F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

A timid girl's voice came from outside the door.

Chen Yifan and Wang Fugui exchanged a glance.

Lin Xiaoyu?

She came yesterday, so what's she doing here today?

With a thought, Wang Fugui's divine equipment and skill books vanished instantly and were stored in his initial backpack.

Wealth is not exposed.

He understands this.

"Please come in."

The door was gently pushed open, and Lin Xiaoyu walked in somewhat reservedly.

She was clearly dressed up carefully today.

Her long, beautiful black hair was neatly combed, and she no longer wore those heavy black-rimmed glasses.

Although it was still that old school uniform that had been washed until it was faded.

But the awkwardness on that delicate face revealed a kind of pitiful naiveté.

Wang Fugui was momentarily stunned.

No?

The girl who was covered in dust and dirt in the dungeon and kept following behind him.

Looks like this... wow?

When Lin Xiaoyu saw Chen Yifan and Wang Fugui, her face first lit up with joy, but then she became nervous and embarrassed.

"that……"

"Chen Yifan..."

"Wang Fugui, classmate..."

She walked to the bedside and, without warning, bowed deeply to him and the fat man.

"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have even reached level 5, let alone been able to stay in the professional class."

The girl's voice was fast, urgent, and full of sincerity.

"I have nothing to repay you with, but this... is all the spoils from this dungeon run. Please accept it!"

She took two envelopes out of her pocket and handed them to her simultaneously, one on each side.

After returning home yesterday, she felt increasingly guilty.

Without Chen Yifan and Wang Fugui, let alone reaching level 5, it would be questionable whether she could even return safely.

So, early in the morning, I sold all the loot I had in the dungeon.

This was the only way she could think of to repay the two of them.

Looking at this meager "gift" that stands in stark contrast to the divine gear worth millions just now.

Chen Yifan smiled but didn't take it.

"Keep the money and treat yourself well."

Wang Fugui thumped his chest loudly:

"Girl, who do you think you are? Do you think I need your little bit of money?"

Lin Xiaoyu suddenly raised her head, thinking that her reward was not enough, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"But...but there are a full twenty thousand yuan in here!"

This was a fortune she had never possessed before.

One dungeon run... and I earned over 20,000!

No wonder so many people are willing to risk their lives to become professionals.

This not only brings in money quickly.

The key point is that it's legal.

"I……"

Seeing that the two refused to accept the money, Lin Xiaoyu was about to say something more when she met Chen Yifan's calm and gentle eyes.

There was no contempt or pity in his eyes, only calmness, as if he saw through all her thoughts, which made her feel inexplicably uneasy.

But Lin Xiaoyu still mustered up her courage.

You only get one chance.

This time I can earn 20,000!

Next time, she'll give it her all; maybe 50,000, 100,000...

even more.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiaoyu handed the two envelopes forward again, her voice trembling slightly.

"Chen Yifan, I know this amount of money isn't much to you..."

"I just... I just hope..."

She bit her lip, but couldn't bring herself to say the rest of the words.

I hope that next time, for the last beginner dungeon before the college entrance exam, I can bring her along again.

This is her real purpose for coming today.

Chen Yifan looked at the girl in front of him.

Having lived two lives, he naturally saw through her intentions.

He finally remembered why the girl looked familiar when they were forming a team.

He had seen it.

More than once, after school, she saw a middle-aged man, completely drunk, blocking her at the school gate, making obscene demands.

He had also seen her mother, who worked as a caregiver at the hospital, and her eyes, which had been dulled by the burdens of life, when she came to the school to deliver living expenses.

A genius with A-level talent is dragged down into a quagmire by a gambling father and heavy medical bills.

A person like that only needs a straw to break the camel's back to risk everything.

"Lin Xiaoyu."

Chen Yifan's voice remained gentle.

"How far do you think a herbalist with the A-level talent [Absolute Plant Affinity] can go in Jiangcheng?"

Lin Xiaoyu was stunned, and subconsciously answered:

"If I study hard, I can get into a good extraordinary university, and after graduation, I can join a major guild or a pharmaceutical company and become a senior pharmacist..."

This is the best future she can imagine.

Chen Yifan nodded, his smile unchanged.

That's right.

This is indeed a very good way out.

but……

"I will not accept the money."

"I understand your thoughts."

The next second, his voice suddenly became indifferent, severing all of Lin Xiaoyu's hopes.

"Furthermore, for the next dungeon run, I won't bring along a burden that will only follow behind."

In a word.

Lin Xiaoyu's face turned deathly pale instantly.

burden.

It turns out that in his eyes, I was ultimately just a burden.

Seeing this, Wang Fugui was about to speak up and say something fair when he saw Chen Yifan gently shaking his head at him.

Out of absolute trust in Fanzi, Wang Fugui held back.

To be honest, the girl's performance in the dungeon exceeded his expectations.

Careful, meticulous, and thoughtful.

If he weren't a useless herbalist, he would definitely be a teammate with huge potential.

Chen Yifan turned his gaze back to the girl, his expression calm and unwavering.

"To be honest, in my opinion, your A-level talent is no different from F-level."

His voice was soft, but every word he uttered was piercing.

"Do you think things will be easier for you now that you've offended Li Wei?"

Li Wei!

The name was like a poisonous thorn, making Lin Xiaoyu's body tremble violently.

"You're a smart girl, you should know that a man like him would never let any witness who knows about his shameful deeds go unpunished."

"A witness with no background or power usually only has one fate."

Chen Yifan's gaze fell on her face, cold and devoid of any warmth.

"vanished into thin air."

Fear, like icy seawater, instantly engulfed Lin Xiaoyu's mouth and nose.

She wanted to argue, to say that the school would protect her, but the words wouldn't come out.

Yes.

Li Wei's father was a well-known wealthy businessman in the city, and even the school had to give him some face.

What about yourself?

A father who was a gambling addict.

A mother who works as a caregiver in a hospital but is herself seriously ill.

What can we use to fight them?

Seeing the light in her eyes quickly filled with fear and despair, Chen Yifan knew that the time was right.

"Xiaoyu, your talent is [absolute affinity with plants]."

"As long as you work hard, you can find a job in the logistics department of a big guild after graduation as a herbalist, and earning over ten thousand a month won't be a problem."

"but……"

He then changed the subject.

"How long will it take to pay off your father's gambling debts?"

"How long will it take to earn enough to cover the daily medical expenses your mother is incurring at the hospital?"

"How old will you be by the time you've paid off all of this?"

"Thirty years old?"

"Still forty years old?"

"By then, Li Wei may have already become a high-ranking professional."

"And you...?"

"Just a middle-aged woman whose strength has been completely drained by life."

"This isn't a peaceful era, you know what I mean?"

hum!

These words shattered all the girl's illusions and resilience!

he……

How did he know?!

How could he possibly know about the most shameful and desperately hidden secrets in his family?!

In that instant, a beautiful blueprint for the future flashed through her mind.

It was torn to shreds in the face of the bloody reality.

Yes, this is not a peaceful era.

The girl's body began to tremble uncontrollably, and the light in her eyes quickly dimmed.

"No...no..."

Lin Xiaoyu murmured to herself, tears streaming down her face.

Chen Yifan ignored her breakdown, his voice remaining cold.

Everything has two sides.

"A flower that can give birth to life can also produce the most deadly poison."

"Your talent goes beyond saving lives."

Lin Xiaoyu suddenly looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears.

Have you heard of the "Bloodthirsty Poison Girl"?

Chen Yifan's voice was very soft, like the whisper of a demon.

"A mutated plant that feeds on the flesh and blood of alien beasts and their psionic energy."

"Its vines can sever steel, its venomous thorns can paralyze giant beasts, and its pollen is the most potent neurotoxin in the world."

He looked at her, a cold smile curving his lips.

"It will be your most loyal servant, and also your most lethal weapon."

"With just a thought, you can make all those who look down on you and bully you silently become its nourishment in their sleep."

"You, with your A-level talent, are the perfect breeding ground for it."

Chen Yifan stopped.

He handed the knife he had chosen to Lin Xiaoyu.

Someone so similar to him.

Will you continue to be a harmless flower that can be picked at will, or will you become a man-eating vine that devours everything?

Everything is her choice.

Lin Xiaoyu's breathing became extremely rapid.

In my mind, half of it is a medicinal garden under the sunlight, and the other half is a blood-red vine that is baring its fangs and dripping with saliva in the darkness.

Cowardice and resentment, kindness and hatred... tore wildly through her heart.

She suddenly remembered the man's performance in the dungeon.

Decisive and ruthless.

With the help of goblins, defeat powerful enemies.

And that SSS-level rating!

The intentional or unintentional distancing from classmates, the changed attitude of relatives and friends after they learned of her career aspirations...

In the end, all the struggles ended in silence.

She slowly raised her head and used the back of her hand to fiercely wipe away the tears on her face.

In those once timid eyes, all weakness has been crushed.

All that remained was a desperate, all-or-nothing madness and resolute determination.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, the sharp pain bringing her an unprecedented sense of clarity.

"I see."

She bowed deeply to Chen Yifan again, her voice not loud, but with a resounding, bloody tone.

"Chen Yifan, what should I do?"

"Please...teach me!"