Fang Jueyu had treated Jiang Yuan incredibly well, and as his roommate, Cheng Kai knew this better than anyone. They were just students, but every penny Fang Jueyu earned through his extracurricular efforts was spent on Jiang Yuan.
Almost every week, he would prepare small surprises for her: lipstick, perfume, concert tickets, and so on. He even saved up to buy an electric scooter just to pick her up from class. For a kid from an ordinary family, this was a significant expense.
At this point, Cheng Kai was even angrier than Fang Jueyu!
As they walked forward, Fang Jueyu and Jiang Yuan's eyes inevitably met.
"Something's different about him," Jiang Yuan thought. Having been with him for two years, she could easily notice the obvious changes. Not only had he grown taller, but he had also become more handsome. Still, she was certain she hadn't mistaken him for someone else.
Perhaps feeling guilty, she quickly averted her gaze, but Fang Jueyu's eyes remained fixed on her.
Although Wang Xuan had never interacted with Fang Jueyu, as Jiang Yuan's current boyfriend, he was naturally aware of the existence of her ex. Almost as if to provoke him, Wang Xuan wrapped his arm around Jiang Yuan's waist and swaggered into the restaurant.
"Old Fang, should we still go in?" Cheng Kai hesitated. He had heard of Wang Xuan's wealth. Though still a student, Wang Xuan drove a different car every day and was known as one of the rich kids at school. At such a high-end restaurant, there was a good chance Wang Xuan would try to make things difficult for them.
"Of course, why not? What's there to be afraid of? We're not the ones at fault," Fang Jueyu said casually, though his expression was far from his usual calm demeanor. "It's just a meal. What could they possibly do?"
"Welcome to Bartolo Spanish Art Restaurant. How many in your party?" A server greeted them as they walked in.
"Well, just the two of us," Fang Jueyu replied, scanning the area. Oddly enough, despite it not being a special day and school being on break, there wasn't a single empty seat.
"Apologies, but we're quite busy today. You might have to wait a while," the server said apologetically.
"That's fine. We can wait." Fang Jueyu wasn't in a hurry. "You're not rushing back to study, are you?"
"There's still months to go. A little wait won't hurt," Cheng Kai replied. He was confident about his graduate school exam, so a bit of leisure time didn't worry him.
"Good to hear." Fang Jueyu led the way to the waiting area, sitting down right next to Jiang Yuan and Wang Xuan.
"So, Old Fang, where did you move to? Maybe I'll visit your place sometime," Cheng Kai said, making small talk.
"Oh, I moved to Jiangnan Bieyuan. If you ever feel the dorm is too noisy, you can stay at my place during the holidays. There are plenty of empty rooms, and it's quiet," Fang Jueyu said.
"Haha, no thanks. The library has a better study atmosphere. Otherwise, I'd be fine studying in the dorm," Cheng Kai laughed, apparently unaware that Jiangnan Bieyuan was a luxury villa complex. "I just can't control myself. If I'm not in the library, I'll either want to sleep or play video games."
"Hmph, big talk without any substance." At this point, Wang Xuan's unfriendly voice cut in. As Jiang Yuan's boyfriend, he naturally held a grudge against Fang Jueyu, her ex.
While others might not know Jiangnan Bieyuan, Wang Xuan did. In fact, his family lived there, and he knew the cheapest villa there cost close to 20 million yuan.
He had heard about Fang Jueyu's situation from Jiang Yuan: an ordinary guy who had to save up and work part-time just to buy her gifts. There was no way someone like that could afford a house in Jiangnan Bieyuan.
To Wang Xuan, it was clear these two were just putting on a show, trying to save face.
"Yuan Yuan, I thought your ex was just poor, but it turns out he has no character either," Wang Xuan said loudly enough for the surrounding diners to hear, as if to mock Fang Jueyu. Some of the onlookers, who knew about Jiangnan Bieyuan, smirked disdainfully. A young man in cheap clothes, bragging about owning a villa there? It was clear to them he was just being vain.
Facing all the judgmental eyes, Fang Jueyu remained unfazed. After the shocking revelations of the past few days, his mental resilience had grown immensely.
"He's always been like this—trying to act big," Jiang Yuan added, confirming Wang Xuan's mockery. Fang Jueyu hadn't expected this. He had done everything he could for her, yet she saw him like this. Was this the infamous "give everything and end up with nothing" scenario?
"Hey, man, let me give you some advice, for Yuan Yuan's sake. It's best to keep your feet on the ground. Don't waste your time daydreaming," Wang Xuan said arrogantly, as though he were lecturing a loser.
"Who do you think you are, calling me 'man'? Are you even qualified?" Fang Jueyu, who had initially planned to ignore their provocations, couldn't hold back any longer.
A notification suddenly popped up: "Random task issued: As the system's host, how can you let yourself be provoked like this? You must fight back hard!"
Task: Shut these two up.
Reward: Increase Level 1 access by 2%, with a random item from your ancestors' trash.
Fang Jueyu didn't know what his ancestors' discarded items were, but given what he knew of the system, this so-called trash was likely a treasure beyond his imagination.
Everyone has their limits, and Fang Jueyu wasn't about to tolerate being humiliated like this.
"What did you say?" Wang Xuan snapped. No one had ever spoken to him like that. At school, everyone either kissed up to him or avoided him. A kid from a poor family dared to talk back?
"I said, you're not qualified to be my 'man,'" Fang Jueyu replied, word by word.
"You're asking for it!" Wang Xuan, much taller and bulkier than Fang Jueyu, stood up and reached for his collar.
But to his surprise, a strong hand grabbed his wrist. Despite Wang Xuan's considerable strength, in front of Fang Jueyu's enhanced physique, he seemed weak.
Fang Jueyu calmly applied pressure, causing Wang Xuan's face to twist in pain, though he tried to hide it for the sake of his pride.
"Hey, what are you doing? This is a public place! Are you trying to start a fight?" Cheng Kai hurriedly stepped in to separate them.
Fang Jueyu had no intention of fighting. With a light shove, he pushed Wang Xuan back into his seat and casually adjusted his collar.
Wang Xuan glared at him with hatred, discreetly flexing his wrist. He had clearly underestimated Fang Jueyu's strength. How could someone who looked so scrawny be so powerful?
"Hmph! Uncouth poor boy! Waiter, how could you let just anyone into this place?" Wang Xuan shouted, still intent on humiliating them.
Hearing the commotion, the restaurant manager and two security guards rushed over.
"These two are causing trouble! Get them out of here!" Wang Xuan shamelessly demanded.
Fang Jueyu shot him a disgusted look before turning to Jiang Yuan. "Jiang Yuan, I have to say, your taste in men is really something."