Reversal of Causality, and Xue Tao's Mysterious Confidence

Ah~ The way Xia Lin lectures~

Su Bai has noticed that those mixed up in bureaucratic systems really do love to preach.

But honestly, he doesn’t mind when Xia Lin rambles a bit more than usual. Mainly because her values are rock-solid, and she has a great sense of boundaries—never forcing Su Bai to act according to her opinions.

This is actually really important. In many older-woman-younger-man relationships, if the older partner’s controlling tendencies are too strong, it easily sparks conflict between them.

The workout session was a complete success.

Xia Lin helped Su Bai relieve his stress, and Su Bai also got to appreciate the view through those leggings… Not bad at all.

More importantly, the breakthrough in their affection level came with a spending cashback perk tied to Xia Lin.

From Su Bai’s observations, the bigger the background of an S-tier goddess, the more jaw-dropping the cashback rewards could be.

Like that 30-million-Koenigsegg from Yangyang…

So what kind of surprise would Xia Lin bring? He didn’t even dare to imagine.

As a bonus, the affection breakthrough also rewarded Su Bai with a skill.

[Causality-Based Therapy (Master Level)]

[Skill Description: Perform a green, healthy, and morally upright therapy session on a target, eliminating ailments or injuries in the corresponding area. This skill isn’t medical in nature—it’s a causality-level reversal.]

“Hell yeah! Reverse, reverse!”

This was way better than some shady urban-miracle-doctor’s “Eighteen Life-Stealing Needles.”

People inevitably suffer from minor illnesses, but Su Bai fears no sickness.

Not only can he use enhancement serums on himself, but the girls around him can also enjoy the benefits.

Satisfied, Su Bai left the gym.

He decided to check in with Wang Haoran via WeChat to see what was going on in the dorm.

[Crispy White Goose: [White Goose Neck Spin]]

[Crispy White Goose: Is Brother Tao back yet?]

[Super Wang Haoran Defending Super Dorm 510 on Super National Day: Yeah, he’s back. Seems kinda hyped but also kinda down? Schrödinger’s mood, you know? Like, “found money on the street but got hit by a truck” vibes…]

What a weird analogy…

Wang Haoran’s language module was as abstract as his multitasking in gacha games.

This kind of person was actually perfect for computer science—his thought process was rich and utterly unconventional. Su Bai had observed it before: among the legends of Dorm 510, Wang Haoran had the most natural talent for the major. The Shanghai dude and the local guy were just hopeless.

As for himself?

Mediocre!

But it didn’t matter. His wallet wasn’t mediocre, and that was enough.

Su Bai pondered.

Xue Tao’s emotions seemed complicated, but Xue Tao having complicated emotions was unlikely.

After all, this guy’s brain capacity was about as big as a peanut, and his EQ was tragic. Expecting him to harbor nuanced feelings was like expecting a monkey from Mount Emei to compose Invitation to Wine.

So what exactly happened between Xue Tao and Liu Yuanyuan last night?

Why did he return to the dorm in such an abstract state—even waking up early for a morning workout?

Su Bai grew even more intrigued.

...

“That place was really fun for traveling, honestly. Super romantic, perfect for couples… Oh, right, forgot you don’t have a girlfriend. Hahaha…”

Dorm 510, Building 7—home of legends.

Xue Tao was chatting with a guy from the neighboring dorm about their respective trips.

The neighbor had gone on a classic broke-college-student-style trip with his high school buddies (all male), hitting a few cities in the province.

The whole thing was budget-friendly, maximizing value for money, and they’d had a blast.

But compared to Xue Tao’s trip, it seemed kinda pathetic.

Mainly because Xue Tao had taken his girlfriend abroad. Anyone with half a brain could guess what that implied.

The neighbor was jealous. So jealous.

Sure, Xue Tao’s way of rubbing it in was a bit obnoxious, a bit punchable.

But the fact remained: he’d scored a girlfriend early in the semester and even took her on a trip.

Liu Yuanyuan agreeing to travel with him was practically a public declaration that they were a serious couple in their social circle.

Chu Mingzhe stepped out to pick up a package. On his way back to the dorm, Leilei suddenly called him, sounding emotionally wrecked for who-knows-what reason.

Not that the reason mattered.

For a drama queen like Leilei, emotional breakdowns were as natural as breathing.

Chu Mingzhe found a bench outside and stayed on the call until she calmed down before returning to the dorm.

The moment he walked in, he saw Xue Tao holding court, bragging like a king.

Wait—no, not like a king!

“Dude, why do you look so pale?”

“Heh, nothing. Just had a lot of wonderful things happen last night. Left me a bit drained, haha!”

“...”

Honestly?

This was the first time Chu Mingzhe had ever heard someone proudly declare their kidney deficiency with such smugness.

What exactly are you bragging about, bro?!

“If you’re drained, take some supplements,” Chu Mingzhe snarked. “Don’t fail the fitness test because of it.”

“Heh, no need to worry about me. Worry about yourself—look at that twig body of yours.”

“This is a healthy BMI. Girls these days like the lean type.” Chu Mingzhe doubled down.

Okay, fine, people did call him a stick… Well, not people—just Leilei, once. But it had left a mark.

Seriously, though, how dare Xue Tao of all people talk? The guy’s gut was practically popping out!

“Really? I don’t see it. A real man’s got some meat on him—that’s what girls want for a good time. Take Su Bai, for example. Dude’s popular as hell. Us sturdy types are the meta right now!”

Chu Mingzhe: “...”

Wang Haoran: “...” (sweating emoji)

Where’s the “sturdy”? Where’s the “meta”?

The fact that the local guy genuinely believed he and Su Bai were in the same league was hilarious.

If every college student had this level of confidence, depression rates would drop by half.

Xue Tao even smacked his lips afterward, as if savoring the memories of last night.

It was enough to crack Chu Mingzhe’s composure.

Damn, the local guy lost his V-card before me? That’s not how this was supposed to go!

Chu Mingzhe had never really held a grudge against Su Bai. Let’s be real—anyone with eyes could see how out-of-their-league Su Bai was. In the college dating scene, he was practically a celestial being, playing in the goddess-tier bracket. The fact that he didn’t mess around with ordinary girls was almost a public service.

The gap was too vast for jealousy to even factor in.

As for their other roommate, Wang Haoran? Pure otaku. Irrelevant.

This guy would turn down a beauty begging him to go shopping just to stay in and game or watch esports.

But Xue Tao? Chu Mingzhe had always been competitive with him. Their family backgrounds were similar, and they both loved showing off.

Naturally, they’d become rivals—fated adversaries, if you will.

And now, his fated adversary had pulled ahead.

Infuriating!

Yet, despite his triumphant performance, Xue Tao wasn’t actually feeling all that victorious inside.

Watching the neighbor’s envy and Chu Mingzhe’s irritation, Xue Tao’s heart was… strangely lost.

The story from last night actually holds a deeper secret...