Chapter 49: Sigh! Fundraising & Capitalism

From that single sentence—and the expression on Zefi’s face—Lin Zhiyan could tell that Kui Furen hadn’t been lying. At the very least, this was a name Zefi was familiar with.

“I—”

Before she could speak, Zefi interrupted her.

“That makes sense.”

He smiled, leaning against one side of the sofa with his cheek resting on his hand. His long legs, accentuated by tailored suit trousers, crossed casually.

His tone was careless and mocking.

“Some people lose all ability to think the moment they see him. Naturally, they’ll do everything they can to establish some connection with him.”

Lin Zhiyan didn’t rush to explain.

Instead, she stared at the holographic projection.

After several seconds, she stood as well. Her voice turned cold.

“Exactly how many assumptions are you planning to make about me? Every time, you start by throwing out a pile of malicious speculation, as if you’re waiting for me to chase after you and explain myself.”

She tugged at the corner of her lips.

Her expression cooled.

“It’s always the same. Whether last time or this time, you’re angry at Kui Furen, but you take it out on me instead. Is it because I don’t have a powerful family backing me up like he does?”

Zefi lifted his chin.

Silver-white hair shimmered as it flowed over his neck and shoulders, matching the silver sleeve garters on his arms.

“You’re trying to bait information out of me.”

Oops. Caught already.

The little person inside Lin Zhiyan’s mind grinned sheepishly.

Her face, however, remained icy.

“Think whatever you want. In your eyes, people like me were never entitled to be angry anyway.”

Zefi’s brows lifted slightly.

He looked amused.

“In my experience, every time people like you get angry, it feels carefully calculated. The timing. The intensity. Everything.”

“Of course.”

Lin Zhiyan sneered.

“That’s what us lower-class people are like. Bad mountains and bad rivers produce crafty troublemakers with ten thousand schemes. Always calculating.”

Zefi exhaled and looked away, as though unwilling to continue the argument.

“Don’t play games in front of me. If you were more honest, used fewer tricks, and relied less on talking your way out of things, I might think more highly of you. I might even be willing to help.”

Lin Zhiyan froze.

If she had indeed been using her anger to maneuver the conversation before, now she was genuinely annoyed.

She let out a cold laugh and walked toward him.

Though he was only a hologram, Zefi still felt as though she had truly approached him. Their knees almost seemed close enough to touch.

Instinctively, he leaned back into the sofa.

The moment he realized it, irritation surged through him.

Lin Zhiyan ignored him completely.

She bent down, closing in on the projection.

Calmly, she said:

“If I had been more honest, I would’ve entered a vocational college as District Sixteen’s top exam scorer and been sold off to some factory contract by my teachers in my first semester.”

Her dark eyes were steady.

“Mr. Zefi, have you forgotten? The only reason I escaped all the traps you set for me was because I wasn’t honest. Because I used tricks. Because I talked my way through them. Otherwise, years of hard work would’ve ended with you sending me right back to District Sixteen.”

For once, she wasn’t hiding herself.

There was determination in her eyes and an unyielding pride in her posture.

Zefi’s fingers twitched.

For a brief moment, she looked exactly like she had the first time they fought over ownership of an umbrella.

The distance between them was close.

Yet it was also impossibly far.

Their worlds and their hearts were separated by too much.

There should have been no warmth between them. No mingling breaths. No beating hearts drawing near. No intertwining gazes.

That was how it should have been.

Yet from the corner of his eye, Zefi noticed their holographic projections overlapping slightly.

Her black hair carried the faint blue glow of projection particles, tangling visually with his own pale strands.

His silver-white hair seemed stained black and blue.

Lin Zhiyan noticed too.

She straightened immediately and stepped back.

With a scoff, she said:

“You really do hate talking to me. If I shouted into a dry well, I’d at least get an echo. But with you, I could spend forever asking you to listen, and you’d still be wondering whether my presence somehow dirtied you.”

“I—”

Zefi stopped.

He neither argued nor defended himself.

His fingers unconsciously moved to the buttons on the coat resting beside him.

Tracing them lightly, he said:

“If you’ve shouted ten thousand words just to yell at me and dredge up old grievances, then I don’t see why I should respond.”

He looked at her.

“I have another appointment soon. Think carefully. After those ten thousand words, do you actually have anything else to say?”

Lin Zhiyan returned to her seat.

For several seconds she remained silent, viciously stabbing the decorative flower left on her plate with her fork until juice spilled across the dish.

Finally, she took a deep breath.

“I haven’t approached Kui Furen. I found a part-time job and discovered by accident that it was his flower shop hiring people. He hired me. That’s all.”

“‘By accident’ is a wonderful phrase.”

A gentle smile reappeared on Zefi’s face.

His voice sounded almost considerate.

“Perhaps next time you’ll accidentally discover his house. Then accidentally discover his bedroom.”

Lin Zhiyan knew he’d accepted her explanation.

Unfortunately, her irritation hadn’t faded.

She immediately raised an eyebrow and deliberately teased him.

“That’s a great line. Unfortunately, I don’t know where Kui Furen lives.”

She smiled.

“But I do know where you live.”

“…You!”

Seeing him annoyed, she happily added fuel to the fire.

“Not only can I find your house, I can even find your bedroo—”

“LIN ZHIYAN!”

Zefi shot upright.

A flush appeared on his ivory skin.

Even his pale gray eyes widened.

“Shut up!”

Lin Zhiyan shrugged.

Message received.

Zefi’s chest rose and fell with irritation.

“You—!”

His voice had risen several degrees.

Completely serious, Lin Zhiyan asked:

“Why are you so convinced I’m the one losing my mind? If you ended up in a psychiatric hospital, how would you prove to the doctors that you’re sane?”

The nonsensical question stopped Zefi’s anger in its tracks.

It didn’t extinguish it entirely, but enough leaked away through the cracks that he gradually calmed down.

Loosening his tie, he unbuttoned several buttons at his collar, revealing a pale neck.

“If you’re investigating Kui Furen, then I’ll tell you this.”

He paused.

“Whether working under him was intentional or accidental, he won’t hurt you.”

Lin Zhiyan’s gaze drifted past the table toward his neck.

Zefi frowned.

“What are you looking at?”

“I’m checking whether there are still marks on your neck.”

Resting her chin on her hand, she leaned forward.

“They seem to be gone. Not a trace left. Medical technology really is amazing.”

Zefi unconsciously raised a hand to his neck before brushing back the hair on his forehead.

Leaning forward as well, he asked:

“Aren’t you curious why he won’t hurt you?”

Lin Zhiyan raised a brow.

“You said it before. I have no value.”

Zefi smiled.

Whether he was agreeing or being sarcastic was impossible to tell.

“Good. At least you know.”

Lin Zhiyan continued:

“But what makes you think that’s what I’m asking about? Did you ever consider that maybe I’m simply overwhelmed by lust and came to ask what kind of person he’s attracted to? Or perhaps—”

Before she could finish, Zefi terminated the call.

His projection vanished.

Silence returned.

Zefi remained seated for a moment.

Tired.

Annoyed.

For years, he had navigated social circles and political games with ease. No complicated situation had ever frustrated him this much.

What a troublesome person.

The sun burned high overhead.

Below, people watched comfortably from climate-controlled streets.

After lunch, Lin Zhiyan checked the time.

There were hardly any classes this week, and she wouldn’t start working at Kui Furen’s flower shop until tomorrow.

Her precious free time suddenly felt rather boring.

After some thought, she decided to wander around campus like an NPC hunter.

Maybe she’d find someone with an exclamation mark or question mark over their head.

If she did, she’d trigger a quest and collect a reward.

Half an hour later, she had found absolutely nothing.

Even worse, she hadn’t explored ten percent of the campus map.

Just as she was about to head home and make vacation plans, she passed one of the school’s auditoriums and noticed a large crowd gathered outside.

Her eyes widened.

She clapped her hands happily.

Excellent.

New plot unlocked!

She immediately squeezed into the crowd.

Privately, she found it hilarious.

Everyone usually acted so noble and refined, but the moment there was something interesting to watch, they squeezed together like seniors lining up for free eggs.

After pushing her way to the front rows, she saw the scene before the auditorium.

Her mind instantly emptied.

The enormous luxury auditorium was surrounded by several young students.

Neon signs floated around their bodies and faces, while a giant holographic slogan hovered above the entrance.

They appeared to come from different high schools.

Their uniforms and badges varied, but every sign carried the same message:

“Raise Funds for Education! Speak Up for Equality!”

Donation information scrolled through the air.

Some students discussed event procedures while workers assembled decorations and a speaking platform.

Lin Zhiyan felt nothing.

How boring.

This wasn’t the kind of plot she wanted.

She turned to leave.

Then a gunshot rang out behind her.

Immediately afterward came a cold, impatient voice.

“Stop pushing!”

Lin Zhiyan jumped in fright.

Turning around, she saw a familiar blond head.

Lu Weixi holstered his gun smoothly.

The black-and-gold uniform made him look even broader-shouldered and longer-legged than usual. His sharp nose cast a fierce shadow across his handsome face.

Unlike before, dark-gold epaulettes edged with blue technological light adorned his shoulders.

He looked every bit the authority figure maintaining order.

Walking to the front of the crowd, he grabbed two people and pulled them out.

Only then did Lin Zhiyan notice that both students were hyperventilating, their faces already turning purple.

She also realized how dangerously crowded the area around her had become.

The flowerbeds outside the auditorium formed a beautiful fan-shaped pathway.

Normally, the space was wide and spacious.

Unfortunately, today’s event had occupied most of it.

The result was a bottleneck.

A few minutes later and the elegant fan-shaped path might have become a fan-shaped graveyard.

Cold sweat broke out across Lin Zhiyan’s back.

Lu Weixi raised a gloved hand and signaled.

Security personnel quickly rushed over to help manage the crowd.

One male student, however, refused to cooperate.

The moment he saw an opening, he shoved forward while shouting:

“I’m late for class! Move! Move! Why are you taking up so much space? Are you pigs?!”

Standing nearby, Lin Zhiyan watched him nearly knock several people over.

Seeing him about to force his way through, she immediately screamed:

“Stop pushing! People can’t—can’t breathe—AHHH—!”

Her final shriek rose dramatically before dropping into tragic despair.

Not far away, Lu Weixi heard her.

Without hesitation, he drew his gun and fired into the air.

His voice sounded like an enraged demon.

“Anyone moves again and I’ll put a bullet in your forehead! Choose: get shot or get crushed!”

After firing the warning shot, he headed directly toward her.

Lin Zhiyan suddenly felt awkward.

She had only wanted him to stop the reckless guy.

If he came over to rescue her and discovered she was perfectly fine, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

As Lu Weixi checked people’s conditions one by one, the troublesome student finally squeezed free from the crowd behind him.

The next moment—

Lin Zhiyan watched Lu Weixi spin around and knock him flat with a kick.

A military boot landed squarely on the student’s face.

After kicking him several more times, Lu Weixi sneered.

“So you’re the one causing trouble?”

He nudged the student’s face with the tip of his boot.

Sunlight made his blond hair and handsome features seem almost translucent.

His expression was ice cold.

“If you want to die, don’t drag everyone else with you. Not everyone has a life as cheap as yours.”

The student immediately shouted back:

“You’re only tough because of your parents! Who do you think you are? You’re being punished by working security and acting all—”

Lu Weixi kicked him again.

The student rolled across the ground several times.

“Keep barking.”

His white teeth flashed in a chilling grin.

“Getting reincarnated into my family wasn’t easy either, okay? If you’re so jealous, wait until I get married and then kill yourself. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to be reborn as my son.”

Then he turned away and resumed crowd control.

Hidden among the crowd, Lin Zhiyan blinked.

“What punishment is he talking about?”

She waited a few seconds.

As expected, nearby gossip enthusiasts immediately answered.

“For fighting.”

“Is this punishment or a reward? He’s legally beating people up.”

Another student snorted.

“No, seriously. Both he and Jiang Yi got suspended from military duties for three weeks.”

An informed bystander eagerly continued:

“One was assigned off-campus community service, the other on-campus community service. Mandatory.”

He pointed toward Lu Weixi’s epaulettes.

“Those shoulder insignias are proof. As long as there’s an event on campus, faculty can pull him in to help. Right now he’s assisting security and crowd management. I heard he’s even going to join those high school students later and give speeches for fundraising.”

“Then what about Jiang Yi?” someone asked quietly. “Off-campus sounds better. Directing traffic or something?”

“It’s assigned by lottery.”

Another student joined in.

“My cousin got punished for fighting before. Off-campus assignments range from helping elderly ladies cross the road to delivering packages for disadvantaged groups.”

Lin Zhiyan covered her mouth.

Her face turned red.

A nearby student became concerned.

“Are you okay?”

She shook her head.

No.

She was not crying from distress.

She was crying tears of joy.

One was working as a security guard.

The other was delivering packages.

Excellent.

Excellent.

These Celestial Dragons should’ve been disciplined a long time ago.

For a moment, Lin Zhiyan almost wondered whether everything around her was a hallucination caused by nearly being crushed to death.

But as the crowd gradually dispersed and she could finally breathe fresh air again, she realized it was all real.

Excitement surged through her.

She sat on a flowerbed near the auditorium and watched Lu Weixi help security staff set up crowd-control barriers.

Hmm.

Lu Weixi was helping raise money for impoverished students from underdeveloped regions.

Lin Zhiyan suddenly realized she had countless ways to make him lose face.

After all—

When it came to being poor,

she was the professional.

A grin spread across her face.

The weather was wonderful.

Perfect for a walk.

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