Chapter 25: Then I Would Rather Make Things Difficult for Others

Su Yueying laughed upon seeing this and said, "It’s not annoyance, Yao-bao, but rather a raw, unvarnished truth. Right now, you are in desperate need of someone around you who speaks the truth!"

To be honest, this was a major reason why Su Yueying wanted Lin Yueyao to spend more time with Su Chen.

Over the years, Lin Yueyao had been so well-protected that she remained somewhat naive and innocent, never having witnessed the dark side of human nature. Because she had achieved fame at such a young age, those who surrounded her were either sycophants or individuals with ulterior motives—rarely reliable, and certainly never truthful. Furthermore, as the number of artists under her management had grown, Su Yueying couldn't focus solely on Lin Yueyao, making it inevitable that some things would slip through the cracks.

She needed someone to be by Lin Yueyao’s side to spot potential pitfalls and steer her clear of trouble before a single misstep led to lifelong regret. Su Chen, with his shrewdness, capability, and, most importantly, his kind heart and moral boundaries, was the perfect person to fill that role.

Lin Yueyao was no longer a child; she understood this logic perfectly well. It was just that having her thoughts so easily unraveled by someone else made her feel a bit awkward and unaccustomed.

[If it were before, I wouldn't have hesitated to lend the money to my cousin to help her out. But people change for various reasons, especially when faced with interests. I’m no longer sure if I can trust her anymore...]

Truth be told, two million was not a significant amount for a "National Goddess" like her, but her money was earned through hard work, not blown in by the wind. She didn't want to throw it away into a bottomless pit without any return.

Seeing Lin Yueyao’s reply on WeChat, Su Chen couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed the girl was just naive and inexperienced, not actually stupid; at the very least, she knew she needed to be cautious. Of course, if Su Chen were in this situation, he would tell the person to get lost. What were they thinking? Did they really think everyone else was a fool?

Often, the simplest way to resolve inner turmoil is with two words: "Refuse." And the reason for the refusal is just as simple: you don't want to make things difficult for yourself. The problem was that Lin Yueyao clearly couldn't bring herself to deliver a direct refusal, so he had to think of another way to help her.

Ultimately, she absolutely could not sign that IOU. What if the other party shamelessly used it to demand money later? That would be handing over money for nothing! After all, you can’t know a person’s heart just by looking at their face. Never mind the cousin—even biological siblings have been known to turn against each other over money.

[Then just have her write an IOU herself. If her husband asks, just say the money is with you and that you wrote it.]

As long as the IOU wasn't genuine, providing a bit of cover didn't matter. As for actually being asked for the money, let the cousin deal with that herself. Whether she jumps off a building or a bridge, she’d have plenty of options!

[If only it were that simple... She pushed this onto me in a moment of panic, so naturally, she didn't have an IOU prepared. That’s why her husband wants to come with her and have me write one for them.]

Su Chen felt a headache coming on. Did such absurd situations really exist in real life?

[This sounds unreasonable. How could they think that you, an A-list star, would need to borrow two million from your cousin? A moment's thought would show that’s impossible! Moreover, the fact that they came together to force you to sign this is very strange—it’s like moral blackmail! It’s as if, if you don't sign, you’re disregarding family ties and clearly don't trust your cousin. But if you do sign, you feel like you owe someone two million for no reason, and you’re left feeling miserable!]

Lin Yueyao nodded in agreement as she read Su Chen’s reply. He was spot on; that was exactly how she felt—very uncomfortable.

[Mm-hmm, that’s exactly what I think! You're so right!]

To Su Chen, it was highly likely that the cousin and her husband were working together to scam Lin Yueyao. Often, one should never underestimate the shamelessness of a person, especially a gambler; they are capable of anything and have no bottom line.

Su Chen pondered for a moment and replied: [Actually, solving this is simple. We can use their own tactics against them. She wants to use moral blackmail? Then we can do the same! You can write the IOU, but before that, find a time to have your cousin come over and write a three-million-yuan IOU to you first. If she’s willing, then everything is fine; but if she has ulterior motives, she definitely won't be willing to sign that. Then, it becomes a question of her not trusting you, and why would you sign an IOU for her?]

Lin Yueyao’s eyes lit up as she read the reply. Oh, that worked! It was a great way to resolve the problem! No wonder Sister Ying trusted and valued him so much; he really did have some skill!

[That method seems viable. I’ll give it a try. Thank you!]

Su Chen smiled and replied: [Glad I could help!]

After a moment of thought, Su Chen sent one more message.

[Actually, many things are much simpler than you think. For instance, if you love strawberries, you’ll buy them without hesitation—no second thoughts. But if you don't like bananas, you might hesitate, weighing the pros and cons because you know they’re good for digestion. So, if you truly like something, you don't need to think; if you don't, you start weighing the pros and cons. The moment you hesitate, you’ve already made your choice! Stop the mental exhaustion; instead of wronging yourself, make things difficult for others. Keep it up, you little white flower of the entertainment world!]

If not for that last sentence, Lin Yueyao would have been quite touched.

"This guy..." Lin Yueyao gritted her teeth. Then, rereading the last part, her lips curled up slightly, and she huffed, "Truly annoying."

...

He wasn't earning his twenty thousand a month for nothing. He’d solved a problem for Lin Yueyao right off the bat—he deserved a pat on the back for his efficiency! Hehehe!

After uploading the latest two chapters of *Wukong: Life’s Long Regret, Water Flows East*, Su Chen took a moment to check his "Rage Points."

1,980,542 points.

It was infuriating to look at; he was only nineteen thousand points away from breaking two million. It was enough to drive anyone with obsessive-compulsive tendencies crazy. Although the points were still climbing, the rate had slowed significantly—the buzz from the donation incident was fading, and netizens weren't contributing much anymore.

It wasn't hard to understand. When people saw these things, their anger was impulsive and fleeting; they soon moved on to other things because, after all, it didn't really affect them. It wasn't like the knife was stabbing their own flesh; very few would truly harbor deep, lasting hatred toward Su Chen. The points he had accumulated were simply the result of sheer volume.

Su Chen had intended to wait until he reached two million to do a bulk draw, but he was getting impatient—he was still short by over ten thousand. It seemed it was time to deploy his alt accounts!

He opened Douyin and started scrolling, quickly catching a lucky victim.

She was a thin girl whose daily feed was filled with displays of affection, completely inconsiderate of the feelings of single netizens. As a representative of the single community, Su Chen could not tolerate this. Not at all.

He clicked on her first video, a montage of her hugging her boyfriend, looking incredibly happy. The caption read: [Why can I feel our heartbeats so strongly when I hug my boyfriend? Is it because we love each other deeply and our hearts are connected?]

Su Chen left a sharp comment: [No, it’s because you’re flat-chested.]

The second video showed her enjoying a meal with her boyfriend, looking radiant. The caption read: [Why can I eat so much? Is it because the food tastes better when enjoyed with you?]

Su Chen commented: [No, it’s because you’re flat-chested and starving, so you need to compensate!]

The third video showed the girl looking dejected, posing for the camera with a sad expression. The caption read: [A day of fighting with my boyfriend. Am I pushing him too hard?]

Su Chen commented: [No, it’s because you’re too loose!]

As soon as he hit send, Su Chen felt he’d gone a bit too far—it was a bit lewd. After a moment, he deleted the comment; his brain had just been moving too fast, and it had been an impulsive reaction.

Clever as I am, I’ll surely hit two million in no time! It’s only a difference of ten thousand points! Piece of cake! Hehehe!