Old Wang Gets "Cuckolded"

The next day, Shen Qian experienced a martial artist's freeloading privilege for the first time, taking the free public tram to school.

"Beep, student card!"

"Beep, senior card!"

"Beep, martial artist card!"

After a series of ordinary card-swipe sounds, Shen Qian swiped his badge.

Sure enough, Shen Qian drew a wave of strange looks, giving his vanity a small measure of satisfaction.

"You're already a martial artist, and you still take the public tram?"

"Maybe it's an adult's card from his family. The kid probably stole it to show off. I've seen this sort of thing plenty of times..."

Listening to the low murmurs around him, Shen Qian's face darkened, and he quietly put his badge away again.

He finally understood why martial artists were rarely seen on public trams.

There were only fifty-nine days left on the college entrance exam countdown outside the school gates, but that did nothing to diminish the carefree, cheerful atmosphere on campus.

After all, these days, failing to get into a martial arts university basically meant being classified as a loser. And there was no such thing as overperforming in martial arts exams. Everyone knew their own limits, so there was actually very little pressure.

Upon entering Class 109, Shen Qian was stopped by an intellectual-looking girl wearing glasses.

"Shen Qian, come with me." Lin Xiaoqian looked serious.

Shen Qian froze. "What is it?"

"Just come with me." Lin Xiaoqian beckoned to him and left the classroom, heading toward the end of the corridor.

Though Shen Qian had no idea what was going on, she was the newly appointed acting class monitor, so it was presumably something serious. He followed Lin Xiaoqian all the way to the storage room at the end of the corridor.

After checking that no one was around, Lin Xiaoqian opened the door and went inside. Then she poked her head out. "Shen Qian, get in here!"

So mysterious?

Shen Qian followed her in curiously. Lin Xiaoqian hurriedly shut the door and turned around.

The storage room was piled with miscellaneous clutter, and the lighting was poor. In the dimness, Lin Xiaoqian adjusted her glasses and stared intently at Shen Qian.

Shen Qian instinctively grabbed his waistband and asked warily, "What are you trying to do?"

"It's not just me." Lin Xiaoqian smiled and clapped her hands.

Four more girls emerged from the darkness around them, all staring at Shen Qian as intently as Lin Xiaoqian was.

Shen Qian became thoroughly nervous. This scene felt like something he had seen in some movie before...

"Better do it one at a time." Shen Qian assessed the gap in numbers between the two sides and made a compromise.

"You don't have that much?" Lin Xiaoqian looked quite disappointed.

"...There should still be enough. I've saved up for a long time, after all." Shen Qian had not expected her to be even more direct than he was. After a brief pause, he replied.

"That's great!" The girls were all delighted. Lin Xiaoqian asked, "Is it fifty thousand each too?"

"It doesn't need to be that much..."

Shen Qian replied reflexively, then finally realized something was off. "What are you talking about?"

"The Special Effect Potion you helped Wang Yangming get!" Lin Xiaoqian said. "He told me all about it. He even said you were the only one with a connection, and that it wasn't available anywhere on the market..."

"Oh, that."

"Is something wrong? Why do you look disappointed?" Lin Xiaoqian asked doubtfully.

"No, no."

Shen Qian adjusted his train of thought. Looking around now, he realized that the girls in the storage room were all classmates who were close to Lin Xiaoqian.

As for why Wang Yangming had exposed him, Shen Qian could understand that too. Wang Yangming had once let it slip that he harbored improper thoughts toward Lin Xiaoqian.

There was no need to think about it. That guy had to have bragged in front of Lin Xiaoqian because he now had hope of getting into a martial arts university.

Noticing Shen Qian's gaze, Lin Xiaoqian said somewhat embarrassedly, "I promised Wang Yangming I wouldn't tell anyone, but I really couldn't hold it in... But don't worry, only the five of us know now. We'll keep it secret."

Shen Qian gave a derisive snort. He estimated that in two or three days at most, the entire class would know.

Still, he did not care too much. He had already planned to make some easy money from the prescription again. Selling to classmates whose backgrounds he knew was better than selling to strangers.

"I can get the potion, but you'll have to wait a few days. Also, you'll need to line up. I can get at most three bottles at a time."

After considering it for a moment, Shen Qian spoke.

"That's fine. We can wait." Delight appeared on Lin Xiaoqian's face, then she asked, "What about the money...?"

"You can pay me after you get the potion." Shen Qian waved a hand.

"How about we give you a deposit first? That way, we'll feel more at ease too. Who knows whether you might sell them to someone else first?"

After thinking it over, Lin Xiaoqian made the suggestion.

"Fine by me." Shen Qian did not particularly care.

Lin Xiaoqian discussed it with the other girls, and they all agreed to pay Shen Qian a deposit of one-tenth in advance. They each noted down his card number and agreed to transfer the deposit tomorrow.

Once the matter was settled, Shen Qian took the lead in pushing open the storage room door. Then he saw Wang Yangming, who had just come up from the stairwell.

"Shen Qian, why are you..."

Wang Yangming was surprised to see Shen Qian emerging from the storage room, but he quickly froze.

Because Lin Xiaoqian came out behind Shen Qian, her face flushed and her expression full of delight.

Then came Li Han, Mao Xiaoxiao... all female classmates from their class.

Shen Qian saw Old Wang too and immediately realized from his expression that he had probably misunderstood.

But Shen Qian was annoyed that this bastard had sold him out so easily, so he merely sneered and drifted away, leaving Wang Yangming standing on the stairs as his mentality gradually exploded.

The day's classes passed quickly, and Shen Qian, immersed in a sea of books, was jolted awake by the dismissal bell.

"Shen Qian, want to go to the VR Hall?" Zhou Xu nudged his arm.

"No. I'm going home to study." Shen Qian refused without hesitation.

...It was Monday. There was training camp today!

Shen Qian sighed inwardly.

"Fine." Zhou Xu did not mind Shen Qian's occasional "episodes." He glanced at Wang Yangming, who was silently packing his schoolbag, loneliness radiating from his back, and asked strangely, "What's with Old Wang today? He doesn't seem to want to talk to us."

"He thinks he got cuckolded."

"What the hell?" Zhou Xu was dumbfounded.

"Exactly what it sounds like." Shen Qian packed up his desk, waved, and said, "I'm leaving first. See you tomorrow."

By the time Shen Qian arrived at the old Physical Testing Hall, five or six people had already trickled in. As expected, Huo Ling'er had arrived early again.

Huo Ling'er, wearing a plaid shirt and black skirt, hurried over when she saw Shen Qian enter. Her skirt fluttered, revealing a flash of fair skin.

"Shen Qian, you're here... I saw that pervert again." Huo Ling'er spoke anxiously.

"What pervert?" Shen Qian froze.

"The pervert I told you about, the one who always peeks at me during our training camp!" Huo Ling'er lowered her voice and leaned close to Shen Qian's ear. "I went to open the window just now, and he was standing right beside it. He scared me to death."

Shen Qian glanced sideways at Huo Ling'er, who was close enough to touch. Her lips, glossed with lipstick, looked crystalline and tempting. The distance between them was such that they could kiss if either of them made the slightest larger movement.

Ever since Shen Qian had taken her to the VR Hall once, she seemed to have started treating him as a close friend without any guard up...

"Ahem. Was the pervert you mentioned wearing a long robe, holding a thread-bound book, and smiling pleasantly?" Shen Qian subtly pulled back a little and asked.

"Yes, yes! How did you know?" Huo Ling'er asked in surprise.

"He's right behind you."