He Doesn't Like This Kind of Plot

The next day.

10 a.m.

Su Qi woke up early.

After a quick tidy-up, he prepared to head out.

After all, this wasn’t a blind date.

He pushed the door open and stepped outside.

Walking along the alleyway with its still-unfixed drainage system, he spotted the same old scavenger again.

This time, however, the old man seemed preoccupied, staring blankly at the sky, paying no attention to Su Qi.

Su Qi didn’t plan to ask what was troubling him either.

His promise stood as it was.

A drowning man will clutch at any straw—unless his situation isn’t that dire yet.

That was just how reality worked. The whole thing had started because he’d taken a joke too far and felt guilty about it.

There were many ways to ease guilt.

Some would return the five bucks they’d taken.

Others would give more—a hundred, a few hundred, even thousands—trying to improve the old man’s life.

Many might even think those who handed over hundreds or thousands were kinder, more compassionate than Su Qi, that the old man would be better off because of them.

He didn’t care.

Let people think what they wanted.

As far as Su Qi was concerned, most of the time, money was easy to take, but favors were hard to repay.

By accepting the old man’s five dollars, he was accepting his goodwill.

And his promise was his way of returning that goodwill.

You treat me to a meal, I’ll handle something for you.

Not some condescending pity from someone slightly better off toward those struggling at the bottom.

Exiting the alley, he casually hailed a ride on his phone.

The booking went through quickly, though the car was still some distance away.

After about five minutes of waiting, the driver arrived—a middle-aged man with the unmistakable look of someone who didn’t want to be at work. "Last four digits of your number?"

Su Qi slid into the back seat. "1XX6."

The driver nodded and started the car.

As they merged into the main road, Su Qi leaned back, gazing out the window.

The trees lining the street blurred past, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on the window.

Maybe because the ride was long, the driver grew bored. "Heading to the wealthy district in Jiangxia, kid? Here to ask for a favor or visit someone?"

Su Qi chuckled. "More like handling business. Not asking for favors, though. Never have in my life—no point anyway."

The driver seemed to recall something unpleasant. "Yeah, might as well pray to the gods. At least that’s something."

"Praying doesn’t work either."

The driver turned the wheel. "At least it’s some kind of comfort."

Su Qi thought for a moment. "If praying actually worked, neither of us would even get through the temple gates."

The driver mulled it over and laughed bitterly. "Damn right..."

"Screech—"

Before he could finish, he slammed the brakes.

A loud "thud" followed—the two cars ahead had rear-ended each other at the traffic light.

"Ugh, who even designed this two-minute red light? This road’s never congested, just won’t let people go. Might as well kill time. You like watching drama, kid?"

Despite phrasing it as a question, he’d already rolled down the window.

A stream of expletives drifted in.

"Are you blind?! Driving like a maniac—got a death wish or what?"

"Sorry, sorry, my bad. Pulled an all-nighter finishing a proposal, didn’t sleep. Rushing to deliver it to the client. Just tell me how to settle this—can’t waste time, gotta get to work."

"Bro... you working on a Saturday too? I’m also rushing to the office..."

"So this...?"

"Ah, forget it. Just some scratched paint. I’m in a hurry too. Those damn bosses at my company called a weekend meeting for no reason..."

And just like that, before any onlookers could gather, the minor collision was resolved.

Su Qi suddenly recalled a depressing yet darkly humorous saying: "Sick? So you’re skipping class?"

Was this the adult version?

Car crash? So you’re skipping work?

People always said, "It’ll get better once you’re in high school," "It’ll get better once you’re in college," "It’ll get better once you’re working," "It’ll get better once you’re married."

So… who exactly was living this "better" life?

Him, Su Qi?

Sigh…

The world hustles and bustles, all for a few scraps of silver.

……

About half an hour later, the car arrived.

Su Qi stood before the grand gates of the Yun Family’s estate, tilting his head up to take in the imposing villa.

Neatly trimmed flower beds flanked the entrance, the air faintly perfumed with blossoms.

The moment he paused at the gate, a uniformed butler opened it.

The butler bowed slightly, voice respectful. "Mr. Su, I presume? Madam is expecting you."

Su Qi nodded and followed the butler inside.

The walk from the gate to the villa was so long that they even provided a golf cart for the trip.

……

In the main hall, Yun Ting sat on a sofa, a teacup in hand, her demeanor relaxed.

She wore an elegantly tailored cheongsam.

Her accessories, however, were the same gaudy ensemble as before—earrings, necklace, bracelets, rings… the only thing missing was a gold tooth.

"Welcome."

Yun Ting set down her cup, offering a warm smile. "As expected of Guardian Jiang’s disciple—such a fine young man."

So, a person’s worth wasn’t necessarily about their own value, but more about what they represented.

Last time, Su Qi had been "scrap from the edges of society" in her eyes.

Now, without anything actually changing, just because he’d become Guardian Jiang’s "nominal disciple," he was suddenly "a fine young man."

Though, admittedly, he was pretty good-looking.

Su Qi smiled politely, though the overpowering perfume made him slightly uncomfortable.

He noticed Yun Ting’s gaze lingering on him, but her attention kept flickering to the card in his hand—clearly, she was far more interested in it.

"Madam Yun, hello." Su Qi gave a slight nod, his tone calm, then extended the card toward her. "I heard the Yun Family is willing to pay top dollar for cards like this. Old Jiang suggested I try my luck."

"Have a seat." Yun Ting gestured to the sofa across from her.

She took the card, examining it carefully.

Her fingers traced its edges, a glint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

"How many more of these do you have?" She looked up sharply, her gaze probing.

Su Qi replied evenly, "Just one for now."

"For now?" Yun Ting’s brow arched slightly.

Her eyes locked onto his face, as if trying to pry loose more information.

"Meaning there might be more later?"

Seriously, how long did it take to watch a movie?

Even including travel time, call it four hours max—that was twenty free hours!

If there were enough of these, they could push Yun Huang to seventh rank before the martial exams…

The Yun Family would finally secure its footing…

At the thought, her breathing grew uneven…

Even the way she looked at Su Qi shifted.

Su Qi: ???

Wait—

What was that look?

"Madam, you wouldn’t want Yun Huang to run out of these cards for training, would you?"

He wasn’t into that kind of plot!

[Delight +1]