Chapter 3: Don’t Bully the Young Because They Are Poor
Shi Huaibai’s pupils constricted slightly, startled by the sudden scene.
He looked at his fingertips in astonishment.
He had clearly held the tray steadily. Yet, just now, under the control of some force majeure, the wine glass became a “slippery loach” he couldn’t grasp, falling from his hand straight toward the other party’s hem.
The System’s voice, carrying an electronic stutter, drifted out eerily:
[Task Reward: 20 Mission Points Task Content: Please resolve the incident perfectly, without any financial loss. Hint: The banquet is full of noble guests; someone will surely be able to lend a hand.]
Finally, the System didn’t forget to remind him cheekily: [Now is the best time for your Beauty Value to shine. You know, people always feel pity for pretty, beautiful things. You can just get F1 to help you pay for the dress!]
Bobo had a clear conscience: This hint basically spoon-fed the answer to the Host. Even someone with level-one intellectual disability could understand.
Loosen the shoulders a bit, slump the waist, say “it’s so cold,” and seduce F1, ah!!!
Shi Huaibai analyzed it himself!
Shi Huaibai understood.
The mission name is: The Campus Belle’s Insult!
Why would the Campus Belle insult him for no reason?
So this is a “Breaking Off the Engagement” world line! After being insulted by the Campus Belle, he accidentally ends up with an engagement to her. She breaks off the engagement and continues to insult him. After the ten-year pact, he becomes the richest man and makes a powerful return…
Before he could finish thinking, the Campus Belle’s lackeys continued to be aggressive: “Let go of your dirty hands. You’re making the dress dirtier. Pay up!”
Shi Huaibai delivered that key line: “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! Do not bully the young because they are poor!”
“Heh, a special admission student. You only get tuition waived. If I recall correctly, you still owe accommodation and miscellaneous fees.”
The System nodded: [Yes, yes, we owe a bit much. The youth can’t finish paying it off.]
Shi Huaibai had conviction: “Do not bully the middle-aged because they are poor!!!”
The System spoke again: [You are an orphan. Your biological father was an alcoholic and owed debts. Although he croaked, you didn’t inherit any legacy, but you don’t have to inherit the debt either. However, the loan sharks are still looking for you.]
Shi Huaibai had faith: “Do not bully the elderly because they are poor!!!”
The System seemed to want to speak again, but Shi Huaibai grabbed its mouth, his face serene: “Don’t say anymore. Respect the dead.”
The System’s “little mouth” bravely broke through Shi Huaibai’s ruthless constraint, reminding him righteously: [We really can’t afford to pay for this exorbitantly expensive French dress!]
So the correct plot is: Hurry up and get bullied, be scared until tears fall, and wait for F1 to save you.
The System’s gaze wandered through the venue, sweeping everywhere, searching for the target character.
Bobo frantically hinted with its eyes at Shi Huaibai: Go on! F1 is your great benefactor!
Jiang Xinian seemed to have noticed the farce here as well. He watched the fire from the shore, sipping wine on the spiral staircase. The corners of his eyes crinkled with pleasure, squinting in a smile, yet a gleam of indifferent coldness shot out from under his gold-rimmed glasses. Look, just a little trick to attract my attention. No different from the others before. Relying on weakness, on pity, on that pretty face…
He made eye contact with Shi Huaibai from a distance, suddenly spread his hands, showed his teeth in a smile, and then approached as if helpless.
Come on. Beg me with pitiful eyes. Wag your tail and beg for pity like a puppy.
The System possessed all of Jiang Xinian’s past data, so naturally, it knew: Jiang Xinian was a nutcase, a hedonist.
He only considered gains and losses after watching the show to his satisfaction, calculating the benefits of intervening down to the penny.
As the Student Council President, he cared extremely about his approachable image.
When Shi Huaibai was humiliated to the breaking point, this exquisite egoist would surely make a grand entrance at the climax of the drama, right when hearts were tightest.
Like a savior, using a few scraps of leftovers leaked casually from his fingers to easily become “God.”
The System turned its gaze back to the scene, waiting for the conflict between the Campus Belle and Shi Huaibai to reach its peak.
Pull hair. Make the Host kneel. Mock the Host for being a hillbilly! Help the Host become a perfect, flawless little white flower!
Even a Long Aotian has to do what the rules say when they arrive in the Noble Academy world line!
But abruptly, a disgruntled voice rang out in the System’s mind: “Hey, this world line of yours isn’t that different from my previous ones.”
[Huh?]
It lifted its head and finally saw the scene with Shi Huaibai that caused it to turn pale with fright.
There was no tension between Shi Huaibai and the Campus Belle; instead, it was a bit… sticky?
The Campus Belle, Qu You, looked up and glared at Shi Huaibai. Her gaze was murderous at that moment—until she saw Shi Huaibai’s face clearly.
A super cute face!
In that instant, Qu You’s eyes cleared immediately. The little flame sputtering in her heart calmed down instantly, the temper pinched out in the cradle while it was still a spark.
The wrinkles in Qu You’s brain smoothed out. Looking at Shi Huaibai’s face, she couldn’t get angry at all.
Not only that, she asked Shi Huaibai: “Did you hurt your hand?”
At this moment, only one sentence remained in Qu You’s mind: Having seen the full picture, the wine glass is fully responsible!
The surrounding guests glanced over in curiosity, but were startled by Shi Huaibai’s gaze. A normal person who accidentally soiled someone else’s expensive dress would be timid, cowering, terrified, uneasy…
But Shi Huaibai’s eyes were open and candid.
His slightly stinging bangs were brushed aside. Shi Huaibai licked the champagne splashed near his mouth. It was such a delicate and soft face, yet for no reason, it appeared bewitching.
His lips moved slightly, but his gaze calmed quickly, unruffled. For some reason, a trace of a refined smile floated onto the corners of his mouth, as if curious about what plan the Main God was brewing in this world line that was different from his past ones.
[Why does Beauty Value work on the Campus Belle too?]
The System was dumbfounded. In its imagination: adding Beauty Value to the Host was to make F1 pity the Host. Why? Why did it develop like this?
Could it be…
Originally this was a complete Noble Academy world line, but after Shi Huaibai intervened, it became entangled with a Long Aotian world line, so some trope plots from Long Aotian novels would also play out here?
The System thought until code flew around inside its head, but it couldn’t come up with an explanation.
Qu You looked at her dress: “Just sending the dress for dry cleaning will be fine. It’s just that I probably can’t dance with Brother Jiang today.”
The System, who had been messy in the wind for a long time, was finally acknowledged by Shi Huaibai. Shi Huaibai asked: “The Campus Belle likes Jiang Xinian?”
[Hard not to like him, right? After all, F1 is a veteran actor. Because he can pretend, his reputation is very good.]
Shi Huaibai was angry: “Is the Campus Belle the best-looking person in this academy? Isn’t Jiang Xinian my future lackey?”
Jiang Xinian originally just leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed, watching the show nonchalantly. He wanted to see what tricks this seemingly well-behaved but actually calculating Shi Huaibai could play.
But the next second, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.
Shi Huaibai looked up, eyelashes trembling lightly, the corners of his eyes slightly red. Those clear eyes looked at him wetly, voice as soft as if dipped in honey: “Excuse me… do you have a dance partner?”
Jiang Xinian paused, then understood.
Heh, as expected.
The corners of Jiang Xinian’s lips hooked into a mocking arc. He slowly withdrew his hand: “I don’t dance.”
Shi Huaibai’s eyes lit up. He immediately showed a “you really know the score” expression, almost giving Jiang Xinian a thumbs up behind his back.
He turned and walked toward Qu You, his skipping movements very excited, his tone sincere to the point of innocence: “He doesn’t dance, so can I invite you to dance?”
Qu You smiled lightly, her snowy white fingertips landing on Shi Huaibai’s palm: “Of course you can.”
Jiang Xinian’s pupils constricted slightly.
He watched helplessly as those soft, snowy fingertips gently touched Shi Huaibai’s palm. The curved hem fluttered; even the dirty wine stains brought a strange beauty amidst the fluttering.
Shi Huaibai gentlemanly held the lady’s waist, without full body contact.
Spinning, holding hands, a light embrace…
When he lowered his eyes, his expression held a nonchalant sanctity.
As the final dance ended, Shi Huaibai kissed the back of the lady’s hand and handed over his business card, elegant beyond compare.
“I am truly embarrassed to have soiled your dress. This is my contact information. We can discuss later how to compensate for your loss.”
System: […]
The System had cracked.
Not only was the Host not bullied by the Campus Belle in front of F1, but the Host was also cheek-to-cheek dancing with the Campus Belle in front of F1, his face full of the smugness of being close to a beauty, looking like a total pervert.
Does he really take F1 for the “husband who won’t wake up” in those Japanese adult videos?
Shi Huaibai finished chatting with the girl, finished dancing, and finally remembered the System: “Are there any sub-missions next?”
The first sub-mission was meeting a girl. Nice. He liked it.
Hearing this, the System quickly turned its head to look for Jiang Xinian.
The other party had long since vanished without a trace.
System: We’re done for…
[Gone. Nothing left.]
I have no tomorrow either.
[I want to go home, woo woo woo…]
“Okay.”
Shi Huaibai was still unsatisfied. The banquet ended, and he had gained Qu You’s favor. Before leaving, Qu You even said that if Shi Huaibai needed a job or projects, she could help.
It counted as a big step forward in his career to becoming the richest man.
Shi Huaibai returned to the changing room to take off the waiter’s uniform. Removing the vest, his slender fingers rested on the shirt hem. The fabric rolled up inch by inch with his movement, revealing a length of slender, flexible waistline, skin dazzlingly white.
Just as the shirt was rolled up to his ribs, A soft click of metal engaging came from the door lock.
Shi Huaibai’s eyes turned cold instantly. He rushed forward in a single step and shoved the door panel hard. It didn’t budge.
“That’s for being ungrateful! Do you deserve to be that close to Qu You?” Gnashing curses came from outside the door, followed by a fierce spit. “Reflect on it properly in there!”
Footsteps faded away, and he could vaguely hear triumphant whispers at the end of the corridor:
“Lock him up till morning…” “Teach this poor ghost a lesson…”
Shi Huaibai kicked the door panel in anger: “Are they insane?!”
As soon as his voice fell, a light chuckle came from the corner of the changing room: “Looks like you’re in trouble.”
Jiang Xinian strolled out from behind the lockers, his suit jacket draped lazily over his shoulders, tie hanging loosely. His gaze swept lightly over Shi Huaibai’s half-lifted hem: “Poor little dog.”
The big drama just now was truly interesting.
This clumsy bullying scene—could it be Shi Huaibai’s new trick to seduce me?
Jiang Xinian stood still, leaning against the locker, an unlit cigar held in his lips.
The eyes under the gold frames had pitch-black pupils, as if ominous crows roosted within them.
Only Shi Huaibai was here, so he couldn’t be bothered to maintain his graceful, restrained image in front of a poor fool.
Jiang Xinian finally lit the cigar, his shoulders drooping in relaxation. He smiled maliciously, objectifying Shi Huaibai, and blew a mouthful of smoke toward Shi Huaibai’s face.
Jiang Xinian said: “What to do now? Poor little dog.”
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