Chapter 32: This Is the Confidence Studying Gives Me
In the end, Pu Tong accepted Yu Wanwan's rather cliché wager.
"Only tricks can win someone's heart; deep affection alone never lasts."
The loser would grant the winner one request.
And then that request would become three more requests...
Yeah, that definitely wasn't allowed.
The real reason Pu Tong accepted the bet was because there happened to be something he wanted Yu Wanwan's help with.
If he could make one request of his celebrity, wealthy, beautiful deskmate...
His choice was obvious.
To have her promote his game!
Once the hiring process was complete, his game company would officially begin operating. Advertising for the game needed to start as early as possible.
Having a top-tier celebrity sitting right beside him would be a waste not to use.
Once the celebrity effect kicked in, the game would spread on a massive scale.
"Bro, come slash me!"
"Insane drop rates! Satisfying monster kills! One man can conquer the entire server!"
...Of course, there was no way Werewolf would use advertisements like that.
In any case, he had absolutely no intention of promoting his own game personally.
He only wanted to make money quietly.
Becoming a public figure himself would completely defeat the purpose.
As for what Yu Wanwan would ask him to do if she won...
Pu Tong hadn't even considered it.
Because there was no way he was going to lose.
It wasn't overconfidence.
It was confidence born from studying.
"This is the pride that studying has given me."
"Anyone who refuses to study is destined to live a relatively ordinary and unsuccessful life."
While Pu Tong was brimming with confidence, Yu Wanwan was already imagining what she'd do after winning the bet.
What should she make him do?
If she could actually order him around...
That sounded pretty exciting.
Maybe then she could...
Pu Tong suddenly shivered.
Why did he feel like some kind of pervert was staring at him?
Perhaps because of the wager, Yu Wanwan's enthusiasm for studying increased dramatically.
Her motivation rubbed off on the other celebrity students as well. One after another, they began discussing lesson material with their classmates.
The monthly exam was only a progress assessment.
It wouldn't cover that much material.
Even cramming at the last minute would be enough.
Watching these glamorous celebrities suddenly bury themselves in textbooks felt incredibly surreal to Pu Tong.
Fortunately, he was already several versions ahead of Yu Wanwan when it came to studying.
No matter how hard she worked, she wasn't going to beat him.
A villainous laugh should be inserted here.
After two straight morning classes...
Yu Wanwan hadn't chatted with him even once.
She was clearly determined to earn a good score.
Seeing his normally carefree deskmate become serious about studying was, in a way, a very good thing.
"Not bad at all."
Stretching lazily, Pu Tong strolled out of the classroom.
Not far away, Xie Mu, who had been waiting for an opportunity for quite some time, immediately got up and followed him.
He tailed Pu Tong all the way.
Only after Pu Tong entered the restroom did Xie Mu stop outside to wait.
After washing his hands, Pu Tong stepped out and was greeted by Xie Mu's anxious expression.
What was going on?
"Pu Tong... um... I need to talk to you about something."
Xie Mu cleared his throat, looking unusually awkward.
"Go ahead."
This was strange.
The two of them weren't close at all.
They'd only exchanged a handful of words before.
So why was Xie Mu suddenly looking for him?
"Uh... there are too many people here. It's not convenient. Come with me."
Without hesitation, Xie Mu turned and headed toward the stairwell.
Pu Tong followed, puzzled.
He even needed somewhere private?
What kind of ridiculous development was this?
Don't tell me...
"Wallfacer Pu Tong... I am your Wallbreaker."
Once they reached the stairwell, Xie Mu finally relaxed.
"I've been waiting forever for you to leave the classroom."
"So what is it?"
If he wouldn't even ask inside the classroom, it had to be something important.
"Just a small matter."
Xie Mu sighed.
"You watched this week's episode, right?"
Pu Tong nodded.
"Ugh... the production team edited it to make it look like I was in some love triangle."
"So overnight, fans of Chen Siqing and Tang Luocheng's ship cursed me nonstop, saying I wasn't worthy of love."
"Huh?"
The show really did rely on malicious editing to create drama.
Pu Tong himself had been one of its victims.
But were there really that many bored netizens?
Still...
What did any of that have to do with him?
"I don't really mind."
Xie Mu smiled.
"If you're getting paid for variety shows, you have to accept malicious editing. That's just how the entertainment industry works."
"Anyway, that's not why I came to see you."
"I was just venting."
"The real reason..."
He paused.
"I've been thinking lately."
"In a place like the entertainment industry..."
"Is it even possible to have a truly pure relationship?"
Pu Tong froze.
He hadn't expected such an odd question.
"You're the Love Sage!"
Xie Mu looked at him earnestly.
"Do something useful!"
"Situations like Chen Siqing and Tang Luocheng pretending to be ambiguous just to market themselves..."
"That's pretty common, isn't it?"
"In fact, when Tang Luocheng and I got caught in dating rumors..."
"I really wanted to clear things up."
"But my company stopped me."
"They wanted to ride the publicity."
"In the end, I compromised."
"So maybe I deserve all the criticism I'm getting now."
"Uh... don't dwell on it."
In an environment like that...
Remaining completely untouched by it was nearly impossible.
"But honestly, I don't care about being criticized."
"What I can't understand is this..."
"Why is it so hard for people in show business to find genuine love?"
"A love without profit."
"Without publicity."
"Without traffic."
"A love where two people only have eyes for each other."
"I'm a second-generation celebrity."
"My parents were both stars."
"They divorced after only three years together."
"Now..."
"They'll never speak to each other again."
"They avoid appearing at the same events."
"Their fans fight endlessly."
"I can't even hear either of them say a single nice thing about the other."
Bitterness filled Xie Mu's voice.
"I know a lot of people in this industry."
"They can date just to promote a TV drama."
"They can publicly divorce because of business interests."
"They become strangers."
"Even enemies."
"They maintain marriages that exist only in name."
"Either side might cheat at any moment..."
"In a place like this..."
"Can true love really exist?"
"Will I ever find a girl who truly loves me with all her heart?"
"I don't believe it."
"I really don't."
"Am I really not worthy of love?"
Looking at the emotional young man before him, Pu Tong didn't know how to comfort him.
Wasn't this exactly why he didn't want to become a celebrity?
For ordinary people...
Falling in love, getting married, having children, and spending a lifetime together...
Those things were common.
In this industry, they were rare.
"But I have a dream."
"I don't want to become like those other celebrities."
"I want to marry the girl I love one hundred percent."
"I want to have children."
"I want to grow old together."
"I don't want to get involved in meaningless love triangles."
"If those two like each other, then let them keep hyping themselves."
"I'll find my own happiness."
"I deserve true love more than people like them."
"You understand this stuff, don't you?"
Hope shone brightly in Xie Mu's eyes.
"You write such incredible love poems."
"So tell me..."
"How do I find true love?"
"Teach me."
"...Huh?"
Pu Tong was dumbfounded.
How had this suddenly become his problem?
Help you find true love?
You're dreaming.
I haven't even found true love myself!
"To be honest..."
"People online think I'm some playboy."
"But I've never even been in a relationship."
"I don't know the first thing about love."
"Pu Tong, you're the Love Sage."
"Please take me as your disciple."
"Teach me how to find true love."
Xie Mu steeled himself, ready to formally become his apprentice.
He and Gan Hengxu had discussed this for quite a while.
They wanted to learn Pu Tong's romantic techniques.
Gan Hengxu couldn't switch masters because of his teacher's strict rules.
So Xie Mu figured he'd become the apprentice first.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"Damn it!"
"I've never dated either!"
"And you want me to teach you romance?"
"You're a high school student!"
"Stop thinking about dating and go study!"
"But your guitar playing is better than mine."
"You write songs."
"Your popularity is about to surpass mine."
"By every measure, you're more than qualified to be my master."
"And besides..."
"You can teach me how to find true love."
"I really don't understand love!"
"Don't come to me!"
"Anyone who can write 'May we grow old together with unwavering devotion' doesn't understand love?"
"Then nobody in this world understands love."
"If you don't accept me..."
"I'll keep bothering you."
"Every chance I get."
"I'll bother you."
That wouldn't do.
He needed time to study.
"Fine."
"Do whatever you want."
"But I honestly don't know anything about love."
"I have nothing to teach you."
"If I had to teach you something..."
"It'd be studying."
Compared to being called the Love Sage...
Pu Tong would much rather be known as a top student.
"Master!"
"I want to find true love."
"What's the first step?"
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
Pu Tong rolled his eyes.
"You're a handsome celebrity."
"In the future, plenty of girls will throw themselves at you."
"Master..."
"You mean people will approach me because of my status and appearance?"
"But that's obviously not true love."
Xie Mu fell deep into thought.
"Then if I want genuine love..."
"I'll have to hide my identity."
"But..."
"If I hide who I am..."
"How do I meet the right person?"
What ridiculous mental gymnastics.
Pu Tong hadn't even said any of that!
"I still recommend you study."
"The exams are coming."
"If your grades are bad..."
"The haters will tear you apart online."
"Online..."
"Master!"
"I've got it!"
"If I date online..."
"Wouldn't that solve everything?"
"Nobody online knows who I am."
"If two people can fall in love through nothing but conversation across a screen..."
"That must be true love, right?"
Pu Tong's vision went black.
How had he somehow become the culprit encouraging a famous teenage idol to start an online relationship?
"But..."
"How do people even find someone to date online?"
"Should I use one of those dating apps?"
He scratched his head helplessly.
"What the hell do you mean, dating apps?"
"Most of those are scams."
"Instead of wasting your time there..."
"You should study."
"Study?"
"That's right!"
"A study-discussion app!"
"It'll be full of people my age."
"I definitely won't get scammed!"
"As expected of the Love Sage!"
"No, wait, that's not what I—"
"Master!"
"Thank you so much!"
"I finally know what to do!"
Xie Mu thanked him so sincerely that Pu Tong was completely bewildered.
Little friend... do you have a lot of question marks?
Before Pu Tong could say another word...
Xie Mu had already dashed away excitedly.
Leaving Pu Tong standing there in a daze.
"...Wait."
"What exactly did I say?"
"Wasn't I telling him to study from beginning to end?"
So why had everything gone completely off the rails?
Not only had he somehow gained an apprentice...
The guy had run off to pursue online dating.
This was way too ridiculous.
His ability to overinterpret things had to be max level.
Still...
If Xie Mu really did meet a good girl worth spending his life with...
Then perhaps Pu Tong would have unintentionally done something good.
Of course...
If he got catfished during his online romance...
That would have absolutely nothing to do with him.
The philosophy was simple:
If we win, it's because I carried.
If we lose, it's because my teammates were terrible.
(End of Chapter)
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