Chapter 571

"You're too much of a pushover—you'll get hurt someday."

After Zhen Jie finished speaking, the car fell silent.

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong awkwardly glanced at Li Ye in the front passenger seat, then quietly nudged Zhen Jie beside her, clearly blaming her for speaking out of turn.

Fortunately, Li Ye sat quietly up front without turning around, and they arrived at school in silence.

Li Ye helped Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong unload her bicycle and asked, "What time are you free tomorrow? I'll bring your classmates' letters to you."

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong smiled and said, "I don't have class tomorrow afternoon, but I might still have to work in Chinatown tonight. Why don't I just come pick them up from you? That way I can finally see what the Saint Francis Hotel is really like."

Li Ye waved his hand. "No, your classmates brought you a lot of gifts—your bike can't carry all of it. I'll bring them to you."

"Oh, alright then. What time will you come tomorrow? Call me, and I'll come out to meet you."

"Then we'll contact each other by phone tomorrow afternoon."

After setting the time for tomorrow's visit, Li Ye returned to San Francisco.

On the way back, Wen Wen Leyu softly said, "I think Zhen Jie's remark earlier was meant for you."

"Maybe."

But this isn't something we should interfere with—she needs to learn the hard way, through her own experience.

Although Zhen Jie had only said one sentence, Li Ye, with decades of life experience across two lifetimes, understood at least three layers of meaning in it—

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong's coworker at the student job has a bad reputation; Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong paid for the packed meals herself; and her kindness toward classmates may not be returned.

But Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong is stubborn, and Li Ye felt he couldn't persuade her, so he decided to let her learn from her own life experiences—the advanced course of society's university.

After Li Ye finished speaking, Wen Wen Leyu tilted her head close to him, staring into his eyes and asking, "You used to be a pushover too. When did you finally get hurt and realize this?"

【Girl, what are you trying to make me say? Do you want me to admit right here in front of you that Lu Lu Jingyao is the reason I suddenly became "smart" and stopped being a pushover?】

Li Ye stared at Wen Wen Leyu for a moment, then smiled and patted her small head.

"You think that's how I am? I'm your boyfriend, after all. Where am I a pushover? I'm a great benefactor, okay?"

Wen Wen Leyu laughed, having had her head patted—after all, Li Ye was her boyfriend now.

Fu Fu Yiruo, driving ahead, also smiled and asked, "Brother, what's the difference between a pushover and a great benefactor? Explain it to me."

Li Ye replied seriously, "A great benefactor has enough strength to help others without compromising his own fundamental interests."

"A pushover is someone who's already struggling, but out of morality or face-saving, sacrifices himself to please others."

"Oh~"

Fu Fu Yiruo nodded, then asked, "Brother, what about your class president? Does she have strength or not?"

"Sigh~ Do you even need to ask?"

Li Ye sighed and said, "They travel three hours round-trip from school to Chinatown, climbing hills and crossing water—is the pay in Chinatown that much higher?"

"No, it's because only Chinatown hires workers like them—illegal laborers. The minimum wage here is $3.50 an hour. How much do you think Chinatown bosses pay them?"

"But just now, Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong brought her classmates a meal worth at least ten dollars. Who do you think paid for that ten dollars?"

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong attends UC Berkeley, over twenty kilometers from Chinatown, requiring a crossing over water.

There are other small cities like Oakland on the eastern side of the water, but as a foreign student, Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong is only allowed to work on campus, no more than twenty hours a week.

I've been by your side these past few days and have gained so much—truly benefited. But don't forget my overtime pay tonight—$3.50 an hour. Let me calculate…"

"Alright, alright, alright—just drive! Your overtime pay won't be shortchanged."

Li Ye scolded playfully, cutting off his sister as she counted her overtime pay.

This little money-grubber was clever—just for diverting Wen Wen Leyu's topic earlier, she deserved the overtime.

Because those who sacrifice themselves for others aren't just pushovers—they're also fools who believe blindly in love.

Li Ye had helped many people, but Lu Lu Jingyao was his black history—he could never wash it clean.

………………

While Li Ye discussed great benefactors with Wen Wen Leyu and others, Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong was complaining to Zhen Jie: "Why did you say those things in the car? Now my classmates will misunderstand me!"

But Zhen Jie immediately shot back, "Misunderstand who? You or Ruan Ruan Shujun?"

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong froze, then said, "Misunderstanding anyone is bad! Besides, Ruan Ruan Shujun isn't what you think."

"Of course she is!"

Zhen Jie snorted, disdainful. "You treat her like a sister—has she ever treated you as a friend? I've tried to reason with you, but you won't listen, so I thought Li Ye might help—he says one thing and it's worth ten from me."

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong blushed furiously: "What are you talking about? What do you mean he says one thing and it's worth ten from you?"

"Isn't it obvious? Just look at the way you looked at her just now."

"I've been in the U. S. for three years—I've met at least four or five girls like Ruan Ruan Shujun. None of them are loyal or sentimental. They're all ungrateful leeches. If it benefits her, she'll sell you out—do you believe me?"

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong stared blankly, murmuring, "No way… Zhen Jie, you misunderstand Ruan Ruan Shujun too much."

"I misunderstand her? Hahaha~ A girl who wants to marry a man just to stay in the U. S. —do you think I misunderstand her?"

Zhen Jie laughed mockingly. "Little Zhen, I'll ask you one thing: Last month, you covered three days of Ruan Ruan Shujun's shift at the restaurant. Did she pay you for those days?"

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong bit her lip and smiled awkwardly. "It was only three days—no need to be so strict about it."

"You're wrong," Zhen Jie said sternly. "She knows you're too kind to refuse, so she makes you cover for her. If you keep being soft-hearted, she'll make you cover a whole month—and give you nothing, just sweet words to send you away."

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong was stunned. Her kind heart simply couldn't believe her roommate was capable of such a thing.

Zhen Jie glanced at Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong, shook her head, and walked away.

"Little Zhen, this is the U. S. —look out for yourself."