Forced Me to Regress, Huh?

Near the school gate, the feast of crayfish cost about the same as an average college student’s monthly living expenses.

It couldn’t be helped. Liu Feng and Zheng Qingfeng were determined not to order any staple food and insisted on eating crayfish to the point of bursting.

The pile of crayfish shells in front of these two could easily form a small mound.

After the late-night snack, everyone headed back to school together. As they passed by the sushi restaurant, Cheng Zhu pointed it out, telling them that this was the shop he was about to rent.

Dong Dong looked at the shop and asked curiously, “Old Cheng, your parents really trust you, huh? You’ve just started college, but they’re already supporting your business venture. My dad’s the opposite. He told me to focus on my studies first and then go work at the family business after graduation.

“To be honest, I really don’t want to go back to the family business. The company has fifty or sixty employees, so it wouldn’t make much of a difference if I’m not there.”

There was an underlying meaning in Young Master Dong’s words.

Think about it. There were fifty or sixty employees. Even if these people were all on basic salaries, his family would still be spending quite a bit of money on wages each month, showing just how well-off they were.

Zheng Qingfeng, whose family was in real estate, opened his mouth to speak but ultimately opted to remain aloof.

Unfortunately, Young Master Dong didn’t choose the best topic to kick things off.

Cheng Zhu replied casually, “It’s not that my parents support my business venture. I set it up myself. I haven’t even mentioned it to them yet.”

Dong Dong immediately felt that his level of showing off was too low and regretted splurging to treat everyone to crawfish.

“Damn, Old Cheng, you filthy tycoon! You had startup capital to start your own business?” Dong Dong was shocked.

The rent for two shops, plus renovations and equipment, wasn’t a small expense.

Damn it. Are you the richest first-year at Sci-Tech University?

Liu Feng, listening from the side, thought, Young Master Dong, it’s fine for you to show off in front of us, but why would you send your face to be slapped in front of the king of showing off?

So many days have passed, and you still don’t feel the sting?

—Truly lacking perception!

Cheng Zhu couldn’t be bothered to explain to this low-level show-off monster that he had earned the money himself.

It was better to avoid Dong Dong digging further and pestering him endlessly with questions.

I’ll let you go. I won’t continue educating you today.

The group of girls studying fashion design exchanged uncertain glances.

Yao Yina fully understood that she and Cheng Zhu were simply not from the same world. She decided to continue treating him as a male god, admiring him from afar like a fan chasing a campus celebrity. She could just lick his looks but wouldn’t entertain any unrealistic daydreams.

Guan Jiayue tried several times to strike up a conversation and get close to him but couldn’t muster the courage.

She kept feeling that the way Cheng Zhu looked at her held something indescribable and strange, almost as if there was a hint of amusement or mockery in his eyes.

To be honest, Cheng Zhu didn’t like girls who pretended to be pure around him.

It was clear she liked to have fun and was open-minded, but because she had ambitions for you and wanted to form a long-term strategic partnership with you, she kept pretending in front of you.

If she had been straightforward, perhaps they could have each gotten what they needed, right?

But playing this kind of game? It was just boring.

They were both seasoned foxes. What was the point of pretending?!

Compared to that, Cheng Zhu thought Yezi was pretty good.

At this moment, Zhu Yingying looked at the sushi restaurant and asked curiously, “Cheng Zhu, why did you decide to open a claw machine shop near the campus gate?”

“Of course, it’s because I think I can make money and also fulfill a little wish for my younger sister,” Cheng Zhu replied, the image of Little Youzi’s chubby little face and two cute braids appearing in his mind.

“Younger sister?!” Dong Dong immediately became excited. “Which younger sister? In addition to the two senior sisters, you actually have a younger godsister?

“Or are you already calling one of the senior sisters that in private?”

He was shocked.

The whole calling someone godsister was too common in school days. Not to mention it was just 2014, even five or five years later, people were still doing it. It was very cheesy.

But if the so-called younger sister was actually an older senior sister, girls couldn’t help but find it utterly irresistible.

Girls were always sensitive about their age. She was clearly older, but if a man insisted on calling her younger sister… Ahhh! It’s so adorable that it’s killing me with a sugar overload!

The girls here were even starting to imagine the scene!

Cheng Zhu was speechless. “She’s my biological sister. She’s still in kindergarten.”

“Huh? You’re such a great brother!” Yao Yina immediately said.

She also had an older brother, but they were close in age. From childhood, they had always fought, and he was often the one getting beaten. Even now, he would come to her asking for living expenses when he was short on money!

She increasingly felt that her male god was outstanding, and she vaguely felt that any girl who dated him would definitely have a very sweet relationship!

This was how women thought. When they saw a man doting on his younger sister, they would naturally feel he would treat his girlfriend or wife the same way.

This was also why, for a period of time, the doting brother influencers quickly gained fans. People loved watching it and fantasizing about it.

Moreover, this was also why many scumbag men would say, “I want to have a daughter, not a son.”

The daughter-slaves played a similar role, adding points in some girls’ hearts.

Of course, it seemed most men indeed preferred to have daughters nowadays. But once they actually had one, considering their understanding of men, they would be full of worry. In this world full of scumbag men, how will my daughter fare?

After everyone returned to the campus, they bade farewell at the fork in the road.

In Cheng Zhu’s eyes, these four girls were just moving loudspeakers, and through their mouths, he could potentially build momentum for his claw machine shop in its early stages.

The fact that a first-year was opening a shop right at the school gate during military training was already a big talking point, drawing plenty of attention and buzz.

In addition, Cheng Zhu was somewhat of a campus celebrity, so it would be hard for the hype to die down.

After returning to the dorm room, everyone washed up, lay on their beds, and played with their phones.

After thinking for a moment, Cheng Zhu typed in the WeChat group where Shen Minglang was the admin and tagged Shen Qingning and Lin Lu. “Do you know Zhang Qiqi?”

“I’ve seen her a few times, but I’m not familiar with her. Is she the Zhang Qiqi in the fourth year?” Lin Lu replied.

“No.” Shen Qingning gave a more direct answer.

Unexpectedly, Boss Shen jumped in and said, “I know her! She calls herself the campus belle of Sci-Tech University online! I’ve seen her on Weibo!”

Then he quickly added, “But I don’t recognize her as the campus belle!”

In truth, Shen Minglang had not randomly come across Zhang Qiqi on Weibo.

When he found out his sister would be attending Sci-Tech University, he had specially searched all the beautiful women at the school, thinking he could use his sister’s presence there to flirt with female college students.

He had long noticed Zhang Qiqi!

Although in terms of natural looks, there was a slight gap between her and his sister at the Heavenly Immortal level…

It doesn’t matter. She’s still barely worthy of me, Young Master Shen!

Thus, he had subtly asked Shen Qingning if she knew Zhang Qiqi.

Based on her understanding of her older brother, Shen Qingning didn’t answer directly and only said, “If you mess around at our school, you’ll have to bear the consequences.”

Shen Minglang thought, Heh! Am I your older brother, or are you mine? You, the younger sister, are trying to control me?! I usually dote on you, but do you really think I’m afraid of you? You should know your place!

So, with an unyielding tone, he replied loudly, “Fine, I won’t go then!!!”

After belittling Zhang Qiqi in the group, he didn’t forget to say, “Ningning is the number one campus belle of Sci-Tech University, and Lin Lu comes second.”

“What first and second campus belle nonsense? So foolish,” Shen Qingning said irritably in the group.

Neither she nor Lin Lu cared about the title of campus belle. In fact, they found it a bit awkward.

If anyone called them a campus belle while they were walking around on campus, they would feel uncomfortable.

But it was precisely because they didn’t care about such titles that Zhang Qiqi felt even more unsettled.

She had worked so hard on marketing herself and building her campus belle persona. How much time and effort had she spent?

But for them? They didn’t even try, and it happened naturally.

In the group, Lin Lu suddenly asked, “Why are you asking about Zhang Qiqi?”

Shen Qingning didn’t respond in the group but was quietly waiting for Cheng Zhu’s answer.

“It’s nothing. We just had an evening event on the sports field today. Zhang Qiqi showed up and even performed a dance,” Cheng Zhu typed, deliberately leaving out the fact that Zhang Qiqi had specifically called his name.

Shen Minglang immediately interrupted, “Your college life is quite good, huh? You can even watch dances at evening events. Remember to call me next time.”

Suddenly, Jiang Wanzhou, who had been quiet up to now, chimed in, “Can you stop being so perverted?”

Cheng Zhu suggested, “Let’s call the police!”

Lin Lu picked up the conversation that Cheng Zhu had started earlier. “It’s normal for her to perform a dance. She participates in a lot of school activities. She even does some off-campus events occasionally.

“I heard that many influencer agencies have approached her since last year, but she hasn’t signed any contracts.”

Lin Lu told him everything she knew.

“Oh, I see.” Cheng Zhu casually ended the topic.

Then he began to lead the conversation. In the group, he said that he wanted to open a claw machine shop at the school gate. When it was ready, they all had to come, and he would give each of them a few hundred tokens.

Just as Lin Lu was about to continue asking about Zhang Qiqi, she was immediately drawn to the new topic of the shop.

Shen Minglang, who was currently at his bar, read the group chat and began typing. “Cousin, those kinds of shops don’t have much potential these days. Small arcades are basically doomed from the start these days. I won’t sugarcoat it—listen to me, just forget about it.

“If you haven’t signed the lease yet, it’s not a big deal. And even if you have, we’re on the same side. We can sort it out. Why not think it over?” 

Shen Minglang began to lead in the group.

Despite his many failed business ventures, he firmly believed in one principle: Don’t always think you’re so awesome and special. If everyone else has failed with a business idea, there must be a reason for it. Don’t be stubborn about it.

Indeed, Cheng Zhu’s e-commerce business was thriving, but there was definitely a significant difference between online and offline. In this day and age, opening a physical store was becoming increasingly difficult.

“It’s fine. The investment isn’t big. I won’t spend much on the renovation, and I can get the claw machines secondhand,” Cheng Zhu replied, not elaborating further.

Shen Minglang thought about it and didn’t persuade him anymore. He only said he’d bring people to spend at the shop once it was up and running.

He knew Cheng Zhu was making a decent amount every month, so he could afford to give it a try.

He put down his phone and thought, Cousin might run into some trouble with this one.

If he fails, I’ll buy a few claw machines from him. Anyway, I can give them to girls as gifts, Boss Shen mused.

Yes, while you were still at the stage of giving plushies to girls, Boss Shen had already thought about gifting them their own claw machines.

With the group chat winding down, everyone went back to their own business.

Lin Lu, who had been watching anime at home, tried to continue but found herself distracted.

Her mind drifted back to Zhang Qiqi.

Even though the conversation had ended half an hour ago, it suddenly crossed her mind again.

So she started a private chat with Cheng Zhu. “You haven’t told us why you’re asking if we know Zhang Qiqi.”

Cheng Zhu looked at the WeChat message and smiled.

—Here it comes!

He hadn’t said anything specific earlier, but now, he casually explained to Lin Lu that after Zhang Qiqi finished her dance, she had taken the microphone and specifically mentioned his name in front of everyone.

“Huh? She’s really weird,” Lin Lu replied after hearing the full story.

She even furrowed her brows cutely, and a little crease formed on the bridge of her nose. Her brain was working crazily, trying to figure out what Zhang Qiqi was doing. She found it quite annoying.

Cheng Zhu quickly typed, teasing, “This happened half an hour ago, and you’re still asking me about it now? I think you’re being a bit weird too.”