Chapter 14: He Doesn’t Avoid Responsibility
“Since you get carsick, I’ll just take you back,” Xiao Fu said.
Chi Wang was puzzled. He really just wanted to hang out?
Xiao Fu restarted the car and turned around to head back toward the university.
Chi Wang suddenly remembered something. “Wait—how about dropping me off downtown instead?”
Xiao Fu asked, “What for?”
Chi Wang smiled sheepishly. “I have tutoring.”
Xiao Fu frowned. “Didn’t I tell you to take the day off?”
Chi Wang replied, “I’m free now, and going back to campus isn’t as useful as finishing my tutoring session.”
Xiao Fu raised an eyebrow. “Do you really need money that badly?”
Chi Wang wasn’t about to admit to needing money. Xiao Fu might be opening up to him, but that didn’t mean Chi Wang would do the same. They weren’t that close, and even if they were, some things were better left unsaid. Chi Wang replied naturally, “It’s just a job.”
Xiao Fu appreciated this straightforwardness. Most people tried to curry favor with him, their flattery always a little too obvious. Even in school, ordinary students around him either acted overly cautious or too constrained, making interactions dull.
Chi Wang wasn’t like that. Xiao Fu guessed his background must be relatively comfortable—his demeanor and mindset didn’t lie.
Even when Xiao Fu tipped him 20,000 yuan at the club, Chi Wang hadn’t shown any excessive fawning or attempts to ingratiate himself.
Xiao Fu found this kind of person easy to be around.
Deciding to see it through, Xiao Fu drove Chi Wang to his tutoring gig.
After dropping him off, they exchanged a few polite words before parting ways.
Watching the red supercar disappear into traffic, Chi Wang breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I judged him too harshly, but it’s always good to stay cautious.
He contacted his student to confirm the lesson.
Two hours later, Chi Wang felt mentally drained, almost like he’d overworked his brain. Even when gaming with the student, he struggled to keep up and nearly lost.
The student noticed. “Brother Chi Wang, are you too tired? Your moves aren’t as sharp as before.”
I’m being called out for slacking!
Chi Wang smiled, waved his hand, and declared they’d play another round to reclaim his honor.
In the next game, he dominated like a king, earning the student’s admiration once again.
Since his evening dog-walking job was already canceled, Chi Wang stayed for a few more games.
When they finished, it was still early. Chi Wang took a half-hour bus ride back to campus.
Feeling the lingering exhaustion from earlier, Chi Wang decided to turn in early for the night.
For once, Chi Wang returned to the dorm early. Luo Lianyun wanted to chat, but before he could say anything, Chi Wang showered and collapsed onto his bed, falling asleep immediately. He even forgot to pull down the curtain clipped up with a binder clip, leaving his upper body exposed to Shu Tingyu’s view.
Luo Lianyun whispered to Shu Tingyu, “How tired must he be to crash this early?”
Shu Tingyu connected his tablet to Bluetooth headphones, then replied, “Four jobs a day—how could he not be tired? Midterms are in two weeks. I wonder if he’ll manage.”
Luo Lianyun had blind confidence in Chi Wang. “Of course, he’ll handle it. He’s not top of the class for nothing.”
Shu Tingyu found Chi Wang remarkable. Despite working so many jobs, his grades remained strong, and he’d never failed a course. Shu Tingyu, on the other hand, had flunked two classes in his first year, which he found embarrassing.
Their conversation didn’t reach Chi Wang. The moment his head hit the pillow, he was out cold, completely oblivious to the noise outside.
When he woke, it was already past six in the morning—his biological clock had failed him for the first time.
Skipping his usual morning run, he hurried to buy breakfast instead. One cafeteria served exceptional breakfast items, but they sold out quickly if you were late.
After washing up, Chi Wang headed to the cafeteria to buy food.
Back at the dorm, he sat down to eat. He picked up a juicy meat bun, one of his favorites, but after one bite, he felt nauseous.
Chi Wang stared at the bun in disbelief. The honest, kind-faced owner has succumbed to cutting corners?!
Suppressing his discomfort, Chi Wang took another bite. His face scrunched up, and he spat it out into the trash.
Staring at the bun with a deep, accusatory glare, Chi Wang realized it wasn’t the same as before!
He normally had a good appetite, better than Luo Lianyun’s, thanks to the mental energy his jobs required. Breakfast often included four large meat buns and a cup of soy milk.
The cafeteria’s prices were subsidized, so a large meat bun was only 1.5 yuan—four buns cost just six yuan.
Can’t let it go to waste!
Forcing himself through the discomfort, Chi Wang finished the buns and drank the soy milk to settle his stomach.
After breakfast, Chi Wang grabbed his laptop and went downstairs to work.
Halfway through, fatigue crept in again. He decided to return to his dorm to rest.
By then, Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu were awake, having breakfast Chi Wang had bought for them.
Chi Wang mentioned, “The cafeteria’s breakfast stall is cutting corners now.”
Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu examined their buns, puzzled. “No way, the filling’s the same, and the soup tastes just as good.”
Chi Wang frowned. “Really? You didn’t notice the difference in the meat?”
Shu Tingyu was firm. “Nope. At least I didn’t.”
Luo Lianyun raised his hand. “Me neither. Still delicious.”
Chi Wang thought about it and found a plausible explanation. “Maybe my taste buds are just off.”
Shu Tingyu quipped, “Are you doubting my gourmet-level palate? I’m telling you, it hasn’t changed.”
Luo Lianyun teased, “You’ve been eating it for a year. You’re probably just sick of it.”
Chi Wang suddenly understood. “True. I’ve probably had too much of it.”
With that, Chi Wang dropped the subject. He had too many tasks to worry about trivialities.
On the weekend, Chi Wang went to work at Milky Way Golf Club.
When Chi Wang went to the locker room to change, he noticed once again that his locker was dirty.
This was the second time. After the first incident, everything had been fine until last week. Now, it happened again—likely because the two high-profile clients who had treated him kindly hadn’t visited recently.
Chi Wang closed the locker door and looked around. The other caddies seemed aware of the situation, sneaking occasional glances his way.
Chi Wang directly slung an arm around one of the guys and asked, “Do you know who’s messing with my locker?”
The guy, startled by Chi Wang’s straightforwardness, mumbled evasively, “No idea.”
Chi Wang narrowed his eyes at him. “It’s not you, is it? You look guilty.”
He feigned outrage. “I’m reporting this to the manager!”
The guy protested loudly, “It’s not me! What, do you have a lie detector in your eyes? That’s ridiculous!”
Chi Wang dragged him toward the door. “I don’t care. It’s you. That look on your face says it all. Let’s see what the manager thinks.”
The guy, a third-year college student only two years older than Chi Wang, was too naive to handle this level of persistence. He cracked under the pressure and confessed, “Okay, okay! I know who it is. It’s Wu Jingtian. Last time I didn’t know, but this time it’s him—I saw it myself.”
Chi Wang was surprised. “Him, huh?”
Wu Jingtian always seemed easygoing and approachable. Friendly but never overbearing, with a sunny, handsome face.
Chi Wang released the guy, deciding to confront Wu Jingtian after work.
—
That day, Zuo Qianxing showed up at the club, this time with just one unfamiliar friend.
Ever the social butterfly, Zuo Qianxing requested Chi Wang as his shared caddie and started chatting him up.
It wasn’t long before he smoothly added Chi Wang’s contact information.
Chi Wang suspected Zuo Qianxing came solely for conversation. His golfing was atrocious, leaving his friend grimacing in frustration but too polite to comment.
As a caddie, Chi Wang couldn’t criticize a client, so when he caught Zuo Qianxing cheating, he just smiled and looked the other way.
Zuo Qianxing had hoped to glean some information about Chi Wang but found the young man unexpectedly tight-lipped for his age. No matter how he probed, Chi Wang managed to deflect every attempt.
Not bad. This kid’s sharper than he looks.
Finally, Zuo Qianxing tried a direct approach. “You know, your birth year and zodiac sign are a perfect match for my company’s fortune. How about picking up another part-time gig? Just put your name on our roster. Come in once a week on weekends, and I’ll pay you ten grand a month.”
Chi Wang: “…”
What’s going on? Why is everyone lining up to throw money at me?
He declined politely. “Thanks, Mr. Zuo, but no thanks.”
Zuo Qianxing was taken aback. “Why not? You think the salary’s too low? I’ll bump it up to fifteen grand. How about that?”
Chi Wang replied, “It’s not about the money.”
After a brief pause, he said with a straight face, “Mr. Zuo, let me recommend a book. It’ll open your eyes.”
Zuo Qianxing tilted his head. “What book?”
Chi Wang: “Introduction to Mao X Thought and the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. We call it ‘Mao Concepts’ for short. Read it—it’ll elevate your soul and cure you of superstitions.”
Zuo Qianxing: “…”
Chi Wang continued earnestly, “I know business owners tend to be superstitious, but there’s no such thing as gods, and feng shui has scientific explanations. We should believe in science. That’s why I can’t work for your company—I don’t want to take your money under false pretenses.”
Zuo Qianxing: “…”
—
After leaving the club, Zuo Qianxing called Xie Siheng. “No luck. Chi Wang is way too principled, too righteous. Drop him in a haunted house, and he’d probably exorcise the ghosts with physics. No way he could be our mascot.”
Xie Siheng, groggy from being woken up, was silent for a moment before responding, “What exactly did you say to him?”
Zuo Qianxing recounted their conversation. With a sigh, he remarked, “For such a young guy, he’s pretty sharp. I set up all these traps, and he didn’t fall for a single one. I still don’t even know how many people are in his family.”
“…” Xie Siheng replied dryly, “Who asked you to investigate his household registry?”
Zuo Qianxing chuckled, “I’m just curious. Can’t help it.”
Xie Siheng didn’t reply, his irritation flaring as his heart raced and a swirl of thoughts filled his mind.
Forcing down his annoyance, he replayed their conversation in his head.
Smart indeed. Anyone who gets into H University wouldn’t be an idiot, but life experience sets the ceiling for emotional intelligence. Clearly, Chi Wang’s experiences have given him both depth and tact. He knew Zuo Qianxing was fishing for information and avoided every trap.
This realization made Xie Siheng’s impression of Chi Wang more multidimensional.
Zuo Qianxing interrupted his thoughts. “When are you heading abroad?”
“After the New Year,” Xie Siheng replied flatly.
Zuo Qianxing sounded a bit down. “That’s not far off.”
Xie Siheng didn’t respond.
As the heir to the Xie family, with a thriving business and a harmonious household, he had chosen to continue his studies abroad.
He wasn’t passionate about inheriting the family business, but he understood it was his responsibility.
He wouldn’t shirk that duty;He just wanted to live his own life a little longer before taking it on.
