Chapter 33: Innocent Landlord and Black Tenant 01 "Wildcat."...
Top-notch club, Rosewood.
The electronic music was deafening, the laser lights cast a dazzling light, and the dance floor was filled with shadows and entangled bodies.
"Teacher Ye! Teacher Ye! Are you okay? Another drink?"
Ye Ling slowly woke up from the chaotic dizziness. He took a breath and was immediately choked by the turbid air mixed with the smell of alcohol, tobacco and perfume, making his throat itchy.
"cough……"
He blinked his heavy eyelids, and his round hazelnut eyes struggled to focus in the dazzling halo.
"Teacher Ye! If I don't drink..." The owner of the previous voice caught my eye: a young man with a somewhat seductive makeup and a tight-fitting suit covered in sequins, twisting his waist and pressing himself against her, glaring at her seductively, "What do you think of my figure and temperament...? Do I catch your eye? Will I be your muse?"
"Stop it!" Another boy in a see-through tulle top pushed him away. "Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself! If Teacher Ye wants inspiration, he needs someone like me..."
He turned to Ye Ling, his smile instantly changing to flattery, his voice cloyingly sweet. "Teacher Ye, isn't that right? These lines of mine aren't the result of technology, but three months of sculpting in the gym! If you don't believe me, feel them yourself."
"Teacher Ye, look at me..."
"Teacher Ye, I've studied classical dance, and my body expression is top-notch!"
"Teacher Ye..."
In an instant, several models in scantily clad clothes gathered around, introducing themselves in a flurry, their eyes filled with eager desire.
The other lackeys stood by and flattered Ye Ling, praising him with "artistic attainments" and "unique vision".
Ye Ling felt like his head was about to explode.
His fluffy blond hair was damp with sweat from his forehead, sticking to his fair skin. He subconsciously shrank back, trying to avoid the bodies and breaths that were too close.
[World loading complete!] A familiar electronic sound echoed deep within my mind, temporarily suppressing the nausea that was churning in my stomach.
[Identity information syncing...] 778 quickly transmitted the message, [Host Ye Ling, currently playing the role of renowned painter, art critic, and heir to a vast estate. You are a perfect gentleman: elegant, gentle, and generous. Currently, you are at the top-tier club, Mi Die Xiang, seeking artistic inspiration and discovering potential models. Your actual purpose... is to identify a suitable subject for 'observation.']
Before Ye Ling had time to digest the overwhelming information, familiar twists and turns followed.
[But—you're essentially a perverted cannon fodder who covets the protagonist Shao Ye! Beneath your glamorous exterior lies a rotten core!] 778's electronic voice suddenly intensified.
You lured the impoverished college student protagonist, Shao Ye, into renting your basement with extremely low rent. You secretly installed hidden surveillance cameras in his residence, observing his every move. You also exploited your status as a landlord and your financial resources to engage in various seemingly unintentional, but in fact deliberate, physical contact...
Finally, when the protagonist is in financial trouble, you appear and offer a whopping $1 million an hour, asking him to strip and become your nude model! Of course, if you fail, he'll discover your peeping behavior and tear off your hypocritical mask, leaving you completely ruined!
Ye Ling said nothing, just closed his eyes resignedly.
The models and lackeys around him were still vying with each other, trying to arouse his interest, but without exception they all failed.
[Host, don't worry! You're rich this time, you can eat whatever you want!] Sensing his resistance, 778 immediately added in an inspiring tone, [Also, this system has been fully upgraded, with a specially loaded 'key line library.' Contains 3,700 classic pick-up lines, flirting, pressure, and perverted quotes... The host only needs to repeat the lines provided by this system according to the scene prompts! This time, we are definitely going to win!]
Ye Ling raised his head slightly, trying to get past the blurry light and the noisy crowd.
Upon seeing this, his eyes were immediately drawn as if by a magnet, locked onto a young man behind the bar wearing a simple white shirt with his sleeves neatly rolled up to his elbows.
He had his back to the noisy dance floor and was concentrating on wiping a crystal clear goblet.
The extravagant and sensual world around him seemed to him like another distant and noisy world. He exuded a clear and cool aura like a deep spring in a cold pond, clean and cold, completely out of tune with everything here.
It feels like suddenly catching a glimpse of an upright and green plant in a dirty swamp, with a kind of vitality that cannot be desecrated and is extremely fascinating.
[Target locked!] 778's electronic voice suddenly rose. [Protagonist: Shao Ye! Identity: A top computer science student at a top university, from an extremely poor family, working part-time as a bartender here to make ends meet. He's poor, clean, stubborn, and hardworking—perfect for a greasy, perverted cannon fodder like you!]
778 spoke rapidly, like a rapid-fire cannon: [Host! Come up and chat with me immediately! Show me your deadly charm as a mature artist!]
So sudden?
Ye Ling was stunned.
【Don't worry! Check out our 'Key Lines Library'! 】
[Host, first, go over and lean lazily against the bar, displaying a carefree elegance. In a low, magnetic voice, tinged with a hint of cynical huskyness, you deliver our key line—] 778 provided a detailed pick-up strategy in one breath, ['Hey, handsome bartender. You have a unique aura. You've given me a burst of inspiration.']
[Here, remember to put on a winning smile!] 778's electronic voice was more excited than ever before. [Then he continued: "Would you like to have a drink with me, my little wild cat?"]
Ye Ling: “…”
[Lazy! Magnetic! Sexy! Especially the key line, 'Wildcat', is the most important! Full of charm! GO!]
Ye Ling gripped the wine glass tightly in his hand, recalling the tutorial that 778 had forcefully instilled in him, trying to imitate the original owner's appearance. He relaxed slightly, intending to lean against the edge of the bar in a casual manner.
Disaster strikes in the next second.
The pair of expensive high-end leather shoes on his feet slipped without warning on the smooth marble floor stained with a few wine stains.
His body instantly lost balance, and he let out a low cry of panic. He hurriedly stretched out his free hand and grabbed the edge of the bar to barely steady himself, avoiding the tragic accident of falling headfirst in front of everyone.
The amber wine in the cup was not so lucky. With his violent movements, several drops splashed out and landed right on the table that Shao Ye had just wiped as smooth as a mirror.
Ye Ling's first attempt at chatting up someone in her life ended in failure. She was so embarrassed and ashamed that she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
At this moment, a pair of eyes fell on him.
He raised his head stiffly, bit by bit.
Shao Ye had stopped wiping at some point.
Those eyes, as deep as cold stars, were looking at him calmly. There was no surprise, no ridicule, not even any displeasure at being disturbed.
Ye Ling swallowed hard, cleared his throat, and finally spoke: "Mr. Bartender!"
"I'm sorry..." He apologized for the spilled wine, then paused, his throat dry as if he were reciting a textbook. "Your temperament is truly unique! May I invite you to have a drink together?"
Every word was as hard as a rock, a far cry from the so-called effortless and flirtatious chat-up.
This corner of the bar seemed to have been muted.
Shao Ye didn't say a word, not even his eyelashes trembled.
He just looked at Ye Ling quietly, calmly scanning every inch of the unnatural blush on Ye Ling's face, the beads of sweat oozing from the forehead, and the panic and shame that was about to overflow in those hazel eyes.
Looks a little... familiar.
"You..." Shao Ye frowned slightly, but stopped abruptly after uttering only one word.
Working in a place like this, he inevitably often encounters people saying things like "Handsome guy, have I seen you somewhere before?"
Maybe it was because he was too busy today, the information in his mind was misplaced, and he almost said an even clumsier pick-up line to such a clumsy pick-up artist.
He lowered his head as if no one was around, preparing to wipe the wine drops off the table.
[Keyword! Keyword! Say it quickly! And manage your expression! That devilish smile!]
Under the system's urging, Ye Ling used all his strength to squeeze out a mosquito-like humming sound from between his teeth:
"...You gave me...an inspiration..."
He paused, as if he was engaged in an arduous inner struggle, and the blush on his cheeks quickly spread to his ears and neck.
Finally, amidst the nearly broken shrieking of 778's radio waves, he closed his eyes and, with an extremely shameful, weak voice, quickly uttered the last three words:
"Little...little wild cat..."
Shao Ye's hand, which was wiping the cup, paused noticeably.
What?
This person... was as nervous as a student whose teacher was checking his text, yet he uttered such clichéd and frivolous lines?
If he had seen someone this strange before, he wouldn't have been completely unimpressed. Perhaps it was because his blond hair was too eye-catching, or perhaps he was a frequent visitor to Rosemary...
"It's working hours." Shao Ye finally spoke, his voice clear and almost indifferent, "I'm sorry, I can't keep you company."
He refused decisively, maintaining only the most basic courtesy.
But his gaze still stayed on Ye Ling's face, silently observing every trace of embarrassment and forced calmness on Ye Ling's face, as if he was appreciating an extremely interesting and flawed performance.
"Do you need a refill of your drink?" As he watched, he couldn't help but ask.
Ye Ling felt a surge of blood rushing to his head. He didn't dare to look at Shao Ye's calm eyes that seemed to see through everything, and he didn't have the courage to reply.
He turned and ran, stumbling in a panic, as if a ferocious beast was chasing him.
Behind the bar, Shao Ye withdrew his gaze and continued his meticulous work.
However, Ye Ling's hasty escape did not take away the halo surrounding him.
Almost at the same time, the models and lackeys who had previously surrounded him and tried to please him swarmed in again and squeezed into the bar area in front of Shao Ye. Unfortunately, their target had already escaped and moved on.
"Teacher Ye! Teacher Ye, why are you gone?"
"Teacher Ye, please don't be angry. Did the bartender upset you?"
"Teacher Ye, look at my new nails. Your muse is right here!"
"Teacher Ye..."
They all called out and looked in the direction where Ye Ling disappeared, talking at once, attentively and flatteringly.
One of the servile men with slicked-back hair frowned and glared at Shao Ye with a hint of resentment: "Hey, bartender! What happened just now? Did you upset our teacher Ye? Teacher Ye is such a good-tempered person, why did she just leave after talking to you for a few words!?"
Shao Ye wiped the wine glass without any pause, and did not even raise his eyelashes.
Teacher Ye?
He just repeated the respectful title in his mind.
The young man who was so clumsy that even the simplest pick-up lines were full of loopholes and whose face turned red with nervousness?
He looked to be in his early twenties...but he was being addressed as "teacher" so respectfully and even flatteringly by a group of people who were obviously older than him or at least the same age as him?
After a long time, he put down the wine glass that had been polished to a mirror-like shine, and finally raised his eyes. His gaze calmly swept across the noisy crowd, and finally fell on the foreman who happened to be passing by with an empty tray.
"Who is that?" Shao Ye's voice was still cold, and he asked directly in the direction where Ye Ling disappeared.
The foreman was a man in his thirties or forties. When he heard Shao Ye's question, he showed an expression of surprise that was even more exaggerated than those of the models' lackeys.
"That? Teacher Ye Lingye!" the foreman asked in disbelief. "How long have you been here? Don't you know Teacher Ye? She's the one our club boss has to be polite to!"
The foreman put down the tray and moved closer. "The Ye family is incredibly wealthy... Tsk, it's said that the antiques left behind by his grandfather's generation are enough to buy half the city! And that's not all, he's even more remarkable! A genius painter! He had an exhibition at a top international gallery at the age of 18, and a single painting fetches this much!"
The foreman made an exaggerated gesture mysteriously, his saliva flying, "The darling of the art world! Elegant! Gentleman! A true aristocrat! Just think about this identity, this status, this talent!"
"As for my private life, although it's a little richer..."
He lowered his voice, but couldn't hide the envy in his tone, "But can that be called romantic? That's charm! Irresistible charm!"
He glanced around at the eager young faces and sighed, "Don't even mention those young people who can't help themselves. If I were ten years younger, I'd risk my dignity and rush forward to recommend myself!"
The foreman praised endlessly and Shao Ye listened quietly.
The elegant gentleman and charming playboy described by the foreman was the same young man he had just seen, who could only stammer when saying "wildcat"... Are they the same person?
His mind was in turmoil, but his face remained expressionless.
"Oh." He replied to the foreman calmly, "Although you are not young anymore, perhaps..."
He paused for a moment, and said with a smile, "Try to be wilder."
foreman:"……?"
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The author has something to say: 778 has upgraded, so of course someone has to upgrade too [poor]
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