10: Chapter 10 The school beauty wants to get back together? Sorry, I already have a two-dimensional wife.

The large hand pressed on his shoulder was steady and powerful, carrying an air of irresistible will.

Just as Jiang Chen was about to turn around to see who this was, a sharp female voice exploded in his ear, sounding like fingernails scraping against a blackboard, piercing enough to make one's eardrums ache.

"Jiang Chen! Do you actually have the nerve to sit here eating braised pork?"

This voice was too familiar—so familiar that before Jiang Chen even looked up, that mean-spirited, influencer-style face automatically appeared in his mind.

Lin Yao.

She stomped over in eight-centimeter high heels, carrying an LV bag of dubious authenticity, her demeanor aggressive. The few plainclothes agents originally surrounding Jiang Chen exchanged glances. With perfect tacit understanding, they withdrew their hands but didn't disperse; instead, they sat in the empty seats nearby in silence, like walls.

The posture was like a pack of hungry wolves staring at a Chihuahua that had foolishly wandered into their territory.

Unfortunately, Lin Yao was blind and completely failed to read the murderous aura in the air.

She only saw the unfinished plate of braised pork in front of Jiang Chen and that back she detested so much.

"Isn't the school about to expel you? What, are you planning to refuse to leave, or do you want to mooch one last student-priced lunch before you go?"

Lin Yao walked up to the table, looking down at Jiang Chen from her height, the disdain in her eyes practically overflowing. "Your family owes a mountain of debt. If I were you, I would have crawled into a bridge culvert long ago. How can you have the heart to sit here feasting? Truly, there is no limit to how shameless a person can be."

Jiang Chen leisurely swallowed the meat in his mouth, pulled out a tissue to wipe his lips, and only then lazily lifted his eyelids.

"Yo, isn't this Young Master Wang's little accessory?"

He leaned back in his chair, examining his "ex" with a half-smile. "What, Wang Kai didn't buy you any dog food, so you're starving and came to the cafeteria to bark?"

"You—!"

Lin Yao's chest heaved violently with anger. She pointed at Jiang Chen, about to curse, but her gaze suddenly froze.

Her eyes were glued to Jiang Chen's cuff.

It was a seemingly understated black hoodie, but Lin Yao recognized the exquisite embroidered logo on the cuff.

This was a niche Italian luxury brand; a single hoodie would cost at least five figures!

Looking at Jiang Chen's overall appearance, there wasn't a hint of being down-and-out. His skin was glowing (a side effect of the genetic serum), his complexion was rosy, and even the phone on the table was the latest top-of-the-line foldable model.

What was going on? Wasn't it said his father jumped off a building and his family went bankrupt?

A rumor she heard this morning suddenly flashed through Lin Yao's mind—it was said that a mysterious person had cashed out hundreds of thousands in gold at Jin Da Fu in one go, and the description matched Jiang Chen.

Could it be... a starving camel is still bigger than a horse; did his family still have secret savings?

At the thought of this, the anger on Lin Yao's face did a 180-degree turn, and her originally mean mouth forced a curve of grievance.

With this speed of changing faces, it was a real pity she hadn't joined the entertainment industry.

"Jiang Chen... actually, those things I said just now were just angry words."

Lin Yao took a deep breath, her tone suddenly becoming soft and sweet, her eyes slightly red, looking pitiful. "You know me, I just have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Hearing about your family's trouble, I haven't been able to sleep well these past two days, terrified that you might do something drastic."

As she spoke, she leaned forward, trying to grab Jiang Chen's hand. "I spoke a bit harshly yesterday, but that was to motivate you! We have two years of history, after all; how could it just end like that? Wang Kai is just a playboy; I've long seen his true colors. You're the one who treats me best..."

The students eating nearby were stunned.

The plot twist was too fast, wasn't it? One moment she was a debt-collecting demon, and in the blink of an eye, she turned into a lovesick, aggrieved woman?

However, Jiang Chen didn't even lift his eyelids.

At this moment, his attention was entirely on the phone screen on the table.

In that unclosable game interface, the chibi version of the Wasteland Empress Jiang Wanqiu was wearing somewhat tattered but still majestic battle armor, kneeling by a campfire.

A pink dialogue bubble popped up above her head: [Jiang Wanqiu (Shy): Father God, the night is deep. Wanqiu is keeping watch here for you; may your dreams be free of radiation and hunger. Good night, my only faith.]

Looking at that Empress, who even as a pixel character exuded a heartbreakingly obedient demeanor, and then looking up at the realistic woman in front of him, full of schemes and with foundation thick enough to whitewash a wall.

Jiang Chen just felt a wave of nausea.

Why is the gap between people so large?

One is an Empress who would sacrifice the best things to you, even across dimensions.

The other is an ex-girlfriend who, when you are struggling in the mud, wants nothing more than to step on you and spit on you.

"Jiang Chen, say something."

Seeing Jiang Chen staring at his phone and ignoring her, Lin Yao felt a bit uneasy. She gritted her teeth and actually reached out directly to grab Jiang Chen's phone. "What are you looking at that's so engrossing? Are you still angry with me? As long as you're willing to forgive me, I can..."

"Get lost."

One word, concise and to the point.

Jiang Chen tucked the phone into his chest as if protecting some rare treasure, then looked up, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at a bag of trash.

"Don't block my signal; my wife is saying good night to me."

Lin Yao was stunned.

Wife?

She subconsciously assumed Jiang Chen had a new lover. The shame of being abandoned and the anger of being ignored instantly overwhelmed her mind.

"You have a wife? You actually have someone behind my back?"

Lin Yao's voice instantly turned shrill, causing everyone in the cafeteria to look over. She felt she had been greatly humiliated, and the tenderness she had been feigning instantly tore apart.

"Jiang Chen! You heartless man! I've humbled myself to beg you, and you still refuse to show me respect!"

Overcome with shame and anger, she grabbed the cup of seaweed egg drop soup still steaming on the table and, without thinking, splashed it toward Jiang Chen's face.

"Go to hell!"

"Splash!"

The moment the soup was splashed, time seemed to stand still.

Jiang Chen didn't even dodge, remaining calmly in his chair, even having the leisure to wipe his phone screen.

Because he knew, this cup of soup wouldn't hit him.

"Bang!"

A dark shadow flashed by like a ghost.

Before the cup of hot soup had even left her hand by half a meter, a powerful hand had already clamped onto Lin Yao's wrist like an iron pincer.

Immediately following was a clean and efficient grappling maneuver.

"Ah—!"

Lin Yao felt the world spinning, a sharp pain shot through her wrist, and before she could even react, she was slammed hard onto the greasy cafeteria floor by a tremendous force.

That cup of hot soup shattered with a "smash," the broth splashing all over her face, scalding her until she wailed.

"Don't move! Stay still!"

The "passerby" who had been sitting nearby as a background prop was now radiating a chilling, murderous aura. His knee was pressed firmly against Lin Yao's back, one hand holding her head down, while the other hand had already reached toward his waist (which was bulging, clearly containing a firearm).

The other two plainclothes agents stood up instantly, their backs to Jiang Chen, scanning the surroundings vigilantly, quickly establishing a defense perimeter with no blind spots.

"Threat to the safety of an important target! Attempted violent assault!"

The agent holding Lin Yao down was expressionless; he pulled a small black booklet from his pocket and flashed it in front of Lin Yao, his tone as cold as if from hell:

"Miss, you are suspected of endangering national security. Come with us!"

Lin Yao lay on the ground, her face pressed against the cold tiles, completely dazed.

She just wanted to splash a cup of soup!

How did that become endangering national security?

Who were these people? Why did they have that look in their eyes? That wasn't security at all; those were the eyes of people who had killed!

"Misunderstanding... this is a misunderstanding!"

Lin Yao was so scared her makeup was ruined, tears and snot streaming down. "We're a couple having an argument! I'm his girlfriend! What right do you have to arrest me! Help! Murder!"

"Take her away."

The agent couldn't be bothered to listen to her nonsense and said one sentence into his headset.

Immediately, two men in black suits rushed in from the cafeteria entrance, hoisted Lin Yao up like a dead dog, and, ignoring her crying and struggling, dragged her straight out the cafeteria door.

The whole process took less than ten seconds.

It was so fast people would think they were filming a movie.

The cafeteria was deathly silent.

Everyone had their mouths agape, chopsticks dropping all over the floor.

This was too hardcore, right?

A couple's argument, and they directly deployed agents to suppress it?

Jiang Chen sat in his chair, watching Lin Yao's retreating figure as she was dragged away, sighed helplessly, and shoved the last bite of food into his mouth.

"Um... big brother, wasn't that a bit heavy-handed?"

Jiang Chen turned his head to look at the agent who had just acted, saying with a sheepish smile, "That was just seaweed soup, after all, not sulfuric acid."

The agent straightened his wrinkled lapel, turned around, and gave Jiang Chen a standard salute, his eyes filled with fanatical worship.

No joke! The higher-ups had just issued a strict order: this gentleman was a national treasure who could hand-craft a Lithography Machine!

Forget splashing hot soup; even speaking loudly to him was a serious security incident!

"Mr. Jiang, you've been startled."

The agent bowed slightly, his tone so respectful it gave Jiang Chen goosebumps. "Please rest assured, the potential threat has been eliminated. Additionally..."

He made a "please" gesture, pointing toward the black Hongqi sedan that had just pulled to a stop outside.

"Dean Zhong and General Qin have been waiting for you in the principal's office for a long time."

"There are some matters regarding the 'future' that they would like to discuss with you."