Chapter 115: Hiss... Little Chili, I like it.

Qi Zhengqing was just about to greet Ning Zheng with a smile when he heard a voice call out, "You've arrived!"

He was struck as if by lightning, frozen at the doorway, his expression twisting instantly.

His lifelong nemesis!

Su Rulong had left an unimaginable shadow over Qi Zhengqing. He would never forget that day when he had simply accepted a bottle of mineral water from Su Rulong, only to lose consciousness. When he woke up, he was bound to a bed, and that complete pervert was standing over him, watching him—crucially, holding a small leather whip. It was only fortunate that his bodyguards had burst in just in time; otherwise, his virtue would have been lost.

This incident quickly spread throughout the Kyoto inner circle, becoming a laughingstock. Initially, everyone thought this would be a source of shame and ruin for Su Rulong. However, when it actually reached that point, Qi Zhengqing realized that for Su Rulong, it was considered a badge of honor! Su Rulong felt no shame; instead, he took pride in it and bragged about it everywhere.

And what was the Su family’s stance? They had initially felt deeply embarrassed and unable to show their faces. But later... the Su family noticed that the members of the Qi family seemed to lose their confidence whenever they crossed paths. This delighted the Su family. Being able to disgust the Qi family was, in itself, no small feat!

"Why are you ignoring me?" Su Rulong greeted Qi Zhengqing with excessive enthusiasm, taking the gift from him. "Come in and sit." As he spoke, he scanned Qi Zhengqing up and down. His gaze was somewhat... scorching. It was a look that seemed as if he wanted to swallow Qi Zhengqing whole.

Qi Zhengqing stood there stiffly, unable to leave and unable to stay. He felt entirely uncomfortable, wishing he could just stab Su Rulong.

"What are you doing? Get away from me!" Qi Zhengqing snapped in a low voice.

The crowd’s eyes shifted curiously toward the two men standing at the entrance. Even Ning Cai couldn't help but steal a few glances.

"Why are you being so fierce?" Su Rulong looked at him, unhappy. "I was just trying to be kind and help you with your things. You've made me unhappy now; you have to coax me!"

Qi Zhengqing walked inside with a slumped posture, as if all his strength had been drained. There truly was no way to deal with this pervert. You couldn't hit him, and if you called him a pervert, he only got more excited. Qi Zhengqing felt that he had done enough evil in his life that encountering Su Rulong was perhaps just karmic balance.

"What are you standing there for? Come in and sit!" Ning Zheng spoke, breaking the deadlock. Qi Zhengqing felt as if he had been granted an amnesty, walking inside and keeping as much distance from Su Rulong as possible.

"Where is Shen Xian?" Qi Zhengqing asked Ning Cai.

"Helping in the kitchen," Ning Cai replied.

Qi Zhengqing nodded, feeling a begrudging sense of admiration for Shen Xian. This pretty boy truly had skills; not only had he captivated Zhou Wan, but even the artificial intelligence Ning Cai had fallen for him. How did he do it?

Ning Zheng closed his laptop. "Professor Jiang is coming on strong tonight. Do you high-achieving graduates of the Chinese Department have any confidence?"

Qi Zhengqing was full of assurance. "No need to panic. I’ve called in a few others who are extremely gifted in classical literature. They’ve achieved quite a lot, already serving as associate professors around the age of thirty."

"Don't be careless," Ning Zheng warned. "If we win, they will establish a research institute here."

Qi Zhengqing, Su Rulong, and the others were shocked. A classical literature research institute was going to be established domestically?

"They are funding it themselves, with an investment of over five billion, and they will promote this discipline nationwide!" Ning Zheng explained. "If they are willing to put up five billion, the government will provide matching funds. The total capital will exceed ten billion! It might even be compiled into poetry anthologies and used as textbooks."

Everyone was stunned. Jiang Tianji was making such a massive move?

"Are those foreigners really that wealthy?" Su Rulong asked.

Ning Zheng remained silent. Although they held foreign citizenship, their ancestors were born and raised in this country. Some of these families were wealthy landed gentry who migrated during the feudal era. The wealthy gentry always had deep pockets. They were experts at spending money to buy degrees, honors, and positions like chairmen of writers' associations, film associations, or music associations. Furthermore, these overseas nationals who had lived in Southeast Asia for years held a special, obsessive attachment to classical literature—for instance, they built Chinatowns, preserved traditional characters, and even maintained the ancient reading habit of reading from right to left.

Ning Zheng chatted with Qi Zhengqing, Su Rulong, and the others for a while longer, inquiring about their recent situations. Whether it was the Su, Qi, or Zhou families, they all held family banquets every Mid-Autumn Festival, where the younger generation would sit together to bond or discuss cooperation. This year, it was the Ning family's turn.

Shen Xian was still busy in the kitchen, working with great organization and composure. On the steamer rack, many dishes were already prepared, kept warm so they wouldn't cool down.

"That's about enough. You go out first; I'll handle the rest," his "Little Mom" said to Shen Xian with a gentle expression.

Shen Xian glanced around the kitchen and nodded. "Alright, Little Mom."

"You must be careful of Su Rulong. He is impossible to guard against!" she warned with a serious expression, then washed her hands and stepped out of the kitchen.

Qi Zhengqing was sitting on the sofa, and upon seeing Shen Xian emerge, his eyes immediately lit up with interest. Su Rulong’s gaze also locked onto Shen Xian, then flicked back and forth between Qi Zhengqing and Shen Xian. In the end, he decided that Shen Xian was a bit more handsome than Qi Zhengqing. However, the unattainable is always the most desirable. Su Rulong had been one step away from "attaining" Qi Zhengqing back then, which he had always found a pity. Consequently, he had developed an unimaginable obsession with him.

The "second generation" heirs in the Kyoto circle were all, to some extent, mentally unwell. Qi Zhengqing was obsessively infatuated with Zhou Wan, to the point where he didn't know if it was love or just unwillingness to let go. Su Rulong was frantically trying to "get" Qi Zhengqing, wishing he could drug him right now and tie him up. Ning Cai had been raised by Ning Zheng to be an artificial intelligence... Zhou Wan was pregnant out of wedlock and possessed a rebellious spirit. Ye Yuning, the daughter of a high-ranking official raised in a military compound, had actually gone to Nanzhou to raise wild geese...

Shen Xian scanned the people sitting in the room. They were all "sick"; there didn't seem to be a single normal person among them.

"Little Shen..." Ning Zheng was about to ask Shen Xian to help pour tea, but noticed that Shen Xian had already prepared the boiling water and cups. He didn't usually let others touch his tea set. Although he thoroughly disliked these people, he hadn't reached the point of showing it on the surface; he would ensure the service was impeccable.

He poured a cup of tea for everyone present. Everyone except Qi Zhengqing picked up their cups, because Qi Zhengqing had sworn that as long as Su Rulong was present, he would never eat or drink anything.

"Drink up. Why aren't you drinking?" Su Rulong asked, seeing Qi Zhengqing sitting motionless.

Qi Zhengqing glared at him. "Shut up! No one will think you're a mute if you don't talk!"

"Hiss... a little hot pepper, I like it!" Su Rulong gasped, looking at Qi Zhengqing with surprise. "Your banter is getting more and more polished!"

Everyone felt goosebumps rise all over their bodies. Qi Zhengqing leaned back powerlessly on the sofa, feeling as if his life were cast in gray.

Just as they were talking, the sound of car doors opening and chattering voices echoed from the entrance. Ning Zheng sat up straight.

Jiang Tianji had arrived.