For two consecutive weeks, Lin Chen did not meet Qi Xiuyi face to face.

Occasionally, when they ran into each other on the road, Qi Xiuyi would be expressionless, his lips tightly pressed together. The moment his peripheral vision caught sight of him, he would immediately turn his head and walk away coldly, unwilling to even meet his gaze.

The system was very worried about this and would nag in Lin Chen’s ear every few days, afraid that the work of more than three months would meet with an accident and go down the drain.

Lin Chen only felt that AC9999’s composure was too poor, with no ability to resist being baited at all.

Lin Chen: “If you were my work subject, you would have surrendered long ago.”

The system was extremely hurt: “Wah, Host, are you despising the system…”

Lin Chen ignored the system, heartlessly and cruelly setting both the system and Qi Xiuyi aside.

During the cold war, Qi Xiuyi not only ignored Qi Wendong but also rarely went home on weekends.

It wasn’t until another exam was over that Qi Xiuyi finally reappeared at the Qi residence.

And he finally took the initiative to walk up to Qi Wendong.

Qi Xiuyi shouted aggressively: “Qi Wendong!”

Qi Wendong raised his eyes in surprise: “I thought you’d gone mute these past two weeks. So you’re not mute?”

Qi Xiuyi was expressionless, not in the least bit provoked by Qi Wendong’s mockery.

He stared hard at the curly-haired young master sitting on the sofa, his voice stiff: “The results are out. What’s your score?”

The system’s heart dropped: “…Oops, why is today’s Qi Xiuyi so expressionless! I can’t guess his score at all!”

Lin Chen calmly analyzed: “After a week of cold war, for him to still dare to come up to me and ask for my score like this, his score this time must be higher than any of the scores I reported before.”

“In other words, his score this time will be at least 85 or above.”

The system was shocked and sucked in a cold breath: “85 or above! …Really, Host? What Qi Xiuyi took this time was a major course! The difficulty of getting above 85 in a major course…”

Lin Chen: “Difficult.”

Lin Chen closed his eyes and thought: “But considering Qi Xiuyi’s lifelong exposure to the subject, considering the education and guidance Qi Jingming tried to give him, considering his hateful studying these past two weeks, considering his brain which is not bad but has never been used…”

Lin Chen’s eyes snapped open, every word like a hammer: “Getting a high score in a major course through cramming is entirely possible!”

The system vibrated: “As expected of the work subject you personally chose, Host!”

The system hesitated: “Then Host, what score should we report?”

“90? Would that still be a bit high? Last time, your score provoked him so much. If it happens again…”

Lin Chen lowered his eyes in thought: “90 is not safe. 85-90 is a range Qi Xiuyi is very likely to achieve.”

“But above 90, every point is a natural chasm. The theoretical lead of 5-10 points is clearly no longer appropriate. The best choice should be to be just one or two points above him…”

Lin Chen weighed his options for a moment.

Finally, he chose the number: “93.”

When Qi Wendong reported his score, his face was calm, his eyes proud, as if waiting for Qi Xiuyi’s renewed unwillingness and collapse.

But this time, a smile slowly spread across Qi Xiuyi’s face.

The pair of slender eyes he had inherited from Qi Jingming narrowed in pleasure, like a satiated little fox, very endearing.

He took his phone out of his pocket and held the screen in front of Qi Wendong.

His chin was held high, his eyes looking down at the target he had been thinking about with hatred even in his dreams these past few days.

His tone was faint, but the end of his words couldn’t be suppressed, carrying an unconcealable得意 upward lilt.

He said: “94.”

“I won this time, Qi Wendong.”

…

The high score of 94 not only shocked the system into crashing for three minutes.

It also shook the entire Qi household, keeping them up all night!

Someone like the butler, who had long been accustomed to Qi Xiuyi failing and skipping classes, couldn’t help but have his entire hand holding the phone tremble slightly after seeing the 94-point make-up exam score for a major course that Qi Xiuyi presented.

What score?

94?!!

The butler’s heart trembled, his hands trembled. He fumbled to dial his boss’s number.

His fingertips missed the keys several times before he finally managed to get through and report this score to Qi Jingming.

On the other side of the ocean, Qi Jingming shot up from his chair.

He stared intently at the screenshot of the score that came through his phone. The surging emotions tossed and turned in his chest, finally turning into a single sentence.

Qi Jingming: “As expected of an expert with thirty-six years of industry experience… This move alone deserves a raise!”

Qi Xiuyi did not know that his score had already been shared with his father by the quick-handed butler.

Because at this moment, his eyes only had room for Qi Wendong.

From the moment he had announced his score, his eyes had never left Qi Wendong.

He wanted to see Qi Wendong’s reaction.

He wanted to know what Qi Wendong was thinking!

Qi Wendong… Qi Wendong…

Look, Qi Wendong, who was it that defeated you today!!

As he had expected, after seeing his score, Qi Wendong’s face instantly froze.

A look of disbelief stared at him blankly: “You…?!”

Qi Wendong, who was always sharp-tongued and sharp-witted, was now, for a moment, at a loss for words!

The breath that Qi Xiuyi had been holding in his chest seemed to have finally found an outlet.

He stared at Qi Wendong, repeating word for word:

“This time, I won. Qi! Wen! Dong!”

Qi Wendong took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.

His chest heaved violently, as if he were trying hard to calm some incredible emotion.

After a full minute of silence, Qi Wendong’s hoarse voice sounded again.

“Just this once… I won’t let you beat me a second time.”

Qi Wendong’s eyes snapped open, staring at him fiercely: “Qi Xiuyi, I mean what I say!”

All of Qi Xiuyi’s attention was focused on Qi Wendong.

He keenly noticed Qi Wendong’s slightly trembling eyelashes, and caught the forbearance and suppression that he was trying hard to conceal within his calm tone.

The corners of his mouth slowly lifted, widening.

Finally, just as Qi Wendong, like he himself had done the past few times, couldn’t help but declare “I mean what I say,” he burst out into incomparably gratified laughter!

“Hahahaha! Qi Wendong… Qi Wendong!! You have this day too, you have this day too!!”

Qi Xiuyi laughed freely and triumphantly:

“Weren’t you so smug? Didn’t you always look down on me?”

“Look at this beautiful 94, why don’t you dare to look at it straight on?! Huh?! Look, you look at it!”

Qi Wendong suddenly shot up from his chair, his reddened eyes covered with a thin layer of anger, his face flushed with shame and rage.

“Qi Xiuyi, it’s just one point higher than me in this one course. What’s there to be smug about!”

Qi Wendong’s thin lips curled, his words harsh but unable to hide his annoyance: “And you don’t even look at how many points you were behind me in all the previous courses. You think by being one point higher than me in this one course, you can win the final bet for the semester?”

He sneered: “Don’t be so naive, Qi Xiuyi. So what if you’re one point higher than me? Just wait to change your morning alarm at the end of the semester!”

Every word from Qi Wendong was an attack.

But this time, as Qi Xiuyi listened to the mockery, every word he understood was a breakdown of his defense.

Qi Wendong…

Haha!

He finally, defeated, Qi Wendong!!!

Qi Xiuyi laughed loudly: “Since I can surpass you the first time, I can surpass you a second and third time!”

Qi Xiuyi: “When that time comes, don’t you dare cry, Qi Wendong!”

Qi Wendong’s cheeks grew redder, his face colder. Finally, as Qi Xiuyi became more and more triumphant, he couldn’t help but snort angrily, shake his head, and leave.

Qi Xiuyi whistled triumphantly.

He walked around Qi Wendong with incomparably light steps, trying every way he could to get his phone screen in front of his eyes.

Qi Xiuyi: “Hey, hey, hey, where are you running to, Qi Wendong? Do you still remember the bet we added before? Come on, Qi Wendong, half the living allowance. I’m all ready to collect!”

Qi Wendong strode coldly to his room door. Hearing his words, he paused, a cold smile hooking his lips.

Qi Wendong: “Oh? Half the living allowance?”

Qi Wendong said fiercely: “Alright, no problem. I mean what I say. Three thousand in living allowance, I’ll transfer one thousand five hundred to you right now!”

Qi Xiuyi’s footsteps paused, his eyes wide, the smile on his face instantly freezing.

Qi Xiuyi: “…How much?”

Qi Xiuyi instantly roared: “Ahhhh, Qi Wendong! Don’t close the door! Come out here and explain clearly, how much is your living allowance?!! …Qi Wendong!!”

…

The moment Lin Chen entered his room and closed the door, his sneer turned into a smile, and then the smile widened further, becoming an unconcealable, triumphant grin.

In his mind, the system was incoherent, far more excited than he, the person involved, was.

System: “Ahhhhh Host! 94… 94! Qi Xiuyi!!!”

System screamed: “He, he, he, you, you, you, ahhh Host, your transformation of him, this is simply a great success!!!”

System: “You know, Qi Xiuyi’s previous score in this course was only 29! You, you not only made him reverse that score, but also raised it by two more points!”

Lin Chen raised a hand primly to press down: “Popping champagne at halftime is a bad habit.”

System: “…OxO!!”

Lin Chen: “However, I’ll allow you to do it just this once today.”

System cheered joyfully: “Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh Host—”

Lin Chen left the joyful system in his mind and took out his own phone to check his missed calls and messages.

With just a glance, Lin Chen chose to directly hit redial.

The call connected.

The steady middle-aged man on the other end called out to him with a smile: “Mr. Lin, with thirty-six years of industry experience, congratulations. A victorious start.”

Lin Chen was calm: “It doesn’t count as a victorious start. It’s already been almost four months.”

Qi Jingming: “Keep an eye on your bank card. Outstanding people deserve outstanding treatment.”

Lin Chen glanced at the bank card notification: 666,666.

Lin Chen said with satisfaction: “A boss who is willing to open his wallet and treat me sincerely will naturally receive my wholehearted work support.”

Outside the door, from time to time, a couple of Qi Xiuyi’s incredulous and angry shouts could be heard.

“How could his living allowance only be three thousand!”

“I don’t believe it, unless you show me his living allowance transfer record…!”

Lin Chen leisurely crossed his legs, and said to Qi Jingming with a faint smile:

“Tonight is not only my victory, good daddy.”

“It is even more the victory of your good son.”

“Give him a call when you have time. Don’t ruin my work’s results on the phone. Control your emotions. The rest is up to you two to chat about.”

“But, just for this one night, just this one call.”

“Go and praise him properly.”