The Cycle of the Heavenly Dao

"Dad, I don't mind you letting me compete for Wu Wei against other women, and I've even accepted competing against other men, but you absolutely cannot lose your sense of propriety. Ethics and morals are very important; you should just go back to your internet celebrities, and I promise I won't nag you about it anymore."

Lan Meng wasn't intimidated by Zhao Xin, but she was terrified by her own father.

You can't just play like that.

Lan Tian burst into hearty laughter.

"Look at how anxious you are, Mengmeng. What are you thinking? I was just saying that Xiao Wei's charm really is irresistible to both men and women. Do you want Dad to teach you a few tricks so you can win Xiao Wei over as soon as possible?"

Lan Meng thought of Wu Wei's words, immediately curled her lip, and went straight for the jugular: "Forget it. If you were really that good at chasing women, you wouldn't have failed to win over Aunt Lin."

KO!

Lan Tian's expression gradually stiffened.

Don't hit a man in the face; you can't do that.

Lan Meng couldn't be bothered to talk to Lan Tian anymore; she waved her hand, shooing him away as if he were a fly.

"Alright, I already know the result. Dad, go busy yourself with your own affairs. I'm going to do some skincare before heading back to school."

Using someone and then discarding them, burning bridges—this was perfectly embodied in Lan Meng.

Lan Tian felt a pain in his chest.

Although he was a playboy, he only had this one daughter, Lan Meng.

Suddenly realizing that the cabbage he had raised for twenty years was now leaning toward someone else was quite heartbreaking.

Lan Meng completely ignored his heartache. After running upstairs, she immediately sent a message to Wu Wei:

"Wu Wei, what is your assessment of my dad?"

After a while, Wu Wei replied: "Don't like him. Too pretentious."

"Don't like him? He seems to be very popular among our younger generation."

"That has no direct bearing on why I don't like him."

After sending this message, Wu Wei didn't reply again.

He was still busy absorbing new things.

Lan Meng clutched her phone, giggling foolishly in her room.

The night grew slightly cool.

With the moon high in the sky, Lan Meng invited Wu Wei to dinner, saying the report was finally out.

Wu Wei gladly accepted the invitation, though he felt a slight twinge of discomfort.

"Did we really have to come to such a high-end place?"

"I always come here, but if you like, I can take you to eat at a street stall," Lan Meng said nonchalantly.

Wu Wei waved his hand: "Just be your natural self; I have no objections."

Differences in living environments lead to different tastes; there is nothing to criticize about these things, and no one is superior or inferior to another.

Thinking oneself noble, or thinking the other person is "low," is a rather foolish behavior.

Wu Wei wore very ordinary clothes, his entire outfit not exceeding one thousand Qin Coin, yet he didn't encounter any ignorant waiters coming to cause him trouble.

After Wu Wei sat down opposite her, Lan Meng asked: "Wu Wei, I remember Aunt Lin's income isn't low. Why does it feel like your pocket money is always stretched thin?"

"My mom is indeed very wealthy, but she spends it all on herself. You've said it before, her research is very expensive."

"She didn't leave anything for you at all?" Lan Meng was a bit surprised.

Knowing Aunt Lin was a research fanatic, wasn't this a bit too extreme?

Wu Wei shook his head: "In my mother's words, the greatest wealth she left me is her learning ability and methods. Knowledge is wealth, and it's better to raise boys with a bit of hardship."

Lan Meng: "...I feel like Aunt Lin is just pulling your leg."

"I realized that a long time ago, but it's useless. Who told her to be my mom? Besides, there is one thing she said that is correct: she has already left me her greatest wealth."

If Wu Wei weren't outstanding enough, how could Lan Meng have fallen for him?

Love is never truly "pure"; there must be some point about the other person that attracts you to make you like them.

For example, Wu Tian is very handsome.

For example, Wu Wei is not only very handsome but also a super academic genius.

These are all bonus points, and they are the conditions that attract the opposite sex, or even the same sex.

"You pay for this meal, and I'll treat you back later, or you can come ask me if there's anything you don't understand."

Wu Wei ate with composure, not feeling constrained at all.

The reason men and women feel nervous when they are together is that men always try to show off things they don't actually possess.

Wu Wei had enough self-confidence, so he didn't need to lie or hide anything; being open and honest actually earned him quite a few points.

Lan Meng didn't think anything of it either. As a girl raised in a family of the richest, she cared the least about such trivial details regarding money.

To her, those rich kids showing off in front of her were nothing more than a bunch of idiots; who could possibly be wealthier than her own family?

Someone as open and straightforward as Wu Wei was just fine.

"Let's eat first, otherwise I'm afraid you won't be able to stomach your food after reading Zhao Xin's investigation report."

Wu Wei's hands stiffened, and his expression shifted.

"No way, right?"

Lan Meng: "...What is that look? Did you guess it?"

"If it's something that would disgust me enough to lose my appetite, there are only a few possibilities. Is Zhao Xin targeting me? Does he want to pursue me?"

Lan Meng: "..."

Impressive, my dear Wei.

It's a real pity you didn't become a detective.

"Am I your shield?"

"Is he your love rival?"

Wu Wei felt a wave of nausea.

Lan Meng did too.

Although women have a tendency to ship BL couples deep down, their standards for physical appearance are also very high.

Zhao Xin clearly didn't meet the criteria in terms of looks.

Lan Meng looked at Wu Wei and said very seriously, "Wu Wei, you should reflect on yourself too. What exactly did you do to give Zhao Xin the illusion that he could win you over?"

Stabbed in the back by Lan Meng, Wu Wei felt the sting in his heart.

The cycle of karma is truly relentless.

He had stabbed Ji Xiang last time, and today it was his turn.

"Let's stop talking for now, let's eat, let's eat."

"Wu Wei, I'm under so much pressure. Not only do I have to compete with women, but now I have a male love rival too."

Wu Wei forcibly suppressed his nausea and said seriously, "Do not talk while eating, do not talk while sleeping."

Lan Meng chuckled twice and stopped launching suicidal attacks.

After all, even she felt disgusted just mentioning Zhao Xin now.

The two finished their meal, each lost in their own thoughts. While Lan Meng went to pay the bill, Wu Wei picked up the investigation report and read it carefully.

It had to be said that the analysis in this report was indeed well-founded, and it had calculated various possibilities down to the exact percentage; Wu Wei couldn't find any faults.

He trusted the power of technology; human hearts were not impossible to calculate, it was just that the level of technology hadn't reached that point yet.

However, looking at Zhao Xin's profile, Wu Wei felt a sense of familiarity.

He began to search his mind earnestly for the source of this feeling.

A moment later, his eyes narrowed.

He remembered a report he had seen in his mother's drawer a long time ago.

The name on that report seemed to be—Zhao Liang.

Wu Wei hadn't finished reading that report because he had been discovered by Lin Shen.

At the time, Lin Shen had smiled and said, "Who would have thought that at only 20 years old, he was actually a 14-year-old girl six years ago."