Chapter 60 Drugging

Inside the café, Wang Ling had been waiting for a long time. He spotted Wei Zi the very moment she appeared at the school gates.

At that sight, his gaze became glued to her. Even though they had only been apart for half a month, he felt that Wei Zi had grown immensely more beautiful, radiating an ethereal and cold temperament that he could not quite describe.

Clad in fluttering white, she gave off an otherworldly, celestial aura that seemed entirely detached from the mortal realm.

"Wei Zi!" Wang Ling took a deep breath, raised a hand to wave at her, and deliberately tossed his slightly long bangs to make himself look more dashing.

Wei Zi, however, paid no attention to these trivial details. In her eyes, a teenage boy like Wang Ling was certainly not the type of person who appealed to her psychological age.

Wei Zi walked over, sat opposite Wang Ling, and pushed the menu back when the waiter handed it to her.

"A glass of plain water, please," Wei Zi said. She truly disliked drinking coffee.

"Let me order you a cup of milk tea instead!" Wang Ling quickly offered.

"No, just plain water. I can't handle hot drinks right now!" Wei Zi replied. Having awakened her Mystic Core, consuming hot beverages might provide temporary warmth, but it would soon leave her feeling even colder. Rather than that, she preferred not to drink anything at all.

Hearing Wei Zi's resolute tone, Wang Ling had no choice but to give up and instructed the waiter to bring a glass of plain water.

"Wei Zi, have you been very busy lately? You didn't reply to my messages. Didn't you miss me?" Wang Ling stared fixedly at Wei Zi, his gaze lingering on her porcelain-like skin. Having already tasted the forbidden fruit, Wang Ling could not help but harbor certain thoughts upon seeing a pretty girl: he wondered what Wei Zi's skin would feel like to the touch; it would surely be far better than Jin Xue'er's.

"Mm, a bit busy," Wei Zi answered flatly. Then, changing the subject, she said, "Wang Ling, I remember back at Enlightenment Academy, your ambition was to start a company!" As for what kind of company or project it was, Wei Zi had long since forgotten.

"Ah, yes!" Not expecting Wei Zi to ask such a question, Wang Ling replied instinctively.

"Well then, let me invest in your company. I'll give you the money—500,000—to start your business. Consider it a token of gratitude for your care over all these years," Wei Zi said.

Wang Ling's eyes widened, and his heart inevitably began to pound heavily.

Wei Zi was going to give him money to start a company?

Fifty thousand was by no means a small sum to Wang Ling. At the very least, with this money, he would have more than enough for initial startup capital!

Yet, a flash of greed soon crossed Wang Ling's eyes. What was fifty thousand? To Wei Zi, such an amount was merely a drop in the ocean; she was now worth hundreds of millions, yet she was trying to brush him off with this mere pittance under the guise of repaying a favor? This was treating him like a beggar, and Wang Ling was naturally dissatisfied.

Once he won over Wei Zi, he could gain so much more. Fifty thousand was simply not enough to catch his eye now!

"No, Wei Zi, I can earn money on my own; I don't need your investment. I am of age now, and I must shoulder a man's responsibilities. I never told you these things before, but now, I feel I have the right to say them. I like you very much—I've liked you ever since our days at Enlightenment Academy. Wei Zi, will you be my girlfriend?" Wang Ling said with a sincere expression.

Wei Zi had not expected Wang Ling to actually confess his feelings to her. Hearing his words, she felt a brief surge of emotion. Whether in her past life or her present one, this was the first time a man had ever confessed to her.

Unfortunately, his words lacked any trace of sincerity.

Greed was a look all too common among mercenaries!

It was the very same look they cast upon spotting rare treasures, mystic fruits, spiritual herbs, or wild beast materials.

Even between mercenary squads, such gazes would be exchanged upon catching sight of each other's equipment and weapons. Wei Zi was far too familiar with it.

She had already witnessed Wang Ling's greed in her past life, when he had video-called Wei Dongming—it was so ugly, so utterly repulsive.

"I'm sorry, but unfortunately, I don't like you," Wei Zi said coldly.

"What did you say? Wei Zi, why are you lying? Don't we like each other? We just never said it out loud before. I felt I was too young back then, but things are different now. We've both been admitted to First Academy; nothing can stop us anymore!"

"What about Jin Xue'er then?" Wei Zi asked.

For a split second, Wang Ling felt a pang of guilty conscience. But soon enough, he regained his composure. The extent of whatever had developed between him and Jin Xue'er was known only to the heavens, himself, and Jin Xue'er. As long as he denied it, Wei Zi would never find out.

"Jin Xue'er was just pestering me. I only humored her out of consideration for our classmates. Wei Zi, the person I truly love is you!"

"Hah!" Wei Zi let out a self-deprecating chuckle, unable to hold back. She truly wanted to say: *Spare me your talk of true feelings, and don't speak of love—I feel it is an insult to both words.*

If he was so sincere, why was he still entangled with Jin Xue'er? If he loved her so much, why had he traded her to Wei Dongming for a mere fifty thousand in the past?

Wei Zi wanted to retort, but in an instant, she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Her body grew abnormally hot, causing her to sway uncontrollably as her vision began to blur.

Having received no answer, Wang Ling felt somewhat flustered. No matter how deep a schemer a teenager might be, he was still just a teenager acting on sheer impulse, and now that Wei Zi had exposed him, he was beginning to crack.

Right at that moment, his communicator chimed with a series of beeps. He instinctively raised his hand to check it—it was a text message from Li Meiyu.

"Little bro, big sis has done all she can for you. Just now, I slipped a dose of compliant water into your little girlfriend's drink. Take her to a hotel later. As the saying goes, lovers' squabbles end in the bedroom; there's nothing that can't be resolved. Wishing you happiness~"

For a fraction of a second, Wang Ling's mind went blank, followed immediately by a violent pounding of his heart.

Compliant water? Wei Zi had ingested compliant water?

Looking at her now, he saw that she indeed appeared drowsy, rubbing her temples as if struggling to keep her eyes open. He clenched his fists in excitement, his palms slick with sweat.

Wang Ling took a deep breath, relaxed his grip, and wiped the sweat from his palms onto his trousers before asking in a hushed, tentative voice, "Wei Zi, are you not feeling well? Let's go somewhere and rest for a bit!"

Wei Zi did not answer. She only felt dizzy, completely drained of strength, unable to figure out what was happening to her.

In truth, this could hardly be blamed on Wei Zi. While compliant water was widely circulated among mercenaries, who would ever think of drugging an ugly, disfigured outcast? Thus, despite her ten years of mercenary experience, Wei Zi had stumbled here. She only felt a relentless ringing in her ears and, looking instinctively at Wang Ling, found his figure hazy and indistinct.

A flush of unnatural redness stained Wei Zi's face, and her eyes were moist, making her look like a helpless, pitiful little deer.