Lu Chi raised an eyebrow. He quickly recalled the gentle woman who’d interviewed him that day, the art academy dean, and then thought of a coincidence.
[System, the body I possessed, his gambling debt came from the Lin family’s casino, didn’t it?]
The system froze.
[Oh, right! The Haoman Casino is owned by the Lin family. All your debt came from them.]
And Gu Yanyan’s uncle had also lost money there.
Thinking of that, Lu Chi frowned slightly.
The Lin family’s casino not only rigged games to make people lose but also ran illegal, semi-forced loan schemes, sucking gamblers dry through sky-high interest rates. Lu Chi had racked up five million in debt in just a month. If he hadn’t repaid it so quickly, making them think he’d hooked up with some rich sponsor, there’s no way they would’ve so easily declared the debt cleared.
So he lowered his eyes, thoughtful.
The A University Police Department was notoriously strict, harsh, and decisive. The city’s wealthy families, if not virtuous, at least kept within the law. Even Liang Zhiyu had been detained when reported to the police, so for the Lin family to run such a casino, constantly skirting legality, the power behind them was clearly not simple.
As expected, a moment later, the system began narrating information in his head.
[In the original story, after entering A University, the Protagonist Shou was bullied relentlessly, and later took revenge by poisoning and harming others, but was never caught. Not until near the end was it revealed that his “golden finger” was the Lin family, one of A City’s most powerful clans.]
[The Lin family is secretive. Their patriarch, Lin Shinian, rarely appears in public, claiming poor health. Most of their business is overseas, though they own three major casinos in the country and maintain deep connections with several large banks. Domestically, only the Liang family’s financial reports surpass theirs.]
[Besides Dean Lin Rong, are there any other Lin family members at A University?] Lu Chi asked.
[Nope.] The system answered. [Their heir is studying abroad. He never returns in the novel, not even by the end. He’s assumed to have taken over the overseas branch.]
Lu Chi raised an eyebrow again. Something about the Lin family felt strangely… artificial.
Too mechanical.
Almost like Liang Jiashu.
Seeing him suddenly smile, the system joined in enthusiastically, clenching its tiny digital fists: [Host Baby, the next plot point is a big one! It’s Gu Yanyan’s birthday night, Gong No.1, and the Protagonist Shou’s first real emotional exchange!]
[It’s another battlefield of jealousy! You have to show up, dazzle them both, and make your two ATM slaves fall even deeper in love with you!]
Lu Chi chuckled. [Really?] he asked, [Then you’d better say goodbye in advance, since you might not get to see me for a while.]
If he provoked Liang Jiashu any further, the man really would lock him up somewhere.
The system, not understanding, let out a panicked squeak: [Why?! Why can’t I see you during the jealousy arc?! Why! That Gong No.1 is evil!]
The class bell rang. Lu Chi ignored the little system’s whining and smoothly dismissed his students.
He didn’t plan to skip that plot point, but he wanted to observe first. Now that the entire main cast went off track, he wanted to see if the story would still follow its original trajectory.
…………….
In the original novel, shortly after enrollment, the naive little white flower Gu Yanyan developed a desperate crush on Liang Jiashu.
But since Liang Jiashu rarely appeared on campus, Gu Yanyan relied on some mysterious insider information, lying in wait outside the labs he frequented… and at mansion banquets, at intercollegiate exhibitions, pretty much anywhere he might catch a glimpse.
Students gossiped endlessly, mocking Gu Yanyan for overreaching, for shamelessly trying to climb into high society, and the bullying worsened. However, he endured it silently, refusing to deny his feelings.
And that persistence finally caught Liang Jiashu’s attention.
On his birthday night, after being slapped around by his roommates, Gu Yanyan ran out into the pouring rain and crouched by the lab door, crying quietly. Then he looked up, only to meet the eyes of the tall man standing not far away beneath an umbrella.
Their gazes met.
Trembling and soaked, Gu Yanyan sobbed, “Liang Jiashu, I really like you. Please… just give me a chance, okay?”
Through the rain, the tall, handsome man stepped closer, looking down at him. After a pause, he spoke in his usual, flat tone: “Are you angry right now?”
Gu Yanyan froze. “What?”
Liang Jiashu’s black eyes stared into his, bottomless as twin voids that could swallow bone and blood. Gu Yanyan instinctively tried to look away when the man tossed him a small vial, his tone calm and detached. “Colorless and odorless. Even a blood test won’t detect it.”
“Gu Yanyan, I’m giving you a chance.”
“…”
With that, Liang Jiashu turned and walked away. Under the crashing thunder and sheets of rain, Gu Yanyan stood frozen, clutching the vial, his expression unreadable.
And inside Lu Chi’s mind, the system wailed in horror: [That’s how they first connected emotionally! They must already feel drawn to each other! Baby, you have to stop them from meeting!]
Inside the elevator, Lu Chi’s tone was mild but amused, asking: [Aren’t you curious what was inside that vial? Or why, a week later, Gu Yanyan’s roommate was poisoned and fell into a coma, turning into an idiot after being rescued?]
The system responded without hesitation: [Why bother with side characters? They’re NPC cannon fodder, dead or alive, who cares!]
Lu Chi said nothing.
He gave up arguing with the child.
Exiting the elevator and walking straight to the parking garage, he was about to open his car door when hurried footsteps sounded behind him. Then, a breathless voice called out:
“Teacher Lu, wait!”
Lu Chi paused, turning slightly. His expression was calm, though he already had a guess.
Gu Yanyan ran up, still catching his breath, holding out a skewer of glossy candied hawthorn he’d queued up to buy. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke, nervous but earnest: “Teacher Lu, tomorrow is my birthday. May I invite you to have dinner with me?”
The system shrieked in excitement, but Lu Chi said nothing, just looked at him quietly. Gu Yanyan’s gaze darted away, his ears turning pink. “I’ll treat you,” he continued. “I’ve already booked a restaurant. It can be lunch or dinner, whichever works better for you.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t take photos or tell anyone. I just…” Gu Yanyan bit his lip, voice trembling slightly. “…I just want you to spend my birthday with me once.”
The Gu family was poor. After his parents died, life became even harder, so Gu Yanyan had never really celebrated a birthday.
But that year, after earning some money through FOM, and with about three hundred thousand yuan left in savings, he decided it was time to reward himself, just once.
And his idea of a reward was to earn one meal with Lu Chi.
To that end, he made reservations at five restaurants, each with a minimum charge of two thousand yuan. Whichever one Lu Chi preferred, that’s where they’d go. He’d even studied fine dining etiquette and bought an expensive new outfit as he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of the man he admired.
The almost nineteen-year-old boy stood before Lu Chi with bright eyes under his dark hair, his expression full of hope beneath the lights. But no matter how nervous he was, his pride wouldn’t allow him to look timid.
He wouldn’t cry, and he wouldn’t act weak…
…Because when you truly like someone, you want them to see you as someone they can rely on.
Lu Chi met his gaze. After a few seconds of thought, he smiled and shook his head.
“It might not be convenient. Sorry.”
“…”
Gu Yanyan’s face turned pale almost instantly.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, then forced a small smile. “Oh…” he finally answered. “That’s okay. I won’t bother you, then.” Head down and hollow-eyed, he turned to leave, but Lu Chi called out to him.
“Gu Yanyan.”
Gu Yanyan turned back, eyes wide with sudden hope.
The man lowered his gaze, unwrapped the candied hawthorn, and handed it back, keeping for himself a skewer with green grape centers. After chewing twice, he spoke casually: “I might not be able to go, but I can still give you a birthday present. What do you want?”
Under the light, his long lashes were half-lowered, his voice calm with a trace of a smile. It carried that faint, effortless warmth that older men had, gentle but distant.
One that made your head swim.
Gu Yanyan froze, clutching the candy stick, and staring at him blankly for a few seconds before speaking softly: “Could… could I ask for an hour of your time?”
He really just wanted to have a meal with Lu Chi and to talk to him for a while. That alone would make him feel atpeace and truly happy.
“…”
Lu Chi smiled, looking at him the way one might look at a stray dog that refused to leave but was too pitiful to shoo away. After a moment’s thought, he reached out and lightly patted the boy’s head.
“Alright. Tomorrow, then,” Lu Chi said. “But not at a restaurant. If I remember right, there’s a banquet hall on the third floor of FOM, isn’t there?”
Employees got a 20% discount, if he remembered correctly.
Gu Yanyan’s eyes lit up instantly. He nodded so hard it was a wonder his head stayed on, practically dancing in place with excitement. “Okay! Anywhere’s fine! Whatever you want!”
“I won’t bother you anymore, then. Goodbye, Teacher Lu!”
He spun around and left, bursting with energy and joy, a smile stretching clear across his face.
Lu Chi watched him go. He stood there, unmoving, silently chewing on the skewer in his hand.
Chew, chew… Chew, chew, chew.
He finished the last piece, but still didn’t move.
The system sounded puzzled: [Host, why aren’t you getting in the car? Anyway, that’s fine, tomorrow we’ll just find a reason to hook the Protagonist Shou! Why run around on his birthday? He’ll get struck by lightning! He should stay obediently and serve my Baby!]
Lu Chi said nothing. He popped the last green grape into his mouth and murmured instead: [Get ready to hit “Save”.]
[Huh?] The system blinked, confused.
But Lu Chi no longer answered. Instead, he stood there a moment longer, then tossed the empty stick aside, opened the car door, and slid smoothly into the driver’s seat.
The next second, the poor system’s terrified scream was abruptly cut off.
Two strong arms reached out from behind, clamping tightly over Lu Chi’s mouth and nose, binding his body without a sound. Someone pressed close from the back seat, their head leaning against his shoulder, hot breath spilling down his collar and scalding the pale skin beneath.
Lu Chi caught sight of the man wearing headphones… and on the phone screen in his hand played a very familiar, obscene scene.
The one from two nights ago, when things between them had gotten a little wild.
A high-definition recording of their most shameless moment, with his own face enlarged, the red of his tongue, the whiteness of his body, every shiver, every bead of sweat, every damp trace of movement, all crystal clear.
In the silence of the car, Lu Chi could even faintly hear his own breathless moans echoing through the speakers.
Liang Jiashu pressed a wet kiss to his neck. After a moment, his voice came. Low, quiet, but edged with frost:
“Why did you say yes to him?”
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