Chapter 8
Arriving at the lobster restaurant, Zhang Yuning ordered two servings of lobster, one of which was extra spicy.
Watching Zhang Yuning devour the lobster without a care for her image, Lin Fei felt that this goddess, once so far out of his reach, was starting to seem real. He found her more and more adorable and captivating.
Just as the two were chatting and laughing while peeling shells and eating the shrimp, a good-looking couple walked in. The man was Zhang Jiaming, dressed head to toe in Versace. The woman was Zhou Xinyi, who had thought Lin Fei was a lost cause and, at the urging of her best friend Liu Yinyin, had thrown herself into Zhang Jiaming's arms.
"What bad luck," Lin Fei muttered, his mood instantly soured by the sight of them. Just like last time at the mall, this scumbag couple was like ghosts that wouldn't go away.
Zhou Xinyi spotted Lin Fei immediately. When she saw clearly that the person with him was Zhang Yuning, she was utterly stunned.
Impossible!
This made no sense at all!
First, it was Zhao Xiaoxuan, all lovey-dovey with him. Now it was Zhang Yuning, the second most beautiful girl in their college, sharing a meal with him. This Lin Fei, whom she had looked down upon so much, had suddenly become so popular!?
It wasn't just Zhou Xinyi, who was now experiencing a whirlwind of emotions. Even Zhang Jiaming, who saw them, began to question his own existence. Just a few days ago, this "king of simps" was someone he disdained. Now, he was having a meal with a campus beauty!?
On what grounds?
"Brother Jiaming, let's eat somewhere else, shall we?" Zhou Xinyi had just messaged Lin Fei that morning, and now to run into him in the evening was still a bit awkward.
"No need, there's a spot right over there." Zhang Jiaming deliberately put his arm around Zhou Xinyi's waist and walked towards a seat near Lin Fei. This was partly to show off to Lin Fei and partly because he wanted to get a few more looks at Zhang Yuning, after all, it was a rare sight to see a goddess in her daily life.
"Zhang Jiaming! What are you doing here?!" Just as Zhang Jiaming was puffing out his chest, his arm around Zhou Xinyi's slender waist as he walked towards Lin Fei, a stout, fierce-looking middle-aged woman stood up from a table of four in the corner.
"You... what are you doing here?" The moment he saw the woman, Zhang Jiaming's face turned deathly pale. He immediately dropped his hand from Zhou Xinyi's waist and shuffled a step away from her.
"I should be the one asking you that!" The woman strode up to Zhang Jiaming, squinted her eyes, and said viciously, "What's this? Who's this little tramp?! You two look pretty cozy!"
"Baby... you, you've got it all wrong. She's just a classmate who wouldn't stop pestering me, begging me to have dinner with her." Zhang Jiaming stammered, his explanation a panicked mess.
"Zhang Jiaming, you scumbag, you bastard! I feed you, I clothe you, I dress you up from head to toe every single day so you look presentable, I let you drive my car to school every day, and this is how you repay me? You're still lying to me now? Do you think I'm stupid?!" The woman grew angrier as she spoke, finally roaring out loud and slapping Zhang Jiaming hard across the face.
"Ah?!" Zhou Xinyi cried out in fright as she watched Zhang Jiaming get hit.
"What are you screaming for, you little tramp? You're young, you could do anything with your life, but you choose to be a homewrecker! Don't you know he has a girlfriend?!" The woman's eyes were bloodshot as she backhanded Zhou Xinyi across the face as well.
Whether it was from the shock or the slap, Zhou Xinyi just stood there in a daze, holding her swollen cheek, unsure of what to do.
"Baby... I was wrong. It's all this bitch, this slut. She seduced me. She was the one who asked me out. Look, look, the messages she sent me are still here. Forgive me, I really didn't want to betray you." Shamelessly, Zhang Jiaming fumbled for his phone. He had deleted their old chats, and it was true that Zhou Xinyi had contacted him first today.
Under the disbelieving gazes of everyone in the restaurant, he shoved his phone in the woman's face and then gave Zhou Xinyi a hard shove, cursing, "This is all your fault, you bitch! Why did you have to seduce me!"
"Hah! This guy, all dressed up, I thought he was some rich, handsome guy. Turns out he's just a pretty boy sucking up to a rich woman!"
"Damn, this guy is something else. To still be so shameless at a time like this. That's something else!"
"Scumbag!"
For a moment, the men and women in the restaurant all began to chatter.
Zhou Xinyi looked at Zhang Jiaming before her, her face ashen. This was her first love?
This was the handsome and wealthy Brother Jiaming she had so admired? Tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes. At that moment, she wished she could just die.
"Fine. So she seduced you. I'll give you a chance. Slap her twice right now, then make her get out of here and never let me see her again. Otherwise, hand over the car keys right now and get out with her!" The woman had seen the WeChat messages and her expression had softened slightly, but she still spoke viciously.
The moment she finished speaking, to show his determination, Zhang Jiaming immediately wound up his arm and slapped Zhou Xinyi with all his might. To appease the woman, he put his full strength into the slap. Zhou Xinyi's body crumpled to the floor like a willow in the wind.
"Ah!" Zhang Jiaming's vicious slap even startled Zhang Yuning, who let out a small cry.
On the floor, Zhou Xinyi was crying uncontrollably. Only one thought was in her mind: "Just kill me. I don't want to live anymore."
Seeing Zhou Xinyi on the ground, Zhang Jiaming didn't hesitate for a second. He walked over, grabbed her by the collar like a chick, and raised his hand to deliver a second slap.
Just then, a delicate-looking young man shot to his feet. His face was expressionless as he quickly moved in front of Zhang Jiaming and kicked him hard in the stomach. Zhang Jiaming's attention had been entirely on the woman and the Zhou Xinyi in his grasp. The heavy, sudden impact to his stomach sent a "thud" through the air as his body flew backward, knocking over several tables. The leftover soup and water from previous customers splashed all over him, making him look a complete mess.
"What did you hit him for?!" the woman yelled angrily at Lin Fei.
"I'm hitting this fucking idiot, Zhang Jiaming! You're a piece of shit!"
Lin Fei pulled Zhou Xinyi to her feet and away from the scene, but he still felt unsatisfied, as if he wanted to go after Zhang Jiaming for another beating.
"Fuck your mother, Lin Fei, you're the real dog! You simp, you fucking loser! How dare you hit me!" Zhang Jiaming reacted quickly, his face contorting with rage as he scrambled to his feet and lunged at Lin Fei as if to fight to the death.
Honestly, Lin Fei would have been at a disadvantage in a fight. Zhang Jiaming was taller and worked out regularly, so his physical fitness was far superior to Lin Fei's. Just as it looked like Lin Fei was about to get hurt, a prompt sounded in his mind.
[Name: Zhou Xinyi. Favorability: 30. Total Value: 95]
At this critical moment, Zhou Xinyi's favorability towards Lin Fei exploded, shooting straight up to 95.
Lin Fei hadn't expected that his act of anger would cause Zhou Xinyi to completely fall for him. At this moment, Zhou Xinyi could be considered Lin Fei's simp. This was a true comeback.
Zhou Xinyi stared at Lin Fei's back and finally broke down crying. When she was humiliated, abandoned, and beaten, the one person still willing to help her was Lin Fei. Only now did she realize that Lin Fei was the only one she had. The same Lin Fei she used to order around like a simp, the same Lin Fei she once found utterly disgusting. At this moment, she was truly filled with regret.
What she didn't know was that Lin Fei no longer loved her. He had only acted because Zhang Jiaming's behavior had crossed his bottom line, and besides, he had been wanting to beat this fake rich kid for a long time.
[Successfully seduced the goddess Zhou Xinyi. The target has become the host's simp. Favorability towards the host has reached 95 points. Comeback successful. This simp operation cost 50,000 in reserve funds. 5,000 has been returned to the host's personal account. Reward: 5 Enhancement Points.]
[Lin Fei: Strength 9, Constitution 9, Spirit 9, Mind 10, Agility 9, Perception 10 (Average human stats are 10). Status: Sub-healthy. Skills: None. Enhancement Points: 5. Please assign.]
"I choose to add 5 points to Strength." Lin Fei said quickly, looking at the system interface that had suddenly appeared.
[Enhancement successful. Host's Strength is now 14.]
Instantly, Lin Fei felt a warm current flow through his body, and he felt a surge of power throughout his entire being.
Just then, Zhang Jiaming charged at him. Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Fei threw a punch directly at his jaw. With just one punch, the 1.82-meter-tall Zhang Jiaming spun around from the force and collapsed to the ground. He struggled a few times but couldn't get back up.
On the ground, Zhang Jiaming was on the verge of passing out. He looked at Lin Fei timidly, having lost all will to fight. He really hadn't expected Lin Fei to have such explosive power.
"Lin Fei, thank you..." Zhou Xinyi said, her face streaked with tears.
"Don't thank me. I've wanted to beat him up for a long time," Lin Fei replied honestly.
Seeing how fierce Lin Fei was, the woman didn't dare to curse anymore. She helped Zhang Jiaming up and they walked out in disgrace.
"Boss, I'll pay for whatever was broken today." Zhang Yuning walked to the front counter and said to the owner with a smile.
The owner, who had been about to call the police, gave up the idea when he saw the pretty young lady was willing to pay for the damages and considering no one was seriously hurt.
In Zhang Yuning's eyes, Lin Fei seemed more and more perfect. A rich yet low-key heir, not only good-looking and a formidable fighter, but also with a strong sense of justice. Even when facing his ex-girlfriend who had once scorned him, he showed no bitterness and saved her.
So classy, so cool.
[Name: Zhang Yuning; Favorability: 30. Total Value: 40]
Zhang Yuning's favorability shot up to 40 points all at once, which took Lin Fei by surprise. A favorability of 40 points meant that the two of them could already start having an ambiguous relationship... This was an unexpected surprise for Lin Fei.
"Sorry about today, the meal was..."
Lin Fei walked up to Zhang Yuning, an apologetic look on his face as he scratched the back of his head.
"It's okay. I feel like I got to know a different side of you today. It seems like every time I interact with you, I discover something new!"
Zhang Yuning blinked her big eyes, studying the young man before her. This guy really seemed like a man full of hidden depths!
"What different side? I've always been me, haven't I?" Lin Fei shrugged.
"To be honest, I didn't really have much of an impression of you before, until last time when you came up and asked for my WeChat so directly. I thought you were a very sincere person, not the type to play games. But who knew you would then gift so much in my livestream, and when I found out how famous you were online, I realized you were incredibly wealthy. And now, it turns out you're such a great fighter too. It's all quite unexpected!" The former Lin Fei would never have even been on her radar, but now he was already in her top three.
"But I've been following you for a long time! I just thought that our campus goddess was a fairy who didn't eat mortal food. Who knew you privately love extra-spicy food, eat shrimp without gloves, and even like to lick your fingers? Haha," Lin Fei teased cheerfully.
"You big brute! How can you say that about a girl? So annoying~" Zhang Yuning stomped her feet in a huff, looking utterly adorable.
Watching Lin Fei and Zhang Yuning flirt, Zhou Xinyi felt a pang of heartache. Looking at Zhang Yuning, who was superior to her in every way, she suddenly realized that the Lin Fei who used to dote on her so much was probably gone forever...
"Why is it that only now, when I've just discovered how good Lin Fei is, when I truly want to get to know him, to like him, to love him, is he about to be stolen away by another girl? No, that can't happen. Lin Fei is mine. No one can take him away!" Zhou Xinyi vowed silently in her heart.
"Lin Fei, can I talk to you for a moment?" Zhou Xinyi said, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Sorry, I don't have time." With that, Lin Fei took Zhang Yuning's hand and left the lobster restaurant.
In that tense situation, Zhang Yuning didn't want to make Lin Fei lose face by refusing his hand. But as they walked, Lin Fei just kept holding her hand. Zhang Yuning's heart started to flutter. She didn't know if she should pull her hand away, and so, hesitating, she let him continue to hold it.
"Actually, I don't know what to say. You must be feeling awful, right? I've heard about you and Zhou Xinyi. I just never understood why, if you liked her so much, you didn't just tell her your identity directly. If she knew your true identity, she would have agreed to be with you a long time ago, right?"
Lin Fei knew that Zhang Yuning had seen him gift so many presents and assumed he must have an extraordinary background.
"To be honest, I'm just an ordinary person. All I ever wanted was a simple love, but things never seem to go my way!"
Lin Fei's words were sincere. He really was just an ordinary person with no special identity. But to Zhang Yuning, it just seemed like he was being humble. This confirmed what Zheng Muzi and she herself had suspected all along.
Zhou Xinyi returned to her dorm room, her spirit broken.
"Xinyi!" As soon as she entered the dorm, Liu Yinyin, as if she'd won the lottery, excitedly pulled Zhou Xinyi onto her bed. She then sneakily glanced at their other roommates and, seeing no one was paying attention, lowered her voice and said, "Xinyi, have you heard about 'God Descends lately? The one who spent a total of twenty million on Douyu and TikTok, whose real identity the whole internet is trying to guess!" Liu Yinyin's whole face flushed with excitement as she spoke, not noticing the tear streaks or the swollen cheek on Zhou Xinyi's face.
"Mmm..." Zhou Xinyi replied absentmindedly. So many people had been talking about this 'God Descends lately that she was aware of it.
"I just found out today that the ten million he spent on TikTok was all for our school's Zhang Yuning! All the girls at our school are green with envy and are talking about starting their own streams. I got curious, so I went on TikTok, searched for 'God Descends,' and followed him. Guess what?!" Liu Yinyin's eyes seemed to sparkle as she stared intently at Zhou Xinyi.
"What?" Zhou Xinyi had no interest in gossip and just hoped she would finish quickly so she could be alone on her bed in peace.
"I found out that this super-whale is actually my WeChat friend!" Liu Yinyin tried her best to suppress her excitement, her hands gripping Zhou Xinyi's arm tightly. "This 'God Descends is Lin Fei! Oh my god! Do you know how I reacted?! I really never thought it would be Lin Fei. So when you said his family was rich, you meant they were this rich!? Xinyi, I really admire you. To be able to resist the pursuit of such a wealthy heir."
Liu Yinyin continued to chatter on, but Zhou Xinyi felt as if she had been struck by lightning, as if she had been bombarded by nine heavenly thunders.
"Xinyi... I was wrong before. I was blind. Seriously, just give up on Zhang Jiaming and choose Lin Fei. He likes you so much, he'll definitely marry you. Then you'll be part of the upper class in one step! When that happens, don't forget your sister..." Liu Yinyin said with utmost sincerity.
The moment she said that, Zhou Xinyi felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart and then twisted.
Zhou Xinyi could no longer control her emotions, and tears began to stream down her face.
"Xinyi, you, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Now Zhou Xinyi understood why Zhang Yuning was having dinner with Lin Fei. Ten million!?
That should have been hers. At this moment, Zhou Xinyi felt as if Zhang Yuning had stolen her money. That bitch, that bitch Zhang Yuning, that gold-digger! Where was all her usual pride now? She must have been dazzled by ten million!
"I haven't lost yet! No one is taking what's mine!" Zhou Xinyi was in a frenzy. She shot up and rushed out of the dorm.
She had to win Lin Fei back by any means necessary.
Zhou Xinyi ran straight to Lin Fei's dorm building. After asking a few male students and learning that Lin Fei hadn't returned yet, she crouched like a she-wolf with green eyes, lying in wait at the entrance.
Half an hour later, she finally saw Lin Fei's figure as he slowly walked back after parting ways with Zhang Yuning.
*****
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