Chapter 19: The Man at the Center of Gossip

Chapter 19 – The Man at the Center of Gossip

“Ding—Green Tea traits detected! Green Tea Points +20.”

Jian Ye: ?

Was there something magical about what I just said? How did they double all of a sudden?

[Congratulations, Host, for achieving the first-stage goal and earning the title of “Beginner Tea Master.”]

“Ding—System Store unlocked!”

No way!

Jian Ye: *No way, no way—I got promoted?!*

System 748: Yes, Host. The first stage’s Green Tea Points have been fully accumulated.

Jian Ye: *Now can you tell me how many points I’ve saved up? I unlocked the store already!*

System 748: A total of 250 Green Tea Points, which can be exchanged for 250 Green Tea Coins in the System Store.

Jian Ye: …

Dumb as the number was, unlocking the System Store still felt great.

Before Jian Ye could check out the System Store, he was pulled back to reality by the man’s low, velvety voice.

“Alright, I understand,” Yi Siyu said with a slight nod. “Since you’re willing too, we’ll get married tomorrow. I’ll prepare the necessary documents when I get back.”

“Tomorrow? Sounds perfect!” Jian Ye was in such a good mood that everything about the man in front of him seemed perfect.

“Let’s exchange contact info. I’ll message you the exact time after I get back.”

“Got it!”

The CEO male lead’s private WeChat—hell yeah, score! Probably something many people could only dream of adding. How lucky was he, this side character chosen by fate?

Jian Ye: *I promise not to cause any trouble after marriage. I’ll aim to be the ultimate doormat—the model Green Tea wife. If his White Moonlight appears, I’ll bow out gracefully. If the male lead gets bored, I’m gone.*

System 748: *That’s... impressively self-aware, but you don’t have to force yourself, Host.*

Jian Ye caught a hint of concern in the system’s tone and felt a sudden warmth in his heart.

Jian Ye: *Not forced at all! Where’s the hardship? I’m thrilled. Didn’t he say it himself? He’ll give me all the perks I’m owed. Marrying a CEO without emotional strings? I’ll be set for life. My future days will definitely be way better than the original owner’s. Relax, Er Tong.*

System 748: *To make your life easier, I’ll try my best to apply for expanded permissions in the System Store so you can choose more items.*

Jian Ye: *Thanks, Er Tong!*

Riding the high of good luck, this "date" went shockingly well. Injury and all, today Jian Ye truly felt grateful for the mishap—it gave him an in with the male lead early.

As they exited the café, Yi Siyu said, “I’ll drive you home.”

“No need to trouble yourself. Campus is just around the corner, so I’ll head to the dorm.”

“Your foot isn’t healed yet. You shouldn’t be walking on it. I know the way.”

The man’s face seemed to scream *duty-bound*. Since the other party had been injured because of his car, he absolutely refused to leave things unresolved.

Ah, this damn male lead was exuding gentlemanly charm again, his upright morals and sense of ethics constantly making this cannon-fodder side character feel inferior.

Jian Ye only said he was going to school as an excuse—it was still early, and he didn’t want to go home yet.

He couldn’t dare refuse the domineering CEO’s kindness, so he ended up getting into the car.

However…

“Mr. Yi, this car isn’t the same one from earlier.”

The domineering CEO: “Mhm, my car is parked in a farther lot. A friend lent me this one. I’ll drop you off at school first, then bring it back.”

“Oh.” The boy nodded blankly.

Tsk, male leads in novels really had friends everywhere. And this Maybach was a limited edition—wealthy folks really went for rare stuff like that.

Meanwhile, Xie Fei from *Rainy Night Café* was blowing up the domineering CEO’s WeChat.

*YunJing’s #2 Heartthrob*: Damn! You already got him? And you even took my prized ride?!

*YunJing’s #2 Heartthrob*: Fine! I admit, that kid’s face is perfect, and he looks way better after changing his style! But you, the young master of the Yi family, can’t possibly be so shallow as to judge by looks alone, right?

*YunJing’s #2 Heartthrob*: That kid’s all looks, no brains. Bro, don’t let his gorgeous but clueless face fool you!

—

And at that moment, a certain gorgeous but clueless airhead was completely absorbed in the newly unlocked system store, unable to tear himself away.

**Jian Ye**: Feels like I’ve got a supermarket in my mind, but these are all things I could buy outside. If I waste Green Tea Points on them, I’d be an idiot.

**System 748**: The most basic items in the system shop are things already available on Earth. Of course, there are also things you can’t buy on Earth.

Just as Jian Ye heard this, he spotted a display case with glowing objects floating inside.

**Jian Ye**: *Deep-Sleep Pill*? What’s this? Like sleeping pills?

**System 748**: Uh… something like that. It’ll give you a full night’s rest—zero side effects, and far more effective than anything on Earth.

**Jian Ye**: *Sensory Block Pill*? Please tell me it’s not exactly what it sounds like.

**System 748**: Yes, host. This can completely block out any unwanted sights or annoying sounds.

**Jian Ye**: Interesting.

Jian Ye browsed a few more display cases, finding even weirder little trinkets that blew his mind.

The items were great, but they cost an arm and a leg. With the 250 *Green Tea Points* he’d earned, he couldn’t afford much.

The boy in the car stayed quiet. Yi Siyu was about to say something when he glanced over and saw the boy with his eyes closed, as if asleep.

Without thinking, he eased off the gas.

At a red light, he saw a barrage of texts from his friend Xie Fei and replied with just three words—

**Yu**: Roger that.

Jian Ye opened his eyes when the car reached the school gates. He had been faking sleep so he could check out the system shop undisturbed.

"Yi, just drop me off at the school gate," Jian Ye said.

"I've been to your school. The dorms are pretty far from the entrance," Yi Siyu replied calmly.

Jian Ye fell silent.

If he wasn’t making a big deal about it, why should he?

He just gave his dorm number: "West District, Building 27. Thanks."

"What’s the room number?"

Jian Ye blinked. "You're actually going to come up to my dorm?"

Yi Siyu was weirdly blunt. "We’re getting married tomorrow. Is there anything wrong with seeing where you live beforehand?"

"Ahh, no, it's fine... It's just that my roommate might be there..."

The man raised an eyebrow slightly. "Do you mind if your roommate knows about me?"

"No, I don't."

Jian Ye felt a hint of pressure. He couldn’t hide his upcoming marriage forever, but revealing it today seemed too sudden.

He hadn’t even told his roommate about his complicated family background yet.

Whatever, not a big deal. If he kept dodging, it might make the other person think he was ashamed of who he was.

Still... it was kind of strange.

Shouldn’t the guy, who was hung up on White Moonlight, be desperately denying this relationship for her sake?

Now it almost felt like he was in a hurry to tell everyone about their changing status—was that just his imagination?

Yi was probably feeling guilty over what happened today and being extra considerate. That had to be it.

The car Yi Siyu was driving definitely turned heads. While plenty of rich kids at the school drove luxury cars, a limited edition model like this drew stares left and right.

People wondered—who was this rich kid rolling through campus?

Then the car stopped in front of Building 27, baffling everyone even more. Did their dorm even have someone that notable?

—

Back in Room 606.

Li Xiangchi rubbed his chin. "The person we saw today... was A Ye, right?"

"You're in the same class as Jian Ye and spend more time with him than we do. How do you not know?" Liu Mingchang cut in.

Li Xiangchi scratched his head. "I just got a quick look. There were decorations blocking the view in the café, but the side view looked just like A Ye. But..."

Liu Mingchang: "But what?"

Zheng Yan cut in. "But there was definitely someone sitting across from Jian Ye. That much is certain."

Li Xiangchi clapped his hands. "Exactly! And it was a guy! From my angle, I could clearly see the person opposite A Ye. From the build, he looked like a good-looking guy."

Liu Mingchang let out a teasing whistle. "Jian Ye turned us down earlier. Was it to meet this guy?"

They had made plans with Jian Ye to go to the arcade near the New World on Saturday, but Jian Ye said he had something to do today and wouldn’t be able to come. The 606 squad of four became a trio for their outing.

Of all things, the arcade was suddenly under renovation, so the three had to turn back. On their way home, they passed by the "Rainy Night" café, which led to the scene others later witnessed.

Liu Mingchang gossiped, “Although Jian Ye barely stayed in the dorm last semester, I still caught wind of something—he’s apparently into guys, and even has a boyfriend.”

Li Xiangchi exclaimed, “No way! How’d I miss that? We’re in the same dorm—why are you only telling me now?”

Zheng Yan pushed his glasses up. “I’ve heard about this too.”

Li Xiangchi: “???” Wait, am I the only one out of the loop?

“It’s not like we were close with Jian Ye at first, and he was always here today, gone tomorrow. I don’t go spreading rumors about my roommates either. This was something I overheard from someone else—who knows if it’s even true?” Liu Mingchang loved gossip, but he had limits.

Before this, none of them had really gotten to know Jian Ye. It wasn’t until this semester, when Jian Ye returned to school and started living with them, that the four gradually bonded.

Zheng Yan said slowly, “That guy we saw today probably isn’t Jian Ye’s boyfriend.”

Li Xiangchi: “Zheng, how can you even figure that out?”

Liu Mingchao added, “Don’t need to analyze. Jian Ye’s boyfriend is supposedly a college student like us—we just don’t know which school.”

Li Xiangchi: “…” His brain was short-circuiting.

A sudden commotion broke out outside the window.

The dorms were always noisy, but why was it so loud today?

The three walked out onto the balcony and were startled—guys were hanging out on every balcony across both sides.

Li Xiangchi, always the social one, asked, “What’s going on?”

A guy from another room pointed downward. “Check out that limited-edition Maybach down there! Holy shit, that’s sick!”

Another guy, a gearhead, chimed in, “There might only be five people in Yun Jing who own this model. And those tires look custom-modified—it’s priceless.”

A third student sighed in awe, “If money alone won’t buy it, the owner must have major clout around here. What kind of status does it take to own something like that?”

Li Xiangchi and the others were blown away by the hype. They followed the crowd’s gaze downward—

And saw the very man they’d been talking about stepping cool as hell out of the driver’s seat.

“…” Damn!

**Author’s Note**

Jian Xiaogou: Looking fine in this Maybach, dating a big shot—jealous?

Yi Sanshao: Got my pup riding shotgun in the Maybach—wanna come along?

Onlookers: (⊙o⊙) Wow!

Er Tong: Taking notes like crazy…