Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 139 [Because of You] (6600)

Chapter 134 [Because of You] (6600)

"Lu Sisi?"

Lu Sisi and her roommates were sitting in a small hot pot restaurant near the school, waiting for their food to be served, when they heard a surprised shout from the side.

She immediately looked up and saw Xiao Zhao standing to the side, his face shiny with oil, smiling at her.

“Zhao…” Lu Sisi was stunned for a moment. She knew that this person was Chen Yan’s good friend, but she didn’t know how to address him for a moment.

Calling someone "classmate" feels a bit distant—besides, we're not from the same school.

Calling him Brother Zhao seems a bit too intimate and inappropriate.

Xiao Zhao walked over and said with a smile, "Xiao Zhao, just call me Xiao Zhao, or just call me President Zhao like Chen Yan does."

"President Zhao?" Lu Sisi laughed.

I had actually heard Chen Yan mention the origin of the name "General Manager Zhao" before. I knew that he was a man of connections and had a wide network of relationships, and was very popular among students.

Mr. Zhao glanced at the empty table on Lu Sisi's and her roommates' table: "Hasn't the food arrived yet? Have you ordered?"

"Yeah, still looking at the menu." The speaker was one of Lu Sisi's roommates.

Xiao Zhao immediately smiled and said, "Okay, then don't order anything. We'll hand out flyers here. The boss promised to give us a few free hot pot meals. I haven't tried the free ones yet, so this meal is on me!"

Lu Sisi was taken aback and quickly tried to say something polite, but Xiao Zhao had already turned to a waiter at a passing hot pot restaurant and said with a smile, "Brother Jiang, how about this table has our per-person welfare meal? Could you also bring some side dishes and a pitcher of juice?"

The shop assistant seemed to know Xiao Zhao well. He glanced at Lu Sisi and the others and said with a smile, "No problem, I'll bring you another plate of mutton."

"This, this is not appropriate, we..." Lu Sisi said anxiously.

Xiao Zhao pulled up a chair and sat down, laughing, "Don't be angry. Chen Yan and I are sworn brothers. You're my sister-in-law. It's nothing to treat you to hot pot."

As he spoke, he looked at the several roommates of Lu Sisi who were watching the drama unfold with strange expressions and smiled, "Let me introduce myself, my name is Zhao Shanhe, good evening, ladies."

"Then why do we call you General Manager Zhao?" a roommate asked with a smile.

"What boss? I just have some connections and can help my classmates get odd jobs and earn some pocket money. People jokingly call me 'Boss Zhao,' just kidding, just kidding."

Xiao Zhao quickly continued, "I'll treat you to the 'welfare meal' here. It's called a 'welfare meal,' but it's exactly the same as the menu. We're doing odd jobs here, handing out flyers for the boss, and he gave us a hot pot meal for a few of us. I don't usually eat this kind of thing, but since we've run into him today, I'll take this opportunity to treat you ladies to this meal."

Xiao Zhao is eloquent and has high emotional intelligence. Moreover, he does a lot of odd jobs and has more social experience than these college students. After a few polite words, he made Lu Sisi's roommates beam with joy.

"I'm sorry, your welfare meal is also the payment given to you by the boss for working here. We're treating you to this meal..." Lu Sisi was still a little embarrassed.

"Oh, I've already told you, Brother Yan and I are sworn brothers." Xiao Zhao waved his hand.

Just then, the waiter brought over a pitcher of juice, and he even poured it for each of the girls at the table.

Then he looked at Lu Sisi and asked, "By the way, what has Brother Yan been busy with lately?"

"Well, he went out of town a few days ago, he should be back soon." Lu Sisi thought for a moment and said, "Um, you sitting here and talking with us won't interfere with your work, will it?"

Xiao Zhao laughed and casually took off his apron, crumbling it in his hand: "It's nothing, it was just my turn to get off work anyway. If I hadn't run into you, I would have left already."

Lu Sisi thought for a moment and then said, "Then don't leave. Sit down and eat with us. Otherwise, you'll have to eat in the cafeteria when you go back to school at this time."

"Okay," Xiao Zhao immediately nodded in agreement.

This guy deliberately sat down to talk, but he actually had ulterior motives—among Lu Sisi's roommates, there were one or two girls who were quite pretty and had good looks.

Despite being well-connected among his classmates, Mr. Zhao is still single.

"Mr. Zhao, the guy you've been talking about, Brother Yan, is he Lu Sisi's boyfriend?" A girl with a round face among the roommates giggled. "Sisi has been keeping her boyfriend a secret from us. Tell us about him!"

"What do you mean?" Xiao Zhao's eyes darted around. This round-faced girl who spoke was second only to Lu Sisi in terms of looks among the girls present. Xiao Zhao had been paying attention to her since he sat down. Seeing that there was a topic to discuss, he smiled and said, "My brother Yan is a year older than me. He graduated last year."

"Is he handsome or not?"

"Of course, he has to be handsome!" Xiao Zhao laughed. "My brother Yan is 1.8 meters tall, he's definitely handsome."

Someone nearby chimed in with a laugh, "You've graduated! Where are you working? What does your family do? Can they afford to support our Sisi?"

"Of course I can afford to support him! He must eat well and drink well, and wear gold and silver!" Xiao Zhao was very tactful. In fact, she had always thought that Chen Yan had lost his job at the end of last year and didn't know if he had found a new job yet.

But he wouldn't let Lu Sisi lose face in front of her, so he immediately boasted, "My brother Yan is top-notch, sisters, don't worry."

The girls weren't really trying to get to the bottom of things; they were just joking. But Xiao Zhao, being the quick-witted person he is, livened up the atmosphere at the table with just a few words.

When the hot pot and dishes arrived, he raised his glass repeatedly and made a few words that made the group of girls laugh heartily.

To Xiao Zhao's dismay, despite his attempts to talk to the round-faced girl and his two hints that he wanted to add her on WeChat, she didn't respond.

However, the round-faced girl asked curiously, "Hey, by the way, you always say that you and Lu Sisi's boyfriend, that Yan Ge, have a life-or-death friendship. How did you get to be life-or-death?"

"It's a life-or-death friendship! Brother Yan saved my life!" When Xiao Zhao talked about this, his smile disappeared, and he said seriously, "I'm not joking, it's true."

The table fell silent, watching Xiao Zhao with curiosity. Even Lu Sisi stopped talking—Chen Yan hadn't told her about this, and she was curious too.

"Last year, I went to Jiangbei with Brother Yan. On the way back, we took a ferry across the river, and I fell into the river."

I can't swim, and I almost drowned. Luckily, Brother Yan didn't hesitate at all; he dove into the river and pulled me out.

"If it weren't for my brother Yan, I, Zhao Shanhe, would have been drowning in the river that day!"

After saying that, Xiao Zhao downed the glass of juice in front of him in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said seriously, "It's true!"

The girls fell silent.

This incident left the girls somewhat shaken—whether they agreed or disagreed, it's hard to say whether people would actually risk their lives to save others in a dangerous situation.

Generally speaking, people tend to admire others for doing such things—at least outwardly.

Whether some people disagree with it in their hearts is another matter.

"Sisi, your boyfriend is quite kind-hearted," the round-faced girl said with a smile. "He's a hero."

Upon hearing this, Lu Sisi nodded, her tone very serious: "Chen Yan is a very good person!"

Just then, Lu Sisi's phone on the table buzzed twice. She picked it up, glanced at it, and her face lit up with joy. She got up, grabbed the phone, and went outside the hot pot restaurant to answer the call.

"Mr. Zhao," a rather thin girl in the room said with a smile, "why are you always looking at our Yueyue? Do you want to add her on WeChat?"

"Yueyue" is the cute round-faced girl that Xiao Zhao has his eye on; she's second only to Lu Sisi in terms of looks among those present.

Although Xiao Zhao was eloquent, he was completely at a loss when it came to this kind of thing. His face turned a little red, and he forced a smile and said, "I was just thinking that it's a rare opportunity to get to know a few beautiful ladies, so I'd like to have more chances to treat you to meals in the future."

"Should we invite you, or should we invite Yueyue?"

"Uh, same, same." Xiao Zhao chuckled, then stole a glance at the round-faced girl named Yueyue.

But Yueyue just smiled and didn't say anything.

This girl named Yueyue is a typical "only child from the Yangtze River Delta region". Her family is well-off, at least upper-middle class. They own a house and a car, and may even have some businesses. She was raised in luxury from a young age, and with her good looks, she certainly has high aspirations.

Although Mr. Zhao is eloquent, he is not good-looking and his clothes are ordinary. He probably doesn't come from a wealthy family. Who would be a rich second-generation working in a hot pot restaurant handing out flyers?
These so-called "popular figures in school" are actually not even within her selection range.

Aside from top-tier universities, the so-called influential figures in the student circles of second- or third-rate universities often fade into obscurity and become nothing special once they enter society.

If Xiao Zhao were handsome, or even if he weren't, but had already passed the postgraduate entrance exam or the civil service exam, perhaps Yueyue would look at him with more respect.

She wouldn't even look at the so-called "General Manager Zhao" who was just a second-rate school and could take students to do odd jobs.

However, Xiao Zhao was eloquent and, without relying on Yueyue's authority, he managed to achieve his goal indirectly by creating a group chat on the spot, suggesting that everyone could get together often in the future and have a small get-together for a meal, with him paying for it.

The group was finally created, and Xiao Zhao happily created the group and added everyone at the table to it.

As a result, he secretly added Yueyue privately, only to find that her WeChat account had set to privacy and could not be used to add friends through group chat.

Xiao Zhao felt a chill run down his spine.

His initial enthusiasm waned, and his words lost some of their wit and charm. However, girls always have plenty to talk about when they get together, and he quickly moved on to something else, chattering away.

Gradually, no one spoke to Xiao Zhao anymore, only occasionally mentioning him in polite conversation.

Lu Sisi, on the other hand, went out to answer a phone call, but she didn't show up for a full half hour.

Finally, as Yueyue looked around, her eyes lit up, and she called out loudly, "Sisi! Where did you run off to? We... wait?"

As Lu Sisi walked into the hot pot restaurant, a sweet smile spread across her face, clearly the heartfelt joy of a young girl in the throes of new love.

She walked in from outside, holding the hand of a young man.

At first glance, he was indeed tall and imposing, probably over 1.8 meters tall. He was wearing a down jacket and had a handsome face; he was definitely a good-looking guy.

"Brother Yan!" As soon as Xiao Zhao saw Chen Yan, he immediately stood up, smiled, and went over to give Chen Yan a bear hug.

Chen Yan patted Xiao Zhao on the back: "Sisi said you treated the people in their dorm to hot pot?"

"We just happened to run into each other. I'm working here handing out flyers." Xiao Zhao smiled and pulled Chen Yan over to sit down, but gave his own seat to Chen Yan so that he could sit next to Lu Sisi. Then he moved a chair over and deliberately sat next to Yueyue.

Several girls looked at Chen Yan curiously. Chen Yan smiled and said, "Hello, everyone. My name is Chen Yan, and I'm Sisi's boyfriend."

His circumstances, experiences, and wealth are different now, so naturally his demeanor exudes a unique aura.

Lu Sisi's roommates, now that they had finally seen the person in question, immediately started gossiping all at once. Chen Yan remained calm and answered their questions one by one, simply glossing over any questions he didn't want to answer.

He had just arrived in Jinling Prefecture by car tonight. He had been away for several days, and the first thing he told Lu Sisi upon his return was to tell her.

Moreover, his state of mind has changed quite a bit since he returned this time.

His home was now deserted and quiet, so he instinctively wasn't in a hurry to go back to his villa. Instead, he drove to the vicinity of the university town, hoping to see his girlfriend.

After calling and hearing that Lu Sisi was having hot pot with her roommates and that Zhao Shanhe was also there, Chen Yan decided to come over.

Lu Sisi was worried about Chen Yan, so after answering the phone, she didn't go inside. Instead, she stood by the roadside and waited for Chen Yan to arrive before coming in together.

"Hey Yan, I heard you went out of town these past few days. Sisi has been having a really tough time these past few days, not being able to eat or sleep at all," her roommates teased and joked.

Chen Yan wouldn't actually believe that—he contacted Lu Sisi via WeChat every day and even sent her many photos of snowy scenery.

As for the girls probing into his background, they insisted on asking Chen Yan what kind of work he did.

Chen Yan thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "My elders passed away, so I inherited their business. Now I'm doing some folk culture industry business."

Hmm, that's not entirely wrong... Chen Yan thought to himself.

The girls only half understood what she was saying. Yueyue, on the other hand, came from a well-off family and had some insight. She could only guess that this young man named Chen Yan was probably in the business of cultural and creative products.

Those in this industry probably won't have huge businesses, but they'll still have some assets.

As for inheriting from his elders... that's probably just a rich kid.

Chen Yan didn't particularly enjoy interacting with girls, especially in a group of them. Normally, he would have kept his distance. But now that Lu Sisi was his girlfriend, Chen Yan patiently tried to smooth things over with her roommates in order to help her get along better.

However, he was different from Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao was enthusiastic but somewhat ingratiating, while Chen Yan was polite and respectful, but did not engage in deep conversation.

The hot pot meal lasted about an hour before it ended.

During the meal, Chen Yan did not ask the staff to order more food, did not deliberately show off his wealth, and did not try to pay the bill after the meal.

He already knew before he came in that Xiao Zhao was hosting the dinner tonight, so naturally he wouldn't try to steal Xiao Zhao's thunder.

He doesn't really like hot pot; he neither dislikes nor enjoys it. He's not particularly hungry, so he just sits and chats, drinks juice, and occasionally picks up a bite or two of food.

Lu Sisi, on the other hand, became gentle and attentive after Chen Yan sat down. She used to be quiet and reserved while eating, but after Chen Yan arrived, she stopped eating much herself and instead carefully cooked meat and vegetables for him.

If Chen Yan took an extra bite of anything, she would remember it and then cook a little more of it in the broth before putting it in Chen Yan's bowl.

The way she was so gentle and attentive during the meal left her roommates speechless.

He felt that Lu Sisi was so desperate that she wanted to tear herself apart and feed her to this young man named Chen Yan.

Especially Yueyue, who was unimpressed—she was an only child from a well-off family in the Yangtze River Delta region, and her conditions in all aspects were outstanding. Although she also wanted a boyfriend with good conditions, this young man named Chen Yan was the kind of person who caught her eye in terms of appearance, temperament and economic conditions. But she asked herself, if she met a man like this, she would never let herself fawn over him like this—it would be more like a man fawning over her.

After finishing their meal, everyone got up and left the hot pot restaurant.

Before parting ways at the door, Yueyue deliberately smiled and asked, "Sisi, are you coming back to the dorm with us?"

"Oh dear, how can you be so insensitive? Her boyfriend is here, of course she should go and be all lovey-dovey!" a girl next to her laughed.

Yueyue chuckled, then feigned annoyance, saying, "I was so tactless. Sisi isn't coming back with us. Most likely, she won't be going back tonight either..."

Lu Sisi blushed, but surprisingly didn't say a word, tacitly agreeing.

Chen Yan thought for a moment, then looked at Xiao Zhao: "Let's go, I'll give you a ride back to school on my way."

Xiao Zhao shook his head: "No, they all know not to be a third wheel, do you think I'm oblivious? You go enjoy your romantic time, I'll walk back to school myself, it's only a few steps anyway."

Chen Yan nodded. It wasn't bad. It was only about two or three hundred meters away from a side gate of his alma mater.

"Let's go then." Chen Yan looked down at Lu Sisi and smiled gently. Lu Sisi nodded softly.

"Well then, goodbye everyone. I'll treat you to crayfish sometime." Chen Yan waved goodbye to the girls.

Then, he took Lu Sisi's hand, and the two crossed the road together. He took out his car keys and pressed the button.

A Mercedes-Benz G-Class parked on the side of the road immediately gave a docile hum and its headlights flashed.

"Holy crap, a G-Wagon!" a girl blurted out instinctively.

"What G?" the girl next to her asked in confusion. "Huh? Lu Sisi's boyfriend's car looks nice. It must be quite expensive, right?"

"Seven figures, starting point!" the girl who swore exclaimed. "Lu Sisi has really snagged a rich husband."

Yueyue remained silent, watching as Lu Sisi got into the car with Chen Yan and the car slowly drove away. Only then did she realize: No wonder Lu Sisi was so gentle and considerate during the meal... So that's how it is.

·
Chen Yan didn't speak in the car, and neither did Lu Sisi. She just sat in the passenger seat, her gentle gaze never leaving Chen Yan's face.

Finally, as the car was almost at the gate of his residential compound, Chen Yan laughed and said, "What were you staring at me for the whole way?"

"You... seem a little unhappy." Lu Sisi said softly, extending a slender finger and gently stroking Chen Yan's brow with her fingertip: "Your brow is always so tense."

Chen Yan nodded: "Well, I'm not unhappy, but... there's nothing to be happy about either."

Actually... I was a little unhappy.

Half of it was Gu Qingyi's departure that suddenly caused Chen Yan to lose the "home" atmosphere he had just developed.

Is the other half... because of the murder he committed?
·
The car drove to the villa and entered the garage. Chen Yan pulled Lu Sisi out of the car and then entered the villa's basement entrance through the garage gate.

This was Lu Sisi's first time visiting Chen Yan's residence, and she felt a mix of curiosity and confusion about the fact that Chen Yan lived in such a large mansion.

However, she didn't ask anything—in her opinion, it wasn't surprising that Chen Yan, with his great abilities, lived in such a large mansion; it was just that she hadn't asked him before or had never been there.

Stepping into the living room, the room was completely dark.

The house had been empty for several days, and a cold and desolate atmosphere permeated the air.

Chen Yan's heart stirred, and several unusual emotions arose subconsciously.

Fortunately, the girl beside him had already nestled her soft body into Chen Yan's arms, gently wrapped her arms around his waist, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek.

Chen Yan took a deep breath, smiled in the darkness, and suddenly used his strength to lift Lu Sisi up in his arms with a soft cry from the girl, and strode upstairs.

·
A violent storm, a gentle drizzle, and finally, the storm subsided...

Around one o'clock at night, Chen Yan leaned against his large bed in his master bedroom, listening to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom.

Only then did he feel completely relaxed, and his mind finally went blank.

At this moment, Chen Yan realized that the act of "murder" had actually affected his state of mind, but he may not have realized it before.

After leaving that ski resort, I actually harbored a vague sense of anxiety and anger.

He himself was unaware of this emotion, and it wouldn't manifest unless something happened, but it was as if he carried a faint, almost imperceptible, sense of hostility.

This kind of hostility isn't easily noticeable at first glance, but it manifests in certain details.

For example, when driving, you might unconsciously press the accelerator a little too hard.

For example, when faced with problems, one tends to be less patient.

For example, tonight. In fact, when Chen Yan recalls the dinner party tonight, his performance was not very good. Although he was thoughtful and polite, he lacked enthusiasm and was somewhat distant from Lu Sisi's roommates.

Actually, I just have a vague sense of irritability inside me, and I'm not very patient with many things.

But thankfully...

Chen Yan looked at the beam of light coming through the crack in the bathroom door and sighed inwardly.

Fortunately, tonight, this girl used her utmost gentleness to dispel the slight restlessness in her heart.

Only now did Chen Yan realize that he hadn't noticed it all along, but that a string in his heart had been taut ever since he committed the murder!

This has actually subtly affected his state of mind—for cultivators, the impact of their state of mind can be significant or minor, and may even become a hidden danger as they cultivate to a deeper level in the future.

But at this moment, that tension has completely eased.

It's not the kind of physical release.

Instead, it was Lu Sisi, with her sweetness and utmost tenderness towards Chen Yan, who acted like an invisible iron, smoothing out the slightest scratches and wrinkles in Chen Yan's heart.

Finally, the noise in the bathroom stopped, and Lu Sisi pushed open the door and came out.

The girl had bare, white legs and wore only a white long-sleeved T-shirt on her upper body—a men's style shirt that Chen Yan had taken out of his closet.

This is her first time visiting Chen Yan's house tonight, so naturally there are no spare clothes for her.

Lu Sisi walked briskly to the bedside, then slipped into the quilt and lay down on Chen Yan, pressing her soft body against him. She stretched out her delicate white hand and gently stroked Chen Yan's eyebrows.

“I can tell you’re finally a little happier now.”

Feeling the girl's sincere care and concern, Chen Yan felt a warmth in his heart.

"Yes, because of you."

In the darkness, Chen Yan spoke very seriously.

·
(End of this chapter)