Lin Ze gritted his teeth.
Screw it!
Humiliation by Su Qingqing could earn him ten thousand yuan!
This deal was an absolute steal!
He racked his brain, trying to figure out how to start the conversation...
A cold, clear voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Lin Ze jerked his head up, catching sight of Su Qingqing in the rearview mirror, her eyes open at some point.
Those cool, clear eyes were gazing quietly at him, as if trying to see right through him.
Lin Ze's throat tightened, his eyes darting away in a panic.
Oh no, she couldn't have recognized him, could she?!
Su Qingqing knitted her delicate brows slightly.
A pang of sadness flashed through her heart.
He used to be so high-spirited, full of the vibrant energy of youth.
What on earth had happened to Lin Ze over the past two years? Why had his personality changed so drastically?
And just now, Li Yufei's words had been dripping with sarcasm toward Lin Ze.
She simply couldn't stand listening to it any longer!
Who did Li Yufei think he was, daring to bully Lin Ze?
Lin Ze looked at Su Qingqing, who appeared so aloof and high and mighty.
His heart fluttered with anxiety.
Su Qingqing looked so cold.
She was definitely holding a grudge!
What should he do?
Was it still too late to apologize?!
He nervously bit his lip and stammered, "I'm sorry."
Su Qingqing: "............"
What good is an apology?!
Who wants to hear you apologize?
The next second, she suddenly pushed the door open.
Thinking she was angry and wanted to leave, Lin Ze hurriedly scrambled out of the car and shouted, "Su Qingqing, I..."
As he spoke, he reached out to stop her.
To his surprise, he pulled with too much force, and Su Qingqing accidentally twisted her ankle.
"Ah!"
She let out a cry of surprise, instantly losing her balance as she looked set to tumble to the ground.
Quick-handed and sharp-eyed, Lin Ze lunged forward and scooped her straight into his arms.
Their bodies pressed tightly together, and Lin Ze could feel the soft warmth against his chest.
Su Qingqing's warm breath brushed against his neck.
Lin Ze's brain short-circuited completely.
Su Qingqing bit her delicate lower lip, her face flushing slightly—whether from the pain of her sprained ankle or from the ambiguous, awkward posture, she couldn't tell.
………………
"I, I'm sorry!" Lin Ze stammered, wanting to let go of Su Qingqing, yet terrified she would fall again, his arms holding her rigid.
Stuck like this, he could neither advance nor retreat.
"Just how long do you plan on holding me?" Her voice was a few notches lower than usual, carrying a faint tremor.
Lin Ze released her as if electrocuted, took a few steps back, and lowered his head.
He knew Su Qingqing had recognized him.
There was no escaping it either way!
He forced himself to bite the bullet and lowered his head.
"I am Lin Ze. I'm sorry about what happened before."
Right at that moment, the system prompt rang out in Lin Ze's mind.
[Mission: The first step of affection begins with recognition. Take the initiative to greet Su Qingqing and introduce yourself. (Completed)]
[Reward: Attribute points +2, Ten thousand yuan in cash.]
Hearing the system prompt, Lin Ze felt a wave of relief wash over him.
For someone mired as deep in the mud as he was, this ten-thousand-yuan reward was undoubtedly like timely rain after a long drought.
His mother's medical bills finally had a source of payment.
Lin Ze couldn't wait to open his phone and check his bank balance.
"Um."
"Su Qingqing, I have things to do, so I'll be going now."
With that, Lin Ze frantically popped open the car's trunk and hopped onto his folding electric bike.
Su Qingqing watched Lin Ze's retreating figure as he fled in panic.
A faint smile slowly touched the corners of her lips, her eyes blazing with absolute determination.
I've finally found you!
The days ahead..................
are still very long.
I won't let you slip away again!
She took her phone out of her LV bag and dialed her assistant's number.
"Go investigate someone."
"Find out everything about his social circle over the past few years, what he's been up to, and send me a full report."
Meanwhile.
Lin Ze was walking down the street on his way home.
Seeing the notification that the money had arrived in his bank account, he was beaming with joy!
"Achoo!"
Suddenly, for no apparent reason, he sneezed several times.
Rubbing his nose in utter confusion, he looked up at the clear sky and muttered to himself, "It's not even cold out, wonder who's missing me."
"Whatever, made some quick cash today, I'm not doing food deliveries."
"Going home to crash!"
…………
Humming a tune, Lin Ze turned the key and the door to his rented room swung open.
Inside, he popped a frozen, hard steamed bun into the microwave.
He took the opportunity to check out the system interface.
Lin Ze pulled up his personal attribute panel.
[Host: Lin Ze]
[Age: 19]
[Intelligence: 60]
[Stamina: 70]
[Charm: 70]
[Height: 180cm]
[Looks: 80]
[xx: 20]
[Golden Finger: None]
Lin Ze knew very well that working as a designated driver or delivering food was no long-term solution; possessing a sharp mind was the key to changing his destiny.
Lin Ze immediately added his newly acquired attribute point to intelligence.
You can't drive for others or deliver takeout for your whole life.
He decisively poured his newly gained attribute point into intelligence.
Having a smart brain was crucial!
He would strengthen his brain first, and then let his brain decide how to allocate the remaining attribute points.
He really was a little genius.
He studied this Displacement System further and found that aside from providing walkthroughs, rewards, and accurate xx data, it had no other functions.
Such a useless system.
Su Qingqing's favorability toward him had indeed gone up a bit, though Lin Ze had no idea.
A hot steamed bun stuffed with Wujiang pickled mustard tubers made for a luxury combo meal.
With a steaming bun in one hand, Lin Ze skillfully transferred the hospital stay fees to his mother with the other.
Afterward, he collapsed backward onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
He could almost see his mother's pale face blooming with a long-lost smile, and the hospital bills free of those glaring, glaring debt numbers.
Himself, dressed in a sharp suit, driving a luxury car, living in a mansion...........
A future he once thought was completely out of reach now gave him something to strive for again.
His phone suddenly rang, the screen lighting up to show a call from Brother Zhang, the head of the designated driving company.
"Xiao Lin! You're not asleep yet, are you?" Brother Zhang's hearty, booming voice came through the receiver. "A friend of mine's company is urgently hiring, and I forwarded your resume over! Tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock, remember to go to Xiangyang Group for an interview!"
"Brother Zhang, you must be kidding me..."
"I only have a high school diploma, would they even look at me?"
Brother Zhang chugged a gulp of beer, muttering to himself that he had no idea what kind of incredible luck this kid had stumbled into—the company had specifically requested him by name.
Thinking about the fifty-thousand-yuan referral fee he'd collect once it went through,
Brother Zhang started trying to persuade him earnestly: "Just go for it! Interviews don't cost anything!"
…………
Early the next morning.
Lin Ze stood in front of Xiangyang Building, tilting his head back.
The morning light reflected off the glass curtain wall made him squint.
Tuggeting at the slightly wrinkled black suit on his body and clutching the black-and-white resume he'd printed out for fifty cents, he took a deep breath and stepped into the building.
Inside the elevator, the mirror reflection showed the bloodshot veins in the corners of his eyes.
Lin Ze yawned repeatedly.
He hadn't slept well.
Last night he dreamed of Su Qingqing whipping him continuously with a little leather crop.
It hurt like hell!
He hadn't gotten a solid night's rest at all.
A sharp voice suddenly pierced the air: "Well, well, if it isn't Young Master Lin?"
Li Yufei's voice rang out like a sharp blade.
Looking at the other man's haughty, arrogant expression,
a bold guess suddenly formed in Lin Ze's mind.
How could it be such a coincidence?
He ran into Li Yufei yesterday, and bumped into him again today.
And yesterday Li Yufei kept calling someone "President Su" over and over...
Could they be at the same company?
Lin Ze was startled by his own thought.
His heart skipped a beat with a sudden thud.
A bad premonition instantly welled up inside him.