Chapter 121: Set Forth, Warriors!

Tang Zhong gently stroked the deep purple nail polish on Bai Su’s toenails with his finger and smiled. "You are still a virgin."

"You—" Bai Su pulled her foot back forcefully, tucked her legs onto the sofa, and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"When I grabbed your foot, your body tensed up instantly," Tang Zhong explained, lingeringly watching her small feet hidden beneath her ample hips. "That wasn't a reaction to sensitivity, but rather psychological and physiological tension. If you weren't a virgin, you would have felt sensitivity, not tension."

"And what does that prove?" Bai Su giggled. "Maybe I just pretended to be for your benefit?"

"Pretended for my benefit?" Tang Zhong seized on her words and asked with interest, "Why would you want to prove to me that you are still a virgin?"

"I was just using an analogy." Bai Su grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and tossed it at Tang Zhong’s head. "Who wants to prove anything to you?"

Tang Zhong laughed. "There’s also your pelvis. For women who have experienced that kind of relationship, or who have them frequently, the pelvis tends to deform, more or less. Furthermore, when you put your feet on the coffee table just now, your legs were long and straight, maintaining two parallel lines from top to bottom. If you weren't a virgin, those lines would look like two diverging diagonal lines—the former like chopsticks, the latter like a pair of compasses."

"The most important thing is your eyes. When I grabbed your foot, you panicked, and your eyes darted away. Even though you often dress in a mature, sexy way and speak in such bold, explicit terms, but—" Tang Zhong looked at her with burning eyes and said, enunciating every word, "you are just a little girl."

"I told you to try it, but you didn't have the guts," Bai Su said, leaning backward. Her full breasts seemed to push forward deliberately, swaying in a way that was dizzying. With a flush of desire on her face and eyes brimming with moisture, she smiled coquettishly and said in her uniquely lazy tone, "Why use these twisted theories to prove it now? Only practice can yield true knowledge."

"I’m just curious," Tang Zhong said. "The entertainment industry I’ve learned about is filthy, and people are quite casual about sex. Finding a beauty in this circle is easy, but finding a virgin is harder than winning the lottery. Why are you a virgin, Lin Huiyin a virgin, and Zhang Hepburn also a virgin? This doesn't follow the 'rules'."

"What rules?" Bai Su said, annoyed. "It's all up to the individual. It’s not strange that Lin Huiyin and Zhang Hepburn are virgins. Zhang Hepburn hasn't even had a boyfriend, and Lin Huiyin keeps to herself—"

"And you?" Tang Zhong asked with a smile.

"Some people use their bodies to get ahead, others use their talent," Bai Su said with a bitter smile. "Although choosing the second path is harder, there might be fewer regrets when I’m old."

Tang Zhong shook his head. "There are many talented people; you aren't the only one."

Bai Su gritted her teeth. "You bastard, I know nothing can be hidden from you. I admit it, someone is backing me. If not for her, how could I have stayed safe and sound every time? You knew about this, didn't you? Did you have to force me to say it?"

Tang Zhong smiled. "From now on, you are mine. I will protect you well."

"And the price?" Bai Su asked, squinting.

"The price," Tang Zhong mused. He pulled his foot out of his slipper and extended it toward Bai Su. "Paint my toenails for me every day."

"..."

Bai Su was speechless. She realized he wasn't interested in the nails; he just wanted her to hold his smelly feet and stroke them. How could someone be so disgusting?

Bai Su could never have imagined that one day, she would willingly put Tang Zhong’s toes into her own round, moist mouth.

"Stingy," Tang Zhong said, pulling his foot back. "Does he still come looking for you?"

"Who?" The jump in Tang Zhong’s questioning was so sudden that Bai Su didn't react immediately.

However, she soon realized he was asking about her foster father. A look of relief appeared on her face as she said, "How could he dare to come back? After we left that day, those thugs gave him a harsh lesson. Then he was caught gambling by the police. Although he escaped in time, it was enough to scare the living daylights out of him. He knows he can't rely on me, and he’s afraid of provoking a menace like you. Now he’s washing dishes at a restaurant. It seems your methods were effective."

"Evil is its own punishment," Tang Zhong said with a smile. "Be kind to the good, but be ruthless to the wicked. Otherwise, the good will turn bad, and the wicked will grow worse. I am a good person, but I know how to punish the wicked."

Bai Su looked at Tang Zhong with gratitude. "I’m truly grateful to you. If it weren't for you, I might still be trapped in that quagmire. God knows what would have happened. If he can really quit gambling, I wouldn't have the heart to make him live like that."

"Don't you dare," Tang Zhong warned. "Human nature is base. If you ignore him, he will completely cut off his expectations of you and might actually become self-reliant, using his own hands to earn a living. If you help him and give him money, he’ll think you still value him. Once the fear disappears and he has spare cash in his hands, his mind will likely become active again. If that happens, you’ll just push him into the fire pit again. If you care about old ties, wait until he’s old and can no longer move before you repay him. That’s when he’ll need your help more."

Bai Su looked at Tang Zhong in surprise. "Why do I feel like you’re an old monster who has lived for thousands of years?"

Tang Zhong smiled. "I’m not a monster, but I live with many monsters."

"If I ever have kids, I'll send them to prison, too. Maybe they'll come out as capable as you," Bai Su joked.

"Hmm. Send them to their grandfather's place. Let him help take care of them," Tang Zhong agreed, nodding.

"Who is his grandfather?"

"My dad," Tang Zhong said. "The bearded man. You’ve met him."

"Taking advantage of me again." Bai Su threw another pillow at him. "Keep daydreaming. I’m going upstairs to rest."

With that, she stood up from the sofa, tugged at the hem of her white cotton pajamas, and walked upstairs with a graceful, swaying gait.

Tang Zhong smiled and pulled over Zhang Hepburn’s laptop to look up information on T4.

...

The weather was not in their favor.

It rained on Saturday. Although the rain wasn't heavy, the sky was overcast and grey, and the entire campus looked like a castle hidden in the mist of a magical world.

Today was Qiu Yihan’s birthday. Not only was Tang Zhong invited, but Hua Ming, Liang Tao, and Li Yu had also received invitations via text message—after all, they were a fraternal dorm group.

"Liang Tao, Liang Tao, do you think my hair looks better parted to the left or to the right?" Hua Ming had been standing in front of the mirror behind the dorm door for nearly half an hour, trying to style the few tufts of hair he had managed to grow.

"I think it looks better combed back," Liang Tao said, spraying cologne into his armpits. The *pssh-pssh* sound was incessant, and the entire room was filled with the scent of a fragrance the fashion world dubbed "a mixture of sperm and blood."

Hua Ming followed Liang Tao’s suggestion and combed it back, scrutinizing it carefully before cursing, "You scoundrel! Combed back, I look like a traitor; how is this good-looking? I knew you were trying to make me look ugly on purpose—you’re afraid that someone as handsome as me will steal your spotlight and the admiring gazes of women. I won't let you have your way."

"So you realize you look like a traitor?" Liang Tao laughed. "You’ve been hogging the mirror for half an hour with that big butt of yours. Time is running out, my hair isn't styled, and Old Er and Old Si haven't even started getting ready. What is your intention?"

"Important people naturally need more time to prepare," Hua Ming retorted.

"I only know you're heavy; I don't know about you being important. Just give the mirror to Old Er. Today is an extraordinary day for him."

"Is Old Er going to confess his feelings?" Hua Ming asked, turning around, full of excitement.

"Look at your IQ," Liang Tao said with disdain. "Does Old Er need to confess? The moment he stands somewhere, he’s like a roaring flame; women just flock to him like moths to a lamp. I’ve only ever seen women confess to our Old Er; when has he ever had to confess to a woman?"

"I’m not that impressive," Tang Zhong said with a smile. "Are you guys ready? If so, let’s go. They picked a place that’s a bit far, so we’ll have to take the bus."

"Why take the bus?" Liang Tao complained. "It’ll get my LV suit dirty. Let’s take a taxi."

Hua Ming finally finished styling his hair and turned to Tang Zhong. "Old Er, don't you want to change? Or should I ask Liang Tao to lend you an Armani suit?"

"No need," Tang Zhong refused. "Liang Tao’s clothes are expensive, but our builds are too different. It wouldn't fit right, and everyone would know I borrowed it. Wouldn't that be even more embarrassing?"

Besides, Tang Zhong didn't dare to be too eye-catching; it might expose his identity.

"Qiu Yihan is a student, too. She probably invited mostly classmates from school. Being too formal isn't great. Is everyone supposed to be as flashy as you and Liang Tao?"

"Don't lump me in with Liang Tao’s LV display rack. I only have this one decent suit, and I bought it for the New Year. Usually, I’m sloppier than you, aren't I?" Hua Ming laughed.

He cradled his prepared gift and said, "Let’s march out, warriors! Let’s stun the crowd."

What Hua Ming didn't expect was the way they would end up "stunning" the crowd.