The Tentacle Girl's Child Can't Be a Magical Girl

Chapter 32 Stingy

Time ticked by, and the air inside the carriage seemed to freeze.

The driver/butler in the front seat was like a lifeless sculpture, his breathing barely audible.

Only the occasional honking of a horn outside the window reminded them of the reality that they were still on the move.

After about five minutes, Shiracha Chika finally turned around.

She didn't look at Bai Yuze.

Instead, he stared at a small doll in the rearview mirror, his voice returning to calm, but beneath that calm lay an undeniable determination.

"Bai Yuze, let's have an open and honest talk."

Bai Yuzhe turned his head to look at her. "Class monitor, tell me, who do you want me to take care of?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Bai Cha Qianxia rolled her eyes and said irritably, "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I'm a high-class young lady who only approached you on a whim, or worse, like those young masters and ladies from wealthy families who want to find a poor boy to tease and play with."

Bai Yuze did not deny it, but his posture was noticeably more relaxed.

What if I say no?

Bai Cha Qianxia finally turned her head and looked him directly into his eyes. "If I were to say that I value you, it's because of your intrinsic worth?"

"My worth?"

Bai Yuzhe paused slightly upon hearing this, then smiled bitterly and said, "What value could a poor student who has no parents and relies on scholarships and odd jobs to make a living have that would be worth the attention of the Bai family's daughter? Not to mention our school, just in our class, there are four or five students who got into the school through their own efforts from Parrot District."

"You are different. They sucked the blood and sweat of their parents and relatives, and later took out countless loans to climb up the ladder. But you, the top student in your year majoring in Abyssal Biology at Dongqing University, a three-time S-level scholarship recipient, the only undergraduate student Professor Mu Qinghe made an exception to allow into the laboratory, and you still maintain top grades while working part-time at a convenience store in Hanjiang District and a repair shop near Qingyang Bridge in your spare time..."

At this point, Shiratsumi paused slightly, her gaze becoming profound.

"And your part-time job smuggling from Maple Leaf District to Parrot District, although I don't know how you did it, the fact that you were able to escape unscathed from the dirty and chaotic environment of Parrot District proves that you have abilities far beyond those of your peers."

"..."

Bai Yuze's back tensed slightly.

"Don't be nervous," Bai Cha Qianxia's voice softened a bit. "Bai Yuze, I didn't investigate you, at least not by improper means. Some of this information is publicly available, and some was told to me by people close to you."

"The people around you?"

"Professor Mu admires you very much."

Bai Cha Qianxia frankly admitted, "He and my father were college classmates. Once, while having tea, he mentioned that his lab had taken on an outstanding student named Bai Yuze."

Bai Yuze fell silent.

He didn't know if what the other person said was true.

They have no right to ask.

He immediately changed the subject, asking, "So, this was all arranged by you from the beginning? Those breakfasts, those convenient routes, and even the class monitor's concern for the students—were all part of that?"

"no."

This time, Shirocha Chika's answer was very firm.

"The breakfast was genuine, and so was the concern. After all, for college students like you who come from lower-level families, as long as there are no major health or character issues, the higher-ups are usually very willing to get involved with you. I simply increased my attention to you after learning some information."

Speaking of which,

She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully. "And it turns out, you are more valuable than I thought."

Bai Yuze remained silent, quietly observing the other person.

He knew the other party was about to reveal their hand.

Chinatsu Shirakawa's voice became calm and serious, like a powerful businesswoman presenting a business proposal.

"Bai, I want to make a deal with you, or rather, I want to make an investment in you."

"invest?"

"right."

Bai Cha Qianxia nodded. "In other words, the Bai Cha family will cover all your tuition, living expenses, and research funding from now on. You will no longer have to struggle to make ends meet and can devote yourself entirely to your studies and research. You will no longer have to risk your life to work part-time to earn money. As long as any research topic you want to do is reasonable, funding will not be a problem. As for your living area, you will move with me to the Cloud Top District instead of staying here."

"And the price?"

Bai Yuze doesn't believe in free lunches.

"The price is to change your surname and name, and become a member of our Bai Cha family, or one of my people."

Bai Cha Qianxia looked directly into his eyes.

"In your future academic path and career choices, we will prioritize the interests of the White Tea family. The White Tea family has the priority right to collaborate on any achievements you make. Your network and resources will be utilized by the White Tea family when appropriate. Of course, this does not mean you have to abandon your principles. We will not ask you to do anything illegal or unethical. This is simply a strategic partnership."

"Why choose me? If your family wants to invest in talent, you can find someone ten times better than me. There are plenty of geniuses at Holly University."

Bai Cha Qianxia paused, then suddenly blinked, a crack appearing in her serious, strong-woman mask, revealing a hint of the mischievousness of an eighteen-year-old girl:

"Because you are clean and you are decent-looking, your offspring won't be too ugly."

can only say,

These terms are incredibly generous.

If Bai Yuze were a human being...

He tried to curry favor with powerful figures, but clearly, he wasn't; he was a monster with a family to support.

"What if I refuse?" Bai Yuze asked softly.

Bai Cha Qianxia's expression remained unchanged, and Bai Yuze could not discern any emotion from it.

"Let's pretend what just happened never happened. You're still Bai Yuze from Dongqing University, and I'm still your class monitor. In class, you can't give me the silent treatment when I talk to you; you can't refuse me when I go to your house for food; you can't refuse when I bring you food..."

"Squad leader, isn't this too difficult for you?"

"So what?"

Bai Cha Qianxia raised her little fist and slightly lifted her chin. "I'm speaking to you as the class monitor! Is there a problem with classmates caring for each other and building friendships?"

Bai Yuze said with a wry smile, "Class monitor, there are plenty of guys in our class who are more handsome than me."

"That's not the same thing. What I need is a friend I can get along with normally at school. Someone who won't fawn over me because of my surname, nor will they keep their distance because of my background. Besides, wouldn't it be great if I could freeload off you? Others wouldn't even have the chance!"

finished,

Bai Yuzhe was surprised to see a rare hint of loneliness in the other person's eyes.

The morning light streamed through the car window, casting a soft glow on her face.

this moment,

She was no longer the wealthy heiress who could calmly handle the Secret Service director, but just a twenty-year-old girl, a young woman searching for friends.

This time,

Bai Yuze, on the other hand, could no longer see through the other party.

After ten minutes,

The car stopped in an open space near the building materials market.

The midday sun was already quite glaring, and the bustling sounds of the market could be vaguely heard through the car window.

Bai Yuzhe opened the car door, preparing to look for the shopping supplies he had just lost. But in the shadows of an alleyway next to the market entrance, he spotted three or four familiar figures.

If I remember correctly,

They were the ones who started looking for trouble from the very beginning.

But at this moment,

They looked quite disheveled, with bandages on their hands and several fresh bruises on their faces.

In front of them were several familiar cloth bags and cardboard boxes, which were the supplies for the school anniversary that Bai Yuze and Bai Chaqianxia had purchased today.

hiss,

Bai Yuzhe didn't believe these people would kindly wait for them to return and retrieve their supplies.

But soon,

He then understood what was going on.

With the arrival of Hakucha Chika,

The three heavily injured thugs immediately lowered their heads and respectfully shouted in unison:

"Miss!"

"..."

Bai Yuze slowly turned around, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Shiracha Chika met his gaze without flinching. Instead, she gently raised her chin, spread her small hands, and spoke with a tone as calm as if she were saying that the weather was nice today:

"That's right, I called these thugs over to cause trouble. I wanted to see if you'd abandon me and run away in a crisis."

After a long while,

Bai Yuze fell silent for a moment.

"Squad leader, I can understand why you're doing this, but there's no need to say it out loud, after all, I don't think I'm even one of them..."

Bai Cha Qianxia blinked, revealing an almost innocent expression: "But I just said that I'm your class monitor. Isn't it normal for a class monitor to care about the personal safety and character of their classmates?"

Bai Cha Qianxia didn't seem to care what Bai Yuze thought. She turned and walked towards the pile of shopping supplies. When she saw the edge of the heavy backdrop and the tear that had been cut by the cart, which was more than ten centimeters long, her brows immediately furrowed.

She glared angrily at the thugs beside her. "What's going on? I only told you to create a conflict, not to damage the things you bought!"

The group of thugs trembled in fright and hurriedly explained, "Miss Bai Cha, we really didn't mean to! It's just... the fabric is of such poor quality. The cart was only lightly wiped, and it immediately got such a big tear. We couldn't stop it!"

"Miss, why don't you go and buy another copy?"

"Buy it again?! It's free! The class's money is the class's money, and my money is my money!"

Bai Yuzhe: "..."

He is now somewhat convinced that the other person was genuinely kind in bringing him breakfast earlier, because most of the time, the breakfasts the other person brought him cost no more than five yuan.

Thinking of this,

He sighed softly.

Upon closer inspection, the tear was found to be irregular at the edge of the fabric roll, but fortunately, there was no large-area tear.

"Waaah—"

Looking at the hole, Shirakawa Chika's voice was filled with heartache, "They're going to take money from my savings again!"

"fine."

As Bai Yuze spoke, he turned and walked into a small shop next door, where he borrowed a roll of transparent tape.

He crouched down under Shiracha Chika's slightly questioning gaze, laid the cloth bag flat on his knees, and carefully aligned the two torn sides. Then, he used his teeth to bite open the end of the tape, skillfully tore off a piece, and carefully stuck it to the back of the fabric, firmly sealing the tear.

His fingers deftly smoothed the edges of the tape, ensuring there were no bubbles or wrinkles, his movements as gentle as if he were handling some precious experimental sample.

The whole process was smooth and seamless.

Less than a minute.

"It has to be you again!"

Bai Cha Qianxia immediately gave Bai Yuze a thumbs up.

You know what,

Bai Yuzhe was quite happy with Bai Cha Qianxia's praise; it was genuine.

"Miss, these things..."

The thugs nearby hurriedly came forward to show their importance.

"Take these things to the student council warehouse at school, and remember, don't break them this time."

Bai Cha Qianxia snapped out of her thoughts and regained her calm expression. She glanced at the pile of purchased supplies, then looked at Bai Yuze.

"We guarantee the mission will be completed."

The group nodded repeatedly, as if they had been granted a pardon.

After dealing with these,

Bai Cha Qianxia turned to Bai Yuze, her usual friendly smile returning to her face.

"Let's go, I'll treat you to some good food and drinks."

Bai Yuze originally thought that the other party would take him to the Maple Leaf Pavilion or the Europa Restaurant in the Maple Leaf District to broaden his horizons.

But soon,

He was disappointed.

The black sedan did not head towards the towering glass-walled skyscrapers of Maple Leaf District, nor did it go to any well-known venues that required booking months in advance and formal attire.

Instead, they turned into an old street in Hanjiang District.

On both sides are some old cherry blossom trees, their branches and leaves gleaming with a faint green luster in the sunlight.

The street is narrow, and both sides are crowded with all kinds of small shops: convenience stores, grocery stores, shoe repair stalls, steaming bun shops... From a distance, it is full of the lively atmosphere of everyday life.

Finally, we stopped in front of a two-story building that looked completely ordinary.

The white walls are somewhat mottled.

The wooden sign bears four characters written in simple regular script:

Longjie Kitchen.

After getting off,

As if she knew the place well, Shiracha Chika skillfully opened the car door and walked straight into the store.

Bai Yuze followed behind her.

When the waiter who was picking vegetables at the door looked up and saw Shiracha Chika, she simply nodded indifferently, without any of the respect or surprise that one would expect from a noble lady, as if she were just a regular customer.

The interior decoration of the store is also very simple.

Wooden table and chairs

It was wiped clean, but the marks of time were still visible. Several tables of guests were already seated on the first floor, chatting and laughing loudly, the air filled with the aroma of home-cooked dishes.

Looking around at the surroundings,

Bai Yuze's doubts grew. "Class monitor, this is... your family's shop?"

That's not right either.

Which waiter would treat their young lady like that?

Shiracha Chika shook her head, but didn't explain. Instead, she suddenly raised her voice and shouted towards the stairs leading to the second floor:

"Uncle Longjie, I'm hungry!"

The sound is clear and bright.

She had a bit of a girlish, self-righteous air about her.

After a while

Steady footsteps echoed down the stairs.

A middle-aged man in a white chef's uniform came down. He was around fifty years old, with a strong build, short, stiff hair, and well-defined facial features, especially his eyes, which were so sharp they seemed to see right through people.

A faint old scar on his left eyebrow added to his fierce appearance.

now,

Those sharp eyes, filled with obvious disdain and helplessness, glared at Shiracha Chika:

"You little brat, it was one thing for you to come here as a freeloader when you were little, but now that you're the young lady of the Bai Cha family in high society, why are you still coming to my shabby little shop every day? My little temple is too small to accommodate a Buddha like you."

That being said,

But he had already picked up a brown apron and skillfully tied it on.

Bai Cha Qianxia smiled and wasn't annoyed at all: "Well, there's nothing I can do about it. Uncle Longjie, your cooking is the best!"

"Hmph, I bet he just doesn't want to pay and is trying to freeload!"

The middle-aged man snorted, then turned his gaze to Bai Yuze, who was standing behind Bai Chaqianxia.

At that moment,

Bai Yuze felt a kind of almost tangible scrutiny. That gaze wasn't like that of an ordinary restaurant owner looking at a customer; rather, it was like a tiger sizing up prey that had suddenly invaded its territory.

"Girl, who is this?"

The middle-aged man's gaze lingered on Bai Yuzhe's face for two seconds before returning to Bai Chaqianxia, ​​his brows furrowing.

"Don't tell me this is your boyfriend."

Bai Yuzhe turned his head and saw Bai Chaqianxia's lips slightly parted, as if she was about to speak. He quickly replied:

"We are classmates. The class monitor said there was a very good restaurant nearby, so he brought me here to broaden my horizons."

The middle-aged man stared at him for a few more seconds, and his cold, taut face visibly relaxed slightly. He let out a soft snort.

"At least this girl has some conscience; she knows to bring me some guests."

finished,

He turned and walked towards the kitchen, waving his hand:

"In that case, please have a seat. The usual window seats on the second floor are empty. I'll prepare a few of my signature dishes to broaden your horizons, you students."

As the middle-aged man's figure disappeared behind the curtain, Bai Yuze breathed a sigh of relief. This middle-aged man gave him a similar feeling to Jiang Yu from the Special Operations Bureau.

Clearly, they had all fought their way back from the front lines of the Abyss Battlefield.