"I refuse," Jiang Yu rejected on the spot, smiling faintly. "If you want to find the cat, go find it yourself. I've already merged with the cat and lightning gun."
"You..." Shen Qing'er was bewildered for a moment before she came to her senses. "You're too heartless! Little Ha is so cute, how can you be like this? Is playing games more important than Little Ha?"
"If you ask me, that fat cat of yours always hisses at people and goes into its Spined Dragon form. It should have been flattened by a War Stomp long ago! Unrivaled Patriot! Take my Sweep!"
Jiang Yu continued playing his game, giving Tu Youqing a look that said, 'You know what I mean.'
"Bastard, you stinky Jiang Yu!"
Tu Youqing noticed Jiang Yu's gaze and gritted her teeth.
However, she also knew it was best to end this conversation now.
If anything went wrong and her secret was exposed, it wouldn't be good.
Even without the video, if Jiang Yu insisted she was the one who did it, it would definitely shake her relationship with her best friend.
"Qing'er, it's fine if this scoundrel doesn't help. Youqing will help you. Let's just ignore him, okay?"
Tu Youqing quickly pulled Shen Qing'er over, throwing herself into her arms and acting spoiled.
The surrounding onlookers began to whisper.
"Whoa, really? Jiang Shao has become a Sigma male?"
"Six hundred sixty-six, I thought Jiang Shao only simped for the School Beauty. I didn't expect him to have such a tough side."
"Speaking of which, the School Beauty is also quite something. She accidentally lost her cat and then ordered someone else to find it."
"Exactly! Before, I always thought School Beauty Shen was beautiful and kind-hearted, but now... tsk tsk, she's probably just feigning kindness."
The whispers of the people around gradually reached Shen Qing'er's ears.
Her small face flushed crimson.
She had never been discussed negatively in her life; it had always been praise and admiration.
Now she was actually being called fake!
She was so angry! She was about to overheat!
Tu Youqing quickly covered Shen Qing'er's ears and whispered to comfort her, "Qing'er, don't be angry. It's all that Jiang Yu's fault. We just asked him for help, and not only did he refuse, but he also shouted so loudly, just to make you look bad!"
However, a few simps heard the news and came over to offer their services.
"School Beauty, School Beauty, let me help you find your cat. Send me a picture of the cat, and I'll post it on Douyin."
"Don't listen to him. I won't sleep tonight. I'll put up lost cat posters under every lamppost. That way, it'll be faster."
Shen Qing'er gritted her teeth and said, "All of you, get out!"
Now, she wasn't thinking about Little Ha anymore.
Instead, she was wondering why Jiang Yu had suddenly changed like this.
He used to like her the most.
There was even one time when she had a fever in the middle of the night, and he got up to buy her medicine, delivering it within minutes.
Just thinking about Jiang Yu's attitude towards her earlier, a pang of sadness welled up in Shen Qing'er's heart.
Tu Youqing, her best friend and strategist, guessed what she was thinking in a second and quickly leaned in to whisper, "Qing'er, do you know about 'playing hard to get'?"
"Playing hard to get?"
A hint of confusion appeared on her dejected pretty face.
"Yes, this guy must have learned this trick from somewhere. It's about acting hot and cold towards the girl he likes to stir up her emotions. It's a clever way to pursue a girl.
Jiang Yu doesn't dislike you!
He's just using this method to pursue you, understand? Don't fall for his trick. Just maintain your previous attitude.
When Jiang Yu realizes this trick isn't working, he'll naturally go back to normal."
After listening to Tu Youqing, Shen Qing'er's mood improved significantly.
Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed true.
He was so enthusiastic towards her before, and now he suddenly became cold. Wasn't that just playing hard to get?
For the rest of the day, Jiang Yu did not speak to Shen Qing'er.
This made Shen Qing'er even more certain that Jiang Yu was playing hard to get.
Her mood got better and better, and she didn't even feel too much pain about Little Ha's disappearance.
...
【Ding, congratulations to the Host for receiving the reward: Celestial Grade Sword Spiritual Root】
【Celestial Grade Sword Spiritual Root】
【Description: A mutation from the Gold Spiritual Root. The absorbed spiritual energy automatically transforms into spiritual energy with golden rigidity. Sword intent is clear and enlightened. Upon great accomplishment, a single sword strike can move mountains, fill seas, and suppress ominous entities.】
A comfortable sensation permeated his entire body.
Jiang Yu couldn't help but exhale. "What a Celestial Grade Sword Spiritual Root! I feel like my mind has become much clearer."
In terms of looks, Jiang Yu was definitely a School Hunk at Yingcai University.
However, because he had been a simp for so long, there was always a hint of subservience in his eyes.
But now that he had obtained the Sword Spiritual Root, his appearance hadn't changed, but that simp-like aura was gone. His eyes were full of sharpness and aggressiveness.
There were a few girls who were already Jiang Yu's fangirls. Their favorite thing to do in class was to pretend to look in the mirror, but actually secretly peek at Jiang Yu and admire his roguish face.
"Oh my god, why do I feel like Jiang Yu has gotten so much handsomer? Did he switch face wash? Where's the old one? Should I go dig through the trash can?"
"No, it's his aura! Look at Jiang Yu's eyes. If he stared at me directly, I wouldn't be able to help but fall in love with him..."
"Huh? Xiaoya... you!"
Jiang Yu clenched his fists. After gaining the Spiritual Root, his strength and speed had also increased significantly. Although he hadn't yet guided qi into his body and embarked on the path of cultivation,
his physique was already much stronger than that of ordinary people.
If measured by the realm of Ancient Martial Artist, he should now have the strength of the Yellow Rank early stage.
As expected of something produced by the System, it's a masterpiece!
...
After school, when he returned home, Jiang Yu smelled a faint fragrance even before opening the door.
Opening the door, indeed, standing at the entrance was a beautiful woman with her hair coiled up, wearing a silk nightgown, petite but well-endowed.
Upon seeing her precious son return home, Li Qingrou eagerly ran over to hug him, carefully sniffing Jiang Yu's scent.
It seemed he hadn't been out partying at bars these past few days.
"My dear son, did you miss Mommy these past few days?"
Beneath the red silk nightgown were beautiful legs encased in flesh-colored stockings. When Li Qingrou stood on her tiptoes, her slippers were half an inch off the ground, and her small heels were exposed to the air.
"Mom, I'll put my bag down first..."
Jiang Yu reluctantly pulled away from Li Qingrou's embrace and turned to look at the sofa. Sitting there was a neatly dressed, well-built middle-aged man, his cheap old man, Jiang Tianlong!
"You don't miss Mommy!"
Li Qingrou looked wronged, pinched Jiang Yu, and then took his crossbody bag, patted it a few times, and carefully helped him hang it up.
"Yes, yes, yes..." Jiang Yu helplessly pinched his mother's shoulder, then turned and walked to the sofa.
"Dad, I'm home."
"Mm."
Jiang Tianlong was a stern man. Starting from scratch, he built a commercial empire worth hundreds of billions in Lin City, carving out a place for the Jiang Family from the original three major families.
However, thinking of Jiang Tianlong's fate in the plot, Jiang Yu couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
In the original work, the arrogant and domineering Jiang Yu provoked Lin Qifan and was severely beaten. Jiang Tianlong spent tens of millions to hire several Ancient Martial Artists at the late Xuan Rank to deal with Lin Qifan.
Unexpectedly, Lin Qifan counter-killed them. After several more clashes, Lin Qifan, who had grown stronger, eventually allied with the other three major families to destroy Jiang Tianlong's hundred-billion commercial empire.
"By the way, Dad, how's the company doing these past few days while you were on vacation?"
Jiang Tianlong didn't expect his son, who usually didn't care about worldly affairs, to ask such a question. He was stunned for a moment, then coughed and said, "Why do you ask that?"
Jiang Yu remembered that in the original plot, the Li Family, one of Lin City's three major families, secretly bribed their way into sending several spies into the company while Jiang Tianlong and Li Qingrou were on vacation.
These spies played a decisive role in overthrowing the Tianlong Group in the future.
"Just a little curious," Jiang Yu didn't know how to explain at the moment, so he decided to put it aside for now.
After all, the future business war was still far away.
There would be plenty of time in the future to thoroughly investigate the internal situation, especially how the Li Family managed to plant those spies.
"Oh," Jiang Tianlong smiled. "Good! I used to want you to try taking over the company, but you refused no matter what. Have you changed your mind now?"
Jiang Yu quickly shook his head and refused.
Are you kidding? Managing a company?
It's tiring and thankless, not at all comparable to the life of a rich young master who has food delivered to his mouth and money at his fingertips.
"You're my only son. You'll have to take over after you graduate from university."
Jiang Tianlong closed his newspaper and poured himself a pot of tea.
"Tell me about you and that young lady from the Shen Family."
Jiang Tianlong was a shareholder of Yingcai University. Anything concerning Jiang Yu at school, his homeroom teacher... or rather, his counselor, would specifically report it.