Chapter 19: Stealing the Crystal

The second floor of a milk tea shop.

Sitting by the window, one could turn their head and see the grand, newly constructed library.

Xu Siyi kept her head down, pinching her straw and listlessly stirring the half-finished cappuccino remaining in her cup.

"Jiang Chen, I think you should just give up. Shurui is too much of a challenge for you."

The young man sitting opposite her remained unmoved, as blunt and stubborn as ever.

"You promised me you would help me."

"I will help you, but..."

Xu Siyi hesitated, stopped stirring her coffee, and looked up with a bitter smile.

"I've already done everything I can. You have no idea how many good words I've said about you to Shurui, but it hasn't worked at all. So... just give up."

She was beholden to him.

The bracelet was still on her wrist.

Naturally, she couldn't just turn around and deny knowing him.

It wasn't out of a sense of conscience.

It was because if this simp exposed the matter, she wouldn't be able to show her face in public.

At first, she had indeed intended to use this guy to throw some mud at Li Shurui's reputation.

But after seeing the astronomical wealth Li Shurui earned through her livestreams, Xu Siyi had lost interest in such petty tricks; she no longer had the heart to keep playing the game.

"Jiang Chen, how about I show you a clear path?"

Right now, she only wanted to shake this simp off as quickly as possible.

"Tell me."

Jiang Chen nodded, looking eager to learn.

Xu Siyi lowered her voice. "Shurui has very high standards. If you insist on chasing her, you're just wasting time and energy—it's physically equivalent to useless work. But right now, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is right in front of you. It just depends on whether you're willing to seize it."

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, appearing somewhat interested.

"What opportunity?"

"Removing the firewood from under the cauldron."

"Removing the firewood?"

"Exactly!"

Xu Siyi nodded vigorously, let go of her straw, and stared intently at the young man across from her, saying with great seriousness, "Many people don't know this yet, but Liang Zhenlun has also started pursuing Shurui."

Jiang Chen froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am!"

Xu Siyi spoke with absolute certainty. "He even went out of his way to invite Shurui to his birthday party this Monday, something that never happened before. You're a guy; you should understand what a man's intentions are."

Jiang Chen remained silent, lost in thought.

"So, now is your perfect chance to strike at the root. You've played the game before, haven't you? Didn't Liang Zhenlun steal your girlfriend previously? Now is the best time to slip in through the gap. If he wants to chase Shurui, you should turn around and steal his crystal instead!"

Xu Siyi's tone rose and fell with persuasive power.

If this had been the old Jiang Chen, he most likely would have been tempted. But now that he had decided to "reform his ways," how could he ever go back?

Besides.

Chasing Li Shurui was a grand cause concerning his entire life and future; even he had no choice in the matter.

"I have already made a public statement that I will no longer have any contact with Ai Qian."

Jiang Chen shook his head, appearing stiff and dull.

"Are you stupid!"

Xu Siyi said anxiously, "Don't you like her very much? What does pride matter compared to your own happiness?"

Jiang Chen continued to shake his head, unyielding.

"What is missed is missed. We are already two pieces of broken mirror; even if we are pieced back together, it is impossible to be as whole as before."

Xu Siyi was stunned.

This simp...

Actually spoke quite philosophically.

"If you insist on thinking that way, then there's nothing I can do..."

Jiang Chen pointedly looked at the gold bracelet on her right wrist.

"Siyi, are you going to stop looking out for me?"

"It's not that I won't, it's that I can't!"

How could Xu Siyi not know he was blatantly threatening her? She said angrily, "I've done everything I should do. You won't even listen to the path I've laid out for you. What more do you want from me?"

Just then, an English ringtone sounded.

"I need to take a call."

Jiang Chen pulled out his phone and, without bothering to hide it from Xu Siyi, answered it right where he sat.

"Manager Chen."

"This weekend?"

"...Alright."

After talking for about a minute or two, Jiang Chen hung up. Out of politeness, he explained, "It's my supervisor from my part-time job. He asked me to help him out this weekend."

"You don't need to tell me that."

Xu Siyi said dismissively, her contempt almost visible on her face.

Self-reliance depended on the circumstances.

Being like Li Shurui was true self-reliance.

As for this simp...

Could he even earn two hundred yuan for a day of part-time work?

Xu Siyi didn't want to waste any more time.

"I have to go accompany Shurui to look at cars later. I'm leaving."

With that, she prepared to stand up and leave.

"Look at cars?"

Jiang Chen looked up in surprise.

"Yes, look at cars."

Xu Siyi explained with apparent kindness, "Shurui is planning to buy a car, so she asked us to go with her to take a look."

"Can I go too?"

Jiang Chen seemed to have no self-awareness at all, looking at Xu Siyi expectantly.

"You?"

She laughed.

"What would you go for? Do you even know anything about cars?"

"I've actually always liked cars, so I've studied them for a while. I know a bit. What kind of car does she want to buy? I can give her some referen—"

Reference?

Did this simp really think he was someone important?

Xu Siyi's smile was contemptuous.

"A Panamera. What do you think of that car?"

Jiang Chen froze, as if doubting whether he had misheard.

"A Panamera?"

"Yes. Didn't you want to give a reference? Give me your opinion."

"That car... costs over a million, doesn't it? Isn't it... too expensive?"

"It might be expensive to you, but for Shurui, it's not an issue."

Standing up, Xu Siyi looked down at him, radiating an inexplicable sense of superiority.

"Do you know how much Shurui earns in a month now? Senior Jiang, one cannot only look at the sky; one must also look at the road beneath their feet. You should have studied the legend of Kuafu chasing the sun. You and Shurui are truly from two different worlds."

Having said her piece, Xu Siyi did not linger. She turned and walked down the steps, disappearing from the second floor.

Jiang Chen, who had just been insulted from head to toe, felt no sense of defeat. He stared blankly in the direction of the stairs and, as if possessed, began to laugh inexplicably.

Although he didn't know how much Li Shurui used to earn from her livestreams, given the amount of money he had poured in so far, supporting her in buying a Maserati was indeed not difficult.

But to be so eager to buy such an expensive luxury car just as she started making money—wasn't that a bit too vain?

And she had no sense of risk management either.

But then again, he was young; it was normal. You buy what you like and do what you want. If you think too much, you're no longer young.

Alone, Jiang Chen let out a soft sigh. He calmly finished his mango pomelo sago before standing up to leave.

(End of Chapter)