Chapter 7: Planning to Run Away

Tang Yunle forgot how he got out of the bathroom, forgot the second half of the beef hot pot meal, and even forgot how he got back to the dorm.

Along the way, only a few words remained in his mind.

—It’s over, I’ve been exposed.

At this moment, he was exactly like a sissy boy online who had been “doxxed offline,” every step treading on a floating sense of panic.

As soon as he returned to the dorm, he simply washed his face with cold water and went straight to bed.

Although his roommates were curious about him going to bed so early, they thought he might just be sleepy from eating too much and didn’t ask any further questions.

That night, Tang Yunle had a dream.

He dreamed that he was caught by the sugar daddy who had flown in from Wanqing City, and the sugar daddy, furious to discover he was a man, sued him in court.

He was sentenced to ten years in prison for fraud. But even so, the sugar daddy wasn’t satisfied and used money and connections to get him into a cell full of gay men, making him spend a miserable ten years.

When he was released from prison after ten years, he found that his family was broken and scattered.

Without him acting as a lubricant for the family, it had completely fallen apart. His mother had remarried her first love, his father had gone to prison for gambling, and his sister had become a beauty vlogger and gotten married, only to be stabbed by her husband for being unfaithful after marriage.

His younger brother, on the other hand, was doing well. He had become a game streamer but was a complete cuckold. After being constantly drained of his money and left heavily in debt, he jumped off a bridge.

And Tang Yunle himself, with a criminal record, couldn’t find a job. Coupled with being disconnected from society for ten years, he eventually starved to death one winter, just like Sanmao.

The dream was too tragic, too suffocating, too miserable, so much so that when he woke up the next day, Tang Yunle found tear stains on his face.

He sat on the bed, stunned for a long time.

The room was quiet. He turned his head to the side, where the morning light, shining through the curtains from the balcony, left mottled traces on the floor.

There was no 8 a.m. class today, and no classes in the morning. The other three in the dorm had gone out, leaving Tang Yunle alone.

It was so quiet, as if… he was the only one left in the world.

He stared at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly remembered the dream and shook his head violently.

‘No, no, I’m not an online scammer, I’m not an online scammer. I’m just a provider of emotional value to men in the virtual world.’

‘This doesn’t count as fraud.’

‘We’re a legitimate company.’

‘Yes!’

‘A legitimate company!’

Tang Yunle’s eyes lit up. He had signed an employment contract! The accounts and bank cards belonged to the company, the company took a ten percent cut of the money earned, and even his salary was taxed.

‘This is completely legitimate income!’

‘A law-abiding citizen!’

Moreover, both Meng-jie and the contract stated in black and white: if anything happens, the company will take care of it.

Thinking of this, Tang Yunle quickly grabbed his phone and contacted her.

It’s Kele, Not Leke: –Aaaaah!!! Meng-jie, it’s not good, Meng-jie, it’s not good! There’s a big problem with my sugar daddy!!!

A few minutes after the message was sent, Meng-jie replied. It was clear she paid close attention to Tang Yunle, her top performer.

Meng-jie: –Don’t worry, tell me slowly.

After hearing the whole story, Meng-jie pondered for a moment and sent a reply:

[Remember the employee handbook? Delete the account and all traces now. I’ll re-match you with a new client.]

It’s Kele, Not Leke: –This… won’t I get sued for fraud?

Meng-jie: –What are you thinking? Little Tang, we’re a legitimate company. Our tax records are all searchable. Your client willingly gave you money, it’s the same as a boyfriend spending money on his girlfriend. Where’s the fraud in that?

Meng-jie: –Just relax, don’t scare yourself. I’ve dealt with dozens of cases like this. Even if it goes to court, we can handle it for you.

Meng-jie: –By the way, Little Tang, don’t think about using the client’s resources to start your own side gig. Otherwise, you know the rules. serious.jpg

Tang Yunle nodded repeatedly.

He naturally understood the rules of this trade.

In their line of work, the most valued thing was the client resources. In the past, many people had used various excuses to get client resources from Meng-jie and then started their own side gigs, not wanting to pay the ten percent commission to the platform.

Later, when Meng-jie found out, she exposed their real information and home addresses to the sugar daddies they were serving. The enraged “sugar daddies” came knocking on their doors. The lucky ones got beaten black and blue, while the unlucky ones…

Among the most typical examples, one was stabbed to death by an enraged sugar daddy, another was castrated, and another was sent to prison for ten years for fraud.

Later, whenever a new person joined, Meng-jie would single out these examples as a warning.

However, Tang Yunle didn’t have this worry. Firstly, he didn’t plan to start a side gig, and secondly, he didn’t plan to do this for the rest of his life.

When he graduated from college in four years and was able to earn his own money, he would end this profession.

“I just need to get through these four years.”

“As a graduate of a top-tier university, I’ll definitely be able to find a good job.”

Tang Yunle clenched his phone and murmured to himself.

Nanchang Jiaoyuan University Town, Flower and Bird Market.

“Parrots, parrots, Australian parrots! In just three days, the parrot will learn your catchphrase! Don’t miss out!”

“Free kittens! Adopt a kitten and get free cat food! Big brothers and sisters, come and adopt a kitten~”

“Succulents! Grow one to purify the air in your room! Only five yuan! A bargain!”

On a long street, various shops lined up, and the cries of vendors from the small stalls on both sides rose and fell.

As a university town, the demand for entertainment and consumption among students was high, and many stalls were run by sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Qin Liang stopped at one stall, but the owner of this stall was not an outside vendor, nor a senior student, but a little boy wearing a blue and white striped robe and an oversized baseball cap. From under the brim of the cap, a pair of orange-yellow eyes peeked out, like cat’s eyes dipped in honey.

Seeing Qin Liang linger for a long time but not showing any intention of adopting, the little boy grew a little anxious. He cupped a Ragdoll kitten in his hands and held it up to him.

“Big brother, adopt a kitten. Kittens are very well-behaved~”

“If it weren’t for the teacher not allowing us to adopt too many kittens, we wouldn’t be giving them away to big brothers and sisters.”

The Ragdoll kitten had a pure coat, was small and exquisite, mostly white, with dark brown ears and large, round eyes. Held high by the little boy, it didn’t struggle, looking like a well-behaved baby.

The kitten was reflected in his ice-blue pupils. Qin Liang reached out and gently stroked the kitten’s head with his index finger. The Ragdoll kitten squinted its eyes in comfort. He didn’t rush to agree, but instead asked a question that caught the little boy completely off guard.

“How long will this cat live?”

This question left little shota Yan Qing stunned. When he came to his senses, he tilted his head and counted on his fingers. “A cat’s lifespan is about ten to twelve years.”

“Then it should be able to see me off.”

The young man murmured.

He reached out and took the kitten. As the Ragdoll cat curled up in his arms, its tail gently wrapped around his wrist.

“I’ll adopt this cat.”

“Thank you, big brother. Big brother must take good care of the kitten, yo~”

“Otherwise, it will run back.”

Saying that, little shota Yan Qing seemed to remember something, suddenly slapped his forehead, and turned to run towards the back of the stall.

“Big brother, wait a moment, I’ll go pack some cat food for the kitten.”