Licking Dog 09

Under the guidance of his newly acquainted "friends," he began spending the prepaid cards at internet cafes, occasionally even visiting the extravagant nightclub "Paradise" to experience the flattering greeting, "Welcome, distinguished guest."

Faced with Lin Xue's nagging, Gu Shaoting grew increasingly impatient. He would seize any opportunity to bring her back to his place, even during holidays. Whenever Lin Xue showed the slightest dissatisfaction, Gu Shaoting would lift his shirt to show her the scar, silencing her protests.

When the exams came, both of them, distracted and unfocused, performed poorly. Lin Xue managed to scrape into an average undergraduate program, while Gu Shaoting barely made it into a vocational college.

When the results were announced, the two stood in awkward silence. Just then, Liu Shishi walked past them, arm in arm with Fang Zhiyi, cheerfully mentioning they would attend the same university. Both Lin Xue and Gu Shaoting turned their heads—one with envy, the other with jealousy. Suddenly, Lin Xue called out, "Fang Zhiyi!"

Fang Zhiyi stopped and looked at her. Lin Xue opened her mouth, intending to ask for a loan. She thought a rich heir like Fang Zhiyi wouldn’t care about such a small sum. But when she saw Liu Shishi clinging to his arm, casting a triumphant glance her way, the words died in her throat.

"Never mind. Goodbye."

After orchestrating the incident where Gu Shaoting obtained the prepaid cards, Fang Zhiyi had stopped interfering with them. The consequences were entirely of Gu Shaoting’s own making, though Jiang Ran had played a part. Still, the outcome was satisfactory—the protagonist Gu Shaoting’s aura had significantly weakened, and Lin Xue’s along with it.

Watching the two walk away, Gu Shaoting turned to Lin Xue. "Do you regret not accepting his advances?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Hmph." Gu Shaoting’s recent indulgence in alcohol and pleasure had changed him drastically, giving him a weathered, almost haggard appearance.

Lin Xue recalled Fang Zhiyi’s changed attitude toward her and Liu Shishi’s mocking gaze. A sense of injustice welled up inside her, and she quietly made a decision.

When Lin Xue’s mother learned of her daughter’s exam results, she was furious. Only then did she discover Lin Xue had a boyfriend. She stormed over to Gu Shaoting, pointing at his nose and unleashing a torrent of curses.

But what was done couldn’t be undone. Resigned, she warned Gu Shaoting to stay away from her daughter. What she didn’t expect was that Lin Xue would secretly transfer her life savings when leaving for university registration.

Lin Xue still believed in Gu Shaoting. He was so talented, with so much experience—he was bound to succeed.

Their universities were in the same city, though a fair distance apart. That didn’t stop them from meeting frequently. In a hotel room, after Gu Shaoting swore on his life, Lin Xue handed over the bank card containing her mother’s hard-earned savings.

Watching Gu Shaoting busily scout locations and oversee renovations, she felt their good fortune was just around the corner.

Soon, she would marry Gu Shaoting in a grand ceremony and send invitations to Fang Zhiyi and Liu Shishi!

But she hadn’t anticipated that Jiang Ran, fully prepared, would follow them like a vengeful ghost.

Though the weakening of the protagonists’ auras puzzled her, she figured it was their own doing—and to her advantage.

So Jiang Ran employed every underhanded tactic she could: opening a restaurant across from Gu Shaoting’s, poaching his chefs with higher pay, sending troublemakers to dine at his place, and more.

Even a well-run restaurant would struggle under such sabotage, let alone Gu Shaoting’s amateur venture. His past successes had relied on Lin Xue repeatedly borrowing money from Fang Zhiyi for trial and error. Now, not only did he lack the capital for mistakes, but he also faced a ruthless adversary.

After six months of barely staying afloat, the restaurant went under.

Lin Xue was stunned. She could almost see her mother’s furious face and refused to listen to Gu Shaoting’s excuses, running off in tears.

Gu Shaoting, however, assumed Lin Xue still had money. After all, she’d suddenly produced tens of thousands when she’d claimed to be broke—her family must be wealthy. So he staged an apology, setting up unlit candles in the rain outside her dormitory.

But universities never lack spectators. Amid the crowd’s encouragement, Lin Xue accepted his apology. They agreed to start small, and once again, Lin Xue dipped into her secret stash—money she’d saved for emergencies. Seeing him drenched and desperate, she gritted her teeth and took the gamble.

After starting university, Fang Zhiyi became engrossed in various activities. He attended lectures across disciplines, even philosophy, taking meticulous notes like a model student.

Liu Shishi often couldn’t find him and noticed his growing distance. But what could she do? She could only sigh in resignation.

Secretly observing him, she saw Fang Zhiyi always in a hurry, yet alone—no romantic rivals in sight. He seemed to have transformed into a full-fledged academic.

Gu Shaoting’s protagonist aura still flickered. As if heaven favored him, he secured an incredibly cheap storefront near the campus—a prime location. Without hesitation, he launched a fried skewer business.

The tiny shop, perfectly positioned at the school gate, drew massive crowds. Fried skewers required little skill—just affordability and generous portions to attract students.

Business boomed. Gu Shaoting was too busy to attend classes, reveling in the steady stream of customers and swelling profits. Lin Xue, as his girlfriend, basked in the reflected glory, her face often lit with hope for the future.

But they remained oblivious to Jiang Ran’s presence.

Jiang Ran resorted to a method even Fang Zhiyi would disdain—poisoning. She cared nothing for morality or danger, so long as Gu Shaoting and Lin Xue suffered.

One day, students who had eaten Gu Shaoting’s skewers fell violently ill, vomiting and suffering diarrhea. Authorities swiftly intervened, shutting down his shop.

Panicked, Gu Shaoting presented purchase records and surveillance footage to prove his innocence. Yet the footage showed nothing amiss—no trace of foul play.

Jiang Ran had anticipated this. Using her system’s power, she erased all evidence of her presence, even altering the records. No matter how thoroughly investigators searched, they found no leads.