Reborn with Consumption System

Chapter 345 - 178: Come on, let’s hurt each other!_3

"I’m definitely not getting a nice-guy card now."o death after they’ve surrendered?!

Ding Xiang looked on blankly, dazedly staring at Han Lie, her brain seemingly having crashed. Chen Yanfei’s sudden confrontation, Han Lie caving so readily, and the surreal turn of events—it was all too much for an ordinary person to process.

As she was still bewildered, she suddenly heard that dog of a man grumbling resentfully—

"That nickname of yours, ’House-Guarding Beast,’ really wasn’t a mistake. Any little demon that dared to enter would be smacked to death by you..."

"HA!"

Chen Yanfei provocatively raised an eyebrow. "So, I wasn’t wrong about you, was I?"

"No, no, no! Your insight is profound, wise one!"

Han Lie agreed so readily that Ding Xiang found it hard to believe.

Are they... just joking with each other again?

Pouting, her mind muddled, she looked left, then right... She’s so adorable, it makes me want to give her a playful punch!

Forget it, forget it, not today, Han Lie thought. Today, just surviving Chen Yanfei is a victory in itself.

Han Lie rapidly engaged his brain, his 79 points of Intelligence and talent for situational judgment quickly proving invaluable.

Hmm, no big deal! Although it looked quite serious at first glance, in reality, it was nothing to really fuss over. It was just a matter of deliberately avoiding her, that’s all. I didn’t deceive her, so what harm could it do? The benefits are clear now, right? I’m standing on completely solid ground!

"Old classmate..."

Actor Lie sighed, unleashing his full acting prowess, simultaneously cajoling and persuading.

"Look at you. You’re not good at anything serious, yet when it comes to who likes you, you know it in your heart as clear as day without even needing to think. What, did you put all your talent points into romance?

Alright, let’s be real—I’ve had a crush on you since high school. But you said it yourself, which guy wouldn’t feel pressured around you? Is it abnormal for me to be conflicted?

Liking Ding Xiang is much more normal! She’s so naive and pure. Around her, I can more easily find a man’s sense of accomplishment; she inspires a man’s protective instincts.

And in front of you? I tremble!

Honestly, you’re too mesmerizing and too dangerous. I’m absolutely certain that if I accepted you, I’d fall deep. Love is sweet, but I’m not worthy! I’m currently giving my all for my career; I can’t afford any distractions. So it’s not that I’m intentionally stringing you along; it’s that I’m genuinely torn!

You know my family’s situation. I don’t want to be bullied by bastards like Pan Shaohang anymore! I don’t want to be beaten down by rich idiots again, having to worry if I can even afford the medical bills if I fight back! You’ve seen me at my most pathetic. Tell me, is my choice wrong?

If I don’t strengthen myself, improve myself, and temper myself, who can I rely on to protect me and the ones I love? Pan Ge? Or you?! Am I worthy? Would you really like the useless person I was?

Yanfei, let’s discuss right and wrong later. For now, can we put our feelings aside, okay? When I go home for winter break, you can hit me as much as you want. Once you’ve let out your anger, we can continue being friends, okay?"

Mentioning that past beating, Han Lie’s eyes reddened.

His final two "okay"s were laden with heartfelt sorrow.

Ding Xiang, soft-hearted and kind, felt such empathy that her eyes turned even redder than Han Lie’s.

A renowned stock market magnate, hospitalized by an uneducated rich kid, and all in front of his secret crush—how cruel is that?! Yet he didn’t give up on himself. Instead, he bore the humiliation and persevered, aspiring to be a better version of himself, eventually becoming a young hero who stunned the world. Could there be a more inspiring story?!

Cry! Everyone should be crying!

Whether others could cry or not, Ding Xiang didn’t know, but she couldn’t hold back and shed several large, glistening tears.

As for Chen Yanfei...

She empathized even more easily.

Han Lie being beaten up had happened right before her eyes.

To this day, she could still recall Han Lie’s bruised and swollen face, and the nonchalant smile that had spread across it—a forced smile, put on to comfort her, to prevent her from blaming herself.

In her life, no other conversation had ever shaken her as much as their exchange at that moment.

"No choice, once you’re in the fray, time just rushes by..."

"Hahaha! Has your ’fray’ been too unkind to you?"

"That’s why I’ve ’matured’ so quickly!"

"Matured quickly" was Han Lie’s self-deprecating way of putting it.

Finally hearing his true feelings today, Chen Yanfei truly understood his frustration, anxiety, repression, and his forced nonchalance.

I’m sorry, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have pressured you... You never had the kind of support I did; you could only count on yourself to become a tough man...

"Okay! I understand."

Chen Yanfei sniffled, looking at Han Lie with determination.

"For now, you focus on working hard. After the holidays, you take the initiative to ask me out! I’ll personally take you to see Pan Shaohang. I want him to see clearly what a successful, true man the ’loser’ he once bullied at will has become!"

Han Lie blinked, as if he couldn’t believe it, then seemed to stare blankly into the void.

On the system panel, experience points were flooding the screen.