Chapter Seventeen: Watch Me Ruthlessly Strike the Fallen Foe! Avenging Your Wrongs with Vengeance!

“Early romance? Uncle Sihui, what do you mean by that? Is my Ah Tai dating at school?”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Huo frowned and continued to press for answers.

Huo Qitai, however, was inwardly exclaiming, “Good grief!” It seemed the Lin family had brought several cannons to bombard him today!

In his previous life, he had deliberately skipped this engagement banquet out of resentment toward his aunt, not expecting such a scene would unfold there.

No wonder his mother had circled around the topic, subtly probing if he liked any girls after attending the banquet.

“What exactly is going on, Songsheng?”

Auntie also furrowed her brows in concern.

“I don’t know many specifics, just heard my sister Yan mention it a couple of days ago. She said Ah Tai was dating at school, but after the college entrance exam, the girl rejected him because of his poor family background and forced a breakup in front of the entire class.

Oh! By the way, your Ah Tai even kissed that girl publicly! Not sure if it was real or not.”

As Lin Songsheng revealed Huo Qitai’s “feats” at school, the Huo family was truly thrown into an uproar.

Lin Yan seized the opportunity to add a piece of gossip she had just seen in the class chat today, shouting:

“Auntie! This has spread all over our school. Huo Qitai, who was the top science student and aiming for Peking University, got dumped by Liu Rumeng, and he’s still not convinced, threatening to retake the exam just to get into Peking University!

I heard he randomly filled out only one application—to Peking University.

You probably don’t know yet! Someone saw him hiding out in internet cafes these past few days researching retake study materials!

Sigh! I think!

If he manages to pass the first-tier admission line this time, that’s already an exceptional performance. He should be satisfied and quickly apply to a decent university.

Next year, he might not be so lucky. If he retakes the exam and fails to reach the first-tier line, he’ll only have himself to blame!

Don’t dream of the impossible—trying to marry a princess like Liu Rumeng with your family’s background is just wishful thinking.”

Lin Yan’s words poured fuel on the fire, and the Huo family immediately began questioning Huo Qitai.

“Ah Tai, did you really date at school? Why didn’t you tell your mother? Didn’t you fill in the Beijing University of Business and Industry as we agreed? This isn’t a joke. Retaking the exam doesn’t guarantee higher scores…”

Mrs. Huo worriedly said.

“You’re so young—why waste time dating? Is this what someone your age should be doing?” Uncle scolded displeased.

“What? Ah Tai even kissed a girl? Didn’t you break up? Why would she let you kiss her?” Aunt was full of gossip.

“Ah Tai, tell your father, did this really happen? Why did the girl break up with you?”

Mr. Huo clenched his fists with a stern face, “Is it, as Xiaoyan said, because she looked down on our family’s poor situation?”

“Exactly! Your Huo family has been scratching in the dirt for generations, so poor it’s noisy, yet you want to marry a princess-like lady?”

“That’s right! Uncle Sihui, no offense, but with your family’s conditions, even if Ah Tai graduates from university, can you help him buy a house in the city? Can he afford a wife?

Even if some girls like Ah Tai a bit, seeing your family background and that mountain village house and fields would scare them away!”

“Girls nowadays are more delicate and have higher standards. I think you need to make plans early; otherwise, your Ah Tai won’t find a wife and will end up a bachelor.”

The Lin family, enjoying the spectacle, fanned the flames, determined to reclaim their lost face.

But at the heart of this “inferno,” Huo Qitai remained calm and unruffled, not taking their malicious attacks seriously.

In his previous life, having failed multiple startups and hiding from loan sharks, he had endured far harsher criticism and insults.

Yet, seeing his parents’ remorseful faces made him feel uneasy.

His parents were already working hard to support his life and education, but with limited education and ability, the financial support they could provide was constrained.

One’s birth circumstances are beyond one’s control; to despise or blame one’s parents for it rather than striving to change one’s own situation through effort means one does not deserve a good life.

At a nearby table, Liu Ruyu noticed this, especially Huo Qitai’s despondent expression, and immediately felt a pang of sympathy.

“Sigh! I didn’t expect that breakup would have such a negative impact on Huo Qitai, making both him and his family unable to hold their heads high.”

Liu Ruyu bit her lip, speaking softly and regretfully.

Her close friend Vivian, however, was happily eating and said, “Mengmeng, haven’t you always complained about Huo Qitai? How come you’re sympathizing with this kiss-stealer now? Hurry up and try this chicken mousse—it’s piping hot and delicious.”

“I don’t know, I just feel bad seeing him like this. After all, it’s because of me that things happened.”

Shaking her head, Liu Ruyu glanced toward Huo Qitai, surrounded by the onslaught.

“Dad, Mom, Uncle, Auntie, don’t worry about me. It’s just a breakup; many girls like me anyway. If worse comes to worst, I’ll find an even prettier girl from a wealthier family.”

Huo Qitai smiled lightly, half-joking, hoping to ease his parents’ heavy mood.

Unexpectedly, the Lin family laughed even louder at his words.

Lin Yan grinned nastily and stepped forward to taunt, “Come on, Huo Qitai, don’t flatter yourself. Don’t think you’re charming just because you’re a bit handsome and good at basketball.

Once you’re in university and out in society, girls care about education, earning ability, and family background.

And you still naïvely believe a pretty rich princess will fall for you!”

What Huo Qitai said had been merely a joke to comfort his parents. Everyone could have laughed it off and moved on, as is common among relatives teasing each other without causing a rift.

But Lin Yan’s relentless, face-to-face attack showed no mercy, trampling on Huo Qitai and the entire Huo family’s dignity.

She did it deliberately, to vent her anger.

Not only was she avenging the insult her aunt had made on the Lin family name, but also old grudges from three years ago when her aunt refused to let her stay at their house because of Huo Qitai.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall grew especially oppressive.

The Huo elders’ faces turned dark, yet they dared not argue with the younger Lin Yan.

Huo Qitai squinted, watching Lin Yan recklessly digging her own grave.

He recalled his aunt once mentioning that Lin Yan had very bad luck.

Although she scored a high 605 on the college entrance exam, she missed her first choice, Xiamen University, by one point. Subsequent choices were lost because she refused to accept reassignment in her majors.

Finally, she barely got picked up by Shihezi University through supplementary applications but was assigned to the unpopular animal husbandry major.

Unwilling to retake the exam, she collapsed under pressure, performed poorly the next year, failing to reach the first-tier line, and lost the courage to try again, barely graduating from a second-tier university.

Afterward, she acted all high and mighty, with impossibly high standards, and by the time Huo Qitai was reborn, she was still unmarried—a notorious battle-hardened leftover woman.

“Looking at your grim fate, bad luck is obviously upon you. You’re so unlucky and still dare to mock me?”

Huo Qitai clicked his tongue in mock sympathy, staring at the smug Lin Yan.

Before the admission results came out, that 605 score was probably the brightest moment of her life.

“Calling me unlucky? Huo Qitai, you just have no comeback and are trying to change the subject, right?”

Lin Yan still held her head high, one hand on her hip and the other almost poking Huo Qitai’s forehead mockingly.

“I think the unlucky one is you—carrying a ‘curse’ on your head. Whether you can get a wife and carry on the Huo family name is questionable!”

“Wow! Mengmeng, that girl’s mouth is venomous! Is she cursing Huo Qitai to be childless?”

Vivian pretended to focus on her food but was secretly watching the drama.

Chewing on some sweet potato noodles, she analyzed seriously, “Poor Huo Qitai! Is he now surrounded, trapped, desperate, isolated—like a little dog fallen into the water?”

Feeling irritated, Liu Ruyu tapped her chopsticks on the plate and bit her lip angrily, “She’s gone too far.”

Suddenly, Vivian put down her chopsticks, wiped her rosy lips with a wet wipe, and stood up.

“Mengmeng, I’m full now. Thanks for the treat. It’s my turn to help you out.

I’ve long wanted to teach Huo Qitai a lesson. Now’s the perfect time—watch me beat a drowning dog and avenge you.”

With that, Vivian stormed toward Huo Qitai in a huff, and Liu Ruyu couldn’t hold her back.

Vivian brushed past Lin Yan blocking the way and went straight to Huo Qitai, blinking and smiling coquettishly.

“Handsome, I’m Vivian from America. Since China has long been the land of etiquette, may I ask for a gift from you?”

The tense standoff between the Huo and Lin families was abruptly broken by Vivian’s unexpected intrusion.

Especially the Lin family—they never imagined their unattainable goddess Vivian would approach Huo Qitai so boldly.

Huo Qitai looked toward Liu Ruyu, puzzled about Vivian’s intentions.

However, in that moment of hesitation, Lin Qi from the Lin family seized the opportunity and quickly stepped forward, saying:

“Miss Vivian, let me introduce myself. I’m Lin Qi, a top student in the city’s best high school, grade eleven. Whatever gift you want, I can give it to you…”

But Vivian ignored him completely and continued to wink at Huo Qitai.

“Apparently, handsome boys aren’t stingy.”

Huo Qitai shrugged helplessly and smiled.

She complimented him on his looks—what choice did he have?

“Alright! What gift do you want?”

He arched an eyebrow.

“So you agree? Then I want…”

Before she finished, to the shock of both families and Liu Ruyu, Vivian boldly stepped forward and, with her soft pink lips, planted a quick kiss on Huo Qitai’s thick, slightly chapped lips.

…