Harboring Ill Intentions, Two Happy Big Appetites, The Guild President Is on the Way

The Game City.

Tap, tap, tap. The sound of somewhat hurried footsteps came from outside the office. If one listened closely, it wasn't hard to detect a hint of cheerfulness in them.

Xia Tongxin skipped happily toward the office, but as she got within a few meters of the door, she slowed down and came to a stop.

She couldn't just go over there like this; otherwise, she would appear too happy. If she did that, that dummy Mama wouldn't know she was wrong!

The happy look on Xia Tongxin's small face gradually vanished, replaced by the appearance of an "angry" bad kid. Simply put... she was fuming right now!

Then... she kicked the office door in front of her.

Splat!

The door didn't budge an inch. Xia Tongxin's strength was still a bit too small; that kick felt more like a massage than an attack. With zero damage dealt, Xia Tongxin got angry!

She entered "Big Rage" mode, frantically kicking the office door in front of her. Bang, bang, bang... Of course, this was all happening in Xia Tongxin's imagination.

The actual effect was probably like a certain brand of instant noodles where "images are for reference only." When filming the commercial, they'd wish they could stuff a whole cow in there, but when you actually buy it, you need a microscope to find the meat. And guess what? The factory has been open for over a year, and the cow only suffered minor skin trauma—not even enough to qualify for workers' compensation!

Ideals are lush, but reality is harsh. The reality was Xia Tongxin softly kicking the door with weak, cotton-like taps. Mainly because if she used too much force, the recoil would be too much for Xia Tongxin to handle, and it would hurt. So, she could only throw a cowardly "little tantrum" like this.

The Head Maid standing to the side: "..."

The Head Maid sighed and prepared to step forward to knock. Unexpectedly, the crisp sound of high heels came from inside the office. Clack, clack, clack. The sound stopped at the door...

The Head Maid's pupils shrank. "Madam, don't!"

Click!

The one opening the door was the Noble Lady. Hearing the little commotion outside, the Noble Lady knew her adorable Tongtong had arrived. Anyone else wouldn't have the guts to kick the door.

The Noble Lady, who was still looking at ledgers in the office, hurriedly stood up. She didn't even have time to close the ledger before she rushed toward the door in her wine-red high heels to open it for her "fuming" Tongtong.

As luck would have it... the moment the door opened, Xia Tongxin outside had just launched a "charged heavy strike." It was a very smooth kick that hit nothing but air. At this distance, she could have braked in time, but that was assuming Xia Tongxin wasn't wearing height-increasing shoes.

The consequence of wearing height-increasing shoes was... a beautiful, superb split was performed right in front of the Noble Lady and the Head Maid.

"Woo..." Xia Tongxin propped her two small hands on the ground, her little mouth pouting until it looked like a duck's bill, emitting whimpering sounds of slight pain... Well, her flexibility was surprisingly good.

Noble Lady: "..."

Head Maid: "..."

A moment later.

"Woo woo woo, you evil dairy cow, woo woo woo, it's all your fault, woo woo woo..."

Xia Tongxin wiped her tears pitifully while not forgetting to pull out her paws amidst her crying to pummel the "evil dairy cow" in front of her.

Xia Tongxin had never practiced dance or taken any posture classes. The Noble Lady adopted a completely free-range policy with Xia Tongxin. As for enduring hardship... she couldn't endure even a little bit!

Their family's Tongtong didn't need to suffer. Her ancestors had already done all the suffering for her decades, even centuries ago. Since the suffering had already been endured, why should she suffer again?

She just needed to live happily for her entire life!

The Noble Lady's love for Xia Tongxin had reached a severe level of doting, to the point where, in the eyes of those around them, it was somewhat unreasonable. What daughter talks to her mother like that?

The Noble Lady would simply declare... you people are just jealous!

Barring any accidents, the Noble Lady was beyond saving. She had turned into a fool who couldn't think without her Tongtong's head nearby. Woo woo woo...

Facing Xia Tongxin's "continuous combo punches," the Noble Lady begged for mercy pitifully.

"Woo woo woo, Tongtong, Mom was wrong. Mom didn't mean to. Forgive Mom this one time, okay? Woo woo woo..."

"Hmph, you say that every time. Don't think I'll go soft on you this time, you evil dairy cow!" Xia Tongxin looked at her dummy Mama through gritted teeth.

The Noble Lady blinked her fox-like eyes, looking pitifully at her daughter. "Can't I?"

Xia Tongxin's heart, which was originally as soft as cotton candy, instantly turned into water. However, she maintained a stubborn, "unfeeling" appearance, let out a cold snort, and turned her head to the side.

"Hmph, seeing how pitiful and sincere you are, I will reluctantly forgive you this one time, dummy Mama!"

If one looked closely, they would discover that as Xia Tongxin said this, her ears were turning redder and redder, and fine sweat began to appear on her small hands... Dummy Mama, I really didn't want to forgive you!

Her scheme having succeeded, the Noble Lady looked moved. She hugged her Tongtong and planted several fierce kisses on her. "Tongtong, you are too good to Mama..."

"Hmph, that goes without saying..." Xia Tongxin gave a "cold snort," but the corners of her mouth were rising frantically. If Xia Tongxin had a small tail, it would probably be pointing straight up to the sky right now, spinning like a windmill, dying of happiness.

In a place Xia Tongxin couldn't see, the Noble Lady and the Head Maid exchanged a brief look. The Noble Lady's eyes held a hint of triumph.

Noble Lady: Tongtong is very cute, right?

Head Maid: ...

Head Maid: Yes, Madam, the Young Miss is very cute.

Noble Lady: You can use this trick too if Tongtong gets angry in the future...

Head Maid: ...

Head Maid: Very well, Madam, I will remember that...

Xia Tongxin never imagined that the two people closest to her were discussing how to "stab her in the back"... Hot water is too hot so she dares not drink it; human hearts are too cold so she dares not touch them.

Oh wait, the pink-headed Xia Tongxin didn't seem very bright. Unsurprisingly, she had no way of discovering their "evil plan and exchange."

She had practically been coddled back into the state of a helpless infant.

As compensation and apology, a simple verbal apology was certainly not enough. The Noble Lady was currently massaging the legs of the pink-headed Xia Tongxin.

However... judging by the look of it, for the pathologically doting Noble Lady, this seemed more like a reward?

The Head Maid standing to the side fell into silence as she watched her Madam, who was about to drool, and the eldest Young Miss, who was looking arrogant without any self-awareness.

Xia Tongxin picked up the strawberry milk on the table, inserted a straw, and took a sip. Only then did she speak somewhat "coolly": "Didn't I say it before? You aren't allowed to come over. I'm already an adult. If you keep following me, what will my classmates around me think of me?"

To summarize in one sentence... Do I not need to save face?

Actually... Xia Tongxin really didn't care about saving face. At least, that's how it used to be. The more her classmates gossiped about her, the more aggrieved Xia Tongxin felt, and the more she couldn't leave the Noble Lady.

Every time she felt wronged outside, she would hide in the Noble Lady's arms and cry for a long time. When she got a bit older, Xia Tongxin realized that this behavior seemed to be called... a mama's girl?

Because of her status, the people around her didn't dare to mock her to her face or say things in front of Xia Tongxin.

But behind her back, the gossiping was intense. They said all sorts of things, the main ones being "mama's girl," "childish," "not smart"... These insults didn't have particularly high attack power, but they were words that would make one shed tears like little pearls after hearing them.

This period was a critical "node" for Xia Tongxin turning rebellious. If it were before, Xia Tongxin would have hidden in the Noble Lady's arms to cry and voice her grievances as usual. But this time... Xia Tongxin swallowed it all alone.

Like a newborn hedgehog, her spines at this time were incredibly soft; anyone could take a swipe at them. After some time passed, the little hedgehog grew up and "matured," and the soft spines on its body hardened.

This hardening wasn't temporary, but permanent. It meant maturity, it meant entering the next stage, it meant possessing aggression, it meant... the rebellion had begun.

After swallowing her grievances this time, Xia Tongxin turned into a "bad student." She dyed her originally slightly yellowish platinum blonde hair pink, learned to smoke, learned to drink, and learned to get tattoos.

Yes, that's right... Xia Tongxin's original hair wasn't black, at least not pure black. When she was born, it was platinum blonde. Later it turned black, but a yellowish kind, then pure black, and then back to platinum blonde.

Even a chameleon couldn't change as much as Xia Tongxin. The doctor's explanation was... atavism. The side she reverted to was naturally the Noble Lady's side, some aristocrat from Great Britain with extremely high purity.

The Noble Lady didn't inherit the blonde hair, but she had the high nose bridge and big eyes—everything she should have—though she had more characteristics of a person from the Dragon Kingdom. Xia Tongxin inherited parts of it too, specifically the hair. It was platinum blonde and very beautiful, but the people around her would cast strange looks from time to time, which made Xia Tongxin very uneasy...

So, later on, Xia Tongxin changed her platinum blonde hair, dyeing it her favorite pink. She started dressing herself up like the "bad students" she learned about in the anime she liked.

As for whether she was truly a bad student... don't worry about that.

Anyway, in Xia Tongxin's mind, she was a bad student, a very, very bad kind of bad student. Teachers would be afraid, classmates would be afraid of her and respect her!!!

The Noble Lady was gentle. She understood these things and chose to accommodate her daughter. Everyone goes through puberty and a growth phase; it will be fine once it passes.

As a mother, what she needed to do was simple: ensure her daughter didn't leave any regrets or imperfections during this puberty and growth phase.

Whatever she wanted, she would do her utmost to provide.

This is also why the Noble Lady threw out such a huge "bait" to fish for Ye Cheng. She had done all she could; the rest was up to fate.

She would intervene, but not interfere. All she could do was maximize the possibility for her daughter to experience a complete life. As for whether it resulted in heartbreak or romance...

The image of the Eldest Miss subconsciously floated into the Noble Lady's mind. She shook her head inwardly and sighed... Tongtong, sometimes failure is also a form of growth.

The Noble Lady had already investigated Ye Cheng's file.

It was very clean. Whether it was family background or anything else, it was exceptionally clean. He was smart enough. Among the fifty people in Dahai City whose scores and rankings were wiped from the records this year, Ye Cheng was one of them. This was a protective measure for having scores that were too high.

Logically speaking, a talent like Ye Cheng should have been handed over to the state. After all, Ye Cheng was too smart; he looked like perfect material for scientific research.

But for some unknown reason, Ye Cheng was "filtered out" and eventually ended up at the Dahai City Noble Academy, becoming the academy's number one student. He just "tested" his way in like that.

In reality, Ye Cheng shouldn't have been in this school playing house with these rich young masters and wealthy young ladies...

Through some means, the Noble Lady saw Ye Cheng's score... It was an absurd score, so absurd that the Noble Lady even wondered if Ye Cheng was deliberately fishing, wanting to turn his life around by hooking up with a wealthy young lady.

But she ultimately abandoned this thought. It was impossible... Ye Cheng didn't have the capability to manipulate scores or enrollment matters.

Did someone else make a move?

Subconsciously, this possibility popped into the Noble Lady's mind. If Ye Cheng didn't have the great power to manipulate these things, then someone must be helping Ye Cheng from behind. No... they must be sabotaging Ye Cheng!

After all, going from being handed to the state and eating government meals to becoming an "ordinary" student in a noble academy—no matter how you looked at it, he had been "screwed over."

As for Ye Cheng... it seemed just as the file indicated: his thinking was different from ordinary people.

No wonder... Is this what a genius is?

Clean family background, smart, and good-looking... No matter how you looked at it, he was a suitable candidate for their Tongtong!

Especially in the IQ department. Although she was reluctant to admit it, the Noble Lady knew that IQ was Tongtong's weak point. If there wasn't strong genetic intervention in the future, the family fortune might be squandered in a few hundred years...

At this time, a smart partner became particularly important. Especially since there was a ready-made one right in front of them, there was no reason not to take him, right?

The only complicating factor was the Eldest Miss beside Ye Cheng.

This girl... why did she look so familiar? Why did it feel like she had seen her somewhere before?

Inexplicably, the Noble Lady sensed the "air of an old friend" in the Eldest Miss. But after thinking about it, it seemed unlikely. That "old friend" wouldn't have such a cold temperament as the girl she saw; that person was definitely not a peaceful one.

It should be... just an illusion, right?

Whether it works or not, they had to try. If her Tongtong failed, she, the mother, would personally step into the ring. After all... keeping her daughter from being heartbroken is also something a mother should do, right?

"Boohoo, Tongtong, Mommy knows she was wrong. Mommy was just worried about you. Mommy will leave in a bit, okay..."

In the office, the sound of the Noble Lady coaxing her little pink-haired girl continued to drift out, while the Head Maid studied on the side...

...

Meanwhile.

The Arcade.

At a fried skewer stall.

"Please give me another twenty pork tenderloin skewers, twenty chicken cutlet skewers, ten starch sausages, and two extra-large Roujiamos packed separately. Add extra meat, please..."

Ye Cheng stood at the stall, stuffing his mouth with a "Deluxe" version of a scallion pancake wrap. His belly was round and bulging, his belt nearly bursting at the limit, and two people stood beside him.

One was the little secretary, clutching a scallion pancake and munching away with a look of pure bliss. She looked like she was about to faint from the delicious aroma alone. At the rate Ye Cheng was feeding her... within a month, the little secretary would become Ye Cheng's die-hard loyalist.

Loyalty above all!!!

As for the other person... it was the staff member from the arcade responsible for handling Ye Cheng's "Lifetime Special Membership."

Of course, if that title is too confusing, there is another name for him... the card-swiping moneybags.

Not all vendors within the arcade were owned by the arcade itself; some were external tenants. These people didn't recognize things like "Lifetime Special Memberships"—they only recognized cash.

The best way to solve this problem was to send someone to follow Ye Cheng around. After Ye Cheng finished consuming something, this person would pay the bill. Thus, the current scene unfolded.

The staff member responsible for paying looked at the dozens of fried skewers in front of him, then looked at Ye Cheng, who was eating until he looked like a pregnant woman...

"What are you looking at? Munch munch munch, pay the bill!" Ye Cheng scolded the unobservant payer while continuing to chew.

Staff member: "..."

The staff member swiped the card efficiently to pay for Ye Cheng, then stood aside respectfully. Honestly, he was starting to get curious: just how much could Ye Cheng eat? And... was his stomach really not going to explode?

Ye Cheng finished off the "All-in" scallion pancake in his hand in a few bites and patted his belly with satisfaction.

"How was it, Hamster, I didn't lie to you, right?"

The little secretary was practically dizzy from the delicious food, nodding her head vigorously: "Mmhmm, munch munch munch... You bad guy, you're a good person!!!"

Ye Cheng: "..."

Okay, he finally understood how the Young Miss felt when she watched him eating and talking at the same time. It was indeed a bit rude. Whatever... forget it, I don't care, I'm gonna eat, eat, eat!!!

Visibly, both Ye Cheng and the little secretary had become rounder. It was just that the little secretary wasn't as exaggerated as Ye Cheng; her tummy stuck out slightly, looking like she was two or three months along, while Ye Cheng looked at least eight months pregnant...

Two happy food buckets!

The President... was currently riding a horse on her way... oh wait, no, she was walking on her way here.

Danger was quietly descending, the countdown on their lives had begun, yet the two happy food buckets were completely unaware...

"Let's go, Hamster, Bro will take you to exercise for a couple of laps!"

Ye Cheng took a bite of a hot Roujiamo fresh out of the oven and pointed to the "Merry-Go-Round" not far away.

The little secretary blinked: "Bad guy, it looks like the horses are the ones moving..."

Ye Cheng wagged a finger in front of the little secretary's face: "No, no, no, Hamster. Do you know why my figure is so good? It's from riding the Merry-Go-Round. Of course, there are also bumper cars and stuff. Do you know why?"

The little secretary blinked her big, bling-bling eyes, which were filled with a clear, innocent stupidity.

"Why?"

"Stupid Hamster, think about it. Motion is relative. And as everyone knows, motion requires energy, and energy cannot be created out of nothing. A substance..."

"I don't understand..." The little secretary blinked, completely honest. After all, she only scored 251 on her college entrance exam, and most of that was guessing. It would be a miracle if she actually understood.

Ye Cheng: "..."

True, he had overestimated Hamster's IQ.

"Ahem, understanding isn't important. What's important is following Bro for a couple of laps. Might as well ride since we're here, and it helps with weight loss. Look at Bro's abs... cough, I'll let you touch them later when I digest this. Let's go!"

"Really? Can I touch them?" Hearing she could touch Ye Cheng's abs, the little secretary's eyes lit up instantly!

She had wanted to for so long...

"Guaranteed. Let's go, let's go. By the time we finish queuing, we'll be done eating..."

Ye Cheng draped an arm over the little secretary's shoulder, coaxing and tricking her into riding the Merry-Go-Round...

Meanwhile, in the bumper car area next to the Merry-Go-Round...

The Head Maid was taking her young miss on the bumper cars.

"Bang..."

"Die, you evil cow!!!" Xia Tongxin slammed on the accelerator, using her bumper car to attack the Head Maid's bumper car.

Head Maid: "..."