LGSG Chapter 51

Chapter 52: Stranger Man, Mr. Xie is Here!

Chapter 52: Stranger Man, Mr. Xie is Here!

Gu Zhuo exploded on the spot.

Then, after listening to Xia Ran’s long confession, he sat back down.

He said, “We generally don’t call this love.”

Xia Ran: “Huh?”

Gu Zhuo: “This is called a dream husband!”

Xia Ran: “…”

Xia Ran: “Is that so?”

“Although I don’t understand this behavior, there are indeed many people who treat fictional characters as their husbands and wives. As long as it doesn’t affect real life, but…” Gu Zhuo said, “Why do I think you’re getting a little obsessed?”

Xia Ran said, “The game suddenly ended, and it feels like a breakup.”

Gu Zhuo: “Why don’t you search for another one second-hand? Ah, I know some merchants who sell game cartridges, what’s the name of your game? I’ll look for it for you.”

Xia Ran: “Forget it.”

He said disappointedly, “Even if we start over, will it still be us?”

Gu Zhuo: “…”

This isn’t good.

Why does this kid look like he’s serious?

Gu Zhuo’s brain worked frantically, finally squeezing out a sentence: “Why don’t you find a job?”

He still thinks Xia Ran is just suffering from severe withdrawal.

Some people can’t get over their virtual image, becoming increasingly obsessed and eventually giving up on life. This isn’t an isolated case after full-sensory networks.

“No matter what, I think you seem to be talking more now. Xia Ran,” Gu Zhuo said, “People still have to live in reality. Do you want to try finding an internship? You’ve been recommended for postgraduate study now, and your junior year is a good time to intern. Anyway, I’ve seen the semester schedule, and you have a lot of free time this semester.”

Xia Ran thought, he would only overthink things at home.

So he agreed to Gu Zhuo to submit resumes and try.

Xia Ran’s university is a top-tier domestic institution, his GPA has always been first, his competition experience is rich, and he has also been involved in actual scientific research projects led by teachers.

Gu Zhuo isn’t worried about him not finding a good job.

But there’s another thing he needs to tell Xia Ran.

“Should I move in with you recently?” Gu Zhuo said, “I’ll waive half of your rent and utilities.”

Xia Ran: “Why?”

Gu Zhuo said, “Shen Guanghao is out of prison.”

Xia Ran hasn’t heard this name in a long time.

He frowned, “Who is that?”

Gu Zhuo: “…”

Gu Zhuo stared carefully at Xia Ran, remembering that this kid really doesn’t lie.

He’s reluctant to actively expose other people’s scars, but the current situation is quite serious.

Gu Zhuo said awkwardly, “The one you beat until his head bled for sexually harassing you in junior high.”

Only then did Xia Ran show a realization.

He felt quite emotional inside.

Back then, after Shen Guanghao was beaten by him, his mother pointed at him in the police station and cursed him.

She said Xia Ran was a monster, an antisocial personality. She even went crazy and told several policemen that they should arrest this little monster as soon as possible, because he would end up in there sooner or later anyway.

Fortunately, a policewoman kept a straight face and took Xia Ran outside.

She kept telling Xia Ran that it was okay, it wouldn’t happen, and stayed with Xia Ran until his mother arrived from school.

After Xia Ran finished speaking, Gu Zhuo sneered.

“Like mother, like son,” he said, “This family is truly high-quality talent for prison.”

Xia Ran said, “Afterward, I went home. Then my mother invited you, Teacher Gu. I never saw him again.”

Gu Zhuo is Xia Ran’s mother’s student. Because he had good grades at the time, he followed her in the laboratory for experiments and papers as an undergraduate. Xia Ran’s mother also wanted Gu Zhuo, this young man, to help enlighten Xia Ran. For Xia Ran’s psychological state, she explained everything to Gu Zhuo in advance to see if he could accept it.

Xia Ran didn’t care, but Gu Zhuo almost exploded with anger.

He’d never seen such a shameless scoundrel as Shen Guanghao.

Later, he didn’t tell Xia Ran, but he had been secretly following Shen Guanghao’s movements. Shen Guanghao almost ruined Xia Ran’s life, so Gu Zhuo didn’t mind continuing to kick him when he was down. Fortunately, Shen Guanghao himself was hopeless. He didn’t get into high school after junior high, and went to join the “society” as soon as compulsory education ended. At the age of eighteen, he participated in a fight, carrying a controlled knife and stabbing someone. After entering the police station, it was also found that he had previous theft records, and he was detained until Xia Ran’s junior year of college.

Although Shen Guanghao’s imprisonment had nothing to do with Xia Ran.

In fact, Shen Guanghao’s family inexplicably resented Xia Ran because of that incident in junior high school.

After Xia Ran went to high school, Gu Zhuo specifically took the exam to become a teacher at Xia Ran’s school, just to take care of Xia Ran for his teacher.

He had seen Shen Guanghao wandering outside the school more than once.

He had already brewed a kind of paranoid hatred for Xia Ran.

If Shen Guanghao hadn’t courted death himself, Gu Zhuo wouldn’t have let him go.

It’s hard to change a person’s nature.

Gu Zhuo was afraid that Xia Ran would be entangled by this guy again.

Xia Ran: “No need.”

Gu Zhuo frowned, “Although you are an adult male now, but…”

“Don’t worry about me, Teacher Gu,” Xia Ran said, “I’m much stronger than you. If Shen Guanghao really wants to harm me, I’d have to worry about you if you’re next to me.”

Gu Zhuo: “…”

That’s rough, but true.

He hasn’t exercised since the university physical test.

Gu Zhuo: “Alright. Anyway, you’re an adult and have your own considerations. I’ll come here to play for a while every week, which can be considered as putting your teacher’s mind at ease.”

Gu Zhuo said a few more words and then left.

Today is Sunday, so he doesn’t have to work, but he still needs to prepare the lesson plans and content for next week.

After Gu Zhuo left, Xia Ran sat on the sofa and asked the AI to send a batch of resumes to several companies.

Xia Ran had interned once during his sophomore year.

At that time, he hadn’t considered whether to continue studying for a postgraduate degree or to find employment, so he did both. Later, he discovered that he had academic enthusiasm for his major, so he chose to pursue a postgraduate recommendation.

Therefore, Xia Ran’s resumes were all prepared, he just needed to update this year’s experiences.

That night, Xia Ran received interview calls from several game companies.

Xia Ran responded to each of them.

Unlike the internship he found with a forced smile during his sophomore year, Xia Ran now found that he wasn’t as resistant to contacting people and things in unfamiliar environments.

Whenever he had the idea of retreating, he would think about Mr. Xie’s words and demeanor, clumsily imitating Xie He.

After scheduling two interviews for the next day, Xia Ran yawned.

The AI detected that his fatigue level was too high and needed to rest, and issued a voice reminder.

Xia Ran had stayed up all night playing the game at high intensity, and then chatted with Gu Zhuo for a while, and now he was indeed feeling sleepy.

He packed the tarot card into a suitable-sized sealed bag and card sleeve, and finally thought about it and placed it next to the desk lamp.

*

Late-night bar.

Shen Guanghao was drinking.

In the past two years in prison, his temperament had changed greatly. His back was hunched, his hair was cropped short, and he habitually placed his hands neatly on his knees.

Several brothers beside him were bragging about recent events.

Shen Guanghao didn’t say a word.

Suddenly, he saw a group of people at the booth next door.

And the brothers happened to be talking about a familiar name.

“It’s Xia Ran, your old enemy, boss,” a blonde-haired guy said with a grin, “We’ve found out his university and current address for you.”

Shen Guanghao’s eyebrows couldn’t help but twitch.

After many years, he hadn’t paid attention to Xia Ran’s situation for a long time.

He asked, “Are there any photos?”

The little brother quickly showed Shen Guanghao a photo of Xia Ran that had been stalked and taken sneakily on the screen.

The group next door was discussing business, and even the owner of the bar respectfully went over.

Shen Guanghao vaguely heard something like “Fu family” and “newcomer.”

His gaze was quickly attracted to Xia Ran.

Shen Guanghao hated Xia Ran very much.

He didn’t even know why he was bewitched in junior high school to provoke this monster.

Xia Ran didn’t go to school, and Shen Guanghao was directly given a major demerit in junior high school and expelled.

He clearly didn’t like men.

Later, Shen Guanghao didn’t get into high school, but Xia Ran studied at home and got into the best high school.

It was as if only he was trapped in the sins of the past.

Shen Guanghao gradually developed some resentment and hatred.

He couldn’t explain his infatuation, so he evasively piled the blame on Xia Ran.

Shen Guanghao often lingered near the high school gate.

Sometimes he could wait for Xia Ran to leave school, accompanied by his teacher.

He wore the blue and white school uniform of the key high school, with neat short hair, the boy was like jade, as clean as a blank sheet of paper.

Shen Guanghao squatted next to the smelly ditch, looking even more like a rat.

Later, the teacher discovered Shen Guanghao’s behavior.

He drove him away several times and asked the school to strengthen patrols during school hours.

Shen Guanghao never saw Xia Ran again.

He hated Xia Ran.

His best years were ruined because of Xia Ran.

But Shen Guanghao knew in his heart that it wasn’t actually Xia Ran’s fault.

Contradictions and tensions often lingered in Shen Guanghao’s heart like poisonous snakes, causing him to become addicted to alcohol prematurely.

Eventually, under the paralysis of alcohol, he accidentally killed someone.

Seeing Xia Ran’s photo again, Shen Guanghao had a feeling as if he were in another world.

He had grown up so much.

He even kept his hair long, even more effeminate.

Shen Guanghao listened to the little brothers’ deliberate flattery and ridicule, and couldn’t help but start smoking.

The smell of smoke mixed with alcohol, together making the black-haired youth in front of him appear hazy.

“Hmph,” Shen Guanghao said, “He is the pride of a famous university, how can we compare.”

Only then did the little brothers realize that Shen Guanghao’s attitude was ambiguous.

They awkwardly realized that they had flattered the wrong person, and quickly fell silent.

Shen Guanghao drank a few more glasses and suddenly felt that everything was meaningless.

The cigarette was smelly, the wine was spicy, and the people around him were also sneaky.

Shen Guanghao disinterestedly ended this ghosting.

On the way home, he suddenly changed direction.

An evil fire arose suddenly, Shen Guanghao thought, he was so down and out because of that guy.

Why was he so clean?

Shen Guanghao pretended to be uninterested, but actually remembered Xia Ran’s apartment location.

A high-end apartment, not in the noisy and prosperous commercial district.

Shen Guanghao walked further and further afield.

Alcohol gradually numbed his brain.

It wasn’t until he reached the entrance of the residential area that he noticed the sound of footsteps following him not too closely behind.

Shen Guanghao turned back blankly.

He saw a slender, short-haired youth wearing a Tang suit.

Shen Guanghao had an impression of this person.

Because of the strange clothes and the handsome face, he had just been sitting next to the Fu family.

The Shen family had money. Shen Guanghao knew what the Fu family’s status was.

He restrained his expression.

Because the youth had a fake smile on his face.

Shen Guanghao’s hair stood on end in an instant.

He felt that this person had malicious intentions and was coming for him.

“You are also…” Shen Guanghao pretended to be stupid, “Living here?”

The man smiled.

He said, “No, I’m here to kill you.”