C17 Leveling up Again!

"Mom, Dad, I'm heading back to my room!" Zhou Wen said, feigning composure before hastily retreating to his sanctuary.

Once he had locked his bedroom door, Zhou Wen took a deep breath to steady himself. As his consciousness sank into his mind, the vibration from his underwear ceased, and the image of the glowing, humanoid figure reappeared in his thoughts.

"Study diligently, repay your parents, and earn 10 good points. Your underwear has been upgraded from level 1 to level 2, granting the wearer +10 Dexterity and +10 Control Force," the soothing, melodious female voice echoed in his ears once more.

This marked the third occasion Zhou Wen had received good points.

In his mind's eye, the level indicator on the progress bar surged, the white filling reaching the mark for level 2.

Zhou Wen quickly stripped off his pants to inspect the change. As expected, the underwear had altered its hue once again: from black at level 0 to red at level 1, and now to yellow.

Wearing them so close to his skin, he could feel the increased comfort of the fabric, the smooth sensation caressing his skin. Where he once couldn't wait to shed his underwear, now he reveled in its embrace, reluctant to part with it.

"Is it the act of sharing my report card with my parents that earned me good points this time?" Zhou Wen pondered the cause, still unclear on the criteria his underwear used to judge his actions.

Reflecting on his experiences of earning good points, he realized each instance involved assisting others.

"Perhaps achieving good grades is a way to help both myself and my parents, and that's why I received good points," he mused.

Zhou Wen felt he was on the verge of understanding, yet it eluded him. He decided to let the thought go.

"The upgrade has enhanced my agility and control force. I'll need to delve deeper to understand the specifics," he concluded.

Having gathered his thoughts, Zhou Wen lay down on his bed, desiring nothing more than to surrender to a restful slumber.

...

"Zhou Wen, get ready and come down. I'll be at the entrance to your complex soon," his phone screen illuminated with the message.

He glanced at his phone and noticed a message from Hui Yuming on WeChat.

Since it was Saturday, Hui Yuming had invited him to hang out. Realizing he hadn't taken a break in a while, Zhou Wen happily accepted the invitation.

Stepping out of the bedroom, Zhou Wen called out to Zhou Xue, "Xiao Xue, I'm heading out. Don't wander off while I'm gone."

No sooner had he spoken than a pink blur darted out from inside.

Zhou Xue clung to Zhou Wen's arm, her lips pursed in a pout. "Bro, you're going out to have fun without me again!"

"What do you mean 'again'? I've never taken you with me!" Zhou Wen laughed.

"I don't care! If you keep this up, I'll tell Mom and Dad about your fight with that thief!" Zhou Xue threatened, batting her eyelashes.

"How did you find out about that?" Zhou Wen was taken aback.

With a look of patronizing concern, Zhou Xue explained, "Brother, Sister Han Xiao already interviewed you, and the story's been all over the internet. Everyone knows, except for Mom and Dad who don't use it."

"Damn!" Zhou Wen felt the urge to facepalm and silently cursed to himself.

He hadn't anticipated the repercussions of Han Xiao's online post.

He really didn't want Zhou Guangrui and Xu Hui to find out about the incident. If they learned he had fought a knife-wielding thief, they'd lecture him all day long.

Seeing his sister snickering, Zhou Wen got the picture.

"Out with it, what do you want from me?" he asked, resigned.

The clever girl wasn't looking to be taken out; she had a different angle.

Zhou Xue's face lit up with triumph. "Bro, next week is my good friend's birthday, and we're going to celebrate at a KTV. It's not safe for just us girls, so... you'll be our chaperone!"

"No problem, I'm in," Zhou Wen agreed nonchalantly.

"Great, it's a deal then!" Zhou Xue beamed.

"Head back to your room. And remember, don't open the door for anyone!" Zhou Wen cautioned her once more.

"I'm not a kid," Zhou Xue retorted with a roll of her eyes, slowly making her way back to her bedroom.

Stepping out of his house, Zhou Wen breathed a sigh of relief.

Truth be told, even if Zhou Xue had told him not to go, he would have insisted on accompanying her once he knew about the situation. A group of young girls heading to a KTV alone just wasn't safe.

As he approached the community entrance, the old, rusty iron gate loomed ahead. The elderly gatekeeper was puffing on a cigarette while listening to the radio. Zhou Wen greeted him with a smile, and soon after, a sleek black Jeep Wrangler pulled up. Its iconic seven-slot grille and round headlights were unmistakable.

The window rolled down, and Hui Yuming leaned out, calling, "Zhou Wen, hop in!"

"You're driving?" Zhou Wen exclaimed, surprised.

"Of course, I'm driving! I turned eighteen, remember?" Hui Yuming replied, slightly annoyed.

Zhou Wen was still skeptical and hesitated.

"Don't you trust my driving? Come on, get in! I've got others to pick up," Hui Yuming coaxed with a grin.

Eventually, Zhou Wen climbed into the vehicle. As the car hummed to life and glided smoothly forward, he finally let his guard down.

"I never knew you could drive," Zhou Wen remarked from the passenger seat, eyeing the car's interior.

"I never had the chance before. I've been learning to drive with my dad for a while, and as soon as I was old enough, I got my license. Now I can finally hit the road!" Hui Yuming explained nonchalantly.

Zhou Wen nodded, his curiosity piqued as he surveyed the car's features.

"My parents are always away on business, so it's just the nanny and me at home most of the time. My mom only let me drive out this time because I did well on my exams," Hui Yuming shared, his face falling slightly.

He sighed, "But then my mom went ahead and picked out the place herself—Mirrora Manor, that new spot in town. She even set me up with a girl to bring along."

"Bringing a girl along doesn't sound so bad," Zhou Wen said, a hint of envy in his voice.

"I'm still in high school, and my mom is already trying to set me up on dates. Creepy, right?" Hui Yuming lamented.

"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to tag along? I'll just skip it," Zhou Wen inquired.

Hui Yuming gestured dismissively, "Please, don't go. I'd rather die than be left alone with a girl I don't know well. We'll head over and have fun on our own, never mind them."

Zhou Wen suddenly realized why Hui Yuming hadn't had a girlfriend during all three years of high school. With his attitude, it was no surprise he was still single despite his wealth.

After sending a message on WeChat, Hui Yuming waited patiently outside the Starbucks in Anewood. Zhou Wen gazed through the car window.

This Starbucks was the only one in the city. For a modest prefecture-level city like Anewood, it was quite a rarity to have one. It quickly became a favorite spot for the well-to-do and middle-class families.

Many kids and girls enjoyed spending their free time here, sipping coffee and indulging in sweet treats. Zhou Wen, however, had never stepped foot inside due to his tight budget.

About ten minutes later, two stylishly dressed girls emerged. One boasted an eye-catching figure, clad in a small V-neck knit dress beneath a beige trench coat, her curves subtly outlined as she moved. The other girl was dressed in a light blue T-shirt, a pale floral skirt, and white sneakers, exuding a fresh and adorable vibe. They turned heads as they walked down the street.

Hui Yuming rolled down the window and snapped his fingers, beckoning the girls over. Onlookers sighed with envy as the beauties approached the clearly expensive car.

The curvaceous beauty reached for the front passenger door, but Hui Yuming quickly interjected, "Yiran, you and your friend take the back seat. My friend's sitting here."

She glanced at Zhou Wen inside the car, her brow furrowed and a snort of disdain escaping her lips, "Hui Yuming, Auntie didn't mention you'd be bringing a friend."

Her eyes swept over Zhou Wen, filled with scorn. His entire outfit was no-name brands, totaling less than five hundred yuan – not even as much as the cost of her shoes. She had always looked down on such people.

Hui Yuming, somewhat embarrassed, explained, "He's a classmate of mine who's often lent me a hand. I invited him first, so I apologize for any inconvenience."

Out of respect for Auntie, I'll let it slide this time. Xiaoyu, we'll sit in the back." The beautiful woman shut the passenger door with a thud and opened the rear door.

Zhou Wen was instantly confused. The woman was undoubtedly attractive, but her hostility was baffling.

They clearly didn't know each other, so why did she seem to have a grudge against him?

Zhou Wen just smirked and kept silent.

As the car started, Hui Yuming, smiling, said while driving, "I want to introduce you to my buddy from class. His name is Zhou Wen."

"Hui Yuming, you can't just be friends with anyone," the stunning woman with the fiery figure remarked.

"Zhou Wen is a study machine! He shot up from the bottom of the class to the top twenty in the exams. Impressive, right?" Hui Yuming glanced at Zhou Wen and gave an embarrassed smile.

"Top twenty? That's not even close to the standards of Qingbei. You call that impressive?" The beauty commented nonchalantly.

"Sister Yirann, please, enough," a fresh-faced young girl interjected.

"Little beauty, why don't you introduce us?" Hui Yuming quickly interjected, grateful for the diversion.

"I'm Zhou Yu, Sister Yirann's best friend. And this is Lee Yiran," Zhou Yu said cheerfully.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wen turned and greeted her politely, "Hello."

"You're Zhou Yu? I have a sister named Zhou Xue," Zhou Wen said with a smile.

He found Zhou Yu quite pleasant, a stark contrast to the woman beside her.

"Really? Yu and Xue, I'd love to meet your sister sometime," Zhou Yu replied with enthusiasm.

"Despicable!" Lee Yiran snapped, her face flushed with anger.

Lee Yiran had been pampered all her life, enjoying every luxury, and with her stunning beauty, she epitomized the wealthy elite. She had always been the center of attention among men.

Her family and Hui Yuming's family were not only business partners but also close personal friends. She had agreed to join Hui Yuming at his mother's invitation.

She had expected to spend time with just Hui Yuming and her good friend Zhou Yu, but she hadn't anticipated the presence of another one of Hui Yuming's friends.

This friend clearly didn't come from a wealthy background—in fact, he seemed quite poor. In her eyes, he was utterly unworthy of befriending Hui Yuming.

Their social circle consisted of wealthy individuals or those who had been academically exceptional from a young age, often winning national competitions.

Zhou Wen was someone she had never heard of, and as far as she was concerned, his academic performance was mediocre at best.

She believed that Zhou Wen was simply trying to rub shoulders with the elite by cozying up to Hui Yuming.

The way Zhou Wen and Zhou Yu spoke seemed to her like a low-grade attempt at flirting, something only a naïve person like Zhou Yu would find appealing.

With this thought, Lee Yiran's face grew even more discontented.

She felt that since Hui Yuming's mother had entrusted her to keep him company, it was her responsibility to set Hui Yuming straight.

She was determined to make him understand that not just anyone could be considered a friend.