Chapter 57

Translator: Abo Dammen

Chen Lu admitted that deliberately not pulling his hand back before bed last night was partly because he wanted to have grounds to point fingers at Qin Guchuan the next day for being restless in his sleep. 

But that didn’t mean Chen Lu could accept waking up in the morning to find himself clutching Qin Guchuan’s arm tightly to his chest, as if holding onto damning evidence.

“I swear, it moved first last night,” Chen Lu said solemnly to Qin Guchuan as soon as he confirmed the situation, sitting up immediately.

Qin Guchuan hadn’t thought much of it initially, but hearing Chen Lu’s words, he laughed. He sat up as well and, with ill intent, offered his arm to Chen Lu. “Alright, show me how it moved first.”

Chen Lu looked at the arm in front of him. 

Thinking about it carefully, last night Qin Guchuan had only gently held his hand. It seemed more like he was the one who clung on and had worse sleeping posture.

So, to be truly bold and justified, he’d have to demonstrate even more outrageous behavior to Qin Guchuan. But…

Chen Lu couldn’t help but recall the marks left on his body by this very hand in the past, and inexplicably felt his own skin wasn’t quite that thick anymore.

“Fine! So I have bad sleeping posture! What about it?!” Chen Lu chose a different kind of righteous-bold stance. 

He didn’t take the bait? Qin Guchuan, who had been quite looking forward to seeing how Chen Lu would ‘demonstrate’, was somewhat surprised. But looking at Chen Lu’s ‘righteous despite being wrong’ attitude, he found it cute and couldn’t help but play along. “Nothing. You can hug it as much as you want.”

“Really?” Chen Lu blinked, confirming with Qin Guchuan.

Not sure why this needed reconfirmation, Qin Guchuan responded helplessly, “Really.” As soon as the word left his mouth, he saw Chen Lu’s eyes flash with mischief before the younger man pounced on him. Qin Guchuan hurriedly caught him, but completely unprepared for this move, he lost his balance and fell back onto the bed, with Chen Lu’s cheerful voice following.

“Then let’s hug!” 

Looking at Chen Lu, who was practically lying on top of him, giving him an overly enthusiastic hug, Qin Guchuan’s expression was resigned. “Stop messing around. It’s early morning.”

Hearing this, Chen Lu immediately became aware of the ‘early morning’ situation pressed against his leg due to his pounce.

Chen Lu: “…”

Once again, Chen Lu sent a certain someone into the bathroom to wash up. He pondered slightly whether Qin Guchuan was too easily ‘energized’, but then thought about it carefully. If his own body was prone to being ‘delicate and soft’, then it seemed normal for Qin Guchuan’s to be easily ‘energized’ in contrast. 

Being ‘delicate and soft’ could be concealed, but being ‘energized’ was a bit harder to hide.

A flicker of sympathy for Qin Guchuan arose in Chen Lu’s heart. Then he finally remembered to check the time and found it was already 9 AM.

His first class wasn’t that early so he could still make it if he hurried. But Qin Guchuan was definitely late.

Though, probably no one in the Qin Corporation dares to criticize the big boss for being late. 

Thinking this, Chen Lu quickly got out of bed, changed clothes, went to the main bedroom’s bathroom to wash up, and grabbed some milk and bread for a quick breakfast. Seeing Qin Guchuan showed no sign of coming out yet, he left the other’s portion on the table with a key, sent Qin Guchuan a message reminding him to lock the door when he left, and hurried off to school.

No surprise, no unexpectedness, this class was also a creative arts class.

Chen Lu arrived at the classroom just on time. At the doorway, he noticed the creative arts teacher had already arrived and was giving him a very unfriendly look.

I’m not even late? Chen Lu was puzzled. He glanced at his classmates and saw their completely un-camaraderie-like, gleeful, gloating expressions. 

Understood. Today, no matter what, I’m doomed.

“Chen Lu, didn’t you say you like performance art? Creative arts class should encourage bold innovation. Come on stage and perform what performance art is,” the creative arts teacher said to Chen Lu with a cold sneer.

Yesterday, when Chen Lu went back, he looked disheveled and pitiful. Although he told everyone it was for performance art and they all expressed respect and blessings, some kind-hearted people were still worried about the truth and naturally went to confirm with Chen Lu’s teacher.

Since the old professor wasn’t at school these days, and Chen Lu had only been attending this creative arts class recently, anyone asking would naturally come to this teacher. 

The creative arts teacher was baffled after being asked by several other teachers. They were painting yesterday, it had nothing to do with performance art.

His first reaction was that Chen Lu must have been bullied and was afraid to say anything. Thinking of Chen Lu’s tragic family situation, the teacher was furious and started investigating overnight. He quickly found out from yesterday’s security personnel…

It was performance art, damn it!

Who could argue that locking oneself in a first-floor restroom after class and fixing a faucet for hours wasn’t performance art? The creative arts teacher gritted his teeth. 

Hearing the teacher’s words, Chen Lu shrunk his neck slightly.

Being caught by the victims for ruining their reputation indeed made him feel a bit guilty.

But only a bit.

Chen Lu, who was quick to admit mistakes but had no intention of changing, looked at the teacher’s expression and knew he couldn’t escape punishment. He could only stand on the podium cautiously. 

Since the teacher requested it, he had to do the performance art. Being very respectful toward the teacher, Chen Lu thought for a moment, cleared his throat, looked at the students below who were clearly waiting for a show, and let out a cold laugh.

“Chen Lu, didn’t you say you like performance art? Creative arts class should encourage bold innovation. Come on stage and perform what performance art is,” Having specifically practiced the intonation for plot purposes, Chen Lu perfectly mimicked the creative arts teacher’s tone.

Instantly, the entire classroom was filled with an atmosphere of joy at Chen Lu’s lifelike performance.

The creative arts teacher felt both annoyed and amused hearing Chen Lu’s spot-on imitation. But looking at Chen Lu’s endearing expression after the performance, his eyes full of ‘Teacher, did I do well?’ seeking praise, most of the anger in his heart dissipated quickly. 

In the end, the teacher lightly tapped Chen Lu’s head with a rolled-up drawing paper and said irritably, “Get lost! And don’t you dare ruin our major’s reputation like that again!”

Hearing this, Chen Lu thought for a moment and asked the teacher in a very sincere tone, “If I tell the truth instead, will that not ruin our major’s reputation?”

The creative arts teacher was choked up by this retort. Hearing the students’ even more joyous laughter, his voice, which had softened, immediately rose several degrees. “Chen Lu! If the work you submit for the final exam isn’t in the top ten, you fail!”

“Okay, teacher! No problem, teacher! I will definitely satisfy you, teacher! Love you~ Mwah~” Chen Lu repeated his previous words of thanks verbatim. 

The joyful atmosphere in the classroom was deafening.

The creative arts teacher was completely at a loss with this mischievous rascal. He waved his drawing paper as if shooing a fly, his eyes full of disdain as he told Chen Lu to get back to his seat and continue his ‘creation’. Then the teacher saw Chen Lu, upon returning to his seat and uncovering his painting, visibly startled and shuddered as if frightened.

“Pfft.” The creative arts teacher couldn’t help but laugh, feeling mentally and physically refreshed instantly. He pondered for a moment, feeling as if he had stumbled upon a painless method to punish mischievous students.

Unaware of the danger looming over him, Chen Lu silently looked at the painting in front of him. 

Whether it was the teacher, classmates, or the now-familiar plot, none posed as great a challenge to Chen Lu as the creative difficulty of the painting before him.

Do I really have to finish this painting? Chen Lu questioned internally. Then he thought, whether he wanted to or not, he would eventually have to struggle with this painting for many days until the plot point where it gets destroyed.

Before that, to spare his own eyes the torture, Chen Lu felt he should still make some effort, for the sake of his own ocular well-being, to ‘beautify’ this painting.

An hour and a half later, Chen Lu very peacefully covered his work with the cloth again. 

He had personally experienced the meaning of ‘the harder you work, the sadder you become’.

But, after these hundred minutes of torture, he could finally be liberated.

This time, under the teacher’s signal, the students didn’t let Chen Lu leave freely. They escorted him out of the school in small groups.

The students in their major also didn’t want any strange reputations. 

This bullying plot wasn’t supposed to happen at school, so Chen Lu was very grateful for his classmates’ friendly ‘help’.

After saying goodbye to his escorting classmates, Chen Lu slowly walked back towards his residential area, waiting for Fang Qizhi’s next act of bullying.

——Fang Qizhi found out that Qin Guchuan had someone investigate the ‘bullying’ of ‘Chen Lu’, which made him extremely angry, his rage growing even higher.

——The previous actions meant as a lesson were no longer enough to satisfy Fang Qizhi. He decided to take physical action. 

——He arranged for several large, intimidating-looking men to lie in wait at a less populated spot on ‘Chen Lu’s route from school to his residence.

——’Chen Lu’, upon seeing these men surrounding him, panicked and immediately tried to run away. But naturally, ‘Chen Lu’ didn’t escape. In the end, he was covered in bruises, his clothes torn in several places from struggling, and he stumbled back to his residential area, where he once again saw Qin Guchuan waiting at the entrance.

…Hmm, another instance of President Qin not being at work.

Last time it was after work hours, but this plot clearly takes place at noon. Yet President Qin is diligently waiting at the entrance. 

[Being a CEO in an early-2000s novel is really cushy.] A certain CEO Qin angrily gave a ‘dislike’.

Chen Lu: Are the people you hired here yet?

Fang Qizhi: Don’t worry, they’re all in position

Chen Lu: Did you tell them to take it easy? 

Fang Qizhi: Relax, relax, they know their limits 🙂

Chen Lu looked at Fang Qizhi’s reply with skepticism, somehow feeling that the smiling emoji Fang Qizhi used carried a profound, meaningful significance.

Chen Lu walked forward hesitantly. But one advantage of school district housing is its proximity to the school. No matter how much Chen Lu dawdled, he soon reached the location where the plot was supposed to start.

Chen Lu stared speechlessly at the dozen or so intimidating-looking men in front of him, and the tools in their hands clearly intended for him, and slowly took a step back. 

“What do you want?” Chen Lu said, his voice trembling, his gaze fixed on the tools in the men’s hands.

The tremor was very real, and its reality had nothing to do with his acting skills.

“Sorry, we’ve been hired. Think about who you’ve offended,” the leader said, fiddling with the tool in his hand, looking at Chen Lu with ill intent, his tone full of barely contained excitement as he delivered his line.

As soon as the other finished the scripted line, Chen Lu immediately turned and ran, without a hint of pretense. 

But the men were clearly prepared. They had people positioned behind Chen Lu too. Using their numerical advantage, they gave Chen Lu no room to maneuver and, with almost no effort, cornered him as described in the plot.

Chen Lu looked desperately at the excited group raising various tools high and let out a loud shriek: “I was wrong! I admit it all! I won’t dare do it again! Please let me go! At least spare my hair!! ‘Noodle’! ‘Skinny’! ‘Brawny’! ‘Big Tree’! ‘Stick’!… I’m begging you!!! I was really wrong!!”

“Too late!” The many bodyguards who had ‘bullied’ Chen Lu showed no mercy, wielding their various cosmetic weapons upon Chen Lu. Fiery red lipstick, deathly Barbie pink, sky-high pigtails… nothing was left out.

What ‘bruises blue and purple’? 

How could that possibly describe the colors on Chen Lu’s body?

At this moment, even the colors on a seven-colored Mary Sue wouldn’t be as varied as Chen Lu’s.