Chapter 52 - 34 【Not High Standards, But There Are Some!】
Chapter 34 [Not a High Bottom Line, But I Have One!]
Back inside the room, both Chen Yan and Lu Sisi felt a bit awkward.
Chen Yan didn’t say a word, moving the table next to the bed and setting up the food.
Lu Sisi sat on the edge of the bed while Chen Yan took a seat on a chair. The two ate their meal in silence.
Chen Yan had been eating the university canteen’s food for four years, and these dishes were still decent, with consistency being their strong suit.
Chen Yan dug in heartily while Lu Sisi ate delicately. Chen Yan nearly polished off a whole plate of braised pork ribs before Lu Sisi even finished her first piece.
"How come... is the canteen food not to your taste?" Chen Yan asked.
"No, not at all," Lu Sisi replied, her face flushing. "I usually eat very slowly because I’m afraid... if I eat too quickly, I’ll choke or get something stuck in my throat.
I once almost choked to death from food, so ever since then, I’ve always eaten very slowly."
Well, those few words conveyed a sense of hardship.
Chen Yan sighed.
"Earlier, outside... that thing your classmate gave you..." Lu Sisi began hesitantly, her face turning red again.
"Don’t mind him. My friend tends to have wild ideas and causes trouble," Chen Yan quickly clarified. "I had no idea he would do something like that."
"I see." Lu Sisi lowered her head. "I know you’re... not a bad person."
She looked up, meeting Chen Yan’s gaze with a serious expression. "I believe you!"
You better not believe me too much... when Fatty Fang gave me that thing, I was tempted.
Chen Yan thought to himself, forcing a dry laugh.
Time to change the subject!
He quickly racked his brain and then casually asked, "The day after tomorrow, once everything is settled, have you thought about what your life will be like? What do you want to do most?"
Hearing this question, Lu Sisi’s eyes suddenly sparkled.
Chen Yan couldn’t tell if it was an illusion, but he felt that this girl, for the first time since he met her, looked full of energy!
All along, the impression Lu Sisi gave Chen Yan was one of cautiousness and trepidation.
To put it bluntly, it was... lifeless!
But now, her eyes suddenly glowed with vitality.
"I... I want to study hard!"
"...Huh?"
Could your values be any more upright??
Chen Yan was a bit taken aback.
"Not... not in the way you’re thinking," Lu Sisi said, blushing.
Then, she sighed softly.
"Actually, I’ve always had a knack for studying since I was a child. I paid close attention in class, quickly understanding what the teachers taught. I could solve difficult problems easily.
But... my grades were consistently poor.
I frequently got injured, fell ill, and had to take leaves of absence, either being in the hospital or at home.
My studies were always interrupted, so I could never achieve good results.
I... I’ve always envied those students with good grades. Everyone likes them, teachers, classmates, parents...
All through my life, despite my potential, I never earned good grades.
I’ve always envied them."
Lu Sisi spoke softly, "I want to study hard once, and... get first place once.
Even if it’s just once, that would be enough."
Chen Yan listened quietly, then asked, "Any other wishes?"
"I want to travel." The girl’s eyes were filled with longing. "I’ve seen so many interesting places online.
I want to climb mountains, see the sea, go diving, go bungee jumping...
I was always too scared before, knowing there would likely be dangers if I went.
But... I really want to try it."
Chen Yan could understand this desire.
"I also want to eat a lot of different foods. I, I..." The girl blushed, "I love fish. I’ve always liked fish.
But when I eat fish, I often get fish bones stuck in my throat. Twice, I had to go to the hospital because the bones scratched my esophagus and caused it to bleed. After that, I didn’t dare to eat fish anymore."
Listening to her, Chen Yan suddenly looked up, realizing the girl was already in tears.
"Sigh..."
Chen Yan sighed, handing her a napkin. "Why are you crying when we’re just having a conversation?"
Lu Sisi lowered her head, wiped her tears, and softly said, "Chen Yan, I’m sorry."
"Hmm?" Chen Yan was confused.
Thank you would make sense, but why apologize?
"I just realized, my request to stay here has been a bother to you.
If it weren’t for my request, you could go home to rest. So...
I’m sorry."
Lu Sisi whispered, "I’ve never had friends and rarely interacted with people, so I didn’t consider everything carefully."
Chen Yan looked at Lu Sisi, gave a gentle smile, and softly said, "Alright, let’s eat. Otherwise, the food will get cold."
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That night, the two slept on the same bed, fully clothed.
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The next day, Chen Yan got up to wash while Lu Sisi, her face red, got up and carefully tidied the bed.
Chen Yan spent the whole morning meditating and practicing in the room.
Lu Sisi pulled out a book to read.
She read for a bit, stealing glances at Chen Yan, then read some more, and stole a few more glances.
In the afternoon, Chen Yan performed the spell again, repeating the procedure from the previous day.
This time, without using gauze, Lu Sisi followed Chen Yan’s instructions to the letter: no talking, no opening her eyes, and no moving.
Until she fainted, her six senses sealed, losing consciousness.
This time, the result was still very good. Lu Sisi’s unlucky black qi had dissipated a lot more.
When she woke up, the bad luck had reduced to less than a third.
Chen Yan confirmed that just one more session would do the trick.
That night, however, Lu Sisi became more silent, barely talking and passing the night quietly.
Though, she stayed awake the entire night.
·
The third afternoon.
The third casting session was completed!
Chen Yan, drenched in sweat, put away the last talisman and sat down on a chair, panting softly.
First, he meditated for a while to restore some Primordial Qi, then circulated it through his body, taking a careful look at the still unconscious Lu Sisi.
Her forehead was clear and clean, with no trace of black qi left!
It worked!
Chen Yan felt a surge of excitement.
This was the first major, highly challenging spell he had completed!
From start to finish, he had handled it all himself, pouring in considerable effort and energy.
The success filled Chen Yan with immense joy.
Moreover, he had truly and entirely changed the fate of a kind person.
President Fang doesn’t count... from the first time Chen Yan saw him, he had used his Qi Observation Skill to check; that guy was no saint.
After resting for a while, Chen Yan took out two more Taoist Talismans to ward off evil and bring fortune, and gently burned them at the bedside.
This time, the talismans burned slowly, not in a flash.
Because... the bad luck was gone!
Chen Yan finally felt relieved.
Glancing at the sleeping Lu Sisi, he pondered for a moment, then took out some paper and a pen from his bag and scribbled a few lines.
·
When Lu Sisi woke up, she heard no sound from Chen Yan — unlike the previous two times when he noticed her waking and started a conversation.
She sat up abruptly, finding the room dim and the chair empty, with no sign of Chen Yan.
Lu Sisi hurried out of bed, calling out, receiving no reply. Then, she saw a piece of paper on the table.
A line was messily scrawled on it:
"The spell is complete. From now on, you can live the life you want.
If fate allows, we’ll meet again!"
Lu Sisi stared blankly.
Hmm, he had written"fate" wrong and then crossed it out, replacing it with the pinyin "yuan."
Lu Sisi couldn’t help but smile gently, then sighed softly, sitting quietly at the table, holding the paper, tears silently streaming down her face.
"I had planned... not to leave tonight either."
·
Chen Yan returned to the villa, locking the door, and went straight upstairs to his room.
Stripping down, he took a hearty, quick shower.
Then, sprawled out on the soft big bed!
Time to catch up on sleep!!
·
Those past two days, Chen Yan hadn’t really gotten any sleep.
Sharing a bed with a beautiful girl in bloom.
What man could truly sleep in that situation?
And Chen Yan wasn’t foolish!!!
That day, Xiaopang had given him that box, and Lu Sisi had clearly seen it.
Yet she said nothing, retreating quietly to her room.
This attitude was intriguing.
Chen Yan was ninety percent sure that if he had tried anything with the girl that night, she wouldn’t have resisted.
Knowing this, he had to leave.
It wasn’t about doing good without expecting anything in return—that wasn’t Chen Yan’s style. He believed in the old proverb, "Take their money, work for them."
Since he had exerted the effort, he deserved the reward.
But...
To take advantage of a young, innocent girl? Use the "suspension bridge effect"? Exploit her sense of gratitude?
That would be inhumane.
Chen Yan’s bottom line might not be high, but it existed nonetheless.
·
After sleeping until midnight, Chen Yan woke up feeling fatigued, lacking the usual post-sleep energy.
His head felt foggy as he rose and went to the bathroom.
Coming out, he suddenly lost his balance, stumbling backward.
Fortunately, after nurturing his body with Primordial Qi for days, his physique and agility far surpassed an average person’s.
Despite the imbalance, he managed to arch his back and push himself up with one hand, landing stably!
But lying on the floor, he suddenly broke out in cold sweat!
The sharp corner of the bathroom’s glass door was just five centimeters from his forehead!
"..."
Chen Yan’s heart skipped a beat as he carefully steadied himself and slowly stood up.
Returning to the bedroom, he sat on the soft bed. Taking a deep breath, he circulated his Primordial Qi and felt a chill spread through his body!
Despite the closed windows and the heating and air conditioning, he felt a cold, eerie draft seep into his bones.
He shivered abruptly!
"Not good!"
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