It's Not Easy for a Single Father to Raise a Daughter

Wu Zixi stood under the scorching sun at the West Gate of Peking University, feeling that the sun overhead was more vicious than ever before.

He looked at the boy in front of him, who had his hands in his pockets and a highly punchable face, before his gaze drifted uncontrollably to the boy's left and right.

On the left was a girl in a floral dress, so pure and innocent she looked like a girl-next-door straight out of a painting, so sweet and soft that it made one want to offer her the whole world.

On the right, a baseball cap half-concealed a cold, glamorous face, and her two long legs were dazzlingly pale.

How is this scientific?

How does this make any sense?

Did Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School start offering some kind of "Top-Tier Playboy Training Course"? Or did this kid save the principal's life?

Wu Zixi felt his worldview taking an unprecedented hit. Having navigated Peking University for three years, he prided himself on reading people well and having seen his fair share of the world, but this scene of a guy having a girl on each arm—while keeping things perfectly harmonious—truly hit his blind spot.

"Senior?"

Chen Zhi waved a hand in front of Wu Zixi's eyes, smiling harmlessly. "Did you get heatstroke? How about you take a rest and we look around ourselves?"

Wu Zixi snapped back to reality and put his smile back on.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about a proposal for the Student Union."

He seamlessly showed off his busy schedule and status, then stepped aside and made a welcoming gesture. "Let's go. Since you are my future juniors, I'll definitely be your guide. Peking University is huge. Without someone to lead the way, it's easy to get lost in the weight of its history."

The large group marched grandly into the campus.

It had to be said, the century-old campus really was something.

Red buildings, shimmering lakes, and towering pagodas—every brick and tile seemed soaked in a scholarly aura.

Ancient trees towered along the path, cicadas chirped in the branches, and occasionally, a few students could be seen hurrying past with books in their arms.

But for Chen Zhi, his current situation was far more thrilling than the scenery.

He walked near the middle-back of the group. On his left was the well-behaved Li Zhiyi, following him closely, her small hand occasionally tugging at the hem of his shirt, terrified of getting lost.

On his right was the aloof beauty Pei Ningxue, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

This treatment of being flanked by two beauties made the surrounding boys from No. 1 Middle School grind their teeth in jealousy.

This Wu Zixi really did have some skills. Instead of reciting dry dates, he casually shared the anecdotes and interesting stories behind every building and tree, being humorous without lacking depth.

Unfortunately, his two main target listeners were clearly not on the same wavelength.

Looking at the intimate trio of Chen Zhi and the girls, Wu Zixi sneered inwardly.

Pretty junior girls these days still have too narrow a horizon, easily attracted by mere physical appearances. Later, when he showed them what true intellectual depth was, this superficial attraction would naturally crumble.

"Up ahead is the famous Peking University Library."

Wu Zixi stopped and pointed at the magnificent building in front of them, his tone turning solemn. "This is one of the largest university libraries in Asia. For Peking University students, this isn't just a place to store books; it's a sanctuary of the mind."

The students let out a collective gasp of awe and took out their phones to snap pictures.

Wu Zixi turned around to look at Chen Zhi.

"This classmate here, seeing your extraordinary conversational skills just now, you must really enjoy reading in your free time, right?"

Wu Zixi smiled gently. "In this era of fragmented information, not many people can calm their minds to read. I wonder what kind of literary works you are usually interested in, junior? Do you lean towards the rational critique of Western philosophy, or do you prefer the magical realism of Latin American literature?"

This question was very tricky.

Instead of asking if he read books, he directly asked about genres. Average high schoolers were buried in science test papers every day and at most skimmed through light magazines. Faced with this kind of question, they would either expose their ignorance or fail miserably at acting pretentious.

As soon as Chen Zhi opened his mouth, the gap in their cultural foundations would be completely exposed.

Chen Zhi scratched his head, looking a bit shy. "What you mentioned is too profound, senior. I really haven't read much of that."

The smile at the corners of Wu Zixi's mouth deepened. "That's alright, reading is a gradual process..."

"However..." Chen Zhi suddenly shifted the topic, his face full of sincerity. "Lately, I've been delving into some theoretical works regarding soul reconstruction and martial soul awakening."

Wu Zixi was stunned.

Soul reconstruction?

That sounded like it had a strong sociological and theological flavor. Could this kid be hiding his true depths?

"Oh?" Wu Zixi's interest was piqued, and he pushed up his glasses. "I'd love to hear more. Which master's work is this?"

"The work explores how a working student from the bottom rung of society navigates a violent social structure, and through personal struggle and teamwork, ultimately shatters the old theocratic rule to achieve a leap in the hierarchy of life."

Chen Zhi spoke with a rhythmic cadence, his expression solemn. "Especially the chapter on 'Resurrect, My Love,' which profoundly reveals the dialectical relationship between sacrifice and redemption. I believe its literary value is on par with any classical tragedy."

The surroundings fell silent for two seconds.

Wu Zixi frowned slightly, frantically searching his mental database. Working student? Theocracy? Resurrection?

Could it be some obscure Eastern European literature?

"It sounds... very profound." To prevent himself from looking like a clown, Wu Zixi drew from his past experiences and commented cautiously, "And the title of the book is?"

Chen Zhi grinned, revealing a mouthful of bright white teeth. "Soul Land."

Pfft—

Someone in the crowd couldn't hold it in and snorted with laughter.

"Fucking 'leap in the hierarchy'!"

"Hahahaha, working student Tang San, spot on! Brother Chen, you really understand reading comprehension!"

The smile on Wu Zixi's face instantly stiffened. He felt like an idiot, having listened to someone seriously summarize a web novel for half the day.

"Classmate, you're really humorous." Wu Zixi ground his back teeth, trying hard to maintain his composure. "However, web novels are ultimately fast-food culture, what you might call cheap entertainment. As future elites, if you indulge in such cheap thrills, I'm afraid it will be difficult to cultivate the high-level thinking needed to command the big picture. After all, Peking University doesn't need boys who only know how to dream."

Those words were a bit harsh.

Both explicitly and implicitly, he was mocking Chen Zhi for being uncultured, low-class, and addicted to trashy entertainment.

The laughter gradually died down, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Li Zhiyi was a little upset.

She usually had the softest temperament and didn't even dare to speak loudly, but she couldn't stand hearing others talk about Chen Zhi like that.

In her mind, Chen Zhi was the smartest and the best.

The young girl mustered her courage, took a small step forward, and blocked Chen Zhi's side.

She raised her head, her clear eyes flashing with a stubborn light. "I think... what books someone reads is their personal freedom. As long as it brings joy and reflection, there's no distinction between high and low class."

At this point, feeling that her words lacked sufficient impact, she added, "Besides, Chen Zhi has really good grades. In the last provincial joint exam, he placed first with a total score of 712. Reading those books hasn't affected his excellence at all."

Wu Zixi choked on his words.

712?

This kid looked like a slacker who didn't take anything seriously, but he was actually a top-tier scholar of that caliber?

You have to know, when he got into Peking University back then, his score was only around 680.

But at Peking University, the last thing they lacked was top students.

So what if your score is high? Once you enter college, what really matters is your comprehensive qualities, your horizons, and your connections.

"Scores are just a stepping stone. College values comprehensive qualities and broad horizons more," Wu Zixi was still holding on, trying to claw back some dignity. "For example, the appreciation of classical music, or perspectives on international affairs. These are the key factors that separate the elites from mere test-takers..."

"I read them too."

A cold, clear voice suddenly cut in, interrupting Wu Zixi's endless chatter.

Pei Ningxue, who had been silent on the side, finally spoke up.

She stood under the shade of the tree, dappled sunlight falling on her exquisitely flawless side profile. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Turning her head, her beautiful eyes cast a faint glance at Wu Zixi. "I also like reading Soul Land. I think compared to certain people who use a few classic novels they've barely opened as window dressing, reading web novels is at least more genuine. Hypocritical elitism is much more sickening than mindless entertainment."

Wu Zixi completely shut down.

Why?

Just why?

Do girls nowadays all like this uneducated, ignorant vibe? Or is it true that being handsome means you can do whatever you want?

He took a deep breath, knowing that dwelling on this topic would only bring further humiliation.

"Ahem... It's too hot today. You guys must be thirsty."

Wu Zixi let out a dry laugh. "I'll go buy some water for everyone."

Not long after, Wu Zixi returned carrying a box of bottled water.

He handed a bottle to each student with mechanical movements, clearly still not having recovered from the blow he just took.

When it was Chen Zhi's turn, he deliberately played a little trick.

He held two bottles of chilled Mizone and one bottle of room-temperature mineral water in his hands.

The Mizone was obviously for the girls, and the room-temperature water was for Chen Zhi.

Everyone understood the meaning behind this differential treatment.

On such a hot day, who wouldn't want a sip of something ice-cold?

"Junior, here. Something cold to beat the heat." Wu Zixi handed a bottle of Mizone to Li Zhiyi, piling a smile back onto his face in an attempt to salvage some impression points.

"Thank you, Senior," Li Zhiyi took it politely but didn't drink it right away.

Wu Zixi then handed the other bottle of Mizone to Pei Ningxue. "This one is for you. Lime flavored, very refreshing."

Pei Ningxue didn't take it.

She just shook her head, her tone indifferent. "I don't drink sweet things."

Wu Zixi's hand froze in mid-air.

He couldn't pull it back, nor could he keep offering it.

In the end, he could only awkwardly shove the Mizone into the hands of Chen Zhi next to her, his tone stiff. "Then... you take this bottle. Boys should drink more to replenish electrolytes."

Chen Zhi was amused.

He accepted it without any hesitation, twisted off the cap, tilted his head back, and took a huge gulp.

The ice-cold liquid slid down his throat, instantly dispelling the summer heat.

"Thanks, Senior. I was just getting thirsty," Chen Zhi let out a breath of cool air, looking completely satisfied. "Ice-cold is definitely the way to go. Thanks for treating."

Watching Chen Zhi's look of enjoyment, Wu Zixi couldn't take it anymore and decided to stop maintaining the facade of peace. He didn't believe these two stunning beauties could tolerate a guy two-timing them.

"Your relationship seems quite complicated," Wu Zixi pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping back and forth among the three of them. "Earlier at the school gate, you said you were childhood sweethearts, but this... If I may be so bold to ask, what exactly is your relationship?"

At this question, everyone around them pricked up their ears.

This was a classic love triangle drama!

They had always wanted to know what the relationship between these three was in class anyway.

No.

It should be four; there was one more who hadn't come today.

Chen Zhi screwed the cap back onto the Mizone and didn't answer immediately.

He turned around and looked at Pei Ningxue.

Because of the hot weather and the walk they just had, fine beads of sweat had formed on Pei Ningxue's forehead, and a few strands of hair were stuck to her cheek.

Chen Zhi naturally raised his hand.

His fingertips gently brushed across her jade-like cheek, helping her tuck that stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Pei Ningxue didn't dodge.

She merely lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering for a moment, allowing his fingers to touch her skin.

Her docility in that moment made her seem like a completely different person from her usual aloof self.

After doing all this, Chen Zhi slowly turned his head back.

Looking at Wu Zixi, whose face was full of a thirst for knowledge, he sighed.

"Senior, do you really want to know?"

Wu Zixi sneered in his heart: Make it up, keep making it up.

As long as there was concrete proof that this kid was two-timing, let's see how he could keep pretending!

Chen Zhi put on a deep expression, his tone carrying a bit of weariness and helplessness. "Actually, this involves a wealthy family feud. To put it simply, she is my biological sister from a different father and a different mother. But I've always raised her like a daughter. You know, it's not easy for a single dad to raise a child, especially when the kid hits her rebellious phase. I can't do anything about it."

Wu Zixi: ???

A biological sister from a different father and a different mother?

What kind of biological miracle is this?

After saying that, he even cast a doting look at Pei Ningxue, as if he were truly looking at an ignorant daughter.

Wu Zixi opened his mouth wide, his jaw almost dropping to the ground.

He frantically calculated the logical relationships of that sentence in his head, his brain's CPU practically burning out.

Meanwhile, the person in question, Pei Ningxue, after hearing this absolute nonsense, viciously stomped on Chen Zhi's foot in everyone's blind spot.

The stomp was of moderate force, carrying a bit of embarrassment and annoyance, but mostly a kind of flirtatious charm that only the two of them understood.

Chen Zhi endured the stomp without changing his expression, his face still hanging onto that kind, old fatherly smile.

"Senior, I'll have to trouble you to take good care of my daughter here at school in the future."

Wu Zixi stood rooted to the spot, completely disheveled in the wind.