"How am I supposed to calm down? If you were in my shoes, you'd probably be even less calm than I am. I really want to ask him whether any of this is true!"
"Back at school, Yang Xuehuan clearly wasn't that kind of person. How could she suddenly change? I..."
Whenever Zhou Zheng thought about his entire family dying, leaving him to wander this world alone before finally dying miserably on the streets, his eyes reddened.
If things really reached that point, he dared not imagine how much blame and guilt he would feel.
The heavy responsibility of destroying his entire family because he had misjudged someone suddenly fell onto his shoulders, weighing down his heart.
"Bro! Don't tell me you already have her contact details? Don't do anything stupid!"
Hearing Zhou Zheng's last remark, Xu Zhichen and the others instantly widened their eyes in shock. Xu Zhichen grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard, terrified that he would do something foolish.
"If you want to know whether it's true, why not test it yourself? Don't trouble Brother Jue. The fact that we can hear his thoughts already defies science."
Another fair-skinned, handsome roommate who had come along patted Zhou Zheng on the shoulder too, trying to bring him to his senses and offer some appropriate advice. Whether he took it was up to him.
"Do you know about karma? Generally speaking, seeing through someone else's karma comes with a punishment. That's why those street fortune-tellers charge for their readings and use the money for good deeds, to offset the karma."
As he spoke, everyone turned to look at him. He was not remotely intimidated by their gazes. He spoke clearly and methodically, confident and composed, looking every bit like someone who had grown up well loved.
"Brother Jue let us hear his... without knowing it, but he must have one of those systems from novels bound to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to accumulate merit."
"As the beneficiaries, we can't just learn that something like this might happen, do nothing to change it, and expect him to save us, can we?"
At this point, an expression of unbearable shame instantly appeared on Zhou Zheng's face. But he did not let him off and instead continued.
"If that's how you're going to act, then that ending is what you deserve. Consider our friendship over."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Zheng finally calmed down from his intense emotional turmoil and immediately apologized:
"Qiao Ze, Xu Zhichen, I'm sorry. I was being impulsive just now. Brother Jue has already helped me. I'll handle this properly and won't cause him any trouble."
Xu Zhichen patted his shoulder and said nothing more. Qiao Ze sighed softly, squeezed his shoulder, and said, "Tell us where things stand between you and Yang Xuehuan, so we can help you analyze it."
"Right. Let's all talk it through. There's bound to be a way."
Zhou Zheng and the other five returned to their dorm. Turning away the other trainees who wanted gossip, they began analyzing the developments between Zhou Zheng and Yang Xuehuan, along with her intentions, on their own.
Unaware of what they were up to, Shang Shujue was sitting on the sofa with his eyes lowered, stroking the soft black fur on Nuomi's back with his long fingers. The corners of his lips curved slightly, and his eyes were filled with the joy of petting a kitty.
"Host, it's almost one thirty. Aren't you sleepy?"
Nuomi's paws felt a little itchy. He jumped off Shang Shujue's lap and ran to sharpen his claws on the simple cat tree. Looking back, he saw Shang Shujue pick up his phone without any intention of going to bed, and could not help growing curious.
"Haah~" Shang Shujue yawned and stretched, squeezing a crystalline tear from the corner of his eye that set off the pink at its outer edge. "Of course I'm sleepy. How could I not be?"
"Then why aren't you going to sleep?" Nuomi licked his little paws.
"I'm waiting for a call. My uncle in this world will definitely call before two. Rather than fall asleep and get woken up, I might as well stay awake and wait for his call."
As Shang Shujue said this, a confident gleam flashed through his eyes, and his tone was utterly certain, as though Yun Qishan would call the very next second.
"How can you be so sure, Host?"
Nuomi stopped licking his paws, bounded over to lie beside Shang Shujue, and tilted his head up to look at him, his furry little cat face radiating cuteness.
Shang Shujue rubbed Nuomi's little head and winked at him, his lips curving confidently, but said nothing more. Faced with his host's beautiful wink, Nuomi even forgot to swish his tail. Host was so fair, so beautiful!
"Ring~ ring~"
"See! There's the call."
Just as Shang Shujue withdrew his hand from Nuomi's head, his phone rang, and Yun Qishan's number appeared on the screen. Nuomi saw it and marveled.
"You're amazing, Host! ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧"
Shang Shujue raised his eyebrows slightly, accepting the compliment, before answering the call. Yun Qishan's voice came through the phone...
Three hours earlier, Yun Qishan, dressed in a Zhongshan suit and looking at ease and refined, was playing Go in the courtyard with Yu Yang, whose face was stern and who held a string of Buddhist prayer beads. Both men were quiet, but their play was ruthless and decisive, every move aimed at victory.
"The Yu Family's collateral branches seem a little too active lately. A while ago, I saw a young nephew of yours donate quite a few things at a charity banquet. It looks like he wants to win people over and raise his standing."
Yun Qishan's words made Yu Yang frown involuntarily. Then, at some unknown thought, his brow relaxed, and he sighed softly. His lips curved with a hint of self-mockery, and traces of his former dashing charm remained visible on his slightly wrinkled face.
"Let them do as they please. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to hear a child call me Dad in this lifetime. Leaving the family business to nephews with the Yu surname is better than letting it fall into someone else's hands."
"You've certainly come to terms with things, leaving me to feel regret on your behalf. ε=(´ο｀*))) Sigh, with such excellent genes, why did you have to have a problem in this particular area?"
As Yun Qishan spoke, he placed a black stone, blocking the final liberty of Yu Yang's white stones. Surrounded by black stones, the white stones were wiped out.
"Better not to bring it up. The more we talk about it, the more regrets there are."
Yu Yang paused with a white stone in his hand. After a moment, he lowered his eyes and returned it to the bowl, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness as well as familiarity.
"You're as fond of laying traps for me as ever. I've lost again. I wonder if I'll manage to beat you once before I die?"
"Hahaha... Don't talk like that. Let's play another game. I'll go easy on you this time."
Yun Qishan felt immense regret, but outwardly he did not mention the matter again. As he waved a hand with a smile, Yu Yang curved his lips helplessly too and nodded. "All right. I'll trust you one more time."
Seeing this, the attendant waiting nearby immediately stepped forward, sorted the black and white stones on the table into their respective bowls, then returned to stand at the side and wait.