Chapter 118: Cuckolded

Qin Tian truly had not expected Shangguan Xiaocong to end up with such an embarrassing result.

"Bastard!" Shangguan Xiaocong gritted his teeth, glared at Qin Tian, and stormed off with a flick of his arm.

"Skipping class, that’s three demerit points," Bald Jason said calmly.

Shangguan Xiaocong, not yet far away, stumbled upon hearing this, nearly falling to the ground. He had forgotten that it was still class time. Generally, no teacher dared to mark Shangguan Xiaocong’s points, but this new physical education teacher, Bald Jason, seemed different.

There were twelve points per semester; once all twelve were deducted, one would fail the quality assessment and be required to retake the course. Retaking a quality assessment was an incredibly troublesome ordeal, so with no other choice, Shangguan Xiaocong sheepishly returned. Many students burst into laughter, which only made Shangguan Xiaocong hate Qin Tian even more.

For the rest of the gym class, Bald Jason had everyone play games before dismissing them. Afterward, he pulled Qin Tian aside and asked if he was interested in joining their group. Qin Tian was puzzled—what group?

After some explanation, Qin Tian learned that Bald Jason was actually a retired coach for the Youth Games, formerly with the weightlifting team. Even in retirement, he continued to scout talent for the Youth Games. Qin Tian happened to be at the right age for the competition, and Bald Jason, seeing his potential, wanted to recommend him. Qin Tian waved his hands repeatedly, thanking Bald Jason for his kindness, but he didn't have much interest in participating in such competitions.

When he arrived home, Tang Bo was already waiting at the door. Qin Tian was surprised; Tang Bo’s class should have ended later than theirs.

"The teacher asked for leave halfway through," Tang Bo explained with a shrug. Qin Tian nodded; that explained it.

"Brother Tian, I’m going to invite my girlfriend to dinner tonight, let’s all eat together!" Tang Bo extended the invitation to Qin Tian, Jiang Yingying, and Shen Xiaoqing.

"What do you think?" Qin Tian was fine with it, but it depended on the girls.

"Sure, sounds good," Jiang Yingying and Shen Xiaoqing agreed in unison.

Tang Bo booked a private room at a small restaurant on Student Street, and as five o'clock approached, the four of them headed over. Although they had a car, Student Street wasn't far, and finding parking would be a hassle.

"My girlfriend is great. She works a part-time job here to cover her tuition and living expenses; she earns it all herself and lives very frugally," Tang Bo said with a smile.

Tang Bo’s girlfriend, Chen Qiaoshan, was from the nursing school next door. She was two years older than Tang Bo and currently in a semi-internship phase. Her family wasn't particularly wealthy, so she relied on part-time work to put herself through school. From this perspective, she seemed like a decent girl. Qin Tian was happy that Tang Bo had found someone like her.

"She’s working part-time right there," Tang Bo said, pointing ahead.

Qin Tian looked up and frowned slightly. "Kuai Kang Bar"? Was Chen Qiaoshan really working part-time in a place like this? It wasn't that Qin Tian had a dirty mind, but a bar really wasn't the most appropriate place for a girl to be working.

Knowing that Chen Qiaoshan’s shift ended at five, Tang Bo didn't notify her in advance and instead went straight there. Bars on Student Street weren't like those in the city; they were essentially chill lounges with a decent atmosphere. Since it was a student hub, it couldn't be as chaotic as places outside. Furthermore, business hours were restricted from the afternoon until eleven at night, as the school authorities would have objections if they stayed open too late.

The four of them walked into the bar. It looked fine inside, not overly decadent or filled with neon lights.

"You guys wait here, I'll go find Shanshan," Tang Bo said, running inside.

Qin Tian and the others stood near the entrance, bored. Nearly ten minutes passed, and Tang Bo hadn't returned. Another ten minutes went by, and he still wasn't back. Qin Tian felt it was strange—was it really that slow to call someone? They had arrived at five-ten, and it was already five-thirty.

"Should you go in and check?" Jiang Yingying suggested.

"Yeah," Qin Tian nodded, deciding to go inside.

He searched half the bar but couldn't find a trace of Tang Bo. Suddenly, his ears twitched. From a certain direction, he heard a commotion—it definitely wasn't music; it sounded like an argument. Following the sound, he reached a corner near the restrooms and saw Tang Bo confronting a group of three: two men and a woman.

"Xiao Bo, what’s going on?" Qin Tian asked.

"Brother Tian!" Tang Bo, who had been looking distressed, instantly put on a smile upon seeing him. "Brother Tian, it’s nothing. Let’s go, let's head to dinner." He pulled at Qin Tian, trying to lead him away.

"Oh! You’ve found yourself a big brother? You’re just a dog by Pei Zhijun’s side! From now on, you’d better keep your tail tucked between your legs!" one of the men on the other side shouted.

Qin Tian frowned. He didn't like the way they were insulting Tang Bo. He shook off Tang Bo's hand. "Xiao Bo, what is this about?"

"Brother Tian, it's nothing, let's go," Tang Bo seemed unwilling to talk about it.

Qin Tian stood his ground, and Tang Bo found that no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't budge him.

"What do you mean by that?" Qin Tian asked, looking at the three of them.

"You want to stand up for him?" one of the men asked.

"You must be Xiao Bo’s girlfriend, right?" Qin Tian looked at the woman, sensing what was going on.

"I was, but not anymore. She’s my woman now, Chai Gou!" the man said, pointing at himself.

Chai Gou? Qin Tian blinked. Was that a nickname?

"My name is Chai Gou, not the kind of jackal you're thinking of!" Seeing Qin Tian’s strange expression, Chai Gou knew he had misunderstood his name.

"Whether you’re a dog or a pig, give me an explanation," Qin Tian narrowed his eyes.

"A joke! An explanation? What kind of explanation? Shanshan never really cared for this little fatty anyway. She chose to be with me; is there a problem with that?" Chai Gou said coldly.

Qin Tian paused, then looked at Tang Bo. "What’s the situation?"

"Brother Tian, let's go. It’s my own fault," Tang Bo said, looking defeated.

"Chen Qiaoshan, right? If you didn't have feelings for him, you shouldn't have led him on. What is this? Playing with emotions?" Qin Tian challenged.

"I just thought he was a bit cute and goofy at first, but once I found out about his background, I lost interest." Chen Qiaoshan said expressionlessly. "My family is poor. I don't want to live a life where I don't know where my next meal is coming from. Tang Bo is just a dog by Pei Zhijun’s side; he’ll never amount to anything."

Tang Bo looked as if he had been struck by lightning. Hearing someone call him a dog was one thing, but he hadn't expected Chen Qiaoshan to say it too. He lowered his head, said nothing, and turned to walk away, looking utterly crushed.

Qin Tian looked at Chen Qiaoshan and narrowed his eyes. It seemed Tang Bo had thought too highly of her; in the end, she was just another gold-digger. Poverty wasn't terrible, but using poverty as an excuse to abandon one's own dignity was.