Qi Junshan was soaking goji berries in his thermos, taking sips one by one, while scrolling through videos of female streamers swaying their hips on his phone.
His daily pleasure was spending time alone in his office. He could watch whatever he wanted—private and completely at ease.
At middle age, there were things he couldn’t avoid. Although his wife was over ten years younger and only forty this year, after giving birth to two children, she was no longer young. She gave off that unmistakable sense of faded beauty.
After watching those online beauties with legs as straight as poles during the day, going home to see his unkempt, sallow-faced wife only made his frustration worse.
Sigh… when middle-aged couples share a kiss, it’s enough to give nightmares for several nights!
A knock came at the door. Qi Junshan quickly put away his phone and straightened himself up.
Just a minute ago, this old man had been sending gifts to streamers, calling them “little baby” over and over.
“Principal, hello. I’m Shen Tianyi, here to register as a transfer student.”
Qi Junshan adjusted his glasses and smiled warmly. “So you’re Student Shen. Have a seat.”
Shen Tianyi waved his hand. “You’re the principal and I’m the student. How could I be so rude as to sit down right away? I’ll just stand. My father told me to come find you first after arriving, so I came over.”
Qi Junshan nodded in satisfaction. “I’ve seen your college entrance exam results—very impressive. A top student. I didn’t expect you to be so humble and polite in person. Very good.”
Shen Tianyi smiled. “Respecting teachers and valuing education is only natural.”
He slipped in a subtle display of himself, making Qi Junshan beam with approval.
“Mm, your father has already told me about your situation. The past is the past. Now that you’ve come to Christie Business School, I welcome you.”
“Thank you, Principal.”
“There’s a school assembly shortly. We need a student representative to give a speech. I’ll take you on stage later. You’ve prepared your script, right?”
Shen Tianyi curled his lips into a confident smile. “Principal, I don’t need a script. I used to give speeches as a student representative all the time. I’m used to it.”
“Oh? Speaking without notes? Impressive. You really have ability. Then come with me later!”
Shen Tianyi nodded.
“Oh right, Principal, you know about the situation between Shen Juan and me. May I ask—will Shen Juan be withdrawing? After all, the tuition here isn’t something he can afford now.”
Shen Tianyi asked casually, as if it didn’t matter.
“He was supposed to withdraw. He had been behind on tuition for quite some time. According to school regulations, if tuition is overdue for more than a month, the student can be withdrawn. But on the last day, he paid it off.”
Qi Junshan smiled.
“Shen Juan no longer owes tuition and hasn’t committed any violations. The school has no reason to make him leave. If you feel awkward seeing him, there’s no need to worry. Christie is large. As long as you’re not in the same department, you won’t run into him often.”
Shen Tianyi was surprised. “He paid the tuition?”
Hearing this, Shen Tianyi narrowed his eyes.
He had underestimated him.
When Shen Juan was kicked out, his parents had clearly frozen and canceled all his cards. They hadn’t left him any cash either. He had no house or car under his name, and he wasn’t allowed to take anything valuable.
They thought he had been completely stripped of everything. Who would’ve expected Shen Juan to be so cunning, still hiding money?
Otherwise, how could a poor guy like him afford 300,000 yuan in tuition now?
“Let’s go. The assembly is about to start. Come with me.”
Shen Tianyi temporarily set aside thoughts about Shen Juan and followed the principal out of the office.
Soon, he would be on stage to give his speech.
With so many beautiful girls at Christie, all he needed was one dazzling performance to win their hearts.
Right now, the most important thing was figuring out how to act cool—naturally low-key yet still impressive—and complete this act flawlessly.
He wanted every beauty in the school to remember the name Shen Tianyi.
Meanwhile, Shen Juan was having a friendly exchange with the system.
[Ding! Host, Shen Tianyi will be going on stage to give a speech shortly. In the original novel, this segment was brilliant and smooth, allowing him to show off perfectly and establish his reputation at Christie.]
“Mm, not bad.”
Shen Juan already had memories of the original novel’s plotline and was fully aware of every development.
“However, I have a question. In the original novel, on his first day, he showed off at the school gate. Wen Wan twisted her ankle, and he saved her like a hero. Why is the plot different today?”
[Because of the host’s involvement, Shen Tianyi’s protagonist halo has been disrupted. In the original novel, many plotlines revolved around serving Shen Tianyi, causing the female leads to act irrationally.]
[The goddess you pursued for so long wouldn’t even spare you a glance, yet she would gradually fall for Shen Tianyi just because he helped her after she twisted her ankle.]
[Such clichéd and brainless plotlines are unfair to a villain like you. Therefore, after your involvement, the protagonist halo is weakened, and the female leads retain their intelligence.]
Shen Juan nodded in satisfaction. “Good. I don’t like mindless dolls anyway.”
He thought about how annoying Shen Tianyi was, acting like an agitated rooster every time he saw him.
Since the guy was clearly against him, he might as well give him a “welcome gift.”
[1: Sit quietly in the audience and listen to Shen Tianyi’s speech. Reward: 100,000 yuan.]
[2: Cause mischief from the audience and disrupt the speech. Reward: 200,000 yuan and one disciplinary warning.]
[3: Find a way to sit next to Wen Li. Reward: Wen Li Favorability +5, Wen Wan Disappointment +5, Jealousy +5, plus 1,000,000 yuan and Invisible Stink Bomb ×1.]
[Note: The stink bomb can be used on any target within a 100-meter range. After use, the target will uncontrollably release foul gas for 30 minutes, accompanied by… uncontrollable side effects.]
Shen Juan liked rewards that broke conventions.
Wasn’t this stink bomb practically tailor-made for Shen Tianyi’s upcoming performance?
Choosing option three was a no-brainer.
He didn’t care much about the money—he just wanted to see how powerful that stink bomb really was.
Shen Juan took out his phone and sent Wen Li a message.
[I’ll need a seat at the assembly later. Save one next to you.]
Wen Li “Little Wild Cat”: [Keep dreaming. Go to hell.]
Shen Juan: [Image] (a photo of Wen Li squatting and puncturing a tire)
Wen Li “Little Wild Cat”: [Got it. I was just joking earlier. Might’ve sounded harsh—don’t mind it.]
Shen Juan: [Mm. Let me know once you’ve saved the seat.]
Wen Li “Little Wild Cat”: [Okay, okay.]
After receiving her message, Shen Juan headed over.
When he arrived, he saw Wen Li sitting there—and Wen Wan was seated beside her.
Wen Wan seemed slightly surprised by his arrival. She pressed her lips together, preparing to let him sit in the empty seat beside her.
However, Shen Juan simply walked past her and sat on the other side of Wen Li.
Wen Wan froze for a moment.
Then, a bitter feeling slowly spread through her heart.
Shen Juan was truly different now.
It seemed… he no longer liked her.