Chapter Eight: I Am Different!

“Sigh, well, just go ahead and place the order.” Ye Mingqiu sighed as he tapped to purchase on his communicator, then all he had to do was wait for the delivery to arrive at his home.

The three supplements cost a total of 180,000 yuan, and that was only because he went through the student channel and used the auxiliary department’s benefits to get two discounts. If a regular adult bought them, the total would easily exceed 400,000 yuan. The subsidies for students and the perks from the auxiliary department were truly generous.

In fact, this was the primary reason he had enrolled in the auxiliary department when he started high school: abundant subsidies, great benefits, and plenty of girls in the class. Apart from the notoriously low pass rate for the spirit realm trials, the auxiliary department wasn’t bad at all.

Speaking of subsidies...

Ye Mingqiu couldn’t help but think of Tang Ruobing.

Putting aside her pretense of being a junior, he found her genuinely pleasant. Their everyday chats felt comfortable, and playing games together was always fun. He couldn’t help but spend the money in his hands.

Ye Mingqiu had no family and few friends, nothing truly important in his life. Having this junior named Kiria added a splash of color to his otherwise dull existence. The noble yet adorable contrast of her magic affinity made him fall deeper into fascination.

It was well-known that the auxiliary department had a very low chance of passing the spirit realm trial. Before awakening his talent, Ye Mingqiu had adopted a “whatever happens, happens” attitude, since even failure came with a sizable compensation that could support him for quite a while.

He had thought he would live an ordinary life, but unexpectedly, he awakened a talent suited for auxiliary support in trials—and the talent panel even allowed him to allocate points.

Life is truly mysterious, isn’t it?

Now, Tang Ruobing had directly handed him 200,000 yuan as a fee for accompanying her in gameplay. Although he knew this money meant little to her, he still felt uneasy.

I must repay her someday!

...

The next day, Class 9, Senior Year.

Ye Mingqiu looked a little pale. Yesterday, his order of Spirit Revitalizer X6 arrived, and without much thought, he swallowed it before bed to boost his mental power.

The effect was quite good—his spirit attribute rose by a full 0.5. But the process was agonizing. Sleeping felt like being paralyzed by a nightmare: awake yet completely unable to move, trapped in a body that refused to respond.

Because of this, Ye Mingqiu awoke this morning feeling mentally drained, his complexion faintly pale. Worse still, he had to take Spirit Revitalizer X6 every night for seven consecutive days to maximize the effect. Missing a night wouldn’t nullify it but would greatly reduce the attribute gains—a price he couldn’t accept.

Sigh, just have to endure it.

“Ugh...” Ye Mingqiu bit his lip, drawing a sharp breath from the numbness and soreness in his arm. He had just injected himself this morning with a Cys Dragon serum to boost his agility.

Originally, he had planned to use a Lu Bo Dragon serum, but since it enhanced more attributes, it would likely cause more discomfort. Combined with the night paralysis from the Spirit Revitalizer, he feared he might explode from the stress during the day.

Better to play it safe and start with the Cys Dragon serum, which offered fewer attribute boosts.

That was his plan.

Now, looking back, he was glad he chose the Cys Dragon. Had he used the Lu Bo Dragon—three injections a day, no less—he probably would have been miserable. The Cys Dragon didn’t feel much better, though; the discomfort was still there.

But this was merely one of the obstacles on the path to strength. He would overcome them all eventually.

“Phew!”

Chen Ran plopped down, winded, half a steamed bun hanging from his mouth. He shoved the bun onto the table and turned to Ye Mingqiu with a serious expression.

“Uh, cough cough, I’ve got something important to tell you,” he said hesitantly.

“Go ahead.”

“It’s about Tang Ruobing... and it’s somewhat negative.”

“Huh?”

Ye Mingqiu’s expression shifted instantly. His eyes sharpened like a lion awakening as he stared at Chen Ran.

“Is it some kind of scandal? Something unclear about her relations with certain people?”

“Worse than that.”

“Worse?”

Ye Mingqiu’s heart jumped. *No way... damn it, my youth, my life—please no! I don’t believe such rumors. She can’t be that kind of person; she’s a magic master!*

Chen Ran sighed deeply, clenched his fist, and said, “There’s a forum rumor that she likes to flirt with inexperienced guys like Xiao Chunan. Usually, she appears cold and aloof just when they need her most, then helps them out, expecting thanks in return, flashing a dazzling smile that completely steals their hearts, leaving them lovesick and distracted all day.”

Chen Ran shook his head. “Ye Mingqiu, you can’t beat her because... you’re just another Xiao Chunan who’s never been in love!”

Damn it!

You’re the real Xiao Chunan!

Your whole family is Xiao Chunan!

Ye Mingqiu’s fist clenched tightly. He wanted nothing more than to grab Chen Ran by the hair and unleash a furious beating. As for those negative rumors, Ye Mingqiu knew them well—the doctors in the infirmary said she was just accumulating merit points, probably related to her talent.

So Ye Mingqiu snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with disdain, arrogance, a hint of indifference, and a touch of casualness.

“I’m different.”

“...”

Chen Ran sighed again. To him, Ye Mingqiu was no different from those guys who get burned by girls and still insist, “She’s different.”

Just self-deception.

Then Chen Ran furrowed his brow and looked Ye Mingqiu over carefully.

“Hey, why do you look so pale today?”

“Didn't sleep well last night.”

“Didn’t sleep well?”

Chen Ran thought for a moment, then suddenly his eyebrows shot up and he instinctively stepped back, nearly falling over. Shocked, he pointed a trembling finger at Ye Mingqiu and muttered, “You don’t mean the ‘different’ I can’t quite understand, do you?”

“Huh?”

Ye Mingqiu was confused.

At that moment, a student council officer appeared at the door of Class 9 and knocked loudly.

“Is Ye Mingqiu here?”

“I’m here.”

“Congratulations! Your application to join the college entrance exam preparatory team has been approved. Just go to the director’s office to sign, and you’ll officially be part of the team.”

The officer smiled.

The entire class was stunned.

The college entrance exam preparatory team was a group that prepared early for the exams, receiving the school’s best resources and highest benefits—no ordinary student could join.

Ye Mingqiu’s grades were so poor; how did he even get in? What right did he have?

Suddenly, Chen Ran’s eyes widened in realization. He muttered, “Wow, wow... maybe you really are different. Is this what they call moving up successfully?”

“I earned it through my own strength!” Ye Mingqiu retorted fiercely.

Damn it, he might have mediocre grades, but his potential was high. Both Tang Ruobing and the director recognized it. The only downside was that he was costly to maintain.

Hmph!

A bunch of clueless mortals!

(；｀ヘ´)