The Slacker Academic Always Gets Caught (SLACKER)
"What did you say?"
The man in the black shirt stepped forward aggressively.
He was tall, standing at a full 1.85 meters, making Chi Ning seem somewhat vulnerable.
Chi Yang moved to shield Chi Ning, his voice low and firm. "Jiang Shijie, don’t go too far."
Jiang Shijie dared to glare at Chi Ning because Chi Ning rarely appeared in public, and the Chi family might not value their youngest son much.
But Chi Yang was different. No matter how much of a troublemaker he was, he was still the heir that Chi Baichuan had poured all his efforts into grooming. If the Jiang family wanted a foothold in the pharmaceutical industry, they had to establish ties with the Chi family.
Jiang Shijie’s expression shifted several times, visibly embarrassed.
Chi Yang smoothly offered him a way out, "I’ll discipline my own brother. What’s it to you?"
The tense atmosphere instantly relaxed.
The friends gathered around let out a sigh of relief and teased:
"Who knew Yang-ge was so protective?"
"Come on, we’re all only children—even if we have brothers, they’re illegitimate. How could we compare to real siblings?"
One or two who wanted to curry favor with Jiang Shijie suggested, "Chi Ning’s never played pool before, right? Why not let your brother teach you, then play a round with Jiang Shijie?"
Before Chi Ning could respond, Jiang Shijie said, "Sure, I’d love to see Yang-ge’s teaching skills firsthand."
"Fine." Chi Ning nodded under his older brother’s disapproving gaze. "Let’s play then."
He was just here to have fun anyway. Besides, pool didn’t require much physical strength—his poor health shouldn’t be a problem.
Chi Ning picked up a cue and walked back to his brother. "Ge, teach me."
Chi Yang was at his wit’s end.
Jiang Shijie wasn’t great at pool, but he was still leagues ahead of Chi Ning, who had never played before.
But whatever—even if they lost, he could always help Chi Ning save face later.
He sighed softly and began instructing Chi Ning on how to hold the cue.
His little brother was sharp and picked things up quickly. Within ten minutes, his posture was textbook-perfect. He was just too thin—how could someone who ate an Old Oil Shrimp Cake every day (those things were packed with calories) still look so frail?
"Alright, try it yourself."
Chi Ning took the cue from his brother, bent over, and struck—screech.
The first shot missed entirely, the cue tip thudding against the table.
Jiang Shijie scoffed. "You really don’t know anything, huh? Then how’d you dare to challenge me? What exactly were you planning to play with me?"
He had always been blunt, but only after speaking did he notice Chi Yang staring at him. He laughed again. "What, Yang-ge, can’t take a joke? Are you a cop or something?"
Chi Yang ignored him and just adjusted Chi Ning’s stance. "Keep your right arm and right leg at a 90-degree angle. When you pull back, pivot at the elbow—don’t move your wrist. Hit it—"
Thud.
Before Chi Yang could finish, Chi Ning abruptly struck the white ball dead center.
The white ball collided with the yellow one, then came to a perfect stop in the middle of the table. Another ball, to everyone’s astonishment, rolled into the pocket with a muffled clunk.
Chi Yang: He’s this good on his first try?
Jiang Shijie frowned. "You’ve never played before? How’d you pull off a Frozen Ball?"
Chi Ning was just as confused. "What’s a Frozen Ball?"
Jiang Shijie: "When the white ball stops dead after hitting another ball, that’s a Frozen Ball."
"Oh." Chi Ning suddenly understood.
"That? It’s just basic physics. When the cue strikes the white ball’s center, the forward momentum makes it hit the target ball. If the point of impact on the white ball and the target ball’s contact point are on the same horizontal line, the forward and backward forces cancel each other out, so the white ball stops."
Chi Ning looked at Jiang Shijie with the gaze reserved for lab slackers. "You don't know?"
Jiang Shijie choked on his words.
Chi Ning ignored his flushed face. To put it simply, billiards was a game that combined mathematics and physics; as long as you learned the stance, you could manage to play decently. Jiang Shijie couldn't possibly think that he dared to provoke him based on arrogance, could he?
Aside from his lack of arm strength and inability to hit long shots, he should have no other issues.
After learning the stance and rules, Chi Ning walked up to Jiang Shijie, spread his palms in front of the pool table, and said, "Mr. Jiang, I have little strength and can't break; please go ahead."
"Fine." Jiang Shijie was annoyed but showed no courtesy.
"Bang!"
The crisp sound of the collision rang in their ears.
The billiard balls on the table scattered under the light, some hitting the felt on the side of the table with a dull thud, while a few fell into the pockets.
The player who pockets a ball first gains the right to continue playing, and Jiang Shijie smugly said, "Sorry, I get to choose first."
His gaze swept over Chi Ning's chest.
Chi Ning was slender, his shirt tucked into his pants, and his short trousers were tightly fitted, outlining a waist that could be grasped by two hands. The Chi family had raised him well, and a bright red string was tied around his ankle, making him look quite appealing.
As Jiang Shijie played, he found himself distracted by the red string on Chi Ning's delicate ankle, causing him to miss a shot.
According to the rules of American billiards, if a player misses, they must pass the turn to their opponent.
Jiang Shijie didn't care, grinning as he asked, "Second Young Master Chi, want to play for stakes?"
"I don't gamble," Chi Ning replied.
"Who said anything about money?" Jiang Shijie raised an eyebrow and exchanged glances with his friends nearby. "I won't make it hard for you; if you lose, just call me 'brother.'"
Was he trying to get back at him for that earlier "take my surname"?
Chi Ning knew that the "brother" Jiang Shijie referred to didn't mean an elder brother.
The look in this guy's eyes made him feel disgusted, and he had no desire to say more. "Suit yourself."
Chi Ning took the cue from Jiang Shijie's hand and said to his frowning brother, "Don't worry, Brother, in this lifetime, you are my only big brother."
Chi Yang: ...
Wake up, little lamb.
Did Jiang Shijie want to be your big brother?
He wanted to skin you alive and roast you on a fire for lamb skewers!
Everyone thought Chi Ning's call of "brother" was a done deal.
What good was understanding the theory of physics? It was more important to play and practice.
Chi Ning walked around the table, then used the cue to measure angles. Before long, he bent down to take his shot.
A dull sound of a ball dropping into a pocket echoed.
One ball, two balls, three balls...
Jiang Shijie's expression gradually became serious.
Could it be that this little brat was pretending when he said he couldn't play?
He began to regret why he had let up when only two balls were left; if he had played seriously, he could have humiliated the always arrogant Chi Yang.
No, there was still one black ball left.
That black ball was snug against the felt edge of the table, extremely difficult to hit; even he wouldn't have been confident in pocketing it.
Chi Ning should fail.
Just as Jiang Shijie thought this, he saw Chi Ning bend down, thrusting his waist forward as he struck the cue ball, using his waist's strength to push the cue. The cue ball rushed towards the impact point, hitting the back side of the black ball and sending it into the bottom pocket.
Chi Ning turned to Jiang Shijie and asked, "Mr. Jiang, what are the stakes?"
Jiang Shijie had never considered that he might lose, so he hadn't thought about what the stakes were. "What do you want?"
"I won't make it difficult for you," Chi Ning mimicked Jiang Shijie's earlier tone. "If you lose, just call me 'daddy' and we'll call it even."
Chi Yang couldn't help but burst into laughter. His little brother was so competitive. He reached out and ruffled Chi Ning's soft hair. "Ning'er, don't copy everything you hear."
Jiang Shijie was so furious he threw his cue stick down.
Though he hadn't actually called the second young master of the Chi family "daddy," the implication was just as humiliating. From now on, he would always be one step below Chi Yang in status—even if the Jiang family eventually collaborated with the Chi family.
Unable to retaliate against Chi Ning or Chi Yang, Jiang Shijie directed his venomous glare at the person who had suggested pitting Chi Ning against him in the first place.
Understanding the situation, Chi Yang thought to himself that watching dogs fight was a dirty business. Ning'er was too innocent to be exposed to such things.
He draped his coat over Chi Ning and buttoned it up. "Let's go. It's windy in the car—wear my jacket."
Chi Ning waved his sleeves, which were far too long for him. His brother was only five years older, yet the coat enveloped him completely.
His big brother's 190 cm height wasn't just for show—the trench coat might as well have been a robe on him.
As Chi Ning was led out of the activity area, he glanced back at the grand Hong Kong South Global Entertainment Center, baffled that anyone would spend 500 yuan in 2001 to play pool for over two hours.
He hesitated several times, wanting to say something.
Only when Chi Yang brought out his motorcycle and strapped the helmet onto his head did Chi Ning finally ask, "Aren't you wearing any protective gear?"
Chi Yang retorted, "What about it? Is it illegal?"
Chi Ning climbed onto the back of the motorcycle, wrapping his arms around his brother's waist and knocking his hard helmet against his back.
Though it was his first time riding with his brother in either lifetime, all he could think was: Not wearing a helmet isn't illegal now, but it will be in twenty years.
As soon as the engine roared to life, Chi Ning immediately muttered, "Bro, drive slower."
Now Chi Yang understood why that bastard Jiang Shijie had wanted to hear Chi Ning call him "brother." Though the context was different, he liked it too.
Chi Yang turned on the headlight and let out a bold laugh. "Can't go slow—there are paparazzi around."
Paparazzi?
Why couldn't he slow down because of the paparazzi?
Wouldn't speeding just give them better material?
Vroom!
The motorcycle suddenly accelerated, and Chi Ning was thrown backward by the inertia. He clung tightly to his brother's waist to avoid being flung off.
Any thoughts about the earlier remark vanished instantly.
This was too intense.
He'd never experienced anything like this in his past life!
As they zoomed past the glittering lights of Yangcheng, leaving the traffic far behind, Chi Ning watched the motorcycle's taillight stretch into a long red streak.
Suddenly, he recalled something Qin Heng had said in his past life: "The speed limits in Yangcheng are too restrictive—my car can't really show what it's capable of. When you have time, I'll take you for a spin in the suburbs."
Back then, his priorities had always been experiments and the company. His first reaction had been: What's so fun about joyriding?
Now, he actually found joy in riding the wind.
Once home, Chi Ning took off his helmet and handed it to Chi Yang, whose hair was tousled from the ride. Suddenly, he felt that stopping his brother from riding motorcycles shouldn’t be done so harshly.
To be fair, people need to release stress.
As long as traffic rules were followed while speeding outside, and mountain roads were avoided, it should be fine.
He said, “Brother, teach me how to ride?”
“No way.” Chi Yang removed his gloves. “You’re too short. If you can’t touch the ground while riding, it’s dangerous.”
Chi Ning: ?
He glanced at his brother’s towering 1.9-meter frame and long legs, then looked down at his own slender 1.7-meter build, silently setting a goal to work out.
Not necessarily to grow taller—he just felt his current physique wasn’t healthy.
Chi Baichuan was busy with company matters today and didn’t have time to come home.
After dinner, Chi Ning had nothing to do and went upstairs to sleep early.
The next morning, still groggy after washing up, he descended the stairs and asked with a smile, “Auntie, what’s for breakfast today?”
The housekeeper didn’t reply. Chi Ning blinked and froze when his gaze met his father’s.
He’d been having too much fun…
And forgotten he’d be scolded upon returning.
Chi Ning lowered his head, picking at his fingernails as he tried to summon the tears he’d need when his father started reprimanding him.
Chi Baichuan took one look at Chi Ning’s “I know I messed up” expression and sighed, pointing at the breakfast table. “Come eat.”
Chi Ning sat beside his brother, tore off a piece of Pineapple Bun, dipped it in butter, and chewed slowly and carefully.
Chi Baichuan slapped a newspaper in front of Chi Yang with a sharp thwack.
Chi Ning, about to face his first scolding in two lifetimes, flinched at the sound. He stopped eating the Pineapple Bun and stared at the Fresh Milk Tea in front of him as if it held the secrets of the universe.
“Pfft…”
Chi Ning’s ears twitched, and he turned to see Chi Yang stifling laughter.
Confused, he leaned over to look—only to see the newspaper headline: Chi Family Eldest and Southern KTV Prince Midnight Joyride Disturbs the Peace, Inseparable Duo.
“KTV Prince” specifically referred to male hosts who sold drinks at nightclubs—not exactly a flattering term.
Chi Ning snatched the newspaper and saw a photo of himself riding a pillion on his brother’s motorcycle.
The paparazzi’s lurid wording made his face burn. He wanted to laugh but didn’t dare.
These tabloid reporters truly had no bottom line when it came to sensationalism.
He glanced at his father’s stormy expression and cautiously, inch by inch, pushed the newspaper back. Lowering his head, he suppressed his laughter by dredging up every miserable memory from his past life.
He’d only meant to stifle his amusement, but his past life had been unbearably harsh.
His entire family had died, yet he hadn’t even had time to kneel in the ancestral hall and burn paper offerings. Back then, he’d felt numb—but now, reliving it, the grief magnified tenfold.
With deliberate effort, his eyes reddened instantly, tears pooling on his lashes.
Chi Baichuan’s toast clattered onto his plate. He hadn’t planned to scold Chi Ning…
“Ning, ignore the tabloids. They’re all trash.” Chi Yang, mistaking his tears for distress over the vulgar headlines, reassured him. “I’ll pay to have it taken down.”
Chi Ning blinked, shedding a single tear.
When no one cared, suffering alone had been bearable. But now, with someone showing concern, he felt too weak to even lift a brick.
Chi Baichuan watched his youngest son’s tears fall into the milk tea, each drop striking his heart like a chisel.
He threw the cup onto the corner of the table, strode over, grabbed Chi Yang by the ear, and dragged him toward the front door. Once there, he immediately flung the door open and shoved him outside while cursing loudly, "Who told you to take your brother to that disreputable place! Did I raise you for nothing?! You don’t even know how to protect your own brother, letting others write nonsense about him! Are you even a man?!"
"Get the hell out of here! If you don’t fix this mess, don’t even think about coming back!"
Chi Ning stared in shock at his brother’s reddened ear and hurried over to intervene. "Dad, it’s not Brother’s fault. I was just feeling upset about something."
"What could you possibly be upset about?" Chi Baichuan turned to glare at him.
Chi Ning fell silent.
Right. Before his brother’s incident, he’d been living in a bubble of comfort—what could he possibly have to be upset about?
"Don’t you dare defend this good-for-nothing! I’ll beat him to death today!" Chi Baichuan snatched up a bamboo rod and raised it to strike Chi Yang.
Chi Ning quickly stepped in front of his older brother.
Dad was really being biased! Why wasn’t he scolding him too?
And now he was hitting Big Brother?
If he was going to hit him, why not at least close the door?
Did he have to leave it wide open…?
"I was the one who begged Big Brother to take me out because I was bored!" Chi Ning pushed his brother away. "You go first."
Chi Yang glanced at Chi Ning, wiped the tears from the corner of his eye, then turned and mounted his bike just like last time, riding away from the Chi residence.
Chi Ning exhaled in relief, bracing himself for the impending punishment, but Chi Baichuan instead pulled him toward the dining table. "Ning’er, crying won’t solve anything. Let Dad teach you."
Chi Ning: Huh?
He’d expected his father to grab the bamboo rod and thrash him, but instead, Dad called the publisher and threatened to sue?
Chi Ning glanced at the discarded bamboo rod, thought of his brother being kicked out, then looked back at his father, who had just hung up the phone and was now lecturing him about using legal weapons.
In his heart, he crowned his father with the title of "King of Double Standards."
But since the double standard was in his favor, Chi Ning couldn’t exactly complain. He only offered a meek, indirect criticism. "Dad… aren’t you being too harsh on Big Brother?"
Chi Baichuan reached out and patted Chi Ning’s head, his expression tender. "It can’t be helped. You’ll understand when you’re older."
Chi Ning really wanted to say that he hadn’t understood even after dying in his past life, but Chi Baichuan had work to do and couldn’t stay home for long.
Left alone in his room, Chi Ning grew more and more confused.
Knock knock.
The door creaked open, and the nanny outside called, "Ning’er, today’s milk delivery is here. Would you like Double-Skin Milk or Egg Milk Soup?"
Chi Ning didn’t feel like having either. He wanted Bayberry juice.
Stuffing some cash into his pocket, he dressed properly and stepped out, telling the nanny, "Not today. Just put it in the fridge. I’m going out."
"Alright."
Chi Ning wandered leisurely to the night market entrance.
He knew the unlucky kid was injured and might not be setting up shop, but he still wanted to see for himself.
As if drawn by some unseen force, Chi Ning found himself at the west gate. He’d expected to find no one there, but instead, he saw the boy leaning against the wall. In front of him, a foam cooler sat atop his propped-up bicycle, lined with bottled Bayberry juice.
Chi Ning quickened his pace and stopped in front of him, eyeing his injured right leg. "You’re setting up shop before your injury’s even healed?"
"You called an ambulance when you saved me. I owe the hospital 300 yuan."
Chi Ning opened his mouth but said nothing, staring at the scar on the boy’s forehead. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed.
At the end of Qin Heng's brow ridge, there was also a scar—white, very short, and in the exact same spot as the little unlucky one's injury.
Come to think of it, Qin Heng had said he worked part-time while studying as a child and lived a hard life.
The little unlucky one also worked part-time while studying and lived a hard life.
Qin Heng claimed to be a model student and an exemplary youth.
The little unlucky one, despite still owing the hospital 300 yuan, didn’t pocket the gold he found but returned it honestly, limping back injured. Grateful and virtuous, he was a good person.
Apart from his youthful eyes and brows, the aura between them differing from his future self, and his skin being darker than the adult Qin Heng, all other features were truly identical.
The grown-up Qin Heng was like a wolf, while the current one resembled a stray puppy in the alley.
But…
This was just too…
As if he’d rolled in the mud, pitch black.
Chi Ning felt like he was smiling, yet there was a ringing in his ears, as if water was sloshing inside. “What’s your name?”
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