C7
Hu Yang was taken aback, glancing where Wan pointed and feeling a touch of embarrassment. "Is it that much?" he asked.
"A lot, and it's still spreading. I'm afraid I'll turn into a monkey!" Wan lamented, her face a picture of misery as she gingerly undid another button on her pajama top.
That's when Hu Yang actually saw it—a patch of fine, dark fuzz!
The system's alert wasn't joking around after all!
"Hu, you've got to take me to the hospital," Wan pleaded, her spirits crushed.
Hu Yang inhaled deeply, knowing full well that this was the work of the Rebirth Spirit Pill, and that a hospital was unlikely to offer a solution.
Yet as he hesitated, the cerebral system flashed a message: [Wan's disdain +12!]
Disdain for what?
"You're worried about the cost, aren't you? You don't want to pay for my treatment," Wan accused, bitterness etched on her face. "I'll pay you back, just relax!"
"The hospital won't fix this! Stay put, I'm going to find an antidote!"
"No!"
Hu Yang stole a glance at the distressed Wan, recalling the system's advice that she could be saved if he secured another spirit pill within two days.
To ease her worries, he decided to take her to the hospital anyway.
To their surprise, the doctor assigned to Wan was none other than Zhang Ling, the same woman they'd encountered the previous evening.
"What seems to be the problem?" Zhang Ling inquired.
Wan, looking miserable, replied, "Everything's wrong. I'm growing hair all over."
Zhang Ling examined Wan's clothes with a start, scrutinizing the area before drawing a swift conclusion: "This is atavism. There's no cure, only shaving it off."
Wan burst into tears. "It's not that. Hu Yang gave me a pill, and then this happened."
Zhang Ling, visibly taken aback, turned to Hu Yang. "What did you give her?"
"Just a tonic, but the dosage was too small. Dr. Zhang, could you prescribe something to keep her calm? As long as she's not crying, that's fine. I need to go find her an antidote right now..."
"You?"
No sooner had Hu Yang finished his declaration than he was met with a scornful glare from Zhang Ling, racking up a solid +35 contempt points!
"Nice, more points in the bag!" Hu Yang stood tall, chest swelled with pride, and proclaimed, "You doctors can't heal her, but I can!"
"Full of yourself, aren't you? Completely oblivious to the vastness of the world! If you actually manage to cure her, I'll eat my hat!" Zhang Ling shot back, visibly irked as she cast another disdainful glance his way.
Instantly, Hu Yang's cerebral system registered an additional 37 points.
All that effort to elicit her scorn, and for such a meager increase in points.
Not in the mood for further banter, Hu Yang spun on his heel and strode out, intent on hunting down more points.
Yet, he couldn't shake a simmering irritation. If not for Wan's steadfast support, he wouldn't bother with such thankless tasks that invited ridicule.
Out of nowhere, a muffled voice echoed in his mind: "Anyone who dares to look down on you, eliminate them!"
"Perfect! Just what I was thinking!" Hu Yang felt a surge of adrenaline.
Wait, who had just spoken?
"Little sister, what exactly is he to you? Aside from boasting, what's he good for?" Zhang Ling's taunting words floated from behind, obviously meant for Hu Yang's ears.
Exiting the building, Hu Yang's system pinged with dozens more points, now tallying over four hundred. But the goal of six thousand eight hundred points was still a distant dream.
Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
Maybe targeting those of higher status could fast-track his point accumulation.
With this strategy in mind, Hu Yang hailed a cab and headed straight for the Jin Rong Hotel downtown.
The city's finest five-star establishment, the Jin Rong was a magnet for the wealthy and elite. Who knows, he might even rub shoulders with a celebrity.
Upon arrival, Hu Yang was taken aback by the sight of a heart-shaped arrangement of roses in the hotel's plaza, bearing the message: "Hsiao Xinya, I love you."
Hsiao Xinya, a singer on the cusp of stardom, wasn't exceedingly famous, but her beauty was indisputable. It seemed she might have been a guest at the hotel the previous night.
The plaza buzzed with over a hundred onlookers, all murmuring excitedly. Without a tip-off from hotel insiders, they would have been none the wiser to the unfolding drama.
Just a short distance away, a red Ferrari convertible was parked, and a man clad in a sharp suit stood beside it, radiating self-satisfaction.
Hu Yang realized that this must be the guy's setup for Hsiao Xinya. He was poised to swoop in and declare his love as soon as the leading lady made her entrance.
But something nagged at Hu Yang – something about the roses and the sports car didn't seem quite right.
Before long, an ethereally beautiful woman in a flowing white gown emerged from the hotel, trailed by several men and women.
The onlookers erupted into cheers. Hu Yang was seeing this superstar up close for the first time and was struck by her stunning beauty. She was flawless. Next to her, Lin Xin would hardly pass for an ugly duckling.
It was a shame that such beauty was usually confined to the screen.
As the wealthy young heir approached her, Hu Yang made his way through the crowd, heading straight for Hsiao Xinya.
She stood there, a picture of surprise, gazing at the rose heart before her, seemingly unsure of what to make of it.
As Hu Yang drew near, confusion flickered in her eyes.
"If I say I like you, would you think less of me?" Hu Yang asked with ease, his tone light – he was, after all, on a mission.
"Why would I?" Hsiao Xinya returned the smile, curious. "And who might you be?"
The crowd was already buzzing with speculation. One person remarked, "So he's the one who sent the flowers? He looks so plain, not at all like a rich man's son!"
Another countered, "Maybe he's just pretending?"
Hu Yang's brow furrowed slightly, taken aback. What was happening here? Why hadn't the cerebral system registered any disdain from her?
Had he misspoken?
Without missing a beat, Hu Yang responded, "I'm someone you've yet to meet..."
Just then, the suited man finally strode over, bristling with indignation, and bellowed, "Who are you? Get out of here! What business is this of yours?"
Hu Yang glanced at the man in the suit and inwardly scoffed. If you had asked me nicely, I would have stepped aside and not interfered with your plans. But your arrogance has worn out my patience – I won't be holding back.
"I've come to ask for Hsiao Xinya's hand in marriage," Hu Yang declared, gesturing to the heart-shaped arrangement of roses on the ground.
The man in the suit immediately bristled with anger. "And what makes you think you're worthy of proposing to Hsiao Xinya? Do you even have the means? Can you even afford these flowers? Look here, we have 999 roses, each one delicately misted with imported perfume, flown in directly from France just last night. Do you have any idea of their value?"
"France? More like 'Fleeced' if you ask me. These overnight roses? They're worth a mere fifty cents a piece at wholesale!" Hu Yang retorted with a dismissive glance.
A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd; it was clear to all that the suit-clad man had set up the floral display.
Even Hsiao Xinya couldn't resist a slight furrow of her brow at the spectacle.
Caught off guard, the man in the suit stared at Hu Yang in astonishment, his expression seeming to ask, "How could you possibly know that?"
"Don't question how I know. My home is right next to the flower market!"
