The man noted as “David” was obviously Lu Xi’s agent, and he was now chattering incessantly at Lu Xi over the phone, constantly nagging.
Whatever the other end of the line said, Lu Xi remained silent with his head down, a strong look of annoyance evident in his expression.
Who wouldn’t be upset when they have to shoulder debts for their “parents” right from the start?
The agent continued for another three minutes. Perhaps he was getting tired, so he took a breath and finally asked, “Do you think this is the time to be willful? Here, let me check right now and see how much of the money you advanced has yet to be repaid…”
“Five hundred thousand! Five hundred thousand! Did you hear that clearly?” After a burst of noise, the man shouted exaggeratedly, “Pay back the money first before you have the right to talk to me about quitting. I vouched with my head to convince the company to give you special treatment, and this is how you repay me?”
Annoyed by the noise, Lu Xi furrowed his brows and held the phone further away.
Not getting a response for a long time, the agent thought he had successfully persuaded the suddenly neurotic kid. Softening his tone, he asked, “Well? Have you thought it through?”
Lu Xi thought it over and said calmly, “So if I pay back the five hundred thousand, I can quit, right?”
“…” The other party was visibly choked.
From the agent’s perspective, Lu Xi was someone he had personally nurtured, and currently, he was the most popular among his clients. How could he let him go just like that? That would be like cutting off his own cash cow. At the age of just over 15+, Lu Xi was in his prime, with enormous commercial value to be tapped in the next five years. The advance payment of five hundred thousand was just an excuse to keep Lu Xi in check, the agent would never let Lu Xi quit now.
“Yes… I suppose so,” the agent stammered, feeling guilty, then quickly added, “Don’t forget your contract still has some time before it expires. If you walk away now, you’ll face a hefty penalty of three million.”
Lu Xi responded bluntly, “Then call the police and have me arrested.”
“…” The agent was caught off guard.
Lu Xi hung up the phone directly. He was very serious when he said those words.
After a couple of seconds, the phone rang again. Lu Xi answered.
The agent, infuriated, shouted, “You little brat, are you defying me…”
With a beep, Lu Xi hung up the call.
The phone rang again.
He answered.
The agent roared, “Lu Xi, you…”
With another “beep”, he hung up the call again.
This time, there was a brief pause of a few seconds before the phone rang again.
Lu Xi picked it up and held it close to his ear.
The agent, now sounding desperate, pleaded, “Please don’t hang up. We can discuss everything, alright?”
Lu Xi didn’t say anything but didn’t hang up the phone either.
“Why did you suddenly become so tough…” The agent seemed to be muttering to himself. Finally, he completely softened his tone and said helplessly, “If you suddenly want to change your image… that’s fine, I guess. You have good potential, and shifting our focus to female fans isn’t a big problem. But at least give our PR team some time to react. How about this, don’t rush to reveal your gender yet. Causing a huge uproar is hard for me to handle. Can you wait just one more week? Just one week, and you don’t have to do anything else this week—just post a video. I’m begging you.”
Lu Xi was indeed a tough young man, but he responded better to soft tactics than hard ones. Seeing the other party so humble, he didn’t make things difficult. He confirmed again, “Pretend for one more week?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” The agent quickly replied. “Just one week, and I’ll take care of things on my end.”
Lu Xi responded with a light “Oh,” and said lightly, “Then hurry up.”
Agent: “…” Just listen to that tone—who is the boss of whom?
He suspected that Lu Xi must have been influenced by something, otherwise, how could he have changed so much? He used to be well-behaved and sweet-talking, very endearing. Now he was straightforward and tough, making the agent grit his teeth in frustration.
–
Lu Xi hung up the phone.
He had considered that it would be best to continue using the original owner’s account, utilizing the 900,000 followers as a resource… at least he could support himself. However, if it meant pretending to be a girl, he was ultimately unwilling to do so.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Lu Xi glanced at the time. Ji Nian had been gone for a long time.
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Kegclcu jgbecv, tf rjk Al Rljc rajcvlcu yftlcv tlw, tbivlcu j meq bo bgjcuf pelmf mibrf ab tlr ojmf klat j aglewqtjca rwlgx qijrafgfv bc tlr ojmf.
Is it so childish?
Lu Xi glanced at him sideways. Though he was annoyed, his stoic face never showed any emotion.
“Here.” Ji Nian handed over a paper bag and raised his chin towards it. “The milk tea inside is for you.”
Lu Xi was just feeling thirsty, so he unceremoniously opened the bag and took out a cup of warm milk tea.
He glanced inside the bag and saw three other drinks, each of a different kind.
Ji Nian suddenly asked, “I accidentally overheard you saying ‘pretend for one more week.’ What are you pretending for a week?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xi almost missed inserting the straw, but he quickly corrected it, preventing the milk tea from spilling. He replied without changing his expression, “Pretend to be your uncle.”
“…” Ji Nian thought to himself that, surprisingly, he actually had a sense of humor.
He glanced at Lu Xi’s chest, which was so flat that it couldn’t be any more flatter, and said meaningfully, “You’re really quite a man right now.” Then he asked, “So that’s why you started using the men’s restroom?”
Since Lu Xi had promised his agent to continue pretending, he naturally kept his word and replied perfunctorily, “I looked in the wrong direction at that time.”
He took a big gulp of milk tea, his cheeks puffing up, and without saying another word, he turned and walked away.
Ji Nian stared at his back thoughtfully.
–
Before Lu Xi could walk out of the cafeteria, a group of people walked in.
They walked side by side, blocking the way.
Lu Xi glanced at them. There were nine people in total, with one person at the front and the others following in a wedge formation, like a row of colorful billiard balls lined up on a table.
The leader had his head held high, singing a tuneless song with a “la la la.” His suit-style school uniform jacket was worn sloppily, with the back deliberately pulled down so only his arms were in the sleeves. His stride was extremely arrogant.
Lu Xi stepped aside to make way.
The person leading the group was named Qu Feng, nicknamed “Tyrant Qu” at Canglan Private High School. Just by listening to this nickname, one can tell what kind of person he is.
At first, he hadn’t noticed Lu Xi standing aside. But then, after taking a casual glance, he caught sight of him and looked again and again. Finally, he uttered a surprised “Oh,” and halted in his tracks.
“Who’s this girl?” Qu Feng asked with great interest.
A younger brother from behind stepped forward, his eyes sharp, “She’s Lu Xi, the internet celebrity from Class 8.”
“Internet celebrity…” Qu Feng thought for a moment. Then, he suddenly exclaimed out an “Oh!” in realization before continuing, “No wonder she looks so familiar. It turned out she’s Lin Yuezhi’s best friend, huh… Hiss, that’s not right.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyeing Lu Xi up and down bluntly, wondering, “But why doesn’t she look like her? I remember the girl from Class 8 who looks very flashy, with a typical internet celebrity face.”
Lu Xi paused briefly in chewing his coconut jelly, but just for a moment. He kept his gaze fixed outside the glass wall, sipping his milk tea and waiting for the group blocking the way to move on.
“Qu Ge, she’s not wearing makeup today,” One of his younger brothers reminded him.
“F*ck,” Qu Feng chuckled, staring at Lu Xi with growing interest. “There’s actually such a girl? She looks better without makeup than with it.”
Suddenly remembering something, he exclaimed, “Huh? Didn’t I invite her out before the long break?”
Another younger brother stepped forward and reported in detail, “Yes, but she didn’t agree. Sister Zhi said she made plans with Ji Nian instead.”
“F*ck, Ji Nian…” Qu Feng seemed irked suddenly, his expression darkening in an instant.
He shrugged off his jacket with a flick of his shoulders, geared up and said. “Wait here, I’ll go fetch a disposable sister-in-law for you guys,” he declared determinedly.
–
Lu Xi stood not too far away from them, and if their voices were a bit lower, he might not have heard them. However, the person had no scruple at all and even spoke louder than normal, making it hard for Lu Xi not to hear.
Lu Xi looked indifferent and weary, finishing his milk tea in one gulp.
Qu Feng approached and had just said, “Hey,” when someone suddenly interjected with a playful tone, “Excuse me, coming through.”
Qu Feng glanced aside and saw that it was Ji Nian.
Qu Feng’s expression immediately turned cold, with a hint of inexplicable vigilance in his face.
Ji Nian saw Qu Feng still blocking the doorway and raised an eyebrow, his beautiful eyes showing a hint of a smile as he asked, “Classmate?”
Qu Feng’s face stiffened, his frustration growing, but he just couldn’t utter a word. Finally, he reluctantly stepped aside.
His younger brothers promptly followed suit, backing away.
As Ji Nian walked towards the door, Lu Xi saw that the group blocking the way finally moved aside and started to follow him towards the exit.
“Eh? Don’t go,” Qu Feng said without thinking, reaching out and grabbing Lu Xi’s arm from behind.
Lu Xi was irritated by the rude interruption. He furrowed his brows deeply and strongly pulled his arm back.
As a result, Qu Feng, who was unable to dodge in time, took a hard hit on the face from Lu Xi’s hand.
The “pa” sound was very loud.
Hearing the commotion, Ji Nian turned back and saw Lu Xi’s face finally showing visible signs of emotion—clear disgust.
Ji Nian narrowed his eyes slightly, intrigued by the expression on that world-weary face. Lu Xi’s appearance was obviously a kind of neutral beauty, but once he showed a fierce look, he actually looked very manly and had an unexpectedly handsome aura.
How had he not noticed this before?
Qu Feng held his nose, obviously stunned. Then, he quickly realized that he had been embarrassed in front of his brothers and cursed uncontrollably, “F*ck! What the hell are you doing, you little b*tch!”
Lu Xi remained unmoved and never turned around, so the people behind him couldn’t see his expression.
After Qu Feng finished scolding and saw no response from Lu Xi, he rubbed his nose and regained some composure. He snickered disdainfully and said, “You really think you’re like a tiger’s butt, untouchable? You think you can be arrogant just because you have a few fans? You’re just a small internet celebrity. Even those more famous than you would call me ‘Master’ whenever they see me. Just throw them some cash and their clothes immediately come off, just swipe them a card and I’d get full service. What are you pretending here? Do you think being aloof adds value? Do you think you’re worth more?”
His younger brothers behind him burst into laughter, and Qu Feng felt increasingly pleased with himself.
At this moment, Ji Nian shifted his gaze away from Lu Xi’s face and said to Qu Feng, “Stop talking.”
“Ji Nian, stay out of this. If you’re leaving, then leave,” Qu Feng dismissed casually, seeming to have been carried away.
The fear he had shown towards Ji Nian earlier had long since vanished without a trace. He continued, “This is between me and this girl. If you dare interfere, you’ll be going against me.”
Ignoring Ji Nian’s intervention, Qu Feng turned his attention to Lu Xi’s back and continued to taunt, “Come on, turn around. I still have some money on my meal card. I wonder if it can buy you a smile.”
Qu Feng lowered his head and rummaged through his pockets. Then, he pulled out a meal card and waved it around. His younger brothers laughed in response.
Ji Nian spoke again, “Stop talking.”
“F*ck! Aren’t you annoying? What gives you the right to tell me to stop talking?” Qu Feng glared at Ji Nian.
Ji Nian lowered his eyes, glancing at Lu Xi again, and said calmly, “This girl is about to hit someone.”
“Huh?” Qu Feng didn’t immediately understand.
The next second, Lu Xi turned around and threw a neat and beautiful punch straight to Qu Feng’s eye socket.
Qu Feng let out a loud, agonizing cry, too painful to breathe properly. He bent over, clutched his eye and staggered back in retreat, his younger brothers supporting him.
With one eye half-open, Qu Feng gasped in pain, staring at Lu Xi standing before him in disbelief.
Lu Xi still had one hand clenched into a fist, which was hanging down at his side in a relaxed manner. He raised his head slightly, half-drooping his eyes lazily, yet his gaze was disdainful, as if he viewed everyone as insignificant insects. He looks world-weary and lazy, and no one could catch his eye.
Qu Feng, a typical rich second-generation kid who bullied others due to his family’s power and influence, never expected to be on the receiving end of bullying. Now, after getting punched and feeling immense pain, he felt so aggrieved that he almost wanted to cry.
Pointing at Lu Xi, he threatened, “Just wait, my brothers never hit women, but today, they’ll make an exception just for you!”
“…”
Qu Feng’s brothers were still dumbfounded, but Lu Xi said calmly, “Come.”
He tossed aside the empty milk tea cup into a nearby trash bin with great accuracy.
“Come on!” Qu Feng couldn’t stand the provocation.
His younger brothers exchanged glances and then advanced towards Lu Xi, closing in step by step.
“Wait a minute.” One person stepped up beside Lu Xi, smiling as he suggested, “I don’t really want to get involved, but hitting a girl is too much. How about this, I’ll take her place?”
Seeing Ji Nian stepping in, Qu Feng’s younger brothers instinctively took a step back—
This guy is from the provincial Taekwondo team.
Lu Xi glanced sideways and said without emotion, “Leave.”
Ji Nian, who was ruthlessly driven away: “…I’ll give you another chance. You still have a chance to change…”
“Leave,” Lu Xi repeated.
Ji Nian looked at Lu Xi for a few seconds, then acted as if nothing had happened. He turned to Qu Feng and his group and asked, “What do you think?”
“Ji Nian, I’m warning you not to act so arrogantly,” Qu Feng, still covering his eye, stood behind his brothers. “Hiss, hahaha,” he gasped, “Later, when I get crazy, I’ll beat you up too.”
Ji Nian narrowed his eyes, chuckled, and replied, “Well, if I get crazy later, can I also beat you up too?”
Qu Feng’s face twisted for a moment, as if recalling something that made him upset.
He scanned the crowd, gestured towards someone, and proudly told Ji Nian, “This is my new brother here. His family has been studying Drunken… Fist techniques for generations. He happens to be the 30th generation successor. If you can beat him, then you can consider yourself a hero.”
The crowd automatically made way to create a path, allowing a young man, who was not too tall and looked thin, to walk forward.
He positioned himself about a meter away, exuding a remarkably composed aura.
First, he respectfully greeted Ji Nian with clasped hands, then suddenly extended his arms and assumed a stance. With a vigorous slap on his thigh, he exclaimed, “Ha!” The atmosphere intensified as he spun in place twice, swayed his body left and right like a spinning top, and smoothly executed a series of pushes and pulls with his arms, appearing ethereal yet exhibiting a tenacious presence.
Clearly, he was skilled.
Having showcased a half-set of Drunken Fist techniques, he received applause from the audience. He stood there in the same posture, eyeing Ji Nian provocatively.
Lu Xi could see that this guy had some skills. He didn’t want to involve Ji Nian in this, so he said, “Let’s go…”
Before he could even finish his words, he caught a glimpse of the person next to him lifting a long leg seemingly effortlessly. As a result, the guy practicing Drunken Fist was immediately sent flying three meters away, sliding on the smooth floor until he hit a pillar with a dull thud.
He slumped there, head askew, and didn’t move anymore.
The cheers from the crowd stopped instantly.
“…” Lu Xi looked over at Ji Nian beside him.
Ji Nian, holding a paper bag in one hand and a cup of orange juice in the other, continued sipping calmly. Throughout the whole incident, not a drop of orange juice spilled from his cup.
Ji Nian gently lowered his extended leg, took another sip of orange juice, and smiled apologetically at the petrified Qu Feng, “What generation did you say he was again? Sorry, I was quite distracted and hadn’t heard clearly.”
Lu Xi: “…”
What does it mean to be utterly defeated?
Now I know.
The author has something to say:
Ji Nian: Long legs, rejects all bells and whistles.
Lu Xi, calm on the surface, but in his heart: Damn, this guy next to me is quite impressive.
thank you for the update!
❤️💙
It’s really fun reading this novel 😊 Thank you for the update
⭐❤️
Xiu, please spare me a smile
🌞💛🌝
thankyou 😔
Milk-san there are typo up there : ingo –> into, and word-weary –> world-weary
Tyfc!
Fixed🍓
thank you very much!!💙