The Pretty Boy Experience

Not only was Ye Qian dumbfounded, but even Jiang Zhe was taken by surprise.

‘It seems having a handsome face really has its perks!’

Before entering the game, Jiang Zhe wasn’t ugly, but he couldn’t be described as ‘handsome.’ Instead, he possessed a rogue charm—the kind who, with a buzz cut, could easily be mistaken for a gang member.

Many Jiang family descendants served in the military or government. Jiang Zhe’s father, a high-ranking officer, was one of them. Two of his three sons had followed in his footsteps, achieving considerable success in the armed forces.

However, Jiang Zhe was precisely the one who refused to be disciplined. From childhood into adulthood, no amount of punishment could make him yield.

His stubborn streak often flared, and the moment he graduated, he ran away from home. He started from scratch, never once relying on the Jiang family’s influence, yet he remarkably managed to carve out a name for himself.

Years ago, during a vacation, Jiang Zhe’s father sat in the living room, sipping tea and reading the newspaper. Jiang Zhe returned in a luxurious car, full of youthful vigor, and placed a card containing five hundred million on the table as a homecoming gift.

Perhaps it was his overly smug tone, or perhaps his refusal to return home and concede defeat over the years, but his father’s joy turned to anger. Ignoring the card on the coffee table, he grabbed a broom and chased Jiang Zhe around for a good while.

Yet, no father-son feud lasts overnight. After a session of ‘tough love’ from his still-vigorous father, who vented all his pent-up frustration, he finally relented and stopped interfering with Jiang Zhe’s career.

Strictly speaking, Jiang Zhe was the only one in recent years who successfully rebelled and avoided a future dictated by the family.

Even his elder brothers secretly envied him, though they knew their outcomes would have been different. Jiang Zhe had been a troublemaker since childhood, impervious to both persuasion and force—the quintessential rebel among the children of the affluent compounds.

Despite his stubbornness, Jiang Zhe was otherwise almost perfect. Whether it was his academic performance or various talents, he could master anything he attempted, always surpassing his teachers.

Once, when Jiang Zhe was in his teens, his father took him to a military camp to practice shooting. In less than a month, he could hit the bullseye with every shot, even accurately striking fast-moving targets.

Combined with his robust physique, he easily completed grueling training exercises without falling behind. His father was overjoyed, believing that among his three sons, only this youngest one could inherit his mantle.

The eldest two were merely adequate, only capable of maintaining stability, but the third could advance further. It was precisely this favoritism towards Jiang Zhe that gave him an opportunity.

He used the pursuit of knowledge as an excuse to attend university, initially promising to join the military after graduation. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace.

Jiang Zhe’s complex life experiences meant that even when he became a businessman, his rogue charm remained unchanged. Later, at business gatherings, he always felt out of place among the pot-bellied, balding tycoons.

Such a Jiang Zhe naturally had no experience being a ‘pretty boy.’ He never expected that after entering the game, he would unexpectedly gain a ‘pretty boy’ experience card.

“Jiang Zhe, hiding behind a woman—are you even a man?”

After being repeatedly threatened by several girls, Cheng Li’s face grew even more unsightly. He glared at Jiang Zhe as if confronting a sworn enemy who had murdered his father and stolen his wife.

His exasperated, stomping rage only made Jiang Zhe want to laugh. What did it matter to Cheng Li if he was a man or not?

As long as Ning Ran thought he was a man, that was enough.

With this thought, the leisurely Jiang Zhe made no attempt to hide his amusement. He gave Cheng Li a slight smile, showing no anger or inferiority at the taunt.

Instead, he proudly mimicked Ning Ran, puffing out his chest, lifting his head, and slightly raising his chin. For Jiang Zhe, the ‘pretty boy’ experience card felt quite good; it was rather enjoyable.

“Cheng Li, stop stirring up trouble! Don’t disturb Jiang Zhe’s serious studying. How can you be so brazen?”

“Exactly! Ning Ran and Lin Moshu haven’t said anything, yet you’re eagerly jumping in, really trying to glorify yourself.”

Facing the furious Cheng Li, Ruan Ling and Zhou Liu naturally refused to be outdone. Without Jiang Zhe needing to utter a word, they immediately reignited the battle, drawing all of the enemy’s fire.

Liu Jinglin, afraid of falling behind, quickly chimed in, “Pfft, shameless!”

The one-on-three confrontation made Cheng Li’s arms tremble with rage. He hadn’t expected a simple provocation of Jiang Zhe to escalate into this situation.

His family was merely a nouveau riche, unable to stand against Liu Jinglin, let alone with Ruan Ling and Zhou Liu’s family backgrounds added to the mix.

However, a thought quickly changed his demeanor. He, too, had someone backing him. Cheng Li’s back straightened, emboldened by his support.

Compared to the Lin family, these three families combined were but weaklings trying to stop a chariot with a mantis’s arm.

Noticing Cheng Li’s series of changes, Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow. A moment of thought clarified everything.

Cheng Li was so audacious because he had someone backing him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare challenge authority even after Ning Ran’s live stream.

As for who was protecting him… It was obvious. That white lotus heroine, Su Lianlian, and Lin Moshu were the likely culprits. However, the heroine didn’t know Jiang Zhe had changed.

As a capturable target, she certainly wouldn’t give up easily and still harbored hopes of mending their relationship. That left only Lin Moshu, looking to regain face after yesterday’s apology.

Tsk, tsk, what kind of male lead is that? His heart is smaller than a needle’s eye!

After being watched by the entire class for so long, Jiang Zhe no longer wanted to give Cheng Li, who was still jumping around, any more leverage. If Cheng Li was merely causing trouble because he disapproved of the rumored entanglement between Ning Ran and him, then a little teasing would have sufficed.

However, it now seemed clear that someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Handling things lightly was not Jiang Zhe’s style, especially when someone was actively seeking trouble.

He needed to crush them decisively. Yet, how to crush them required a plan; he couldn’t act rashly. He needed a justifiable reason that left no room for retaliation.

After careful consideration, many opportunities presented themselves. For instance, the second class was physical education.

“Cheng Li, seeing your arrogant demeanor, did Lin Moshu send you to teach me a lesson? Yesterday, it was he and Su Lianlian who were in the wrong. The apology video even went viral online.

“Now he wants to cause me trouble… Surely not? Is he really that petty?” Jiang Zhe spoke with a beaming smile, his calculations already made.

Even if he needed an opportunity to execute his plan and couldn’t resort to physical action, he could still shut Cheng Li up now. He gave Cheng Li no space to continue his smugness, his words directly blocking all avenues of retreat.

If Cheng Li dared to admit it publicly, Lin Moshu, whose reputation would be utterly ruined, would directly strangle this ‘pig teammate’ without Jiang Zhe needing to lift a finger.

After all, what happened in private didn’t matter, but bringing it into the open was a grave mistake. Fortunately, Cheng Li’s intelligence hadn’t completely deserted him.

He never expected Jiang Zhe to be so utterly reckless, directly exposing what was hidden in the dark. This instantly shattered his connection with his backer, leaving him no chance to mend it, severing it completely.

His option to retreat vanished without a trace. As Cheng Li’s face turned ashen and he fell into silence, Jiang Zhe did not stop.

He feigned surprise, widening his eyes dramatically, his handsome face drawing all attention. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he spoke with a sigh of emotion. “Yesterday, I merely stated the facts and made Lin Moshu apologize. He actually got angry…

“Ah, how terrifying! Even if he lost face in public, he shouldn’t act like that. Not like me—I’m open and honorable; I only care for Ning Ran.”