Chapter 134
Su Bin couldn’t understand why Yang Chengzhe was dealing with Qi Xin’s anger.
Yang Chengzhe’s face also looked grim, but he remained calm as he said, “If you could follow some basic rules, I wouldn’t have to monitor you so closely.”
Qi Xin growled, “I’m already an adult. My parents don’t interfere with me; who do you think you are?”
Yang Chengzhe said sternly, “Even though you’re an adult, you haven’t acted like one. You’re not in your own country or home anymore; no one here will tolerate your reckless behavior!”
Qi Xin, frustrated by Yang Chengzhe’s reprimands, reached for a fruit bowl on the coffee table, intending to throw it.
Su Bin yelled and rushed in front of him to prevent him from getting into a physical altercation with Yang Chengzhe. “Don’t be impulsive, Qi Xin. Let’s talk things over calmly!”
Qi Xin: “……” Qi Xin was taken aback by the unfamiliar nickname “Xiao Xin” (Little Xin). What kind of weird nickname was that? (=_=)
Yang Chengzhe frowned and said, “Su Bin, this isn’t your concern. Don’t stand in his way. He’s not going to do anything to me.”
Qi Xin’s anger flared again at Yang Chengzhe’s dismissive attitude—“Not going to do anything? Let’s see if I dare or not!”
In the heat of the moment, Yang Chengzhe calmly recited a string of letters and numbers, “ghost7, qx199212…”
This caused Qi Xin to freeze mid-motion, his hand suspended in the air.
Su Bin looked at Yang Chengzhe in confusion. What was he saying?
Yang Chengzhe then asked Qi Xin, “Do you still want to keep this account?”
Qi Xin’s forehead twitched as he asked, “……How do you know my password?”
Yang Chengzhe snorted, “Not just this one, I know the passwords to all your game accounts. If you want to keep them, you’d better watch your behavior. This isn’t your personal home; if you’re going to cause trouble, at least consider the occasion and the place.”
Qi Xin’s face went through several shades of red and white. Clearly, he felt threatened by Yang Chengzhe, but the threat was effective—he had invested countless hours and effort into those game accounts and was extremely concerned about them. If he acted recklessly, who knew what this devious man might do!
Qi Xin slammed the fruit bowl back onto the coffee table, cursed a few more times, and stormed off toward the stairs.
Yang Chengzhe watched his retreating figure and said faintly, “Changing the password won’t help.”
Qi Xin: “……Fuck you!”
Yang Chengzhe narrowed his eyes, “Try saying another word.”
Unable to fight or curse more, Qi Xin could only shoot a venomous glare at Yang Chengzhe before heading upstairs.
The confrontation ended with Qi Xin retreating in anger. Su Bin, who had witnessed the latter part of the incident, asked Yang Chengzhe, “What made him explode like that? What did you do to him?”
“It’s all about his studies,” Yang Chengzhe explained, looking increasingly troubled. “I heard he sleeps through classes and does nothing but play games when he comes back at night…”
Seeing how much Qi Xin’s issues had seemingly aged Yang Chengzhe over the past month, Su Bin felt a bit worried for him. “How did you find out his game account passwords?”
Yang Chengzhe: “I hired a hacker.”
So this was Yang Chengzhe’s way of hitting Qi Xin where it hurt most. Su Bin felt he had seen a different side of Yang Chengzhe… (=_=)
“But relying on threats isn’t a long-term solution,” Yang Chengzhe sighed. “I hope he comes to his senses and starts doing things that are meaningful to him.”
Su Bin suddenly had an idea and said, “Brother Cheng, you could have Qi Xin work at ‘Boss Su’s’ store! Let him experience earning his own money; maybe he’ll gain a new perspective on life!”
Yang Chengzhe was taken aback and then smiled, “That’s a good idea.”
Su Bin added, “There’s a guy named Qin Chao who works part-time at the store. He’s very positive. Qi Xin could interact with him!”
Yang Chengzhe: “I’m worried about causing trouble for you…”
Su Bin: “I won’t assign him any important tasks, just let him learn to do some simple things. Didn’t you also say he needs to interact with more people?”
Yang Chengzhe nodded, “Alright, but just provide him with the opportunity for training; no need to pay him.”
Su Bin: “How will he agree to work for free?”
Yang Chengzhe chuckled, “Even if you offer a salary, a few bucks won’t entice him. Not everyone is like you, willing to work hard just to buy a ring for their girlfriend.”
Su Bin: “……” Damn, life is hard! QAQ
Later, Yang Chengzhe used “living expenses” as leverage to force Qi Xin to work at Su Bin’s store for an hour each day. After completing a week’s worth of work, he would be given a small amount of pocket money.
Qi Xin was extremely unwilling and shot angry glares at Yang Chengzhe, but he had no choice since his financial control was in Yang Chengzhe’s hands.
Despite having thought that Yang Chengzhe would simply send money and wash his hands of the matter, he was actually very involved in managing Qi Xin’s situation. It was unexpectedly thorough and meticulous… truly frustrating!
Su Bin had informed the store staff about the arrival of a “young master” who would be coming to “experience life” and advised them to be prepared.
Qin Chao: “The work at ‘Boss Su’s’ is so easy and fun; what is there to experience? If you want an experience, you should try washing dishes!”
Su Bin: “Brother, that kid can’t even tell the difference between pots and pans. If you ask him to wash dishes, he might end up smashing them!”
Qin Chao: “Tsk, dealing with such a troublemaker is the hardest!”
Su Bin patted Qin Chao’s shoulder, “That’s why we need you! Help change his mindset and get rid of his adolescent delusions!”
Qin Chao laughed heartily, “You’re putting me on a pedestal! I’m not that capable, haha!”
……His smug expression showed he was far from being modest!
Dani, with her excellent temperament, had no objections, and as for Lily— “I just have one question.”
Su Bin gave her a sidelong glance, “What’s the question? Don’t tell me you’re asking if Qi Xin is gay?”
Lily: “Is he good-looking?”
Su Bin: “……Yes.”
Lily: “Welcome~(≧▽≦)/~”
Everyone: “……”
These days, Qi Xin and Yang Chengzhe lived together under a cloud of tension. Qi Xin’s hostility wasn’t just directed at Yang Chengzhe but at everyone, including Su Bin, who had nothing to do with him.
In classic rebellious fashion, Qi Xin’s attitude could be summed up as: “The world is wrong, not me…”
On the day Su Bin took him to work, Qi Xin looked like he was about to destroy the store, which made Su Bin feel incredibly anxious.
On the way there, Su Bin tried to comfort him, “Qi Xin, everyone who works part-time at ‘Boss Su’s’ are students from M University. They’re all very nice, and the work won’t be too hard. Just think of it as an experience; it’s actually quite interesting.”
Qi Xin: “……”
Su Bin went on to explain the basic tasks and some interesting things that had happened at the store, hoping to lighten Qi Xin’s mood. However, Qi Xin didn’t respond a single word, his silence making Su Bin feel like he was performing a solo act in an awkward play.
Su Bin began, “I heard from Brother Cheng that your parents didn’t care much about you in the past.” He shifted to a more serious tone, “Actually, I’m quite similar. My biological parents separated when I was in elementary school, and by the time I was in middle school, I was living alone.”
This confession visibly changed Qi Xin’s expression, replacing his previous indifference with confusion.
Seeing this shift, Su Bin continued, “In middle school, I used to argue with my dad a lot. But later, he stopped coming home altogether. During that time, I felt incredibly lonely and hollow inside. Any bit of kindness, a word of concern, or a smile would move me deeply. I’d do anything for people who showed me even a little bit of care. I invited friends out, treated them to meals, and even paid for their internet cafe visits, hoping they’d spend time with me.”
——Bored at home, come out and play, I’ll buy you dinner!
——Wanna play basketball tonight? I’ll get us some sodas!
——Do you like Stephen Chow? I bought all his movies, come watch them at my place!
Reflecting on those so-called friends, Su Bin realized that many of those relationships were maintained through such misguided means. He now understood that it wasn’t genuine “friendship” but rather a transaction—using material things and benefits to seek psychological comfort.
There was no real spiritual exchange or shared hardships, so those relationships were fragile and easily broken.
“Last year, my girlfriend, whom I had been dating since high school, dumped me. I later found out she was interested in someone I considered my closest friend. After abandoning me, she quickly got together with him. And my dad had secretly divorced my mom years ago and started a new family…”
Whether it was years of emotional bonds or blood relations, perhaps they thought that Su Bin’s character made him reluctant to cut ties, leading them to hurt him so recklessly. Or perhaps they felt his emotions were too easily obtained, and thus didn’t take his feelings seriously…
“At that time, I felt like the entire world had abandoned me…”
Even though Su Bin knew there were many people suffering more than him, their suffering had nothing to do with him. Su Bin only knew that his pain was real, and he didn’t think about seeking revenge; he simply felt hopeless.
“I just wanted one person who truly cared about me, who valued me. No matter what I had to give, I was willing to…”
Realizing he had shared so much, Su Bin found it odd, but perhaps the shared experiences allowed him to understand Qi Xin a little better. The negative emotions Qi Xin showed to the world might just be a fraction of what was overflowing from his heart.
Su Bin glanced at Qi Xin. Although he hadn’t said anything, Su Bin noticed his furrowed brows had relaxed, replaced by a contemplative expression that was new to him.
Seizing the moment, Su Bin said, “I’ve been in B Country for almost a year now, and I’m especially grateful to Brother Cheng because he’s the first person here who made me feel warm. He’s a really good person with rich experience. Whenever I’m confused about something, I ask him. I’ve never seen Brother Cheng worry about anything until you came along.”
Qi Xin snorted in disdain, but his expression had lost the previous bitterness and anger.
Su Bin continued, “Actually, I feel like Brother Cheng really cares about you. Even though you have no blood relation, he’s taking care of you here because he promised your parents. If he found you troublesome, he could easily shirk his responsibility. But he hasn’t… I’m not saying this to be sentimental, but he is definitely helping and caring for you.”
By the time they reached “Boss Su’s,” Qi Xin had listened in silence, and finally, at the last moment, he gave Su Bin a response—“You’re so long-winded.”
Su Bin: “……” Damn, this kid is unbearable! QAQ
On that day, Su Bin had specifically scheduled Qin Chao to be on duty. After a brief introduction, the work began.
Initially, Qi Xin was assigned to learn how to package items, but his delicate fingers couldn’t handle the heat, and even packaging a meat sandwich made him blow on it. So he was moved to making drinks.
After making a couple of milk teas, Qi Xin either added too much tea or milk or forgot to add sugar. He made all sorts of mistakes…
Su Bin’s frustration grew as he saw Qi Xin’s patience wearing thin, so he moved him to the cashier.
Seeing the cash register, Qi Xin’s eyes lit up. Su Bin explained the pricing for various items and asked him to try out a few transactions.
Just then, a customer came in, “Two meat sandwiches, one serving of pork dumplings without soup, one serving with soup… oh, and two pearl milk teas!” The customer handed over a twenty-dollar bill.
Qi Xin: “……”
Su Bin: “Why are you spacing out? Calculate the total!”
Qi Xin, with a stern face, said, “Too much, I didn’t remember.”
Su Bin, with an eye twitch, repeated the order, and Qi Xin, frowning, took a long time to calculate and gave the customer five dollars in change.
Customer: “……”
“Wait a minute!” Su Bin shouted, “You’ve made a mistake!”
Qi Xin, looking annoyed, asked, “Where’s the mistake?”
Su Bin: “Two meat sandwiches are six dollars, dumplings total six fifty, and two drinks are three sixty. What’s the total?”
Qi Xin: “Isn’t it fifteen dollars?”
Su Bin exploded: “Damn it, are you automatically ignoring the digits after the decimal point? And even if you did, it should be sixteen dollars, not fifteen!”
……Was he running a built-in discount system? Rounding things up?
Qi Xin stared at Su Bin, finally muttering, “Isn’t it close enough?”
Su Bin: “……What do you mean ‘close enough’? Calculating doesn’t work like that!” (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Qin Chao and Dani couldn’t hold back their laughter, and even the customer joked, “Boss, is this kid a new mascot?”
Su Bin couldn’t let Qi Xin handle the cash any longer. He pulled him aside and asked, “What’s seven plus eight?”
Qi Xin thought Su Bin was about to give him another lecture on life, so he was already showing impatience. But when faced with a math question, he hesitated and finally answered, “Fourteen?”
Su Bin: “……” Brother Cheng, I totally understand your frustration now! TAT
