system froze, weakly reminding him: [Host, F1 is not yet the head of the Zhong family—he's above Zhong Lin, then Zhong Niankang, and finally Zhong Wan.]

The Zhong family is such a behemoth, how could it possibly be squandered by a junior like Zhong Wan?

"Then he should go and fight for it."

Tan Quelu said matter-of-factly, "If I don't fight for anything, what makes him say he loves me? I didn't even get one ten-thousandth of what he wanted, so what right do I have to break up with him?"

Back in the church, Tan Chulü wasn't among the first group of mothers and fathers to value.

It is said that Chuo Lu trained hard and persevered through numerous trials, eventually standing out from the crowd. With her naturally pure and holy appearance, she became an observer who could stand alone among all the believers.

The true core members of the cult had long been stained with blood, dealing with countless troubles. Tan Quelu, however, only began to truly interact with the outside world three months before his arrest.

At the age of fifteen.

System stuttering: [So, does the host intend for F1 to seize power? But what about F2 and F3?]

One of them thinks the host has a deep crush on him, and the other accepts any offer to hold hands with the host... I always feel this is wrong.

None of the F3s are easy to deal with. What will happen to the host, a powerless and helpless special student, when things are exposed?

“Don’t worry.” The boy closed his eyes: “A merciful God will see, He will guide these twisted souls, He will cleanse all dangerous sins, and He will protect the hearts of devout believers.”

system:【......】

Why is the merciful god of the trench still chasing it!

After finishing her perfunctory reply to the system, Tan Quelu took a picture of the plate as usual and sent it to Wei Guan to check in.

The cafeteria is brightly lit, and the photos taken there look very appetizing. Today's menu includes steamed shrimp dumplings, beef and egg congee, stir-fried snow peas, and steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce.

Wei Guan replied instantly.

Your boyfriend seems to be in trouble.

[？]

Wei Guan sent me a screenshot.

Tan Quelu lowered her eyes and saw the densely packed report data.

Wei Guan's voice message followed immediately. He clicked on it, and the man's voice was calm: "Wei Zhiyan just asked me how the project was going."

What results can be expected?

It was originally just an excuse to get everyone to leave so that they could have a private meeting with Elva.

Over the years, Wei Guan has had little private social interaction, and in public he has always only talked about work, appearing overly aloof and distant. The powerful figures in Vis City find it difficult to fathom the true nature of this man in power, but due to his methods and cunning, they are forced to try various ways to test him.

— Over the years, the Wei family, like other families, has made quite a few earth-shattering jokes.

Despite being at the eye of the storm, Wei Guan never revealed the slightest emotion.

From boyhood to manhood, he was like a flawless, silent winter, sweeping away all doubts into the desolate snowfield, and then boldly cleaving open a brand new world.

He casually threw out an opportunity, saying it was for the younger generation to exchange ideas.

This opportunity is like bait, luring not the so-called project, but the ruthless and indifferent Buddha on the other end.

That's why the Zhong and Xie families attached so much importance to it and tacitly approved of Xie Chenbi and Zhong Wan's participation.

No one could have predicted it.

The reason why the cold-hearted Buddha went to such great lengths was simply to find an excuse to meet him.

Elm was completely unaware of this.

He lowered his head and, while eating, inquired about information from the NPCs.

[What trouble? Is Zhong Wan about to be kicked out of her house?]

What are the Zhong family thinking?

Wei Guan looked at the name, his handsome eyebrows lowered, his gaze extremely indifferent.

He unusually did not reply to the question, only sending a faint voice message.

All I need to know is what you're thinking right now.

Whether he plunges into hell or maintains the status quo is entirely up to him.

It all comes down to a single thought when discussing the color green.

What is he thinking now?

Tan Chuanlu was baffled. He said "oh" and sent a similarly confused voice message: "I want to eat the steak you make now."

"There's also pineapple and apple juice, stir-fried lotus root, and sizzling lobster and vermicelli casserole."

He had been reminiscing about the villa ever since he returned, and he kept thinking about it.

system:【.........】

Wei Guan remained silent for two seconds.

She sent a compliment: "[You have quite the appetite.]"

[I'll be back from my business trip next week, arriving in St. Weston tonight. I'll pick you up then and take you back to the villa for dinner.]

Tan Quelu quickly refused: [No.]

[St. Weston is hosting a welcome party next week, so there will be a three-day holiday. All senior students will have no classes.]

A welcome banquet?

Wei Guan paused, almost unable to recall what kind of event it was.

His memories of his youth in St. Weston were hazy; he couldn't recall any faces or interactions. The only thing that remained clear was the endless, repetitive work.

Upon reflection, these twenty-seven years of my life have been like a black and white silent film, filled with the undertone of busyness.

He didn't find it monotonous or boring, but from that day on, when he saw Tan Quelu, the scarlet blood splattered in his world, it suddenly became a vivid and colorful splash that brightened his vision.

With this bold and vibrant color.

Only then did he gradually realize the grayness of his former self.

The so-called dullness is indeed a result of comparison.

My phone vibrated; another message had come in.

[Since I can't attend the elective class, I'll eat next time.]

[After all, as Zhong Wan's boyfriend, I still have to accompany him to socialize at the welcome party.]

[hey-hey]

The quirky yet lively tone almost conjures up the boy's eyes and brows as he types these words. His expression must be innocent and naive, his eyes blinking at him with pure kindness, radiating a wave of innocent light.

It happened only a few times.

Wei Guan believes that raising a child is a very difficult but very necessary thing.

His mother left home for love when she was young, but later returned due to poverty. Her two children grew up in the family, which drew much gossip, but Wei Guan never felt that he lacked anything.

When I was seventeen or eighteen, I was rarely cynical or hated the world. All I thought about was how to seize targets, plan and coordinate, and take away everything in sight in the business market.

Now at twenty-seven, having become the mature adult Tan Quelu speaks of, he faces such an indescribable youth and only then realizes the importance of guidance.

I can't help but wonder what Tan Quelu's parents would feel if they were still alive and saw their child being so roughly molded into what she is today.

Rather than seduction, it's about possessing the "love" that Elm Green is unconscious of.

Wei Guan wanted the other party to obediently read and understand all the educational science books for preschoolers and teenagers that he had bought.

The man lowered his eyes.

[I'm so looking forward to it.]

[Yes, I've already prepared my outfit: a bright yellow short-sleeved shirt, like a pineapple snowflake.]

[It's a pity you can't see my glory.]

[good. ]

Wei Guan looked up and glanced at the busy team of secretaries outside the glass window.

A few seconds later, the assistant respectfully pushed open the door and entered: "President Wei."

Wei Guan calmly instructed, "Organize the project data from the subsidiary at the beginning of the month and send it to Zhong Niankang, so that he can designate Zhong Wan to take over the follow-up work."

"Okay, Mr. Wei, I'll send it to Mr. Zhong in twenty minutes."

The assistant, who was halfway through a big project, left the office, closed the door, turned around and met the expectant gazes of his colleagues, and shook his head in complete bewilderment.

It's baffling. What kind of follow-up could there be for a project of this magnitude? It could be done in two or three days, so why would the big boss personally give instructions?

Giving Zhong Wan face for no reason.

She recalled the boss's thunderous tone in the car that day, and involuntarily shuddered, silently cursing him—

Holy crap, could it be that CEO Wei is actually an old man trying to look young, and has taken a fancy to some unfortunate high school student still studying at St. Weston, so he's trying to get in touch with young people?

Hmm.

How perverted!

......

Tan Quelu didn't know what Wei Guan meant by "good".

However, after thinking about it, he interpreted it as: "Wei Guan thinks I look good in bright yellow."

After all, he always compliments him on how well he suits certain colors.

[That's right, the host looks good in anything!]

The system, feeling proud, sang excitedly: "How can you be so beautiful? Oh my, what should I do with someone so beautiful!"

Tan Quelu finished her breakfast while listening to electronic music.

I must say, this singing is awful but surprisingly catchy, and it's quite good with rice.

After eating, I went back to change my clothes and went to Class A with Xia Xing. As soon as I sat down, I saw that the three seats in the middle of the classroom were empty.

None of the F3s showed up.

It must be because of Zhong Wan.

Tan Quelu lowered her head, opened the campus forum, and found that the hottest topic recently was the welcome banquet, and even the gossip of the F3 had to temporarily avoid the spotlight.

Are the same old sponsors for this year's welcome party? It's been so long since they've had anything new; has St. Weston become outdated?

[1L: You have some nerve! Saying this on the Dome Forum, are you out of your mind?]

[2L: Haha, Eden was the main developer of the Dome, okay? What's St. Weston compared to that? Get out of Weston!]

[3L: Reversing the Heavenly Gang, although the sponsor list hasn't been announced yet, Eden is at most a newcomer. The real founder of St. Weston is Wujiang Group, right?]

[4L: Are you referring to Eden, the upstart that seems to have all the power, rewriting AI milestones, and subtly surpassing both Sheldon and Zhong? Which upstart is so powerful?]

[5L: Wujiang has been a flop for a long time, but Eden wouldn't be at its current level without Wei Zong either, so it's a case of the same old story.]

......

[14L: Holy crap, the list is out! Eden is the title sponsor, followed by Golden Dome and Tower Mountain, and the rest of the board of directors' companies have joined in too.]

[15L: Wujiang didn't sponsor anything this year, what happened to them?]

[16L: I don't care, I only care about how to embarrass those poor, specially admitted students this year.]

[17L: I have a few brilliant plans—kick them into a deep swimming pool, put them in the freezer, force them to drink and do a striptease...]

[18L: LOL, you guys are just taking advantage of the fact that the special admissions students can't see and keep talking. The special admissions students are watching you with disappointment from heaven, not feeling tired or stressed at all!]

Students in Class A typically post in their designated area on the forum, which is firewalled and is missing from the special admissions version of the forum page.

But Tan Chulu has a system, and he can watch whatever he wants.

The system anxiously observed Tan Quelu's expression, fearing that he might lose his temper, lock the door, and send the group of twisted and sinful souls in the classroom to meet a merciful god.

However, he didn't seem particularly emotional when talking about Peacock Green.

He turned off his phone, calmed himself, and focused on class after the bell rang. After school, Zhong Wan called, his tone unusually excited compared to his tired morning.

"Chiu Lu, I've been assigned by Boss Wei to finish up that project!"

Tan Quelu paused, blinked slowly, and suddenly a thought flashed through her mind.

He belatedly realized the other meaning behind that "okay"—

[I'm so looking forward to it.]

[Yes. ]

[good. ]

I'm so looking forward to the New Year's banquet.

Wei Guan then raised his hand and gave Zhong Wan a moment of glory.

After all, he was Tan Quelu's boyfriend.

Tan Quelu said "Oh," and after a few seconds, she said, "Then congratulations."

"Is Grandpa Zhong very happy?"

Zhong Wan smiled but did not deny it: "He thinks I am capable enough. The things I did before were just minor incidents. Now he intends to give me another project in the group to train me."

In fact, Wei Zhiyan sent a message to Wei Guan in the morning but didn't wait for a reply.

He knew his own family best, so he gave Zhong Wan a heads-up beforehand: "Don't get your hopes up too high. My brother's personality is unpredictable, but he's meticulous when it comes to work. His secretaries are all highly energetic and exceptionally capable."

“Although this project is supposed to be given to us, you know who those people are really flattering. You think you can use a project of this size to change my brother’s attitude and get Grandpa Zhong to give you and Little Green Sparrow a break for now—that’s difficult.”

Wei Zhiyan lay on the sofa saying this, picked up his phone, crossed his long legs, and rested one arm behind his neck.

He looked nonchalant, and after a long pause, he casually said, "Or maybe you should just give up on that little green sparrow?"

Zhong Wan raised her eyes, her tone calm and cold: "Wei Zhiyan, I will only listen to this once."

"If it happens again, don't blame me for turning against you."

Wei Zhiyan stared at him, his handsome eyes seemingly lost in thought. After a few seconds, he smiled nonchalantly and raised an eyebrow: "Okay, you're a super Casanova."

"It was my fault for speaking out of turn. You and Little Green Sparrow are a match made in heaven."

However, Zhong Wan herself did not have high hopes for this.

To everyone's surprise, just after eight o'clock in the morning, the butler of the Zhong family manor came to the place. He brought a mobile phone and all sorts of supplies, saying that he had received instructions from Old Master Zhong and respectfully invited the young master to go home.

After returning home, Zhong Lin's attitude was no different from the night before. She looked at him with a hint of relief and after a while, said indifferently, "Wei Guan has become increasingly unpredictable over the years. It's good that you have caught his eye."

“Nian Kang has several projects under his management. After this semester ends, you can train with him during the winter break.”

"I'm already eighteen. If I don't start dealing with those old guys in the company, it won't look right to others."

The eldest uncle stood in front of the old man's desk, turned his head upon hearing this, and smiled gently: "Don't worry, leave Awan to me. I guarantee I'll return him to you safely."

In less than a night, his status and situation had changed twice.

Despite the hypocritical and repulsive scene, Zhong Wan remained unmoved, maintaining her cold and ruthless smile. However, when she went out for some fresh air, she couldn't help but think of Que Lü's face.

So I couldn't help but call him.

The blond boy lowered his eyes and asked softly into the phone, "How was your class today? Did anyone bully you while I was away?"

St. Weston claims to be the outstanding descendants of various conglomerates, but if you peel back the veil of so-called power and wealth, they are nothing more than a bunch of spineless opportunists, fawning over one side today and licking the boots of another tomorrow, with a very keen nose for such things.

Zhong Wan was afraid that those people would be blind and mistakenly think that they could bully Tan Quelu at will just because he was not around.

“No, that’s not true.” Elm smiled on the other end, as if she thought he was overthinking it: “Their recent topic of conversation is the welcome party, saying they want to take this opportunity to give the special admissions students of St. Weston a good talking-to.”

Zhong Wan gave a nonchalant "oh" to reassure him: "You're one of my people. To mess with you would be a slap in my face. Don't worry, no one will dare to bully you."

"I'll take you in and introduce you to a lot of people. You just need to smile; you won't need any more socializing."

"Oh right, the venue should be decorated with lots of flowers, I'm sure you'll like it."

"What are you wearing? I remember you said you liked a light blue shirt last time, how about wearing that?"

He mumbled on and on, his tone expectant and excited. Tan Quelu smiled, but continued the previous topic: "What about the other specially admitted students?"

"Huh? Them? They have nothing to do with you."

Zhong Wan coughed twice, looking at the solemn garden of the Zhong family in front of her, her ears burning as she coaxed her boyfriend: "Que Lu, you are so beautiful, and you still have me—you are different from them."

Que Lü chuckled: "Zhong Wan, you're so cheesy."

Her coquettish tone made Zhong Wan's ears gradually turn red.

On the day of the welcome banquet, the scene was indeed as grand as Zhong Wan had predicted.

However, he didn't show up tonight.

To show his importance, Zhong Lin personally escorted him to the entrance of the banquet venue. As the grandchild being taken care of, Zhong Wan naturally had to stay by her grandfather's side and could not attend to anything else.

The flashbulbs were taking pictures of this elderly man, who rarely makes an appearance on campus.

Night had fallen in the distance, and faint noises could be heard, but they were not very clear.

The second I was pushed into the pool.

The sounds from the shore were instantly shut out.

All that remained in Tan Quelu's ears was a deep, hazy mist.

A note from the author: