Gao Wu: I'll enjoy the benefits, but you'll bear the side effects.

"Why can't I get past this last level? I've tried so many times, but it just won't let me pass. Do you think this damn game is targeting me?"

Huang Xu muttered in frustration, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His eyes were fixed on the game screen, as if he wanted to see right through it.

He gripped the game controller so tightly it creaked, as if he wanted to crush it. He seemed completely enraged by the game's predicament, determined to fight it to the death, as if he wanted to vent all his resentment on it.

Gao Jie seemed not to hear his complaints, as if Huang Xu's grumbling was just an insignificant breeze that could not disturb his inner peace.

He walked to a chair and sat down, his steps steady and calm. He picked up a book, and after only a few pages, Huang Xu seemed to be drawn by a mysterious force and suddenly leaned closer.

Gao Jie's heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously turned his body slightly to the side, his shoulders hunching up involuntarily, trying to avoid Huang Xu's burning and inquisitive gaze.

That gaze was like a powerful spotlight, making him feel somewhat lost, as if the most secret corner of his heart was about to be exposed.

However, Huang Xu seemed to have discovered some earth-shattering secret. His eyes widened, his gaze seemingly able to see through everything. He stared intently at Gao Jie, his eyes as if trying to penetrate his soul and uncover the secret hidden deep within, just like a persistent explorer searching for a legendary treasure, determined not to give up until he found it.

Gao Jie felt uncomfortable under his gaze, wondering what this kid was up to. He reluctantly closed his book, the action carrying a hint of annoyance. He looked up, his tone tinged with impatience.

"What do you want? Why are you staring at me like that?"

As he spoke, he pointed to the pile of books waiting to be reviewed on the table, raised his voice, and his words echoed in the room, carrying a hint of warning.

"Exams are just around the corner. If you don't start studying now, I'm telling you, you're going to fail sooner or later. Don't come begging me then, you hear me?"

He paused, then added in rapid succession, "Instead of wasting your time, why don't you read a book? Can you stop staring at me? There are no words on my face, and I'm not that book."

Upon hearing Gao Jie's words, Huang Xu not only did not restrain himself, but instead chuckled. His smile was full of cunning and gossip, with the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, revealing a set of white teeth. His eyes sparkled with excitement, like a little fox that had spotted its prey.

"Gao Jie, tell me the truth, what exactly is your relationship with Xu Rourou? That girl is so attached to you, isn't she? And you two didn't come down for so long just now, tell me honestly, did you two have some kind of indescribable relationship?"

He raised his eyebrows, which seemed to dance, bobbing up and down. His eyes scanned Gao Jie's face, as if trying to find the answer in his expression, not missing any subtle change in expression.

"If there was something unspeakable between us, then I'll have to find out more. If not, then just pretend I didn't say anything."

Gao Jie was speechless at his sudden question. He rolled his eyes so wide they almost reached the back of his head, his eyes full of helplessness and disgust.

"First of all, there's no way Xu Rourou and I could have any relationship. Besides, the issues between us aren't that simple. Don't you understand that?"

He explained earnestly, a hint of helplessness and seriousness in his eyes, leaning slightly forward, trying to make Huang Xu feel the weight of his words and to dispel Huang Xu's absurd idea.

"Anyway, don't bother me, go and do your own thing."

Huang Xu pursed his lips, a look of boredom appearing on his face. His expression wilted instantly, like a frostbitten eggplant. He slowly walked to the bedside and sat down, his movements languid. He picked up a book and flipped through it casually, but his expression remained that of a bystander waiting to see a good show. His eyes occasionally glanced at Gao Jie, as if he was still hoping that Gao Jie would reveal some even bigger bombshell.

Seeing his expression, Gao Jie felt increasingly helpless. He sighed, the sigh long and deep, as if expressing endless troubles. He decided to analyze the situation with him so that he would stop pestering him.

"Let me tell you the truth, there is absolutely no way Xu Rourou and I can be together, understand? She is a rich girl, while my family is just an ordinary family."

A hint of melancholy flashed in Gao Jie's eyes. He lowered his head slightly, looking at the ground, as if lost in thought about his family situation.

"I come from an ordinary family, my parents are just ordinary laborers, working hard every day just to make ends meet. Xu Rourou, on the other hand, grew up in a wealthy environment, enjoying a life of luxury, always chauffeured in luxury cars, living in a lavish villa, and surrounded by servants. Our lives are like two parallel lines, with no possibility of ever intersecting." He looked up at Huang Xu, a resolute glint in his eyes. "This huge gap is like an insurmountable chasm between us, so stop making wild guesses."

Do you think it's possible for families like ours to come together?

Gao Jie slightly raised his head, his eyes filled with a hint of self-mockery and helplessness.

"My family lived in an old residential area. The house was small and simple, and the surrounding area was a bustling vegetable market. Every morning, I would be woken up by the noisy hawking. In order to support my education, my parents got up early and worked late to sell snacks on the street. Their hands were covered with thick calluses, and their faces were etched with the marks of time. Xu Rourou, on the other hand, lived in a world of luxurious parties and high-end private clubs. She traveled in limited-edition luxury cars and wore custom-made clothes from internationally renowned designers."

Gao Jie shook his head with a wry smile.

"Moreover, my coming here to study was all arranged by Xu Wenfeng. Otherwise, I would never have been able to come here in my life. He may have his own purpose, and I am just playing the role of a pawn in his game."

"Forget it, you're a rich kid, I can't explain that much to you anyway. You wouldn't understand anyway." Gao Jie sighed helplessly, his voice tinged with weariness.

Upon hearing Gao Jie's words, Huang Xu actually smiled, a smile with an unfathomable meaning.

"Alright, looking at your serious face, I know what you mean, and I understand what you're trying to tell me."

He narrowed his eyes slightly and said thoughtfully.

"I just feel that some things are not simple, and some problems are not simple either. You can see what the situation is like right now."

Huang Xu paused, his expression turning serious.

"But let me tell you, you need to put the Xu family's little girl's matter aside for now, and you also need to keep an eye on Huang Muran's matter. He's been following you around like a servant for nothing."

Gao Jie looked puzzled, his brows furrowed tightly.

"Serving me hand and foot? What does that mean? Why is Huang Muran following me around like this?"

He really couldn't understand the deeper meaning behind Huang Xu's words. He was filled with curiosity and confusion, wanting to figure out what Huang Xu was talking about.

Unexpectedly, this time it was Huang Xu's turn to keep things mysterious. He slightly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a mysterious smile, and refused to reveal the truth. He just looked at Gao Jie quietly, his eyes seeming to say, "Figure it out yourself."

Gao Jie was speechless, wondering to himself what Huang Xu was up to. So he decided to pack up and go to sleep. Today's events had already upset him enough, and he didn't want to get entangled in this inexplicable matter any longer.

I was just getting ready to go to sleep when, unexpectedly, Abao knocked on the door and came in.

"Sister Wen, I need you to go over there. You'd better hurry up and get there."

Abao's voice was urgent and serious. After speaking, he turned and left in a hurry, without even giving Gao Jie a chance to ask questions.

Gao Jie got up, his mind full of questions, wanting to ask A Bao why he wanted to come over.

But Abao ignored him and turned away.

A strange expression appeared on Gao Jie's face. He had no idea what Gao Jie meant and felt a vague sense of unease.

But since Sister Wen had called him over, it must be something important, so he had no choice but to obediently go...

At this moment, Xu Wenfeng encountered something even more unpredictable than he had imagined. The Qin family actually sent over all the wedding supplies they needed, and filled a whole table with them.

The wedding supplies were exquisite and luxurious, each piece radiating a dazzling light, as if telling the story of the Qin family's wealth and power.

They even brought many high-quality and precious medicinal herbs, almost all of them, with ginseng, deer antler, lingzhi and other precious medicinal herbs piled up like mountains.

This shows just how much the Qin family values ​​this matter; they are determined to win and see this marriage through to the end.

Looking at everything before him, Xu Wenfeng felt dizzy and felt a deep sense of powerlessness, as if he were standing too high up.

He knew he was in a very difficult situation, and even felt a moment of collapse, but in front of the Qin family, he still had to put on a brave face and politely see them off.

After everyone left, Xu Wenfeng plopped down on the sofa, his body seemingly drained of all strength. He stared blankly at the things in front of him, his eyes empty and lost.

Just then, Xu Wanwan came downstairs. It turned out that ten hours earlier, Xu Wanwan had received news that her younger sister was about to have a big event, so she rushed over with her mother.

Because the flight was so long, Xu Wenfeng's wife was exhausted and extremely unwell as soon as she got off the plane, so she found a place to rest.

Xu Wanwan, however, felt that something was amiss. She keenly sensed the tense and oppressive atmosphere in the air, so she took the initiative to come over.

"I noticed you seemed unhappy while you were eating. Did something happen? Although I can't solve your problem, if you have any issues, please feel free to tell me. I still hope I can help you resolve them, okay?"

Her eyes held a hint of concern and worry as she asked softly, "What happened? What's going on?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Wenfeng couldn't help but sigh softly, slowly raising his head to look at his daughter, his eyes filled with guilt and helplessness.

"Our family has come to this point because I, as the father, have failed in my duty."

His voice was deep and hoarse, as if every word carried immense pressure.

"Don't even mention it. As long as you can live a better life, I don't care what I do. But if you can't live a better life, I feel like whatever I do is unreasonable. What do you think?"

Hearing her father say this, even if Xu Wanwan was slow to understand, she could probably tell what the problem was, so she immediately spoke up.

"Since I refused this offer and my sister hasn't shown up, I knew things weren't that simple. Is that really the case? Has my sister disappeared?"

Xu Wenfeng nodded slowly, the movement appearing extremely heavy, as if a thousand-pound burden was pressing down on his head. His face was filled with exhaustion and helplessness, the wrinkles on his forehead seemed to have been deepened by the carving knife of time, and his eyes had lost their former luster, becoming dull and lifeless, with a few streaks of blood visible at the corners of his eyes, proof of the mental and physical exhaustion he had been under recently.

"That's not all. That little girl is hiding and has no intention of seeing anyone. Do you understand what that means?" As he spoke, he frowned slightly and looked at Xu Wanwan with a bitter smile. His smile was full of bitterness and self-mockery, and he had no trace of the dignity he usually had as the head of the family.

He said with a wry smile, "This shows how complicated the problem is. The Qin family has already sent all the gifts. Look at that table full of things, every single one of them is incredibly valuable, every single one of them is a demonstration of the Qin family's sincerity and determination to win. If we go back on our word, do you think the Qin family will let us off the hook?" As he said this, his voice trembled slightly, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes. That fear, like a cold, venomous snake, crawled up his spine, sending chills down his spine.

"Now we can only hope that your sister will suddenly change her mind and obediently come out and agree to the marriage as arranged before. Otherwise, our family will be in deep trouble this time, a real disaster." His words were full of despair, as if he could already see the Qin family's storm-like revenge about to descend on the entire family. It would be a catastrophe that would destroy everything they had worked so hard to accumulate.

He was almost numb. The fear and constant maneuvering he had been going through during this period had brought him to the brink of mental collapse.

At that moment, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, a long and heavy sigh, as if he wanted to exhale all the troubles and worries in his heart, to release the heavy burden that was making it hard for him to breathe.

However, while sighing, he secretly observed Xu Wanwan's reaction, his eyes revealing a hint of barely perceptible expectation, a move that seemed quite strange.

It seemed that he still held a sliver of hope in his heart, expecting his daughter to have some amazing reaction or come up with some brilliant solution to help the whole family escape this terrible predicament.

Xu Wanwan seemed to understand her father's thoughts. Seeing her father's pained and helpless appearance, she felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

So he patiently and gently persuaded her.

"It's alright. Things have come to this point anyway. What lies ahead is a path we must take. Since it's a path we must take, why worry so much?"

As she spoke, she gently reached out and took her father's hand. His hands were soft and warm, and she tried to give him some comfort and strength in this way.

Although she knew very well that the severity of the crisis might far exceed their imagination and that resolving it would be no easy task, all she wanted at that moment was for her father to feel a little better, even if it was just for a moment.