Chapter 30: Recruiting You into the Army

What the hell is this crap?

Why does something like campus bullying even exist in college?

Fang Wei had never seen campus bullying in high school.

At most, it was smokers and non-smokers in the same dorm pushing each other out socially.

It never got physical.

He remembered living in a society ruled by law.

In theory, punching someone meant detention.

Oh, right—this was a school.

So the idea was that the state has its laws, schools have their rules.

Everything should be handled internally.

No need to escalate it to the legal level.

Sure, he slapped you, but with a teacher mediating, you can still shake hands and make up nicely.

Don’t let your lawful self-defense damage the school’s image, okay?

Then I’m seriously losing my damn mind.

So is there really no campus bullying in college?

No.

It’s that the bullies got smarter.

They learned how to dress it up, how to look human.

And by the time most people reach college, they’ve been worn smooth, don’t want trouble anymore, so you don’t see it.

That way the big shots can say how great their school is.

In reality, the pig farmer doesn’t care why the pigs are fighting.

If they really start fighting, he just whips both of them.

Get close and take a sniff.

It reeks like hell.

“So in the end, college isn’t that different from high school.”

Fang Wei sighed sincerely.

Walking behind Zhuge Yu, the girl kept her head down without saying a word.

She was still wearing that black hoodie with a kangaroo pocket, but she’d changed into a pair of yellowed white flats.

Because she’d been dragged around, the seams of the hoodie were torn.

She silently brushed dust off her backside, pulled up her hood, and didn’t bother with Fang Wei behind her.

Fang Wei, on the other hand, was pretty easygoing.

He casually bought a can of Monster and handed it to her.

This stuff really did taste good.

The whole “Monster equals red-flag girl” thing was honestly the internet’s fault—especially the black can.

Strong kick.

It had just come out of a refrigerated vending machine.

Condensation beaded on the aluminum, cold mist rising off it.

When it was handed to Zhuge Yu, the girl hiding under the hood seemed startled.

She looked barely over five feet tall.

Fang Wei was nearly six feet.

When he handed it over, he almost bumped her nose.

“Ah…”

Zhuge Yu instinctively reached out, then suddenly glanced at Fang Wei and shoved both hands back into her pockets.

“You don’t need to pity me.”

“This crappy machine charges five bucks a can. Drink it or don’t. If I gave it to my buddy, he’d kneel down and kowtow twice.”

Some women were just that fussy.

Compared to her, his Xia Yuanhua was way better.

Fang Wei made a show of pulling the tab.

A small hand darted over and snatched the drink away.

“Thanks,” she said flatly.

She held the can but didn’t drink it or open it.

Her fingers turned red from the cold.

Fang Wei didn’t bring up that earlier mess again.

The girl walking ahead looked completely done with the world now, like she wanted to kick even a random dog.

Digging into someone’s wounds at a time like this would be rude.

Besides, that wildly fluctuating corruption value scared him.

He was genuinely worried something might happen if he wasn’t careful.

Why was this high-level NPC like this?

Fang Wei had approached Zhuge Yu in the first place to learn more about Qi Qiancao.

Now it seemed this high-level NPC had plenty of problems herself.

He remembered some gossip he’d read about Zhuge Yu.

Was she bullied back in middle school too?

When they first met, her corruption value was 70%.

She’d been wary like a kitten.

Fang Wei had already had his answer back then.

They exited the school gates one after the other.

The autumn wind cut across their faces, cold as hell.

Fang Wei was fine—he’d dressed warmly.

But Zhuge Yu, walking in front, instinctively hunched her small body.

She had a hoodie on the outside.

It looked like she was wearing something very thin underneath.

Fang Wei studied her carefully.

She suddenly turned back and shot him an annoyed look.

“Why are you still following me? Even if you treated me to a meal, I’ll pay you back. You don’t need to care about me at a time like this. It just makes me look pitiful…”

“No, it’s just that we live upstairs and downstairs from each other. You want me to take a detour home or something?”

“…”

Her flushed face said everything.

Zhuge Yu clenched her teeth, embarrassment heating her whole body.

She held the drink with both hands, open wariness in her eyes.

“I know why you got close to me. I could tell when you added me before. It’s because of Xiaocao, right?”

So she wasn’t as dumb as she’d imagined.

Fang Wei didn’t plan to hide it anyway.

They sat at a bus stop.

It blocked some of the cold wind, making Zhuge Yu a bit more comfortable.

She sniffed and said coldly, “You’re not actually the first person to approach me. That group has been trying to get information about Xiaocao from me for a long time. They’ve all tried to butter me up.”

“Especially these past few days. Annoying as hell. I heard Xiaocao started dating someone, so a bunch of people came to me trying to pry things apart.

My inbox was flooded. What’s even funnier is that if you scroll up on some of those accounts begging me now, you can still find posts where they were trashing me.”

She laughed at herself.

Her eyes were dull, landing coldly on Fang Wei.

“But someone like you, taking action offline and going this far? That’s a first.”

“To please me, they all talk so sweet. But I know exactly how they curse me behind my back. Stuff like ‘if we can’t get Qi Qiancao, trick Zhuge Yu into bed instead.’ It’s disgusting… And once they realized I’d offended certain people, every last one of them disappeared.”

Even Zhuge Yu herself didn’t realize how much she’d already said.

Venting under pressure was human instinct, and Fang Wei was a good listener.

He just watched her with a serious gaze.

“By ‘certain people,’ you mean Shen Yuanyuan and the others?”

He had noticed a pretty one among those girls earlier.

Supposedly a department beauty.

“You’ve done your homework. Tsk, don’t look at me like that. It’s kind of gross.”

“Then I won’t look. Go on.”

Fang Wei turned his eyes away.

Zhuge Yu nodded.

Just as she was about to speak, she realized, “I have nothing to say to you.”

“You’ve already said a lot. You look thirsty. Want some water?”

She hadn’t felt thirsty before, but after his reminder, Zhuge Yu hesitated, popped the tab, and took small sips.

Fang Wei watched quietly.

Zhuge Yu was actually pretty good-looking.

Her vibe just kept people at a distance, like a kitten without any sense of security.

How you think inside shapes your presence.

Her hands holding the drink were very white and clean.

Her nails were pink and translucent.

There were calluses on her fingertips—probably from doing a lot of handiwork.

Unlike most girls Fang Wei had met, Zhuge Yu didn’t have pierced ears.

That was rare.

Combined with her cheeks flushed pink from the cold, she was probably a hardcore no-makeup type.

“Y-you done staring?”

Zhuge Yu stole a glance, met his eyes, then quickly looked away.

She lightly bit her lower lip, lost in thought.

Fang Wei shook his head.

“I’m checking how much of my Monster you drank.”

“Heh. You’re kind of funny.”

No, it’s mainly because my character model is top-tier.

Swap me out for some other sleazy guy and you’d have posted him online already.

“Thanks,” Zhuge Yu said softly.

There was still distance in her tone, but drinking someone else’s stuff added a hint of shyness.

“No problem. Just remember you owe me another Monster now. Pay it back together with the last one.”

“…”

As Zhuge Yu’s expression went from shock, to confusion, to realization, and back to shock again, Fang Wei stood up.

“Right now, then. How about the food court? You don’t want to owe me forever, do you?”

“I—I already planned to make you steak. We can wait until we get back…” As she spoke, something seemed to click, and she slowly closed her mouth.

The evening cold was unusually harsh.

Even the last traces of sunset brought little warmth.

This kind of weather would last half a month, then warm up briefly, then plunge fully into winter.

By then, it would get dark quickly in the afternoon, and students wouldn’t even see the sun after class.

A few high schoolers rode by on bicycles, ringing their bells.

A bus heading toward the apartments stopped at the platform, then rolled away over the asphalt.

Fang Wei stood where he was.

Zhuge Yu held her drink.

By some unspoken agreement, neither of them got on the bus.

After the last bus of the afternoon left, Zhuge Yu regretted it.

She regretted letting her emotions overflow, actually thinking the man beside her wanted to keep her company.

Her brain had to be short-circuiting to stay behind like an idiot.

Clearly, all she had to do was hurry back, make the steak, and this stupid relationship born from her momentary greed would be over for good.

But Fang Wei led her onto another road, walking into the cold wind toward the food court.

To be honest, she hated this man.

Absolutely hated him.

From the very first meeting.

He had to be messing with her, deliberately making her embarrass herself.

Later, he’d clearly schemed things out—knowing about her conflict with Shen Yuanyuan meant he’d investigated a lot.

That feeling of being watched behind the scenes made her skin crawl.

Worst of all was that she owed him.

That left her feeling insecure, like owing someone meant she had to stay in a low position forever.

And today’s humiliation too… Being insulted and bullied so casually.

She didn’t want anyone to see that.

When she looked up, even walking beside him made her look so short…

She hated him even more.

[Corruption Value -1]

Fang Wei lowered his head and met Zhuge Yu’s gaze.

This little girl, much shorter than even Qi Qiancao, was wearing a sour expression, glaring at him unhappily.

Too bad he’d already used up his mind-reading for the day.

No peeking into Zhuge Yu’s thoughts.

No, Black Owl Lord, you rely too much on mind-reading! Even without the system, you’re still popular!

Look at her—teeth chattering from the cold, and you still don’t know what to do.

That’s seriously lacking in romance.

So the very popular Fang Wei took the Zhuge Yu who hated him and headed to a clothing store that didn’t seem to welcome him either.

The brand store in the food court he’d visited before with Qi Qiancao.

When they stepped through the bright entrance, the sales clerk recognized him and greeted him warmly.

But when she saw Zhuge Yu following behind, the smile vanished instantly.

Even without mind-reading, Fang Wei knew she was calling him a scumbag in her head.

“Why did you bring me to a place like this? You’re not going to make me buy clothes for you, are you…”

Zhuge Yu was stiff as a new recruit.

She sneaked a look at the prices and immediately widened her eyes.

Her entire semester’s living expenses weren’t even this much!

Fang Wei gave her a reassuring look.

“Relax. I’m buying clothes for you. Wearing that in this weather—either you’re an idiot, or you have nothing warmer.”

“You’re the idiot,” Zhuge Yu muttered.

“I don’t need your stuff. I don’t like being buttered up. Even if you gave me a mountain of gold, I wouldn’t tell you anything about Xiaocao…”

“I’m just pleasing myself. Buying you a couple outfits gives me the satisfaction of rescuing a fallen girl. Full of self-worth and emotional payoff.”

Fang Wei even tagged @Xia Yuanhua’s mom in his heart.

“Is that so?”

Zhuge Yu got led around by the nose.

When she realized it, her feelings toward this shameless man grew even more complicated.

Before she could say anything, a brand-new light-blue down jacket was draped over her shoulders.

The sales clerk helped her slip her arms in and zip it up.

It actually fit pretty well.

Under the oversized jacket, the girl’s small body looked like it could be wrapped up in one hand.

Zhuge Yu didn’t say a word.

She tucked her chin into the collar, pulled on the fluffy hood, and felt warm all over.

“Grab two pairs of fleece-lined leggings for my cousin too. And two sets of thermal underwear.”

To avoid suspicion, Fang Wei kindly changed how he addressed her.

The sales clerk saw through it instantly, and Zhuge Yu was just as displeased.

Zhuge Yu had already taken off the jacket and placed it on a chair.

She tried to make her tone even colder.

“I don’t need your things. Even if you make up all kinds of excuses to buy me clothes, I won’t be grateful. So forget it. And… I do have clothes to wear. If I don’t take other people’s things, I don’t owe anyone anything.”

“Fine. I’ll buy them for Qi Qiancao to wear. You still owe me a steak anyway. Just treat this as a stopgap and help me pass them to her later.”

“You…” Zhuge Yu’s words were blocked by Fang Wei’s gaze.

She was forced back into the jacket, curling up into herself.

Fang Wei felt conflicted too.

He hadn’t expected this girl to be so upright.

Normally, people go on a blind date, eat a meal, buy some clothes, and once the woman gets home, she sends a message saying, “We’re not compatible,” then happily posts selfies in her new outfit.

Besides, wearing just a hoodie in this weather meant she probably really didn’t have any warm clothes.

He was just afraid this high-level NPC might freeze to death somewhere.

Spending a little money now to recruit Zhuge Yu as one of his minions would be hugely helpful later when dealing with Qi Qiancao.

Even though it really did look like he was being a scumbag…

And that guy over there looked familiar.

Weren’t you the one who patted my shoulder last time I came here with Qi Qiancao?

Too bad this time he didn’t pat Fang Wei’s shoulder.

He just rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things.

Damn it.

How did this kid switch women after just a few days?

This girl looked stubborn and shy, totally different from the youthful, sweet one last time.

You win, bro.

I’m like a stray dog by the roadside, thinking I’d get to taste shit disguised as love.

I ran over wagging my tail, took one bite, and found out it was chocolate—foaming at the mouth as I died in sweetness that was never mine.

Mental health counselor, I’m not okay!

This time, Fang Wei patted the guy’s shoulder.

Under Zhuge Yu’s confused gaze, Fang Wei brushed past him in a once-in-a-century crossing.

He led Zhuge Yu out of the clothing store.

The mall was huge, kept alive entirely by college students, so there was no shortage of places to eat.

Plenty of couples were out shopping in the evening.

Zhuge Yu followed behind Fang Wei, feeling more and more confused.

She carried bags full of clothes, forcing herself not to overthink.

After hesitating, she finally spoke softly.

“Thanks. When I moved out of the dorm, my suitcase with all my clothes got thrown into the water by those girls. I really didn’t have any winter clothes.”

“Why thank me? Aren’t these clothes for you to pass to Qi Qiancao?”

Fang Wei was extremely talented at playing dumb.

Zhuge Yu didn’t pick up the thread and continued.

“My parents don’t know I moved out. They still think I’m at school. I don’t dare call them. I’m afraid they’ll worry.”

“Because of the stuff at school? Rumors and gossip? Or things like today?”

Zhuge Yu stopped walking and looked up, only to see Fang Wei still moving forward.

He came back holding two skewers of candied hawthorn and sat on a bench in the mall corridor.

Across from them was a hotpot restaurant.

He handed one skewer to Zhuge Yu.

She bit into it.

The sticky rice paper melted, the sugar shell was cloyingly sweet, and the hawthorn made her teeth ache with sourness.

Fang Wei bit one off too.

When he was in elementary school, he thought college students were mature adults, completely different from kids.

Now he realized college students were more like a return to basics.

You could even see college students in the campus supermarket demolishing spicy snack strips.

He looked at Zhuge Yu.

She was trying to lick sugar stuck to her lips with her small tongue.

When she noticed Fang Wei watching, she turned away in embarrassment.

After a while, she softly went, “Mm.”

She was continuing the earlier topic.

“I was going to handle follow-up leave procedures at school today. Then those girls ran into me. They called me a slut, said I still dared to come back, and then… well, just this once. I won’t see them again anyway.”

Zhuge Yu curled up, clearly liking the posture.

It gave her a rare sense of safety.

She pretended to be cheerful and took another bite of hawthorn.

“Worst case, I’ll just drop out of college. In everyone else’s eyes, I’m already completely rotten. Let them say whatever they want. I don’t care at all.”

“Wouldn’t that feel unfair?”

“…”

Fang Wei thought that giving up school because of rumors and bullying was way too unfair.

How could someone live so spinelessly?

It was like people who were driven to suicide—if the ones who pushed you were still alive, wouldn’t you have died for nothing?

More than ten years ago, a timid girl who’d been bullied once thought about jumping off the school building.

Barely ten years old, Fang Wei finished a fight, grabbed her hand, and hauled over a bucket of slop, dumping it on the bully’s face in front of the whole class during break.

The timid girl asked him why he did it.

He figured it was simple logic.

If you jump or transfer schools, whose homework am I going to copy?

After all, he was someone who never got up early without profit.

If I need you, isn’t it right to recruit you as a minion?

Later, in middle and high school, that girl asked him countless times while helping him with homework, making a big deal out of it.

He couldn’t be bothered to ask himself if he’d regret it.

Sorry.

He’d always been someone who never wasted energy on inner conflict.

So what do you do when something pisses you off?

He stood up and pointed at the hotpot restaurant across the way.

“Let’s eat steak another day. Mainly because I’m worried you’ll drip tears into it. So tonight we’ll just make do with hotpot. Once everything’s settled tomorrow, we’ll celebrate properly.”

“Celebrate what?”

Zhuge Yu couldn’t keep up with his train of thought.

Fang Wei smiled.

“Those girls earlier had pretty faces. I kind of want to get to know them.”

Get to know them, then beat the hell out of those pretty faces of those campus-bullying bitches.

Zhuge Yu’s pupils trembled slightly.

She really wanted to ask how bored this man had to be to meddle in other people’s messes.

This kind of distance-less intrusion—no girl would like it.

Really.

Her thoughts were written all over her face, but Fang Wei couldn’t be bothered to explain.

He’d said it before.

All the magical girls in this area were under his protection.

And the high-level NPCs around those magical girls were under his protection too.