CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 39: YOU OWE ME, PAY IT BACK

The group of girls felt their worldviews shatter once again because of Han Lie.

What is this guy even saying?

"COUGH, COUGH!" Xi Luting choked on her duck blood and vermicelli soup, coughing violently.

Yu Yun was so angry her chest heaved, forming a veritable Dhaulagiri Peak.

Fang Feifei, the least composed, finally blurted out after a stunned pause, nodding happily, "Okay, okay! Then hurry up and eat Yun Yun into poverty. I’ll support you next week!"

Han Lie grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Magnanimous!"

Yu Yun finally saw through him. This scoundrel is just here to freeload, without a shred of gratitude!

Fang Feifei had also figured it out, but she was pleased. As long as it thwarts Yu Yun, he’s a good man; nothing else matters!

"You’re too kind! Heehee!"

Fang Feifei also gave a thumbs-up, eagerly leaning in to bump thumbs with Han Lie as a sign of agreement.

Yu Yun gritted her teeth, glaring at Han Lie, her eyes practically bulging with anger. "Go to hell! There’s no next meal!"

Brother Lie ignored her completely, turning to Fang Feifei with a slight tilt of his chin. His expression seemed to say: What about you?

Fang Feifei eagerly jumped in, "I’ll treat next time! Don’t worry, Brother Lie, my allowance is much bigger than hers. Supporting you for half a month is no problem!"

She was the weakest and had the lowest chance of winning in a fair competition. She had to seize any opportunity and wished Yu Yun would just give up!

Yu Yun felt a throbbing pain in her temples as her chest gradually swelled to the proportions of K2.

She wanted to string Fang Feifei up and thrash her. I’ll teach you about malicious competition! I’ll teach you to steal my man!

But she didn’t dare push it further. Seriously, if Han Lie really spent half a month eating with Fang Feifei, they’d definitely have tried every seafood and chicken hotpot by then. What chance would I have left?!

So she immediately backed down, sidling up to Han Lie and cooing.

"Brother Lie, I was just kidding earlier. What do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I’ll get up early and buy it for you!"

"Don’t!" Han Lie waved his hand decisively, a sly grin spreading across his face, reminiscent of Big Bad Wolf.

"How could I really keep mooching off one person? Tomorrow morning, I’ll freeload off Feifei. Hey, I’ve got an opening for lunch. Are you in, or out?"

"PFFT!" Xi Luting couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

Yu Yun was completely dumbfounded. "Huh?!"

The peaks surged, reaching new heights—now the Himalayas.

Argh! This is so infuriating! He’s supposed to be a domineering CEO type, so why doesn’t he act the part with me at all? I’m a class beauty, for crying out loud! Who needs to queue up to treat him to a meal?!

"Fine! Then it’s settled. Tomorrow at noon, Fang Feifei can get lost. Sis will treat you to something ’soft’~~~"

Yu Yun silently recited to herself, "A moment of patience keeps the peace; one rash move, and the eggs break and the chickens scatter." Then, with a coy smile, she confirmed their lunch plans for the next day.

Anyone listening would have thought she was joking. But only Yu Yun knew that when noon tomorrow arrived, she definitely wouldn’t back down.

Han Lie was proving surprisingly difficult to handle.

But her resilience was no joke. Having endured for four years in her past life, she wasn’t about to admit defeat now.

As long as Xi Luting stays out of it, why would I be afraid of a mere Fang Feifei?

She shot Fang Feifei a fierce glare. When their eyes met, sparks flew between the two beauties.

Clearly, I have no intention of getting into a relationship with either of them. Yes, it would be easy to win over either of them right now. Thanks to Duan Xiaoyi’s assist, their affection level for me is already over sixty percent. Optimistically, if I went all out, I could win over Fang Feifei in three days, reach third base in a week, get bored and break up in two months, then turn around and pursue Yu Yun. Half a month should be enough for her. But what’s the point? Just to sleep with two pretty girls? The rewards don’t justify the consequences. Fang Feifei is stubborn and a bit unhinged. If I forced a breakup, she’s crazy enough to go sleep in Room 1918 again, just to use herself to get revenge on me. Yu Yun is even more troublesome. There’s no telling what she might do. My reputation getting trashed doesn’t matter; I couldn’t care less about this crappy school’s reputation anyway. The main thing is it would ruin my mood. And don’t even think about Xi Luting. She values her dignity too much; she definitely wouldn’t give me another chance. The tastiest cucumber remains unbitten, and my studies, career, and mood would all suffer—just for one ’goddess’ and one ’prima donna’? Is it worth it?! Definitely not. So, I definitely won’t get into a serious relationship with either of them. So, what’s the plan? Stay neutral and keep them on the hook, of course! Yu Yun actually taught me this strategy. It’s hard to pull off, but incredibly effective when done right. No initiative, no refusal, no responsibility. Let the willing take the bait. How you choose to suck up is your business; this young master certainly won’t make the first move. At least, not until Xi Luting is dealt with. You two can just be useful tools for me. Stirring things up with the ’cucumber’ occasionally is all I need. Am I a scumbag? Not really. I’ve never been a particularly aggressive guy. However, the grudges from my past life must be settled. You owe me, and you will repay your debts. Once they’re paid, I’ll give you a better future. If not, then just stand in the mud and watch me soar to the heavens.

Everyone’s personality is shaped by traceable reasons. Han Lie, not yet thirty and with a will of iron, naturally handled the pressure from Fang Feifei and Yu Yun with ease.

After the meal, Fang Feifei offered Han Lie a cup of fruit tea.

Brother Lie smiled, thanked them both, wiped his mouth, and headed back to his dorm to read.

Want to ask me out for a walk? Maybe next time. Definitely next time!

As soon as Han Lie left, Fang Feifei and Yu Yun’s friendly facade completely crumbled. Fortunately, neither had expected a single meal to bring them much closer, so they didn’t actually come to blows. Besides, the formidable Xi Luting was still there, a presence that made them both wary. However, a sharp war of words was inevitable, and their relationship instantly plunged to freezing point.

What a mess... It’s all damn Duan Xiaoyi’s fault!

When Han Lie returned to his dorm, he was surprised to find LV and Little Northeast both there.

"You’re back, Boss!"

Little Northeast habitually nodded and bowed, showing none of the ferocity typically associated with a "Northeastern Tiger."

LV, in contrast, was shyer. Or perhaps, more afraid of Han Lie?

But Little Ding was genuinely handsome, with skin smooth enough to make women jealous. Combined with his timid gaze, he was the epitome of a top-tier *uke*.

"B-Boss... hi..."

Brother Lie replied politely, "Sleep well? Have you two eaten yet?"

The two of them were moved almost to tears. Who knew Boss could be so considerate when he wasn’t in one of his moods!

"Not yet, not yet! We were about to go out and eat."

"Have you eaten, Boss? If not, let’s go together! My treat, a welcome meal for you!"

Han Lie waved his hand. "No need, I just ate."

After a pause, he asked, "Going out for an all-nighter again tonight?"

Little Northeast grumbled, "This damn school is tiny. Besides surfing the net, there’s really nothing else to do!"

Don’t worry, give it some time, and you’ll discover a whole new world...

Han Lie just smiled noncommittally, which seemed rather mysterious to the two of them.

Brother Lie knew all too well how the rich kids at the School of International Relations killed time. The period after military training and before the October National Holiday was an adjustment phase for newcomers. After the holiday, guided by the sophomores, they would begin their new lives. During the day, they’d occasionally show up for roll call, but spent most of their time in their dorms playing mahjong or poker—and not for small stakes. At night, they’d binge drink, then go out for karaoke or hit the bars. Then there were some lecherous guys from smaller towns, obsessed with exploring the Magic Capital’s various bathhouses. Once tired of the straightforward, price-listed "ISO" services, these guys would start messing around at SPAs. For a legitimate SPA session costing 1,688 yuan an hour, they’d book ten hours at once and demand the therapists perform stripteases... Ugh, about eighty percent of the therapists would cave, including those at in-house spas of five-star hotels. After a year or two of this wild lifestyle, they’d dust themselves off and head overseas.

Settle down? No, no, no. They’d just find new ways to continue their debauchery. Chasing foreign girls, flaunting foreign ’conquests,’ all it took was some smooth talk and a bit of swagger to pick someone up! In my past life, I was always curious: How did they have so much money? How could they spend it so recklessly? I’m not curious anymore. Because in the not-too-distant future, I’ll be richer and even more extravagant than them. The future is certain. So, this tedious period of biding my time, though dull, is bearable. In fact, I relish it.