Chapter 392 - 193: Fleeing in Panic

"Miss Su has already logged off to avoid being surrounded by those guys," Gu Ningxuan explained once again.

K3 nodded knowingly and said, "Xiao Meng has a natural instinct to seek good fortune and avoid calamity. She’s right to do this; going offline to lay low is more comfortable than staying here and becoming a target. We rushed over because we were worried Augustus and his people would get angry. By the way, we’re planning to go out and celebrate; let Xiao Meng know."

Gu Ningxuan paused for a moment, recalling someone’s embarrassing moments during two "celebrations," and a faint smile curled his lips, softening his entire face. "Don’t worry, Mr. Qin. I’ll inform Miss Su about this later."

Liu Lanyue and her group were in high spirits today. They were all students at Xilena First Affiliated School, and this ragtag team had somehow managed to defeat Augustus’ top three elite teams! Although she wasn’t the main force, she had given her best, so she basked in the glory of victory. She immediately waved her hand and generously declared, "Today, it’s my treat!"

Even though they were all wealthy students for whom treating others to a meal was a trivial expense, food always tasted better when someone else was buying! With Liu Lanyue’s bold offer, the group laughed and teased that they would drain her wallet dry.

"No problem, eat less and it’s your loss, eat more and it’s on me, eat till you’re stuffed, well that’s on you! It’s a rare day to be happy, no need to hold back!" Liu Lanyue said playfully, waving her hand. Though her face still showed signs of fatigue, her eyes were bright and full of energy.

Everyone present was someone who exercised heavily every day, and the more they exercised, the bigger their appetites grew. If they truly let loose, each one of them could easily stack empty bowls two meters high! Calling them food buckets wouldn’t feel out of place at all.

As the group of about thirty people left laughing and joking, a trace of nostalgia and loneliness flashed in Gu Ningxuan’s eyes before quickly disappearing. With nothing to do for the moment, he went to the nearby vending machine, bought a few cans of beer, and headed to a bench in the corner.

Just as he was about to open one, he noticed someone sitting next to him, who casually took one of his beers!

"This... sir?" Gu Ningxuan was a good-tempered guy, and it was just a can of beer; if it’s taken, so be it—he wouldn’t mind. But when he saw who it was, he couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise. "Why aren’t you going to celebrate?"

"A bunch of young people playing around; I’m too old to join the fun," Gu Ningzhi said with feigned world-weariness, gulping down the beer, which was made from Qiming Star’s specialty, with a unique taste. "But what about you? Why aren’t you going?"

"Not familiar." Gu Ningxuan’s answer was honest and straightforward, sounding blunt but very truthful.

Gu Ningzhi casually nodded, crushed the empty beer can in his hand into a small ball, and with a swoosh, threw it into a trash bin several meters away. "Since you’re not familiar, it’s better not to go. Otherwise, it’s always awkward when there’s a cold reception, and you wouldn’t feel comfortable either."

Gu Ningxuan didn’t comment. After a while, a slender, pale hand with calluses appeared before him, holding two cigarettes between its fingers. He blushed slightly and said awkwardly, "Sorry, I don’t smoke."

Smoking can somewhat reduce anxiety and stress. It’s not that Gu Ningxuan didn’t know how, but he smoked very little. Moreover, since moving into Su Jiameng’s house, knowing there were two furballs inside, he rarely touched the stuff.

Hearing this, Gu Ningzhi put the cigarettes away, lit one for himself, and randomly brought up a topic. "When I saw you, I felt a sense of familiarity and couldn’t help but like you. You remind me quite a bit of my little brother..."

Gu Ningxuan, the one being chatted up, stayed silent. He was never good with words and didn’t know how to continue certain conversations. Like now, the clumsy pickup line didn’t really interest him enough to engage with.

When someone doesn’t follow up, it leaves Gu Ningzhi in a bit of an awkward spot. But he had always been thick-skinned, and awkward silences weren’t big deals to him. "I’ve heard Miss Su mention that you seem to be working at her place, helping out. I’ve seen your abilities—if you truly set your mind to it, you’re sure to achieve great things in the future. Are you willing to waste your prime on meaningless tasks?"

"Whether it’s meaningful or not, everyone has their own view. At least, I don’t think my life right now lacks meaning..." Gu Ningxuan retorted unhappily, clearly showing his protective stance toward Su Jiameng, much to Gu Ningzhi’s dissatisfaction.

"Just muddling through like this? Have you considered that at your current state... you still can’t keep up with her pace?" Gu Ningzhi hinted, probing, "Her ambitions are too large; those who dwell in obscurity have no right to hold her attention."

"I have my own plans... Thank you for your concern, sir," Gu Ningxuan replied coldly, refusing even to drink the remaining beer before logging off and leaving in an apparent huff as if angered by having his secret seen through.

Gu Ningzhi amusedly opened another can of beer, sighing, "Youth, it’s so beautiful... "

"Ha, I can’t see it. Are you saying you’re already old?" A familiar low voice sounded from behind, and Gu Ningzhi turned around, raising the beer in his hand to greet the newcomer with a playful, roguish smile on his face.

"I’m not physically old, but my heart is," Gu Ningzhi clicked his tongue twice, sitting with a slovenly posture like a good-for-nothing loafer. "Also... I just came to participate in a competition; did you really have to come catch me on time?"

Li You scoffed, "If I didn’t come to catch you, we’d probably not see you tomorrow."

Gu Ningzhi laughed sheepishly, "Am I really that unreliable?"

Li You replied, "Believe me, the truth is even more brutally unreliable than I said." (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)