Ji Weinan became aware of his own uneasy thoughts and walked around Ji Tian.
Ji Tian indulged in her favorite seafood feast before she remembered her primary concern. She asked Jian Chuyi in a soft voice, "How come I haven't seen Qin Jiangsheng?"
At first, Jian Chuyi thought she had misheard, "Who?"
"Qin Jiangsheng, the Bai Family's illegitimate child."
"Oh," Jian Chuyi took a sip of the delicious pork rib soup before slowly explaining, "The Bai Family allowing him to study is already quite generous. Bai Tingyu has made it clear that he doesn't want to see Qin Jiangsheng in public places, so how could they possibly pay for his meals in the cafeteria? He always brings a lunchbox and sits in the back garden to eat. Tiantian, why bring him up all of a sudden?"
He was truly the ultimate villain with a tragic fate in the story, enduring this unfair treatment countless times, with no one caring about his feelings.
Ji Tian felt a headache coming on, but she still needed to compensate Qin Jiangsheng for the clothes, so she said, "Chuyi, after you finish eating, you can go back to the classroom first. I have something to do."
Jian Chuyi nodded and continued to devour her favorite chicken leg.
And off she went to look for Qin Jiangsheng in the back garden.
Imperial City Academy was vast, covering a thousand acres, complete with a gymnasium, swimming pool, art gallery, billiard room—everything a school could and should not have, making it more like a club.
The back garden was lush with trees and plants, the most eye-catching feature being the beautiful artificial lake, which was a shame to have been filled in. However, many students still came here to read, eat, and rest.
Shen Zhiyi's lunchbox was thrown on the ground by Bai Tingyu, and most of the food inside was scattered. With reddened eyes, she picked up the remaining food and ran to the back garden.
Once she was alone, her expression of grievance changed immediately. She tossed the lunchbox into a trash can beside the road and took out a biscuit from her pocket, eating it leisurely as she walked.
She asked in her mind, "System, how much affection value does Bai Tingyu have for me now?"
A stream of electronic sound passed, and a monotonous voice replied, "As of now, it remains at negative ten. Please continue to make an effort, Host, to successfully pursue the male lead, reach the pinnacle of internal competition, and ascend to the peak of life."
Shen Zhiyi frowned in irritation. She had been enduring for so long, yet progress was still negative, which suggested she needed to change her strategy.
Bai Tingyu was proud and domineering, not easy to get along with, but undeniably handsome.
Thinking of his looks, Shen Zhiyi felt she could endure more, especially since she knew the entire content of the book. After transmigrating, she was also bound to an "Ultimate Internal Competition" system, which offered considerable assistance.
The only downside was that she had to drive everyone around her to compete internally and earn Internal Competition Value herself.
She was thankful for Jian Chuyi contributing a little bit today, which she immediately exchanged for a beauty pill.
The female lead's looks in the book were so unremarkable that Shen Zhiyi found it disdainful, feeling even an ordinary passerby couldn't compare.
When she reached a secluded spot, her gaze heated up upon seeing the young man sitting on a bench eating bread.
Qin Jiangsheng!
The most fearsome existence in the book.
His methods were ruthless, his heart cold and uncaring, his temperament dark and mad, yet his appearance was stunning and gorgeous. Even though he was an antagonist, it didn't affect the readers' affection for him, surpassing even the male lead.
She felt a stir of excitement, "Can I pursue this antagonist at the same time?"
The system's voice in her mind sternly reminded her, "Don't even think about it. Since he was created without a heart, he is incapable of emotion or love, and he is destined to become a stepping stone for the male lead.
Because the antagonist in this book has shown strong resistance to the narrative, there's a risk he might break free from the control of the Heavenly Dao. If he develops a new consciousness, this world will collapse. Your task is to minimize the suffering the male lead endures at his hands, help the male lead bring down the other three great finance families, and thoroughly eradicate him—killing his presence is your ultimate mission."
Shen Zhiyi felt somewhat regretful; she had grown quite fond of Qin Jiangsheng's face. It was destined, however, that he would amount to nothing more than a powerful bit player at best.
When Ji Tian found Qin Jiangsheng, she saw him sitting on a bench feeding birds with the bread in his hands. He dropped a little, and the birds pecked at it, creating quite a heartwarming scene.
Ji Tian felt that this book must have some misunderstandings about villains. Where was the bloodthirsty antagonist? This was clearly a compassionate little angel!
The little angel would surely forgive her great disrespect and not quibble over it.
At this moment, an aura named "kind-hearted" appeared around Qin Jiangsheng in Ji Tian's eyes, making him seem much more approachable.
It also eased the fear she felt towards him.
She quickly walked up to Qin Jiangsheng, smiling, "Qin Jiangsheng."
A shadow fell before her, and Qin Jiangsheng first enclosed the bird in his hand before slowly looking up. His tea-colored eyes were filled with indifference, his features finely crafted and ethereal. Bathed in the dappled sunlight, there was an indescribable sense of fragility about him.
A flash of astonishment crossed Ji Tian's eyes – he had the most beautiful features she had ever seen. Realizing her thoughts were straying, she quickly discarded the temptation of Qin Jiangsheng's beauty from her mind.
She glanced at the bird in his hands and found a topic to start a conversation, "Do you like small animals very much?"
However, Qin Jiangsheng just quietly watched her, making Ji Tian feel quite awkward.
She cleared her throat, feeling it was better to not beat around the bush to curry favor, and directly handed over the new clothes she had bought, "I'm sorry for tearing your clothes that day. So I've bought a new one to make up for it. This one is brand new, untouched by anyone; you must accept it, otherwise, I'll feel very guilty."
Being watched by him made Ji Tian feel a bit creeped out; this wasn't quite like the little angel she had imagined!
As Ji Tian's heart pounded with trepidation, he finally reached out to take it, responding with a soft, "Hmm."
Did this mean Qin Jiangsheng had forgiven her?
After all, the clothes had been delivered, and Ji Tian's mood brightened considerably.
She didn't want to linger there, so she happily said, "Then I'll be off now."
After Ji Tian left, Qin Jiangsheng watched her retreating figure, his very shallow eyes like a tranquil lake.
He looked down at the bird in his hand and tightened his grip, a desperate chirp ringing out as droplets of blood seeped from the bird's beak onto his cold, pale fingers, creating a striking visual impact.
He felt no pity, for the bird had touched his bread.
He released his hand, and the bird, not yet dead, swiftly fluttered away in a staggered flight.
Qin Jiangsheng stood up and used the clothes Ji Tian had given him to wipe off the blood, then unblinkingly tossed them into a nearby trash can.
...
Ji Tian's mood had improved considerably; even the sight of her annoying homework seemed much less daunting.
What pleased her most was that, ever since she had added a bit of Wisdom value, she could now half-understand the science courses, which had once seemed so difficult.
Of course, this held no significance for her.
She was already a qualified graduate student, so she refused to review her high school knowledge all over again.
Nevertheless, she still helped bolster Chuyi's English, which, in her eyes, remained quite simple.