My System Forces Me to Live off Women-Chapter 186 - 173: The Last Supper?

Li Peifeng had already lost hope in the effect of the aura.

Perhaps it had some effect? Would Zhao Qingge's attitude be worse without it?

He could only console himself this way and ignore the aura, trying to explain the cohabitation issue raised by Zhao Qingge according to his mental draft...

"The cohabitation started during the National Day holiday. At that time, Wu Wenyue's original apartment was sold by the landlord. She couldn't find a suitable place immediately, so she came to cohabit with me. The next day, somehow Xu Manning heard about it and wanted to move in with Wu Wenyue. They both lived in that side room and reconciled on the same day."

Starting cohabitation during the National Day holiday was particularly important because the teacher-student relationship hadn't yet evolved beyond its bounds. Li Peifeng felt it necessary to make this point clear, perhaps to reassure Old Zhao a bit.

"I see."

Zhao Qingge responded, slowly walked to the side room, opened the door, and saw the girls' room.

She looked for ten seconds.

Closed it.

Then walked to the master bedroom and opened the door.

Looked for twenty seconds.

Closed it.

Zhao Qingge turned to look at Li Peifeng, silently watching him, without a word.

"Would you like to sit inside?"

Li Peifeng forced a smile: "We are just cohabiting, respecting each other's privacy, staying in our own rooms. The two of them don't come into mine, but there's nothing unsightly in my room either."

Silence fell again, the atmosphere carrying a slight awkwardness.

Zhao Qingge stared at him for a moment, choosing not to enter the room but sat on the couch in the living room, lost in thought: "You all are really interesting. Xu Manning always wants to reconcile with you, keeps giving gifts to express her feelings, yet stays with Wu Wenyue."

"As for Wu Wenyue, she not only doesn't resent you, doesn't get jealous of her girlfriend, but is also willing to cohabit with you, gives you gifts, and remains your close friend. The strangest part is, you don't mind living with them, with no intention of avoiding suspicion by moving out."

Li Peifeng squeezed out a smile: "I've been here since my undergraduate years, got used to living here for so many years, and it's hard to find a suitable place nearby. Moving is such a hassle..."

Zhao Qingge interrupted, gazing at Li Peifeng: "It's okay. I'm your mentor, not your mother. Your residence isn't my concern; you live wherever you like. I'm only responsible for your studies."

The tone was flat, starting to set boundaries!

Li Peifeng felt a chill in his heart. At this moment, if the world were a dating game with him as the protagonist, Zhao Qingge, the heroine's affection for him, had dropped from the brink-of-intimacy 85 to a mere 40.

Well, probably just a tad better than acquaintances.

Because Zhao Qingge's response was too calm, too composed, as if reverting to when they first met. If she were furious instead, Li Peifeng would have a way to handle it, but such a scenario was tricky.

"Actually, I've been looking for a suitable place recently, hoping to move out when I find one..."

Li Peifeng attempted to turn the tide, making one last effort.

Zhao Qingge lightly waved her hand: "Go cook. I haven't eaten yet, either. When are they coming back?"

You're not leaving?

Li Peifeng felt a sinking heart, inwardly urging trouble. He had invited Old Zhao for a meal just out of courtesy, but she really intended to stay. When the other three girls returned, sitting together at the dining table, with Zhao Qingge's intelligence, a couple of probing questions might reveal their unusual relationship, at which point even a 40 might be out of reach.

It might become -40, that is... a state of animosity?

"Probably another hour or two." Li Peifeng hesitated: "The studio's quite busy today, Wu Wenyue and Xu Manning have meetings to discuss. If you're in a hurry..."

"Click~"

"Slow down."

Before Li Peifeng could finish, the door sounded, and Xu Manning and Huang Tianxuan came in supporting Wu Wenyue, the three of them walking side by side.

Li Peifeng, however, felt like he'd be carried out sideways today.

"Professor Zhao? You're here too?" Xu Manning was quite surprised.

Zhao Qingge stood up with a smile: "Yes, I just got off work, came to check on Wenyue's injuries, and to emphasize some new project work with Li Peifeng."

"Thank you, Professor Zhao. I didn't expect... thank you so much, please sit, Manning, let go of me. I can walk myself, go get the professor a glass of water."

Wu Wenyue, seeing the fruit in Li Peifeng's hand, understood. She hadn't expected someone she normally didn't interact with much like Zhao Qingge to have such kindness. They had only exchanged a few words during a chance encounter while shopping last time.

This time, upon hearing of her injury, the person came to visit, perhaps mainly to discuss work with Li Peifeng, but bringing fruit was already extremely commendable.

"Xiaofeng, what are you standing there for? It's your teacher's first time visiting your home, and you haven't served water yet?"

Wu Wenyue felt slightly touched and couldn't help but laugh while reproaching Li Peifeng.

"Uh."

"I'll do it." Xu Manning quickly changed her shoes, taking on a host's demeanor: "Peifeng, go make dinner. Is it ready? Sister Xuan, you sit down too."

"Okay."

Huang Tianxuan gently closed the door, looked at the two girls, then at Zhao Qingge, finally sitting at the corner of the sofa, glancing at the flustered Li Peifeng with a hidden smile.

Things seemed to be even more interesting than she had thought?

"Professor Zhao, why are you just getting off work now..."

"Haha, the project has been quite busy; I didn't even have time for dinner."

"That's perfect, we haven't eaten either. Don't leave, join us for a meal."

"Oh?"

Zhao Qingge tilted her head slightly, eyes filled with amusement: "Is that appropriate?"

"It's more than appropriate. You're Li Peifeng's mentor, nothing could be more fitting!"

"How's your injury?"

"It's nothing, I just took a fall..."

Wu Wenyue was making small talk with Zhao Qingge, watching as Li Peifeng stood motionless. She knocked her fist against her back and glanced at him: "Need me to help with cooking?"

"...No need."

Li Peifeng calmly took the fruit back to the kitchen, and was soon intercepted by Xu Manning, who snatched it away: "I'll wash it. You quickly get to cooking. Why isn't it ready yet? Professor Zhao is eating too, you should make more!"

"...I know."

Li Peifeng calmly picked up a spatula and turned the stove back on, listening to the three women in the living room chat away, seemingly having a very engaging conversation...

"Should I just lay it all out on the table?"

The impulse for self-destruction came suddenly as Li Peifeng continued mechanically cooking the meal.

He tapped the drumstick on the plate, knocking off the breadcrumb debris, and put it back into the oil to re-fry, staring blankly at the bubbles rising in the pot.

He felt like he was the drumstick in the pot.

The surrounding air felt like 300-degree cooking oil.

While the four hungry women in the room seemed like diners ready to devour him.

"Life is scalding, I am half-cooked, shedding crumbs, yet giving off an aroma of crispy fragrance."

Li Peifeng's mind was completely frozen, the CPU overloaded and unable to compute a solution for the current situation...

"You seem to be in a bad mood."

As Xu Manning finished washing the fruit and left, Huang Tianxuan sauntered into the kitchen with her hands behind her back: "What's the matter, did something happen? Tell me, let me have a good laugh."

"No."

Li Peifeng shook his head instinctively.

"Do you need me to help in the kitchen?" Huang Tianxuan reminded: "Another person has joined, you should make a bit more food, lest there isn't enough."

"I know..."

Li Peifeng sighed: "Help me grab another drumstick from the fridge, it's in the crisper drawer."

"Okay."

Huang Tianxuan agreed readily, took the drumstick out and handed it to him, suddenly couldn't help but glance at him in the kitchen state: "You look quite handsome with an apron on."

"Really?"

"Yes. Hey, when did you get your ears pierced?" Huang Tianxuan asked in slight surprise as she looked at the small black metal stud on Li Peifeng's ear, and instinctively wanted to touch it until she realized the inappropriate nature of the gesture, blushing and pulling her hand back.

"The earring suits you."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Li Peifeng felt a stir in his heart. The aura seemed useful, but relying on it alone wasn't enough. Perhaps... 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

He pulled himself out of his dazed state, glanced at Huang Tianxuan, and saw her face was still flushed. Seeing him looking at her, she teasingly said: "Why are you looking at me? Tell me, does your mentor not know you have two girlfriends? Are you here to scout enemy forces? If she finds out you're not only not single but also...hmph, when women get jealous, it's fierce, especially older women—they have a strong sense of possession and jealousy. I bet you'll be put through hell with petty complaints in the future!"

Li Peifeng just nodded, not responding to Huang Tianxuan's words, and then put on a serious face: "Tianxuan, if you had a cheat in real life that could reduce your life difficulty, things that seem extremely difficult and unimaginable to others, would you still use cheats to succeed?"

"?"

Huang Tianxuan was puzzled as she looked at him, but still thought about Li Peifeng's question: "I don't quite understand. Is it that the cheat just requires you to press a button and everything happens, or does it merely reduce the difficulty, and you still have to do it yourself?"

Li Peifeng thought for a moment and replied: "The latter, it probably only reduces the difficulty by...half?"

"Use it."

Huang Tianxuan blurted out, then self-mockingly laughed: "Are you indirectly criticizing me? I, as a second-generation rich kid, were born with cheats that make things not just twice as easy, but materialistically so easy it's like whatever I wish comes true. Although there are many stressful things...but if there's another life, I still want to be a second-generation rich, even if still a woman. Wouldn't you? Even coming up with this dumb question?"

"You're right!"

Li Peifeng agreed wholeheartedly, quickly walking out of the kitchen...

"Where are you going? Not cooking anymore?"

Huang Tianxuan looked at him, baffled, but as she watched his back, something occurred to her, and she shook her head: "You can cheat materially, but how to cheat in love? No matter what, someone who doesn't like you will never like you."