I Have a Job

Chapter 419: Victory Was Hard-Earned

Qian Wenyu was the first-generation biology class representative. He wasn't very tall, had an average build, and ranked in the top five in the class during joint exams.

"This is too tough! The first and second-generation biology class reps, along with the 'biology Danzo,' are all standing at the front of the lineup."

"Hard to say. Old Liu doesn't know a damn thing about tug-of-war!"

Old Liu commanded for a while and finally decided on the lineup.

Yao Beibei took the lead, followed by Jiang Nian. Behind him was Yu Zhiyi, and then came Qian Wenyu, who looked extremely awkward. He glanced at the second-generation rep, his face darkening.

When he resigned from his role as the biology class representative, it was a well-considered decision. His biology grades had already peaked, and he aimed for a total score of 680, which required more time for other subjects.

If he could surpass Li Qingrong, the glory would last for a long time.

Qian Wenyu would bask in it alone!

However, when he officially stepped down and received no words of retention from Qingbao, he felt a little hurt.

Damn it! I was here first!

But if Jiang Nian were the biology rep, he could reluctantly accept it—after all, Jiang Nian had personal connections with Qingbao.

Since ancient times, eunuchs have always been powerful.

What he couldn't accept was the eunuch meddling in government affairs. Instead of doing the job himself, Jiang Nian had pushed Yu Zhiyi into the position.

What the hell was Yu Zhiyi? Did she learn biology knowledge through prenatal education or something?

He couldn't accept a low-scoring biology class representative!

From that moment on, Qian Wenyu lost interest in biology class. Whenever Yu Zhiyi was around, he remained silent.

And now, facing his rival again, things were incredibly awkward.

"Hey, class rep," Yu Zhiyi smiled at him. "What a coincidence that we're lined up together."

Qian Wenyu's face remained expressionless. He just let out a grunt. While Old Liu was making micro-adjustments at the back, he turned to Chai Muying behind him.

"My arm is injured. I can't use much strength."

"Huh?" Chai Muying was stunned, her mind going blank. "Then... what do we do?"

Qian Wenyu:

His patience for stupidity was running out. He didn't want to stand with these two girls.

"Switch positions. The back doesn't require as much force."

Chai Muying, confused, couldn't figure out the logic. But she instinctively chose to trust the top student, though she still had concerns.

"What about the homeroom teacher…?"

"Move quickly. He won't notice," Qian Wenyu replied calmly. "The front positions are too important—we might lose."

Hearing this, Chai Muying swallowed nervously.

"Alright then."

In the middle of the lineup, Li Hua looked at the three people standing at the front—Jiang Nian, Yao Beibei, and Yu Zhiyi. Then he glanced at the 'micro-strategy master' and started chewing on his sleeve.

"Damn it! Old Liu is such a fool!"

Yu Zhiyi's position behind him had been something Li Hua fought hard for. He had even used secret leverage involving Yuxi to threaten Liu Yang into making the switch.

But then Old Liu came in, randomly reorganized the teams, and moved him from the front straight into a group of guys.

"Qian Wenyu… You son of a—"

Li Hua was about to curse but stopped when he saw who was in the second position. His mind blanked out completely.

The spot he had desperately wanted was now taken by Jiang Nian, that bastard!

If Yu Zhiyi fell during the tug-of-war, wouldn't she land directly in Jiang Nian's arms? No! This can't be real!

At the front, Jiang Nian, standing behind Yao Beibei, also felt speechless. He turned to look at Yu Zhiyi's smiling face and felt uneasy.

"Did you have to do this?"

"No, you misunderstood." Yu Zhiyi grinned. "I just feel safer with you nearby."

"Bullshit," Jiang Nian smiled sarcastically.

He finally understood—this woman was challenging his position. From the moment she became the class rep, the palace struggle had begun.

"Yu Zhiyi, check the back of your head—do you have a rebellious streak growing there?"

"Hehe, I don't understand what you're talking about," Yu Zhiyi responded with an innocent expression.

Then, she smirked coldly.

The struggle for succession had always been like this.

"Red Rock!" Jiang Nian tried to switch positions.

Suddenly, Yao Beibei turned around and made a victory sign with her fingers.

"I heard everything."

"Dammit!" Jiang Nian was slightly rattled. Yao Beibei was ridiculous.

Just as he was about to move, Old Liu called out.

"Hey, Jiang Nian, don't change spots!"

Jiang Nian:

6.

With a loud whistle, both sides grabbed the rope and began pulling.

Jiang Nian quickly realized that there was still some space around him, meaning that if he fell, at most, he'd land on someone's foot.

Damn you, Yu Zhiyi!

If I land on you, I'll make sure to crush your foot so you can go home and cry!

And later, I'll still be tagging you in the group chat to submit biology homework. If you have any complaints, go talk to the third-generation class rep!

"Ready~~!"

A sharp whistle sliced through the dusky sky. Jiang Nian had no time to think—he could only lean back and pull with all his strength!

"Go, go, go!!!"

Thunderous cheers erupted across the sports field, mixing with the sounds of other tug-of-war games, creating a chaotic and intense atmosphere.

A tremendous force traveled along the rope, pulling all sixteen members of Class Three toward the opposing team.

Maybe due to distraction, or for some other reason, Class Three collectively staggered forward, their feet shuffling in the opponent's direction.

"Shit! Is there a traitor?!"

"This is it, we're about to be wiped out!"

Some timid girls covered their eyes, too afraid to watch. It was clear—this was all Old Liu's fault.

A classic case of an amateur directing professionals.

"Did we lose?"

"Wait, look—Jiang Nian just saved us!"

Jiang Nian's position was too far forward. As soon as the match started, he felt an overwhelming force pulling him forward, almost lifting him off the ground.

Yao Beibei, at the very front, even cursed out loud.

But in the next second—

Jiang Nian reacted. He lowered his center of gravity and gritted his teeth, giving Class Three a crucial moment to regroup.

Once both sides stabilized, the sixteen members of Class Three pulled in unison, matching the rhythm. Slowly but surely, the balance of victory tipped in their favor.

Class Three managed to break the opposing team's stance, and in a one-sided collapse, they won.

As Jiang Nian fell backward, exhausted, he didn't forget his grudge—he stomped his foot down hard.

But he hit nothing but air.

The girls at the front of Class Two, sensing defeat, had already loosened their grip slightly. Because of that, Jiang Nian ended up falling straight onto Yu Zhiyi.

He felt a moment of softness against his back before bouncing off to the side.

"Wha—!!"

The whistle blew long and clear—match over.

The referee raised his right hand.

"Class Three wins!"

"YEAH!!!"

A deafening cheer drowned out the entire sports field.

Class Three celebrated wildly, except for Li Hua and Old Liu, the 'micro-strategy master.'

Because they knew—this victory was hard-earned.

After advancing, the second tug-of-war match began.

Old Liu quietly slipped away and handed the command back to Liu Yang. The sports committee reorganized the team into the original lineup, separating boys and girls.

And with that, they secured another victory.

Chapter 420: What Card? Online Draws

"Laughing to death, Class Four got eliminated from the start."

"They had internal conflicts, barely won anything in group competitions."

Evening study session. The classroom lights shone brightly.

Amidst the chaotic sounds of students reciting their books, Jiang Nian listened as Li Hua and a few others pretended to read while openly discussing how chaotic the scene was, all attention focused on the competition.

"Does your hand hurt?" Zhang Ningzhi poked him and asked in a low voice, "Some of them... got pretty bad muscle strains."

"It's alright. I don't have much of a self-sacrificing spirit."

Jiang Nian adapted to different situations, speaking accordingly to whoever he was with. But truthfully, his hand wasn't really hurt—he had just exerted some force.

Some of the guys in the class were in much worse shape. A few had their hands blistered and bleeding from tug-of-war, while others strained their arm muscles so hard they only realized it after the competition was over.

Li Hua felt annoyed hearing that. "No self-sacrificing spirit," huh? Who was he trying to shade?

"Speaking of which, I think I overexerted myself during the tug-of-war," Li Hua said, rolling his shoulder. "Feels like a bit of a strain."

Jiang Nian shot back, "Nanliang."

Li Hua had initially wanted to accuse Jiang Nian of being two-faced—acting innocent while benefiting the most. After all, he had conveniently ended up between Yao Beibei and Yu Zhiyi, like the filling of a sandwich.

But on second thought, saying that outright would make him sound petty.

So, he changed the topic.

"By the way, why didn't we get a prize after winning? Just a low-quality trophy? The school is way too stingy."

Jiang Nian didn't follow Li Hua's lead in the conversation but instead patted him lightly on the shoulder and asked, "Can your heart handle this?"

"Chishi!" Li Hua finally snapped, pointing at Jiang Nian. "You're a damn scoundrel!"

"What?" Jiang Nian feigned innocence, smiling as he looked at him.

Say it. Come on, say it.

Li Hua's face turned red, but he didn't dare to explode at Jiang Nian.

"Forget it. Not worth talking to you."

"Hehe." Jiang Nian chuckled and pointed at him. "All bark, no bite. You overthink but can't make decisions."

"Chishi!"

Zhang Ningzhi didn't understand the boys' banter, only sensing that the class leader had suddenly gone silent and started studying.

"Hmm?"

Two evening self-study periods passed. Jiang Nian put away his completed math test paper and started pondering more pressing matters.

Where could he get 1,000 yuan?

The class leader was too enthusiastic, which was nice. But he wasn't sure if her father would feel the same way about him. With the new year approaching, his uncle would be coming back soon.

And as for himself? He was just a kid who loved bananas. Could Banana Wolf really have bad intentions?

Worst case scenario, he could smash Li Hua's phone, fix up a broken one, and sell it to him for 1,000 yuan.

"Scumbag."

A voice from the side startled Jiang Nian.

Turning his head, he saw Yao Beibei sitting in Li Hua's seat, pulling out some papers from the desk.

"I heard everything this afternoon."

"Your mom."

"Feeling guilty?" Yao Beibei smirked, eyes locked on Jiang Nian. "You wouldn't want Ningzhi to know, right?"

"Oh." Jiang Nian thought to himself, Yao Beibei has been acting weird lately. Could she be…?

"You should spell it out more clearly."

"…?"

Yao Beibei froze, not expecting Jiang Nian to be so cooperative.

She had a small issue and wanted his opinion, but she didn't trust him, fearing he'd blab.

For a moment, she didn't know what to say, so she just got up and left.

"I'll message you on QQ."

Jiang Nian didn't think much of it.

He was just doing things for the class, with a clear conscience. So what if Zhang Ningzhi found out?

They had already won the tug-of-war. They were just one step away from winning on the moon.

Looking around at the nearly empty classroom, Jiang Nian stood up and decided to go downstairs for a late-night snack.

In the hallway, a few guys were gathered.

Seeing Jiang Nian head for the stairs, Lin Dong casually asked, "Where are you going?"

"Cafeteria for a snack." Jiang Nian waved.

"But the bell is about to ring." Lin Dong looked puzzled. "Isn't it too late to go now?"

"Doesn't matter. I know the timing."

Jiang Nian had originally wanted to invite Li Hua and the big guy, but they weren't around, so he didn't bother looking and went alone.

The cafeteria was still brightly lit, but most of the food was nearly sold out.

The auntie selling meatballs saw a male student walk in and instinctively called out in her local-accented Mandarin.

"Half price, all half price."

"Sis, I look pretty good. Can I get a 40% discount?" Jiang Nian grinned, peering into the big rice cooker.

"No way." The auntie laughed like a blooming flower. "I can't calculate 40% off."

"Then make it 10%. That's easy to calculate." Jiang Nian ordered over 20 yuan worth of meatballs and tofu. "That's all."

The auntie hesitated for a moment. "Just give me 5 yuan."

Hehe, 20% discount.

Truthfully, evening self-study had already started, and the cafeteria was nearly empty. If she didn't sell it to Jiang Nian, she'd have to eat it herself.

Jiang Nian casually took a seat and started eating.

Bzzz, his phone vibrated.

Cai: "Where are you?"

"In the office, asking questions. Why?" Jiang Nian typed with one hand. "The fish balls in the office taste pretty good. You should try them next time."

Cai: "..."

"Hurry back after eating, or you might get caught."

"Sure."

Cai Xiaoqing: "Have you seen Xie Zhihao?"

The class downgrade guy?

Jiang Nian didn't think much of it and replied.

"No."

Suddenly, a few people walked in from the direction of the convenience store.

"The cafeteria's probably closed by now. I wonder if there are still fish balls left," Xie Zhihao said as he stepped out of the store.

"Probably not," Xu Shuang replied.

She had been in the office with her brother, reviewing difficult physics problems, when Xu Yuanshan dragged her out for snacks.

Unexpectedly, Xie Zhihao was also there and insisted on paying for everything.

Xu Yuanshan, being oblivious, thought Xie Zhihao admired him. The naive kid was delighted, feeling flattered.

Xu Shuang, on the other hand, was exhausted just watching it unfold.

"Sis, there should be some left," Xu Yuanshan said excitedly, running ahead. "I'll go check for you."

That left just Xie Zhihao and Xu Shuang in the cafeteria hallway.

Sensing an opportunity, Xie Zhihao's heart pounded. Taking a deep breath, he said in a hoarse voice:

"The moonlight is beautiful tonight."

Pfft!

From the corner of the cafeteria came a barely suppressed laugh, followed by violent coughing.

"Shit, this chili…"

Xu Shuang turned awkwardly to look, recognizing the person.

Ignoring him felt rude, so she walked over.

She was about to greet Jiang Nian when her brother's voice came from behind.

"Sis, that guy bought all the fish balls!"

Hearing that, Jiang Nian looked up at Xu Shuang. Instinctively, he pulled his food closer to himself and gave her a puzzled look.

"Something wrong?"

Xu Shuang was at a loss.

"I'm not here to steal your fish balls. Just saying hi."

"Alright." Jiang Nian nodded.

Xu Shuang turned back to her brother. Then, as they sat down, she muttered something under her breath.

Meanwhile, Xie Zhihao, though ignored, kept up his enthusiasm, chatting away with the naive younger brother.

Chapter 421: Take a Look at the Legs

"Trying to change the topic, huh?"

"Just keep looking. Anyway, I'm just… you know." Xu Shao spread his hands. "Not really concerned about that kind of thing."

Jiang Nian coughed. "I actually do plan to… you know."

So, what exactly is "you know"?

Xu Qianqian thought for a moment and looked at him seriously.

"But I don't recommend you 'you know,' because I will break your legs."

The two of them were too familiar with each other, knowing each other's thoughts inside out.

When she saw Jiang Nian's expression shift slightly, hinting at something inappropriate, Xu Qianqian immediately realized what he was thinking.

Jiang Nian, however, remained unfazed.

If he could "you know," breaking his legs wouldn't affect eating, nor would it affect… well, other activities. No big deal. Basically, no harm done.

And if only one leg got broken? That'd be a net gain, wouldn't it?

Midnight Snack Stand

A rolling mist surrounded the snack stand.

Xu Qianqian's delicate face was as fair as porcelain, with a hint of rosiness. Her eyes turned hazy when she was hungry. "Two skewers of fish balls—no… better make it five…"

She thought for a moment, then turned to ask, "Jiang Nian, do you eat fish balls?"

"You eat them. I'll have something else." Jiang Nian waved his hand, having no appetite for the simmering fish balls.

"Oh. Boss, two skewers," Xu Qianqian said with a smile, raising two fingers, dimples appearing faintly.

Jiang Nian stood nearby, carrying a bag, quietly watching her.

To be honest, Xu Qianqian was like an ice cream bar, always appearing before his eyes. Under the streetlights, her fair skin seemed to glow.

Even after so many years, every time he saw her, he still found her stunning.

Xu Shao, the simp killer.

Back Home

Before washing up, Jiang Nian glanced at his phone—no new messages.

After washing up and drying his hair, he checked again.

Twenty-seven unread messages.

Huh?

Instinctively, for the sake of survival, his phone never displayed message previews on the lock screen.

So every time he checked messages, it was a gamble.

If it was work messages from WeChat or some notification from QQ's official account, he would instantly feel defeated and curse under his breath.

To be fair, these annoying promo accounts had zero sense of boundaries.

Upon opening the messages, he found that two were from his class monitor on WeChat, while the remaining twenty-six came from three people on QQ.

He decided to check WeChat first—since it was usually about important matters.

"(Image)"

"I beat up your little chick."

Jiang Nian glanced at it, something feeling off. Thinking he misread it, he looked again.

"What?"

Before he could process, Li Qingrong replied instantly.

"I beat up your…"

That wasn't the main point. Obviously.

Since when did the class monitor start messing around like this? Given how she usually just responded with a polite emoji, this was unexpectedly bold.

"Wait, who taught you this?" Jiang Nian asked, typing quickly. "It wouldn't happen to be Cai Xiaoqing, would it?"

Li Qingrong: "She told me not to say."

Ah. Understood.

A timid smiling tiger—Nie Qiqi.

Jiang Nian didn't feel right scolding the class monitor, but the problem was, he wasn't into this kind of thing. The whole situation felt a bit difficult to handle.

"I give up. I'll get my revenge tomorrow."

After bidding goodnight to the class monitor, he sat at his desk and pulled out a test paper. After about twenty minutes of studying, he finally opened QQ.

Near Midnight

He was used to receiving messages this late and had already prepared himself for a messaging marathon.

Zhang Ningzhi had sent a cute emoji, urging him:

"Ding ding! Let's chat!"

Jiang Nian glanced at it and manually replied.

"Did you take a shower?"

"Yes. (Cute emoji)"

Jiang Nian: "Then let me see your legs. Did you wash them properly?"

"You pervert!" Zhang Ningzhi sent an emoji expressing utter disdain, then curiously asked, "Finished your test paper?"

"Almost." Jiang Nian answered honestly. "Just a bit left..."

However, Zhang Ningzhi didn't seem too interested in the test paper itself. She interrupted him before he could finish typing.

"So, after you finish your test paper, what do you usually do?"

If anyone else asked that question, Jiang Nian might find it odd. But coming from Zhang Ningzhi, it felt completely normal.

As long as it was a cute girl asking, even if it had an ulterior motive, it was fine.

"After finishing my test paper…" Jiang Nian pondered while typing. "I usually read Ostrovsky's books for a bit."

Don't ask who that is. If it has a "-sky" in it, it sounds sophisticated.

Ding!

Zhang Ningzhi sent an emoji of a little round-faced character looking puzzled and asked directly:

"Isn't it watching those kinds of videos?"

Jiang Nian: "?"

What kind of videos? Classical ones, like a flute being played beneath an apricot blossom tree till dawn? That actually sounds poetic.

His intellectual aura had been raised once again.

Then he realized—was she talking about that offhand joke he made during study hall on Sunday? Did she actually take it seriously?

A bit awkward, but not too bad.

"Oh, oh, I was joking," Jiang Nian typed back. "I usually study on Sundays, so I don't go to internet cafes with them."

Truthfully, he didn't actually study.

Most Sundays, he was busy with afternoon tea socializing—either playing cards with girls or mooching off their food.

Zhang Ningzhi: "Liar, you're such a fibber."

After that, she excitedly forwarded him an article on how teenagers should practice self-discipline.

Jiang Nian was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.

"I swear I'm not like that."

"Oh, I know you're not."

Closing the chat, he decided he should stop joking around with Zhang Ningzhi so much—before he got misunderstood again.

He opened Chen Yunyun's chat, and a new message popped up.

Chen Yunyun: "What are you doing?"

"Writing a test paper. Want to see some legs?"

Jiang Nian and Chen Yunyun's conversations had become so routine that they spoke more directly.

"Huh?" Chen Yunyun was dumbfounded.

"Why?"

"No reason. Just feel like looking."

After hesitating for a bit, Chen Yunyun finally replied:

"Alright."

Jiang Nian thought she was joking—until the next second, an image popped up.

A dimly lit dormitory bunk at night.

Through the darkness, he could vaguely make out a pair of long, slender legs.

Instinctively, he saved the image. After doing so, he took his time admiring it.

No doubt about it—this wasn't some random internet pic. It was real.

Pale, ice-cream-like legs. Slurp.

He waited, but Chen Yunyun didn't delete the message. That meant she wasn't embarrassed by it.

It was the middle of the night—surely this wasn't just her way of offering guidance, right?

Jiang Nian felt that she had a certain bias against him. He might joke around, but in reality, he wasn't actually that kind of person.

Jiang Nian: "Got more?"

Chen Yunyun: "..."

Curiosity is only human.

After reluctantly finishing his admiration, he chatted with Chen Yunyun for a while longer before saying goodnight.

Among all his messages, Yao Beibei's was the most outrageous—she had sent an entire block of text.

Jiang Nian read through it all, his expression turning weird. After typing, he deleted, then finally replied:

"Let's talk about it tomorrow."

Yao Beibei responded instantly: "Okay."

The Next Day

Even though Jiang Nian had stayed up writing test papers until 2 AM, the first thing on his mind when he woke up—was still those legs.

Chapter 422: When Kings Do Not Meet

Jiang Nian swore that he would never joke abstractly again.

"Look at the legs" didn't actually mean looking at legs. It was a classic internet phrase used to test the waters—it really meant: Are we close enough for me to ask you this?

He hadn't expected that his offhand remark would be taken seriously by Chen Yunyun, and what's more, she took it far beyond his expectations.

The hazy images were great material for dreams.

The sky was still dim when Jiang Nian grabbed his bag and shut the door with a bang, heading downstairs.

When buying breakfast, he habitually NTR'd the bun shop owner—pretending to buy buns while sneaking a glance at the steaming stall.

Seeing the owner's surprised and delighted look, as if welcoming back a lost regular, Jiang Nian turned away without hesitation and went next door to buy a wrap and soy milk instead.

So, boss, what is life?

Senior Year, Third Floor

The corridor was misty, and the front door of the classroom was still closed.

Jiang Nian expertly took the back entrance. After tossing his bag onto his seat, he glanced around at the nearly empty classroom, which had only two people.

"Fangfang, morning."

"Mm." Emperor Fangfang was unusually cool, focused on her second-round Chinese exam prep that nobody else bothered with. "Did you do your Chinese homework?"

"I did."

Hearing this, Huang Fang froze, instinctively turning to look at Jiang Nian.

"You actually did it?"

Her expression was as if she had just witnessed Huang Gai strike Zhou Yu—completely reversing expectations.

"What kind of question is that? Where's my Inspirational Star medal?" Jiang Nian dramatically searched himself, bragging shamelessly before smoothly shifting topics.

"Chen Yunyun took it home for me to copy. Rounding up, that counts as me doing it."

Huang Fang: "..."

She was speechless for a long time before finally asking,

"Does Zhizhi know?"

"She does." Jiang Nian blew on his hair, striking his signature pose—one that would last a legendary fifteen years.

Huang Fang pursed her lips and turned away.

"Kinda scummy."

"What are you saying? We're all just classmates here." Jiang Nian pointed at her knowingly. "If anything happens, I'm blaming you."

Huang Fang: "..."

She immediately imagined a cat meme with a speechless expression, knowing full well she had just wandered into trouble.

Kids...

Knowing too much doesn't bring happiness.

About ten minutes later, Li Hua burst into the classroom.

"Holy crap!"

"Jiang Nian, you demon spawn, why do you always get here so early?"

Jiang Nian lazily looked up from his seat, raising an eyebrow as he gestured with his fingers in the shape of an "eight."

"Fangfang, do you hear a dog barking?"

"Red Rock!"

"When did we start keeping a dog in the classroom?" Yao Beibei poked her head in from the empty hallway and rushed inside.

"You guys!" Li Hua couldn't hold it in anymore and started cursing.

But no one cared.

Jiang Nian glanced at Yao Beibei, confused.

"Why are you here so early?"

"You don't understand—an entire day's plan starts in the morning."

Jiang Nian slowly typed out a question mark in the air and pointed at Yao Beibei.

"There are kids in the room. Let's keep it clean this early in the morning."

Yao Beibei: "???"

Normally, she would have snapped back, but today she needed Jiang Nian's help.

So after some thought, she swallowed her response.

A while later, when Jiang Nian got up to get hot water, Yao Beibei silently grabbed her thermos and followed.

In the hallway, their footsteps echoed—one fast, one slow.

"Wait up, Jiang Nian."

"Yesterday's thing?" Jiang Nian stopped and turned to her.

"Yeah." Yao Beibei hadn't expected him to ask so directly, but when things like this happened, logic didn't matter.

Her heart pounded as she mustered all her courage to ask,

"Do you think my parents' conflict will escalate?"

Jiang Nian looked at Yao Beibei in front of him. Her actions were akin to randomly summoning a deity—and she had somehow summoned Erlang Shen himself.

Maybe some people understood divorce better than he did.

But his verification process had just refreshed.

"Conflict escalation, hmm... I haven't read many books." Jiang Nian thought aloud. "Are you asking if they'll get divorced?"

"Conflict! Just conflict!" Yao Beibei corrected him. "It hasn't reached that point yet, but they've been arguing a lot."

In truth, a lot was an understatement. It was already absurd—every time they saw each other, they fought.

"Ignore it. Middle-aged couples fighting is normal. If they could get divorced, they would've done it already," Jiang Nian waved his hand dismissively.

"If they can't?" Yao Beibei looked at him with hope.

"They'll find a way to."

Yao Beibei: "..."

"Listening to you talk is like listening to... nothing."

At the drinking fountain, Jiang Nian tried to fill his thermos, but the machine lit up, deducting money without releasing a single drop of water.

Awkward silence.

Yao Beibei was about to remind him to use a water card when—bam!—Jiang Nian kicked the machine, and with a mournful groan, it started pouring water.

Yao Beibei: "??"

After filling the bottles, Jiang Nian spoke matter-of-factly.

"Believe it or not, your parents aren't planning to divorce. Arguing all the time? They probably just want your attention."

"How do you know?" Yao Beibei was stunned.

She had discussed this with a few female friends, but their suggestions had been predictable: "Talk to them," "mediate," or "seek a marriage counselor."

But Jiang Nian just said, ignore it.

"What if—"

"Let me ask you: when have you ever seen government employees get divorced?" Jiang Nian stared at her. "This is a small town. If they divorce, then what?"

"You never considered that, right? Are your parents the sentimental type?"

Yao Beibei's pupils dilated. The fog in her mind suddenly cleared, revealing a crucial detail.

"No, they're tax officers."

Public sector jobs offered the best benefits but had the least career mobility.

"May you leave home for half a lifetime, and return still a Level 1 Enforcement Officer."

At their age, they were close to reaching their career goals.

In small towns, the rules were relaxed in some ways—but deep down, breaking bonds was nearly impossible.

"Then there you have it. Consultation over." Jiang Nian picked up his thermos and started to walk away. "Remember to transfer my consultation fee."

But as a divination master, he didn't actually care for a measly red envelope.

"Wait, then what should I do?" Yao Beibei had mostly believed him but instinctively sought more advice.

"What am I, an encyclopedia? How should I know?"

"Come on, help me out." Seeing that he was about to leave, she panicked. "Tell you what, if this works out, I'll treat you to a meal."

Jiang Nian raised an eyebrow.

"My stomach's bad—I don't like eating out. How about this: if it works, you owe me a favor."

"Deal."

A sly grin appeared on Jiang Nian's face.

"My suggestion—don't go home for now. Stay somewhere big, comfortable, with money, and with an only-child classmate."

"Where would I even—?" Yao Beibei stopped mid-sentence, suddenly looking at Jiang Nian.

"Wait… isn't Zhizhi one?"

Jiang Nian had always been cautious—feeding fish, teasing cats.

At eighteen, he needed to identify the biggest obstacle between him and Zhang Ningzhi.

Her father? Unimportant.

Her mother? Now that's the real challenge.