Jiangnan didn’t think his life was that tough.
With hands and feet, he could support himself.
Plenty of people in the world had it worse.
Why mope and wallow in self-pity?
That’s just making things harder on yourself.
But the two girls were already lost in their imaginations.
Jiangnan, drenched in sweat, his scrawny frame balancing trays, grilling skewers, holding up an entire household.
Just moments ago, splitting bricks with his head at the stall.
Your humble struggle to survive is honestly pretty dashing.
Xia Yao, full of pity, said, “Eat more, look how skinny you are.”
Zhong Yingxue, eyes red with guilt, said, “Why didn’t I find you sooner?”
“Thanks to those fading boxers you sold Xiaoyao, or we wouldn’t have met.”
Xia Yao: ???
Hey, hey, hey.
Yingxue, you got it all wrong.
I’m the victim here.
Heartache.
Jiangnan: …
What are you two imagining?
It’s really not that hard, okay?
Just grilling cold noodles.
Selling hundreds a night at the university gate.
Made more than an office job, alright?
If they hadn’t banned stalls, Jiangnan would probably still be grilling.
Xia Yao, seeing Zhong Yingxue’s teary eyes, couldn’t bear it.
She slid a bank card over, “Here’s a hundred thousand.”
Zhong Yingxue rummaged in her bag, “I’ve got fifty thousand here.”
Jiangnan, dead serious, said, “Look, I know I’m sunny, handsome, charming, and suave.”
“But I’m really not that kind of guy.”
“Are you two trying to… keep me as a pet or something?”
[Resentment points from Xia Yao +999!]
[Resentment points from Zhong Yingxue +666!]
Xia Yao gritted her teeth, “Keep you? In your dreams, you bald swindler. I wouldn’t touch you.”
Zhong Yingxue scolded, “Xiaonan. You’re being naughty again.”
Jiangnan shrank back, laughing it off.
The meal was a blast.
At the end, Xia Yao reached out to Jiangnan.
“What?”
“Give me your phone.”
Xia Yao saw his beat-up, cracked-screen phone and was stunned he still used it.
“What’s this junk? I’ll get you a new one.”
Jiangnan pondered for two seconds, like he’d made a big decision.
“So, got room for a leg accessory? I’m done struggling.”
[Resentment points from Xia Yao +333!]
“Accessory my foot. Smile, let’s take a picture.”
The three huddled together, Zhong Yingxue and Xia Yao sandwiching Jiangnan.
Xia Yao hooked his neck, squishing his face out of shape.
“Come on, Yingxue. Closer, closer.”
*Click.*
In the photo, Xia Yao held a skewer in her mouth, arm around Jiangnan, his distorted face beaming. Zhong Yingxue leaned on his shoulder, flashing a trendy peace sign.
The unbeatable reverse scissors hand.
“Haha, if your bald head wasn’t so shiny, it’d be perfect.”
Jiangnan: “…”
Zhong Yingxue laughed, “Send it to me, I’ll make it my wallpaper.”
“Got it.”
At the counter, Jiangnan rushed to pay.
“I said it’s my treat. You two helped sell my stuff, can’t let that go unrewarded.”
Xia Yao and Zhong Yingxue couldn’t outmaneuver him.
“Boss, how much?”
“Three hundred forty-one, let’s call it three hundred forty.”
“Deal.”
Jiangnan scanned to pay.
“Sorry, insufficient balance.”
What the hell? How? I sold Farmer’s Three Punches for ten thousand one, plus all that stock.
He checked his WeChat wallet.
Balance: 124.69 yuan.
What?
Where’s my money?
My hard-earned cash?
He mentally tallied every sale, it should’ve been 12,469.
How’s it a hundred times less?
That decimal point’s got some nerve.
You misplaced yourself, huh?
Be good, go back, shift two spots. Don’t scare me.
I was wrong, okay?
Jiangnan rubbed his eyes. It was really just over a hundred.
The boss looked skeptical. Eating with two beauties and no money?
“You… you’re not trying to dine and dash, are you?”
Jiangnan: “No way. Give me a sec.”
System. Where’s my money?
My blood-and-sweat brick-splitting cash?
[Congratulations, stall owner. Stall fee successfully paid.]
[Within the stall cloth’s range, the owner activates invincible mode.]
[Stall fees automatically convert to skill points at a 100:1 ratio.]
[Congratulations, host. Skill learning module unlocked.]
Congratulations? Congratulate your sister.
What use are skill points?
Can they charm girls or buy pancakes?
What the hell’s a stall fee?
[All transactions on the stall cloth require a stall fee, split 9.99:0.01.]
[Fees convert to skill points for the stall owner to learn skills.]
I… %?…;#*’☆amp; beep beep beep.
Jiangnan was furiously sending telegrams.
He’d heard of 50-50 splits, 90-10 splits.
9.99:0.01?
A split with decimals?
You serious? Two decimal places?
He risked his life splitting bricks to sell goods. Was earning money easy?
That was blood-and-sweat cash.
Stocked socks and boxers with his own money.
And the system takes 9.99?
Leaving him 0.01?
Jiangnan exploded.
This money, to him, wasn’t just money.
Tch. Not money at all.
It was his life. His life.
[Detected insult to the system. Deducting funds.]
Jiangnan watched his balance drop from 124.69 to 24.69.
Ah.
Ah.
Ah.
This stupid… invincible, handsome system is out to kill me.
Caught by the throat, Jiangnan froze, pitifully glancing at Zhong Yingxue by the door.
The boss rolled his eyes, “Mate, really?”
“Scrambling to pay, and you’re short?”
His gaze was a piercing arrow.
Straight through Jiangnan’s heart.
Zhong Yingxue smiled, paid the bill, and patted Jiangnan’s shoulder.
Today, Jiangnan learned the taste of embarrassment.
Don’t ask.
Ask, and it’s a forgotten password.
Lost fingerprints.
Unlinked card.
Dead phone.
Xia Yao: “What’s up? Why so slow?”
Zhong Yingxue smiled, “Nothing. Jiangnan’s phone got…”
Wow. Yingxue’s too kind.
Covering for me.
Jiangnan was in a daze.
He didn’t know how he got back to the alley entrance.
Watching the Mercedes G-Class speed off, Zhong Yingxue waving.
Leaving just like that?
So straightforward.
That fifty thousand… hundred thousand…
Not giving it?
Hey. I’ve got more to say.
Yingxue. Xia Yao. I’m not picky anymore.
Keep me, I’m that kind of guy.
Come back… don’t let my tears fall.
With only 24.69 yuan left, Jiangnan’s world turned grey.
Passing his landlord’s BBQ stall, the noise and cursing made him frown.
One glance, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
