[Keeping a Mistress in a Golden House] [Volume 1, Chapters 1-30] [Author: michanll]

Synopsis:
The unexpected death of his parents forced Yin Ren to mature prematurely. When life became monotonous and boring, he encountered a strange person in a strange place. Two pills and a necklace he took during this strange encounter allowed him to completely break free from his ordinary life.
After the start of the school year, Yin Ren, whose appearance had drastically changed, became the focus of attention. A super-beautiful girl, encouraged to recruit a fan club, began a sweet encounter with him.
Unexpectedly learning the necklace's function, Yin Ren miraculously created natural diamonds using its instructions. This event plunged him into the greatest confusion of his life… (Editor's Note: Due to the removal of most of the explicit scenes in the physical edition, this is the uncut online version. Starting from Volume 2, almost every chapter has a few words missing at the beginning and middle. To read the complete story, please download the physical cover version of "The Golden House Hides a Beauty.") Author's Note:
I don't write anything profound, nor do I know how.
The point is to make everyone happy. Lots of beautiful women, many adventures, a light and cheerful atmosphere—no depressing plots—that's the essence of *The Golden House*.
Those who enjoyed *The Hunt for Beauties* will also like this one. If you're looking for a moralistic or critical approach, there's no need to read it.
Life is full of troubles and setbacks anyway. We've already spent a lot of time feeling depressed, helpless, and lost in life, so why not read Michael's book? I hope it brings you joy and smiles.
Volume One: Prologue
On October 14, 1980, at dusk, a thick fog suddenly descended upon Yunxian County, Hubei Province.
Because the Qinling Mountains are to the west of Yunxian, such fog is common, so no one noticed anything unusual.
However, strange things happened over the next five days.
On October 15th, in a residential area in Dongmen District, Yunxian County, police were horrified to discover that over a hundred people had been murdered. Their homes had been looted, and the men had been brutally murdered with knives and guns. Over thirty young women had been gang-raped to death.
This case shocked the entire nation. Hubei Province immediately dispatched a thousand military and police personnel to Yunxian County to investigate. They were stationed around the county seat that night, but the next morning they were found dead in the military camp. Their deaths were bizarre; they had no wounds on their bodies and instead appeared to be smiling happily.
The following evening, ten gold shops were robbed, and over sixty security guards were found dead with their necks snapped.
The next morning, over two hundred teenage girls were found gang-raped to death in a high school dormitory.
On the fifth day, just before the arrival of over two thousand regular troops in Yunxian County, more than three hundred people were murdered, again by sword and knife, their identification and valuables stolen.
When the regular army arrived in Yunxian with tanks and artillery, the vicious criminals vanished into thin air. A six-month search yielded no results.
This tragedy, the worst since the founding of the People's Republic of China, enraged the central government. The furious government mobilized an entire army group, conducting a year-long, meticulous search in three nearby provinces, but still could not find the perpetrators.
Fortunately, no other place experienced such a horrific event, and Yunxian returned to peace, with no similar bloodshed occurring again.
Thus, apart from the deeply affected people of Yunxian, this shocking tragedy was gradually forgotten.
Soon, it was 1996…
Volume One: Chapter One,
“Woof woof…”
As I reached this floor, the white dog inside the iron gate, as usual, “welcomed” me with frantic barking.
This family had added an iron gate outside the entrance hall. The middle was a solid iron plate, while the top and bottom were separated by several iron bars, creating a hollow space. This allowed the little dog to hide behind the gate and "fight" with me without considering the consequences.
Having grown accustomed to its howling, I ignored it and went straight upstairs through the iron gate, thinking viciously: "Damn little thing, when I get really angry, I'll definitely make you into dog meat hot pot!"
However, I was in a very good mood today, so I held back and didn't act on my thoughts.
My feud with the little dog dates back to two years ago.
When the family downstairs moved in, I kindly threw a meat bun in front of the dog to feed it. Smelling the fragrant steamed buns, the puppy happily came and ate them, unaware that the buns were made with inferior flour and pork by a dishonest merchant. Accustomed to fine dog food, the puppy couldn't withstand the effects of this substandard product that very night; its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed.
If the owner hadn't found it in time and taken it to the vet, the puppy would have died there… From then on, every time I passed this place, I was greeted with the puppy's enthusiastic yet frantic "welcome."
Completely oblivious, I was eventually provoked by the puppy's howling after a few times, and each time we'd stare at each other for ages before it finally ended.
Six months later, numb to the situation, I even lost interest in glaring at the puppy; the standoff gradually morphed into the scene we see today.
Closing the door, sweating profusely, I took a bottle of cola from the refrigerator and gulped it down.
Looking around, it's a three-bedroom apartment, plus a living room, kitchen, and bathroom, totaling 120 square meters. Located in a luxury residential area, it's worth around 500,000 yuan even in a medium-sized city like Ubon. The
apartment is fully furnished with modern furniture and appliances; adding those, the total cost is around 700,000 to 800,000 yuan, which is top-tier by Ubon's standards.
But don't get me wrong, my family doesn't have that much money. In fact, I'm still an orphan.
Three years ago, when I was thirteen, my parents went on a trip. While crossing the Yangtze River, their boat struck a reef. Of the more than 300 people on board, only about 30 escaped; they were lost forever in the Yangtze.
My parents were both orphans, raised in an orphanage. After working for over ten years, all they had was a two-bedroom apartment and 20,000 to 30,000 yuan in savings.
So, with their tragedy, I have no one to rely on.
Fortunately, I'm naturally optimistic and strong. With the help of government officials, after handling their funeral arrangements, I wiped away my tears and prepared to work as a laborer at a nearby restaurant to support myself.
The government considered providing me with minimum social security assistance, but I refused: I, Yin Ren, have hands and feet; why should I need their help?
My plan was simple: I had a place to live, and as long as I didn't go to school, there were no expenses. My family had tens of thousands in savings for emergencies, so working to earn living expenses would be enough—laborers, especially those under the legal working age, earned very little, but the restaurant provided two meals a day and I could earn two hundred yuan, which was the best option for me at that time.
Unfortunately, my wish wasn't fulfilled either, because I received a phone call from a stranger.
It was an uncle named "Zhang Kuan" who said he had seen my story in the newspaper and was willing to sponsor my continued education and take care of my life.
What a joke!
"I don't even want government help, why would I need your charity?"
Hearing this, I refused Zhang Kuan's kindness without saying a word and hung up the phone.
Unexpectedly, he called again that evening, saying that he had already transferred five million to the account my father left behind, and that he had also bought a fully furnished apartment in the best Donghua residential area in Ubon Ratchathani, in my name.
I took it as a joke, but when the courier delivered the property certificate and other documents and the keys to me, I realized that Zhang Kuan was not joking... Sure enough, when I went to the bank to check the account, the huge sum of five million was indeed written on the passbook. When Uncle
Zhang Kuan called for the third time, my tone was much better, but I still asked him to take the money and the house back, and told him that I was capable of supporting myself.
He hesitated for a long time, and finally said that the money was a loan to me, and I would pay him back when I had money in the future... After some back and forth, I finally accepted his kindness, but still kept his phone number so that I could repay him in the future.
I'm not one to drag things out. Once I accepted the money, I started seriously planning my future.
To avoid being overwhelmed by memories, I first moved to a larger apartment in Donghua Residential Area, renting out my old small apartment for 200 yuan a month.
Knowing a little about financial management, I divided my bank account into two parts: one million yuan for emergencies, and the remaining four million yuan in a fixed deposit, earning 20,000 yuan in interest each month—more than enough to live comfortably.
Without the pressure of financial worries, and looking forward to being with my peers in my first year of junior high, I naturally continued my studies.
Time flew by, and three years passed in a flash. Now I'm a second-year high school student at Wubang High School.
My grades are average, my looks are at best considered decent, and I don't have any particularly outstanding qualities. I'm a rather ordinary person, quite different from my previous cheerful self. Perhaps this is a lingering effect of losing my parents!
...
My thoughts gradually cleared from their reverie. Seeing that it was already dinnertime, I lazily walked into the kitchen and began preparing dinner.
Having taken care of myself for the past three years, my cooking skills had greatly improved. In less than half an hour, a table full of delicious-looking dishes was laid out.
"Dad, Mom, dinner's ready..." I silently murmured, looking at the photos of my parents on the wall opposite the table.
For the past three years, I've cooked a lot for every meal, because I always imagined my parents happily eating with me at the table, thus avoiding the loneliness of being home alone...
Volume One: Chapter Two,
Today is the first day of summer vacation. At 6:30 in the morning, I rode my bicycle to a street stall about 100 meters from Donghua Community.
"Xiao Ren, you're here?" an old woman greeted me with a smile. "Come on, I just baked two sesame cakes here, have some!"
"Thank you, Grandma Li!" I didn't stand on ceremony, quickly swallowing the sweet sesame cakes, and then began helping Grandma Li with chores.
Since I moved to Donghua Residential Area, I usually eat two sesame seed cakes and a bowl of soy milk at Grandma Li's stall in the mornings when I'm rushing to school. Over time, I've become quite familiar with her.
Grandma Li is an elderly woman living alone, with no income. She sets up a small food stall at the entrance of the residential area every morning. Because her food tastes good and is inexpensive, many people on their way to work like to buy breakfast from her stall or take it away, making her extremely busy every morning.
Seeing that she was alone like me, I felt sorry for her and started helping her out every weekend or holiday. Over the years, Grandma Li and I have developed a deep bond, and she treats me like her grandson.
As usual, Grandma Li was baking sesame seed cakes, and I helped her clean up and wash the dishes and tidy the small table. Before I knew it, the morning had passed.
"Phew~"
With the last customer finishing their soy milk, all the ingredients for the day were used up, and it was finally time to close up shop.
"Are you tired?" Grandma Li took out a handkerchief to wipe my sweat, and then took a package from her cart. "Xiao Ren, this is the fried walnuts that Grandma made last night, which is Li's favorite. Have some when you get home."
"Hehe..." I smiled and took the fried walnuts. "Grandma Li, why don't you come to my house and rest for a while?"
"No need, your rooms are so big and luxurious, I'm not used to it." Grandma Li laughed. "But you, Xiao Ren, the dragon fruit on the mountain is ripe again. Why don't you come stay at my place for a few days and relax for a while?"
Although Donghua Community is a top-tier community, because the green area is too large, the developer chose to build on land in the suburbs. Grandma Li's house is three kilometers away from Donghua Community, in a small village nestled against a hill.
Dragon fruit is a unique fruit found only on this small mountain. It's about the size of a fist, fiery red in color, with sweet and juicy flesh. One bite fills your mouth with fragrance. Unfortunately, the yield is low; there are only a few dozen scattered dragon fruit trees at the foot of a narrow cliff on the mountain. It flowers in June and bears fruit in July, producing only about five hundred fruits.
Dragon fruit can be preserved for a long time, and Grandma Li often adds its juice to her flatbreads and soy milk, making them so delicious.
Grandma Li's husband discovered the dragon fruit tree when he was young, accidentally falling off the cliff. Now, besides her, only I know about it. Since tasting dragon fruit for the first time, I've been deeply fascinated by it, and for the past two years, I've gone to the foot of the cliff to eat my fill.
After learning so much, I realized that "dragon fruit" is quite remarkable. Grandma Li, over seventy years old, looks like she's in her fifties—nimble-fingered, sharp-minded, and with few wrinkles… I guess it's because she eats dragon fruit regularly.
After eating dragon fruit, my mind also became much clearer. Not only did my grades improve, but my thoughts became incredibly sharp. Now I can even understand some university-level knowledge, all thanks to dragon fruit.
However, eating dragon fruit also has its downsides. I often feel restless and can't sleep at night due to excitement. Whenever this happens, I have to take a cold shower to calm down.
Hearing Granny Li's invitation, I readily agreed, nodding and saying, "Alright, wait for me a moment, I'll go pack a few clothes and come back with you."
Granny Li smiled kindly and waved, saying, "Go ahead, this old woman is waiting for you!"
I rushed home, grabbed the nutritional supplements I'd bought for Granny Li a few days ago, hastily picked up a few changes of clothes, put them in my bag, and excitedly went downstairs.
"Woof woof..."
When I got to the next floor, my little dog, who had just finished lunch, was playing in the entryway. Seeing my nemesis arrive, it quickly ran to the iron gate and barked at me in its loudest voice.
I glared at it fiercely, but instead of scaring it away, the little beast became even more energetic. It jumped around, bombarding me with its bark, which it had honed over the years.
"You wait!" I muttered angrily, "One day, I'll make you mute!"
The puppy seemed to understand my curse. Instead, it turned its back to me, stuck out its rear end, and wagged it from side to side, looking like it was asking for a beating… This was one of the provocative tricks it had learned from TV over the years. If it weren't for the iron gate, I would have rushed in and given it a good beating!
Humph! I won't argue with an animal!
After the white puppy turned around, I made a face at it, raised my fist and waved it a few times before walking down the stairs with my head held high.
The village where Grandma Li lived was called Li Family Village. All the young people in the village had gone out to work, and now the village was mostly left with elderly people and children, making it seem rather deserted.
When I got back to Li Family Village, it wasn't even two o'clock yet. After saying goodbye to Grandma Li, I slung my bag over my shoulder and ran up the mountain.
Since I came along, Grandma Li no longer needed to pick "dragon fruit" herself. I would bring back a large pile every time. Besides storing it for future use, Grandma Li only needed one every three days.
The afternoon sun in July was particularly intense. By the time I reached the east side of the hill, I was drenched in sweat. However, the thought of the delicious fruit I would soon be able to eat cheered me up. Following the familiar path along the cliff, I climbed for a while and then jumped down into the valley below.
The valley wasn't large, only about 600 square meters, with 78 dragon fruit trees growing densely together. Fiery red "dragon fruits" hung from the branches, beckoning to me enthusiastically, as if waiting for me to pick them.
Volume 1: Chapter 3, Guan Canghai
I casually picked a "dragon fruit," wiped it with my hand, and then took a bite. The intoxicating deliciousness lingered in my mouth.
"Haha... 'Nine Heavens True Yang Fruit'! It really is 'Nine Heavens True Yang Fruit'!"
At this moment, a clear laugh came from across the orchard, startling me and making me furious.
"Hey, which thief dares to steal food here?!" I shouted, clearly indicating that the "dragon fruit" was our private property.
"Huh?"
Just as I heard that word, a breeze blew by, and a man in a silver-white jumpsuit appeared before me.
"Looking for death!"
The man, seeing it was a little boy, sneered and swung his hand towards my head with lightning speed.
I was terrified, thinking to myself, "I'm doomed!" But the hand suddenly stopped abruptly a centimeter away from my head.
"Boy, raise your head!" The man's voice held a hint of surprise and fear, but all murderous intent was gone.
From his previous actions, I knew he was no good person, so I had no choice but to raise my head and look at him.
This man was exceptionally handsome, with a faint smile on his lips, both arrogant and somewhat mocking. He was a hundred times more handsome than any celebrity I'd ever seen on TV, and even I, a boy, was filled with envy.
However, compared to my envy, the man's expression was far more unbearable.
He looked like he had seen a ghost, retreating three meters in a flash, raising his hands in a defensive stance: "You...who are you?!" If his tone before was one of surprise and panic, now it was one of deep fear, his hands and legs trembling.
"My name is Yin Ren..." I answered casually, not understanding the situation.
"Yin Ren?!" The man's legs went weak, and he knelt down, saying, "Your name is Yin Ren? Is it really Yin Ren?"
Seeing his appearance, I wasn't so afraid anymore, thinking that he was probably just another lunatic who had escaped from an asylum. "Yes, my name is Yin Ren, is there anything wrong with that?"
"Were you born in 1980? Was your birthplace Ubon City? Are your parents Yin Xiong and Xiao Li? Did your parents die in a shipwreck when you were thirteen years old?..."
The handsome man blurted out a series of questions, and I nodded once for each one. Finally, I couldn't help but ask in a questioning voice, "Who exactly are you? How do you know about my affairs?"
After confirming my identity, the handsome man in the silver-white clothes did not answer my questions. Instead, tears welled up in his eyes, and he looked like he was about to faint from excitement. His trembling hands rummaged inside his clothes for a long time, finally pulling out a small, stiff piece of paper the size of a palm and a shiny pen.
A handsome man scrambled up to me, pleading in the most sycophantic voice, "My most beloved and admired idol, please give me your autograph!"
"Uh..." I took two steps back, confirming once again that I'd encountered a madman. "I'm not a celebrity, why would I need an autograph?"
"You're not a celebrity?" The handsome man, after a moment of stunned silence, burst into laughter. "You're the most... ah, you don't need to know that now, you'll understand later. But for now, please sign this for me, I beg you!" With that, he knelt on one knee before me, offering me a piece of paper and a pen with both hands.
"Really just an autograph?" I hesitated. According to what I'd seen on TV, if you encounter a madman with such bizarre behavior, it's best to go along with him; if you anger him, there will be even worse consequences.
"Of course!" the handsome man said with a fawning smile. "Just write it here! It would be best if you could sign both your names!"
I picked up the paper and pen, and before putting pen to paper, I said, "But my handwriting is terrible, and my teacher often scolds me for it."
"Haha, that's because they're stupid and don't know how great you are!" the handsome man said eagerly. "Please write quickly!"
Since he said so, I had no choice but to enjoy the treatment of a celebrity and scribble my name on the paper.
"With your pen, the writing is actually quite decent." As I wrote, I noticed that the pen was very light, and the writing was not black or blue, but a mixture of seven colors that I had never seen before, which was exceptionally eye-catching.
"This is ancient paper and a primitive pen that I bought from the black market with great difficulty!" The handsome man took the paper with a fawning smile, and suddenly seemed to remember something, "Eh? The inventor of the 'Susu Pen' is..."
"What?" I didn't quite hear what he was muttering.
"Oh, it's nothing!" the handsome man said generously. "Since you like this pen, it's an honor for it. Consider it a gift from me!"
"Okay, thank you!" I liked the pen anyway, so I unceremoniously put it in my pocket. "By the way, you know me, but I don't know your name. You wouldn't happen to be Uncle Zhang Kuan, the one who sponsored me, would you?"
The handsome man's eyes darted around. "Zhang Kuan? The one who gave you millions when you were thirteen?"
"Yes."
"Hehe, I don't have his good luck. Just giving you a few million and getting such a huge return, besides..." At this point, the handsome man stopped the topic and solemnly said, "My name is Guan Canghai. It's an honor to meet you, my idol!"
"Guan Canghai?" I murmured a few times. "A good name!"
"Thank you for your praise. To be honest, in the entire universe, only I have this name. Having a good name is the beginning of success in life!" Guan Canghai laughed loudly, as if my words had made him feel half a pound lighter.
Only then did Guan Canghai have time to carefully examine the small piece of paper twice. Then, as if handling a diamond, he meticulously split it in half according to the positions of the two names and placed it in the inner pocket of his bodysuit.
Volume 1: Chapter 4, There's One More Person
Guan Canghai looked up and noticed a trace of wariness in my eyes. He smiled and said, "Respected Mr. Yin Ren, you don't need to be afraid, I won't harm you!"
"I'm just not used to talking to strangers like this," I said, spreading my hands. "But now that we know each other, I don't have that reservation anymore."
"Wait a minute, you shouldn't be like this!" Guan Canghai suddenly slapped his forehead, muttering to himself.
I chuckled and asked, "So what kind of personality do you think I should have?"
"You should be like me: cheerful and optimistic, gentle yet domineering, witty yet lazy, never backing down from difficulties, possessing unwavering determination and indomitable perseverance, never showing mercy to your enemies, always entrusting your friends with your life, never swayed by worldly affairs, always doing what you love according to your own preferences, a true man!"
Guan Canghai's eyes gleamed with a fanatical light as he continued, "You are such a great man in the world! Especially after you created the foundation of the Federation, you ascended to heaven in broad daylight with your wives, making countless people envious and yearning!"
"Uh..." My head was throbbing. "Are you praising yourself or talking about me?"
"My personality was chosen and determined based on yours! You don't know, your personality is simply the most perfect in the world, countless men want to be like you!" Guan Canghai said excitedly, "Unfortunately, choosing your personality is strictly controlled by the Federation. I only managed to steal one of your personality pills with great difficulty, and that's how I became who I am today!"
Listening to his nonsense, my mind almost went blank. "What are you talking about? I don't understand a word!"
"Hehe..." Guan Canghai suddenly realized he had said something he shouldn't have, and quickly laughed it off.
But the next moment, his eyes lit up as he looked at me, as if he were looking at something very interesting.
I noticed his strangeness and quickly kept a certain distance from him: "What are you going to do?"
"Nothing, how could I dare to harm you!"
Guan Canghai said, and suddenly his hand trembled, and a red light shot towards me with lightning speed.
"Open your mouth!" he shouted. Out of habit, I unconsciously opened my mouth, only to feel a sweet taste. Something that looked like a pill melted rapidly in my mouth and flowed into my stomach, giving me no time to react.
"What did you give me?!" I quickly tried to put it in my mouth, but couldn't find a trace of it.
Guan Canghai flashed his signature smile again and said gently, "This is the 'Personality Determining Pill' I was talking about. I stole two before, but I didn't expect the last one to be for you... Hehe, now we'll have someone with your personality to choose from!"
Seeing that I was about to say something, Guan Canghai stopped me, "Don't speak. I won't harm you. Sleep on it tonight, and you'll know the benefits tomorrow morning!"
I silently observed the sensation in my stomach, finding no pain or discomfort, so I had no choice but to believe him for the time being.
At that moment, Guan Canghai inadvertently saw the "dragon fruit" I had placed on the tree and taken a bite of, and casually remarked, "Mr. Yin Ren, the fruit you're eating is called 'Nine Heavens True Yang Fruit.' Its function is to enhance the body's physiological functions; it can be considered a second-class superior product. However, men shouldn't eat too much, or it will cause your libido to become excessive!"
"Nonsense!" I was furious. How could he be so shameless, speaking such lewd words? Unexpectedly,
Guan Canghai not only didn't stop his nonsense, but clapped his hands excitedly and said, "Haha, I finally understand why you have so many wives! It's because you've eaten too much 'Nine Heavens True Yang Fruit'!"
I was so angry I didn't know what to say. For the first time in my life, I wished a bolt of lightning would strike down from the sky and knock this mentally unstable man unconscious, so he wouldn't spout such nonsense.
"Boom!"
Heaven is merciful; just as my thought crossed my mind, a bolt of lightning struck the clear sky, shattering a boulder on the cliff face with a deafening roar that echoed far and wide.
Guan Canghai's expression changed upon hearing the sound. He brushed his hand past my nose, and I inhaled a faint floral fragrance. The next moment, I collapsed to the ground.
He then pulled something resembling a roll of film from his clothes and tossed it beside me. A puff of white steam rose from the ground and vanished instantly, leaving me without a trace.
Having just finished this, Guan Canghai turned around, and a handsome man in a purple jumpsuit appeared a few meters behind him. This man was no less handsome than Guan Canghai, but what was most striking was a red birthmark on his forehead.
"Yin Zhiru?!"
Just seeing this unique mark, Guan Canghai's face turned pale. He immediately knew who he had encountered… the Yin family, the Federation's most outstanding genius spacetime arbitrator in history.
"It's good that you recognize me. Are you coming back with me obediently, or do you want to test my skills?" Yin Zhiru smiled at him.
"Hmph! Although people say you're incredibly powerful, I'm not someone to be trifled with!"
With that, Guan Canghai shouted, as if to bolster his courage and to challenge Yin Zhiru, a beam of white light appeared out of thin air in his left hand.
"Oh, is that our Yin family's 'Ruyi Light Sword' from our weapons manufacturing company?" Yin Zhiru, dressed in purple, chuckled. "You think you can use it against me?"
"We'll see if it works!"
Guan Canghai transformed into a gust of wind, carrying a beam of white light as he slashed at Yin Zhiru. Where the light flashed, the earth cracked open, and the surrounding air instantly solidified.
Volume 1: Chapter 5, The Yin Family
"Overestimating Their Strength." Yin Zhiru didn't move. The white light was about to strike him, but suddenly, as if hitting an iron wall, it violently rebounded with a "clang!" If Guan Canghai hadn't been a hero of his time, he would have immediately discarded the "Ruyi Light Sword."
Guan Canghai secretly cried out in alarm. He clearly knew that he was from the Yin family, how could he have forgotten the Yin family's most famous "Diamond Water-based Yuan Qi Shield"?
At this moment, Yin Zhiru flew out like an eagle. His speed was more than ten times faster than Guan Canghai's. While Guan Canghai was still in the air, Yin Zhiru had already captured him and pierced Guan Canghai's body with a black needle.
"Qi Yuan Needle?!" Guan Canghai roared, "You've crippled my superpower?!"
"It's only temporary," Yin Zhiru shrugged. "Actually, whether it's crippled or not is a minor matter. You've already violated the first rule of the Time and Space Administration by escaping countless checkpoints to get here. Even if you manage to survive, you'll spend the rest of your life in prison. Whether you have superpowers or not becomes irrelevant."
Hearing Yin Zhiru mention his possible fate, Guan Canghai became very calm: "I know my fate, but being able to fulfill my dream, and even receive an extra, enormous surprise, is enough for me in this life."
Perhaps seeing that Guan Canghai was just as handsome as herself, Yin Zhiru couldn't help but ask, "Can I know what your dream is for coming here?"
"Want to know?" Guan Canghai pointed, almost touching Yin Zhiru's handsome face, and flirtatiously waved his finger in front of his eyes, accidentally brushing against his clothes.
Although he knew that someone affected by the "Qi Yuan Needle" was no longer a threat, Yin Zhiru still frowned and stepped back uncomfortably. "Fine, don't tell me then,"
Guan Canghai said calmly. "I came here to see my idol."
"Idol?" Yin Zhiru rolled his eyes, deciding not to ask any more. He'd already caught at least ten lunatics like this.
Guan Canghai ignored him and continued directly, "His name is... Yin Ren."
"What?!" The genius arbitrator was startled, his face showing joy, admiration, and nervousness. He grabbed Guan Canghai's clothes and shouted, "Yin Ren?!"
His hand brushed lightly across Yin Zhiru's neck. Guan Canghai coughed, masking a certain sound. "Yes, I think I've arrived in the city where Yin Ren was born... Wubang City! Do you want to come with me to see what he looks like now?"
As an arbitrator for the Time and Space Administration, Yin Zhiru's character was incredibly resilient, but now he hesitated. His eyes flickered with uncertainty for a while before he sighed, "Never mind, if my father knew, he would be unhappy!"
He only mentioned his father's displeasure, but didn't say whether he wanted to go... Guan Canghai still saw a hint of longing in his eyes.
*Heh heh, if I told you Yin Ren was less than ten meters away from you, you'd probably go crazy, wouldn't you?* Guan Canghai thought smugly.
However, this time, if Yin Zhiru captured him, it would mean either a death sentence or life imprisonment. Guan Canghai had no reason to mention this to his "enemy"—he never did anything that wouldn't benefit him.
※※※
Ten minutes later, Yin Zhiru and Guan Canghai entered a five-pointed star-shaped structure on the cliff. The space inside was vast, with a clear view of the outside world on all sides. Many flashing lights emanated from the control panel. After Yin Zhiru pressed a few buttons, the spacecraft slowly closed its doors, then faded into the air and disappeared into the endless sky.
"Take another look at Earth. You've really paid a heavy price to get here!" Yin Zhiru generously allowed Guan Canghai to move around freely. This state-of-the-art time-travel machine wasn't easily destroyed, so Yin Zhiru didn't care much about Guan Canghai's words and actions.
"Time travel begins. Please be careful!" A few seconds later, a soft female voice rang out. With a jolt from the time-travel machine, when the two opened their eyes again, they were in a star system with eighteen planets orbiting.
"Welcome home!" Yin Zhiru said with a smile. "We'll reach the Time and Space Administration's prison in half an hour. Then we'll know your fate."
He paused, then lowered his voice, "Personally, I admire your perseverance, especially since your purpose is for him... Don't worry, I'll put in a good word for you."
Yin Zhiru spoke a little too late, because as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Guan Canghai withdraw his hand from the control panel.
"Time travel map is being deleted... fifty percent..." The gentle female voice sounded again, igniting Yin Zhiru's anger. He rushed to the control panel, only to see the words "Deletion complete."
"You bastard, what have you done!"
Yin Zhiru felt an urge to strangle Guan Canghai. With his actions, all his star system maps were destroyed. How much time would it take to rebuild them later!
Guan Canghai gave a bitter laugh. "Why didn't you say you'd plead for me sooner? Otherwise, I wouldn't have done this."
In any department of the Federation, no one would disrespect the Yin family, so Yin Zhiru's plea was essentially saving Guan Canghai's life, at least sparing him from the death penalty.
But the problem was, before he could speak, Guan Canghai had already begun his revenge... Now it was too late to say anything.
"Forget it, I guess I'm just unlucky to have met someone like you!" Yin Zhiru was naturally cheerful, and since it couldn't be undone, she stopped thinking about it after her anger subsided. "Give me your name, I need to enter it into the computer to verify your identity!"
"Guan Canghai."
Yin Zhiru entered the name, but exclaimed in surprise, her tone full of disbelief.
Guan Canghai leaned over to look, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Federal Time and Space Administration First Pardon Order: If a man named Guan Canghai is to be convicted for violating the laws of time and space, I, in the name of the first director of the Time and Space Administration, hereby issue this pardon order, pardoning Guan Canghai as innocent, and no one shall punish him for this. First Director of the Time and Space Administration, Leng Yiyin."
At the bottom of the computer screen, another line of smaller text appeared: "All members of the Yin family who encounter this man must provide him with the utmost assistance. From the moment you meet him because of the laws of time and space, please treat him as your brother!"
The signature below read: "Established by Leng Yiyin in accordance with the oral decree of her husband, Yin Ren."
Volume 1: Chapter 6, Two Idiots
"This… am I seeing things?" Guan Canghai slapped his face several times, unable to believe it.
Good heavens! It was Mr. Yin Ren who instructed one of his wives, Ms. Leng Yiyin, to issue him a pardon?
Not only that, he also granted him the treatment of a member of the Yin family… That… that's like rising to the top in one step!
Guan Canghai, an orphan since childhood, suddenly felt a warm current flow through his heart, and tears, long forgotten, welled up in his eyes.
After confirming that the computer was connected to the family's AI and that the command was genuine, Yin Zhiru abandoned his plan to send Guan Canghai to the Time and Space Administration's prison. Instead, he issued an order for the time-space shuttle to return to the Yin family's headquarters.
"Aren't you afraid they'll cause you trouble by doing this?" Guan Canghai asked, both grateful and doubtful.
"The people at the Time and Space Administration are also doing things on the sponsorship of my Yin family. Besides, this is an instruction left by our ancestors. Do they dare say no?" Yin Zhiru said proudly. "Brother Canghai, once my father confirms your identity, you will be a member of the Yin family. Then you will know that the Yin family's strength is far greater than you know."
"Of course!" Guan Canghai nodded in deep agreement.
"By the way, Brother Canghai, may I ask what your intention was in erasing my spacetime travel map earlier?"
Yin Zhiru suddenly remembered this, and Guan Canghai had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Brother Yin, please don't blame me... I was thinking of taking revenge on you, so I used my masterful thief skills to steal the necklace from your neck and threw it on Earth. To prevent you from having a chance to retrieve it, I deleted the travel map."
With each sentence he spoke, Yin Zhiru's face darkened further. After he finished speaking, Yin Zhiru snorted coldly, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he walked towards him with a sinister grin.
"You... what are you going to do?"
Seeing that the situation was not good, Guan Canghai quickly tried to retreat, but the space was not large enough, and he was soon cornered by Yin Zhiru.
"That's not a necklace. It contains ten thousand practical skills from my Yin family, treasures belonging to every member of our clan. Now that you've taken them, you'll have to pay the price!" Yin Zhiru said, then pounced on Guan Canghai, beating him mercilessly until he was unrecognizable.
...
Ten minutes later, Yin Zhiru sat back down, satisfied. "Let's see if you dare steal from me again!"
A shaky man with a pig's head stood up from the corner, trembling, and said, "Brother Yin, even if you gave me a thousand lives, I wouldn't dare!"
"That's not all. You also have to compensate me with something good, or I'll definitely 'spar' with you again!" Yin Zhiru emphasized the word "spar," and everyone knew the meaning behind it.
In truth, Yin Zhiru had cheated. The treasure he lost required rigorous bloodline verification before it could be used. Even if someone from the past obtained it, unless they possessed Yin family blood, their brain would be instantly destroyed by the spiritual power within the treasure. Not only would they gain nothing, but they would also become an idiot.
However, this Guan Canghai was so despicable that it would be a disservice to the glorious tradition of the Yin family not to extort him.
Guan Canghai's eyes darted around, and with gritted teeth, he pulled a small piece of paper from inside his clothes and handed it to Yin Zhiru: "Take this. From now on, we're even."
"How can you be so easy on me... I..."
Yin Zhiru took the paper, completely stunned. The two large characters written on it made his blood boil.
"So? If you don't want it, I'll take it back," Guan Canghai teased him deliberately.
"You dare!" Yin Zhiru shouted angrily, putting the small piece of paper back into her inner pocket. Then, beaming, she climbed onto his shoulder. "Brother, you're really resourceful! You even managed to get something like this!"
"Hehe, it was just a coincidence." Guan Canghai considered for a moment, deciding not to tell Yin Zhiru about his encounter with that person.
Ignoring Yin Zhiru's elation, Guan Canghai pressed down on another small piece of paper through his clothes, thinking to himself: Luckily I have another one. Just this signature alone could buy a city and a whole bunch of beautiful women, wahahaha… Uh?!
Guan Canghai suddenly felt something was wrong; it seemed like something was missing from his pocket.
After thinking carefully, he was startled and immediately unzipped his clothes, frantically groping his body.
"Brother Canghai, what's wrong?" Yin Zhiru asked curiously.
"It's all over! My 'Water and Fire Ability Pill' is stuck on Earth!" Guan Canghai cried, pleading with Yin Zhiru, "Brother Yin, please, please find the travel map quickly! I need to go back and get that 'Water and Fire Ability Pill' back!"
Yin Zhiru asked, "What is a 'Water and Fire Ability Pill'?"
Guan Canghai anxiously replied, "It's the latest research result I stole from the Federal Supreme Academy of Science and Technology. It was created by the Academy over nearly a century to imitate Mr. Yin Ren's water and fire superpowers! There's only one in the world. Once you take it, you'll have the superpowers of water and fire..."
"Well, so you've stolen from our Yin family again!" Unexpectedly, Yin Zhiru not only showed no sympathy for him but also rubbed his fists and approached Guan Canghai, who was filled with panic, saying, "Hmph, the director of the Federal Supreme Academy of Science and Technology is my stepmother. How dare you steal her things? Prepare to die!"
"Ah..."
Another round of beatings followed, and Guan Canghai was almost on the verge of death before Yin Zhiru finally let him go. "
...
Brother Yin, you've already done the beating, so please find a way back! I really want to have such cool superpowers like Mr. Yin Ren!" Struggling to crawl to Yin Zhiru's side, Guan Canghai still pleaded desperately.
"There's no way to go back," Yin Zhiru shook his head. "Only this time machine has the map for our trip to Earth. It's impossible for people from other places to return at the same time and place... You should know that if we miss even one step, we'll all be lost in the river of time, never to return... Haha, serves you right for deleting my map!"
Yin Zhiru felt a sense of vengeful satisfaction as he said this.
Guan Canghai still held onto a sliver of hope, saying, "Then can't we find my 'Water and Fire Power Pill'?"
"No," Yin Zhiru answered crisply.
Caught in his own trap, Guan Canghai took a deep breath and shouted angrily, "I'm such a fucking idiot!"
Volume 1: Chapter 7, Water and Fire Ability Pill
In a daze, I woke up from my dream. The "Sleep No. 1" medicine that Guan Canghai had given me to smell wasn't very strong, just enough to make me sleep for two hours. But no one knew that in those two hours, I had undergone the biggest change in my life.
The pill Guan Canghai had put in my mouth, in terms of its synonyms, truly possessed perfect personality traits. However, many people had taken it before, but like Guan Canghai, they only experienced superficial changes, not substantial, internal transformations.
Fortunately, this pill was modeled after the personality of a super-powerful figure named "Yin Ren" by future scientists. The mysterious connection between me and "Yin Ren" allowed me to directly absorb all the essence of the pill, becoming the first and only person to possess the personality traits Guan Canghai had described.
Sometimes things are just so mysterious; it's hard to say whether the present influences the future, or the future influences the present.
However, no matter what, from then on, I was no longer that pitiful child who had lost his parents, but a true, impulsive man.
The soft sunlight shone on my cheeks. My mind, still blank from just waking up, remained dazed for a while before realizing it was already sunset.
I called out to Guan Canghai for a long time, but no one answered; he must have left.
"You bastard, don't let me see you again!" Thinking of Guan Canghai who had ambushed me, I blurted out a bold curse. The smooth feeling of cursing felt incredibly satisfying.
I struggled to my feet, still feeling weak, needing to lean against the dragon fruit tree behind me for support.
While I was muttering curses at Guan Canghai, something reflecting light on the ground caught my attention.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a beautifully crafted pure gold necklace. At the end of the necklace was a coin-sized round piece engraved with intricate patterns and a man's portrait.
I casually put the gold necklace on, thinking smugly, "Guan Canghai, this is your apology!"
Seeing that it was getting late, I turned to climb the cliff back to Granny Li's house.
But as I turned, I spotted a silver-white pill lying quietly on the ground.
Silver-white?
That must be Guan Canghai's!
Remembering the pills I'd eaten before—sweet, delicious, and invigorating—I picked it up, thought for a moment, and then put it in my mouth.
The pill melted instantly, but this time it wasn't sweet. As it passed down my throat, it sent a chill down my spine, and when the liquid from the pill reached my stomach, it suddenly became burning hot.
Damn it, I've ingested poison!
Before I could even regret it, the burning sensation in my stomach and the chill in my throat intensified a thousandfold. The pain made me collapse to the ground, writhing in agony, but it did nothing to alleviate the agony.
If someone had seen me then, they would have noticed that my upper body was silvery-white, while my lower body was fiery red, the two colors distinctly occupying half of my body.
The excruciating pain gradually overwhelmed my consciousness. Before losing consciousness, I only heard the creaking of tree branches, and then I knew nothing more.
...
Finally, I awoke from the darkness again. Opening my eyes, I found myself lying in a room. Looking closer, I realized I was back at Granny Li's house.
The heat and cold, the pain in my body, had all disappeared; all that remained was a soreness. Hearing noises outside, I slowly made my way out, supporting myself against the wall.
"Ah, Xiao Ren, you're finally awake!!"
Granny Li, who was sitting outside deep in thought, heard the noise, turned around, and immediately hugged me happily. "Child, you scared Granny so much!"
I asked doubtfully, "Granny, how did I get back?"
Granny Li said excitedly, "That night, when I saw you hadn't returned for a long time, I went to look for you in the valley. But when I got to the valley, I was shocked. Half of the dragon fruit trees there had fallen, as if someone had cut them down. I rushed to look for you, and after several twists and turns, I finally found you under a fallen dragon fruit tree... Little one, you're really lucky. Such a big dragon fruit tree fell on you, but it didn't hurt you!"
"You mean 'that day'?" After regaining consciousness, my mind was much clearer, and I keenly noticed the strangeness in her words.
"Yes, it's been a week since I carried you back! Luckily you're still breathing, just like you're asleep, otherwise I would have had to take you to the hospital." Granny Li smiled and said, "Hey, our little Ren is so kind-hearted, how could anything happen to him? I was just being paranoid."
"Uh... I've been unconscious for a week?" I asked in shock.
Granny Li nodded, indicating that I was right, "Little Ren, at first I thought you encountered robbers, but I saw that nothing was missing from your body, and the 'dragon fruit' hadn't been picked. What happened?"
I scratched my head and said embarrassedly, "I ate another wild fruit, so I got a stomachache and was rolling around on the ground in pain... I'm sorry, Granny Li, it seems I damaged those dragon fruit trees myself." Granny
Li was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "Little Ren, these dragon fruit trees are just external things, it's not a big deal if you damage them."
"But... these are your unique and wonderful fruits."
"Hehe, I'm an old woman, what would I need these things for? Besides, I have over a thousand dragon fruits stored in my cellar, that's enough." Granny Li laughed. "I was originally planning to leave these things to you, but now half is gone, so you and your family will have to be careful with them."
I vaguely sensed that Granny Li was giving her final instructions, so I quickly said, "What are you saying? You're healthy now, you can live at least another fifty years, don't mention those things!"
"I'm just saying this now, I don't have any other thoughts." Granny Li suddenly sighed, "Xiao Ren, I keep dreaming about my old man these past few days. He told me that we'll be reunited soon... In our hometown's customs, this is a sign that his time is coming."
Volume 1: Chapter 8, First Appearance of Supernatural Abilities
"That's superstition!" I loudly refuted.
“But Grandma believes in this.” Grandma Li patted my head reluctantly. “Grandma has no regrets in this world except meeting you. It’s a pity I can’t see Xiao Ren get married and have children!”
“I’m not talking to you anymore.”
I turned my head away, suppressing the discomfort in my heart, and looked down at the ground. Suddenly, I saw a rat scurrying across the ditch beside me.
“Strange, how come a rat dares to move around in the daytime!” I whispered.
“Daytime? Xiao Ren, are you alright?” Grandma Li touched my forehead with a strange expression. “It’s almost midnight now, are you still out of your mind?”
I subconsciously looked up at the sky, but was dumbfounded and speechless.
In the quiet and clear sky, a crescent moon hung, with a few sparse stars arranged around it… What else could this be but evening?
I rubbed my eyes and found that the scene before me hadn't changed; a clear white sky and the bright moon coexisted. Looking back at the buildings on the ground, they were still clearly visible and incredibly bright, everything just like daytime except for the absence of sunlight.
"Are you feeling unwell? Go back to bed and lie down." Granny Li quickly helped me back to bed and covered me with a blanket. "Sleep, you'll be fine by tomorrow morning."
I also wanted to try to get rid of this confusion, so I nodded and closed my eyes, trying to drift off to sleep again... Another week passed like this. Every night I would wander around in the dead of night, and without exception, I truly broke free from the constraints of day and night. In my eyes, there was never any darkness.
Gaining such an enviable superpower made me incredibly happy. Often, taking advantage of this ability, I would sneak out to the valley with the dragon fruit trees late at night while Granny Li was asleep, sit alone in one of the trees, eat the "dragon fruit," and ponder the strange changes that had occurred to me.
Not only did I see night as day, but my personality suddenly became much more cheerful. When faced with problems, many clever and mischievous thoughts would often flash through my mind. Besides, I felt much more relaxed. When talking to Granny Li, I would quip off one witty remark after another, making her very happy. What
surprised Granny Li most was that she said I had changed a lot. My facial features had become more defined, my eyes had become very deep-set, and the smile that often appeared on my lips made me seem exceptionally kind… I had transformed from a quiet, obedient child into a lively individual.
“This is a good change! In today’s society, those who are a little more shrewd are less likely to be taken advantage of!” Granny Li explained my transformation.
Without much thought, I was certain that this change in personality and ability came from Guan Canghai’s two pills.
When I took the first pill, he said it was a pill that could change a person’s personality, and he went on to describe a whole host of amazing and admirable qualities. Unfortunately, I had taken it as a joke then, and now I could never hear it again.
My special ability to see must have been caused by the second pill. I just don't know what other changes my body has undergone besides this ability, or what's with the alternating pain of hot and cold?
Whenever I think about this, I fantasize about Guan Canghai appearing beside me again to answer these questions.
But I also vaguely know that this mysterious figure will never appear before me again.
Hey, whatever! Having the personality traits he described, and the ability to see night as day, I'm already blessed. Why think so much?
Shaking my head, I banished all the worries from my mind, jumped down from the tree, and roared loudly… This is what scientists say: loud shouting can relieve stress and make you feel cheerful.
After roaring for a while, I felt much better, and my head wasn't as dizzy as before.
Overjoyed, I decided to add to the effect, so I waved my hands upwards, looked up at the sky, and started the second round of stress relief, mimicking the way primitive tribes worship the heavens.
"Sizzle!" "Boom!"
The moment I waved my hands, two different colored things suddenly rose from the open ground not far away: a powerful column of water on the left; and three meters away on the right, a burst of flame shooting upwards.
Luckily, I'd seen too many strange things lately, so I didn't faint on the spot, but instinctively lowered my hands.
The moment I lowered my hands, just as suddenly as they appeared, the water and fire columns abruptly retreated into the ground, as if they had never been there.
With a thought, I pointed my left hand to the spot where the water column had appeared and whispered, "Come out!"
As if soldiers had heard a command, the water column that had sunk immediately rose from the ground again, shooting even higher and more violently than before.
"Come out here too!" I shouted, having successfully completed the experiment, and pointed my right hand at the pillar of fire.
As expected, the pillar of fire rose up, its intense flames shooting five meters high. The firelight illuminated my face, making my excitement clearly visible.
To ensure it wasn't just a fleeting moment, I practiced it dozens more times that night, finally confirming that in addition to seeing night as day, I now possessed the dazzling superpower of water in my left hand and fire in my right.
Heh, although it's not the legendary Azure Dragon on the left and White Tiger on the right, this power of water on the left and fire on the right is enough for me!
With this discovery, I slept soundly and peacefully for the first time this month when I returned to Granny Li's house that night.
Starting the next day, besides helping Granny Li sell snacks in the mornings, I diligently went up the mountain, trying every possible method to train my water and fire abilities. The more I experimented, the more delighted I became with the changes in my body.
The old folks always say that time flies when you're focused on something. Living in a near-isolated environment before, I couldn't truly grasp the meaning of that saying. But now, when I finally understand it, the two-month summer vacation is almost over.
That evening, Grandma Li came to my room with a smile and said, "Xiao Ren, you should go back to school tomorrow, right?"
I replied reluctantly, "Yes, Grandma Li, don't worry, I'll come help you whenever I have time." For the past two years, I'd only stayed here for about half a month each time, but this time I'd spent two whole months here. I can't help but say that my bond with Grandma Li has grown even stronger.
"Hehe, of course I believe what Xiao Ren says," Grandma Li said with a smile. "But you'll be a senior in high school this semester, right? Although I don't understand academic matters, I know that senior year is very important for your future college entrance exams, and you'll need to attend extra classes on weekends, won't you?"
I said dismissively, "Even so, I can still spare some time in the morning to help you!"
"Why go to so much trouble?" Grandma Li waved her hand to stop me. "My business is very stable now, and I earn two thousand yuan a month. How could an old woman like me need that much? If I'm not feeling well, I'll naturally rest for a couple of days, so you don't need to worry about me."
"But..." I still wanted to argue, but Grandma Li interrupted me
. "There are no buts! You should go and study hard. If you don't get into a good university next year, I'll be angry!" she joked, a rare occurrence for her.
Seeing Grandma Li's insistence, I stopped insisting. "Alright, I won't come on weekday weekends, but I'll still come to help during long holidays."
"Okay!"
Grandma Li readily accepted my offer.
Volume 1: Chapter 9, First Day of School
That evening, carrying a large bag of "dragon fruit," I returned to my home in Donghua Residential Area, humming a little tune.
Seeing me come upstairs, the white-haired puppy paused for a moment, then immediately started "singing" again, its barking echoing throughout the entire building.
In high spirits after my extraordinary encounter, I didn't just stare at it; instead,
I greeted it, "Hi, little dog!" The white-haired puppy was clearly frightened. With a "woof," it stopped barking and quickly jumped behind me, looking at me warily.
"Haha, don't be afraid. I'm a superhero now. Taking your life is a piece of cake," I boasted proudly about my superpower. "But considering we've been brothers for a few years, I won't turn you into roasted dog meat."
Perhaps unaware of my murderous intent, the puppy took my smile as a provocation. It jumped back to the iron gate, glaring at me again, and began a new round of barking.
"Hehe, forget it. I'm in a good mood today. If I come barking again when I'm in a bad mood, don't blame me for being ruthless!" I spread my hands and waved them in front of it, then laughed and went upstairs, leaving only the dog's still loud barking.
It had been two months since I'd been home. Opening the door, I was greeted by a stuffy, dusty smell.
In the past, I would have definitely hired a cleaning company, but today was different.
I smiled slightly, put down the package I was carrying, locked the door, and waved my left hand around the room. Countless tiny water droplets condensed in the air, then automatically flowed through the air, on the furniture, and on the floor, as if countless hands were wiping away the dust. In the blink of an eye, the room was filled with a refreshing smell, and the somewhat dusty house suddenly became clean and bright.
Satisfied, I looked around and snapped my fingers again. The floating water droplets immediately disintegrated and gradually disappeared.
This is the result of two months of hard training.
Now I can control water and fire, making them do whatever I want, including burning a puppy into delicious dog meat—however, I'm not that cruel yet, so such thoughts only occasionally appear in my mind.
So, you could say that through the extension of my abilities in both hands, water and fire have become a part of my consciousness, my closest companions.
From now on, I've become a legendary deity, though the nickname I gave myself a few days ago, "God of Water and Fire," doesn't seem cool enough. "Unparalleled Handsome, Unrivaled Super God of Water and Fire" seems better…※※※ September 1st is the traditional opening day of Chinese schools. I ate breakfast early at Grandma Li's stall and then rode my bicycle to school.
Because high school seniors face immense pressure to enter university, almost every school separates them from other grades, giving them their own small, separate teaching building.
Ubon High School, as a national key high school, does this particularly well. A brand-new five-story building was prepared for our 38 senior classes.
I was in Class 4, and my assigned classroom was on the far east side of the first floor. Walking into the classroom, I found that this special senior building was indeed different from the other grades.
Class 4 has over sixty students. Previously, they were crammed into a narrow classroom in the old teaching building, desks and chairs practically touching, making even walking difficult. Now, the classroom is spacious and bright, with over sixty desks filling less than half the space.
Even more impressively, instead of traditional ceiling fans, this classroom has a built-in air conditioner installed overhead, seemingly controlled directly by the central air conditioning system.
This usually stingy school has really gone to great lengths for its senior students.
But thinking about it, the reason becomes clear: the number of students a school admits directly affects teachers' income, and this number depends on the school's college entrance rate each year. The more students admitted to universities, the easier it is to recruit, and the more bonuses teachers receive.
Therefore, in the school's eyes, senior students are like money-printing machines—how could they not treat us well?
In the past few years, although my life has been quite uneventful, boys at this age are starting to like girls.
The girl I like is a short girl in my class named Jin Susu. She's just average-looking, but I'm particularly drawn to her beautiful big eyes. Looking at them, I'm completely captivated.
Actually, there are many pretty girls in our class, and all the boys are paying attention to them. Only I have my eye on the average-looking Jin Susu.
Jin Susu isn't just beautiful with her eyes; she has a kind heart too. Although she's a bit aloof in class, I often see her bringing food to feed stray dogs, and she's always generous to those begging on the streets, especially the disabled elderly.
There's also Di Ya, known as the most beautiful girl in our class. She's beautiful and has a commanding figure, but she treats her suitors like dogs, dismissing them at will. She sees herself as a queen, with a violent and flirtatious personality. Girls like that are nowhere near as good as my Susu.
Unfortunately, I was too shy for the first two years, and I only exchanged two sentences with Jin Susu: "Hello" and "The weather is really nice today."
Now that things have changed, I'm actually hoping to have some interaction with the girl I like.
Since it's the first day of school, most people are already in the classroom. I looked at the seating arrangement; it was the same as in my second year of high school, so I went straight to the last row, near the right-hand door. Oblivious
to everyone around me, I didn't realize that I was attracting quite a few glances along the way.
"Good morning!"
I greeted Cai Fei, who turned to look at me. He's the only person I talk to at school; he's practically my only friend.
"Good morning!" he responded subconsciously, but then immediately changed his tone: "Who are you? Are you new here? This seat is taken!"
Volume 1: Chapter 10, The New Yin Ren
(Uploaded so much in just two days, and without even adding any information, am I being generous enough? Today is Monday, four chapters! Please collect and vote!) I asked, puzzled, "Cai Fei, what's wrong with you? What nonsense are you talking about so early in the morning?"
"Huh, that's strange, do you know me?" Cai Fei was clearly taken aback. "This is my friend's seat. Please get up. Don't think that just because you're good-looking you can sit anywhere."
"Look carefully, I'm Yin Ren. Why are you saying such nonsensical things? Is today April Fool's Day?" I said, with a hint of amusement and exasperation in my voice.
Cai Fei gradually recognized my voice. He opened his mouth wide in exaggerated surprise: "My God, Boss, are you really Yin Ren?"
"Of course! Do you think this seat is a hot commodity? Who else would want to sit here but me? Everyone would sit next to your Chen Meihong." I joked. Chen Meihong was the second most beautiful girl in the class, with a gentle and charming personality. She had more suitors than Di Ya and was also Cai Fei's dream girl.
Cai Fei blushed and argued, "I was just surprised to see a super charming young man walk in. You don't appreciate my kindness!" Hearing me tease Chen Meihong, he no longer suspected anything, but immediately took out a mirror and handed it to me.
"Brother Yin, where did you get plastic surgery? Tell me the place quickly, I'll go bankrupt to be like you!" Cai Fei looked me up and down, with a smug look on his face.
I absentmindedly picked up the mirror. "Go to hell! I'm not a woman, plastic surgery... oh my god!" I lost my balance, and the mirror fell onto the table, but I didn't have time to care.
The boy in the mirror, while not exactly super cool, had a dashing and handsome appearance, bright eyes and eyebrows, and well-defined features—a real young man. Only his brows retained a hint of his former self... Is this really me?
Granny Li had mentioned some changes in me, but she saw me every day, so she wasn't surprised by the gradual changes.
As a man, I never looked in the mirror, so I was completely unaware of the changes in my appearance over the past two months. Lost
in thought, Cai Fei whispered, "Big brother, look... even that slut Di Ya turned to look at you!"
Cai Fei was, after all, a boy; he was only surprised by my appearance. But I, noticing the change in my appearance, looked up and immediately saw at least twenty girls turning to look at me, including the class beauty Di Ya and Cai Fei's dream girl, Chen Meihong.
Seeing my gaze fall upon them, many girls blushed and turned away. Only Di Ya looked at me with amusement, but I couldn't resist her intense gaze. My eyes skipped over her and went straight to Jin Susu, who was engrossed in her book.
Jin Susu was sitting to my left and slightly in front of me. I was hoping she would react, but unfortunately, she didn't make a sound, as if she couldn't hear the whispers about my appearance in the classroom.
Cai Fei was excitedly trying to find out the reason for my drastic change in appearance, but the entrance of our Chinese teacher, Dou Ming, instantly turned him into a well-behaved child… Everyone knew that this middle-aged man who taught Chinese had the nickname "feared by everyone and even ghosts." If he set his sights on you, you were guaranteed to be in trouble.
As Dou Ming stepped into the classroom, the bell for self-study class rang simultaneously. Under the pressure of this middle-aged man, the classroom instantly fell silent, and everyone obediently looked at him.
Dou Ming put down his textbook, glanced around, and his gaze lingered on my face.
"Yin Ren...you look so different!" Being a teacher, he recognized me with a hint of suspicion, even though my appearance had changed drastically. He simply voiced the question everyone was wondering about.
I forced a smile and said, "I don't know why, maybe it's just a sudden change in adolescence."
"Hahaha..."
This amusing answer made everyone laugh.
Dou Mingwei was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected this usually taciturn student to make a witty remark. However, his intention wasn't to press for an explanation, but rather out of curiosity. Seeing my reluctance to answer, he casually remarked, "The saying goes, 'A day apart should be viewed with new eyes.' Now, after two months, Yin Ren has certainly acquired the makings of a heartbreaker."
His words left everyone speechless... Was this really the kind of teasing remark from the man who never liked to joke, the one everyone feared?
Dou Ming noticed everyone's confusion and smiled, saying, "Starting today, you are all senior high school students. You could say that your senior year is the year that will determine your fate. I know you are all very nervous... so I will try my best to pay attention to your feelings. I don't want to see any of you break down because of the pressure."
As the ancients said, "Everyone has their own unique talents," and regardless of your grades, please remember this! The path to higher education is wonderful, but failing to get into university doesn't mean the end of your life. As long as you are willing to work hard, nothing is insurmountable. "..."
Hearing Dou Ming's heartfelt words, everyone fell silent for a moment, then Cai Fei led the shouting: "Long live the teacher! Long live understanding!" More and more people joined Cai
Fei in shouting, clapping enthusiastically and looking at Dou Ming with gratitude, feeling he was no longer so unlikeable.
As Dou Ming said, the pressure in Chinese universities is greater than in any other country. Entering university means standing out from the crowd, and those who fail are often abandoned by society and the public. Gradually, they become self-destructive, and many turn into social garbage, causing great harm to society.
Now, the teacher's words, while not completely eliminating their pressure, warmed their hearts, because at least an adult understood their heavy feelings.
The reason I say "they" is because I no longer see myself as a student; school is just a place for me to learn knowledge, and whether or not I go to university is unimportant to me.
Like Dou Ming, I believe that "everyone has their own unique talents." "It's useful," I firmly believe that with my own hard work, I will surely achieve great things—that way, I can at least bring some comfort to my parents in heaven.
Just a few months ago, I shared the same thoughts as them, but this rebellious idea seems to be influenced by my new personality.
Just kidding, I'm Superman! Does Superman need to go to university to prove himself?
Superman's usual mission is to save the earth, but the Superman named Yin Ren's goal is to make his own life better!
Volume 1: Chapter 11, University Preparation
Dou Ming looked at the students who had fallen into deep thought after clapping, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips. He didn't interrupt us, but quietly waited for our thoughts to return to reality.
Time passed second by second, and the nearly thirty-minute morning self-study session was about to end. Most of the students' eyes regained their sparkle, their mental state significantly improved compared to before.
"Very good, it seems everyone has a clear understanding of the future." Dou Ming's smiling voice suddenly sharpened, "Then I'll tell you!" For your future achievements, I have decided to give you intensive training in your senior year of high school, to push you with the highest standards so that you can make a qualitative leap in your life!
Just then, the bell rang, and Dou Ming picked up his textbook and smiled slightly, saying, "Welcome to this hellish journey!" "
...
Even after he left, the classroom remained silent, with most students sharing the same anger.
That damned middle-aged man truly lived up to his reputation as 'feared by everyone and even ghosts.' We thought he had changed and become gentle, but beneath the calm surface lay magma about to erupt!
God, we take back our previous wish. Please do as we agreed before, let him get hit by a car on the road and gloriously become paralyzed!
A new round of mental curses began in the hearts of countless people...※※※ The first day of school made me experience the troubles of being a celebrity. Wherever I went, people pointed and whispered. Even in the afternoon, lower-grade high school students and junior high school girls swarmed to my classroom door, pointing and gesturing like they were watching a giant panda. More than a hundred girls had stars in their eyes.
"Big brother, do you know what nickname those guys in Class Two gave you?" Cai Fei, the well-informed person, whispered: "The Supreme Invincible Girl Killer!" "
Not really, I don't even have a girlfriend right now," I said, embarrassed.
"Haha, starting today, big brother, you just need to flick your little finger and a ton of women will come knocking on your door." Cai Fei casually pulled out a large stack of letters. "Here, these are the love letters those girls asked me to give you."
"Destroy them for me, I don't like these girls." I returned them to him.
"Of course I know, you want Jin Susu to treat you differently, right?" Cai Fei patted my shoulder. "Not to discourage you, but I've seen her glance this way occasionally before, but today, she didn't even turn around, let alone look at you."
I gave a bitter smile: "I know, I've been getting this kind of treatment for a while now."
Cai Fei looked at me sympathetically: "Big brother, we're in the same boat, Hong Mei never pays any attention to me either."
"How can I compare myself to someone as disgusting as you?" "I scoffed, "On the first day of school, you chased her all the way to her house, causing her mother to come to the school; later, your devilish surveillance tactics didn't work either, and you got beaten up by her brother and his gang, which is why you toned it down a bit... I've never seen such a clumsy way of pursuing a girl before."
Cai Fei, as if he had just met me, widened his eyes and said, "Boss, don't you think you've changed a lot? Not just in appearance, you've never said anything like that before, am I really that bad?"
"Not just bad, it's extremely bad!" I looked at him with pity, "Brother, you should just give up. The girl is scared of you. You've come to this point, what kind of future do you expect?"
"Actually, I know she doesn't like me, but... sigh!" Cai Fei sighed, a rare occurrence, "Forget it, don't talk about her anymore. Just like Gui Jianchou said, senior year should be about striving for your dreams. I'll focus on my studies this year and stop bothering her."
"You're a promising young man!" "I said in a refined manner.
"Haha, no way! ...I heard from the news that Hongmei is going to apply to Nangong University. If I don't work hard, how can I go to the same school as her?" I thought Cai Fei had come to his senses, but I didn't expect him to have entered another higher realm. "Hongmei has feelings for me. She's ignoring me now only because of family pressure. When I get to university, I must apply to Demei and return to her!"
Seeing that he was still not finished, I surrendered and said, "Stop talking. Are you going to bring up the thing about her smiling at you on the first day of high school? Please, you've said it at least a hundred times. Aren't you tired of it?"
"How could I?" "That angelic smile that has inspired me for life..." Speaking of Chen Meihong, Cai Fei launched into a long, animated spiel, lost in his own fantasies.
When Chen Meihong transferred to our Wubang High School from another school at the beginning of the first year, she didn't know the way to register, so she randomly asked a passerby. Unfortunately, that passerby was none other than our classmate Cai Fei. Upon seeing that she was beautiful, he enthusiastically gave her directions and even volunteered to take her to register. So, out of politeness, Chen Meihong smiled at him and said "thank you."
Little did she know that this would cause a huge uproar; from that moment on, this guy believed that Chen Meihong had fallen for him. Thus began his two-year-long entanglement. If Hongmei knew that this smile had caused all this trouble, she probably would never want to smile again.
Ignoring Cai Fei's infatuation, I was intrigued by his words.
China's "Four Great National Universities" are: Qinyang University in Beijing, Xuanjian Public School in Shanghai, Bashu Campus in Chengdu, and Xiaoci Academy in Guangzhou. They represent thousands of years of China's rich culture and history, holding a supreme position in China's academic circles. Entering any one of these universities is the dream of any aspiring student.
The "Four Great National Universities" are the best among public schools. In recent decades, two outstanding private universities have also emerged: Murong University in Hangzhou and Nangong University in Dalian. Because Murong University is located in the south and Nangong University in the north, they are popularly known as "Southern Murong" and "Northern Nangong."
Volume One: Chapter Twelve, Popular Figures
Nangong University and Murong University were respectively invested and established by the nationally renowned Nangong Group and Murong Conglomerate. They are known as "schools among the elite," and although their facilities and faculty are excellent, no less than the "Four Great National Universities," their tuition fees are dozens of times higher.
The tuition for both schools is around 100,000 yuan per year, totaling 400,000 yuan over four years. Although this includes accommodation and meals, it is still a huge sum for the average person.
I have several million yuan in the bank, but that doesn't mean I want to squander it. So, unlike Cai Fei, who wants to go to Nangong University with Hong Meimei, I want to go to the "Bashu Campus" in Chengdu. It's not far from Wubang City and is one of the four major national universities, which should be enough for me to learn.
While thinking about this, Cai Fei's suggestion reminded me: what if Jin Susu wants to go to another school? Would I go with her?
Soon, I had a clear answer. It's rare to meet a girl I like; if I don't make her the mother of my child, I'd really be letting down my title of "Superman of the Earth"!
Thinking of this, my eyes unconsciously drifted to Jin Susu in the distance. She remained motionless, sitting in her seat reading and studying.
Sigh, first love is so difficult!
With a touch of melancholy, I opened my books and began reviewing.
Entering high school, to allow students more time to study, the school provided two meals a day in the school cafeteria. The food was nutritious and varied, so the students didn't object.
At lunchtime, as usual, I sat alone in a corner, quietly eating, which also allowed me to watch Jin Susu eat not far from me.
This was the only place Jin Susu and I interacted. Every time, she, like me, stayed away from everyone else, quietly alone in the cafeteria, and I naturally kept her company like this every time. Although we didn't exchange a word, just watching her was enough to make me happy. It
was quite a coincidence that the seats Jin Susu and I sat in the cafeteria were exactly the same as our seats in the classroom, not far to my left and slightly in front.
Little did I know, I had become an absolute star at Wubang High School. Almost everyone was talking about my dramatic transformation over the summer. My outstanding appearance and serene expression had truly attracted the attention of countless girls.
The school was full of enthusiastic girls; in just a few minutes, not only were several girls crowding my table, but the surrounding tables were also occupied by girls, including Jin Susu's table.
Finally, Jin Susu turned her head, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she glanced at me, a flash of annoyance in her eyes. She then picked up her food and walked to the side.
The girl next to her couldn't wait for her to leave, and a strikingly beautiful girl quickly filled the space. When she saw my eyes fixed on her, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but breathe rapidly.
To her disappointment, I quickly looked away and lowered my head to eat.
"Senior, you eat with such grace! Are you from some wealthy family?" Since the girls had chosen to sit next to me, a little small talk was inevitable. The girl who spoke genuinely thought my slow, deliberate chewing was quite enjoyable, the kind of calm and composed manner.
I was momentarily stunned by her comment. At home, I always cooked a lot of food, often imagining my parents still around, wanting to preserve the feeling of family reunion. So, I always ate slowly, never expecting to be compared to being "well-mannered."
But I've been eating at the school cafeteria for two years now, and it's always the same. If this way of eating is an advantage, why hasn't anyone noticed before?
It seems that appearances really can hide a lot and also get you a lot.
After experiencing so much indifference, my mindset has become quite hardened. Quickly returning to reality, I picked up my food. "Sorry, I'm an orphan. Eating like this is just a habit." After saying that, I walked out of the school cafeteria without looking back.
"Oh my god!" Staring blankly as I left, several girls at my table screamed, "So handsome! So manly!"
"Yeah, I didn't expect the handsome guy to be an orphan. No wonder there's a melancholy in his eyes!...Wow, this kind of boy is so cool!" A little girl whose eyes turned into hearts spoke everyone's thoughts.
Usually, compared to well-behaved boys, a playboy is more likely to move a woman's heart, and a boy with a sad past is more likely to arouse a girl's maternal instinct—regardless of the girls' age, maternal instinct is their nature.
Thus, a legend about my tragic past spread from these girls, leading to a unanimous agreement among the school's many girls to rank me, previously unknown, as the most valuable boy in the school, surpassing Hua Buluo, the class monitor of Class 6 in the third year of high school who had held the top spot for two years.
Unbeknownst to me, I became the primary target of hundreds of girls' pursuit, and the hunt was in full swing!
Completely unaware, the next morning I saw several pretty girls waiting at the entrance of Donghua Residential Area. Their matching school skirts told me they were all students from Wubang Middle School.
"Yin Ren, good morning!" A very beautiful girl ran over. "Shall we go to Grandma Li's for breakfast?"
She had a beautiful oval face, bright eyes like stars, and skin as white as jade. Her pleated, knee-length skirt revealed her shapely, lotus-root-like legs, giving her a very pleasant appearance.
Besides, the beautiful girl also possessed a proud figure. Although not particularly large-breasted or curvy, her development was far beyond her years, and her graceful posture was incredibly alluring.
I'd never seen such a high-quality beauty before!
Volume 1: Chapter Thirteen, Shangguan Zi
Seeing my slight daze, the girl's eyes brightened even more, and her smug smile instantly snapped me back to reality.
Damn it, how did I become so lecherous? Directly eyeing the girl's chest and buttocks, I looked every bit the pervert.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Little sister, I don't know you. How did you know I was going to Grandma Li's for breakfast?"
"I bought the information. And that's not all, there's more!" The pretty girl pulled out a cartoon notebook and read aloud: "Yin Ren, male, sixteen years old, orphan, lives alone in Building 3, Unit 5, Floor 6, Block B, Donghua Community. A student in Class 4, Grade 12 at Wubang Middle School. Usually unremarkable, after two months of summer vacation, he underwent a complete transformation and became the most valuable boy at Wubang Middle School. Note: According to professional assessment, it doesn't appear to be plastic surgery."
The first part of the information made me frown, but the final annotation, read verbatim by the pretty girl, made me want to burst out laughing.
"Little sister, do you think I look like someone who's had plastic surgery?" I joked.
"No way!" The pretty girl shook her head, saying seriously, "I specifically looked at your old photos yesterday, and I found that your general features haven't changed, only your best features are more prominent. If there's any beauty salon that can make you look like that, I'd be willing to try it."
Her insightful observation impressed me: "I didn't know you had such a keen eye."
"Hehe, I'm not just bragging, I, Shangguan Zi, have been a genius girl since I was little!" Unexpectedly, she wasn't shy at all, responding to me with a smile.
"Okay! It's rare to meet such a smart little sister, let me treat you to breakfast, okay?" If it were two months ago, I definitely wouldn't have been able to say such a thing, but now it came out as easily as breathing. I attributed this change to Guan Canghai's personality pill.
"Yay! Of course!" Shangguan Zi clapped her hands and laughed. She turned to the few girls standing not far from us and said, "See, with me in charge, how could we not win?"
"Big Sister is wise!" The girls looked at her with sincere admiration.
My mind was filled with questions, but I held them back for the time being, not in a hurry to ask. Instead, I led them to Grandma Li's food stall.
With five girls with me, this was the first time in two years I'd managed to get a small table at Grandma Li's. Seeing her busy, I didn't wait for her to bring the food;
I went straight to get several bowls of soy milk and about ten sesame seed cakes, placing them on the table. "Eat up! We need to get to school soon," I said, picking up a sesame seed cake and taking a big bite.
The girls watched me wolf down my food, ignoring their own cakes, and instead watched me eat with great interest.
"What, worried about cleanliness?" I asked Shangguan Zi with a smile. Earlier, I'd seen the five of them wipe the originally clean stools several times with tissues before sitting down; now, seeing the somewhat worn bowls and chopsticks, they hesitated to pick them up, using the excuse of scrutinizing me to cover their disapproval.
Shangguan Zi answered softly, "Yes, Mom said that food from street stalls isn't hygienic and will make you sick."
"I can't speak for other places, but Grandma Li's tableware is boiled in hot water every day, and she's very hygienic, so there's absolutely no problem." After explaining, seeing that they still didn't believe me, I pointed to the people next to me and said, "If you don't believe me, ask those uncles and aunties."
"Hey, Xiao Ren, why are you explaining this to a few little girls?" A middle-aged man who also often eats here said, "Little girls, if you're not going to eat, please get up. It's inconvenient for us to eat standing up."
"Yes, Grandma Li has been selling sesame cakes and soy milk here for four or five years, and I've never heard of anyone getting diarrhea from eating her food. Eat with peace of mind." Perhaps because they looked so young, an older woman kindly advised them.
Seeing the disdainful looks from those around her, Shangguan Zi couldn't take it anymore. She angrily grabbed a sesame seed cake and stuffed it into her mouth: "Hmph, fine, I'll eat it! You're all going to eat too!" Shangguan Zi was the leader of the group of girls. Hearing her command, several girls reluctantly picked up their sesame seed cakes, slowly tore off a piece, and put it in their mouths.
"Huh?!"
Almost instantly, the five girls froze, frozen in their eating posture.
"What's wrong?" I asked, thinking something was amiss.
Shangguan Zi suddenly exclaimed, "So...so...so delicious!" Then, disregarding any ladylike manners, she exaggeratedly ate the sesame seed cake in large bites.
The other girls did the same, devouring all nine sesame seed cakes like a whirlwind, and finishing off their soy milk as well.
Meanwhile, I had only eaten half a sesame seed cake and drunk a few sips of soy milk.
"Brother Ren..." Shangguan Zi tugged at my sleeve, looking pitiful, "I want more~"
Her voice was crisp and sweet, with a touch of coquettishness that made my heart flutter.
"You just ate three by yourself, and then drank a whole bowl of soy milk. If you eat more, be careful not to upset your stomach," I kindly reminded her.
Shangguan Zi pouted and said, "I don't care! This is such delicious food, it's the first time I've ever eaten it. And the portion isn't that big, so let me have two more, okay?" Without realizing it, she used the same tactics she used on her family.
I thought about it and figured that a few pancakes shouldn't be a problem for a child in her developmental stage. Besides, I often see many ten-year-olds eating three or four at a time.
So, I turned around and brought them ten more pancakes. "Eat slowly, don't overeat."
"Yay, Brother Ren, you're so nice!" Shangguan Zi's eyes were only on the pancakes; she didn't even see me.
As the girls quickly divided up their spoils, Shangguan Zi, while devouring sesame cakes, said in a sweet voice, "Brother Ren, five more bowls of soy milk, thank you!"
I smiled and placed the soy milk beside them. This girl, it seems she now treats me like their family's maid.
Volume 1: Chapter 14, Five Thousand Yuan
However, this was the first time in so many years that someone had treated me with such kindness. Although it was a bit coquettish, it was the kind of affection a younger sister has for an older brother, without any ulterior motives.
Watching them finish their meal with great interest, I preemptively said to Shangguan Zi, who was the first to look up, "Don't say you want more! You'll really burst your little bellies if you eat any more."
Shangguan Zi pouted, and when one plan failed, she came up with another, saying, "But... I really want to take it to school for lunch."
"Little girl, Grandma's food is best eaten while it's hot. If you reheat it at school, it won't taste as good." Grandma Li, who had a moment to spare, came over and overheard Shangguan Zi's words. "If you like it, you and Xiao Ren can come here to eat often. Grandma will treat you."
"No need, Grandma!" Shangguan Zi stood up and bowed very politely. "Thank you so much for making such delicious food. I've never eaten so much before."
Grandma Li looked at the well-behaved girl and seemed very fond of her. "Hehe, little girl, you are very polite. Grandma likes children like you. Please come often."
"Yes, I'll come with Ren-ge to eat the breakfast you made." Shangguan Zi acted like a proper lady, yet possessed a maturity beyond her years.
However, it turned out that this little girl had a multifaceted personality. We had barely walked ten meters from Grandma Li's food stall when she cheerfully tugged at my shirt, wanting me to lead the way. Her several well-fed followers also followed closely behind, but politely refrained from bothering us.
"Girl, don't be silly. Where's your transportation? You'll be late if you walk to school like this," I said kindly, pushing my bicycle. "
Oh, you're right." Shangguan Zi jumped onto my bicycle and ordered the others, "You guys hurry to school, I'll ride with Ren-ge."
"Yes!"
Under my astonished gaze, the girls each got into a luxurious car, waved to us, and sped away.
The cars they were in had been following us the whole time; we had assumed the drivers were just wandering around, but it turned out they were their mode of transportation to school.
Besides, I noticed with my sharp eyes that a little further back, a stretched Mercedes was following, not leaving with the girls.
"Hey girl, is that the car that takes you to school?" I asked casually.
"Yeah, it is!" Shangguan Zi grabbed my waist, laughing, "Brother Ren, hurry up, we're going to be late!" These were the words I'd used to lecture her earlier, now returned to me verbatim.
It seemed I couldn't shake off this beautiful girl, so I resignedly started pedaling, chasing after the departing car, heading towards the school.
This girl seems to come from a very wealthy family!
With the rising sun and Shangguan Zi's laughter, I felt incredibly warm inside.
Because I consciously controlled the water droplets in the air, letting them replace my feet to pedal, the several kilometers, even with a beautiful girl weighing around 80 pounds riding behind me, were still easily covered by me.
"We're here, get off!" I said to Shangguan Zi, who was resting with her eyes closed and leaning against my back, not far from the school gate. At the school gate, I could already see the four girls who had left earlier waving at me.
"Ah? We're here so quickly?" Shangguan Zi yawned lazily, slowly got off the bike, and walked up to me, saying, "Brother Ren, riding in your car is so comfortable! Can I ride in your car to school every day?"
Looking at Shangguan Zi's expectant face, I smiled and said, "Girl, you're really strange. You have a luxury car, but you choose to ride a bicycle instead."
"Don't call me 'girl'!" The beautiful girl said, her anger tinged with shyness. "Call me Zi'er, that's what my family calls me."
"Zi'er?" I was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Okay, I'll call you Zi'er from now on."
Hearing me call her that, Shangguan Zi's face suddenly turned red, and she no longer mentioned taking the bike to school, running away as if her life depended on it.
"This girl, she actually knows how to be shy!"
After spending some time with her, I no longer saw her as one of those boring girls, but as a cute little sister.
I didn't think much about her motives for approaching me...maybe it was just curiosity! I explained to myself.
※※※
The second day of school further demonstrated the power of "Everyone's Fear, Even Ghosts' Sorrow."
In his Chinese class, Ghosts' Sorrow somehow found a bunch of obscure questions and asked the whole class to answer them.
When had the students ever seen anything like this? So, predictably, every student who couldn't answer was severely scolded by him. The power of a Chinese teacher's language was fully displayed, with countless sharp and sarcastic words that would make even a little hooligan blush. It wasn't
until several girls cried that Ghosts' Sorrow slowly let us go and began other lessons.
However, not everyone was scolded by him. At least my Jin Susu was able to answer his questions, which made me really happy for a while.
Because of the torment of the "Ghost's Sorrow" (a reference to a peculiar ordeal), everyone in Class 4 was listless that morning. Even Cai Fei, usually known for his energy, slumped listlessly on his desk, looking utterly weak.
It wasn't until lunchtime that Cai Fei regained some energy.
After most of the people waiting to go to lunch had left, he pulled me aside and said, "Big brother, I'll take you somewhere, I guarantee you'll see something amazing."
"Where?"
"The first year of junior high. Lots of incredibly beautiful girls have come there this year, I guarantee you'll drool. One of them is the most beautiful of all, already designated as 'the irreplaceable number one beauty of Wubang Middle School for the next six years'!"
Cai Fei was always radiant when talking about beautiful girls, but the lecherous look he gave that girl would surely give Chen Meihong nightmares if she saw it.
"What's her name?" I asked casually.
Cai Fei quickly said, "Shangguan Zi! How about it, pretty cool name, right?"
"..."
A sudden doubt arose in my mind: "Cai Fei, you haven't met her, have you?"
"Haha... no way!" Cai Fei's expression flashed as he tried to brush it off.
"Still dare to say no? I ran into her today, and she said she bought my information from you for five thousand yuan!" I used my trick.
Cai Fei fell for it, jumping up high: "Nonsense! How could it be that much?! Because she's a beauty, I only charged a friendly price of one hundred yuan!"
Volume 1: Chapter 15, In the Cafeteria
As soon as the words left his mouth, Cai Fei covered his mouth, looking at me with a fawning smile.
"Well, so that's why she knew so much! It really was you!" I raised my fist, saying, "And you even gave me a 'Note: Professional assessment indicates it doesn't look like plastic surgery'? Prepare to die!"
Ignoring Cai Fei's pleas, I held him down and punched him several times before letting him go.
Cai Fei struggled to his feet, his face contorted in a grimace. "My god, boss, how did you become so strong?"
I thought to myself. "Hmph, that's nothing. Come on, stop pretending to be dead, we're almost late for lunch." If I hadn't controlled my water and fire abilities, he'd know what a life-or-death situation was.
Beautiful women and food were Cai Fei's two greatest loves. He glanced at the time and wailed, "Oh my god, they have braised pork and spicy ribs today! If we go this late, will there be any left?" "
I don't know if there'll still be braised pork and spicy ribs, but if you don't hurry, I guarantee even the pickled cabbage will be gone." Before I could finish speaking, a strong gust of wind swept past me. The seemingly lifeless Cai Fei had already unleashed the speed of a 100-meter champion, dashing towards the cafeteria like a wisp of smoke.
Who knew this kid had such a talent for light-body techniques!
I smiled and followed him into the cafeteria.
I was a little delayed by playing around with Cai Fei, and by now, half the students in the cafeteria had finished lunch and were packing up their lunchboxes and heading outside. As usual
, I went to the cafeteria window, intending to order a set meal like I always do.
"Brother Ren~~"
A sweet, coquettish voice rang out in the cafeteria. I looked back in surprise and saw Shangguan Zi and her group sitting in my usual spot. She was now greeting me sweetly, "Brother Ren, I've already bought your set meal, come on over!"
The beautiful girl's voice was so loud that I couldn't pretend I didn't know her.
Under the strange gazes of many people, I went to them. Shangguan Zi commanded, "Alright, you guys go eat over there. Don't bother Brother Ren and me."
Shangguan Zi spoke with an air of authority, almost bossy. Surprisingly, the four girls didn't say anything, just playfully greeted me before moving to the other seats.
I don't know if it was a coincidence, but the moment I sat down, Jin Susu, who was sitting in her usual spot, frowned and turned away, ignoring the food she hadn't finished eating, as if she didn't want to see me.
I chuckled inwardly. I had planned to start pursuing her in a few days, but now that Shangguan Zi had interfered, heaven knows how difficult it would be for me to win over Jin Susu.
"Brother Ren, sit down!" The little girl, oblivious to everything else, happily brought me my chopsticks. "I ordered your favorite braised pork and spicy ribs."
Looking at the unfamiliar dishes on the table, I hesitated, "Zi'er, did Cai Fei tell you that?"
"Yes, he said you like these the most," Shangguan Zi nodded.
Just then, I noticed a furtive figure approaching us at breakneck speed. Judging by his sleazy appearance, I knew who he was without even looking.
"Haha... Shangguan, hello! What a coincidence to meet you here!" Cai Fei, holding an empty lunchbox, looked at Shangguan Zi with enthusiasm, completely ignoring me, whose back was turned to him.
"Oh, it's you." Facing him, Shangguan Zi immediately put on a different face. She suppressed her smile and calmly said, "I'm having dinner with Brother Ren. If it's not important, please don't bother us anymore."
"Brother Ren?!" Cai Fei feigned surprise, then pretended to have just noticed me, and said in a delighted tone, "Big brother, it's you! I was wondering which man could be worthy of having dinner with such a sweet and charming girl like Shangguan, whose beauty is unmatched in Ubang. It turns out it's you, sir!"
I frowned, almost wanting to kick him to death. I'm a year younger than him. When did I become an old man?
However, his flattery had no effect on me, but that didn't mean it had no effect on the other protagonist. Shangguan Zi's expression was much better than before, and even a slight smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh my god, I'm going to die! How can someone have such a charming smile?" Cai Fei once again completely ignored my presence and continued to flatter me, "Classmate Shangguan, when are you planning to form a personal guard? I, Cai Fei, will definitely be the first to sign up. I'm willing to charge into battle and die to protect an invincible national beauty like you."
Flattery doesn't always work, but Cai Fei's words made the beauty raise an eyebrow. "I don't need any personal guard. I have Brother Ren, that's enough!"
Seeing Cai Fei's stunned and embarrassed expression, I was overjoyed. Seeing this opportunistic guy get his comeuppance was something worth a few drinks.
"Take your braised pork and spicy ribs and leave, or I'll dump them on the ground as fertilizer." Seeing that he still wanted to turn the tide, I quickly threw out my trump card.
Cai Fei's face lit up with joy. He had worked so hard for so long just to get two delicious dishes to eat, but the cafeteria had sold out of both!
Seeing him looking at her, Shangguan Zi nodded slightly and said, "Take it. What Brother Ren said is what I mean. However, you mustn't lie to me with false information again in the future. Otherwise, I believe the students of Wubang Middle School will be very happy to see a naked boy hanging at the school gate."
Shangguan Zi wasn't stupid. She understood from my words that the so-called "delicious food that Yin Ren likes to eat" was actually all Cai Fei's own favorite food. Having been pampered since childhood, how could she have been deceived? If it weren't for the fact that Cai Fei was my friend, this kid would probably have been punished.
"Haha... Of course, we're family now, how could I dare to lie to you... Sister-in-law!" Cai Fei said carelessly as he quickly picked up the dishes.
The pretty girl, hearing the first half of his words, almost threw her chopsticks to shut him up. But before she could act, the last two words Cai Fei uttered made her heart flutter, a shy feeling welling up inside her. Her grip loosened, and Cai Fei, unaware of the danger, escaped.
Volume 1: Chapter 16, Two Hot Girls
Watching Cai Fei dash to a table far away and devour his food, I was filled with contempt: This bastard, three years older than Shangguan Zi, dared to call her "sister-in-law"—a disgrace to men!
Turning around, I didn't see the expected anger. Instead, the pretty girl's cheeks were flushed, her head bowed, lost in thought.
After much consideration, I decided I should explain. Through these two encounters, I knew Shangguan Zi was definitely not from an ordinary family. Cai Fei's words might be fine for an ordinary girl, but facing such a beautiful young woman from a wealthy family, it was hard to guarantee she wouldn't lose face.
"Zi'er, Cai Fei has a good heart, but he just can't control his mouth. Sometimes he talks nonsense, so please don't take it to heart."
"No, I think he's quite interesting." Shangguan Zi smiled again.
Just as I expected, Shangguan Zi's heart was pounding like a deer, making her feel uneasy, but not in the way I had imagined.
“I didn’t expect Ren-ge’s friend to call me ‘sister-in-law’, hehe, does that mean he also thinks Ren-ge and I are a good match?… I wish Ren-ge thought so too, but I always feel like he treats me like a child… Sigh! If only I weren’t fourteen, but sixteen like Ren-ge.”
Seeing Shangguan Zi lost in thought, I asked nervously, “Zi’er, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Shangguan Zi looked up and saw my worried expression. She smiled sweetly, “Ren-ge, it’s nothing, I’m just hungry. Let’s eat!”
Hearing the beautiful girl say that, I did feel my stomach rumbling. So I picked up my chopsticks without ceremony, politely picked up a piece of fish-flavored eggplant for Shangguan Zi, and then slowly chewed on my own.
“Thank you, Ren-ge!” The little beauty blushed as I picked up the food for her and thanked me softly.
“Hehe, eat quickly, if we keep being so polite, we won’t be able to eat.” I patted her head affectionately and said half-jokingly.
Shangguan Zi wrinkled her small, delicate nose and protested, "No, I'm not a child anymore! Don't touch my head like that!"
"Okay, okay!"
Under her piercing gaze, I solemnly apologized. Only then did Shangguan Zi happily pick up a piece of twice-cooked pork for me, and I began to eat with relish.
"Hey, are you Yin Ren?" Amidst the laughter and chatter, a strong fragrance wafted through the air, and two stylishly dressed hot girls plopped down opposite Shangguan Zi and me.
Looking at them, the two girls were very beautiful, with amazing figures. Their soft, smooth breasts were even more stunning than Di Ya's.
Shangguan Zi was very observant. My eyes only lingered on the two girls' chests for a maximum of two seconds before she noticed. The beautiful girl compared herself to the others, pouted unhappily, and looked at me with a hint of grievance in her eyes.
I didn't notice her expression and instead addressed the two girls, "Yes, what's up?"
"My name is Tao Yan, and this is Jin Xiaojuan." The girl who spoke had dark lipstick, making her look very sexy and alluring. "We're from a tutoring center. We heard you've become quite famous lately, so we came to check it out."
Tutoring centers are places for those who didn't get into university but don't want to give up, hoping to enter university through a year of hard work and review. However, there are also some spoiled brats who don't want to go to school but are forced to by their parents to attend tutoring centers.
The two hot girls sitting in front of me probably belonged to the latter category.
Hearing this, I carefully observed the two women. Tao Yan's lips twitched slightly, while Jin Xiaojuan, sitting next to her, returned my gaze with an even more provocative look.
"Have you seen enough?" I frowned at the provocation and said, "If you've seen enough, go back. I'm eating."
"Giggle..."
The two women laughed in unison, ignoring me and continuing their conversation as if no one else was around.
"How was it?"
"Pretty good. Not only is he handsome, but he also has a good personality. I like him."
"But I like him too."
"Then let's stick to the old rule: let him choose which of us to date first."
"Okay!"
The two women's words made Shangguan Zi and me frown, but our dissatisfaction was different.
What I was thinking was, "Ladies, although I wouldn't mind having some intimate contact with hot girls like you with amazing figures, it should at least wait until I've given my virginity to Su Su. If I were to sleep with you now, I'd be at a disadvantage."
Shangguan Zi, however, was flashing through her mind the images of the ten most cruel tortures in history, the victims of which were these two shameless, slutty women.
"Handsome, we really like you. Which one of us sisters do you fancy?" Tao Yan, having finished her conversation, spoke first. "We can all be your women."
Tao Yan's words immediately revealed their difference from the girls in school. Most girls would say "be your girlfriend," but she directly said "be your woman," implying they had connections with people outside of school, perhaps even the closest of relationships.
This discovery instantly diminished my interest in them.
Before I could speak, Shangguan Zi muttered a curse under her breath: "Slut!"
"Oh, little sister, are you jealous?" Jin Xiaojuan said flirtatiously. "Too bad, women like me, beautiful and with great figures, are what guys love most. Look at your flat figure, it's utterly unattractive. Want me to lend you some?"
To get me to act, Jin Xiaojuan stood up and turned around, showing off her ample hips and slender waist.
To be honest, Shangguan Zi's figure wasn't bad; for her age, she was considered curvy for a pretty girl. However, compared to Tao Yan and Jin Xiaojuan's impressive figures... she could be considered flat-chested.
Volume 1: Chapter 17, The Barbarian Girl
At this moment, it was time for the man to step forward. I said with a hint of anger, "Gentlemen, please don't insult my friend. I believe that when she grows up, her figure will definitely not be worse than yours."
"Hehe, handsome, you really know how to cherish a lady," Tao Yan said with a coquettish laugh. "Come with us sisters, we guarantee you'll enjoy the pleasures of men, the ultimate pleasure that little girls can't give you!"
I shook my head inwardly. This slut, she even dared to say such provocative things! I wonder how many men they've been with!
For someone with my fastidious nature, this finally severed all interest in them, not even a trace.
I was about to refuse them when something unexpected happened. Shangguan Zi
, who had been silent all along, suddenly slammed her hand on the table, startling the two women. She then burst into a tirade, "Where the hell did you two sluts come from? Trying to steal my man? You want to die?"
This time, not only Tao Yan and Jin Xiaojuan were shocked, but I was also stunned by the beautiful girl's profanity.
Seeing Shangguan Zi's anger, the four pretty girls beside her nervously crowded around, cheering her on, "Get out of the way, or we'll beat you to a pulp!"
While the two women had initially intended to teach Shangguan Zi a lesson, seeing her with reinforcements, they abandoned any thoughts of violence.
"Hmph, do you think a man like Yin Ren can be held by a mere snot-nosed girl like you?" Tao Yan retorted immediately, dissatisfied. "Dream on!"
"As long as I like it, it's none of your business to act like sluts here!" Shangguan Zi continued with her shocking words: "So what if I don't have a good figure? I'm still a virgin, unlike you guys who have been ridden by countless men!"
I thought I knew Shangguan Zi quite well, but hearing her words, I realized that young girls these days are truly a diverse bunch!
Exposed as sluts by Shangguan Zi, Tao Yan and Jin Xiaojuan weren't ashamed at all. Instead, they said smugly, "This proves that we're popular. High charm is what makes men welcome! Unlike you little girls, even if you offered yourselves up, men wouldn't want you!"
The two women went further and further as they spoke. I was already considering whether to set them on fire or pour a bucket of water over them, drenching them completely.
Unexpectedly, before I could act, the two women who were showing off their charms suddenly jumped up as if pricked by a needle, screaming and touching their ample breasts.
Next, Tao Yan and Jin Xiaojuan acted like they had lice, first painfully touching their waists, then their thighs… like monkeys dancing.
Realizing something was wrong, they didn't bother with polite words anymore, screaming as they ran out of the cafeteria and disappeared from sight.
"Haha…"
Those still eating in the cafeteria couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle, especially Cai Fei, whose mouth was greasy, and the five pretty girls.
I, however, stared blankly at Shangguan Zi… Just now, it seemed like this girl's hand on the table was gently twitching. Could that be her doing?
Shangguan Zi chuckled for a while, clutching her tummy, then suddenly noticed my gaze. Her smile vanished, and she quickly sat down obediently, saying, "Brother Ren...actually, actually, I'm not that kind of person...it's just that they're so mean, so..."
I patted her little hand knowingly, "Of course, we absolutely can't let them bully our Zi'er. Actually, even if you hadn't scolded them, I would have chased them away for you." "
Really?" Shangguan Zi happily grabbed my hand, "Brother Ren, you won't think I'm being rude
, will you?" "There's no need to be polite with girls like that. If I were in their shoes, I'd probably get scolded ten times worse." Although I was somewhat taken aback, I couldn't bring myself to scold such a cute little sister.
"Hehe, I knew you understood Zi'er." Shangguan Zi looked at me like she was saying, "Brother Ren, you're my confidant," her big eyes crinkling with laughter.
"Big sister, we're finished eating, are you coming?" At this moment, the four girls, having finished laughing, asked.
Shangguan Zi waved her hand, "I'm having dinner with Brother Ren, you guys go ahead and ask for leave for me."
"Okay!" After a reply, the girls giggled and ran off.
Only after they said that did I realize it was almost time for class. Even Cai Fei, who was usually the most procrastinating, shrank out of the cafeteria after gesturing to me about the time.
"Zi'er, it's getting late, you should go back to the classroom. I'm going to class too." I stood up to leave, but Shangguan Zi held me tightly.
"Brother Ren~" She blinked her big eyes, tilting her head to reveal her youthful beauty, and said, "We haven't eaten much since they kept us entertained. Will you eat with me?"
"But..." I hesitated. The next class was one that everyone feared, and if I deliberately arrived late, I didn't know what he'd say.
Shangguan Zi persisted, "Please, please~"
"Okay, okay! Fine, I give up. Let's keep eating!" Looking at the pretty girl's charming expression, I felt a surge of courage. I'm already a superhero, how could I be afraid of a teacher?
"Yay!" Shangguan Zi, overjoyed at achieving her goal, couldn't help but give me a quick kiss on the cheek, which stunned us both.
This... seemed to be the first time I'd ever been kissed by a woman besides my mother, though not on the lips.
Shangguan Zi's expression was the same; her flushed face fell, making it clear to me that this was also the first time she'd kissed a man outside her family.
I didn't say anything, but instead served her another bowl of soup. Shangguan Zi took it with both hands, lowered her head, and sipped it slowly, trying to calm her complex emotions.
The little girl's mood recovered easily. After finishing the soup, Shangguan Zi regained her previous cheerful expression. Not only did she eat happily, but she also tried to feed me from time to time, appearing mischievous and cute.
Volume 1: Chapter 18, Hao Yunlai's Relatives
To be honest, I didn't have any special feelings for her at this moment. I could accept her intimate actions, at most just treating her as a little sister I liked. But some people don't think that way, especially now that the school bell had long since rung.
"What grade are you two students in?" As this slightly overweight middle-aged man walked over and questioned us, we realized that at this moment, besides the three of us, there were only some cleaning staff left in the cafeteria.
Seeing that I wanted to speak, Shangguan Zi grabbed my hand from below and preemptively said, "What?"
Her words were cold and hard, as if she had no idea that this was Yao Guoxiong, the deputy director of the school's teaching affairs office.
This was the first time Yao Guoxiong had seen a girl dare to speak to him in such a tone, which made him, who already wanted to make an example of us, want to punish us further.
"Don't you know this is school, not your home!" Yao Guoxiong roared. "At such a young age, you're already messing around with boys and girls, skipping classes, and here flirting. You self-degrading scoundrels are a disgrace to Wubang Middle School!"
His words were vulgar and unreasonable, not only infuriating Shangguan Zi but also making me extremely dissatisfied.
It was indeed wrong of us to skip class and eat here; it was also somewhat inappropriate for Shangguan Zi and me to act intimately at school; but for him to use that as a basis to speak rudely and maliciously mock us was simply unbecoming of a teacher.
Yao Guoxiong's insults were different from the "feared by everyone" curse. The "feared by everyone" curses were directed at the action itself, not the student's character. But Yao Guoxiong, as an official in the academic affairs office, was using highly insulting language, seemingly treating us like Tao Yan and Jin Xiaojuan from before.
Just when I thought Shangguan Zi was about to explode again, she took a few deep breaths and her expression turned calm.
"Whoever you are, apologize for the insults you just hurled at me and Brother Ren." In that instant, Shangguan Zi's expression returned to calm and serene, exuding an air of nobility.
"Apologize?" Yao Guoxiong thought he had misheard. He laughed angrily, "You two little brats? Bah!" Instead of submitting, he spat on the ground.
Shangguan Zi calmly said, "My third uncle is Hao Yunlai."
She only said these few words, and Yao Guoxiong, who had been planning to call for a public denunciation meeting, immediately widened his eyes.
The name Hao Yunlai seemed somewhat childish, and five years ago in Ubang City, people would have laughed at this vulgar name. But now, no one dared to openly say that the name was unsophisticated, at least not in Ubang City.
The reason was simple: the top official in Ubang's political circles, the Party Secretary of Ubang City, was this forty-two-year-old man named Hao Yunlai.
"Hao... Hao..." Yao Guoxiong stammered for a long time, unable to utter another word.
"Hao Yunlai," Shangguan Zi finished for him, "If you don't know him, I can introduce you."
Now Yao Guoxiong finally believed it; this young woman was indeed from a powerful family!
Calming down, Yao Guoxiong could now see Shangguan Zi's aristocratic air. Anyone with common sense knew that such outstanding qualities required generations of cultivation, unlike the vulgarity deliberately cultivated by nouveau riche.
More than most people, Yao Guoxiong knew one more thing: Hao Yunlai's ability to become mayor of Wubang City five years ago at the age of thirty-eight, and then two years ago at the young age of forty, to become the top person in Wubang City, was largely due to the influence of his maternal family. He knew
this because his brother was a minor official in the municipal party committee.
The term "third aunt's husband" could be interpreted in many ways, but Yao Guoxiong knew for sure that Shangguan Zi must come from the powerful family behind Secretary Hao.
Good heavens, how did I get involved with such a powerful woman! And I even used such vicious words to insult her and her boyfriend.
Yao Guoxiong let out a wail, abandoning all pretense of dignity, his voice dropping eight octaves in an instant, "Excuse me... classmate, I misspoke, please forgive me?"
"Sure," Shangguan Zi nodded. Before Yao Guoxiong could show any surprise, she pointed to the saliva on the ground and said, "If misspoken words can be taken back, then this saliva should be taken back too, right?"
"How can I take it back?" Yao Guoxiong blurted out.
Shangguan Zi looked at him coldly, "I don't know. You're so good at swearing, how come your brain isn't working properly?"
Hearing the beautiful girl's sarcasm, Yao Guoxiong's last bit of hope vanished. He understood that Shangguan Zi meant for him to lick back his saliva.
Such a huge insult! This deputy director of education really wanted to slap Shangguan Zi and shout, "I quit this job!"
But he wasn't that kind of decisive person. With children to support, he had to consider what would happen to his family if he lost his job; he also had to consider whether this matter would affect his brother's future in the municipal party committee.
After much deliberation, Yao Guoxiong wanted to beg Shangguan Zi for mercy again, but upon seeing her cold eyes, he immediately realized he had no other choice but to obey her orders.
Gritting his teeth, the deputy director of education lowered his head, intending to kneel and lick back his saliva, but a hand grabbed him, preventing him from bending down.
"Zi'er, don't act like a child." At that moment, I didn't know if my words would be of any use, but I couldn't stand by and watch Yao Guoxiong be humiliated—although he deserved punishment for his foul mouth, and although I was also insulted, such punishment had exceeded the limits of retaliation.
Fortunately, Shangguan Zi gave me a strange look, then said calmly to Yao Guoxiong, "You're lucky today, with my brother Ren pleading for you. Get lost!"
Yao Guoxiong looked at me gratefully, then obediently bowed respectfully to Shangguan Zi before turning and leaving, his former arrogance completely gone.
Volume 1: Chapter 19, Girlfriend
Turning my gaze away from Yao Guoxiong's retreating figure, I suddenly realized how little I knew about Shangguan Zi. Perhaps, perhaps she wasn't as innocent and adorable as I had imagined… I'd heard that people from prominent families always wore several masks.
My eyes turned to Shangguan Zi, only to see this once-imposing young noblewoman with glistening tears in her eyes, looking at me with a fragile and helpless expression.
"Zi'er, what's wrong again?" I couldn't bear to see beautiful girls cry, and in my haste, the questions I had prepared were completely useless. I quickly handed her a tissue.
Shangguan Zi didn't take the tissue, letting her tears slide down her cheeks and onto the floor.
"Waaah…waaah…" she sobbed, "I know you don't like it when I'm like this, Brother Ren. Do you think I'm too domineering? Is it too much to treat a teacher like this?"
You're right!
However, I could only say this to myself. Facing the heartbroken girl, I couldn't provoke her further, after all, she was also upholding our dignity. "Zi'er, I didn't think that way."
"You did!" the beautiful girl said with teary eyes, "You just think I'm being unreasonable and don't want to talk to me anymore."
I gasped. This girl's sixth sense was so strong. I had previously decided to keep my distance from her. This girl's background was mysterious, and her personality was very changeable, making me unsure which of her words were true and which were false.
"Haha, Zi'er, don't make wild guesses. We'll still be good friends in the future," I said, forcing a smile.
"No! No! I don't want to!" Shangguan Zi, despite her young age, had a mournful expression on her face. "I want to be Brother Ren's girlfriend, the kind who thinks she'll become Brother Ren's wife."
"Ah?!"
I almost fell under the table in shock. "Zi'er, how old are you?" "
I'm fourteen!" Shangguan Zi stared intently at me. "I want to date Brother Ren for a few years, and then we'll get married when I'm eighteen."
I said, half-laughing and half-crying, "My little darling, when you're eighteen, I'll only be twenty-one. Neither of us has reached the legal marriage age in China. How can we get married?"
"In Washington State, USA, girls can get married at twelve and boys at fourteen!" Shangguan Zi exclaimed. "We'll get married in Hong Kong then, where sixteen is allowed. But my family has a rule that I can only marry Brother Ren after graduating from high school at the earliest."
"But we've only known each other for less than a day..." I said weakly. This girl knows more than I do. I wonder who taught her all this.
"So what if it's just one day?" Shangguan Zi suddenly grabbed my hand and pressed it against her left breast. "Zi'er's heart is already filled with Brother Ren's image; she can't let go of any other man."
My head felt like it was about to explode. What was going on? Had this beautiful girl watched too many dramas, or was she under too much pressure from her family, causing this sudden outburst?
But I had just defined her as a "cute little sister," how could I accept this sudden change? ...Uh, however, pressing my palm against the beautiful girl's small, delicate breast did give me a tingling sensation, which was quite comfortable.
"Brother Ren, do you like Zi'er?" The little devil wasn't going to let me off the hook, pressing on relentlessly.
I honestly answered, "Yes!"
Facing such a beautiful and stunning girl, if I didn't like her, I wouldn't be a real man.
"Zi'er likes Brother Ren too," Shangguan Zi said shyly. "Yesterday was Zi'er's first day of school in Wubang City. They told Zi'er that if you don't have a few outstanding boys liking you in junior high, you're not a real beauty. So Zi'er found out that you're currently the most popular handsome guy in Wubang Middle School, and I wanted to get close to you just for my vanity.
This morning, I went to Donghua Community to wait for you, following the information I bought from Cai Fei. I liked you the moment I saw you, Brother Ren. Later, you took such good care of me, making me eat the best breakfast of my life. You even gave Zi'er a ride to school on your bicycle. That feeling of being close to someone I like..." "It was just too wonderful!
As a result, I didn't hear a thing the teacher was saying all morning; my mind was filled with Ren-gege's image. I just wanted class to end so I could see him again, and be with you..." Shangguan Zi paused, then continued, "During lunch, those two sluts insulted Zi'er's figure, saying they were trying to seduce Ren-gege. I was so angry, that's why I taught them a lesson. And that teacher went too far, saying those things about Zi'er and Ren-gege, so Zi'er couldn't help but want to embarrass him! If Ren-gege doesn't like Zi'er doing this, I won't do it again, okay?"
Carefully savoring the beautiful girl's sincere emotions, I found a part of my heart beginning to soften.
It wasn't that I no longer liked Jin Susu, but rather that at this moment, another girl's name had been added to my heart.
Although neither feeling could be called love, if carefully nurtured, a small seed could grow into a towering tree!
"Alright! Since Zi'er can boldly speak her mind, what don't I dare to do!" I pulled her into my arms. "Zi'er, from today onwards, you're my girlfriend!"
If it were me two months ago, even if I had the guts, I wouldn't have dared to make such a statement or take such action. But after taking the personality-changing pill, I've changed a lot. One of the changes is that I no longer deliberately suppress my feelings; if I like someone, I like them!
Faced with this sudden surprise, Shangguan Zi was overjoyed. Holding her in my arms, she trembled and said, "Brother Ren, you're not lying to me? Is it true?"
"Of course it's true," I assured her earnestly.
"Then I want you to tell Zi'er again!" Shangguan Zi was still somewhat incredulous.
"Zi'er, be my girlfriend."
"Okay!" Shangguan Zi smiled broadly and nodded emphatically.
Volume 1: Chapter 20, Two Girlfriends
After sitting with her for a while, I gently said, "Zi'er, before you, I had someone else I liked..."
I decided to make some things clear from the beginning to avoid trouble later. I didn't want to hide anything; it would only hurt everyone.
"You mean Jin Susu?" Shangguan Zi asked playfully, winking.
I then realized that Cai Fei's betrayal was truly thorough; he had even told Shangguan Zi this.
"I just glanced at Jin Susu; she's the girl sitting over there, right?" Shangguan Zi pointed to Jin Susu's seat. Seeing me nod, she smiled sweetly and said, "It doesn't matter to me. As long as she can tolerate Zi'er's presence, I don't mind having another older sister."
"What did you say?" I looked at her in surprise.
Shangguan Zi nodded and said, "I'm willing to share Brother Ren with her, so what?"
"What's going on in your little head? This is a society governed by law, who marries two wives?" Although I did have that fantasy in my heart, Shangguan Zi's words made me a little nervous and flustered.
"Tch, Brother Ren, you don't know this, do you?" Shangguan Zi said dismissively, "I have three grandmothers, my father married two wives, my eldest uncle married three, and my third uncle is even more impressive, he has six wives!"
"..." After a long while, I finally came to my senses and asked, "Zi'er, which planet are you from?"
"Pah!" Shangguan Zi chuckled, pinched me, and said, "Our family is a large, long-established clan. There are quite a few families like ours in China! You don't believe me, do you?"
I nodded. "Of course."
"Hehe, I'll take you home to see them sometime." Shangguan Zi laughed, "Actually, our family isn't the most powerful. Do you know the Murong family? The one that founded Murong University. Their patriarch married eighteen wives in one go! My parents were stunned when they went to witness the ceremony!" I
couldn't take it anymore.
I touched my head, sitting blankly to the side.
What this girl said completely overturned many of my beliefs. How could such an absurd thing happen in this society governed by law?
Seeing that I was deep in thought, Shangguan Zi nestled obediently in my arms and stopped talking.
At this moment, there was no one else in the cafeteria besides the two of us. Earlier, someone had tried to invite us out for some intimate time, but when the cafeteria staff saw Yao Guoxiong's disheveled escape, they knew we were not to be trifled with. So, after cleaning up, they wisely turned off the lights and left, leaving us alone in this vast space.
"Zi'er, aren't your families afraid of legal repercussions?" After a long while, I began asking again.
Shangguan Zi chuckled, "Brother Ren, why should we be afraid?"
"Perhaps you'll say your families are powerful, but even if they are, can they be more powerful than the nation?"
"We can't possibly be more powerful than the nation." Shangguan Zi nodded in agreement, but immediately countered, "But we haven't harmed the nation's security and prosperity. On the contrary, our families have made significant contributions to the nation. The nation won't punish us for such a small matter."
I asked with a smile, "This is a small matter?"
"Yes, it's a small matter! Our families' businesses not only pay a large amount of taxes to the nation, but also utilize our resources to provide the nation with many new technologies and support. All we ask for is to enjoy an unrestrained life without killing or arson, which is within the nation's tolerance."
"How decadent!"
As I spoke, my thoughts immediately drifted to the scene Shangguan Zi described—the wedding of the eldest son of the Murong family… eighteen wives! What a magnificent scene that must have been!?
"Hehe, Brother Ren, don't think so much. You'll see more of this in the future, and then it won't seem so strange anymore," Shangguan Zi said lazily. "Actually, whether or not a man can enjoy the luxurious life of various families, or marry many celestial wives, all depends on his ability."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked her, very curious.
"The life of a strong person should be in his own hands. Since you have the ability to create a better life, why not enjoy it?" Shangguan Zi gave an example: "Take marriage, for instance. If a man can make several, or even a dozen, women like him and want to live with him, why can't he marry them all? Why should your life path be swayed by worldly opinions? Making yourself happy, and making those you like and those who like you happy, that's the most important thing in life!"
Shangguan Zi said this in one breath, then said slightly embarrassedly, "These are things my grandfather often says... I think they make a lot of sense."
I didn't reply, but was once again shocked by the beautiful girl's astonishing words.
So this is how life can be lived!
And one's own life should be in one's own hands, acting freely, not betraying heaven and conscience, not betraying oneself and those one loves—that's what I, Yin Ren, have always loved—to be a powerful and carefree person!
Suddenly, my mind was like a coral crown, transforming from confusion and uncertainty about the future into a strong and powerful belief: to have a beautiful life, to strive for a beautiful life, and to bring happiness to all those I love! As for those worldly constraints, as long as I don't violate heaven and earth, to hell with them!
"Thank you, Zi'er!"
I hugged her tightly again, and in the tight embrace, I found her cherry lips and pressed my lips down, wildly stealing the little beauty's first kiss… Shangguan Zi was initially very uncomfortable, her little tongue darting away, but with my gentle guidance, the little beauty tasted the sweetness, slowly intertwining her lips and tongue with mine, sweetly enjoying the joy and happiness I brought her…
Volume 1: Chapter 21, Diamond
Back home that evening, I comfortably soaked in the bathtub, my mind filled with thoughts.
Although I've set my life goals, figuring out how to achieve them is a practical question worth considering. After all, it's not something you can just shout about and expect to have bread.
Five million in the bank is enough to live a comfortable life as a modest millionaire, but to marry Shangguan Zi, I need hundreds of millions in assets. The Shangguan family probably wouldn't even give me a second glance.
Besides, I also plan to win over my first love, Jin Susu, which isn't something money can easily buy.
I don't have the ability to make money right now, and I lack excellent skills in pursuing girls. Achieving a good life is truly troublesome!
While idly playing with the gold necklace I found, I suddenly noticed something strange: even when immersed in a 50-degree Celsius hot bath, the round piece at the end of the necklace remained ice-cold, unchanged by the water temperature.
I didn't think much of it; coincidentally, I had a headache, so I used it to cool my head.
I casually placed the metal piece on the forehead, and a chilling sensation immediately shot into my brain.
"Boom!"
A deafening roar echoed in my head, making me think it was about to explode. But instead of exploding, something else appeared.
In a void, a book titled "Ten Thousand Practical Skills of the Yin Family," gleaming with golden light, hung in the sky.
The Yin family? Could it be that my ancestors have sent me this precious book? But the book was tightly closed, and I couldn't open it with my hands. How could I access its contents? Just
as I was pondering this, a beautiful female voice entered my mind, "This book is for the exclusive use of the Yin family, the first family of the Federation. Anyone attempting to steal its secrets will be subjected to the most severe mental attack… Now, bloodline verification…"
I jumped in fright, shouting for her to stop, but I couldn't utter a sound.
"Verification complete… The holder belongs to the purest bloodline of the Yin family and can view all the contents of this book." The beautiful female voice's assessment brought me a huge sigh of relief. Damn, that almost scared me to death!
I didn't have time to think about why I passed the verification, because I discovered I could speak now. Curiosity overcame everything. "What's in this book?"
I waited for a long time, but still didn't hear the beautiful female voice answer. After a while, I suddenly "saw" the page numbers and words inside the book.
I opened the book to the first page, which read in large characters: "Don't rely too much on the benefits of skills. All skills are just tools to help people achieve their goals. Having overwhelming strength is the most important thing."
Apart from this warning, the specific content of the book began on the second page.
It turned out that this skill book was divided into six categories: Creation, Destruction, Technology, Martial Arts, Supernatural Abilities, and Medicine. It encompassed a vast array of knowledge, but almost all of it consisted of things I'd never seen before.
Luckily, I wasn't greedy; I only flipped through a few pages before mentally closing the book. If I had read all ten thousand skills at once, I would have definitely become the first man in the world to die from an overload of knowledge.
I tried to signal the book to close with my mental power, but it didn't obey. Instead, it rapidly expanded and then, with a "poof," vanished from my mind. "
Boss, you're not kidding me, are you? It's just ruined like that?" I thought regretfully. "I should at least copy down a few money-making secrets first!"
Then, a clear image appeared in my mind: Technology category, number thirty-eight, how to use chemical reactions to make diamonds… Could I please have a love potion to drive women crazy?
Before that thought had even settled, another shadow appeared: Medical category, number twelfth, how to make "Virgin's Soul-Sealing Powder"... *cough cough*, I blushed and urged the recipe to disappear quickly. As for aphrodisiacs, I, Yin Ren, only conduct academic research; I have no lewd intentions whatsoever!
...
These two consecutive surprises made me suddenly realize that this golden skill book hadn't disappeared, but rather dissolved into my body. From then on, I was spared the pain of flipping through pages each time, directly storing ten thousand skills in my mind, ready to be used whenever I wanted.
The thought of mastering so many awe-inspiring skills made me itchy; thinking is not as good as doing.
Retrieving the diamond-making method from my mind, the first step was naturally to find the necessary materials. I jumped out of the bathtub, threw on some clothes, and rushed to the chemical supply store.
In less than an hour, carrying six or seven bags, I finally returned home with my bountiful harvest.
As we all know, diamonds are chemically composed of carbon, making them the only gemstone composed of a single element. Therefore, scientists have long concluded that under certain special circumstances, even the least valuable carbon can potentially transform into the most valuable diamond.
However, we also know that many scientists' ideas are nonsense, constantly spouting plausible but ultimately unfounded claims to fool people. It's more practical to present their actual research findings.
Hmph, if I were to just pull out any one of the technological skills from the skill book, it would probably terrify those guys!
While pondering these random thoughts, my hands didn't stop. Soon, I found some leftover charcoal from last winter's charcoal hotpot in the kitchen.
Let's make something truly impactful!
With this thought, I picked out a piece of charcoal the size of a duck egg and placed it on the large table in the living room.
Next, following the instructions in the book, I placed all thirty-one chemical ingredients into a wooden basin in precise proportions.
To ensure the quality of the chemical raw materials was accurate, I specifically bought an electronic scale with a precision of one-hundredth of a gram from a hardware store, spending over two thousand yuan—a huge investment.
As the last raw material, weak nitric acid, was poured in, bubbles slowly rose in the snow-white wooden basin, then began to gurgle and bubble as if boiling.
With the utmost reverence for diamonds, I gently placed the charcoal into the basin.
Volume One: Chapter Twenty-Two, Failure or Success
At first, there was little reaction, but after a minute, the already boiling basin suddenly crackled and popped. Looking closely, I saw that the originally white liquid had instantly turned black. I nervously
watched the time and the seemingly exploding basin, then, following the instructions in the book, at the peak of the boiling, I poured the clear water from the porcelain container into the basin with a "plop."
"Boom!"
A wave of steam hit me from the smoke, making my legs numb and almost causing me to lose my balance.
As the smoke cleared, I rushed to the wooden basin, eager to welcome the birth of my diamond. But all I saw was a stone several times smaller than its original size; the water in the basin had completely evaporated, leaving only a stone the size of a quail egg. I picked it up and discovered it had absolutely no diamond-like qualities. Aside from a slightly iridescent color, it was exactly the same as any other stone on the street.
Damn it! So this seemingly mysterious and precious book was also a counterfeit!
But I'm not one to give up easily. I immediately wondered if my previous procedure was wrong, or if the proportions were off, or perhaps… As my self-hypnosis deepened, I increasingly felt it was my own problem, not the book's.
Whatever, I'll try again! It doesn't cost much anyway!
So, with the determination to succeed, I began my diamond-making journey once more… ※※※ The next morning at 6:30.
Having not slept all night, I stared at the thirty-odd stones of various sizes on the table, almost bursting into tears of frustration.
People say nothing is impossible for a willing heart.
I never imagined that all my hard work overnight would only result in so much junk. It's truly disheartening!
But no matter how upset I am, I still have to go to school. Besides, my girlfriend, Shangguan Zi, is waiting for me at the door this morning.
Thinking of her, my mood improved considerably. After washing up, I picked up my schoolbag and turned to walk towards the entrance.
But when I reached the door, I suddenly turned back and stuffed all the junk into my bag. After working so hard, even giving it to my classmates would be a way of appreciating the fruits of my labor! I thought this matter-of-factly, without considering whether my classmates would even want these useless stones.
"Honey, you don't look too well!"
Compared to my dejected state, Shangguan Zi, nourished by love, was exceptionally energetic, even more beautiful than yesterday.
The speed at which my affectionate nickname changed left me utterly astonished.
I had tried to persuade her, but Shangguan Zi argued, "Anyway, Zi'er will marry Brother Ren in the future, so it's better to change how you address me sooner so I can get used to it."
"I was busy all night last night and haven't slept a wink, of course I'm exhausted," I said weakly.
"Ah?" Shangguan Zi quickly stepped forward and took my hand. "Honey, why don't you ride in my car to school today, so you won't get tired when you ride your bike later."
"Hehe, I didn't realize you were so understanding, Zi'er." I thought for a moment and decided not to force myself anymore, so I accepted her offer.
Shangguan Zi puffed out her beautiful chest. "Hmph, I'm the one who cares most about my husband, you know. I have many other good qualities, you'll see later." With that, she giggled and took my hand. "Let's go, let's go eat Grandma Li's sesame cakes."
After a short run, we arrived at Grandma Li's food stall, but it was packed with customers today, and there were no seats left. We could only say hello to Grandma Li and buy a few sesame cakes to eat in the car.
"Uncle Jun, you can get out now. I'll drive myself to school today." As soon as she got in the car, Shangguan Zi kicked the driver out of the car, claiming that she wanted to share some time with me.
We first sat in the back seat of the car. Shangguan Zi playfully turned around and sat on my lap, facing me.
With this adorable little beauty around, eating became much more cloying. Shangguan Zi insisted that I feed her, and sometimes she would shyly ask me to feed her the sesame seed cakes with my mouth. It took a full half hour to finish the three sesame seed cakes.
"Honey, what were you busy with last night? Why didn't you get any rest?" Noticing that I looked really tired, the little girl stared at me with her big eyes and asked.
I casually replied, "Oh, I went to make diamonds."
"Diamonds?" Shangguan Zi chuckled. "Hehe, can diamonds be made artificially? Even if they could, it would require very sophisticated equipment and cost a lot of money—more expensive than natural ones."
"That's why I failed." I spread my hands, took a stone the size of a quail egg from my bag, and handed it to her. "This is something I worked so hard to make. As my girlfriend, Zi'er, you must accept it."
"Of course!" Shangguan Zi said excitedly. "I like anything my husband gives me." She carefully took it and put it in her pocket.
"Alright, let's go now!"
Shangguan Zi was very happy to receive the gift. She climbed into the driver's seat from the back, started the engine with a smile, and the Mercedes-Benz roared forward.
The distance from Donghua Residential Area to Wubang Middle School is only three kilometers, but because it's rush hour for school and work, everywhere is packed with cars and people, and it's easy to get stuck in traffic.
Although Shangguan Zi is young, her driving skills are commendable. Instead of taking the main roads, she navigated through the streets and alleys, ignoring traffic rules and going wherever was convenient, even dangerously running several red lights.
Luckily, the traffic police were concentrated at major intersections directing traffic, leaving the smaller roads less heavily guarded. Otherwise, seeing such a small girl driving, they would have taken us to the police station without a word.
Volume 1: Chapter 23, Warmth
It only took ten minutes for Shangguan Zi to successfully drive into Wubang Middle School, but she had already missed school time, and the gates were closed.
However, the old gatekeeper had excellent eyesight. He not only opened the iron gate first but also respectfully pointed out, "There's an empty space in the east parking lot. Please go over there."
"Thank you!" The car window rolled down, and a beautiful young woman stretched out her delicate white hand from the driver's seat, holding a crisp 100-yuan bill.
"Have a good trip!" The gatekeeper happily accepted the money and watched the Mercedes drive away.
Only after the car was far away did the gatekeeper put the money in his pocket, a smug smile on his face: Luckily, this old man used to work as a valet parking attendant, and his eyesight hasn't deteriorated, otherwise, where would he get this tip?
"Honey, we're here!" After skillfully parking the car, Shangguan Zi turned around with a charming smile, only to see me lying asleep in the seat.
Shangguan Zi tilted her head and thought for a moment, a smile appearing on her lips. She picked up her phone, made a low call, then climbed back from the front seat to the back, gently leaning against my shoulder, and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep as well.
…
“Ring ring…”
The crisp sound of the school bell startled me awake. I instinctively looked out the window and saw groups of students running out of their classrooms, playing excitedly outside.
Oh, what time is it?
I checked my watch; the clock showed 8:45 AM. That meant I'd slept for almost two hours in the car.
Looking at the adorable little girl sleeping soundly on my shoulder, I couldn't help but laugh and cry: This girl, why didn't she wake me when we got to school? Instead, she skipped class to catch up on sleep with me.
“Zi’er!”
I gently shook her awake. The beautiful girl groggily opened her starry eyes and murmured, “Don't wake me up! I only fell asleep at five last night!”
“What were you doing?” I asked instinctively.
“I… I was thinking about my husband. My mind was full of him. Zi’er couldn't sleep!”
Hearing the little beauty's confession in her sleep, I found myself loving her even more. Perhaps only in the carefree days of girlhood could such pure and unreserved love exist!
"Zi'er, wake up!" Even though I liked her, I couldn't keep skipping class. I hardened my heart and woke Shangguan Zi up.
Even so, it took her a few minutes to fully wake up. She saw her classmates playing in the distance. "Honey, are you still going to class?"
"Aren't you going?" I asked back.
Shangguan Zi gave a cute yawn. "No, I'll just sleep in the car this morning. I don't know why, but I suddenly feel tired."
"Hehe, were you thinking about me last night and couldn't sleep?"
"No way!" Shangguan Zi blushed and protested, "I was just tired from driving. Oh, honey, don't bother me."
"Okay, okay." I didn't expose her, moved aside so she could lie down in the back seat, and found a blanket by the rear window to cover her. "Zi'er, I'm going to class now. I'll come wake you up at lunchtime."
"Mmm..." With a heavy nasal sound, Shangguan Zi had already drifted back into a semi-sleep state.
I smiled knowingly, closed the car door, and ran towards the senior high school building.
Neither of us noticed that the moment Shangguan Zi lay down, a pebble the size of a quail slid off the pretty girl's clothes and landed under the seat.
...
When the bell rang again, I had just stepped into the classroom.
Almost everyone was staring at me, not only because I had become handsome, but also because I, who used to be law-abiding, had skipped two classes these past two days, both of which were "classes that everyone fears."
As I walked to my seat, my eyes, as usual, found Jin Susu. I couldn't see any emotion in her beautiful, bright eyes.
I wasn't so narcissistic as to think that Jin Susu should be sad for me finding another woman, but subconsciously I thought that as a classmate, seeing me eating intimately with the pretty girl, whether it was contempt or amazement, she should at least have some emotional fluctuation.
For a moment, sitting in the last row, I felt listless, unable to absorb anything the teacher was saying.
While the teacher was writing on the blackboard, Cai Fei turned around and whispered, "Brother, not only did you dare skip two of Gui Jianchou's classes, but you also managed to persuade Director Yao to plead for you. You're really something!"
"Really? Wasn't this morning's class English?" I asked in shock.
"It was switched at the last minute. You have no idea how terrifying Gui Jianchou's expression is. Looking at your empty seat, his eyes looked like they were shooting fire," Cai Fei exaggerated.
A layer of cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Gui Jianchou was known for its strict discipline, and now that I had skipped two classes in a row, I figured they'd call me in for a private talk later.
"What happened to Director Yao?" Luckily, I remembered the other person Cai Fei had mentioned earlier, otherwise I would have run away.
Cai Fei quickly replied, "He came to the classroom five minutes into the lesson. I heard from the students sitting in the front row that Director Yao asked for leave for you, saying that you had an emergency at home and that you had already received special permission from the school. That's why Gui Jianchou reluctantly gave up."
"Oh, thank goodness!" I breathed a sigh of relief, but the person I was truly grateful for was Shangguan Zi, who was sleeping in the car. She must have asked Yao Guoxiong to handle the leave request.
...
As the bell rang again, another forty-five minutes of class time passed, and the classroom returned to its bustling, market-like atmosphere.
Most people had gone outside for some fresh air, but Cai Fei plopped down on my desk, a teasing glint in his eyes, and asked, "Big brother, tell me honestly, what did you do last night?"
Seeing his suggestive smile, I quickly tried to prove my innocence: "Last night I was doing a chemistry experiment, and I fell asleep halfway through. When I woke up, I missed school." "Didn't you have a three
-
hundred-round battle with that super-beautiful girl in bed, almost to the point of exhaustion, which is why you didn't get out of bed?" Cai Fei asked suspiciously.
I knew this kid wouldn't say anything nice!
I glared at him and said irritably, "I've only known Zi'er for a day, how could I do such a thing?"
Cai Fei struck a pose like a master of seduction: "Haha, you're hopeless. Want me to teach you a few tricks? I guarantee you'll win her over in no time."
I scoffed, "Yeah, you're amazing. But I wonder who it is that hasn't even managed to get Chen Meihong in two years. Still a virgin like me."
"You..."
Cai Fei's face flushed red, and he reached out to teach me a lesson, but realizing he might get the opposite, he had no choice but to try and reason with me.
He goaded me, "Big brother, I'm your little brother, so it's natural that I can't do it. But if you're so capable, get Jin Susu first, then I'll really admire you." Just as Chen Meihong was Cai Fei's Achilles' heel, Jin Susu was also a taboo subject for me—I wanted her but dared not act on it.
"Just wait, the day isn't far off!" I said confidently. Even if that "10,000 Practical Skills" was a counterfeit, I still had my water and fire abilities. If it came to a heroic rescue, that would be more than enough.
Cai Fei smiled and then asked, "By the way, Boss Yin, what chemistry experiment did you do last night? I remember you didn't like chemistry."
Mentioning this, I couldn't help but feel a little dejected. "I wanted to make diamonds."
"Diamonds? Hahahaha..." Cai Fei laughed exaggeratedly, "Please, do you think you're a genius? If you could make diamonds, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"
"What did you say?" I clenched my fist.
Fortunately, there weren't many students in the classroom at that moment, and they didn't notice what Cai Fei said, otherwise, I would have made a huge fool of myself.
"No." Seeing the situation was turning sour, Cai Fei quickly stopped laughing and said seriously, "Boss, you've misunderstood me. I just think that your dedication to scientific research is something we younger generations should learn from. You are my role model, you are..."
"Stop!" I got goosebumps listening to him and stopped him from continuing. I pulled a handful of stones out of my bag. "Here, these are the results I made yesterday. You got a good deal. Pick a few!"
Cai Fei looked at the ordinary stones, wanting to laugh but not daring to. He picked the smallest one and held it in his hand, saying, "So exquisite! Such a wonderful thing, I really can't keep it to myself. Brother, you should give it to others so they can also admire your achievements!" "
Yin Ren... can I see what you have in your hand?" Suddenly, a voice like heavenly music rang in my ears.
My raised fist immediately dropped because of these words, and I turned around excitedly to look at the girl who had spoken.
Standing before me was Jin Susu, who had been sitting at the table reading a book. Now, her gaze slowly shifted from me to the stone in my hand.
Although Cai Fei was mostly playful, he knew his limits when it mattered. He gave me an encouraging look and then went out of the classroom.
Without a word, I presented the stone to her. "Susu, take it all if you want!"
Jin Susu frowned slightly, giving me a disapproving look, before carefully taking a stone and examining it.
This was the first time she had shown me such an expression. I almost burst into song with joy, and when her hand touched mine, my heart trembled slightly, and I nearly fell to the ground.
This was the feeling of first love!
Although I also liked Shangguan Zi very much, I always knew that Jin Susu would always hold a place in my heart, no less than Shangguan Zi.
If I hadn't been so captivated, I would have noticed a glint in Jin Susu's eyes, a shrewdness beyond her ordinary appearance, making her eyes even more dazzling.
"Yin Ren, are you thinking of giving these stones away?" After looking at them several times, Jin Susu's words seemed to carry a hint of urgency.
I vaguely understood her meaning and repeated what I had said earlier, "Susu, I'll give them all to you."
"Ah, that's too...!" Jin Susu stammered, "Are you really willing to part with them?"
"For you, I'd give up anything," I said earnestly.
Jin Susu's fair face flushed slightly. Just then, the class bell rang, and she seized the opportunity to escape the awkwardness, carefully placing the stones in her pocket. "Thank you! I'll repay you."
Seeing that the other students were gradually returning to the classroom, I didn't say anything more, but instead wrote a note and handed it to her.
"Susu, if you want to repay me, please go on a date with me this weekend!"
The bright-eyed girl put the note away in her drawer after reading it, only returning it to me at lunchtime.
Feeling uneasy, I mustered my courage and opened the note. There was one extra word written on it: "Okay!"
This reply filled me with elation, and I remained excited all day…※※※ After school in the afternoon, after getting off the bus, Cai Fei hummed a little tune as he slowly walked home. A little bored, he took out a stone the size of a glass marble from his pocket and tossed it around as he walked.
Nowadays, students don't have to attend evening self-study sessions. This strict national regulation has won the admiration of countless students, as studying continuously for more than twelve hours a day is an extremely painful ordeal for them.
Although it was nearing the end of summer, it was still quite bright at 6:30.
Cai Fei's home was in the bustling city center. Turning from the main road into his residential area, there was a row of antique shops, jewelry stores, and diamond and gold shops—a perennially busy area.
"Young man, wait a minute!"
As he passed a small diamond and gold shop, an elderly man sitting at the shop's entrance called out to him.
Volume 1: Chapter 25, Different Circumstances
"What?" Cai Fei stopped and asked.
"Let me see what you're holding," the old man said.
Cai Fei, puzzled, held the stone and asked, "Is this the stone?"
"Stone?" the old man frowned. "Even if it's a stone, let me see it, okay?"
"Sure!" Cai Fei's eyes lit up, and he said mischievously, "Old man, you're being unfair! This is clearly a diamond. Why are you saying it's a stone just because I said so?"
The old man paused slightly, then ignored him, examining the stone in the sunlight for a long time before saying "Wait a minute," and hurriedly ran into the shop, not coming out for a while.
Cai Fei was already bored. He reached out and said, "Is that enough? Give it back, I want to go home."
"Young man, don't do this, let's go inside and talk." The old man not only didn't return the stone but also dragged Cai Fei into the second room of the diamond and gold shop, brewing him a cup of good tea.
Now Cai Fei was starting to have doubts. Had he encountered some kind of madman?
"Young man, where did you get this stone?" the old man asked bluntly.
Cai Fei sensed something was wrong and decided to try and trick him: "What stone? I already told you it's a diamond! Give it back to me, or I'll call the police!"
The old man, already feeling guilty, remained silent for a moment before saying, "Alright, I admit I was wrong. How much do you want for this diamond?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man regretted it, because he saw Cai Fei's mouth open wider than a crocodile's. "
Hey, I've been in business my whole life, and I've been tricked by a kid. How strange!" the old man thought to himself, annoyed.
Since he had already given away his secret, the old man had no choice but to negotiate the price according to the rules. He shook the dazed Cai Fei a few times and said, "Young man, young man!"
Cai Fei trembled in surprise, then snatched the diamond from the old man's hand, drooling, "Haha, a diamond? A diamond!! I love diamonds!"
"Young man, don't be so happy yet. How about we talk about the price?" the old man said, amused by the young man.
"Money?!"
Cai Fei's eyes instantly reddened, and he gasped for breath, resembling some kind of wild beast.
"That's right, there's nothing you can do with this rough diamond. It's more worthwhile to sell it to us," the old man advised.
"What is a rough diamond? Isn't a diamond just a diamond?"
Cai Fei's words made the old man want to cry even more. Good heavens, how could I have been fooled by this clueless idiot! Thinking of millions of dollars slipping through his fingers, the old man's heart clenched.
"A rough diamond refers to the most primitive form of a diamond. It needs to go through complex processes such as cutting, grinding, and polishing before it becomes the sparkling diamond you usually see." Since regret was useless, the old man simply explained things to him clearly.
"Oh, I see." Cai Fei nodded repeatedly. "Then, old man, how much are you going to give me?"
The old man pondered for a moment. "Two hundred thousand, how about that?"
"Two hundred thousand? Are you trying to fob me off?" Cai Fei shook his head. "I won't sell!"
"Young man, two hundred thousand is already very fair. After I take it, I still need to send it for diamond processing, and I'll have to pay a lot of production costs. Actually, I won't make much money." The old man said earnestly.
"No, I'm leaving! I'll find someone who knows their stuff to buy it." Cai Fei understood the principle of playing hard to get, and he was about to leave.
He understood playing hard to get, and the old man understood it even better, but the old man knew that once he left this door, this deal would definitely be over. Now was not the time to be reserved.
The old man quickly grabbed him with both hands. "No, no, we can talk slowly. How much do you want? Tell me."
"At least one million!" Cai Fei said firmly.
The old man's face changed, and he asked through gritted teeth, "Can't it be less?"
"Absolutely not less."
"Really not okay?"
Cai Fei was annoyed by the old man's hesitation. "Fine, then forget it, I'm leaving!"
"Fine!" Seeing that he was really leaving, the old man roared, his face ashen. "Young man, I agree. One million it is. Consider it my way of making you a friend. If you ever get another rough diamond like this, be sure to bring it back to me to sell."
"Hehe, that's right, that's more straightforward!" Cai Fei, having achieved his goal, looked at the old man happily.
In less than five minutes, the old man accompanied Cai Fei to the nearby bank and transferred one million in cash to Cai Fei's student credit card. Only then did Cai Fei, grinning foolishly, hand over the rough diamond to the old man, not even noticing the old man's sly smile before he left.
Haha, you brat, I finally got my revenge! This rough diamond is of excellent quality and unusually large, worth at least twenty million. You didn't recognize its value, only wanting one million. Serves you right!
The old man walked and laughed, extremely pleased with himself, already thinking about whether he should find the pretty widow next door again that night for some intimate "friendship"... ※※※ Less than a kilometer from Cai Fei's house, there was also an ordinary-looking residential area.
In a house of about 100 square meters, sitting on the sofa in front of Jin Susu was a charming young woman with a devilish figure and stunningly beautiful face.
Jin Susu, her expression grim, said to the stunningly beautiful young woman, "Auntie, don't give him any more funding. That bastard talks a good game, but he has absolutely no real skills. He thinks he can make money with his tricks and get Grandpa to agree to your relationship? He's dreaming!"
"Susu, don't slander Zhiqiang! He's a very positive and ambitious person, definitely not as pathetic as you make him out to be!" the stunningly beautiful young woman said angrily. "It's because you pressured him that his investments have stalled and he's lost a lot of money."
Facing her aunt, who was deeply in love, Jin Susu was both amused and exasperated. "Auntie, you've always been my favorite person, I would never harm you. But why won't you listen to my advice this time?"
Volume 1: Chapter 26, Dilemma
"Hmph, you all want to control me. I'm twenty-three years old, don't you know what's important?" the stunningly beautiful young woman said impatiently. "Susu, I've been here for two days, and I've begged you for two days. Are you going to help me or not?"
“As you know, I only have one million US dollars at my disposal each month. Including the New Year’s money I’ve received over the years, I’ve saved more than 80 million in total. But you took it all last time. Where do I have any money left?” Jin Susu hardened her heart.
"Waaah..." The stunningly beautiful young woman suddenly cupped her face and burst into tears, "You're all bad people, you're all bullying me! And Susu, you too, your aunt was the best to you when we were little, and now you're helping Dad and the others bully me!"
Seeing her cry, Jin Susu was startled and immediately lost her composure. She quickly sat down beside her and asked anxiously, "Auntie, why are you crying?"
"They can't stand to see me happy, but you can't." The stunningly beautiful young woman's little trick worked wonders. She grabbed Jin Susu's hand, "My dear Susu, if Zhiqiang doesn't get the two hundred million US dollars in financing, his stock futures will really crash! But if he gets through this crisis, he'll definitely make a fortune... Please, just help your aunt one last time, please, okay?"
Looking at the stunningly beautiful young woman with tears streaming down her face, Jin Susu was in a dilemma: "But, when you borrowed money last time, you said it was the last time."
Hearing her niece's softening tone, the stunningly beautiful young woman firmly assured her, "This is truly the last time. Help your aunt, and I won't forget you. Once I make money, I'll have Zhiqiang pay you back with interest."
"I don't want you to pay me back," Jin Susu said, noticing the young woman's increasingly pale face. "Besides, with that man's reputation, I don't think he'll ever succeed in business, let alone the dreaded Hong Kong stock futures."
With a bitter laugh, Jin Susu continued, "I can lend you the money, but you have to promise me that if he still doesn't work out this time, you must leave him, understand?" "
Okay, okay!" The young woman nodded frantically, but Jin Susu knew she was only excited about the money, not that she remembered her instructions.
This aunt was truly obsessed with that man!
Sighing and shaking her head, Jin Susu took a small, exquisitely embroidered cloth pouch from her bag and handed it to the young woman.
The stunningly beautiful young woman happily accepted the bag, only to find it filled with stones of varying sizes.
"Susu, what are these?" she asked in surprise.
"This is the two hundred million US dollars you wanted," Jin Susu replied weakly, her eyes closed.
"Are you sure you didn't get the wrong thing? These are clearly stones!" The beautiful young woman, used to being waited on hand and foot, couldn't understand why her niece was giving her these stones.
Jin Susu said calmly, "These are the same as the ones on your necklace, diamonds, but these are unprocessed rough diamonds. Take them back to the most famous jewelry stores in Hong Kong and sell them. Don't negotiate the price separately; just ask them for two hundred million US dollars in total."
"Two hundred million? Will they agree?" the beautiful young woman asked incredulously. She couldn't compare these so-called rough diamonds to sparkling diamonds.
"They will. You must stick to this price, or threaten them to find another buyer, and they will naturally give in," Jin Susu patiently instructed her aunt.
"Oh, I remember!"
Hearing this from the most intelligent girl in her family, the beautiful young woman felt relieved. She cheerfully put the rough diamond into her handbag and stood up. "Then Auntie won't bother you any longer. Zhiqiang is waiting for my news; I'm flying back to Hong Kong today."
"Auntie, remember what I said!" Jin Susu loudly urged the beautiful young woman who was running outside, but received no reply.
Although she had helped the beautiful young woman solve her problem, Jin Susu was still very uneasy. Ever
since her aunt fell for that boastful Hong Kong man, she had ignored the family's objections and thrown herself into it. Her grandfather had thought she would come back after suffering losses, but who knew that she had not only spent all her hundreds of millions of dollars on that man, but also taken all of Jin Susu's money, investing it all in the stock index futures that the Hong Kong man had mentioned.
Everyone knows that stock index futures are a more complex and volatile investment than futures; if you lose, many people would even risk their lives, yet her aunt had recklessly helped him raise funds.
Sigh, I hope my aunt made the right choice and blesses them with great profits!
Jin Susu vaguely realized that her help for the stunningly beautiful young woman wasn't just because she was her aunt; more importantly, she deeply admired her aunt's unwavering determination for love… Could she be the same?
The image of that ordinary boy vaguely appeared in her mind, and a slight smile appeared on Jin Susu's lips… ※※※ In a private estate spanning fifty acres on the western outskirts of Ubon City.
An elderly man with a white beard, dressed in a Tang-style robe, stood at the entrance of a magnificent house and said to the bowing butler, “The car is broken, so be it. I'm in a hurry. I'll use Zi'er's Mercedes.”
“Yes, sir!”
The kind-looking butler immediately went to make the arrangements, and two minutes later, a black, extended Mercedes pulled up in front of him.
As the elderly man in the Tang-style robe got in, the Mercedes immediately sped off.
…
“Screech…”
The sound of tires screeching against the pavement filled the air. No matter how sophisticated the Mercedes' shock absorption system was, the sudden braking and strong inertia still propelled the elderly man in the Tang-style shirt, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the back seat, forward.
The old man's eyes snapped open, and his body, which had been lurching forward, suddenly stopped in mid-air, as if pulled back by some immense force.
“Ah Jun, what happened?” the old man asked calmly, displaying remarkable composure despite nearly being in a car accident.
The uniformed man in the front replied in a panic, “Reporting to you, sir, a child suddenly ran out from the roadside. I was afraid of hurting him, so I braked suddenly. You were startled, sir.”
“Oh, I see.” The old man nodded. “You did well; you should have prioritized human life.”
“Thank you for not blaming me, sir!” Hearing that the old man didn't seem to mind, the uniformed driver finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Keep driving..." the old man in the Tang-style shirt instructed, and the car started again. Just as he was about to close his eyes to rest again, his eyes inadvertently caught sight of something. He subconsciously picked it up and looked at it, but his heart skipped a beat: "Ah Jun, stop the car!"
Volume 1: Chapter 27, Shangguan Zhuifeng
"Yes!" The uniformed driver, thinking something had happened, said in a panic, "Sir, what are your orders?"
"Whose thing is this?" the old man asked, holding up a stone about the size of a quail egg.
The uniformed driver looked at it carefully and then smiled, "It might be Miss Zi's."
"Oh, how did she get this?" the old man seemed to be muttering to himself, or perhaps asking the uniformed driver.
The uniformed driver smiled honestly, "I don't know, sir, you can ask Miss Zi."
The old man nodded slightly, "Let's go, hurry up... Call home and tell Miss Zi that I told her not to go to bed so early tonight, I'll be looking for her when I get back."
"Yes!"
...
"Hello, who is it?" I picked up the phone.
"Honey, it's me!" Shangguan Zi's deliberately lowered voice came through.
I checked the time and smiled, "Zi'er, it's already eleven o'clock, why aren't you resting?"
Shangguan Zi didn't answer me, but continued, "Honey, my grandfather wants to see you."
"Huh?" I was surprised, "Why does he want to see me?"
"I'm sorry, honey, I don't know... Anyway, we'll talk when you get here!" Shangguan Zi said somewhat flusteredly, "Uncle Jun is already here in my Mercedes to pick you up, he should be at your apartment complex entrance in about ten minutes, get ready to come out, I'll wait for you!"
"Hello! Hello!" I wanted to ask more, but Shangguan Zi had already hung up the phone, showing that she was just as uneasy as I was.
I thought for a long time, but I couldn't figure out why Shangguan Zi's grandfather wanted to see me. If it was to see his grandson-in-law, now wasn't the time; if it was to interrogate me, I hadn't eaten his granddaughter... Heh, whatever, I'll find out when I get there, I'm Superman, who am I afraid of?
After cheering myself up, I looked in the mirror, checked my clothes, and went downstairs.
At 11:35, the Mercedes slowly drove into the manor in the western suburbs and stopped in front of an ultra-luxurious house.
The house was extravagantly built, exceeding 10,000 square meters in area. On the way there, I had seen tennis courts and swimming pools – truly befitting a large family!
An elderly man in a Tang-style shirt was already standing at the door. He stepped forward and opened the car door for me, saying politely, "Please get out, Young Master Ren."
I hesitated for a moment before stepping onto the carpet. Hmm, to be honest, this was the first time I'd heard the title "Young Master Ren," and it felt quite novel.
The elderly man in the Tang-style shirt led me forward, introducing himself as he did so: "Young Master Ren, my name is Shangguan Jing, one of the stewards of the Shangguan family. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I am Yin Ren, and it's also a pleasure to meet you," I replied politely.
Shangguan Jing smiled slightly and, without saying another word, led me through the brightly lit hall to a smaller living room in the central courtyard.
My girlfriend, Shangguan Zi, was sitting here. Opposite her was an elderly man with a white beard, also dressed in a Tang-style robe, but he exuded a very energetic and comfortable aura.
"Master, Miss Zi, Young Master Ren has arrived," Shangguan Jing greeted respectfully.
"Go down," the white-bearded old man waved his hand, dismissing him. Only the three of us remained in the small hall.
Shangguan Zi glanced timidly at the white-bearded old man. Seeing he didn't react, she subtly waved her hand at me, gesturing for me to come over.
Seeing her grandfather putting on a cool act, I ignored him and walked straight past him towards Shangguan Zi.
"Boy, take this!"
Just as I passed the white-bearded old man, he snorted coldly, flipping his hand and striking towards my back.
A powerful, spiraling energy spun rapidly; just from the sound, I knew it was no ordinary attack.
Without thinking, I instinctively swung my right hand back.
"Poof!"
A sudden burst of flame appeared out of nowhere, striking the spot where the white-bearded old man was sitting like lightning. Had he not dodged quickly, the charred leather sofa would have been his fate.
"Ahhh!"
Only then did Shangguan Zi's scream rang out. She frantically leaped to my side, asking with concern, "Husband, are you alright?" Before
I could reply, she checked my entire body, confirming I was indeed unharmed, before glaring angrily at her dazed grandfather. "Bad grandpa, you used 'Xuanji Divine Skill' right off the bat! Ren-gege doesn't know martial arts! Did you want to kill him?"
The white-bearded old man finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes widening in disbelief at this woman who seemed to forget everything once a man was around. Grandpa's little maid said, "Little Zi'er, you're not even married yet, how can you be siding with outsiders? I was ruthless? I controlled the speed of Xuanji True Qi, and look at your boyfriend, he tried to burn your beloved grandpa to death with a single fire!"
Shangguan Zi looked up at the charred sofa, thinking gleefully, "Grandpa deserved it, who told you to strike first?"
Just as the two grandfather and granddaughter were talking, more than twenty men in black rushed in. Judging from their agile movements, these were no ordinary bodyguards.
When the two saw them arrive, they stopped arguing. Shangguan Zi pulled me back to the sofa, while the white-bearded old man waved to the men in black, "It's alright, go back."
"Yes!"
With a neat reply, the group disappeared outside the small hall in a few seconds.
Even after sitting on the sofa with Shangguan Zi, I was still in shock. What kind of family was this? Grandpa seemed to know legendary martial arts, and my granddaughter's ghostly lightness skill left me dumbfounded.
"Honey, are you internally injured?" Shangguan Zi panicked again when she saw my dazed expression and started groping me all over.
I took a deep breath and grabbed her small hand, saying, "I'm fine, don't worry."
"See? I told you this kid was alright!" Seeing that I was indeed unharmed, the white-bearded old man who had been sitting on another sofa perked up again: "Don't rush to feel sorry for your boyfriend, come and comfort me. The one who's really hurt is your poor grandpa!"
Volume 1: Chapter 28, Rough Diamond
Shangguan Zi looked up at the charred sofa and thought gleefully, "Grandpa deserved it, who told you to strike first?"
Just as the two grandfather and granddaughter were talking, more than twenty men in black rushed in. Judging from their agile movements, these were no ordinary bodyguards.
Upon seeing them arrive, the two stopped arguing. Shangguan Zi pulled me back to the sofa, while the white-bearded old man waved to the men in black, "It's alright, go back."
"Yes!"
came the resounding reply, and the group disappeared outside the small hall within seconds.
Even after sitting on the sofa with Shangguan Zi, I was still reeling from the shock. What kind of family was this? My grandfather seemed to know legendary martial arts, and my granddaughter's ghostly lightness of movement left me dumbfounded.
"Husband, are you injured internally?" Shangguan Zi, seeing my dazed expression, panicked again and started groping me all over.
I took a deep breath and held her small hand, saying, "I'm fine, don't worry."
"See? I told you this kid was alright!" Seeing that I was indeed unharmed, the white-bearded old man, who had already sat down on another sofa, perked up again: "Don't rush to feel sorry for your boyfriend, come and comfort me. The one who's really hurt is your poor grandpa!"
"Pah! Disrespectful to your elders!" Shangguan Zi said, blushing, but she still obediently went over and kissed him. "Grandpa, please don't blame Ren-gege, okay?"
"The world is going to the dogs. You've only known each other for two days, and your relationship has already reached this point." The white-bearded old man sighed feignedly, "Should I throw a big banquet tomorrow to send my granddaughter off to her wedding?"
"Grandpa~" Shangguan Zi was both shy and coquettish, and quickly shrank back to my side.
The smile on the white-bearded old man's face gradually faded, and he began to seriously examine me. Under his fiery gaze, I felt a little uncomfortable.
"Hmm, not bad!" The white-bearded old man withdrew his gaze. "A full forehead, bright and spirited eyes without being frivolous, lips of moderate thickness—he's not a heartless person. Young man, you're not bad!" He paused, then added superfluously, "More importantly, you're still a virgin, which makes you worthy of my precious granddaughter."
"Grandpa!!" Upon hearing the last sentence, the beautiful girl's face burned like fire, her eyes flashing with murderous intent.
"Did I say something wrong?" The white-bearded old man innocently spread his hands. "He really is a virgin. That's fair to my little Zi'er... Little Zi'er, you'd better work hard. This boy is incredibly popular with women. Make him take responsibility sooner rather than later, and you'll have a voice in the family."
Compared to the old man's previous martial arts skills, these disrespectful words from an elder left me even more bewildered.
Shangguan Zi was equally embarrassed. She leaned against me shyly and said in a voice softer than a mosquito's buzz, "But Dad hasn't seen him yet, and neither have Grandma and Mom..."
"I've seen it, so it's settled! This kid's good!" the white-bearded old man said loudly. "Don't worry, Grandpa will make the decision for you!"
"Ah, thank you, Grandpa!" Shangguan Zi had been waiting for these words. She said happily, "Grandpa, you're the best!"
"Hehe, weren't you just scolding Grandpa?"
After teasing his shy granddaughter, the white-bearded old man focused his gaze on my face. "Kid, my name is Shangguan Zhuiyun. From now on, you'll call me Grandpa, just like Zi'er!"
"Yes, thank you, Grandpa, for making Zi'er and me happy. Yin Ren will definitely treat her well in the future." I knew what he meant, so I took the opportunity to express my feelings.
"Don't be so formal. From now on, we're family. Be more natural. I saw your integrity just now. It's good for a person to have a little pride!" Shangguan Zhuiyun saw that I was still a little reserved, so he gave me some pointers.
"Okay, I understand." I accepted the old man's advice willingly.
Shangguan Zi watched us chatting happily, her smile practically beaming from ear to ear.
“I didn’t know about you and Xiao Zi’er, but a discovery today made me want to meet you sooner.” Shangguan Zhuiyun took out a stone the size of a quail egg. “Did you give this to Xiao Zi’er?”
I recognized it as my failed experiment from last night and nodded. “Is there something wrong with this stone?”
Shangguan Zhuiyun feigned surprise. “Didn’t you make a diamond? Why are you calling it a stone?”
I smiled sheepishly. “I was just messing around, and I still made a fool of myself.”
“No, no.” Shangguan Zhuiyun laughed loudly. “Yin Ren, this is a diamond! You silly boy, you almost missed out on the most important invention in the world!”
“What?!”
Shangguan Zi and I exclaimed at the same time, looking incredulous.
"Grandpa, didn't you say that the process of making artificial diamonds is very complicated, requires specialized machinery, and is more expensive than making natural diamonds?" Shangguan Zi said sweetly. "Brother Ren just made it by hand, and besides, this stone doesn't have any of the characteristics of a diamond. How can it be a diamond?"
Shangguan Zhuiyun shook his head and said, "Girl, I tell you to learn more, but you just slack off. Don't you know that natural diamonds look like this when they are mined?" He held up the object in his hand and said, "In the academic world, it has a special name: rough diamond!"
"Oh, right! How could I forget?" Shangguan Zi stuck out her tongue and said embarrassedly.
“You didn’t forget, but you thought that with Yin Ren’s workshop, how could they possibly produce natural rough diamonds? So you ignored the possibility that it was a rough diamond.” Shangguan Zhuiyun shook his head and said, “It seems I’ll have to give you guys more practical learning in the future. If you had seen the characteristics of rough diamonds before, you would have recognized that this expensive rough diamond is worth at least 200 million RMB!”
“200 million?” Having figured out the facts, I excitedly asked, “Grandpa, are you sure you’re not mistaken? Is this true? Can it really be worth 200 million?”
Volume 1: Chapter 29, Secrecy
Shangguan Zhuiyun was amused by my eager tone and smiled: “Of course, I’m an expert in diamonds, how could I be wrong? As for the value, this is just my conservative estimate. After it’s processed, it will probably be worth more than that.”
“Honey, Grandpa’s right!” Shangguan Zi finally had a chance to show off a little knowledge: “The largest diamond in the world is the Cullinan, discovered in Pretoria, South Africa, at the beginning of this century. It’s pale sky blue and weighs 3,106 carats (one carat equals 0.2 grams). It was then cut into 105 diamonds of varying sizes, the largest of which, the Star of Africa, weighs 530.2 carats and is set in the scepter of King Edward VII of England. At the same time, without the Cullinan, the Star of Africa would have become the largest single diamond in the world.”
“Xiao Ren, your diamond weighs at least 100 grams, that is, around 300 carats. Do you think such a diamond is valuable?” Shangguan Zhuiyun chimed in.
Hearing this astonishing conclusion, my head exploded completely. The “Ten Thousand Practical Skills” book, like a diamond-encrusted book, kept flashing through my mind.
At that moment, I couldn't help but sincerely apologize to the book. I, Yin Ren, was blind and wronged you, precious book! Please don't be angry!
After apologizing, I became excited again: Wow! Just this one method of making diamonds can make me the richest person in the world! What about the other skills? What surprises will they bring me?
Without realizing it, I started smiling foolishly.
"Husband~" Shangguan Zi suddenly bit my shoulder, the pain bringing me back to reality.
"Phew!"
I realized the change in my mindset and quickly slapped myself twice, using the intense pain to clear my head.
After a few slaps, I opened my eyes, which were now calm again.
Shangguan Zhuiyun and Shangguan Zi nodded in approval. They knew that this kind of thing was like a pauper suddenly receiving a billion dollars—it could easily make someone lose their mind, lose themselves, be unable to withstand the pressure, and become a fool.
My reaction greatly satisfied them. Although I had been a little confused, I quickly stabilized my mindset, truly different from ordinary people.
If they knew I had turned back from a temptation a thousand times stronger than diamonds, they would surely admire me immensely.
However, if Shangguan Zi hadn't cleverly bitten me, it's hard to say whether I would have been able to return.
Thinking of this, I squeezed Shangguan Zi's small hand back and gave her a grateful smile.
"Hehe..." Shangguan Zi looked back at me without any shyness, her eyes filled with indescribable tenderness.
※※※
"Alright, this old man is here, don't tease me too much!" Shangguan Zhuiyun pretended to be "unhappy," which made Shangguan Zi wrinkle her nose and make a face at him.
But after he said that, Shangguan Zi and I felt embarrassed to get into a romantic moment.
“Little Zi’er, after I ask Xiao Ren two questions, you two can stay here and look at each other all night without any problem. I won’t interfere.” Shangguan Zhuiyun wanted to tease her a bit more, but seeing the eager pillow in Shangguan Zi’s hand, he wisely abandoned the idea: “Xiao Ren, the questions I’m going to ask you are very private. If you feel uncomfortable answering them, then forget it. Don’t force yourself, okay?”
I vaguely knew what his question was. “Okay, I will definitely answer honestly. You are Zi’er’s grandfather, and also my grandfather. I don’t hold back when speaking to my elders.”
This flattery was particularly good, and Shangguan Zhuiyun smiled with relief: “Xiao Ren, why do you know how to make diamonds? Who taught you?”
“The day before yesterday, in my dream, this chemical formula suddenly appeared in my mind, and I could even remember it after waking up, so I tried to make it. I thought it was a hoax, but I didn’t expect it to be true!” I said half true and half false, but if I told the whole story, it would involve Granny Li’s dragon fruit tree, and I didn’t want anyone to disturb this pure land that belonged to Granny Li.
Moreover, his encounter with Guan Canghai was too bizarre; no one would believe it if he told them.
Shangguan Zhuiyun frowned as he listened. From a scientific point of view, he was unwilling to believe such a mysterious thing, but the facts were right in front of him, leaving him no choice but to believe it.
This old man had weathered many storms; he could tell from just looking into my eyes that I wasn't entirely telling the truth. He also knew I might have something I couldn't say, so he wasn't in a hurry and waited for me to reveal it later.
"Besides the two of us, who else knows you can make diamonds?" Shangguan Zhuiyun changed the subject. "This concerns your life and safety, so you must tell Grandpa the truth so I can find a way to help you."
"Only my friend Cai Fei and a girl named Jin Susu; they're both my classmates," I quickly replied.
"If Grandpa wants to deal with them, do you have any objections?" Shangguan Zhuiyun asked casually.
"No, Grandpa!" Shangguan Zi exclaimed in shock, "Jin Susu is Ren-ge's first love, and Cai Fei is also his good friend. You can't treat them like that!"
Seeing Shangguan Zi's anxiety, I immediately understood the meaning of "handle," and quickly replied, "Grandpa, don't worry, they'll be fine."
"It's not that Grandpa is heartless," Shangguan Zhuiyun sighed, "If you weren't my grandson-in-law, you wouldn't be leaving this house tonight… Do you know what it means to have someone who can create diamonds at will?"
My heart skipped a beat, and my thoughts raced through my mind: "I know, the person is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."
"That's right! You're a hen that lays golden eggs, even more terrifying than a treasure trove!" Shangguan Zhuiyun said, "If this news leaks out, Xiao Ren, you'll never have peace for the rest of your life. Ambitious individuals will always want to kidnap you, and your family will be in extreme danger." As he spoke, he glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Shangguan Zi.
Volume 1: Chapter 30, True Feelings
I noticed his action and was utterly terrified. I broke out in a cold sweat, and only then did I realize the meaning of fear.
In that instant, I was filled with regret for my impulsiveness!
I looked at him expectantly and said, "Grandpa, please teach me what to do!"
"It's simple. Zi'er and I won't betray you. And if you agree to let me deal with those two, your knowledge of diamond making won't be leaked again," Shangguan Zhuiyun said coldly. "For your sake, I'll only make them idiots, not take their lives."
Without thinking, I said, "No, I can't agree!"
"Then there's no other way," Shangguan Zhuiyun said. "Get out of here now. If you want little Zi'er to be alright, don't implicate her. From now on, don't come looking for her again!" As Shangguan Zi's grandfather, Shangguan Zhuiyun's words were reasonable and justified. If she stayed by my side, Shangguan Zi would be in constant danger, something Shangguan Zhuiyun absolutely did not want to see.
"Grandpa, I don't want to! I don't want to leave Brother Ren!" The beautiful girl's face turned pale instantly. "Even if I die, I want to be with Brother Ren."
I hugged Shangguan Zi tightly, repeatedly saying, "Zi'er, I love you!"
Only now did I realize how deeply the little beauty loved me. Falling in love is easy, and vows of eternal love are commonplace, but how many lovers in this world can truly keep those promises made during the passionate phase?
"I will love only you for life!"
Such promises vanish in the face of disaster. "When disaster strikes, everyone flees" is the best depiction of human nature.
In this world, lovers who can truly share life and death are extremely rare, and I never imagined my Zi'er would be one of them.
At this moment, she finally rose to the same level in my heart as Jin Susu, an indelible mark.
After the passion subsided, I calmed down, but I had to make a choice.
As Shangguan Zhuiyun said, if I truly wanted what was best for Zi'er, I should leave her, and at the same time, keep her away from danger.
Gently pushing Shangguan Zi away from my arms, I stood up. "Grandpa, I know what to do. Thank you for your guidance!" Without even looking at Shangguan Zi, I turned and walked towards the hall exit.
I dared not look at her, afraid that another glance would rob me of the courage to leave.
"No!!"
A piercing scream echoed in my ears, and a figure flashed before me. Shangguan Zi blocked my path, her eyes filled with tears as she cried, "Husband, I don't want you to go! If you must go, take me with you!"
Looking at her beautiful face, my mind was filled with countless thoughts… I didn't want to feign love by saying something like "I don't love you," lest I break her heart. When love runs deep, such lies are impossible to utter.
“Zi’er, if you love me, live on strongly for my sake.” I looked at her firmly. “If one day I gain the greatest power in the world, I will come back, find my beloved Zi’er, and marry you.”
“No! I won’t listen!” Shangguan Zi hugged me and said, “Husband, you…you should listen to Grandpa! I beg you!”
I smiled and pushed her away. “No, I can’t do that. If we are separated, I will be very sad and heartbroken, and I might have to live like a dog, hiding and running for survival. But even so, my heart is still pure. I can say that I am still an innocent person, and only Yin Ren is worthy of my unparalleled and obedient Zi’er!”
“Husband…”
Shangguan Zi cried out sadly, then her body trembled violently. She opened her mouth, “Pfft!” A stream of hot blood splattered onto my clothes, staining my snow-white shirt crimson.
Then, Shangguan Zi collapsed softly into my arms.
"Zi'er, what's wrong? Don't scare me!" I roared, my heart breaking. Helpless tears streamed down my face; tears I hadn't shed since my parents' passing instantly dripped onto Shangguan Zi's pale cheeks.
Oh no, I've gone too far!
The slight smile that had just appeared on Shangguan Zhuiyun's lips vanished in panic. He used his inner energy to instantly take Shangguan Zi from my arms and, without a word, frantically channeled his life essence into the beautiful girl's body.
I stood there, stunned, staring at the two sitting cross-legged on the ground, motionless.
It felt like ten thousand years, yet also like only a second. My prayer to the heavens finally received a response. Shangguan Zi let out a soft "uh," coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, and slowly opened her eyes.
"Good girl, quickly combine Grandpa's true energy to heal your injuries!" Shangguan Zhuiyun shouted. "Grandpa was just testing Yin Ren. There's actually another way to resolve this. Don't give up! Grandpa guarantees with his life that he can get you together!"
He knew this wasn't the time to be mysterious, so he directly revealed the meaning behind his earlier actions. This worked perfectly. Shangguan Zi's true energy, which had been resisting Shangguan Zhuiyun's, suddenly became compliant, flowing slowly through her body along with his powerful true energy.
I didn't hear a word Shangguan Zhuiyun said. All my attention was focused on Shangguan Zi's pale, jade-like face. Gradually, with Shangguan Zhuiyun's healing energy, her face regained some color and her spirits began to return.
"Hoo..."
After what seemed like an eternity, Shangguan Zhuiyun finally let out a long breath, sweating profusely as he released his hands and helped the still somewhat weak Shangguan Zi to her feet.
"Foolish child! Did you scare your grandfather to death?!" He scolded his beloved granddaughter with heartache, yet also with immense relief: such a sentimental and devoted child was truly his, Shangguan Zhuiyun's, offspring!
"Who told you to scare Zi'er, Grandpa?" Shangguan Zi said weakly. The beautiful girl no longer had the strength to be angry. She opened her arms, inviting me to come forward and embrace her.
I dared not hold the little beauty too tightly. The feeling of having regained her made me feel as if I were holding a porcelain doll, afraid to let go or exert any force.

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[Keeping a Mistress in a Golden House] [Volume 1, Chapters 1-30] [Author: michanll]

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