The Foolish Bookworm of the Aristocratic Boys’ School chapter 43

Chapter 43: Is Cheating Within Marriage Right?

Shi Ye stood silently with his head lowered in front of the sandbag, the atmosphere inside the villa growing heavy.

Drip.

Something very light fell onto the floor.

His two hands hanging by his legs looked as if they had been pulled out of bloody water. The white wraps had turned completely red, unable to hold so much liquid, dripping down drop by drop like red candle wax onto the floor.

From the speaker came the fearless voice continuing, “Can I come find you now?”

The butler closed his eyes briefly, picked up the walkie-talkie, and handed it to Shi Ye, thinking that whether he smashed it again or cursed people, it was better than holding it in like now.

Shi Ye tilted his head back, exhaled a short breath, took the walkie-talkie, and brought it to his lips. “No need to meet. Just say it directly. What is it?”

“Okay.”

Immediately, a voice mixed with electronic static came from the speaker, slow and clear enough to reach everyone’s ears:

“I think saving someone from the river isn’t wrong in itself, but I understand why you hate me because of it.”

“Even if you didn’t say it, I planned not to appear in front of you again.”

Stopping for two or three seconds, the voice said again, “I am very sorry about your mother’s matter. I hope you can have a new family and find new happiness in the future.”

Wen Rong completely understood Shi Ye’s feeling of telling him to scramble.

In high school, he deliberately chose a boarding school far from the welfare institute. Besides the school’s teaching quality itself, part of the reason was that he didn’t want to see former junior high and elementary school classmates in high school—any of them, even if most classmates hadn’t bullied him.

Because those people had all become a symbol. No need to meet them; even hearing their names would remind him of the bullying memories.

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It was very painful, and there was also a tiny bit of resentment.

Wen Rong thought that in Shi Ye’s eyes, he had also become a symbol of “family misfortune and mother’s death.”

Now, as this symbol, imagining Shi Ye as his former self, he was doing something he had always wanted to receive back then.

An apology, and disappearance.

Hoping this would give Shi Ye a shred of comfort.

Leaving Shi Ye’s villa, Wen Rong walked back to the dormitory in the night wind.

The road was a bit far, the lights extremely dim, stretching his shadow into a long strip on the ground.

He stood on his tiptoes and asked the System in his mind, “Brother, have I grown taller?”

[Mm.]

“I’ve grown taller and become better looking. Do you think Mom and Dad will be pleasantly surprised when they see me?”

[They will.]

Wen Rong suddenly jumped up, stepping on a crisp leaf with one foot.

Crunch.

The other foot jumped forward again, stepping on a new leaf.

Crunch.

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“Brother, was my parents’ marriage happy?”

[…]

“During the New Year, the Director would let everyone watch the Spring Festival Gala together.”

“The Gala always showed sketches of families arguing. I imagined my parents were also those impatient people in the sketches. They argue, and I squat in the corner shivering.”

Crunch.

The slender figure hopped on the road like a rabbit. Every step landed heavily, crushing the leaves to powder.

“There were classmates crying at school saying they got beaten by both parents together. After secretly listening, I imagined myself being beaten for disobedience. Mom hits once, says ‘Tired, your turn,’ then Dad takes over hitting me. I wondered what I should do if I encountered this situation.”

Wen Rong raised the corners of his mouth at the air, revealing white teeth. “I’d admit my mistake and promise not to dare again in the future. If that didn’t work, I’d pretend to faint! Scaring them would make them stop hitting me.”

He lowered his head and couldn’t see any more leaves.

The road near the dormitory gate was clean. The smile solidified on his face, his eyes losing warmth.

“Were my parents unhappily married like Shi Ye’s parents, so they abandoned me?”

[…]

The more Wen Rong thought about it, the more he felt this guess might be true.

“If they were happy, why wouldn’t they want me? If they were still together, why haven’t they ever come to find me?”

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Shi Ye had given Wen Rong another possibility.

“Home” could have a third party.

After so many years, Wen Rong unexpectedly understood why his adoptive parents sent him back to the welfare institute.

—It’s hard for anyone to accept an “extra existence.”

[Host, don’t presuppose suffering for yourself.]

But he had already realized it. His brain started fantasizing uncontrollably: What if the “home” in this world isn’t complete either? Then I’m still a homeless child.

[Perhaps the Host can build a family yourself. You can be the “Dad” you imagine.]

Wen Rong looked up. The orange bulbs of the streetlights were reflected in his eyes, dyed black by the night.

Instantly, his steps became brisk. unable to find leaves, he played hopscotch, stepping on complete floor tiles one by one.

Jumping from pale orange to under the incandescent light, his steps became lighter because he didn’t want to disturb others in the dorm building.

When he returned to his dorm door, the adjacent door opened simultaneously, and Qi Yuan walked out.

They hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Maybe because of different course selections, they hadn’t even met in class.

Wen Rong remembered Qi Yuan saying he wanted to be friends while calling on everyone in the forum to force him to drop out. He entered his door quickly.

“Wen Rong.”

Wen Rong aimed just as his hand hadn’t touched the door yet, pressing his knee against the door to close it fast.

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“Ah.”

Accompanied by a cry of pain, the door bounced back.

Wen Rong saw Qi Yuan clutching his hand and realized Qi Yuan had put his hand in the gap of the door just now.

He was a bit scared for a moment. “Is your hand okay?”

Qi Yuan’s eyes were red, tears swirling in them. It looked like he was definitely not okay.

Wen Rong hesitated, wanting to apologize, but “sorry” stuck in his throat.

Ever since he saw those comments on the forum, his heart had hardened. He didn’t want to give these people a friendly face at all.

And… and just now…

After careful thought, Wen Rong stated his position. “You reached your hand over yourself just now. It wasn’t my fault.”

Qi Yuan probably didn’t expect him to say that. His tears stopped on his lower eyelid.

“Go to the infirmary to treat it quickly. Don’t do such dangerous things next time.”

Wen Rong was about to close the door. Qi Yuan leaned against the door, holding it open. “You—”

Wen Rong: “…”

“Don’t you care about me at all?”

“…”

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“Wen Rong, I really want to be friends with you.”

Wen Rong felt helpless. He didn’t understand why Qi Yuan could pretend to be pitiful in front of him while badmouthing him on the forum.

“Wen Rong…”

Wen Rong couldn’t help speaking. “But you also wanted me to drop out. I saw what you said on the forum.”

Qi Yuan blinked, tears falling from his eyes. “That was… Shi Ye forced me to do it.”

“But Shi Ye argued with you on the forum.”

Qi Yuan choked.

Wen Rong’s gaze touched the red and swollen hand. Forcing himself to look away, he continued, “I don’t think you are very sincere. You said you wanted to be friends with me, but on the forum, you called on everyone to force me to drop out. And you… you always blame Shi Ye, but you always follow him around.”

“I—”

Wen Rong interrupted someone for the first time. “I know you’re going to say you were forced. Shi Ye hates me especially now. If you really have to follow him, you better stay away from me.”

Qi Yuan was speechless.

Wen Rong silently applied force, finally closing the door and locking it.

The knuckles on the hand pinched by the door were bright red, and his body trembled with it.

Qi Yuan leaned his face against Wen Rong’s dorm door, hoping to hear some sound inside.

But there was none.

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Immediately, his expression turned ugly.

Tears continued to fall from his eyes, but he didn’t look aggrieved like just now. His expression held a hint of madness.

[Discussing exactly how good Goddess looks cosplaying Mi Lulu?]

Poster: Liangzi Lixue

Liangzi Lixue bragged in the forum every day about having photos no one else could see, and today was no exception.

[Really want to master beast taming skills to steal photos from Senior Liang’s institute.]

[+1]

[+2]

[Saw Goddess in the library today. Skin so white. Can’t imagine how good he looks in Mi Lulu’s little dress.]

[Someone make Goddess wear a dress. I’m willing to do anything.]

Liangzi Lixue’s daily thread always seized the top spot in popularity, and others were happy to reply.

If you use your real name, I’ll use mine too. Although the first person to admit liking the Special Recruit was mocked, the second person stood up, the third stood up… Now even a heavyweight like Liangzi Lixue openly admitted it. Thinking about it carefully, liking the Special Recruit didn’t seem to be anything shameful.

A pretty kid who bowed when apologizing was certainly likable, but a great beauty who was good-looking and could get Zhao Zeryang expelled was even more charming.

And he dared to go hard against the Student Council, making all previous posts anonymous!

Those who benefited from this matter didn’t say it aloud, but they all thought in unison: compared to keeping him as a little lover outside, Wen Rong seemed more suitable to take over the family business together with them.

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—Who wouldn’t love a capable and extremely beautiful wife?

After venting their joy for Wen Rong in Liangzi Lixue’s post, the crowd exited and saw a new post.

[Black Pigeon News Report: Shi Jing Enrolling Tomorrow.]

Poster: Lin Qizheng

[A bit unexpected, but welcome new alumnus.]

[Welcome.]

[Speaking of which, I’ve seen movies he acted in. Acting skills aren’t bad.]

[Takes after his mom, has some spirituality.]

[Heard his personality is good too, very obedient and polite.]

…

Wen Rong was comparable to an 18-year-old grandpa. His internet speed was so slow that he only saw the post when he went to the Room 100 club meeting the next evening.

And the cause was Zhang Jincheng’s absence, leading Lin Qizheng to chat with Wen Rong and “claim credit.”

“Look at the title Senior chose. Not bad, right?”

Wen Rong specifically checked the poster, confirming it was indeed Lin Qizheng, and was somewhat shocked.

After all, the title was too serious, and the content too real.

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But his curiosity didn’t last long. Seeing the replies in the post, he concluded, “Everyone seems to welcome him very much.”

Lin Qizheng: “Of course. After all, he might be the future heir of the Shi family.”

“Why doesn’t anyone mind that his mother intruded into someone else’s family?”

Wen Rong’s expression was overly sincere, completely unrelated to “mockery,” so much so that Lin Qizheng’s expression changed unpredictably. Finally, he decided to speak up. “Youngest.”

“Mm?”

“Later when the President comes, absolutely do not mention anything about intrusion or third parties again. Didn’t you notice last night that the President didn’t speak at all?”

Wen Rong recalled last night and suddenly realized Zhang Jincheng indeed spoke very little. Thinking of him being in the car, he asked curiously, “Because he was concentrating on driving?”

“No!”

Lin Qizheng looked troubled again. “This matter isn’t your fault, but really don’t mention it again.”

My fault…

Wen Rong was even more confused. “Why blame me?”

Zhang Lin held his forehead. “The Youngest is dumb to begin with, and you’re still being a riddler. He probably won’t figure it out in 100 years. just say it straight.”

“Alright, alright.” Lin Qizheng spread his hands. “Because the President is an illegitimate son like Shi Jing. His family only acknowledged him back after he got into Floriman Academy.”

Wen Rong’s pupils constricted, and he was speechless for a moment.

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Zhang Lin: “This isn’t your fault either. Those who don’t know are innocent.”

Lin Qizheng: “Actually, these things are quite common… Whose dad hasn’t kept a mistress outside? You might not have been exposed to it before, so you don’t know.”

Zhang Lin echoed, “Many people just play their own games after marriage. After all, due to some interest entanglements and property distribution issues, they can’t divorce either.”

Wen Rong understood. This situation was common…

His body swayed, almost unable to sit still.

Yesterday he thought he had taken a severe blow from Shi Ye’s parents, and now came an even harder hit.

Lin Qizheng was startled. “Youngest, Youngest, are you okay?”

Wen Rong shook his head hard, feeling his brain shake, his skull rattling.

Then he felt apologetic. “I was a bit excessive with those words yesterday. I’m sorry.”

Lin Qizheng: “It’s fine, it’s fine. You aren’t in this circle yourself, so you don’t know the situation.”

Wen Rong fell silent.

This news dealt him a heavy blow but also made him understand why the three seniors had that attitude yesterday.

—They seemed accustomed to it.

“Then is this right?” Wen Rong couldn’t help asking.

“What?”

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“Even if there are interest relationships and property distribution issues, is it right to find someone else outside while having a family?”

Zhang Lin flew into a rage. “Why do you have to keep dwelling on this issue?”

Wen Rong wanted the News Club to always be good and dared not argue. So he shrank his neck and apologized instinctively. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t want to say sorry at all; you still want to ask.”

“…” Wen Rong indeed still wanted to ask. “I just want to know if everyone does this, then is this matter right or wrong.”

“Is right or wrong that important?”

As Wen Rong pondered this question, Lin Qizheng quickly stood up to block between Wen Rong and Zhang Lin. “Alright, alright. The Youngest is a bit dumb; don’t haggle with him.”

“You really are—” Zhang Lin sucked in a breath and roared, “It’s tiring talking to you. Didn’t your parents teach you how to get along with people?”

Wen Rong shook all over, feeling a bit wronged, yet bowed in panic. “I’m sorry, Senior. I said the wrong thing.”

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