Chapter 24: A Brother’s Fury and a Friend’s Stern Warning

“Oh my, look at you playing big sister and little brother. Zhao Qingxia, you’re even more desperate than I imagined~”

Before I could even process the situation, the woman across from us, clearly one half of a couple and dressed in a flamboyant manner, was already deliberately provoking my anger.

What truly ignited my fury was Zhao Qingxia’s reaction; she actually recoiled, her shoulders hunching, making her appear not only fearful and helpless but also radiating a profound sense of desolation, almost bordering on subservience.

“Hey! We’re not going to pretend we didn’t hear that! Apologize to Sister Qingxia right now!”

Li Pengcheng was the first to speak, his voice bristling with indignation.

“Huh? Apologize? Hahaha, you don’t mean to suggest I should apologize for my utterly accurate assessment of Zhao Qingxia just now, do you?”

“You!”

“I deeply apologize! Everyone!…”

Cutting off Li Pengcheng with a loud interjection, I turned my gaze to the woman opposite us, who was momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn, and tightened my grip on Zhao Qingxia’s shoulders.

“While I appreciate everyone’s concern, as her younger brother, I ask that you leave this to me now.”

“Heh~ You’re actually taking this so seriously? That’s just hilarious.”

“Go ahead and laugh if you wish, but you just called my sister… ‘desperate’? Am I to understand that in the way I think?”

“Of course, it’s the literal meaning. Why else would she, after failing to seduce my boyfriend, immediately seek out you three gigolos, not only playing a four-person date but also adding a ‘big sister and little brother’ dynamic? Ahahaha, I must say, that’s quite impressive; I can’t help but feel a little admiration. You’re all just desperate sluts, aren’t you!~”

I felt the atmosphere behind me abruptly grow heavy, yet surprisingly, no one erupted.

I couldn’t tell if it was due to my words just now, or some other reason.

Slowly taking a deep breath, I turned my attention to the man standing beside her, who appeared restless and hesitant, clearly wanting to speak but shrinking back, his gaze flickering nervously.

“So, do you share the same opinion?”

“Hey! You were clearly talking to me, why suddenly switch targets? Honestly, these kids nowadays, not only are they willing to be gigolos, but they have absolutely no manners!”

“…Indeed, my apologies then.”

As I spoke, I released my hands, then gently placed my right hand on the crown of my idiot older sister’s head.

“Furthermore, if I haven’t misunderstood what you just said, you weren’t only implying that my sister is ‘desperate,’ but also that I, this so-called gigolo in your words, am equally ‘desperate,’ were you?”

“Ahahaha!~ So you *did* understand it perfectly, and you even admitted it yourself! How hilarious, you’re practically self-aware! Hahahahaha~”

The man beside her joined in with a dry chuckle.

“If that’s truly the case, then I find it quite regrettable.”

“Huh?”

The other party stopped laughing, clearly puzzled.

Meanwhile, I allowed a small smirk to play on my lips.

“Then I urge you to take a good, clear look at the women behind me, and also…”

With a forceful grip, I seized the top of Zhao Qingxia’s head.

“Y-yah!?”

“My idiot sister’s face!”

“Little brother?!”

“Ah…”

With an exasperated sigh, I released my hand.

“Sister, can you at least tell me if these are your schoolmates?”

“…Mm.”

After Zhao Qingxia’s faint reply, I suppressed the urge to sharply smack the back of her head, shifting my gaze back to the woman who still hadn’t grasped the situation.

“So, I truly find it regrettable, because in terms of both outer and inner beauty, you don’t even measure up to a ten-thousandth of any of them. That’s why you don’t even qualify to be ‘desperate’ for the very gigolos you speak of. How utterly laughable.”

“Hah?! You!…”

“Whoa~ How bold of you~ You’re practically making our hearts bloom with praise!~”

“C-cough!?”

‘Miss Ye, could you please cool it for a bit?’

‘And when did you two even get here?’

“You! You all! Hah, huh… You shameless little brat! Do you dare say that again!?”

“It’ll be the same no matter how many times I say it!”

I roared, taking a step forward, genuinely unwilling to waste any more time on these two despicable individuals.

“Furthermore, I am gravely warning you: if you refuse to apologize to my sister and the other women present, I will immediately call the nearest Security Patrol unit. Based on the surveillance footage from just now, I will press charges against you for malicious defamation and slander of others’ reputations!”

“Once the processing procedure begins, unless more than half of the parties involved withdraw their complaints, you will be convicted for losing the case!”

“If, with your filthy thoughts, vulgar conduct, and shallow, ignorant knowledge, you find it difficult to comprehend the consequences you’ll face, then I can tell you explicitly!”

“Aside from bearing the corresponding compensation and penalties, according to Public Sixth University’s standards for evaluating student conduct, even if you aren’t expelled, you will at minimum receive a one-year suspension for self-reflection! This means that before you even officially enter society, an indelible stain will be left on your record!”

“So, apologize obediently! You ugly hag!!”

“You!!”

This was no longer an era where one could be casually slandered or framed and often forced into a self-proving trap due to a lack of evidence. Moreover, in an ‘outdoor encounter’ like this, you had no idea how many ultra-high-definition cameras were hidden nearby, or when a Security Patrol unit might suddenly appear.

Especially for certain behaviors that severely impacted public morality, a Security Patrol unit didn’t even need to report upwards. Once detected and a conclusion drawn through intelligent assessment, they could directly apprehend the individual and transport them to the nearest public security station, where officers would then handle all related procedures.

While my own words just now might have been somewhat inappropriate, at most I’d be subjected to mandatory regulatory education. Compared to the consequences the other party would face for verbally slandering the character of multiple women in public, my actions were utterly negligible.

Moreover, quite a few onlookers had gathered by now, signaling that Security Patrol units were imminent. Aside from offering a swift apology, the other party truly had no other path left.

Thus, I hadn’t intended to provoke her further, but then—

“By the way, Sister, how did someone like *that* even get into Public Sixth University? It’s quite amazing, really.”

“How should I know?! If you think it’s so amazing, go ask the ‘All-Knowing’!”

“You two sluts! Shut your mouths!!”

‘Wow, she’s practically digging her own grave.’

“You’re the one who needs to shut up! And apologize immediately!!”

Lan Xinyue suddenly snapped, her voice cold.

“You! You all! Why should I, ahhhhhh?!”

“Waaaaah!?”

Confronted by the sudden appearance of twelve Security Patrol units, which had even encircled all of us, the two individuals opposite not only shrieked in terror, their faces contorted with fright, but also collapsed onto the ground, clinging desperately to each other, and an rather unseemly situation unfolded.

“…”

‘Such a grand display? Do you all have some hidden identities or something?’

“Whoa~ That seemed a bit much, didn’t it…”

“Ahaha, well, blame me for not being able to hold back.”

Hearing Nina and Ye Ning’s hushed comments, I was no longer surprised.

‘With three young ladies teaming up, this display actually seemed rather restrained.’

****

“Student Ye, I believe it’s necessary for us to have a private conversation. Could we move somewhere else?”

To be clear, the person I approached at this moment was Ye Wenxuan.

Even so, this statement inevitably drew the attention of others.

However, my older sister was no longer in a suitable state to continue enjoying ourselves, and the recent incident had made the atmosphere quite awkward. I had no choice but to get straight to the point and resolve things quickly.

“…Alright.”

Ye Wenxuan hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

‘That certainly saved some effort.’

“Then I’ll be frank, Student Ye, please stop bothering our Vice President.”

“Ah? But…”

“There are no ‘buts.’ Do you truly have no self-awareness whatsoever? Do you genuinely not believe you’ve caused her trouble and added to her distress? If you, who can so effortlessly handle fifty-one girls, dare to say no, I swear I’ll punch you in the face!”

Ye Wenxuan met my gaze in silence.

“Student Zhao, what exactly is your mindset and stance in defending Yuanyi?”

After a moment, he suddenly shed his usual frivolousness, asking with a remarkably serious demeanor.

“If this were before, I would have simply answered ‘as a classmate,’ or ‘as a member of the same club.’ But someone reminded me, so now I can say, ‘as a friend.’”

“Truly just from the standpoint of a friend?”

“Is that not enough? Must it be like you, with relationships built on sweet talk, charming so many girls into a frenzy, to be deemed qualified?”

‘I even found myself saying “into a frenzy” naturally.’

Ye Wenxuan, however, offered a wry smile.

“Student Zhao, I fear you have a significant misunderstanding about me.”

“Oh? Are you implying that your relationship with those girls is also purely platonic?”

“Well, not *just* friends. They are all my very important childhood sweethearts…”

“That’s not funny at all.”

“I wouldn’t joke about something like this.”

“Oh~ I see. So, you’re what they call, what is it? …A Childhood Sweetheart Wholesaler? Or perhaps a Collector?”

“That title is a bit vicious, isn’t it?”

“Then take this seriously!”

‘And does this guy have some fundamental misunderstanding of the term ‘childhood sweetheart’?’

“I *am* serious! When I was little, my father’s job often involved transfers between districts, and he was exceptionally busy. To make time to care for me, my school remained constant, but our residence was frequently changed. For some unknown reason, most of the neighborhood children I encountered during that time were girls, and the majority of friends I made at school were also girls. So, before I knew it, I had accumulated so many close childhood sweethearts…”

“That sounds entirely like an excuse.”

“How can you say that? Everything I’ve said is the truth!”

“Then let’s try a different approach.”

“Huh?”

“Who could possibly understand *that*!?”

“Woah!?”

As Ye Wenxuan recoiled, I felt a pang of annoyance.

‘It seems my emotions still haven’t settled down. If this continues, the conversation will only reach a deadlock.’

“In any case, I understand the reasons behind your current personality, but that cannot be an excuse—in fact, it *is* an excuse—for you to continue disturbing Yuanyi without any sense of propriety! Do you truly believe her emotions are stable right now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I can tell you with absolute certainty that romantic feelings are inherently irrational. Her efforts to conceal her despondency and try to change her current situation have all been observed by us. If you have even an ounce of conscience—no, even just a shred of self-awareness—you absolutely should not seek her help when problems arise in your relationships with other girls!”

“Ah…”

“Or perhaps you’ve become so selfish that you believe it’s perfectly alright to mercilessly tear open the wounds she’s so carefully trying to mend right now!”

“…”

Ye Wenxuan slowly lowered his head, his face etched with silent guilt.

“So, I’ve hurt her again…”

“Don’t, at a time like this, offer these meaningless regrets in such a remorseful tone. Ultimately, isn’t it because of your own insecurity that you choose to appease everyone?”

“…Is that truly it?”

Ye Wenxuan’s face, as he looked up again, was filled with bewilderment.

“Exactly! I’ve had such times myself, so I can understand, but I won’t forgive it, because, simply put, it’s selfishness! And those actions, which seem entirely harmless from one’s own perspective, are often the most hurtful!”

“…Then, what am I supposed to do?”

Ye Wenxuan suddenly squatted down, clutching his head in his hands.

“Yesterday, when I went out with Xiao Tao as usual, I really didn’t expect to run into Thea, and they immediately started arguing. We usually make sure to avoid each other! After I finally managed to calm them down, I discovered Xiao Xing had witnessed the entire thing from the side without me knowing. Just as I was about to explain, Qingqing and Xiao Yang showed up from who-knows-where…”

As he suddenly began recounting his unexpected predicament, intimate nicknames kept spilling out.

“Stop! Stop it right now! I have absolutely no desire to hear about your entanglements with your childhood sweethearts. In short, since the cause lies entirely with you, take responsibility and face it alone. Just stop causing trouble for our Vice President!”

“…Mm, you’re right. I really shouldn’t have sought Yuanyi out for these matters… ah… yes, I definitely shouldn’t have sought help from Student Su. I was terribly mistaken. Thank you, Student Zhao.”

The look in his eyes as he gazed up at me made me involuntarily take a step back.

“Don’t! I can’t bear such a burden. Let’s just leave it at that.”

My objective achieved, I didn’t wish to speak with him further. But after taking two steps, I turned back.

“Yuanyi probably won’t blame me for presumptuously using this opportunity for her to formally bid farewell to her inner feelings. This is indeed arrogant, but I believe if I don’t say this to you, you’ll surely make the same mistake again. So, Student Ye, please remember,”—

“Only those who’ve never been dumped throw stones at a ‘defeated heroine.’”