Chapter 69: Rescuing the Bullied Top Student (17)

Once they got home, Luo Xun was already so tired her eyelids were fighting. She had slept the whole car ride leaning on Tang Qi. After arriving, Tang Qi helped her wash up. Seeing how exhausted she was, Tang Qi didn’t bother her, simply carrying her to bed to rest.

Only after Luo Xun fell asleep did Tang Qi finally call the System.

Knowing its Host was in a relationship, the System had tactfully kept from disturbing her. Hearing Tang Qi’s call, it appeared with a “whoosh,” wishing it had eight mouths to tell Tang Qi everything it had seen and heard today.

“Host, Host, let me tell you, Zhou Chenglong was incredibly arrogant at the police station, spewing threats and making a huge scene. When Old Madam Zhou went to pick him up, he was shouting for the manager of ‘Nightfall’ to just wait, for the boss of ‘Nightfall’ to just wait.” The System rolled around laughing. Did Zhou Chenglong not know that someone who could open a business that large must have a complicated background?

And a bastard son with no status like him dared to shout like that? Normal illegitimate children would do anything to hide their identity, even changing it if recognized by the family, yet Zhou Chenglong broadcasted it as if he feared no one knew.

It was logic even a system like it understood, but he didn’t. It truly didn’t understand how this world line’s male lead was even chosen.

“He also yelled and screamed, demanding the heir status of the Zhou Family from Old Madam Zhou.” The System laughed so hard it rolled. “My god, a person who knows nothing, has never studied any management, never been exposed to any of this, and he just opens his mouth to demand the heir status of a major family. Is his cerebellum shrinking or is his brain developing unevenly?”

The System continued: “He told Old Madam Zhou he wants to become the heir of the Zhou Family, stating that he’s the only boy in the Zhou Family, so if not to him, then to whom? To an outsider who will eventually marry out?”

Zhou Chenglong’s exact words were: “If not to me, then to an outsider destined to marry out? What qualifications does a woman have?”

“The crucial part is, Old Madam Zhou thought he was making sense. Hearing that you humiliated Zhou Chenglong made her furious. She called the Zhou Family Head, demanding he hurry and formally recognize Zhou Chenglong as family.”

“What did Zhou Yi say?” Tang Qi asked.

“He refused at first, saying his daughter is also very good, that society is different now and a man isn’t necessary to inherit the family business. But Old Madam Zhou threatened suicide, saying if he didn’t agree she would bash her head in and die. He had no choice but to relent and say he’d come in a few days to take a look. And this was all inside the police station! Everyone around was watching the farce.”

“I don’t understand, Host. The Old Madam is a woman herself; why doesn’t she acknowledge her own granddaughter?” The System felt this old woman and the young one were insane!

“Sometimes, the ones who oppress women are other women,” Tang Qi shook her head.

In the Book of the World, when Zhou Chenglong first entered society, he was also very impulsive. It was through trial and hardship that he gradually matured and developed his own style of dealing with people. Right now, he hadn’t experienced any real-life punishment, still using the mentality and intelligence of a high school thug to handle everything.

In Zhou Chenglong’s mind, Tang Qi humiliated him because she had an heir’s status and he didn’t. So, he would definitely find a way to get that status for himself.

How to get it? The later-stage Zhou Chenglong would have plotted intricate schemes and conspiracies. But the current him… could only throw tantrums!

The next step was to watch the Zhou Family Head’s reaction.

The next morning, it was broad daylight. The curtains blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only a gentle glow filtering into the room. The entire room radiated warmth and tranquility.

Soon, the alarm clock rang. Tang Qi was holding Luo Xun, both sleeping very soundly. Tang Qi frowned at the noise but ignored it. Luo Xun, however, opened her eyes, briskly climbed up, threw off the blanket, and pulled Tang Qi’s hand to make her sit up.

Tang Qi couldn’t open her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed Luo Xun. “What’s wrong?”

She picked up the alarm clock nearby. “It’s only five o’clock. Why are you up so early?”

“Before I fell asleep last night, I thought about it. We have less than a year until the Gaokao. We need to really sprint hard in this final stretch.” Luo Xun reached out and propped open Tang Qi’s eyelids, her serious little face reflected in Tang Qi’s pupils. “Little Seven, your grades are good, but you can’t slack off either. From now on, I’ll supervise your studying. I’ve made a new study plan…”

Tang Qi yawned. Yes, her body had been enhanced, but she was still a normal person who needed sufficient sleep. Before Luo Xun could finish, she lunged forward, hugging Luo Xun and heavily pressing her down, pulling the blanket over them both. Half-asleep, she mumbled, “Mm, study hard. Let’s sleep a little longer.”

She didn’t forget to kiss Luo Xun again, saying with her unopened morning voice: “Good girl!”

Luo Xun’s heart pounded wildly from the pleasant sound, taking a good while to calm down.

“Little Seven?” She nudged Tang Qi, but seeing she couldn’t budge her, she simply crawled out of the blanket, flung Tang Qi’s covers back, picked up her clothes, and placed them on the bed. “Time to get up.”

Tang Qi just felt a little kitten constantly meowing in her ear, occasionally nudging her hand with its fluffy head. Though the kitten tried its best to look fierce, it was still soft, adorably aggressive but with no real destructive power.

She almost heard “Meow, meow…” calling.

This thought made her chuckle. She lay in bed refusing to get up. Luo Xun called a few more times, but seeing Tang Qi still sleeping so soundly, she was once again at a loss.

Seeing how tired Little Seven looked, maybe she should let her sleep a bit more?

Luo Xun’s resolve softened instantly. She also thought Tang Qi’s grades were so good, her mind so brilliant, that she might not necessarily need to work as hard as she did. Thinking this, she stopped calling and went aside to recite her books.

Hearing the little kitten stop meowing, Tang Qi opened one eye to look, slept a bit more, then finally got up. She walked over and hugged Luo Xun from behind. “Luoluo, there’s no need to work so hard?”

But Luo Xun seriously refuted her: “How can studying be called hardship? Compared to the hardship of many working people, studying isn’t hardship at all.”

The little kitten was putting on a serious face. Tang Qi laughed, her chest vibrating, finding the little milk cat before her incredibly adorable. “Yes, I misspoke!”

Luo Xun turned her head back, glaring at Tang Qi, about to say something else, but Tang Qi was only wearing a loose, sagging pajama top. When she bent down… Luo Xun immediately covered her eyes. “Why aren’t you wearing anything?”

Tang Qi looked down at herself. “Isn’t this pajamas?”

Luo Xun didn’t speak. Tang Qi leaned closer. “Doesn’t it look good?” She pulled Luo Xun’s hand. “Do you want to touch?” Luo Xun felt her hand land on a soft spot.

Although her eyes were closed, Luo Xun could still sketch the view she’d just seen in her mind.

Peaks rising and falling, lush greenery forming shade. She wanted to pull her hand back, but her palm seemed to have a mind of its own, ceaselessly exploring the vast land that was Tang Qi.

Tang Qi whispered into Luo Xun’s ear. “Your reading time is about to disappear!”

“Ah!” Luo Xun jerked her hand back, her whole body falling backward. Tang Qi reached out to pull her up but was instead pulled by Luo Xun, both tumbling directly onto the carpet.

Tang Qi blew air into her ear. “What’s wrong?”

This time, Luo Xun didn’t cover her eyes. With eyes tightly shut, both hands covered her ears, she cried out, “Quit it, quit it.”

Tang Qi truly felt she was far too wicked in this life. Why did she love teasing Luo Xun so much? It was simply because this life’s Luo Xun was just too cute.

“Alright, as you command, I’ll stop.” Tang Qi got up. Luo Xun suspiciously opened her eyes, only to see Tang Qi starting to change clothes right in front of her. She let out a small yelp, flipped over, buried her face in her arms, and refused to get up.

She knew Tang Qi wouldn’t let her off so easily!

Tang Qi’s loud laughter reached her ears. Luo Xun fumed, “You’re too mean, so excessive!” Yet she absolutely refused to turn her head back.

Even during breakfast, Tang Qi’s eyes were still curved in mirth. Annoyed, Luo Xun secretly pinched her. Seeing Tang Qi show a pained expression, she immediately started rubbing the spot she’d pinched, asking with concern, “Does it hurt?”

The little kitten was truly so easy to fool. Tang Qi decided to continue the act; otherwise, Luo Xun would surely get angry.

When they arrived at school, as expected, quite a few people were discussing what happened with Zhou Chenglong the other day. Classmates were embellishing the story, on one hand saying Zhou Chenglong was worthless, on the other saying how formidable Tang Qi was.

The number of people sizing up Tang Qi grew even larger, and more gazes also fell on Luo Xun. Luo Xun was a bit unaccustomed to it and shrank back slightly. Tang Qi smiled and said, “No need to pay them any mind.”

Luo Xun’s fear of people wouldn’t be cured overnight.

For the next few days, Zhou Chenglong didn’t come to school. After a few days of gossip, the heat around this incident gradually dissipated. Tang Qi helped Luo Xun catch up on lessons every break between classes. When she explained problems, many classmates would also come over to listen.

She didn’t hide anything from them either. While teaching Luo Xun, she simply brought the others along. Within a few days, even students from other classes were coming over.

These classmates knew they could listen to Tang Qi’s lessons because of Luo Xun, so they were very friendly to her. Luo Xun slowly began interacting with them too.

Seeing Luo Xun starting to talk and laugh with others, the System muttered, “Host, aren’t you jealous?”

Tang Qi shook her head internally. She wanted Luo Xun to have her own life, her own achievements, rather than constantly revolving around her. She didn’t want to raise Luo Xun into a caged canary.

The System checked on Zhou Chenglong daily. Tang Qi knew Zhou Chenglong had been staying home, his daily life consisting of eating, drinking, and occasionally bringing out some of his former lackeys for a spin, finding his sense of presence in front of middle schoolers and elementary kids.

This thuggish behavior—when he became successful in the future, people would sigh and call it “youthful arrogance.” Now, it only made him a laughingstock. Zhou Chenglong remained utterly oblivious, smug and self-satisfied.

The moment Old Madam Zhou mentioned him going to school, he refuted by saying he’d lose face and be laughed at by classmates; he didn’t want to go to school, pressuring Old Madam Zhou for the heir status.

The Old Madam was doting excessively on this grandson. Whenever Zhou Chenglong threw a fit, she patiently coaxed him, calling him “Good Grandson” repeatedly, and calling Zhou Yi every day urging him to come over.

Zhou Yi finally couldn’t stand his mother’s relentless phone harassment and came from Jing City to Haishi.

In her youth, Mother Zhou had been a famous socialite. Zhou Yi, too, had been a philanderer in his younger days.

The two were together for a short while before splitting up. Later, Mother Zhou found out she was pregnant, thought she’d gamble on it, and gave birth. By then, Zhou Yi had already left Haishi. Several lovers around Mother Zhou weren’t the child’s father, so Zhou Chenglong grew up with an unknown biological father.

He bore the surname Zhou simply because Mother Zhou didn’t know what surname he actually should have, so she thought of the most powerful man she’d been with, Zhou Yi, and gave him the Zhou surname. Never expecting it would actually match up.

Seeing Zhou Yi, Zhou Chenglong immediately understood why the Old Madam recognized him at a glance—truly, the two looked too much alike. He was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to call out, “Dad!”