Chapter 64: Good Evening

Two days later.

Xiaoxiao's competition has already begun.

The national round of the National Youth Math Competition requires two sets of papers, one per day. The first set was taken yesterday; it was a combination of five fill-in-the-blank questions and two long-form problems, totaling two hours with a maximum score of one hundred points.

Today is the second set of papers.

This set consists of six long-form problems, also with a two-hour time limit, and a maximum score of one hundred and twenty points.

Students who ultimately place in the top twenty of the national competition can choose to participate in training in Yujing. After the training, there is another exam, and the top six are selected to participate in the World Competition. By then, it will mainly be a contest between students from Yiguo and Lan Country; students from other countries basically lack competitiveness.

The education of a major country really cannot be compared to that of a small one.

Chen Shu pulled Ning Qing along to the exam venue to drop the young girl off; it was not yet time to enter.

The temperature in Yujing had dropped again over the past two days. Seeing the young girl still wearing autumn clothes, he couldn't help but reach out and touch them. Sure enough, they were very thin, so he frowned: "Aren't you cold wearing something so thin? Yujing is much colder than Bai City."

"I'm not cold."

"That won't do," Chen Shu said. "Go back and find a thick coat at your sister's place to wear. It's getting colder by the day, so don't catch a cold."

"Oh..."

"Time is almost up, get ready to enter the exam hall. Check if you have all your things," the female teacher said, looking left and right. "Ning Ji, where did your father go?"

"He already left."

"..."

The female teacher also felt quite helpless; how could there be such parents in this world?

The young girl, however, seemed accustomed to it, standing next to her sister and brother-in-law, her arm linked with her sister's—her sister didn't speak either, remaining as expressionless as their father, but she seemed to have a pretty good relationship with her.

Over the past two days, the one who cared about her most was actually this male classmate.

Supposedly her brother-in-law?

"Line up to enter."

The teacher at the entrance of the exam hall shouted. The young girl said goodbye to her brother-in-law and stood at the very back of the crowd.

Once this exam is over, she will be free.

It was very cold outside, so the teacher didn't wait outside but returned to the hotel.

Chen Shu stayed by Xiaoxiao's side, urging her not to hand in her paper early, but guessing that with her personality she would only agree on the surface and not take it to heart, he then urged her to return to the hotel after the exam, saying he would wait for her there to eat, and then he left as well.

Ning Qing had classes today.

Chen Shu, however, did not.

And at this time, President Ning had already arrived at Tanxi Building, where she met with her business partners accompanied by several subordinates.

It was noon.

The exam had ended.

Chen Shu treated the teacher and another classmate to a meal. At the table, he said very politely to the teacher: "Teacher Liu, I would like to ask for a few days of leave for Xiaoxiao. It was not easy for her to come to Yujing, and she hasn't seen us for a long time. Now that the exam is over, her sister and I would like to take her out to play for two days before sending her back."

The teacher didn't rush to agree, but first looked at the young girl: "Ning Ji, do you plan to play here for two days?"

"I do."

"You two have a pretty good relationship."

"I watched her grow up since she was little; we were neighbors back then," Chen Shu said, observing the teacher's expression. "When she was little, I was the one who picked her up and dropped her off at school."

"No wonder... alright then!"

"Thank you, teacher."

"Thank you, teacher."

"Be careful and stay safe."

"Mm!"

The young girl felt a bit joyful inside, but it didn't show on her face.

After eating, they returned to the room to pack their luggage. Once packed, Chen Shu pulled the suitcase and took her back to Ning Qing's small courtyard. Taozi was already waiting there. As a cat, it felt extremely bored here, squatting under the persimmon tree all day, staring blankly at the bird's nest in the tree.

The young girl walked over, picked it up by the waist, and rubbed it in her arms. She said to Chen Shu: "Brother-in-law, did you know that Taozi can buy things?"

"I know."

"It buys ham sausages and tea eggs to eat at the supermarket at the entrance of the residential complex, and it even puts them on credit."

"My sister told me; she has to go settle the bill every week."

"It used to go twice a week, but after my sister left, it started going every day and buying a lot, distributing them to the stray cats in the complex," the young girl said to Chen Shu in a tone of reporting a grievance. "My entire living allowance has been spent by it."

"Ask your sister to reimburse you."

"Mm."

The two walked into the house while talking.

"Buzz buzz!"

Chen Shu's Mobile Phone vibrated again.

Grandma Always Says: @Qingcai Keke

Grandma Always Says: Zhao Haojiang went to the room where you planted the bug last night, but I didn't hear him say anything useful. Damn it, it just subjected my ears to two hours of pollution. You hurry up and put a bug in the other room too; I reckon he'll switch to the other one next time.

Qingcai Keke: I'll try my best / pitiful

Qingcai Keke: The cost of living there is so high, my living allowance can't take it anymore / pitiful

Grandma Always Says: It's cheap for that friend of yours.

Qingcai Keke: Isn't it just.

Qingcai Keke: / pitiful

Chen Shu glanced back; his sister-in-law was sitting to the side holding Taozi, and she had turned on the TV to watch a documentary seriously. So he continued to chat in the group, while idly chatting with his sister-in-law, asking her how she had been video-calling her sister to scold her these past few days.

Not long after.

Ning Qing, who had finished her class, returned.

As soon as she entered the door, she saw two people, one big and one small, sitting on opposite sides of the sofa; both were peeling chestnuts to eat, both were leaning back almost completely into the sofa, and both had their legs stretched out long with their feet crossed, their postures and expressions identical.

Ning Qing suddenly felt as if she were the outsider.

Although there was still plenty of room in the middle of the sofa, for some reason, she just felt she couldn't bring herself to sit down.

Out of place.

"..."

Ning Qing sat down anyway, sitting very upright.

The two people on her left and right glanced at each other across her, as if they had discussed it beforehand; the little girl on the right made up her mind, stood up, walked over, and asked, "Big sister, I bullied you so much while you were practicing your Jingxin Dao, after you finish practicing, will you hit me?"

Ning Qing looked at her calmly.

Then, this little sister walked in front of her, squatted down, and looked at her seriously:

"Will you hit me?"

Meanwhile, the other person moved to sit beside her, grabbed her head with both hands, and shook it left, then right.

"You won't hit me, right?"

Chen Shu pressed down on her head to make her nod.

"That's good."

The little girl opened her eyes wide, staring at her intensely: "Big sister, you never lie, and you won't go back on your word, right?"

Ning Qing was forced to nod again.

"Phew..."

The little girl let out a genuine sigh of relief.

Chen Shu finally withdrew his hands.

These two people actually even exchanged a glance.

"..."

Ning Qing silently glanced at the two of them, a gleam flickering in her eyes, wondering what kind of thought process could lead them to come up with such a method.

It just so happened that her Jingxin Dao was almost finished.

That evening.

President Ning sat before a large round table, expressionless, while several of her subordinates chatted happily with the opposing manager, all having drunk quite a bit of alcohol, their faces flushed red, boasting loudly and flattering one another, their mouths full of the stench of liquor.

Such a scene was truly boring.

It was finally about to end.

The opposing manager stood up, picked up his coat, his face glowing red: "It's truly lucky to have met President Ning today! How about this, I've been to this establishment before, their massage service upstairs is quite good; we've talked all day and are tired, and since the business is already settled, let's not worry about those things. Tonight, let's just have a good time like friends, it's my treat, everyone don't be polite with me!"

President Ning did not say a word, but she frowned.

A familiar subordinate spoke up: "Our President Ning and her spouse have a very good relationship, Manager Liu must find a legitimate one for our President Ning."

"Haha! No problem!"

Manager Liu agreed immediately: "I'm a rough man, I had a romance when I was young, but it ended later, and now I don't believe in those things anymore, but I admire those who can be devoted to their wives from the bottom of my heart! Oh, it's just that there's no more wine, otherwise I'd toast President Ning another glass!"

"Haha..."

The subordinate leaned toward President Ning: "A legitimate massage, I'll find you someone with good skills, President Ning, you should go relax too."

President Ning nodded and agreed.

At the same time—

Chen Shu also arrived at Tanxi Building.

It was still the same young lady from two days ago; he was a very loyal person.

He scanned the place with his Spirit Eye; the young lady named Bai Lu upstairs didn't have a customer for the moment, and he didn't know if she would later. It was best if she didn't, otherwise he would either have to take a risk or wait another day; coming here constantly for a Plain Massage without eating meat was also quite bad.

"Young lady, use a bit more strength."

"Alright, boss." The young lady's voice was somewhat resentful, "Boss, this is your third time coming; just getting a massage, are you implying I'm not good-looking?"

"How could that be? You have such a great figure!"

"Then why do you only get a massage? People have already told you that there can be other services." As the young lady spoke, she pressed on Chen Shu's smooth back; the hard, muscular feel without a trace of fat made her somewhat infatuated, "How about this, little brother, you add some money, and big sister will let you enjoy yourself right here."

"Don't! Don't call me that, I have a big sister..."

"Do you want to or not?"

"I just had a circumcision recently."

"Ah? Then why are you still coming?"

"It's almost healed, almost healed."

"Fine then..."

Just as they were speaking, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside, and then with a bang, the door was pushed open.

Chen Shu was startled, his expression instantly becoming solemn as he turned his head to look—

Two figures rushed in quickly:

"Police!"

The two words made Chen Shu lose all thoughts of resistance.

Then two police officers came to his side, looking at him with stern eyes: "Get up, hands on your head!"

Chen Shu climbed up and did as requested, while looking at the two police officers innocently: "Uncle Policemen, I just came for a massage, is this something to arrest for too?"

"Who is your uncle?"

"..."

Wearing this uniform, you still want to talk about seniority?

A burly police officer stared fixedly at him, holding his service weapon with both hands pointed at the ground: "Less nonsense, come out, and squat in the hallway!"

"The set meal I bought on a group deal..."

"Come out!"

"Alright, alright..."

Chen Shu did as he was told while saying: "I really did buy a group deal, I bought it on National Review, it was only 288, there's even a purchase record, you can check it, I'm still a student, if you take me in, I won't have the face to show myself in public."

"Which school?"

"... Ling'an's."

"Squat properly! We will investigate this clearly!"

"Alright, alright..."

Chen Shu saw that many people were already squatting in the hallway outside, including both customers and massage girls.

Some of the massage girls were dressed very sexily, bordering on revealing; looking at it like this, one really couldn't be sure if they were engaging in illicit activities in the massage rooms.

"Click, click, click..."

Several female police officers were taking photos in the hallway, the flashes lighting up the area, and people were constantly being called out from the rooms.

Outside, the faint warning sounds of aircraft could be heard, presumably because some Martial Artist or Cultivator had jumped out a window to escape. But because power is unbalanced in this world, criminal suspects are very likely to possess the ability to kill police officers, so the police are much stricter during law enforcement than the police of his previous life; carrying firearms is a common occurrence, and even these aircraft are equipped with weapons that can fire high-penetration electric shock bullets.

In any case, Chen Shu did not dare to run.

And there was no need to run.

But just at this moment, he caught sight of a familiar figure, a figure that was also squatting honestly on the ground, yet was different from the others—

Regardless of whether they felt guilty or not, others were more or less flustered when encountering such a scene, but only he had a face of serenity.

It was a kind of detached, indifferent serenity.

As if sensing Chen Shu's gaze, he also turned his head, and their eyes met.

President Ning was expressionless.

Chen Shu felt slightly awkward.

Each withdrew their gaze, pretending nothing had happened.