76: You have to be ruthless to maintain a stable public image.

"Junior..." On the bed, Qin Lan's fingers gently traced circles on Shen Qian's chest.

"I saw a bag I really liked recently."

Shen Qian sneered in his heart upon hearing this. This senior had finally run out of patience. He was a scumbag, not a simp; he wouldn't just hand over whatever a woman wanted just because she beckoned with her finger.

Even if they had slept together.

Did sleeping together mean he had to buy things? Did sleeping together mean he had to spend money?

That would make it a transaction, and transactions are illegal.

"Senior, if you see something you like, go buy it. Why tell me? Could it be you're hinting for me to buy it for you?"

"I..."

Qin Lan was momentarily speechless. If she admitted it, it would be equivalent to telling him she was a gold-digger who was only after his money.

If he were an ordinary Second-generation rich, one greedy for money and the other for lust, both parties would be well aware of the score. But Shen Qian was different; he wasn't just rich, he was also handsome. Being with him was clearly Qin Lan's gain. Asking for money now would make her seem very greedy.

If she was greedy, Shen Qian might just discard her. After all, a man like him probably didn't lack women around him.

"Senior, why have you stopped talking?"

"I... it's nothing. I just liked it but can't afford it yet. I'll buy it once I save up enough money."

Qin Lan said this with a hint of disappointment in her eyes, but she was also trying to convince herself. This kid was younger than her and handsome, and he stayed in such high-end hotels. Even if she couldn't get material goods from him, experiencing a high-end lifestyle wasn't a loss for her.

"I'll just treat it like dating a stingy Second-generation rich. A stingy Second-generation rich is still a Second-generation rich, far better than any ordinary person."

Despite her self-consolation, she still felt uncomfortable when she thought of Tan Xinxin's designer clothes. She couldn't help but feel a growing resentment toward Tan Xinxin.

[Successfully stirred the emotions of a 6-point girl. Behavior matches scumbag standards. Reward being issued...]

[Successfully incited the jealousy of a 6-point girl. Behavior matches scumbag standards. Reward being issued...]

"It worked."

Many Second-generation rich guys are clearly wealthy, but as they spend time with a girl, they turn into simps. Why? Because they give in to every demand. Giving becomes a habit.

The power of habit is terrifying.

Such a habit might even erode his confidence, and the one thing a scumbag can never give up is confidence.

This was exactly why Shen Qian hadn't taken Tan Xinxin on a shopping spree the day after they slept together.

"Senior, you seem a bit unhappy. Since you're unhappy, I'll be heading out first."

After showering, Qin Lan still seemed a bit listless. Shen Qian didn't dawdle and prepared to leave immediately; after all, there was someone else in the other room.

"No, I'm not unhappy. I'm just a little tired."

Seeing Shen Qian about to leave, Qin Lan quickly stopped him. If she really let him leave like this, his favorability would drop to freezing point, and there would be no chance in the future.

Since this kid could spend money on Tan Xinxin, he could definitely spend it on her too. It was just that the time wasn't right yet. She blamed herself for being too impatient and taking the initiative to ask.

"If you're tired, then you should get some good rest."

"Junior, don't be angry. Although I don't have any physical strength left, my mouth is still free."

Waking up the next morning, Shen Qian let out a long breath. On his phone, Liu Xinyao had sent him a message asking where he was.

Shen Qian glanced at it but didn't reply.

He looked at Qin Lan beside him. This senior really went all out. Judging by her proficiency last night, she was definitely a novice, but for Shen Qian, the mental impact was far greater than the physical one.

"In a few days, I can use a reimbursement card on her. But before that, I need to give her the cold shoulder for a few days to let her understand that even if she goes through the trouble of pleasing me, there might not be a reward."

"But when she's disappointed, giving her a little surprise—that kind of impact is something no one can resist."

Shen Qian got up and took a shower, then left directly without waking Qin Lan.

On the drive back to school, Liu Xinyao kept messaging him. Shen Qian had no choice but to pull over. After looking at the string of voice messages and texts, he only replied with one sentence.

"I told you, I'm a scumbag. I might be good to you in the future, but you must adapt to my indifference. Otherwise, you can just act as if nothing happened last night."

[Your scumbag remarks successfully stirred the emotions of a 6-point girl. Behavior matches scumbag standards. Reward being issued...]

[scumbag behavior recorded]

[Achievement Unlocked: Transparently Scummy]

Recording a new behavior and unlocking a new achievement was the best news for Shen Qian.

"Then I won't make a fuss. Just don't ignore me, okay?"

She replied immediately. Shen Qian glanced at it. To an outsider, being this heartless was damnable, but only he understood that a pitiful person must have something hateful about them. Since this girl knew he was a scumbag and still chose to be with him, she had to pay the price for her choice. For now, it was just not replying to messages.

If she found out he was staying in hotels with other women, wouldn't she explode?

What a scumbag needed to do was make a woman slowly lower her bottom line until it reached the point where as long as he loved her, it was enough.

Shen Qian continued driving. The difference was that Liu Xinyao didn't send any more redundant messages.

"Sons, your foster father is back!"

Pushing open the dorm door, Shen Qian saw a pile of wine bottles, some messy clutter, and several large takeout boxes stacked together. Fortunately, his area was a pure land.

He originally thought these three guys would have some fun in Shanghai over these five days, but looking at it now, these three drunkards had spent the entire five days drinking!

Shen Qian took a deep breath, feeling that if he were to drive now and run into a traffic cop, it would count as drunk driving just from the air.

It wasn't until noon that the eldest, Chang Heng, woke up dazed and saw the helpless-looking Shen Qian.

"Hehe, Third Brother is back. How was it? Was Hui Province fun?"

"It was fun, but the time was too short and I left in a hurry. I say, during the five days I was gone, didn't you guys say you were going to have fun in Shanghai?"

"What happened? You just drank heavily for five days?"

"Sigh, originally we planned to go out, but on the first day we thought it was too hot, so we might as well have a meal in the dorm first. Then we drank a bit, and on the second day, we slept until the afternoon. Going out and coming back was too much trouble..."

"No need to say more, I understand."

Chang Heng smiled sheepishly.

"As long as you understand. Well, since you're back, the four of us in the dorm should go out for a meal. With you there, we'll drink less."

"Heh, you'll drink less with me there? I think with me there, you'll want to drink yourselves to death."

Despite saying that, since it was mealtime, Shen Qian woke up the other two to go out for food.