Chapter 119 - 81: The World Where Only Auntie Suffers Is Complete

Chapter 119: Chapter 81: The World Where Only Auntie Suffers Is Complete

The second period was Ideological and Moral Cultivation and Rule of Law, a class that was even more of a blow-off than PE.

Chen Yuan and his three friends sat in the back row. Just as they got settled, Wang Wei arrived, and Li Songtao sat down next to her.

"Old Li, you’re not trying to latch onto Brother Wei, are you?" Liu Shiyu joked.

"Cut it out." Li Songtao chuckled. "The first round of the debate tournament is over. The semifinals are on Wednesday, and the finals are on Friday. We need to prepare more material."

"What’s tomorrow’s debate topic?" Chen Yuan asked curiously.

"The topic is whether or not university students should be in relationships. We’re arguing against it," Li Songtao said.

"Makes me want to vote for the opposition."

"Our opponents tomorrow are from the Automation department. They’re a free win every year. If they hadn’t faced the even more pathetic Measurement and Control team, they wouldn’t have even made it to the second round. It’s a guaranteed victory."

"Prepare well. If you can take first place in the school tournament, I’ll send you all a massive zero-dollar red packet to celebrate."

"Really? Well then, I’d better prepare properly. Thanks in advance," said Wang Wei.

"Brother Wei, he said a *zero-dollar* red packet."

"Er... That went right over my head."

They chatted for a bit before class started. The four of them grouped up to play games together—after all, that’s what gen-ed classes were for.

Toward the end of the second period, he received a message from Song Jianye.

Song Jianye: "Want to get lunch together?"

Chen Yuan: "Which cafeteria?"

Song Jianye: "Not in a cafeteria. Let’s go to a hotel, treat ourselves."

Chen Yuan: "Okay. That teppanyaki beef we had last time was pretty good."

Song Jianye: "Then let’s get teppanyaki beef today. We’ll meet at the school gate in a bit."

Chen Yuan: "OK."

A little while later, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Chen Yuan had Sheng Kangming take his books back for him.

"Making me carry your books again? You and Fang Youning seem to be getting close pretty fast."

"I’ve noticed that too."

"So you two should stop having lunch together."

"Fine. I’m eating with Song Jianye today."

"Damn it! You bastard!"

Chen Yuan left his books and took off.

A huge, dense crowd of students swarmed toward the cafeterias. Chen Yuan strolled casually toward the school gate, feeling like the only sober person in a world of drunks.

Just outside the school gate, he saw Song Jianye squatting by a flowerbed, completely absorbed in something. She was wearing blue jeans and white sneakers, her pert, round rear accentuated by her posture.

He quietly walked over and saw that Song Jianye was playing with ants.

[Your baby is now four years old. She has taken a liking to outdoor activities. You must try to see things from a child’s perspective and experience the world with her.]

It was still just a simple prompt.

Chen Yuan walked over and stood behind Song Jianye.

Sensing the shadow cast over her, Song Jianye looked up and saw Chen Yuan.

She tossed aside the disposable chopsticks in her hand, along with a White Rabbit candy that had fallen on the ground, and stood up, saying:

"You’re here. Let’s go."

"How can you be so happy just playing with ants?"

"It’s a lot of fun. Want to try?"

"How do you play?"

"Here, I’ll show you."

The two of them squatted down together by the flowerbed. Song Jianye picked the chopsticks back up, used them to hold the piece of White Rabbit candy, and placed it on the edge of the flowerbed.

"Wait a little bit, and the ants will come."

"Of course they will. Ants like sweet things." Chen Yuan still didn’t see what was so fun about this.

"Mhm."

Song Jianye was very focused. Before long, a small black ant crawled over, circled the White Rabbit candy once, and then crawled away.

"Ants are highly cooperative. When one finds food, it will call its companions to help carry it away."

"Yep. Its friends will be here soon."

Despite saying that, Song Jianye took the White Rabbit candy away and replaced it with a small white pebble.

Everything had been normal up to this point, but now Chen Yuan was completely lost.

"Why’d you take it away?"

"It’s the empty fort strategy. You’ll see in a minute."

Chen Yuan waited patiently for a bit and saw a large swarm of ants crawl over to the white pebble. They climbed on top of it and circled a few times, but upon realizing it wasn’t food, they gradually departed.

"Hehe..."

After the ants were all gone, Song Jianye put the White Rabbit candy back in its original spot. Another small black ant came, then left to inform its companions.

While the ant was away, Song Jianye once again took the candy and replaced it with the white stone.

When the main force arrived and discovered it wasn’t food, they once again dispersed.

The ant army: Damn it, where’s the food?!

The ant scout: Sir, listen to me! I suspect there’s something... unnatural in the area.

Song Jianye giggled, repeating the trick several more times. The ant army fell for it every time, but they still came back whenever they received the report. Squatting on the ground, she was having the time of her life.

"Ants are hardworking animals. You can’t mess with them like they’re the Japanese."

"Okay, I’ll listen to you. I’ll stop playing."

Song Jianye held the candy with her chopsticks. "Help me find the ants’ home. I’ll put the candy at their doorstep so they don’t have to carry it."

She did have a bit of a conscience, after all.

"That’s not going to be easy to find..."

"Then... should we tease them one more time? If we follow their route home, we can find their nest."

"I suppose that could work."

Song Jianye repeated the same trick. This time, the ant scout was slightly larger. ’The previous one was probably killed,’ Chen Yuan guessed.

As it was returning to report the news, Song Jianye snatched the candy away, causing the ant army to arrive to nothing once again. They then followed the ants’ path back to their nest.

"I’ve left the tasty treat for you here. Eat up."

Completely satisfied, she stood up, and the two of them headed for the hotel.

Meanwhile, Uncle Zhang and Zhao Lin were waiting for them in the hotel’s buffet restaurant.

"We clearly agreed to go out for Sichuan food. Why the change of plans to eat at the hotel?" Zhao Lin muttered.

"Perhaps she’s busy with her studies and needs to get back to revise after eating. The Young Miss has been preparing for her CET-4 English exam recently," Uncle Zhang said.

"I doubt it. She just wants to hang out with that boy and not waste time on a meal."

Uncle Zhang wanted to say something but held his tongue. ’Knowing the Young Miss’s personality, she was indeed capable of something like that.’

"Auntie, Uncle Zhang."

Hearing Song Jianye’s voice, they both turned to look and saw that it wasn’t just Song Jianye who had arrived, but Chen Yuan as well.

Uncle Zhang was very happy that Chen Yuan was able to join them for the meal.

Or rather, he was willing to welcome any of Song Jianye’s friends, but among them, Chen Yuan was certainly a special case.

Zhao Lin, however, was quite surprised. She hadn’t expected Song Jianye to bring Chen Yuan along.

Chen Yuan was equally surprised. He had just wanted to tag along for a free meal and eat something nice. ’I can’t believe her aunt is still here!’

"Why hasn’t Auntie left yet?"

"Uncle Zhang is taking her home after lunch."

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"You’re my friend, so it’s perfectly normal for me to bring you to lunch. Even if Auntie is here, it doesn’t stop us from eating."

Song Jianye’s way of thinking was very simple.

’I should introduce my good friends to everyone openly and generously.’

"Auntie probably didn’t know about this, did she..."

"She doesn’t need to know. Let’s just be natural and not feel awkward."

Chen Yuan: ...

’So now you’re messing with me like I’m one of those ants, huh?’

"What happened to your hands? They’re covered in dirt," Zhao Lin asked.

"I was playing with the ants by the flowerbed while waiting for Chen Yuan."

Zhao Lin rubbed her temples, a headache coming on.

"Why are his hands dirty too?"

"After he arrived, we played together."

Zhao Lin: ...

’I’m not asking you to be exceptional, and I’m not saying you have to take over the family business, but you’re in university and you’re still playing with ants! And with someone else, no less!’

’Is this appropriate?!’

Uncle Zhang, however, showed a gratified smile. He glanced back at a server, who understood immediately and brought over a basin of water.

The two of them washed their hands and sat down side-by-side, facing the chef who was cooking their food.

"We agreed to have Sichuan food, why did you change your mind? There are good Sichuan restaurants nearby; there’s no need to eat at the hotel."

Zhao Lin’s subtext was: if you wanted to bring Chen Yuan to lunch, you should have just picked a nearby Sichuan place.

"Chen Yuan said he wanted to eat teppanyaki, so I didn’t feel like Sichuan food anymore."

"Oh..."

It just goes to show that when a person becomes sufficiently infuriated, they are rendered speechless.

"Don’t just eat by yourself. Be a good host to your classmate."

"Okay. Uncle Li, please give all the meat you just cooked to Chen Yuan. He loves this."

"Understood, Young Miss," the chef said.

Chen Yuan put a hand to his forehead. ’Stop talking, please stop talking. Any more of this and her aunt is going to kill someone.’

’Auntie, please, let me explain! I’m not your typical Huang Mao.’

"Um..."

Zhao Lin spoke, exasperated. "Just bring me a fruit salad."

"Auntie, wait a second. The next piece of meat will be ready soon."

"I’ve been a bit agitated lately. The doctor recommended I eat more vegetarian food."

"Oh, okay. Uncle Li, give the next piece of meat to Chen Yuan, too."

Zhao Lin: ???

’Aren’t you even a little concerned about me?’

’I raised her for nothing!’

’I never should have rushed her to the hospital in the rain back then!’

Chen Yuan considered himself lucky. He was just the ant being played with; her aunt was the one truly getting the "Japan" treatment.

Song Jianye had a wonderful time at the meal, and Chen Yuan ate his fill. A world in which only the aunt was hurt had been achieved.