Chapter 68 The Art of Self-Deception

Chapter 68 The Art of Self-Righteous Affection

Lin Juangui had expected the atmosphere to be incredibly tense on the eve of his divorce from Mu Zhang. He imagined Mu Zhang would relentlessly exploit him, ensuring Lin Juangui had no easy time of it.

Instead, Mu Zhang gradually put his work aside, making time to take Lin Juangui on trips to various places. Regardless of Lin Juangui’s willingness, once Mu Zhang made a decision, he would insist on taking him along.

Lin Juangui disliked having his work schedule interrupted, but Mu Zhang wouldn't tolerate his refusal. So, Lin Juangui had no choice but to bring his work with him, juggling tasks while traveling.

Mu Zhang told Lin Juangui not to stare at his light brain constantly, especially since his eyesight wasn't the best to begin with.

Lin Juangui felt Mu Zhang was overstepping, but Wei Yan had indeed mentioned that Lin Juangui seemed very stressed lately and advised him to go out more to relax instead of always staying cooped up in his office.

"If you had told me earlier," Lin Juangui remarked, "I would have arranged my time to genuinely enjoy myself with you."

When he was with Huo Zeshen, the latter would meticulously plan itineraries to ensure they didn't conflict with Lin Juangui's work, giving him both the time and inclination to enjoy himself.

But Mu Zhang didn't seem to care much about such considerations. "Just having you by my side is enough. You can do whatever you want."

And so, they found themselves setting up a tent for camping on a desolate desert planet.

Mu Zhang called it "getting away from it all," yet the barren planet offered nothing. He simply carried a small refrigerator and a grill down from the aircraft, patiently and meticulously washing, cutting, and skewering meat and vegetables.

Lin Juangui watched quietly from the side, feeling as though Mu Zhang was playing a real-life game of house.

He sat on a chair Mu Zhang had set up, sipping a soda while watching Mu Zhang enthusiastically grill skewers. He asked Mu Zhang why he had brought him here.

"What's so interesting about sand?"

Previously, Mu Zhang had taken Lin Juangui to places like beautiful deep forests, unique cliffside landscapes, and charming, historic towns. They had traveled to many planets, and each experience had been quite pleasant. Lin Juangui had gradually grown accustomed to the routine of traveling with Mu Zhang.

But this time, Lin Juangui felt like his trip with Mu Zhang had turned into a survival situation.

Nowadays, Lin Juangui much preferred comfortable large beds and smart kitchen assistants. After all, he hadn’t been born into luxury—he didn’t enjoy seeking hardship to prove his worth. Having worked hard to achieve a certain status, he had no desire to return to those difficult days.

Seeing Lin Juangui’s look of helpless bewilderment, Mu Zhang fanned the grill to spread the heat. Dripping fat sizzled and popped on the charcoal, producing thicker smoke. Suddenly, a flame shot up from the grill, accompanied by an unmistakable burnt smell.

Mu Zhang quickly picked up the skewers, while Lin Juangui swiftly poured some water onto the grill, careful not to extinguish the flame completely.

"Don't you think it's fun? Being self-sufficient, making your own food. Why don't you give it a try?"

Mu Zhang placed the meat back on the grill. His hands were smudged with charcoal, looking quite black. Lin Juangui, just to humor him, took one skewer and placed it at the edge of the grill, casually turning it, not really putting in much effort.

Lin Juangui had learned to cook since he was young—otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to grab a kitchen knife to scare off those bullying Fan Meiyi. But after starting school, he mostly ate in the cafeteria, and after work, he would grab something quick at a convenience store or a random restaurant.

After getting to know Huo Zeshen, Lin Juangui hadn’t set foot in the kitchen at all—his cooking skills had regressed to practically nothing.

In Mu Zhang’s eyes, Lin Juangui was a young master who never had to lift a finger. The fact that he was willing to come out with Mu Zhang was already a significant concession, let alone personally handling any cooking.

Mu Zhang found Lin Juangui’s half-hearted effort amusing. "It's truly difficult to get a taste of something you've made."

Lin Juangui flipped the skewer. "This is about my skill level. If you don’t mind whether it’s cooked through or not, you can eat it now."

Mu Zhang used scissors to cut off the parts that had burnt due to the high heat, sprinkled cumin and chili powder on the skewers, and grilled them a bit longer to let the fat and seasoning meld together. He took one skewer for himself and handed the rest to Lin Juangui.

"The seasoning is perfect. Try it."

Lin Juangui took the skewer and blew on it.

He was never much of a food person—as long as it was edible, it was fine. But he had to admit, Mu Zhang’s cooking skills were impressive. "You’re really good at this."

Mu Zhang appreciated Lin Juangui’s praise, but after tasting one skewer, Lin Juangui left the rest on a plate and didn’t touch them again.

Only one skewer remained on the grill, the one Lin Juangui had placed there, looking lonely.

The surroundings left Lin Juangui uninterested. All he could see were rolling sand dunes distorted by shimmering heatwaves, a desolate expanse of yellow-brown stretching to the horizon without a trace of green or any sign of life.

"Taking you on these trips recently is my way of making up for our missed honeymoon after marriage. As for why I chose this place as the final stop, it’s because I wanted to bring you here to create new memories."

Lin Juangui set down his soda and finally gave Mu Zhang a glance. "You’ve been here with General Mu before."

He didn’t need Mu Zhang to spell it out—Lin Juangui was clever enough to guess easily.

Now, when mentioning Mu Yuanqing, Mu Zhang seemed perfectly calm. He nodded and said, "This is a planet where I accidentally crash-landed during a field training exercise at the military academy. My aircraft was damaged, and I ran out of energy. I survived for five days on the compressed rations and two bottles of water left in my space backpack."

By the time Mu Yuanqing tracked him down, Mu Zhang was half-conscious. Seeing Mu Yuanqing’s anxious expression, Mu Zhang couldn’t take his eyes off him, and he never forgot about him saving me.

Mu Zhang’s voice grew softer, tinged with self-mockery. "Sometimes I want to tell you about my past experiences, but when I think about it, most of them are related to Mu Yuanqing. I know you mind these things, and I know you’re not interested in them at all."

Lin Juangui indeed had no interest in hearing about Mu Zhang’s past, but since Mu Zhang had brought it up with a hint of vulnerability and a desire to share, how could he coldly refuse?

Out of a near-instinctive desire to maintain superficial harmony and common courtesy, Lin Juangui casually replied, "Maybe there was no opportunity to hear about them before. When we were together, most of what we talked about was…"

Business.

Mu Zhang was accustomed to giving orders, and Lin Juangui calmly complied. They attended banquets, becoming the envy of many as an Alpha-Omega couple. Once out of everyone’s sight, they each pursued their own careers, rarely engaging in deep conversation.

Although Mu Zhang had tried to understand Lin Juangui’s preferences after falling for him and hoped they could connect on a deeper level, Lin Juangui’s constant resistance left Mu Zhang helpless. Now, with Mu Yuanqing involved during Lin Juangui’s heat, maintaining this relationship had already been challenging enough.

Mu Zhang knew continuing this topic would only lead nowhere good. He accidentally noticed Lin Juangui’s skewer starting to smoke and quickly picked it up, blowing on it.

However, one side of the skewer was completely burnt, emitting an unpleasant smell. Lin Juangui looked a little frustrated. "How did it get burnt even at the edge?"

He picked up the scissors, intending to cut off the burnt parts, but he went overboard and ended up removing half the meat on the skewer.

Mu Zhang quickly took over. He didn’t dare let Lin Juangui handle these things anymore—it was clear Lin Juangui was not exactly a natural.

Still, this was something Lin Juangui had grilled. Mu Zhang sprinkled some salt and pepper on it and was about to take a bite when Lin Juangui said, "Don’t eat it. It’s obviously not well-grilled."

Even without Mu Zhang’s evaluation, Lin Juangui could tell the skewer had been overcooked, making the meat dry and tough with lost juices—it definitely wouldn’t taste good.

But Mu Zhang said, "It’s fine," and ate the entire dry, tough skewer. He smiled at Lin Juangui and said, "After all, you made it with your own hands. I can’t let it go to waste."

As long as Lin Juangui was willing to put in any effort for Mu Zhang, just a little, even if the results weren’t ideal, Mu Zhang would take whatever he could get.

The complex mix of regret and caution that occasionally flickered across Mu Zhang’s expression sometimes felt like little needles poking a corner of Lin Juangui’s heart, giving him the absurd illusion that he might actually owe Mu Zhang something.

But Lin Juangui still chose to keep his heart tightly shut, refusing to empathize.

The unfair contract Mu Zhang had imposed and his condescending control were etched deeply into Lin Juangui’s memory, impossible to erase easily. No matter how much Mu Zhang tried to make amends, Lin Juangui coldly reminded himself: Don’t lose to fleeting, false tenderness. Letting your guard down is the beginning of downfall.

They say belated affection is worth less than a dog’s affection. Lin Juangui didn’t want to wallow in this strange atmosphere, so he took the initiative to say, "I’ve always wondered, when you made me sign that agreement back then, didn’t you plan to discard me after three years? Why are you doing all this now? I’m not irreplaceable—any other Omega could play the part of Mu Zhang’s partner just as well."

As a result, everything veered off course, and Mu Zhang had no control over matters of the heart.

"So you never thought about how to arrange for me after the contract ended. You hoped I’d fade away on my own, preferably without anyone knowing I existed, so even if I tried to cause a scene, no one would believe me."

What Lin Juangui described was exactly how Mu Zhang had treated Lin Juangui in the original storyline, but Mu Zhang flatly denied it: "Lin Juangui, don’t assume things that never happened. I would never treat you that way."

"So how would you treat me then?"

Even an old fox like Mu Zhang couldn't guarantee perfect composure in front of the person he loved. He was left speechless by Lin Juangui's words for a moment before saying, "Anyway, we haven't reached the point you imagine. You've been rejecting my goodwill all along. I owe you a debt I can never repay, and I'm willing to spend my whole life atoning, but you refuse to accept it."

"I have no reason to accept it."

Lin Juangui took a tissue and carefully wiped the oil stains and a bit of spice powder from the corner of Mu Zhang's mouth. "You'll get bored eventually, Mu Zhang. You always think no one can hold their ground against your advances, but constantly giving without getting anything back breeds resentment. Perhaps winning over someone who doesn't like you gives you a sense of satisfaction, but such feelings are inherently unhealthy. We can never have a healthy relationship."

Mu Zhang had long been immersed in the art of self-pity. Lin Juangui's words only made him feel the shame and anger of having his motives exposed.

However, Lin Juangui's previous actions had already raised Mu Zhang's expectations to an extreme. No matter what Lin Juangui said, Mu Zhang didn't really care. From beginning to end, what he wanted was simple: for Lin Juangui not to leave him.

Mu Zhang's arrogance was deeply ingrained. Lin Juangui knew that talking to him was like talking to a brick wall, which was why he remained unresponsive no matter what Mu Zhang did.

Dealing with someone like Mu Zhang was like dealing with a bully—the more agitated and resistant you were, the more he'd think you cared, utterly unreasonable.

The intentional eye-roll Lin Juangui held back was still noticed by Mu Zhang, but Mu Zhang wasn't angered. Instead, he grabbed Lin Juangui's wrist as he tried to pull away and said, "You once said you hoped I could accept the real you. I think the current you is much more likable than when you used to fake smiles for me. Lin Juangui, I can't live without you. Whether it's rewriting the property agreement or anything else—except divorce—I'll agree to any demand you make. Can't you have mercy on me just once?"

As long as Lin Juangui stated that his marriage with Mu Zhang couldn't continue, the Omega Association would intervene. Once they found out that Mu Zhang and Lin Juangui had never completed any mating marks, divorce would be a matter of minutes.

The contract they signed would automatically terminate once the term ended. There wouldn't even be any property division during the divorce—they had no shared assets to begin with. Getting a divorce would be as simple as applying for a certificate, quick and easy.

Ultimately, Mu Zhang just didn't want his three years of effort to go to waste. While Lin Juangui was still his partner, Mu Zhang's connections were shared between them. But after divorce, Lin Juangui would no longer need to do anything for Mu Zhang or maintain his reputation.

Lin Juangui saw these unspoken rules clearly. He felt unmoved and simply offered Mu Zhang a suggestion: "We can renew the contract. I'll continue helping you through your rut cycles. In public, we'll still be an Alpha-Omega couple, and we'll remain partners in matters of mutual interest. But I don’t want to maintain this marital relationship anymore. You can use my inability to conceive and bear children, placing all the fault on me. It won’t harm your reputation."

Mu Zhang went quiet. After a long pause, he asked Lin Juangui, "Is there nothing I can do that would change your mind?"

Lin Juangui countered, "Is there anything I say that you’re willing to listen to?"

The two were clearly communicating, yet it was utterly ineffective. Mu Zhang remained stubborn, and Lin Juangui refused to yield—just like many times before, it got them nowhere.

Mu Zhang finished grilling the remaining skewers and handed two to Lin Juangui, telling him to eat properly. "The more you train, the more you need to ensure adequate meat in your diet. Relying solely on supplements will only weaken your organs."

To maintain his physical strength, Lin Juangui had resumed boxing training. In the interstellar era, there were plenty of ways to build muscle, and Lin Juangui had been training with a coach for nearly a year.

However, his dislike for eating remained a weakness, and Mu Zhang occasionally reminded him about it.

This batch of skewers was clearly much better than the previous ones—properly grilled without burning. Lin Juangui ate appreciatively a few more bites.

Once Mu Zhang had eaten his fill, he began cleaning up—tightening the lids of scattered spice jars, collecting used skewers and oily tissues, and stuffing them into a sealable bag.

Lin Juangui stood up, and Mu Zhang folded both their chairs. Just as they were about to return to the spaceship, a dense, eerie buzzing sound abruptly pierced the desert's silence, growing rapidly from distant to deafening.

The noise didn’t resemble any machinery; it carried a biological-sounding high-frequency vibration that made your skin crawl, like dozens of tiny drills simultaneously boring into eardrums.

Lin Juangui instinctively turned to locate the source—

"Get inside!" A sudden shout exploded beside him. Lin Juangui felt a tremendous force slam into his back, sending him stumbling forward uncontrollably.

Mu Zhang had shoved him, almost brutally, with all his strength into the spaceship’s open hatch.

Lin Juangui caught himself on the floor, the dull pain yet to set in. Through the spaceship’s windshield, he witnessed a terrifying sight he would never forget.

A massive, swarming "dark cloud" was diving toward their small campsite at an alarming speed!

They had rough, rock-like carapaces, compound eyes gleaming with cold, inorganic light, and massive mandibles opening and closing, dripping viscous saliva.

Scythe-like forelimbs sliced through the air with high-frequency swings, emitting a grating "click-clack" sound. The collective beating of their wings formed a destructive wave of noise, blotting out the sky and shattering the desert’s glow into fragments.

It was the Insectoids.

Suppressing his fear, Lin Juangui rushed to the window and pounded on the sturdy glass. "Mu Zhang! Get in here! Hurry!"

He rarely showed such anxiety in front of Mu Zhang. Mu Zhang glanced back briefly and shouted over the insectoid swarm’s din, "Contact Gu Mi now! Send him the coordinates! I can hold them off for a while! If you’re scared, lie down and don’t look!"

Before his words faded, a blinding golden light enveloped Mu Zhang. Countless intricate components surged and assembled like living entities. A dark gold mecha, with cold, powerful lines, completed its armed deployment in less than two seconds.

The back thrusters spewed white flames, propelling the mecha boldly toward the insectoid swarm!

Instead of defending, Mu Zhang charged forward. The laser blade in his hand slashed through the swarm with precision and ferocity, slicing through the hard carapaces as easily as a hot knife through butter!

Foul blue blood and shattered insect limbs splattered everywhere. Mu Zhang moved with lightning speed, his steps unpredictable and varied, each time narrowly evading lethal pounces and corrosive acid sprays.

Lin Juangui’s blood ran cold. This was no time for personal grievances. If Mu Zhang fell, he would be the next to be torn apart inside the spaceship.

Survival instinct overpowered all distractions. Lin Juangui quickly activated his comms system and sent Gu Mi a top-priority distress signal with precise coordinates. Then he sat on the floor, covering his head with his hands and taking deep breaths.

Since childhood, Lin Juangui had always been terrified of insects. This phobia had stayed with him into adulthood. Whenever others discussed insectoids, he felt intensely uncomfortable, though he forced himself to remain calm in front of others.

His difficult upbringing hadn’t desensitized him—this fear was ingrained in his bones.

Once, a small cockroach had crawled into his ear canal. If Lin Juangui hadn’t complained about an itch that day and asked Fan Meiyi to check, she wouldn’t have spotted it in the sunlight.

That evening, Fan Meiyi took him to the hospital. The doctor, nearly off duty, seemed surprised by Lin Juangui’s condition and suggested trying to extract the cockroach with tweezers.

But Lin Juangui was in too much pain, saying through tears it hurt too badly. The doctor advised them to return the next day to explore alternative removal methods.

The following day, Fan Meiyi took him back to the hospital. Under the otoscope, the cockroach’s rear end magnified abruptly. Lin Juangui shut his eyes tightly, battling his fear, and after half an hour of struggle, the cockroach’s corpse was finally extracted.

On the way home, Fan Meiyi grumbled, "Couldn’t you have just endured it yesterday with the tweezers? Then I wouldn’t have had to spend fifty credits on medical fees."

Lin Juangui felt guilty. He knew Fan Meiyi struggled to make money, but he had been truly terrified.

When Lin Juangui attended high school in the south, his grades were good and he had few worries, but the region had more snakes, insects, and pests than the north. The humidity after rain was overwhelming, and if garbage wasn’t disposed of promptly, tiny white bugs barely visible to the naked eye would breed.

Fan Meiyi liked to stack yellow egg cartons on the balcony to sell later. But after one rainy season, the cartons got damp, triggering an explosion of white bugs that spread throughout their home.

When Lin Juangui first noticed them, he took photos and showed Fan Meiyi. She remained calm—she wasn’t particularly afraid of such things. But since she worked in others’ homes, she worried about carrying pests to her employers.

She told Lin Juangui, "Just throw away the egg cartons and clean up. Wherever you see bugs, buy some insecticide and spray—they’ll be gone soon."

During that period, Lin Juangui’s condition deteriorated noticeably. Even his teacher noticed something was wrong, calling him into the office to ask what was going on and advising him not to pressure himself too much—balance was key in studying.

How could Lin Juangui explain such a thing? He shook his head and said, "It’ll be better once the weather clears up."

He had looked it up: those white bugs were called flour mites. They thrived in damp environments, reproduced rapidly, and anything they touched was best discarded or sun-exposed to kill their eggs. Most importantly, cleanliness was essential. People with weak immune systems could develop allergies or asthma from exposure.

Lin Juangui cleaned persistently and finally brought the situation under control a month later.

By then, Fan Meiyi finally returned home after her busy schedule. Seeing the tidy house, she seemed pleased, completely oblivious to Lin Juangui’s exhaustion. "You’ve managed the house so well and taken care of yourself. I’m relieved."

Back then, Lin Juangui was still young. He didn’t realize the issues with Fan Meiyi’s behavior and genuinely believed everything she did was for his good.

Later, as Lin Juangui’s living conditions improved, he gradually put those unpleasant memories behind him—until he got together with Huo Zeshen.

At that time, Lin Juangui and Huo Zeshen had only been a couple for about two months. Lin Juangui was on a business trip as usual and hadn’t returned home for over half a month.

Due to his own carelessness, Lin Juangui forgot to bag and take out the trash before leaving home, which led to him discovering tiny white specks squirming around in the kitchen when he returned home to grab a cup for water.

The cup in his hand immediately fell to the ground and shattered.

His school-day nightmares seemed to cling to him again at this moment. Lin Juangui felt his heart racing, his body weak, and even his breathing became somewhat difficult.

Just as he worked up the courage to pick up a towel and start cleaning, no water came out of the tap.

Lin Juangui rarely felt so bewildered. He stood there for a few minutes to collect himself before realizing he should check if he'd missed the water bill payment.

After paying the water and electricity bills, Lin Juangui received a call from Huo Zeshen.

At that moment, Lin Juangui's voice was noticeably hoarse, carrying a hint of an unexplainable choke.

Huo Zeshen immediately sensed that something was wrong with Lin Juangui and asked him what had happened.

Huo Zeshen's concern gave Lin Juangui a sense of comfort. He sniffed and explained the situation to Huo Zeshen.

"I know these bugs aren’t scary, but I just can’t overcome it."

Lin Juangui was still out on the balcony getting some air—he couldn’t stay calmly in that awful kitchen while talking to Huo Zeshen.

Huo Zeshen could sense Lin Juangui's irritation and disgust toward the bugs from his tone. The man seemed to become more serious, asking Lin Juangui if he could take a photo and send it to him so he could see what insecticide to buy.

"If you can’t do it, just describe them to me. I've got you during times like these. Don’t be afraid."

Lin Juangui was used to being independent; even in a relationship, he wasn’t accustomed to bothering others.

"It’s fine, I can handle it. I’ll hire a cleaning service tomorrow. It’s too late now, and I don’t want you going out so late because of me."

Huo Zeshen didn’t mind. He chuckled over the phone: "If I turned a blind eye when you’re facing a problem, I’d feel like a total jerk. It’s windy outside—you’re on the balcony, right? Go back inside, don’t get sick. I’ll be there soon. I won’t drive fast, don’t worry."

Though he said he didn’t need help, Lin Juangui truly wanted someone by his side to share part of the mental load.

Lin Juangui mustered his courage and went to the kitchen. After taking photos of the small white bugs and sending them to Huo Zeshen, he immediately deleted the original pictures and the chat history.

Huo Zeshen replied with an "OK" emoji, saying these bugs weren’t hard to deal with and that he’d take care of it. He told Lin Juangui to clean up first, knowing how much Lin Juangui valued cleanliness.

But Lin Juangui’s heart simply wouldn’t calm down until the doorbell rang. He literally jumped up and rushed to open the door.

The moment he saw Huo Zeshen, Lin Juangui’s heart seemed to beat a little slower. Huo Zeshen was holding a bag, and seeing Lin Juangui’s eyes watery like a scared animal made his heart hurt.

After entering, Huo Zeshen immediately drew Lin Juangui into his arms, gently patting his back and saying, "I’m still worried about you living alone. When your lease is up, come live with me."

The offer made perfect sense, but Lin Juangui felt somewhat uneasy and didn’t agree right away.

Huo Zeshen would give Lin Juangui plenty of time to think it over. He kissed Lin Juangui’s cheek and asked if he had work tomorrow. Lin Juangui shook his head: "I’ll clock in in the afternoon. No one’s strict about my commute anyway."

Such was the privilege of being high up in the company.

Huo Zeshen smiled and patted Lin Juangui’s slender waist. "Perfect, I’m off tomorrow. Let’s see how to deal with these pesky little bugs."

Huo Zeshen poured half a pack of salt into the spray bottle he brought, filled it with water, adjusted the saltwater to a very high concentration, and sprayed it all over the kitchen.

"These little bugs have very thin outer membranes—they basically die on contact with salt. But their eggs are stubborn. Spray for three or four days straight, then clean up, and that should mostly take care of it. From now on, make sure to take the trash out regularly—don’t let it pile up. I checked earlier; luckily, it’s only in the kitchen and hasn’t spread elsewhere. As long as it’s contained, it’s fine."

Lin Juangui was at a loss for words for a moment. He hadn’t expected something that felt like an impossible task to him to be solved by Huo Zeshen with just a few words. He couldn’t help but look at Huo Zeshen with admiration.

Huo Zeshen, eyes curved, made the offer again: "My place is big—having one more person is no problem at all. If you want to keep pets… there’s enough space. It’s just that we’re both so busy with work, we might not be able to take care of them."

Lin Juangui was indeed tempted, but he still replied carefully: "The lease still has two months left. I was originally planning to tell the landlord I wanted to renew."

Huo Zeshen immediately understood that Lin Juangui had agreed. He said, beaming: "No problem. When it’s time to move, remember to call me—I’ll help you pack. Let this area dry for now. You’ve been upset since you got back, right? Go take a shower. I’ll run the water for you."

Huo Zeshen knew Lin Juangui’s habits inside out. Lin Juangui obediently went to wash up. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw Huo Zeshen leaning on the sofa, reading the fairy tales Lin Juangui had bought while on a business trip elsewhere.

He’d bought those books because he saw a little girl selling them who looked pitiful—her shoes and clothes were full of holes, yet she was still straining to call out her sales. Lin Juangui crouched down, took the top three books, and scanned the QR code hanging around the girl’s neck to transfer a hundred yuan.

Fresh out of the shower, Lin Juangui was still damp. Huo Zeshen set the book aside, listened to Lin Juangui’s story about buying the books, and watched as Lin Juangui’s hair clung wetly to his skin and his lips flushed red. His Adam’s apple bobbed unconsciously, and he remarked on how kind-hearted Lin Juangui was.

Lin Juangui propped his head up and laughed: "It’s a sales tactic—playing on people's sympathy to make you willingly open your wallet. Later, a colleague told me that girl’s father is a repeat offender. He buys books in bulk from the market and has his kid shout sales on the street. The city guards have chased them off several times, and people have called the police, but it’s hard to stop—it’s her dad’s only way to make money."

Huo Zeshen didn’t look surprised, he just felt sorry for Lin Juangui. "Actually, the best approach is not to buy from her. Eventually, her dad would stop using her to make money. Did it upset you when you found out the truth?"

Lin Juangui shook his head: "A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. I didn’t do it for gain—I did it because I know… if she can’t earn money for her dad this way, he’ll find other ways to exploit her."

Huo Zeshen set the book down, moved closer, and tightly embraced Lin Juangui, murmuring: "Gege, you’ve always been this good."