Tiantian Rules the World: Wu wu, as long as you’re not angry, that’s good.
In truth, Tiantian had initially held a skeptical attitude toward Song Fu’s romance with Yan.
This wasn’t the first online game Tiantian had played. In the previous game she played, there was also a big shot nicknamed Yan, but she mainly saw him on the whale leaderboard. The account wasn’t online much, and during major events, it was usually a power-leveler logging in.
She had coincidentally added him as a friend once, but it was more accurate to say she added the power-leveler than the big shot himself.
Tiantian’s impression of Yan was that of someone aloof and unapproachable—absolutely not the clingy type that Fu Guang Luo described.
So she had worried whether it was the power-leveler using Yan’s account to flirt with girls. After all, in this new game, the big shot’s online time far exceeded before, and she had reminded her both openly and subtly. But now it seemed she was overthinking it. Just looking at the few bounties he posted, the rewards converted to market price started at four figures. A power-leveler would only use the account’s existing stuff to show off, not invest their own money.
Tiantian Rules the World: So should we keep running instances? No Ququ this time.
At the same time, Song Fu, who had received the invite, was carrying out her sob story operation with the male lead.
She sent the forum post link with a “click,” then whined pitifully: “Brother, I didn’t expect I’d still make you lose face.”
Yan: ?
Song Fu was in the middle of editing text to explain her logic, deleting and revising for a long time before she could send it, when a voice request disrupted her rhythm.
As soon as she connected, the other side said: “What are you planning to say this time?”
Song Fu choked for a moment, then said weakly, “Brother, are you in a bad mood?”
The other side denied it outright: “No.”
Song Fu steeled herself and continued: “They say I always wear the same outfit, that Brother’s romance partner is a poor ghost. It’s not like I want it this way, but I really don’t have money. I can’t bear to even eat breakfast, but I still haven’t saved much.”
“Is it that you can’t bear to, or that you can’t get up?” The male lead fired off a soul-piercing question.
Song Fu: “Of-of course it’s that I can’t bear to!”
The male lead “mm”ed, made no further comment, and changed the subject: “Why aren’t you asking why I’m in a bad mood?”
Song Fu: “……”
She twitched her mouth. “Didn’t Brother say you’re not in a bad mood?”
The male lead countered: “Can’t you tell if it’s the truth?”
Fine, Song Fu could tell. She followed his lead. “Then why is Brother in a bad mood?”
“Leg hurts, haven’t eaten, and some unlucky person showed up at the door.” The male lead listed three reasons in one breath.
Song Fu picked the most important one: “Why does your leg hurt?”
“Wound got inflamed.”
Lu Yan Zhi didn’t elaborate, just scoffed lightly. “You at least know to ask. Someone sees it but only cares about talking about themselves.”
He was supposed to fulfill motherly love, yet even a caring word was stingy.
The room’s bed curtains were drawn tight, the light dim, making Lu Yan Zhi’s deep ink-colored phoenix eyes appear even darker. He glanced at his phone constantly popping with messages, then tossed it aside impatiently.
Song Fu heard the “thud” and dry-laughed. Speaking logically, anyone would ask, right? Whether out of concern or curiosity.
She had no interest in heart-to-heart talks with the male lead and simply urged him to eat. “Brother, how did you get hurt? You still need to eat. Even if you have no appetite, pick something light. If you go hungry, I’ll feel heartbroken.”
Done. Song Fu herself broke out in goosebumps first.
She rubbed her arms, noticed the silence on the voice chat, felt the male lead was equally grossed out by the line, and decided to add one more: “If I were as rich as Brother, I’d eat lavish meals every day, all different kinds.”
Then.
Song Fu received a plain transfer.
She: “……”
Male lead: “Go eat. New outfit, I’ll send it in-game.”
Song Fu opened her mouth, took half a day to squeeze out: “You’re… really great.”
No, did the male lead really have so much money he didn’t know where to spend it? “I actually didn’t mean to ask you for money.”
The male lead was indeed in a bad mood, and for this kind of taking-the-money-but-acting-picky remark, his tone was listless. “Don’t want it?”
Song Fu shut up and silently accepted the money.
Her actions were very honest.
She changed the subject, giving the emotional payoff someone who took money deserved. “Anyway, Brother, remember to eat!”
……
With the conversation ended here, Song Fu ran off to brag to her little sis Tiantian in the game.
Referencing the script the System provided, she edited text: This mess has me wanting to quit the game, but Yan’s still here, and he even sent me outfits and stuff. Mainly, I have feelings for this account too, don’t really want to part with it.
Fu Guang Luo: I’ll skip the instance today, got something tomorrow.
Tiantian replied instantly: No need to quit over some trash drama. You’re the most important.
Tiantian: Wait till you’re free, we’ll play again~
What Song Fu had to do was tutor the kid.
Fortunately, she didn’t need to get up super early, since the kid didn’t like studying in the early morning—that was his gaming time. The agreed time was 2 p.m., and to avoid being late or hitting lunch rush, she left a bit early.
As usual, the aunt led her upstairs, where she saw the kid with a flushed face and teardrops falling.
The kid sniffled and sobbed. Beside him was a woman who somewhat resembled him in features. The woman, whose real age was hard to tell, had a jade-like pale face, her black hair pinned up behind, warm and beautiful—but at the moment, her face was full of helpless exasperation.
“Cheng Yuan, are you not listening to Mom anymore?” It was the kid’s mom, her tone turning stern.
Song Fu had come several times, but this was her first meeting with the woman. She stood there, unsure of the aunt’s intention in bringing her up to this scene.
Little Yuan showed no fear at all, even raising his volume as he yelled: “Mom broke her promise first! She clearly, clearly said Brother would come back today. I got a hundred on the exam, met the requirement.”
The woman was somewhat flustered, but showed no impatience, still coaxing softly: “You need to understand Brother. It’s not that he doesn’t want to come home; senior year of high school is too crucial right now. Studying is more important, you get it?” As she spoke, she shot a look at Song Fu standing at the door. “See, your teacher is here. Don’t let people see and laugh, think you’re a bad kid who doesn’t understand others.”
The kid still cared about face, barely halting his tantrum, turning his face aside and wiping away the remaining tears.
“Senior year is so busy, then why can Sis come tutor me?”
Song Fu answered: “Because Sis is already in college.”
The kid’s mouth hung open in a daze, lost in deep thought for a long three seconds before concluding: “Is it a sis-con thing? Brother likes older sisters?”
Kids these days knew a lot. Song Fu nodded in response.
The woman successfully bluffed him and went off to handle her business, reminding the kid before leaving to study hard so he could go to the same university as his brother someday.
Once she left, the kid drooped his head and muttered: “By the time I get in, Brother will have graduated long ago. I’m not dumb.” After that, his gaze fell back on Song Fu. “How exactly did you meet Brother?”
From his squinting eyes, it was clear he was suspicious, but Song Fu had no intention of wasting brain cells fabricating lies. “Little Yuan, it’s class time now. Bring out all the questions you’ve accumulated this week, okay?”
The kid “oh”ed, then asked again: “Did you tell Brother I miss him a lot?”
“Sigh.” Song Fu covered her face and sighed mournfully. “Actually, Teacher hasn’t contacted your brother in a while either, because I didn’t want to disturb his studies… But he hasn’t reached out to me proactively either. Do you think he wants to break up with me?” She fake-sobbed dramatically.
The kid’s little head processed the info, saw the sad look on the person before him, and shook his head reluctantly. “No, Brother just doesn’t like replying to messages, really!”
“Is that so?”
” Mm!”
Song Fu continued her lesson.
……
Receiving the due payment again, Song Fu glanced at her balance and belatedly realized a problem: the family hadn’t sent this month’s living expenses yet.
Of course, it was because she hadn’t asked proactively.
This side character’s family all had similar personalities—face over substance, money-obsessed. Getting money out of their pockets was harder than taking their lives, so they absolutely wouldn’t give it voluntarily.
In the side character’s memories, asking for money was always a battle. Ask for fifty, getting thirty was a win, plus getting the cold shoulder, dirty looks, lectures on not knowing the cost of rice, oil, salt as a young person, spending extravagantly.
“Extravagantly” wasn’t accurate; what she got was barely average. To save money, she even went through a period eating only one meal a day, stubbornly claiming she felt fat, when actually she had her eye on a branded pair of shoes. Everyone wore uniforms at school, clothes were similar, so she focused on shoes.
She bought them but didn’t dare wear them at home, fearing a scolding and reduced allowance.
Back at the dorm, Song Fu sent a message on the chat app asking family for money, first routinely inquiring after the elders’ health.
The reply came quick: It’s only been how long, asking for money again? [Angry][Crying]
Then a call came right after.
A middle-aged woman’s voice crackled into her ear. “I’ve told you how many times: save money in college, always asking like this, you’ll spend up all the money for your brother to marry!”
She’d just bought a building for the precious son, but the familiar suffocating feeling made Song Fu inwardly scoff as the tirade continued.
“Once you earn your own money, you’ll know how hard it is. Stop comparing yourself to others; you’re already a head shorter.” After at least three minutes of nagging, she finally grumbled reluctantly, “Eight hundred, right? Transferred seven hundred. Spend sparingly, do some part-time work, don’t act like a big shot.”
As long as she got the money, it was a win. Song Fu let the rest go in one ear and out the other.
“When do you have break?”
“Depends on the exam schedule; hasn’t come down yet.”
“Come back and work in a factory for a month or two…”
“Gotta go, I have something.” Song Fu hung up.
No issue; the side character’s persona was lazy and hated hard work, wouldn’t suffer losses.