TGA Chapter 127 Extra 2

In the living room, Chu Qianli was curled up on the long sofa playing on her phone, letting out a clear, crisp laugh from time to time.

He Shichen, seated nearby, was typing away on his laptop. His eyes left the screen, and with a sidelong glance at the source of the noise, he said coolly, “Could you put away that strange smile of yours?”

Chu Qianli had apparently come across something amusing while scrolling, and she was absorbed in editing a message, a goosebump-inducing smile still plastered on her face.

“Brother, why don’t you go back to your room to work?” Chu Qianli looked up. “The living room is for resting.”

“Because it’s the New Year holiday right now, and I need to set aside time to spend with family.” He Shichen glanced at the clock and said with precision, “I haven’t met my quota for today yet.”

Recently, He Shichen had been learning to balance work and life, planning to quantify and schedule his days reasonably.

“Wow, that’s… old-school.” Chu Qianli was taken aback. “So if I cut ties with you right now, would the time we just spent together be reset to zero?”

He Shichen: “?”

“I haven’t considered that scenario,” he admitted.

“Alright, then I’ll wait until you’ve just met your quota before cutting you off—let you taste the feeling of all your efforts going to waste.”

“…”

Faced with this troublemaking brat, He Shichen finally couldn’t take it anymore. He got up, deciding to head back to his room to work—he really couldn’t stand watching her twisting herself into a lump on the sofa with zero image to uphold.

“Who on earth are you chatting with?” he complained impatiently as he walked toward the second floor. “You weren’t even this annoying when you used to video call Qiu Qingkong.”

After Qiu Qingkong went abroad, Chu Qianli would sometimes video chat with her in the middle of the night, the two of them able to chatter on endlessly, like two telegraph machines that never stopped. Back then she was noisy; now she was overly syrupy. Either way, it got on his nerves.

“My boyfriend.”

“?”

He Shichen had already reached the stairs when he froze at her words. He turned around in disbelief, his face a mix of shock and complicated emotion. “What did you just say?”

Chu Qianli even had the nerve to look smug. “Boyfriend. Hee-hee.”

He Shichen: “???” Hee-hee your what?!

For a second, he nearly dropped his laptop to the floor. It was like being struck by lightning. But thanks to his strong mental discipline, he quickly regained his usual composure, calmly correcting, “I think this habit you have of calling celebrities or fictional characters your partner is bound to cause misunderstandings sooner or later.”

He was already bracing himself for her to whip out an anime character—but disappointingly, she didn’t.

“Of course it’s a real person. What are you talking about, brother? You’re a college student.”

“????”

How did she have the face to say that in an elder’s tone?!

“Yes, I’m in college—but you’re still a high schooler who hasn’t even started university. At best you’re a high school graduate!” His voice stiffened. The shock of this bombshell had him spinning; he rubbed his temples, gritting his teeth. “No, wait—judging by your mental capacity, you’re at most a first grader.”

Feeling that things were spiraling out of control, he called for backup. “Dad—Mom—”

Chu Qianli, displeased, said, “Brother, you’re making such a fuss. It’s not like I’m dating at school. Calling Mom and Dad won’t do anything.”

Expressionless, He Shichen said coldly, “Grade-school dating doesn’t count as early romance? Are you redefining the word ‘early’?”

“I’m a college student!”

“You haven’t even enrolled!” He Shichen frowned. “Aren’t you doing that national project? How did you end up dating some random adult? Doesn’t your direct supervisor care!?”

In his imagination, Chu Qianli had met an older adult through the project, and her already not-so-bright brain had been easily overpowered, resulting in an immature and unreasonable crush. In his mind, she was still a child—what could she possibly know about love?

He now felt like a true elder, experiencing a strange, indescribable worry. Kids, it seemed, always liked school bullies or older men, but from his perspective, those were just underachieving, pretentious punks or young adults who couldn’t even earn money yet.

These types were nothing like real elites. Panic started to set in—he began to suspect she’d gotten involved with some conman, just like Liu Kaijia, whom he once locked in a car.

The more he thought about it, the worse it seemed, and he immediately moved to call their parents.

“Xingxing isn’t some random adult!” Chu Qianli said angrily.

“Who?” He Shichen stopped to look back.

“Xingxing.”

“…Tan Muxing?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

Having reached the second floor, He Shichen suddenly went silent. Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned around and headed back downstairs. It was as if his earlier outrage had been nothing but a dream. In an instant, he returned to his usual stoic, expressionless face.

He sat back down on the sofa, opened his laptop unhurriedly, and continued working in the living room. Slowly, he said, “I didn’t realize we were calling slaves ‘boyfriend’ now.”

Apparently, he just wasn’t trendy enough.

Chu Qianli: “?”

If it had been anyone else, He Shichen would have gone straight to their parents—but hearing it was Tan Muxing, he felt both a small flicker of surprise and a strange sense of “makes enough sense.” Somehow wrong, yet somehow right.

He wasn’t sure how to judge their relationship. Back in school, they’d been deskmates and friends, but “master and servant” seemed more fitting. Or perhaps “wild animal” and “caretaker.”

Chu Qianli’s not-so-bright brain could only really overpower Tan Muxing.

“Xingxing is not a slave!” Chu Qianli protested hotly.

“Whatever you say. The two of you together—do you even add up to six years old?” He Shichen said dismissively. After all, he’d outgrown that style of communication by the time he was six.

“We’re both mature adults.”

“Oh, so that makes it seven years combined.” He sneered. “You’re three, he’s four—Tan Muxing is a little more stable than you.”

“…”

With the earlier chaos gone, He Shichen raised an eyebrow casually, mocking himself. “Why am I even taking children’s play-acting seriously?”

After hearing about their romance, he honestly didn’t know which of the two he should be more worried about.

Feeling the contempt radiating from this “human money-printing machine,” Chu Qianli refused to back down. “At least Xingxing and I can play house. Grumpy Brother here has no house to play in—just a miserable, rich old man. Wait, no, not even rich—your money’s with me…”

“You think you’re better than us elementary schoolers?” she taunted. “You think being a college student is so great? That’s just being single and alone starting from college—abbreviated as ‘college student’!”

He Shichen’s face darkened, and he stood up immediately.

Sensing trouble, Chu Qianli instantly jumped off the sofa and yelled, “Dad, Mom—my brother’s going to hit me—!”

“Be a decent human first.”

The sudden battle was halted by their parents.

However, upon hearing that Tan Muxing was coming over, He Zhenghe and Yu Xin even asked whether they should have him stay for dinner. After all, he had come all this way—it would be rude to turn him away.

“It’s still the Spring Festival,” Yu Xin considered. “We should give him a red envelope, too.”

He Zhenghe looked at Chu Qianli. “Tell him to stay for dinner.”

Seeing how unfazed his parents were, He Shichen suddenly felt out of place at home. Confused, he asked, “Mom, Dad… you’re all so calm about this?”

At least he had met Tan Muxing before, but his parents were way too open-minded.

He Zhenghe chuckled. “We can take the chance to meet him.”

Yu Xin added, “And Qianli is already an adult.”

Chu Qianli nodded like a pecking chick. “Exactly, exactly.”

He Shichen: “…” She’s an adult now, and he’s in the mood to hit someone.

In the car, Tan Muxing received her call. Hearing that he’d be staying for dinner, he was instantly at a loss, flooded with nervous panic. “Uncle and Auntie want to meet me?”

He had originally worried about intruding on her family time, planning to leave after just a quick visit. He hadn’t expected to be invited in, and now he was anxious about making a good impression.

“Yes, Star, don’t worry. Dad and Mom said it’s just a meal,” Chu Qianli reassured him. “And my brother will be there—you know him already.”

Tan Muxing: “!!?” Somehow that made him even more worried?

He couldn’t tell her outright, but the pressure from He Shichen was worse than from her parents.

After hanging up, Tan Muxing could no longer sit still.

Uncle Qi, driving, remarked, “Good thing the old madam prepared plenty of gifts.”

Before leaving, Tan Muxing had worried that Chu Qianli couldn’t carry all the presents. Who knew things would suddenly skip ahead to the “meeting the parents” stage?

A moment later, the Tan family’s cars pulled into the villa district. At the He family’s door, Tan Muxing saw Chu Qianli and He Shichen.

“Star!”

Chu Qianli ran toward him like a little bird, but Tan Muxing clearly noticed the unfriendly expression behind her. His body tensed instinctively as he greeted her warmly while trying his best to ignore the killing intent in that gaze.

It was He Shichen’s slow, scrutinizing look.

He Shichen’s eyes traveled up and down Tan Muxing. He knew the other had gotten thinner, but for some reason, his mind still pictured the same round, dopey boy from before. Maybe the “good guy” label was too ingrained—he just couldn’t shake the old classmate impression.

At the door, He Zhenghe and Yu Xin greeted them warmly, only to see that Uncle Qi and the others had brought far too many gifts. They repeatedly thanked them and even wanted to prepare return gifts. While they entertained the Tan family elders, they left space for the kids.

Chu Qianli was without question the happiest—at least she got to see Star today.

He Shichen forced a calm tone. “You’re here.”

“S-sorry to intrude…” Tan Muxing replied politely, somehow feeling like He Shichen was more of an elder than He Zhenghe, and instantly becoming self-conscious.

Inside the living room, Auntie Li had already prepared fruit and snacks. The three of them sat down and made small talk before the parents came over.

Chu Qianli glanced from Tan Muxing to He Shichen and bluntly said, “Brother, shouldn’t you give us some space?” Why was he still here radiating presence?

He Shichen clenched his fists at the hint, but outwardly he stayed casual, not even looking at her directly. Instead, he turned to Tan Muxing and asked, “Have you thought about your future career path?”

He couldn’t fault Tan Muxing’s character, so he could only question his prospects.

Chu Qianli: “?”

She reminded him from the side, “…We haven’t even started college yet.” Why was he suddenly talking about work?

Tan Muxing sat up straight, as tense as if talking to a prospective father-in-law, and said shyly, “Sorry… I don’t have a clear plan yet.”

As the former top student, and with Tan Muxing’s naturally mild temperament, He Shichen automatically took the upper hand.

Tan Muxing racked his brain but couldn’t think of any strengths—mainly because the things he was good at probably wouldn’t impress He Shichen. So he simply admitted his weaknesses honestly.

He Shichen didn’t press him too hard and said amiably, “Your family background is good, but you can’t just sit back and eat away at your fortune. You should at least have a job—something that beats your savings’ interest.”

Tan Muxing lowered his head in shame. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I can do that…”

He Shichen raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t even tried?”

“But no matter how you calculate it…” Tan Muxing’s gaze wavered, his discomfort obvious. “…My earning speed will never surpass the rate at which my family’s money makes more money.”

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to work normally, but He Shichen’s target was way too ambitious!

Hearing this, He Shichen clearly disapproved.

Chu Qianli caught the hidden meaning in the human money-printing machine’s words and quickly broke the tension. “Then why doesn’t my brother give Star some investment advice?”

“Uh…” Tan Muxing looked uncertainly at He Shichen. “Would that be okay?”

“That’s fine,” He Shichen said calmly. “Better than doing nothing. How much starting capital do you have?” After all, the kid might one day be the successor—it wouldn’t hurt to pass on some money-making skills.

Tan Muxing quietly stated the figure.

He Shichen fell silent.

After a pause, Tan Muxing asked curiously, “So… what would be suitable for me?”

Hearing the enormous number, He Shichen suppressed the tidal wave in his heart and kept his expression neutral. “I suggest you go into philanthropy—it seems to suit you.”

“?”