MORIC - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Rich People All Like to Help the Poor

When Wen Xinghuo wasn't in class, she was mostly working part-time.

Although Xi Zhoumeng was her childhood friend, they weren't exactly inseparable.

The two of them mostly saw each other at school. The last time Wen Xinghuo went to her house was because she wanted to freeload some guidance from the rarely-home Xi Mingguang.

The Upper World was magnificent overall, but even the most magnificent places had their dirty corners.

There were also places where the cost of living wasn't so high.

The six of them were all squeezed into Xi Zhoumeng's hovercar, heading towards a residential area in the outer ring of the Upper World.

Wen Xinghuo came to this area often. The cost of living was generally half that of the inner ring. You could also find many good-quality, inexpensive parts. Next door was the largest Mechanical City in the entire galaxy, where you could see merchants traveling to and from various star systems.

The hovercar belonged to Xi Zhoumeng. Driving on the sky-rail, it looked perfectly normal at first glance, but the people inside were practically squeezed to death.

Especially Xi Zhoumeng. Regret was written all over her face as she glared with utter disdain at Xi Shuang, who was sitting in the passenger seat studying the navigation system.

It wasn't that Xi Shuang had never driven for Xi Zhoumeng, but this galaxy-wide limited edition luxury hovercar was just too cool, even its navigation system was unique.

The car's owner looked displeased, perfectly embodying the sentiment of "I don't want to deal with you commoners."

The four-seater hovercar was already overloaded. They were originally supposed to take another car.

But today was a special day. Xi Shuang's car had been taken in for maintenance. Ling Xun's hovercar hadn't passed its electronic license plate inspection yet and needed to be reapplied for in eight business days.

The remaining one was a little princess who appeared meek and submissive, and probably didn't have much pocket money.

And two citizens originally from the Lower World who were about equally poor.

Xi Shuang: "Zhoumeng, can't you just turn on the AI guidance? I don't know how to use this thing for precise navigation."

The two back seats had become three, with Chi Yueshan sitting in the middle, flanked by Ling Xun and Xi Zhoumeng.

Chi Yueshan was looking at the mecha photos Ling Xun had given her. They were of a mecha that Zhou Fengqin had previously modified for her family.

In Xi Zhoumeng's peripheral vision, those two were getting closer and closer. She huffed, "Do you need precise navigation? Just drive to Mechanical City and Wen Xinghuo will give you manual directions."

Her words were filled with gunpowder. Wen Xinghuo glanced at the rearview mirror. Xi Zhoumeng might as well have had "I want to jump out of this car" written on her face.

In the back, Chi Yueshan and Ling Xun were leaning closer as they talked.

Wen Xinghuo wasn't an idiot. It was one thing to be inexplicably cheated on herself.

But Xi Zhoumeng hadn't shown any special affection for anyone for years. No matter how you looked at it, she was special towards Chi Yueshan.

Whether they were dating or not, she didn't know, but it was possible Chi Yueshan had already been claimed by Xi Zhoumeng.

Wen Xinghuo coughed. "Right, I'll tell you how to drive when we get there."

Xi Shuang snorted. "Why don't you drive?"

Xi Zhoumeng: "Oh, but our dear Xinghuo has a delicate little Omega sister in her arms. How could she possibly drive?"

The teasing in her words was extreme. Even Chi Yueshan subconsciously glanced forward.

Xi Zhoumeng's car wasn't big to begin with, not to mention there were three apparent Alphas present.

Wen Xinghuo was an XL size; if she sat in the back, there was no way three people could fit.

In the end, Xi Zhoumeng came up with a terrible idea: have Sheng Yangkui sit in Wen Xinghuo's lap.

The consequence was that the little princess was still too shy to lift her head, nestled against Wen Xinghuo's chest like a kitten.

Chi Yueshan completely missed the point. "Driving while holding someone is very dangerous, you know! You have autonomous driving, yet you're still making things difficult for Senior Wen!"

Xi Shuang: ...

Why are you not so infatuated anymore, yet still acting like you're from Wen Xinghuo's family?

Can't you see Xi Zhoumeng's face is about to twist in anger?

What's wrong with you, Chi Yueshan? Are you dense?

Did you think I couldn't tell you two are in an O-O relationship??

Even Ling Xun couldn't help but laugh.

The irritation in Xi Zhoumeng's heart was about to burst through her skull. She decided it was better to not see it and turned to look at the scenery.

She thought: You'd better apologize to me right now.

Chi Yueshan, completely oblivious, even started to worry if Sheng Yangkui was feeling stuffy.

"Student Sheng, won't you get too stuffy like this? It's not comfortable to stay in one position for too long."

Sheng Yangkui's voice was trembling. "I-I'm fine, thank you."

She thought: What kind of person is Chi Yueshan? I thought she would scold me.

The impression of Chi Yueshan arguing with heaven and earth in her past life was just too profound.

Wen Xinghuo hesitated for a while, then finally sighed and asked Chi Yueshan, "How are you spending the winter break? I heard from Zhoumeng earlier that you don't plan on going back?"

Chi Yueshan: "Well, when I'm fed, my whole family is fed. I don't have a home down there anymore."

She always spoke with great energy, her vitality infectious, as if no difficulty could ever stand in her way.

Ling Xun: "You can stay with me..."

Xi Zhoumeng: "She's staying with me."

Chi Yueshan let out a sound of surprise. "When did I..."

Xi Zhoumeng: "Haven't you already met my mother? She's on leave at home. You can ask her any mecha-related questions you have."

Xi Mingguang had indeed said that, but it was in the context of if Xi Zhoumeng were to get married.

It was all the same anyway.

Xi Zhoumeng still didn't look at Chi Yueshan. She stared out the window, her whole body seemingly shrunk by the window, looking utterly pitiful.

The young miss had always had a seat to herself before; she'd rarely had to squeeze in with others.

Chi Yueshan: "Oh, I almost forgot."

She scooted over towards Ling Xun again. "Don't be so squeezed. I'll make some room for you."

Xi Shuang finally got the autonomous driving to work. The moment she turned her head, she heard this sentence.

Her head was about to explode.

She glanced at Wen Xinghuo, who asked her with her eyes: "What's up with your little sister?"

Xi Shuang lowered her voice and replied, "I vaguely heard they're just friends."

Sheng Yangkui finally lifted her eyes from her excessive shyness. Seeing the back row, she instantly felt that her own seat was actually quite good.

Although it was a bit cramped, Wen Xinghuo's embrace was warm, the destination she had always dreamed of.

Xi Zhoumeng couldn't take it anymore. "Stop making Ling Xun suffer. She's the only child in her family."

Chi Yueshan let out a sound of surprise.

Just as Ling Xun was about to explain that she actually had a younger sister, she saw Xi Zhoumeng pull on Chi Yueshan.

Chi Yueshan was naturally pulled over by her.

Xi Zhoumeng rested her head on Chi Yueshan's shoulder. "Don't cause trouble for others, understand?"

Chi Yueshan grumbled, "I'm not."

She didn't struggle, though. Instead, she tucked Xi Zhoumeng's fallen hair behind her ear. Although her movements looked a bit rough, her touch was gentle.

Xi Shuang sighed silently. In her peripheral vision, Wen Xinghuo was stroking Sheng Yangkui's hair.

Ling Xun thought: I'm 'others', so what's the relationship between you two?

Are they really in an Omega-Omega relationship like everyone says?

But she had a gentle temperament, so she didn't say anything.

After a moment, she asked Xi Zhoumeng, "Senior, if Commander Xi is at home, may I pay a visit?"

Xi Mingguang and Shen Yu were both famous Alpha generals of the Empire.

Xi Mingguang was a bit older, while Shen Yu was her junior. But one belonged to the Expeditionary Force and the other to the Advanced Operations Center, and both garnered a lot of attention for their exceptionally outstanding looks.

However, most high-quality Alphas were matched and married early. Xi Mingguang belonged to that batch of early marriages. Although her first marriage was excessively hasty, rumors circulated that she was kept by an interstellar gem merchant. The original plan was to get rid of the Alpha and keep the child, but unfortunately, the other party wasn't so lucky and passed away from illness after Xi Chun was born.

Shen Yu, on the other hand, was still a bona fide single noble, and there were no scandals about her having a child or anything of the sort.

The Shen family, ranked second, had more than just her as a child; she had several younger brothers and sisters below her, and they didn't rush her either.

Many anonymous posts claimed that Shen Yu "couldn't perform," possibly because she had sustained a fundamental injury on the battlefield.

Ling Xun looked gentle and soft, but in reality, she had a very competitive personality. Being warlike was an Alpha's nature, as was admiring the strong.

Visiting a noble required a very close relationship. Even though Xi Shuang was quite familiar with Xi Zhoumeng, she had never thought of bringing it up.

Firstly, Xi Mingguang was away all year round. Secondly, even Wen Xinghuo had only met her a few times.

Xi Shuang: "I want to go too!"

Wen Xinghuo actually wanted to go too, but she still had to gauge Xi Zhoumeng's mood.

Sheng Yangkui, in her arms, looked up and saw the expression in Wen Xinghuo's eyes. She weakly raised her hand. "I want to, too."

If it was the princess, of course there would be no problem.

Xi Shuang huffed. "So impressive, Wen Xinghuo."

Xi Zhoumeng, for once, didn't put on airs. "I'll ask her later. But you'll definitely be able to see her at the palace banquet during the New Year festival."

Wen Xinghuo's position in the Wen family was awkward. She shook her head. "Not necessarily."

Xi Shuang didn't forget to complain. "Yeah, Princess, can you bear it? Our Xinghuo may be a noble, but she has it so rough. She's bullied by her older siblings and even has to work in a place like this."

The hovercar drove near Mechanical City and prepared to land in a nearby parking lot. This area was completely different from the noble prosperity of the central city.

All sorts of downgrades were visible to the naked eye.

There were no tall buildings, only dilapidated bungalows. Only the distant Mechanical City looked like something decent.

Here, factories and scattered streets were jumbled together. Under the night sky, intermittent lights flickered on, like fireworks that had gotten wet—all fizzle and no bang.

Sheng Yangkui's impression of the Lower World was from the brief memories after her rebirth, when she was separated at a specific time and then transferred.

At that time, she hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings, only knowing that the Lower World had no sun or flowers.

But the fringe areas of the Upper World were on par with the Lower World.

She asked Wen Xinghuo, "You work part-time around here?"

Wen Xinghuo: "Don't listen to her. It's not this run-down."

Xi Zhoumeng was displeased and said sarcastically, "Our Xinghuo is so gentle. Why don't you consider us?"

Xi Zhoumeng had braided Chi Yueshan's hair into several plaits. After taking them out, her hair looked like it had exploded.

Her temper also exploded. "Senior already promised to treat us, what are you still not satisfied with!"

Xi Zhoumeng: "You always take me to such nice restaurants when you treat me to a meal. I'm just feeling indignant on behalf of Princess A'Kui."

【System: Are you trying to be a wingman or break them up?】

Xi Zhoumeng huffed.

Chi Yueshan: "What are you huffing about? The food at high-end restaurants isn't even that good."

She moved the boneless Omega off her shoulder. "It depends on who you're eating with."

Xi Shuang finally parked the car. "Let's go. I'm guessing you're treating us to that place called Under the Green Vine Tree."

Wen Xinghuo hummed in agreement.

This area was indeed visibly dilapidated. If the area around Guyun Academy was desolate, then this place was the bustling of ants.

In the distance, the royal palace buildings that reached for the sky became very small.

The happiness of the lowest-class residents of the Upper World seemed to be about the same as that of the people from the Lower World.

It was beer, barbecue, and hot pot. It was the cheerful sound of people clinking glasses while sitting together on stacked plastic stools.

Under the Green Vine Tree was a home-style restaurant, not connected to the other shops. The building looked like a condemned structure.

Green vines grew on the roof. They had little vitality in this season. Only a string of lights wound around them, giving off a bit of a cool, deserted feeling.

Xi Zhoumeng's disgust was about to materialize.

It wasn't that she had never experienced this kind of life, but after living as a noble young lady here for so many years, the fun of experiencing life like this was completely gone.

The leisurely mood for sitting by the roadside and grilling lamb skewers had also vanished.

Besides, when she went to roadside stalls in the past, they weren't this roadside.

What on earth was all this?

The group had all changed their clothes before coming out. Chi Yueshan could finally move her legs freely and felt fantastic.

Wen Xinghuo had also changed out of the suit Xi Zhoumeng had spent a fortune on to help her with her love life, and was back to her simple plumber's attire.

Except for perhaps Wen Xinghuo and Chi Yueshan, none of the others looked like they belonged here.

Xi Zhoumeng was the worst case. Going up the stairs, she looked as if she were stepping on shit.

"This floor isn't even swept clean."

"Aiya, why are there still bugs?"

"This hanging picture is too shoddy. It's a reprint of a counterfeit."

...

Ling Xun and Xi Shuang were walking behind Xi Zhoumeng. Ling Xun asked hesitantly, "Sis, is it true that Senior Xi spends several hundred million a year?"

Even though Ling Xun's family wasn't poor, she still found this number exaggerated.

Xi Shuang was an even more well-known rich second generation. She nodded gravely.

"Why else do you think no one was optimistic about Zhoumeng and Xinghuo before? Look at Wen Xinghuo's shoes."

Ling Xun looked at the female Alpha in the private room pulling out a chair for Sheng Yangkui.

"What's wrong with them?"

Xi Shuang took a deep breath. "Bought on the roadside for ten Star Coins."

Ling Xun let out a sound of surprise.

Ten Star Coins wasn't even enough for her to buy a pen.

Xi Shuang: "Do you understand this kind of pain? Competing to death every day in the Alpha academy, this old lady spends a fortune every year forging my body in the gym, yet in the physical fitness test, I still can't outrun someone wearing a ten-Star-Coin pair of shoddy sneakers."

Ling Xun glanced at the galaxy-wide collaboration sneakers Xi Shuang was wearing and nodded gravely.

"And now she's with the Empire's princess."

Xi Shuang glanced again at Xi Zhoumeng, who was still criticizing the private room and making Chi Yueshan wipe her chair.

She could only sigh and remark—

"Rich people probably all like to help the poor."

Chi Yueshan didn't pay Xi Zhoumeng any mind at all. She just yanked her and pushed her down onto the chair that Xi Zhoumeng thought was dirty.

A miserable shriek.

Xi Zhoumeng's face paled as she shot up and hid behind Chi Yueshan—

"There's a cockroach!!"

Chi Yueshan stomped the lively cockroach to death with one foot, while roaring at Xi Zhoumeng, unable to bear it any longer, "You're so noisy! It's just a little bug, why are you screaming so loud!"

At the side, a dilapidated cleaning robot finally started working.

Xi Shuang glanced at the bug, which had been smashed to bits, then her gaze fell on Xi Zhoumeng, who was being thoroughly scolded yet still whimpering. She gravely delivered her conclusion: "Maybe people from the Lower World just make you feel safe."

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