0025: Sudden Contemplation

“My father has two wives.”

“Hm?” The question marks above Xu Lin’s head seemed to multiply.

“Her name is Chu Fengyi. We’re sisters, but we have different mothers. Our relationship is… well, it used to be very good, but now it’s a bit complicated.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.”

“Thank you for understanding, Mr. Xu. But I can tell you that my father never wanted me to enter the entertainment industry.”

“I can sense that.”

From the way Chu Qingchan usually spoke, and from what the bearded man had said, her father was clearly an impressive figure. It was perfectly reasonable for him not to want his daughter to enter show business.

“After I became an actress, things between us grew… not exactly bad, but I know he must have a lot of complaints about me deep down.”

“But you’re still father and daughter. Anything can be talked through. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent your sister to find you, would he?”

“I know.” She brushed back her disheveled hair and gazed out the window. “But I want to keep trying. If I give up now, then I’ve truly lost.”

“Alright, I’ll support you—mentally.”

“No, I want you to support me with your talent! I believe, with the training you’ve had from Teacher Guan and your solid foundation, you’ll become a remarkable musician.”

“Miss Chu, your expectations for me are a bit too high.”

“It’s just my intuition, and I’ve always had a good sense for these things.”

“Whether that’s true or not, you heard your sister—if you don’t talk to her, your father will come in person.”

“He won’t. He’s far too busy. But if he really comes himself, I’d have nothing to say.”

“Well, your sister’s awfully strong. She nearly tossed me to the ground.”

“Did you get hurt? Should we go to the hospital?”

“I can’t believe I forgot—she’s been learning martial arts since she was a child. She could take down an adult when she was thirteen, and now, who knows how strong she is?”

“Goodness! I’m glad I didn’t know that earlier, or I wouldn’t have dared to act calm just now. I’d have spilled everything out of fright.”

“…”

“But I really ought to start working out. Next time she comes around, if she decides to rough me up, I’ll be in trouble.”

Xu Lin immediately thought of his system. Raising his physical stats would now cost eight thousand points—nothing he couldn’t afford, maybe even enough for another level after that. But a level six physique isn’t all that high; most adult men can reach level five or six with proper exercise. He could probably get there on his own, saving a lot of points. Lately, he’d started noticing just how important physical strength was—whether it was for resisting illness, carrying suitcases, or, like today, being tossed around like a chick by her sister.

He wasn’t the vengeful type, but it never hurt to be prepared. With strength comes confidence. It was just like back in college, before his rebirth, when he practiced the Xu family’s self-defense techniques passed down through the generations. By graduation, he was not only stronger, but he carried himself differently, too.

His build and bearing improved a great deal. At school, no one ever called him handsome, but in college, he became famously good-looking. So now, he figured he ought to start training this body of his. He already had a foundation in the Xu family’s martial arts—the system even rated him at level two. Working out would surely be twice as effective.

“By the way, Xu Lin, why do you think men are so fickle?” Xu Lin had no idea what brought this on, but Chu Qingchan suddenly posed the question.

“Where did that come from?”

“The biggest rift between my father and me is probably his love life… So Xu Lin, you’d better not fall in love with two women in the future.”

“Of course I’ll fall in love with two women!” Xu Lin replied at once, causing Chu Qingchan to look at him coldly.

He continued, “Because one is my wife, and the other is my mother.”

“And your grandmother?”

“Uh… three, then.”

After tidying up the wardrobe, their takeout arrived.

Linshui wasn’t yet awash in orange and blue delivery uniforms like it would be in the future; orders still came by phone or WeChat. After a simple lunch, Xu Lin felt fine and headed back to class.

When he went home, Su Qingwan said she’d pick him up at half past one. As soon as he came downstairs, she pulled up and waved him into the passenger seat.

Once inside, Su Qingwan saw that Xu Lin looked better and let out a sigh of relief, worried that he’d push himself to go to school despite feeling unwell.

“Put your seatbelt on,” she said, then sniffed the air and tilted her head toward him.

“Teacher, what are you doing?”

“You smell like perfume.”

“That’s impossible. My mother doesn’t use perfume.”

Xu Lin was certain Chu Qingchan hadn’t used perfume—she slept in until ten and hadn’t even put on makeup, and she’d managed to single-handedly destroy his family’s dishes. Could it be that feisty blonde girl?

“That’s odd…”

“Teacher, I was at home, not out and about. You make it sound like a wife looking for evidence of her husband’s affair.”

“Xu Lin, tease me again and I’ll double your English homework.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“But nothing’s going on between you and Ji Yun, right? You two have seemed a bit close lately. Some of the teachers were talking about it in the group chat.”

“You teachers gossip too?”

“Who doesn’t? Teachers are just regular people, too.”

“Looks like you’ve already got your speech planned for tonight.”

“I do, but Xu Lin, there’s something I haven’t told you—about Jia Qing.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s not just what he did in high school that upsets me. Later on, he was two-timing—seeing two girls at once. And both were outstanding women; one of them was even my college friend. At a reunion, she broke down in tears telling us what happened. At the time, I just wanted to go beat him up with the other girls. Of course, I didn’t know it was him then. I found out later. That’s why I can’t forgive him—for playing with women’s feelings…”

“So Xu Lin, you’ve helped me a lot, but you’re still young and haven’t really experienced the world. You’re a good kid—don’t ever become that kind of man. Never two-time. If you like a girl, treat her well. Of course, I’m not saying you should start dating now.”

“Teacher, why would you think I’d become that kind of person?” Xu Lin felt a bit vexed. Earlier, Chu Qingchan had warned him not to love two women, and now Teacher Su was telling him not to two-time. Did he really come across as a player? He asked himself. But then, thinking of the system, he began to doubt himself. Ever since he got the system, things had started to change… Now, the girls who liked him were already more than a few.

But so-called affection points, though supposedly their feelings for him, weren’t they also born from his interactions with them? Right now, he only regarded them as friends, but if the affection points kept rising, could he really stay just friends? If he got together with someone, would he give up building affection with others? If not, wouldn’t that make him a scoundrel?

If he made a choice and gave up on the others, causing them pain, that was also scoundrelly. He could quit the affection system now, but he’d already taken the first step. Maybe he could be a little bolder, a little greedier.

An ambition surfaced in his mind—perhaps it would never come true, but dreams are precious precisely because they are so unattainable; they give people something to long for.

The teacher was right—maybe he really was a scoundrel at heart! But a true scoundrel would make girls cry, and he could never do that. He could never bear to see someone he loved in pain.

Grandma always said: treat everyone sincerely, whether lover, family, or friend—maybe that’s what matters most of all.