C15 I Was Hit on the Waist by a Girl

After enjoying the most sumptuous and extravagant meal of his life, Feng Manlou graciously accepted 150 C Country Money from Zhao Huaiyuan outside the cafeteria. He offered some heartfelt thanks to President Liu for the treat before wrapping himself in the night's starry cloak and escorting Ye Qingling back to the girls' dormitory.

Zhao Huaiyuan had initially intended to send a WeChat red envelope, since carrying cash had become quite uncommon, but Manlou declined. He wanted Zhao Huaiyuan to understand his stance clearly: he had no desire to forge any significant connection with him. He simply wished for them to remain as parallel lines—forever separate, coexisting without incident.

Approaching the girls' dormitory, Manlou chose a secluded bench by a parasol tree to sit down and show Qingling the video he had recorded on his phone. The seven-minute clip was impressively clear and well-recorded, thanks to their proximity.

"Is this the video you're using to threaten Zhao Huaiyuan?" Qingling asked, puzzled. "It seems like he hasn't really done anything to you. He's just a bit too arrogant."

Manlou chuckled. "Do you think a video is only incriminating if it shows a clear threat to my life, or if Zhao Huaiyuan is seen pressing a knife against my chest?"

"Isn't that the case?" she responded.

"It's both yes and no," he replied.

"Yes and no?" Qingling echoed, confused.

Manlou nodded. "Against an average university student, the kind of video you're talking about would indeed be compromising. Handing it over to the police would result in disciplinary action from both law enforcement and the university. But, as much as I hate to admit it, Zhao Huaiyuan is no ordinary student. The class divide between him and the average person..." Manlou gestured with his left hand at his navel and his right hand at his chest, indicating a significant gap.

"I get it now!" Qingling exclaimed, a lightbulb moment. "Because he's wealthy and influential, that kind of video poses no threat to him!"

"Exactly!" Manlou affirmed with a snap of his fingers.

"But if even a video of him wielding a knife isn't intimidating to him, how could this video, where there's no knife involved, possibly be a threat?" Qingling pondered aloud, tapping her head and sheepishly sticking out her tongue. "Sorry, I can be a bit slow sometimes. I know this video must be threatening to him, yet I can't quite figure out why."

Her demure charm momentarily distracted Feng Manlou. As he regained his focus, he marveled inwardly at the power of an adorable demeanor,

It's no surprise that so many actresses claim to be a bit silly and ditsy—the appeal of the cute and clueless is truly formidable!

"The logic is quite straightforward. Zhao Huaiyuan's statements in the video..."

Feng Manlou recounted to her the infamous blunders of the privileged youth and then dissected the potential hot-button issues within the video.

"Just like that. That's why such videos are genuinely weapons of mass destruction, their Achilles' heel."

Ye Qingling had bowed her head somewhere along the way, her voice tinged with disappointment, "I misjudged you... I never expected you to be cut from the same cloth as Zhao Huaiyuan, equally manipulative, sinister, and calculating."

Silence enveloped them, as countless twinkling stars looked on like eager spectators awaiting the unfolding drama.

He scratched his head in embarrassment.

Perhaps Ye Qingling was right; his behavior seemed indistinguishable from Zhao Huaiyuan's.

"I think it's time for me to leave. I'll take care of the issue with Zhao Huaiyuan harassing you."

Feng Manlou rose slowly, hands bracing his knees.

He realized that a deep thinker like himself shouldn't be mingling too much with a pure-hearted young woman like Ye Qingling—it might taint her crystalline soul.

"Tehe, got you good, didn't I?"

Ye Qingling suddenly landed a playful punch on his lower back.

"Hmph, that's for snatching the card earlier!

You knew I was going to treat you, yet you went ahead and paid. Isn't that a slight against me? It's unforgivable!

Even if Zhao Huaiyuan ended up footing the bill, it doesn't excuse your actions!"

Feng Manlou nearly winced from the impact of her youthful, sweet punch. "Hey, miss, aren't you holding a bit of a grudge?"

"Ha, the reason I can make my way in the world is that I always repay kindness and settle scores promptly!"

Ye Qingling stood with her hands on her hips, boasting confidently, "Don't think for a second that I'm naive enough to lump you together with Zhao Huaiyuan.

My dad always says that cunning and strategy are not inherently good or evil."

Traits that manifest as despicable and cunning in the wicked, causing harm, are seen as intelligence and wisdom in the good, bringing benefits to all. In you, they could perhaps be called a touch of cleverness."

Watching Feng Manlou's bemused expression, the girl's laughter rang out again, reminiscent of a refreshing spring breeze in the lush Jiangnan region.

...

Deep into the night, the neon lights of East Sea City's nightclub district flickered, with countless urban men and women reveling with abandon.

Some, too eager to wait, began engaging in fervent activities right there in the dimly lit alleys.

Zhao Huaiyuan parked the Masha president at the curb and led Hsu Wei and his three companions into a bar named "Fallen Angel."

Upon opening the door adorned with an angelic copper statue, they were greeted by thunderous music that seemed to pierce through their very beings.

This was the kind of nightclub they had only dared to dream about, where the average spend was in the tens of thousands, a true den of opulence and decadence.

Hsu Wei and his group were immediately captivated by six enormous golden bird cages suspended by chains, each containing a sultry pole dancer performing intricate maneuvers that sent their pulses racing.

Zhao Huaiyuan observed the four awestruck bumpkins, feeling a slight solace for his wounded spirit.

This was the proper place for the likes of them; Feng Manlou was an absolute anomaly!

He gestured to his group to bypass the dance floor and proceed to their pre-booked booth.

No sooner had they settled in than two glamorous women approached, completely disregarding Hsu Wei and the others, and took seats next to Zhao Huaiyuan.

The woman on the left, with a particularly low-cut neckline, purred, "Hey, handsome, how about buying us sisters a drink?"

Zhao Huaiyuan's brow furrowed. He had little patience for women who offered themselves so readily, clearly motivated by money and lacking any real challenge.

He had each woman pull out her phone and transferred them three thousand in red packets, then dismissed them with a wave, "Go keep my four friends company. Stay away from me."

The pair were quite perceptive. After pocketing the cash, they grinned and nodded in agreement. They ordered some drinks and snacks and took their seats among Hsu Wei and his three friends, positioning themselves two to a person.

Hsu Wei and his companions had their share of romantic experiences, but they were no match for the seasoned charms of the two "professional players." Before long, they were all blushing and flustered.

Zhao Huaiyuan treated himself to a Mojito cocktail. Once he finished his drink, his attention was captured by a middle-aged man in an expensive suit, making his way through the crowd with the air of an emperor, acknowledging greetings from all around.

Zhao Huaiyuan's eyes sparkled with recognition. He rose to his feet and waved. The man in the suit gave a slight nod in his direction and gestured to a waiter.

The waiter understood immediately and escorted Zhao Huaiyuan to the general manager's office on the second floor. In stark contrast to the opulent nightclub below, the office was as serene and refined as a scholar's study, save for the glimpses of the frenetic dancers and the dazzling lights visible through the glass windows.

The room boasted an elegant redwood desk and bookshelves, tasteful calligraphy, a potted bamboo plant, a massive wooden tea tray, and a rustic stool carved from a tree root. A stick of sandalwood incense burned softly on the desk.

Zhao Huaiyuan, no stranger to such finery and not on his first visit here, couldn't help but admire Du Xin's taste. Despite his rough start in life, Du Xin had cultivated an air of sophistication that rivaled that of the notorious tycoon Du Riteng from a bygone era.