[Ding-dong~ Xu Jiaqiao's life trajectory has undergone a major turning point, and his fate has changed. Merit points +1, negative influence +1. Karmic link established.]
Shang Shujue was walking down the corridor, reading a message that bastard Song Yanqing had sent him as he went. Now, hearing Nuomi's words, he involuntarily stopped in his tracks.
[Host, please eliminate the karma as soon as possible to prevent subsequent karmic burdens from exceeding your capacity, bringing misfortune and affecting the speed and timing of fortune collection.]
"That's a thing too? How do I eliminate karma?"
Shang Shujue had just finished asking Nuomi when he saw a woman dragging Yu Zeqi toward the training camp's exit. With no time to read Song Yanqing's message carefully, he replied with a reaction sticker, stuffed his phone into his trouser pocket, and hurried forward.
[Host, Xu Jiaqiao met a miserable end. Since you changed his life trajectory, you must bear his karma. But because the incident happened so suddenly, Song Yanqing, who comes from the same world as you, also entered this world. He has an abundance of fortune. You only need to get close to him and engage in any form of intimacy. That will allow him to share the karma and achieve a balance. No matter how many people you save afterward, there will be no restrictions.]
Shang Shujue screeched to a halt, his face turning green, his expression as ugly as if he had eaten a fly that had just licked shit.
"What did you say? You want me to get with that bastard Song Yanqing... No way! I refuse! I can become this world's god, so why the hell would I need outside help? ⦁֊⦁꧞"
[That makes sense. Then earn more merit, host. Once you unlock the Boundless Merit achievement, you can cancel out the negative influence too. I'll do everything I can to help you.]
Shang Shujue rejected Nuomi's suggestion and rolled his eyes, continuing to run forward, somewhat speechless. Nuomi also thought he had a point and agreed with his idea.
Only when Shang Shujue reached the doors at the end of the corridor did he realize that practically all the trainees were there.
They seemed to want to stop Ren Xiaoxue, but because she was a girl, they were at something of a loss over how to intervene.
"Xiaoxue, I just want to practice dancing. I don't want to attend a banquet. I really don't want to go to tonight's banquet. You could turn it down for me, so why do you insist on making me go?"
After returning to the dormitory, Yu Zeqi had encountered Ren Xiaoxue at the entrance, where she had been waiting for quite some time. Because of Shang Shujue's inner thoughts, he had already begun to harbor some doubts about this friend who treated him so well on the surface but acted differently behind his back.
He hadn't believed it at first, but then she said she wanted to take him to a high-society banquet, offering the high-sounding excuse that this was a way for the company to attract investment and that he wouldn't have to entertain anyone over drinks or anything.
After hearing her spiel, Yu Zeqi's heart had already gone cold. Now that he had been half dragged, half pulled outside, what was there left for him not to understand?
His "good friend" was giving him away as a favor, and even while he was down on his luck, she could still use his blood ties to obtain the life of wealth she had always dreamed of.
"Yu Zeqi! What on earth is wrong with you today? You've never rejected my suggestions before. I went to so much trouble calling in favors to find an opportunity today, hoping to help you go further, and this is how you treat me?"
Ren Xiaoxue noticed more and more trainees gathering to watch and felt a little embarrassed. She also couldn't budge Yu Zeqi when he truly didn't want to leave.
"Xiaoxue, I consider you my most important friend. But do you really consider me your most important friend?"
Yu Zeqi didn't answer Ren Xiaoxue's question. He merely looked at her with slightly reddened eyes, his words as sincere and pure as a pool of clear spring water, so unblemished that they hurt Ren Xiaoxue's eyes.
Ren Xiaoxue's brows knitted tightly, and jealousy toward Yu Zeqi, along with a barely perceptible trace of hatred, flashed through her eyes. On the surface, however, she looked troubled and wronged.
"Of course I consider you my best friend. Otherwise, why would I work myself to death drumming up business, securing resources for you, and finding opportunities?"
"This opportunity today was something I went to a lot of trouble to get too. All you have to do is come with me."
"You don't have to stay long. It'll only take two minutes, and you won't even agree to that. You're acting like I'm trying to hurt you. With so many people watching, don't you think it's going too far to make me beg?"
Listening to Ren Xiaoxue's spiel, Yu Zeqi instinctively began to feel guilty and blame himself. Ren Xiaoxue was the only friend he had left now.
"I..."
If he lost even his last friend, if he wasn't the child of that Yu Family head or whatever, then he really would have nothing left...
Seeing Yu Zeqi's expression, everyone knew things were going wrong. They all wanted to speak, but they had no standing to interrupt her. After all, this was between the two of them.
And they weren't very familiar with Yu Zeqi yet. The ones who knew him better were Xu Jiaqiao and Bai Zhiyi.
One had been urgently summoned back by his lousy company to deal with terminating his contract, while the other was still recovering in the hospital. There was no helping it; he'd strained his balls, and they needed care.
Bai Zhiyi: ...I don't want to face this. Stop talking. I seriously can't face the other trainees or the viewers and fans in the livestream...
"Miss, you know perfectly well who's going too far here, don't you?"
"As Yu Zeqi's friend and manager, instead of thinking about protecting him, you want to take him to a third-rate banquet full of all sorts of unsavory people and thrust him into the eye of the storm."
"Making him an obvious target, an item to be traded-is that what you call friendship?"
Just as Ren Xiaoxue felt certain she would get her way today, inwardly mocking and sneering at how Yu Zeqi really was a pushover she could manipulate however she pleased, a clear, logically reasoned rebuttal sounded behind her.
The voice was somewhat familiar. She reflexively turned to look and saw Shang Shujue approaching from the far end of the corridor.
Though he wore a white shirt, he exuded an almost bewitchingly seductive, ghostly allure. He held something in his hand, his smile bold and unrestrained, as radiant as the sun.
He stepped out of the shadows, and the sunlight fell on him at just the right angle, casting a warm glow, as though that light were radiating from his own body.
Yu Zeqi looked up at him along with the other trainees, dazzled by his fair, luminous skin, their hearts racing at his bright, fiery, strikingly aggressive looks.
This man was so damn radiant and handsome!
"Young Master Shang, I think you must have misunderstood me. Yu Zeqi is the best friend I've ever had. How could I possibly thrust him into the eye of the storm? It's just a banquet. You're making it sound far too serious."
Ren Xiaoxue was stunned by Shang Shujue's beauty. He looked both sexy and gorgeous, truly enough to make anyone drool.
If the powerful Shang Family weren't beyond her ability to offend, she would have added this kind of pretty little thing to her harem the very next second, lavished her favor on him every day, and tossed him aside once she got bored. Heh...
"Is that so?" Shang Shujue glanced at the innocent-faced Yu Zeqi with his reddened eyes, then opened the banquet guest list in his hand and waved it in front of her. "I happen to have gotten my hands on the guest list for this banquet. Guess who I saw on it?"
At the sight of the guest list in Shang Shujue's hand, Ren Xiaoxue instantly snapped out of her fantasy, her expression changing. At a glance, she spotted those three scumbags listed in the second row.
"Lin Xu, Han Dong, Yang Shaoying..."
Noticing how Ren Xiaoxue's face instantly went deathly pale, Shang Shujue couldn't help curling his lips and letting out a chuckle. His laughter was low and seductive, but at that moment, Ren Xiaoxue had no time to appreciate it.