Chapter 141: I Gave You a Chance, but You’re Useless
Mwah. Lin Ruoxi gave Cheng Yuan a kiss.
To Lin Ruoxi’s frustration, Cheng Yuan didn’t respond at all. His head simply tilted to the side, and he fell asleep again.
Annoyed, Lin Ruoxi reached out with a jade-like finger and gently poked Cheng Yuan’s forehead. "You silly fool. I gave you a chance, but you’re useless!"
With that, Lin Ruoxi lay down beside Cheng Yuan and fell into a deep sleep.
Warm sunlight spilled onto Lin Ruoxi’s face. She realized that at some point, she had snuggled into Cheng Yuan’s arms.
A serene smile graced Lin Ruoxi’s face. She hadn’t slept this soundly in a very long time.
She was starting to get used to having a man by her side, to the feeling of having someone to lean on.
Lin Ruoxi gave Cheng Yuan a light kiss, then got up, washed, and left for work.
It was already noon by the time Cheng Yuan woke up.
Cheng Yuan stretched lazily, rubbing his aching head, when he suddenly realized something.
’Damn it! How did I drink so much? My wife told me to come home early yesterday! I’ve missed a golden opportunity!’
’I’m never drinking this much again. It’s even getting in the way of my Cultivation.’
Cheng Yuan quickly washed up and walked out of the bedroom.
Shen Youchu had already made lunch. Seeing Cheng Yuan emerge, she smiled. "Brother, you’re finally awake! I’ve been cultivating all morning! For some reason, my progress is so slow when I practice on my own. Will you cultivate with me after we eat?"
"Okay."
Shen Youchu’s cooking was mediocre, but ’what could he expect?’
’She was just a little girl of about ten, after all.’
"Youchu," Cheng Yuan said as he ate, "I’m planning to find a school for you. It’s not right for a kid to not be in school."
Hearing this, Shen Youchu pouted. "Are you trying to get rid of me, Brother?"
"How could I ever get rid of you? You can still come home after school, you know!"
Shen Youchu’s tears turned to a smile. "Okay then. I’m actually looking forward to going to school. I hope I can make a few friends."
After they had eaten their fill, Cheng Yuan brewed two portions of a medicinal decoction.
"Here, Youchu, drink this. Don’t worry if it’s bitter. It’ll make your Cultivation much more effective."
"Really?"
Shen Youchu pinched her nose and drank the concoction. Her expression immediately changed as she felt a startling heat surge from her Dantian!
Waves of immense power coursed through her body!
Propelled by this power, the rate at which she cleared her minor Meridians increased manifold!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In the blink of an eye, Shen Youchu had cleared several minor Meridians!
With a prodigy like Shen Youchu cultivating beside him, Cheng Yuan’s own efficiency skyrocketed. In a single afternoon of Cultivation, he cleared all the minor Meridians in his limbs!
Cheng Yuan’s power had clearly increased!
Before, Cheng Yuan could only match the power of a Quasi-Divine Realm expert in short bursts. Now, he could defeat a Quasi-Divine Realm expert and even hold his own against a Divine Realm Expert.
This was the advantage of a superior Cultivation Technique—it allowed him to fight opponents above his level.
Next up was the torso!
Cultivating the torso was significantly more difficult.
The torso contained many fragile organs, and numerous minor Meridians were hidden within them. He had to be exceptionally careful!
Fortunately, the herbs provided by the Hu and Zhu Families were all ingredients for Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Essence.
Combined with Cheng Yuan’s medical expertise, the resulting potion was a veritable Tiger and Wolf Medicine!
Under the protection of this Tiger and Wolf Medicine, his organs became incredibly resilient. Even if Cheng Yuan accidentally severed a minor Meridian, his organs remained unharmed.
At five in the afternoon, Cheng Yuan slowly concluded his Cultivation.
’My wife should be home soon, right?’
Cheng Yuan grew excited. He looked at Shen Youchu with a grin. "Youchu, Brother’s a bit tired. Let’s call it a day, okay?"
"Okay."
Cheng Yuan took a shower. For the sake of a better experience tonight, he even spritzed on a little cologne.
BRRR...
Cheng Yuan’s phone rang. He grabbed it and saw it was Lin Ruoxi calling, and a wide grin immediately spread across his face.
"Honey, are you almost home?"
"No, a client just came in unexpectedly. I have to host them, so I might be a little late. Don’t worry about me."
Cheng Yuan’s mood instantly deflated. ’What client? Of all the times to show up, they had to pick now? Aren’t they ruining my big plans?’
"Honey, a night like this is priceless! That client can wait. Just see them tomorrow!"
"I can’t do that. Mr. Lei is a huge name in the antique-collecting world. He owns two private museums. His standing in the world of antiquities is on par with Teacher Zhang."
"Fine. Around what time will you be home?"
"Ten at the latest. Don’t be so impatient! Besides, who was it that got completely wasted last night? I was all showered and ready for you."
Lin Ruoxi’s playfully chiding voice made Cheng Yuan’s heart itch as if scratched by a kitten’s paw. ’What exactly did I miss out on last night?’
’From now on, no matter how happy I get, I can’t overdo it with the drinking.’
It was five-thirty, which meant four and a half hours until ten. Cheng Yuan wished he could fast-forward time straight to ten o’clock.
BRRR...
Cheng Yuan’s phone rang again.
Cheng Yuan pulled out his phone. It was a call from Xu Ke.
Cheng Yuan answered. Xu Ke’s excited voice came from the other end. "Brother Yuan, I just heard! Your student status was restored! Did they overturn your case?"
"It was just overturned."
"That’s awesome! Does this mean we can hang out on campus together again?"
Cheng Yuan gave a wry smile. "I was in prison for two years. I’ve forgotten everything I ever learned. Even if I went back, I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I don’t think I’ll be returning to class."
"What? That’s a real shame."
"It’s fine. It’s not a bad thing to get out into the real world a bit earlier."
Xu Ke fell silent.
Cheng Yuan laughed. "Xu Ke, don’t worry about me. Thanks for remembering this brother. I’ll treat you to a meal sometime to thank you."
Xu Ke laughed. "Why wait? Let’s make it tonight! Our class is having a get-together, and there’s a chance to fleece a fat cat. You have to come!"
’Fleece a fat cat?’
’That used to be my favorite pastime before I went to prison.’
’But now, it looked like *he* was the fat cat.’
Though he’d lost his taste for fleecing the rich, Cheng Yuan agreed anyway. His wife wouldn’t be home until ten, so seeing some old classmates didn’t sound like a bad idea.
"Send me the address. I’ll head over in a bit."
"You got it."
DING. Xu Ke sent over the address.
After sending the text, Xu Ke posted a message in their class group chat.
[Hey everyone, I invited Cheng Yuan to the get-together tonight. Hope no one has any objections?]
The group chat instantly lit up.
[Of course not! I haven’t seen him in two years. I kinda miss the guy!]
[He was our class heartthrob! *drool*]
Most of the classmates were welcoming, but one girl’s expression was stormy.
Her name was Bai Xuening. She had pursued Cheng Yuan for a full three months, but he had remained unmoved, ultimately choosing Wang Shanshan instead.
A cold sneer played on Bai Xuening’s lips. ’Cheng Yuan, I will make you understand that rejecting me for Wang Shanshan was the biggest mistake of your life!’