Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

The environment further differentiates good and bad students, leading to a new phase where top universities like Tsinghua and Peking University, and vocational schools, see some going to work in large factories while others remain in manual labor. The excellent become even more excellent, while those at the bottom struggle to even support their families.

—For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

When Mistelin was teaching Shen Liang this part, Shen Liang questioned it. He said, "Then why not study hard from the beginning? Why cheat and slack off at the start? If I were among the top students, shouldn't I naturally receive better treatment?"

Mistelin smiled and said, "Honey, think about it again."

Imagine you are a wealthy person with a hundred million molars in your bank. Your friend, on the other hand, is penniless.

You spend your days eating and drinking without doing any productive work, while your friend works hard and earns millions of Mora a year.

At this point, you both choose to buy a house in Liyue Harbor, where a 100-square-meter house costs 20 million. You buy it directly, while your friend knows that if he doesn't buy now, it will be too late, and prices will definitely rise in a few years as Liyue Harbor becomes more prosperous. So he grits his teeth, takes out a 20-year loan, pays a down payment of 5 million, and repays 30 million to buy it.

Sure enough, house prices started to rise, and your friend was very glad that he had a keen sense of foresight. As for you, you simply wanted to buy a comfortable house so you wouldn't have to live in a hostel.

Ten years later, house prices have doubled. Your friend is now very happy, but he still owes 17.5 million and is penniless.

You casually sold the house, lived there for ten years, did nothing, and your net worth went from 100 million to 110 million.

Over the course of twenty years, if your friend's work goes wrong in the slightest, whether he is fired or suffers a natural disaster that causes him to lose his job, he will vanish in an instant. The money lender will ruthlessly take away everything he owns, leaving him with endless debts.

And you don't even need to work.

If housing prices fall, it doesn't matter to you; you might lose millions as a lesson. But if countless people take out loans to buy houses and housing prices drop, that will kill people—it will kill many people.

People at the bottom suffer massive losses from even minor fluctuations, while those at the top remain unperturbed and can even consume the resources of those affected. For example, you could buy your friend's house at a low price to hedge against potential losses.

In any situation, wealthy people with a "tolerance for error" will always minimize their losses, while they will always maximize their gains once the market moves upward.

—If you have it, we'll give you more. If you don't have it, we'll take away what you already have.

Personal ability and effort are nothing compared to the wealth that comes with it. Both spend tens of millions on a house, leaving the ordinary penniless while the rich have ninety million. Who will start investing next? Who will pay attention to the market? Who will seize the opportunity?

If you have no money and can only struggle to survive, how can you possibly see the countless opportunities that slip by unnoticed in this world?

This is the "eternity that remains unchanged through countless generations" of this world.

However, Liyue has done its best to suppress the Matthew effect. Throughout history, some of the Seven Stars of Liyue have risen from humble beginnings, and no powerful clan can maintain their rule for more than a century. This is because they have immortals who are completely detached from worldly power and wealth. These immortals are even detached from worldly affairs and karma, making them ideal overseers.

“That’s wonderful. It’s a country where the distinction between noble and commoner has been minimized to the greatest extent possible,” Rosalind said with a smile. “As for Mondstadt, who knows how many more years that will take.”

She was thinking of Rustan, a young wolf knight who rose from humble beginnings to become the vice-commander of the Knights of Favonius. His sword could cut through rain, and the sheer force of his blade could sever roses. Even Erendel, the "Lion of Light," paled in comparison to him in terms of swordsmanship.

However, becoming the second-in-command of the Knights of the Order does not mean that Mondstadt is truly without social class; it only means that he has transcended class.

Despite being a singer of a lower class than a tenant farmer, Rosalyn never belittled herself because of her origins. Her beauty and singing voice captivated everyone in the entire Fengshen Square, but she did not transcend class boundaries.

Erendel and she were true friends, but even the carefree Erendel once told her that Rustin, who had struggled his way up from the bottom with only talent and no background, needed a powerful family more than anyone else to secure his future. Rosalind wasn't oblivious to Erendel's implication; she knew that Erendel genuinely hoped Rustin could become a new elite in Mondstadt and that his name would become the surname of a new family.

Yes, actually all you need to do is take a step back.

Rustan and Rosalind's feelings for each other could not be swayed by wealth or interests. They had already met when Rustan was just Erendel's servant and Rosalind was just a little girl singing in a tavern with her master. Both from humble backgrounds, both exceptionally talented, and both unwilling to give up, no one could understand each other better than they did.

But... all it takes is to take a step back.

For Rustan's future, should she step back? Countless noble ladies admire Rustan, and numerous families covet this handsome, talented, and easily controlled young man. If Rustan so desires, he can rise through the ranks, and Rosalyn... could easily become his true love, his exclusive mistress.

This is the best for Rustan's life. If she loves him, shouldn't she want him to have a better life? Mondstadt doesn't forbid keeping lovers, and it's not really a problem even if Rustan and Rosalind are often seen together. So, if she just makes a little sacrifice, both Rustan and she can live a better life.

Rosalind paused in her knitting, and when she looked down, she realized that her finger had been pricked by the needle.

She became depressed.

She knew that Rustin's indecisiveness stemmed from this very reason. He might ultimately be unable to decide whether to heed his brother Erendel's request or wait for her response. Rosalind knew that, personally, if she truly wanted Rustin to abandon his noble future, the passionate man who had sworn to protect her would inevitably make a decision.

But... Rosalyn didn't know whether she should respond.

If something needs to be sacrificed to achieve fulfillment, Rosalyn doesn't know if that is fulfillment.

If Rustan is still hesitating... then perhaps he actually has a little bit of...

Rosalyn dared not think any further.

If we think about it further... then... what's the difference between an individual who transcends class and someone from that class?

Gan Yu guessed that Rosalin was in a bad mood. Rosalin hesitated for a moment and then changed the subject.

"Senior Gan Yu didn't come here just to revisit an old place, did he?"

"Naturally, it's for Liang Jun's sake," Gan Yu said frankly.

"The Crown Prince's study companion?" Rosalyn forced a joke.

Gan Yu laughed.

“Miss Rosalyn, have you ever had this feeling that truly powerful and capable people rarely use flattery or eloquence?” Gan Yu suddenly said. “Especially those with extraordinary strength, they are habitually taciturn. For example, most powerful people are imposing without being angry, and their eyes can often express their meaning. They can intimidate provocative opponents without saying a word.”

"Hmm...Is that so?" Rosalyn didn't know why she suddenly brought this up, so she could only nod. "But it's usually men who are like this. We girls, whether we're capable or not, tend to be more talkative."

“But Liang Jun is strange, isn’t he?” Gan Yu said in a low voice. “His strength is so great that even immortals are at a loss. Don’t look at me like this. If you knew that he single-handedly suppressed the demon god Oser in Yunlai Sea a few days ago, you wouldn’t think this way. But most of the time, Liang Jun not only talks a lot, but he is even… talkative.”

"You mean Liang'er is too fond of using words to deal with others, right? Although he speaks in a somewhat childish way, he always has a bunch of strange reasons. How should I put it... he's very eloquent?" Rosalin laughed. "But so what? Liang'er is still a child after all. Children like to say strange things and do strange things. He doesn't have the aura of a ruler, right? But how can you expect a princess who is only ten years old to be cold, silent, and intimidating?"

"Is that so?" Gan Yu remained noncommittal, though she actually had a different interpretation in her mind.

“Perhaps in front of Liang Jun, those who are taciturn and rely on their aura to suppress others are not actually that powerful, because I have never seen Liang Jun be overwhelmed by anyone’s aura.” Gan Yu shook her head. “Liang Jun even gives the impression that he actually looks down on anyone who puts on airs in front of him on equal terms. He likes to use words to argue because he thinks it’s too boring to use strength. Only through verbal exchanges, teasing, and insults can others confront him on equal terms, and only then does he find it interesting… To put it bluntly, Liang Jun subconsciously does not believe that anyone is qualified to communicate with him on an equal footing based on status and strength.”

Thinking of this, Gan Yu added, "Except for his closest relatives."

Rosalyn thought about it and didn't believe that Gan Yu was just talking nonsense. She hadn't spent many days with Shen Liang, but she could vaguely sense that Shen Liang's willful and casual behavior actually contained an unintentional contempt.

It was precisely because of his contempt that Shen Liang rarely treated people with formality, always choosing who to hang out with based on his own preferences. To him, whether you were a classmate, an immortal, a yaksha, or even the Rock King Emperor, he would treat you however he pleased, without considering the social occasion or each other's status.

Ignoring status isn't "casualness"; in fact, it's the greatest "contempt." I treat everyone equally, regardless of who you are or what your achievements are, with disdain. I believe you're wallowing in a sorrowful life, unaware of your mistakes, and that none of you deserve my respect.

—If one considers the world to be murky and muddy, one cannot speak solemnly with such a person.

But what gives him the right?

“Liang’er is just a minor demon god, not one of the Seven Regents. Even if he becomes one of the Seven Regents in the future, it doesn’t mean there aren’t more outstanding beings in the world… At least his mother is definitely better than him.” Rosalin retorted.

“Who can see into Liang Jun’s inner world? He’s always been unrestrained and unconventional, and he likes to talk nonsense.” Gan Yu laughed. “But we just need to pretend that his thoughts don’t exist. Anyway, Liang Jun won’t force us to do anything.”

"So, who exactly are you here for...?"

“Someone from Inazuma has entrusted me with some things… things that I must do for Ryo-kun.” Gan Yu said, lowering her head, her face flushed. “Ryo-kun has some strange little ailments. In Inazuma, there is a temple that treats him, but in Liyue, there are people who know how to treat him… although it’s not just me, but… but only I can do it.”

Chapter Sixty-Seven: This is something that will definitely happen when a boy wakes up.

Although she still didn't understand what Gan Yu was trying to do, Rosalyn was very happy that her new roommate was a very famous person.

Considering that the dormitory room for Gan Yu on the first floor was covered in dust in an absurd state, and because she arrived in a hurry, she didn't even have bedding, and it was nighttime now.

Rosalyn generously offered to let Gan Yu sleep with her, and the Qilin girl, who had only wanted to borrow a blanket to curl up in front of the fireplace for the night, had no choice but to decline. The suite, originally designed for two people, was now occupied by five.

When Shen Liang woke up the next morning, she got up to the sound of knocking on the door and mumbled, "What?"

Then Rosalyn, carrying snacks and breakfast, lightly kicked open the door and came in. Anyway, the bedroom door didn't have a deadbolt function. She looked Shen Liang's bedroom up and down and saw the little fox sleeping sprawled out next to Shen Liang, hugging its eight fluffy tails and drooling in its sleep.

She smiled knowingly.

Shen Liang's morning wake-up time wasn't very fixed; usually, the General used his precise biological clock as his alarm. Today, the General hadn't reminded him, so he was sleeping soundly. However, Rosalin was making quite a racket, so he could only slowly open his eyes.

"Get up, there's a hearing for the Chiyan Army today. I brought you breakfast."

"A hearing?"

“I don’t know why we students who came to Jigong to study have to attend a military meeting, but it can’t hurt us anyway. It’s probably because they’re going to reward those who made contributions in the last incident.” Rosalin said as she walked to his bedside, looking at the handsome young man with soft, messy white hair who was still curled up in the blanket, and asked seriously, “Why don’t you let the Divine Child into your blanket?”

“The blanket can only fit two people. If there are three people, it’s easy for everyone to catch a cold if anyone sleeps in a messy position,” Shen Liang said. “Shenzi can use her tail to cover her body and keep warm anyway, so she’s too lazy to argue with us.”

"Doesn't the tail need to be kept warm?"

"Don't you know that a tail and a fox are two different creatures?"

Rosalyn burst into laughter, then suddenly remembered that since the blanket could fit two people, why did Shen Liang have it all to himself?

At this moment, she noticed that Shen Liang was just lying on the bed in a very obedient sleeping position, but the curves of her body that pushed the blanket out were more bloated than those of a normal person.

Then the bulky mass under the covers began to move forward. To Rosalyn's surprise, after the rustling sound, a beautiful but aloof girl with no personality traits popped her head out from Shen Liang's chest. The general stared at Shen Liang expressionlessly, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"I haven't gotten up yet..." Shen Liang looked away in embarrassment, avoiding eye contact with the little doll. Then, she patted her head helplessly, hugged her, lifted the blanket, and jumped down. "How did you also learn bad things from the Divine Child?"

“If it’s necessary, we can’t say we’re learning bad habits,” the general said calmly.

Shen Liang always felt that the two of them were abusing their power, but he couldn't say that they were doing anything wrong.

"How adorable is Liang'er's winter morning awakening picture! I love seeing pretty girls stretching after waking up!" Rosalin couldn't help but hug the boy who was only wearing pajamas, take a deep sniff of his scent, then throw him aside and hug the general who was raising his hand to summon a little skirt, belt, and stockings, and open his mouth to kiss her tender little face.

The general grabbed Rosalyn's face and easily pinned her to the bed. "Don't be impulsive."

Rosalyn was shocked. What was going on? Why wouldn't the general let her get close to him today? He used to never have made a move like that!

"After washing my face, the little doll calmly got dressed and went out the door."

As Rosalyn watched her retreating figure, she suddenly realized that the usually calm and collected, emotionless loli seemed a little... flustered this morning.

Yae no Miko, who had gotten up at some point, chuckled.

At this moment, Gan Yu heard the commotion inside and curiously came in. As soon as she entered, she saw Shen Liang putting on the straitjacket and quickly apologized before leaving. After Yae no Miko tightened the straitjackets for Shen Liang, Shen Liang came out and said, "Is it alright? It's not like I haven't seen it before."

"Stop! Don't talk nonsense! When did I see that?" Gan Yu said anxiously.

Shen Liang shrugged. "Speaking of which, why hasn't Jigong come to take my two younger sisters away these past few days?"

"Oh, you mean this? I had nothing better to do yesterday afternoon, so I applied for it for you," Rosalin said casually. "The teachers at Jigong Palace approved it."