Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Zhou's parents cried together for a long time before they could barely pull themselves out of the pain of losing their son.

When they noticed Shen Wang and Gu Dongting, who had been waiting quietly, they were too numb to feel embarrassed about being seen in disarray: "Master Shen, Mr. Gu, thank you."

Hearing this difficult expression of gratitude, Gu Dongting said, "You don't need to thank me; I didn't do much to help."

"No need for thanks," Shen Wang said as he spun the umbrella in his hand. "Something more tangible would be better."

Zhou's father was momentarily stunned, then understood, and took out a prepared cheque, handing it to Shen Wang with both hands: "Thank you, Master Shen, for allowing my son to reincarnate smoothly, freeing him from being trapped here. This is a small token of our gratitude, please accept it."

A gleam flashed in Shen Wang's eyes. He cleared his throat and leisurely took the cheque from Zhou's father's hand. Seeing the amount on the cheque, his smile brightened: "Well said, well said. If you encounter any more unexplainable events, feel free to seek me out."

Zhou's father could only muster a forced smile in response: "Certainly, certainly."

Flicking the cheque with his fingers, Shen Wang glanced at them: "Let me offer you a fortune reading for free."

Zhou's parents were momentarily taken aback, then adopted an attentive posture, ready to listen.

"You both are destined for a smooth life with no worries about food and clothing, and you have the faces that could nurture many outstanding students," Shen Wang began, then shifted his tone, "However, one with sharp eyes and thin lips, the other with a mole on the face, you focus too much on appearances and pride, prone to comparing yourselves to others, losing your true selves."

Zhou's parents nodded in agreement. Shen Wang was right; they prided themselves on being scholars, aloof and arrogant, but in reality, they were just obsessed with saving face, even to the extent of pressuring their child to death for the sake of comparison.

"Master, we realize our mistakes," Zhou's mother said, tears welling up in her eyes. Now she truly regretted, "From now on, we will live a life of simplicity and virtue, praying for Xiao Bei's blessing."

She hoped that in his next life, he could be born into a good family, with a normal and happy childhood. Zhou's mother thought bitterly that at least he wouldn't have parents like them again.

"What's past is past. The most important thing is to cherish those around you," Shen Wang said solemnly, his gaze intense, "Don't repeat the same mistakes."

This couple was destined to lose their only child in their later years. But after the loss, signs of a crumbling marriage appeared.

Clearly, after experiencing the pain of losing a child, they might support each other initially, but over time, blame and resentment could grow, leading to a divorce.

After the divorce, neither of them would have another partner, ending up alone and childless in their old age.

Zhou's parents were intelligent; with just a hint from Shen Wang, they understood his implication.

Zhou's father turned and half-embraced his wife: "Thank you, Master Shen. We will cherish each other and not wait to regret only after losing."

Zhou's mother nodded vigorously, her tear-blurred mind clearing considerably. She looked at Shen Wang gratefully, "Thank you for the advice, Master."

"All in a day's work," Shen Wang said with a smile, brushing off their gratitude, "Just doing my job in exchange for the payment."

Zhou's parents expressed their gratitude profusely to Shen Wang, thanking him repeatedly until even he, thick-skinned as he was, felt a bit embarrassed. They then bid farewell and left, supporting each other.

Watching their departing figures, Shen Wang was full of thoughts, about to express his feelings, when he heard Gu Dongting's indifferent voice.

"Since that's the case, I won't intrude any further."

Gu Dongting had come to C City University specifically for the Zhou couple's case. Now that it was resolved, it was natural for him to leave.

"Goodbye," Shen Wang smiled and waved to him, "Hope to see you again someday."

Despite his polite words, he knew the likelihood of meeting Gu Dongting again was slim. Their worlds were as different as heaven and earth; this meeting was just a fortunate coincidence.

Gu Dongting gave a slight nod to Shen Wang before turning to leave.

A gentle breeze caused Gu Dongting's long robe to flutter elegantly, his white garment flowing and his dense, ink-like hair cascading behind him, creating a striking contrast with his attire.

Shen Wang frowned deeply, battling internally before suddenly calling out, "Mr. Gu."

Gu Dongting paused and slowly turned back, his bright, clear eyes landing on Shen Wang.

Facing his cold, distant gaze, Shen Wang regretted his impulsiveness. Indeed, beauty could be distracting.

"Mr. Gu, from your appearance, it seems you clash with young, unmarried women," Shen Wang pondered for a few seconds before speaking, "Here’s some free advice: stay away from beautiful women under twenty-five, whether they're friends, family, or partners."

Gu Dongting's lips curled slightly, though it was unclear if he believed the advice or not: "Thanks for the heads up."

Gu Dongting, still a genteel and modest gentleman, unaware of the trials he would face. Knowing his future of ruin and demise alongside a villain, Shen Wang found it hard to remain indifferent to the fate of such a beautiful man.

As a stranger, Shen Wang had done all he could. Whether Gu Dongting believed him or not, whatever he chose to do was out of Shen Wang's hands.

Holding the pink umbrella, Shen Wang strolled leisurely towards his dormitory.

Gu Dongting had a fiancée who held no affection for him. Upon meeting the male lead, Tang Jiu, she fell madly in love, even going so far as to steal Gu family's heirloom under Tang Jiu's influence and gift it to him.

The betrayal led to the demise of Gu family's elders. Unrepentant, she colluded with other mystical families in the capital to attack the Gu family.

As the Gu family struggled, Gu's younger brother and his family sided with Tang Jiu, turning against Gu Dongting and his elder brother.

With the family divided, the once-mighty Gu family crumbled, and Gu's young, beautiful sister inevitably became part of Tang Jiu's harem.

Both his fiancée and sister ended up in Tang Jiu's harem. Shen Wang couldn't believe they played no part in the Gu family's downfall.

The vast Gu family, if not for an inside traitor, wouldn't have fallen so quickly even if besieged by many clans.

The original text, however, only mentioned two pitiful women who had a change of heart, abandoning the darkness to join the arms of the righteous male lead.

Lost in thought, Shen Wang walked past a building and heard a commotion. He regained his focus and saw a crowd gathered, three layers deep.

As he wondered what was happening, people nearby quickly ran towards the scene.

"What's going on up front? Why are there so many people?"

"I heard someone is trying to jump off a building!"

"Damn, what's happening..."

Shen Wang looked up and, with his exceptional vision, immediately spotted a figure standing on the edge of a balcony.

The person was wearing a white dress, and even from just a blurry silhouette, one could tell she was slender. Her dress billowed and hair fluttered, making her look exceptionally fragile.

"That looks like Jian Yiqiu."

"It is Jian Yiqiu... What is she doing? Trying to attract attention by threatening to jump?"

"Maybe she was dumped by her sponsor, her reputation is ruined, no one wants her, so she's attempting suicide?"

"It could be that she's pregnant and doesn't know who the father is..."

Hearing the two boys' gossip, Shen Wang frowned, expressionless as he walked past them.

As he passed by, the two boys quickly averted their gaze from the rooftop, looking at Shen Wang's retreating figure with disdain and disgust.

"This guy must be sick, using a pink sun umbrella when it's not even summer."

"Acting all effeminate, must be gay. I wonder if he's diseased or something..."

As they spoke, both suddenly clutched their mouths in unison, shouting but unable to articulate any words, only managing to make vague sounds.

One of the boys, enduring the severe pain in his mouth, used his phone’s front camera to check and found that he suddenly had several ulcers in his mouth, his throat so sore that he couldn't make any sound.

The other boy, too, had his mouth full of sores, in so much pain that he couldn’t close his mouth, drooling miserably.

"What's wrong with your mouths? They look terrifying." Someone noticed the boys' condition and stepped back repeatedly, "It's not some contagious disease, is it?"

In an instant, the crowded place cleared out, leaving the two boys standing alone in the center, surrounded by onlookers.

They tried to speak, to explain, but opening their mouths only made their sores more visible.

"That's disgusting, it looks like that disease that's been going around on the internet..."

"Having that in your mouth, and at the same time... Ugh, so gross."

Some even took out their phones to secretly take photos. The boys, who had just come to watch the excitement, had become the center of attention.

Blushing and flustered, unable to speak and explain, they could only cover their mouths and rush outside, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.

Shen Wang didn’t look back at the boys. He walked straight ahead, easily finding a path through the crowded space.

Unobstructed, he made his way into the teaching building.

A crowd of teachers and students, anxious and concerned, had gathered at the rooftop entrance, "How is Jian Yiqiu? How much longer for the locksmith?"

"The locksmith said he's almost here! Hang in there a bit longer, Senior Jian..."

After listening for a few minutes, Shen Wang roughly understood the sequence of events.

Normally, the rooftop of the teaching building was locked and off-limits, but Jian Yiqiu somehow managed to unlock it. She went up to the rooftop intending to jump off and even locked the door from the inside.

"Let me try," Shen Wang said as he squeezed through the crowd.

The others didn't think much of it and made way for him, "We tried kicking it, hitting it with objects, but the door is so sturdy, nothing worked..."

Before they could finish, everyone saw Shen Wang casually lift his foot and kick the tightly shut door open.

Those who had tried everything in vain doubted their efforts, "…Was the door that easy to open?"

"How did this door open with just a light kick? Does it have face recognition technology? Is it easier to open for those with pretty faces?"

"In a corner of the balcony, Shen Wang caught sight of the much-talked-about Jian Yiqiu."

"She also saw Shen Wang and was momentarily stunned by his looks, then she stepped back, half her foot already hanging over the edge: 'Don’t come any closer! None of you come closer!'"

"Shen Wang didn’t move, and from the heart, he complimented, 'You are really beautiful.'"

"Jian Yiqiu's beauty was striking, with eyes like a fox's, extremely beautiful, rivaling, even surpassing, TV stars in innocence."

"No wonder this girl is so famous in school."

"The others standing behind Shen Wang were dumbfounded; they thought they were following a big shot, but when he spoke, he unexpectedly complimented the looks of a girl contemplating jumping off a building?!"

"There’s a time and place to chase girls, right?!"

"Jian Yiqiu was also caught off guard, responding instinctively, 'Thank you, you’re also very good-looking.'"

"The crowd exchanged glances, then turned to look at Shen Wang."

"'If you jump down, this face will no longer exist, you’ll be a bloody, unrecognizable mess, like a raw meat patty, and if you’re unlucky, there might be some added tofu-like substance,' Shen Wang added."

"Such words would make even the boys shudder, but Jian Yiqiu actually laughed, 'Wouldn’t that be even better?'"

"Everyone could hear the genuine relief in her voice."