When an Honest Guy Plays the Scum Gong [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 4

The boy was quite tall, standing far straighter than anyone else around him. Though his outfit lacked any notable flair, his height and excellent proportions gave him a striking, refreshing presence.

What caught Chi Yu’s attention, however, was the all-too-familiar black baseball cap pulled low over the stranger’s head.

Despite the completely different setting, the sight instantly brought Jiang Yan to mind.

Before he could get a closer look, the bus slowly pulled away from the curb.

Chi Yu suddenly sat up straight in the passenger seat, giving Zhong Xiaofan quite a fright. “Holy shit, what’s wrong with you? You looked half-dead a second ago, and now you’re suddenly snapping to life?”

Zhong Xiaofan watched him stare out the window in a daze, seemingly deaf to everything around him.

“Are you still brooding over getting thrashed for coming out yesterday?”

Chi Yu had thrown tantrums and clashed with his family plenty of times before, but this instance was exceptionally severe. Publicly coming out and directly defying his elders had left him with bruises from his father’s cane.

Steering the car, Zhong Xiaofan said casually, “You’re the only son of the Chi family. No matter how massive a scene you make, all you have to do is bow your head, play nice, and wait for your old man to kick the bucket. Once he’s gone, all those family assets will be signed over to your name anyway.”

Chi Yu rolled up the window, unvarnished disgust flashing across his cold features. “I don’t care about their things.”

Zhong Xiaofan knew his friend’s relationship with his family had always been strained; the complex grievances of a wealthy household couldn’t be summed up in a few sentences.

He smoothly steered the conversation toward a lighter topic, laughing. “From what you said last night, it sounded like you’re actually pretty interested in that university student.”

Recalling Jiang Yan’s performance from the night before and the photos saved in his gallery, Chi Yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. When he spoke, his voice carried a faint, husky edge.

“He’s alright. Easy on the eyes.”

Zhong Xiaofan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Earning that kind of praise from Chi Yu was no small feat. After all, countless people constantly threw themselves at him—including plenty of exceptionally handsome young celebrities—yet he had never seen his friend spare any of them a second glance.

The grin on Zhong Xiaofan’s face widened, carrying a distinct hint of mischief. “Well, that means my arrangement this morning wasn’t just a waste of effort then.”

Chi Yu turned his head. “What?”

“Nothing. I just saw that you liked him, so early this morning, I arranged to bring all those university guys out. Well? Am I a great wingman or what?”

A row of incredibly expensive sports cars lined up in front of a private, exclusive club.

The club owner signaled for the doormen to step back and personally stepped forward, bowing respectfully to open the car doors for the group. With a flattering smile, he escorted them into the VIP suite and ordered his staff to retrieve several bottles of rare, vintage wine from the private cellar.

“Have a wonderful time, gentlemen. If you need anything at all, just give the word.”

As the owner spoke, his gaze drifted toward Chi Yu.

Chi Yu wore an iron-grey suit. He sat on a single-seater sofa with his legs crossed, his features detached and aristocratic. His fingers tapped a steady rhythm against the armrest, and his thin, sharp lips were pressed into a tight line, masking his emotions completely.

Right then, a flurry of footsteps echoed outside the door.

Only now did Chi Yu, who had completely ignored the owner’s sycophantic smiles, lazily lift his eyelids to look at the group entering the room.

Suites of this caliber were strictly off-limits to the public, featuring interiors of absolute luxury that required a specific status just to enter. Beneath the glamor lay a tacit danger; the space felt like territory marked by a highly lethal predator. Stepping across the threshold meant keeping a tight leash on your own safety.

Chi Yu sat in an inconspicuous spot, yet his presence was thoroughly oppressive. His personal aura was so strong that strangers rarely dared to approach him directly, and even the wealthy heirs who regularly hung around him didn’t care to provoke him needlessly.

The boys who had been brought in on short notice were even less prepared. At most, they had attended a few ordinary, low-stakes gatherings; confronted with a scene like this, their confidence instantly crumbled, exposing their nervous, awkward expressions.

They had all been strictly cautioned beforehand that the people in this room were exceptionally wealthy and powerful, especially the one named Chi Yu, whose family background was staggering. If any of them managed to successfully secure his favor, it would mark the ultimate turning point in their lives.

Yet, that cold-faced young master merely swept a cursory glance over them without pausing for a single moment. Withdrawing his gaze, he looked toward Zhong Xiaofan, his tone growing a fraction colder.

“These are the people you brought?”

“Yeah,” Zhong Xiaofan said, looking at the line of boys. He was straight, so he didn’t feel anything looking at them, but it only mattered if Chi Yu liked them. “What are you all standing there for? Get over here and look after him.”

Hearing the command, excitement and eagerness flashed across their faces. One of the bolder boys even made a move to sit right next to him.

“Young Master Chi…”

Chi Yu coldly lifted his eyes, delivering a single glare that sent a freezing chill down the boy’s spine.

The boy froze completely in his tracks, caught in an agonizing impasse before turning his gaze toward Zhong Xiaofan, who was usually smiling and seemed far more approachable.

Zhong Xiaofan had grown up with Chi Yu. The moment he saw that expression, he knew it was a lost cause; he simply waved his hand and dismissed everyone from the room.

The suite plunged into absolute quiet.

“Everything was fine on the way over, so why the sudden change in attitude the moment you see them?” Zhong Xiaofan couldn’t help but complain. “Sometimes I genuinely wonder if you’re actually into guys, or if you just despise the entire human race.”

He had gone out of his way to find the most renowned, attractive guys from various top universities, yet Chi Yu hadn’t offered a single one of them a decent look.

“He isn’t among them.”

“Huh? That’s impossible,” Zhong Xiaofan countered. “Could he be a catfish who uses heavily edited photos? Did you just fail to recognize him?”

Chi Yu shot him a sharp look.

Realizing his words sounded incredibly foolish, Zhong Xiaofan quickly pulled out his phone. “What’s the name of the guy you’re looking for? Let me look him up for you.”

People attempting to climb the social ladder by getting close to Chi Yu were a dime a dozen. He was thoroughly curious to see who possessed the sheer audacity to proactively add his childhood friend on WeChat. More importantly, he wanted to see what kind of remarkable character had actually caught the attention of Young Master Chi.

As Zhong Xiaofan’s curiosity reached its absolute peak, Chi Yu delivered two cold, unfeeling words: “No need.”

Uncovering a person’s exact identity was an effortless task for Chi Yu, but he didn’t want to resort to that. Besides, he had a feeling Jiang Yan wouldn’t dare deceive him.

His sharp, dark eyes remained cloaked in the dim lighting of the room, masking the emotions swirling beneath the surface.

“Have fun, everyone. I’m heading out.”

With that, Chi Yu stood up, left the club, and returned to his office nearby.

The company wasn’t particularly large, employing just over a hundred staff members, and he had established it during his freshman year of college. Aside from this public venture, Chi Yu had quietly set up a private investment firm. Relying on his personal foresight, he had invested in numerous companies, securing long-term controlling stakes that yielded an immense market value. His personal portfolio also included real estate, industrial parks, and tourist resorts.

Even if he severed ties with the Chi family entirely, his lifestyle wouldn’t suffer a single disruption.

Sitting behind his desk, Chi Yu recalled the silhouette he had glimpsed that morning. It aligned remarkably well with the aura he imagined Jiang Yan to have.

Thinking of him, he instinctively drew his phone from his pocket and opened their chat log.

It was already past nine in the morning. The conversation remained frozen at the mutual goodnights they had exchanged the previous evening.

Jiang Yan wasn’t one of the guys Zhong Xiaofan had sourced. Yet, he hadn’t rejected the financial terms offered, proving he had approached Chi Yu with the exact same objective as the others.

No, he’s different. At the very least, Jiang Yan isn’t irritating.

Chi Yu stared at the calculated, deliberate photos in the chat log. Looking at them now with a clear head, he felt far more detached, beginning to reevaluate his impulsive decision from the night before to take the boy on.

Jiang Yan was young and handsome, perfectly fitting his personal aesthetic. Spending a bit of money to keep him around was a perfectly simple arrangement. He didn’t regret the decision.

Chi Yu’s thumb idly brushed against the profile picture.

Suddenly, a new gray notification flashed in the window.

[You nudged Yan.]

Chi Yu raised an eyebrow at the automatic alert. Deciding to roll with it, he typed out a direct question.

Chi: [Where did you get my contact information from?]

The message was met with absolute silence. As the screen automatically dimmed and went black, Chi Yu suddenly snapped back to reality. Was he seriously sitting here waiting for Jiang Yan to reply?

Withdrawing his hand from his chin, he tossed the phone aside and buzzed his secretary to bring in a cup of black coffee. Shifting his focus, he set to work reviewing a stack of documents that required his signature.

About half an hour later, the phone resting beside him vibrated several times in quick succession.

Chi Yu set his pen down and unlocked the device.

Yan: [I’m sorry, Boss. We were in the middle of a lecture, and my phone was tucked away in my bag, so it wasn’t convenient to check. I’m replying right now since class just let out.]

Yan: [Photo]

The image showed a completely ordinary university lecture hall desk, shot from a perspective that sat relatively close to the front. A notebook rested on the surface, its page half-filled with meticulous notes entirely focused on computer algorithms.

University lectures were far more relaxed than high school; most professors didn’t micromanage a student’s every move, so plenty of people regularly napped or played on their phones under the desk.

Chi Yu could almost visualize it, Jiang Yan looking every bit the model student, a black gel pen in his right hand, eyes downcast as he listened intently to the lecture.

For an upright student to possess the sheer nerve to flirt with him proved the boy wasn’t entirely rigid.

Buzz, buzz.

Another notification popped up, addressing his initial question.

Yan: [I heard people talking about you. You started your own independent business during your freshman year, which is incredibly impressive. I was deeply curious about you and wanted to get to know you, so I managed to track down your WeChat ID through a contact.]

Flattering him, was he?

If those words had come from anyone else’s mouth, Chi Yu would have merely offered a cold sneer. The crowd of people claiming they “wanted to get to know him” was endless, but he wasn’t a fool; he could easily distinguish between those who wanted him for his status and those who wanted him for his money.

Yet, reading these specific lines, Chi Yu didn’t feel the slightest bit of irritation. On the contrary, he thought Jiang Yan possessed excellent taste.

A University was packed with wealthy heirs, the vast majority of whom flaunted a high-profile, shallow lifestyle, possessing zero actual substance while relentlessly posting luxury goods and sports cars on social media. True power and wealth were concentrated within an incredibly tight circle where everyone knew one another, rendering such cheap displays of vanity entirely unnecessary.

For Jiang Yan to seek him out specifically proved the boy was genuinely intelligent.

Chi Yu typed back: [Understood. I’m not upset with you.]

Yan: [My next class is about to start.]

Yan: [Boss, would it be alright if I message you to chat once my morning classes wrap up at noon?]

Chi: [Mm. Focus on your lecture.]

Receiving the permission, Jiang Yan let out a quiet sigh of relief, tucked his phone away, and refocused his attention on the textbook before him.

The original owner of this body had been raised by two schoolteachers. His admission to A University had been the hard-won result of years of diligent study and strict discipline. He had finally managed to escape his remote, underdeveloped hometown through the college entrance exams, securing a seemingly bright future.

However, upon his first real taste of the outside world, the pressure from his parents cracked. Initially, he had managed to keep his head down, balancing his studies with part-time jobs to save money honestly. But after a campus promotion introduced him to online loan platforms, he discovered how effortlessly money could be obtained; all it took was a few taps of his fingers and some basic personal data to secure a remarkably high credit limit.

At first, he had been too timid to touch the funds. But after a class gathering where he was publicly ridiculed, compounded by the stark contrast between his own lifestyle and the expensive clothes and electronics of his peers, resentment took root. He blew through the borrowed funds in a single spending spree.

From then on, he became thoroughly addicted to the thrill of reckless indulgence, treating the loaned money as his own personal wealth to purchase luxury goods far beyond his actual means. He refused to return to a tight budget, abandoning his part-time jobs and neglecting his education entirely to focus solely on pleasure. The only reason he hadn’t failed his courses or been expelled yet was sheer luck; he had managed to scrape by with bare minimum passing grades in several major subjects.

But the soul occupying the body now belonged to Jiang Yan, who had just completed his college entrance exams. A high school graduate at that stage possessed peak learning capacity and knowledge retention.

Immersed in his studies for the entire morning, Jiang Yan felt zero fatigue; instead, a profound sense of satisfaction washed over him as he absorbed the material. He became so thoroughly engrossed that he missed the dismissal bell entirely.

Only when the lecture hall had emptied out did Jiang Yan begin packing his things.

“Jiang Yan.”

Right then, a few fashionably dressed male classmates called out to him, walking down from the back rows to strike up a conversation.

“What’s up with you today? We greeted you when you walked in and you completely ignored us. And you were actually listening so intently. Did you suddenly experience a personality transplant?”

As the boy spoke, he stepped closer, reaching out a hand to throw a familiar arm around Jiang Yan’s shoulder.

Jiang Yan lifted his head, revealing a pair of clear, piercingly cold eyes beneath the brim of his black baseball cap. As their gazes locked, the sheer impact of his features struck the classmate instantly.

Is this really Jiang Yan?

The boy froze in his tracks, his mind going completely blank for a few seconds.

Wait, did Jiang Yan always look like this?

None of his physical features had changed, yet he felt like an entirely different person, his expression and overall aura had undergone a complete transformation. To put it precisely, the old Jiang Yan had carried a hollow, desperate vanity born of trying to fake a wealthy background. Now, the person before them seemed entirely refined, his presence pure and clean, like a piece of flawless, cool jade untouched by worldly corruption. It left them temporarily at a loss for how to approach him.

“Is there something you need?” Jiang Yan asked, his gaze coolly sweeping over the group.

Having absorbed all the memories of the body’s original owner, he naturally recognized these classmates. Unlike him, their families ran businesses in the city. Though they weren’t considered top-tier elite heirs in a city teeming with hidden titans, their fathers’ commercial ventures ensured they possessed a solid financial backing.

The original owner had considered maintaining this circle of friends a massive point of pride, but the group had never truly viewed him as an equal. From the very beginning, they had discerned that he came from a small town with an ordinary background, completely unversed in high society. Later, when he suddenly started spending lavishly, they knew exactly where the money was coming from, yet none of them had ever thought to guide him back to the right path. Instead, they constantly dragged him out to parties, frequently leaving him to settle steep bills for the entire group.

Consequently, Jiang Yan harbored zero goodwill toward them, nor did he care to maintain a polite facade. He pressed his lips together, staring at them with a detached face.

Seeing that they remained silent, Jiang Yan stood up. “If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving,” he said coldly.

“Whoa, wait, wait, wait!”

The group quickly closed ranks around him, sizing him up several times. Realizing Jiang Yan genuinely had no desire to waste his breath on them, the leader of the group suddenly dropped a name that Jiang Yan knew all too well.

“Jiang Yan, weren’t you desperately trying to score an invite to Young Master Chi’s birthday party before?”

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