Chapter 11: His Boundless Energy
When Chi Wang returned to the dorm that evening, he brought food for Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu.
Chi Wang often did this, making Luo Lianyun feel like he was one of those animals that returned from hunting with food for their cubs.
Whether it was cheap lemon ice water, a handful of candies, or a few packs of spicy sticks, Chi Wang always brought something.
These weren’t expensive items, but they gave Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu a sense of being cared for.
It was a peculiar feeling. Though Chi Wang was the youngest and shortest among them, he always acted like he was the one taking care of them.
They knew Chi Wang was frugal with himself, often unwilling to spend money on treats or extras. But when it came to them, he was generous.
This time, Chi Wang brought back cake and milk tea—three cups of Yi Dian Dian milk tea and a lavish cake that clearly wasn’t cheap.
Shu Tingyu was visibly startled. “Did you hit the jackpot?”
Chi Wang grinned. “Hehe.”
Seeing his happy expression, Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu exchanged glances, silently confirming—he definitely struck gold.
Without prying further, they gathered around to enjoy the cake.
Chi Wang ate a few bites before heading off to shower.
When he returned, he started tending to his injuries. There was a bruise on his thigh, likely from bumping into one of the tables in the lounge area. His ankle had a scratch, probably from the grass on the green. Even his fingers bore small nicks he couldn’t recall getting. He covered them with band-aids and moved on.
After tending to himself, he came back to the table to savor the cake and milk tea. His spirits soared.
Afterward, as usual, Chi Wang borrowed Luo Lianyun’s laptop to work as a remote gig worker. When he finally finished, it was past midnight.
Despite how taxing the work was, Chi Wang didn’t mind. He was in a great mood, unbothered by how labor-intensive it was.
Before bed, Chi Wang thought of maintaining his client relationships. But when he picked up his phone, he realized there wasn’t much to do—Xiao Fu hadn’t replied to his message, and while Xie Sicheng had responded, there wasn’t much to chat about.
He set his phone down and climbed into bed, pulling the curtain shut.
Lying there, he pulled out his ledger and began counting his earnings.
The wisdom of “making a fortune quietly” resonated with him. He didn’t plan on telling anyone how much money he’d made—not even his close friends, Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu. Some things were better left unsaid.
After tallying his earnings, he realized his funds had grown from just over 900 yuan to a staggering 72,608 yuan.
Chi Wang couldn’t help but revel in his success. Though he tried to contain his glee, it spilled over, and his exuberant movements caused the bed frame to creak noisily.
Luo Lianyun, whose bed was next to his, commented dryly, “Can you keep it down? Do you think this is something to flaunt?”
Chi Wang: “Huh? What are you implying? I’m just doing some military exercises in bed!”
His tone was light, and laughter spilled into his voice.
Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu exchanged looks, then started messaging each other privately.
Luo Lianyun: “Don’t you think Chi Wang is acting a bit strange today?”
Shu Tingyu: “Definitely.” Luo Lianyun’s expression turned grave. “Based on my observations, it’s clear—he must’ve latched onto a sugar mommy.”
Shu Tingyu: “… You obviously don’t understand Chi Wang. He would never resort to that.”
Luo Lianyun: “I was kidding, obviously. I know Chi Wang wouldn’t leech off someone like that. If he would, why would he be juggling four part-time jobs?”
Shu Tingyu: “That kind of joke isn’t funny. It’s basically spreading malicious rumors. I don’t like it, and I’m sure Chi Wang wouldn’t either.”
Luo Lianyun: “Okay fine, forget I said anything. But don’t you think we should investigate? He’s acting really unusual today. I’m not worried about him making money—I’m worried he might’ve been scammed. He’s only eighteen!”
Shu Tingyu: “Then you go ask him. He’s less guarded around you.”
Luo Lianyun: “You’re better at talking. You go.”
Shu Tingyu: “He likes you more; you go!”
Luo Lianyun: “What makes you think he likes me more?”
Shu Tingyu: “He gives you more food, obviously! He cut your slice of cake bigger than mine! Pouting.jpg Discontent.jpg”
Shu Tingyu: “Blushing.jpg Hehe.”
Finally, Shu Tingyu jumped off his bed with a thump, his height making his descent seem especially imposing.
He walked over to Chi Wang’s bed, knocked on the railing, and called out, “Chi Wang!”
Chi Wang, hearing his name, opened the curtain and peeked out. “What’s up?”
Shu Tingyu’s face was tinged pink. “How was work today?”
It was a clumsy attempt at prying.
Chi Wang was receptive to Shu Tingyu’s probing. “It’s going well! Being a caddie at the golf course pays well. The clients are generous with tips—I got over a thousand today. Including my base pay, I made more than 2,000 yuan.”
Shu Tingyu and Luo Lianyun were taken aback. Sometimes, the truth was just that simple.
Shu Tingyu let out a relieved sigh. “Oh, that’s it? I was worried you’d been scammed.”
Chi Wang replied cheerfully, “Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”
Though he was the youngest among them, Chi Wang clearly had a solid grasp on things, and the two quickly put their concerns to rest.
Chi Wang pulled his curtain closed and resumed fiddling with his calculator.
This latest windfall wasn’t going to his family. He planned to save it for the next two years of tuition and living expenses. Earning money on the fly every month was exhausting, and it was better to set aside funds in advance.
Chi Wang had once aimed for a scholarship, which would have been a significant boost. He had the grades for it too—last year, he ranked first in his year. But this year, things were different. Frequent absences, penalties for late returns, and general demerits had chipped away at his standing. He couldn’t even find time for extracurriculars these days. With only about five hours of sleep a night, every other moment was spent working or studying.
Thinking about it, Chi Wang felt he might be uniquely gifted. Despite never getting a full night’s sleep, he had no dark circles under his eyes.
Ah, but he was digressing. The main takeaway was this: this money was his to manage as he saw fit!
Chi Wang had been scrimping and saving to repay debts and cover his own tuition and living costs.
Now that he had some breathing room, he decided to splurge—on a good laptop!
As always, Chi Wang was quick to act. He logged onto JD.com and ordered the gaming laptop he’d been eyeing for ages. Using a coupon, he snagged it for 5,549 yuan.
He punched the numbers into his calculator again. Hey, there’s still 67,059 yuan left. Hehe.
Chi Wang felt a surge of happiness so intense it seemed to blur the edges of his being.
This is what it feels like to have money!
With his financial situation now stable, Chi Wang felt a renewed sense of hope for life.
—
The next two weeks flew by with Chi Wang’s relentless pace.
That’s when Qiao Yuzhen, seemingly in sync with his payday schedule, called right on time to ask for money.
Chi Wang was calm this time, not bothered by the request. He sent her 4,000 yuan, a reasonable amount reflecting his past three weeks and three days of work.
When Qiao Yuzhen saw the smaller transfer, she was surprised. “Why so little this time?”
“…Didn’t I just send money three weeks ago?” Chi Wang replied in a lighthearted tone, “Don’t worry about me, Mom. I can survive on gruel and water.”
Qiao Yuzhen didn’t seem the least bit concerned. “I’m not worried about you. I was just asking. If you have more, you should send it. Chengcheng is sick again. Poor thing—you, as his older brother, never even call to check in on him.”
Chi Wang: “…”
This is absurd. I’m only a sophomore!
His voice dropped a few degrees as he retorted, “Mom, did you forget that I’m still in school? I’m juggling classes and part-time jobs—I don’t have time to call home. Besides, even you don’t make as much as I do from your job. You can’t expect me to earn money, call you regularly, and keep everyone happy. I’ve told you before: if we’re talking about money, don’t bring up emotions. If it’s emotions, don’t talk about money. Why is that so hard to understand?”
Qiao Yuzhen was annoyed. “The money is just repayment for the years I raised you. Do you know how much I spent on your medical bills when you were little? And I wasn’t indifferent to you—I cared for you plenty when you were young!”
Chi Wang: “…”
He remembered her care when it was just him. But after Chengcheng was born, the difference in treatment was stark. If it hadn’t been for the mandatory nine-year education system, he might not have even finished middle school.
Starting in middle school, Chi Wang worked wherever he could. But being underage meant finding jobs was a challenge. He resorted to video game boosting for pay, honed his gaming skills, and took on odd tasks like writing assignments, running errands, and even selling goods at street stalls.
In high school, his growing height and adult-like appearance expanded his job options.
Chi Wang remained optimistic.
As Mencius said: “When Heaven is about to bestow great responsibility upon someone, it first tests their will, strains their muscles, and starves their body.” These trials were simply life’s way of honing him. If everything had been smooth sailing, he wouldn’t have learned so much or become so resilient.
Her words can punch a hundred holes in my heart, but I’ll still be fine.
With that resolution, Chi Wang decided not to dwell on it or get angry.
He hung up the phone and refocused on his work. There were still so many jobs waiting for him—no time for wallowing.
Time to work!
Chi Wang was thriving in his caddie job. While Xiao Fu hadn’t returned, Xie Siheng had visited again. After winning a round, he gave Chi Wang a 5,000-yuan tip.
Chi Wang noticed that Xie Siheng didn’t seem to dislike him over that incident, nor did he seem inclined to stir up trouble.
They could even exchange a few words now.
Chi Wang began to suspect that maybe Xie Siheng hadn’t fully grasped what had happened that time. After all, Chi Wang had been on the receiving end.
With this perspective, Chi Wang’s mindset became calmer.
Not bad. If anyone was hurt, it was only him. But he was used to that.
What was more important now, however, was that after buying his new computer, Chi Wang picked up yet another job!
Yes, that’s right—under Luo Lianyun’s guidance, Chi Wang had become a game streamer!
For now, his follower count remained a humble three: one was his own alternate account, and the other two were Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu.
Luo Lianyun painted a rosy picture for him: “Trust me, if you do well, this can be super lucrative. You’ll get sponsorships, live-streaming revenue, and even viewer tips. You can split the tips 50-50 with the platform—really profitable!”
Chi Wang wasn’t accustomed to swallowing anyone’s empty promises except those of exploitative bosses, so being fed this dream by Luo Lianyun actually touched him a bit. “I get it. I’ve got the patience for this.”
Starting with zero income wasn’t a problem for him either.
But as time passed, Chi Wang began to feel that his body wasn’t keeping up.
This endlessly energetic body of mine is actually wearing down?
He was struggling with intense drowsiness in the mornings. During one class, he fell asleep so soundly that even after class ended, he didn’t wake up. It wasn’t until Luo Lianyun shook him awake that he finally stirred.
On top of that, he felt fatigued and low on energy. He even had to bring back his midday nap habit, something he thought he had evolved beyond through relentless part-time work.
Luo Lianyun immediately issued a sensational proclamation, straight out of UC Shock News: “You’re done for. Don’t you know? Human stamina is finite. Use it all up, and you’ll age prematurely! There was a news report about someone who went for a check-up—20 years old, but their organs were like those of an 80-year-old!”
Chi Wang: “!!”
Shocked Cat Meme.jpg
Buntis
He’s preggyy