Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Shopping Mall

“Mmm! Whatever you say, Brother!” Qi Meng nodded emphatically, deeply moved.

After finishing their meal, Qi Yuan cleared the table, carried the dishes to the kitchen, and put on gloves.

Their household had a clear division of labor: whoever cooked, the other washed dishes and cleared the table.

Already exhausted, Qi Yuan yawned as he washed the dishes.

“Brother, let me tell you—a ridiculously handsome and wealthy Young Master transferred to our school!” Qi Meng stood in the kitchen doorway, sharing school gossip.

Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. “More handsome than me?”

“Of course not! You’re still the handsomest, Brother!” she blurted out without hesitation.

“You have good taste,” Qi Yuan remarked.

Qi Meng hesitated, then finally asked the question that had been nagging her.

“How’s life at Weilika, Brother?”

“You never tell me how you’re doing or what’s happening there. I can’t help but worry.”

Qi Yuan sighed helplessly but went on to recount what he’d been up to since the start of the semester.

“In short, your Big Brother is doing great now. Not only did he successfully get into Weilika’s Arts Department, but he’s already earned over ten thousand yuan. He’s definitely covered your tuition and living expenses, and this is just the result of being in the department for a short time.”

“So, from now on, when you go shopping with your friends and see clothes, shoes, or accessories you like, don’t hesitate to buy them. Your Big Brother can afford to take care of you.”

Qi Meng cupped her face, looking genuinely delighted. “Then I’ll have to hold onto Big Brother’s coattails extra tight!”

She knew how hard her brother worked to earn money. Their parents hadn’t left them much, so they had been used to stretching every yuan as far as it would go, pinching pennies and scrimping. They simply couldn’t afford luxuries.

Besides, Qi Meng still considered herself a student. At school, she wore the uniform and didn’t want to let external things distract her from her studies.

What she was saying now was just to make Qi Yuan feel better. She carefully saved every yuan he sent her, only taking it out when absolutely necessary, like when her meal card needed to be refilled.

Still, she always carried a hundred yuan in cash—a reserve for emergencies, so she’d have money on hand if unexpected expenses arose.

“You can cling to both my legs if you want,” Qi Yuan chuckled, putting away the washed dishes and taking off his gloves.

Under the bright kitchen lights, the siblings chatted about everyday things and gossip. Though they didn’t explicitly speak of missing each other, their words were filled with unspoken longing.

The next morning dawned clear and bright, bathed in golden sunlight.

The balcony window was open, and a gentle breeze drifted through the security grille, causing the hanging clothes to sway wildly.

Qi Yuan, unusually at leisure, rose and performed a set of calisthenics on the balcony, feeling invigorated afterward. Stretching contentedly, he prepared to head out for breakfast.

There was no question of him cooking—even a dog wouldn’t eat his cooking. Why put himself or Qi Meng through that? Some hardships simply aren’t necessary.

Qi Yuan leisurely strolled downstairs to a nearby stall and ordered two servings of wonton soup for a quick meal, planning to treat Qi Meng to a proper lunch later.

When he returned home, Qi Meng was already awake, perched on the sofa waiting to be fed.

The two settled down to eat.

Qi Meng: “Aunt Liu’s cooking is still as good as ever. The wontons are delicious, and the broth is so savory.”

“Bro, why is your cooking so terrible?”

Qi Yuan didn’t even look up.

“How should I know? I followed the recipe step by step. Even Xiao Hei, a dog that eats poop, ran away the moment he smelled my cooking.”

“I even suspected you’d slipped rat poison into my cooking after I finished. Xiao Hei smelled the poison and refused to eat it.”

Hearing this, Qi Meng stared at Qi Yuan in utter shock.

“Hmm?”

“Brother! You—!”

“How could you think that about me?!”

Qi Meng was furious!

Qi Yuan remained unfazed, calmly eating his wontons. “Well, it turned out my cooking was just terrible. I’d wronged you. To make up for it, I even increased your allowance by a yuan.”

Qi Meng retorted indignantly, “I knew it! You’d never raise my allowance for no reason. The old saying is true: ‘When the weasel wishes the chicken a happy New Year, he’s up to no good.'”

After finishing his wontons, Qi Yuan pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth.

He loved teasing Qi Meng. Her sputtering rage, coupled with her helplessness against him, was endlessly amusing.

Of course, the real reason he’d increased Qi Meng’s allowance back then wasn’t because of that fabricated suspicion. It was because he’d seen little Qi Meng lingering outside the stationery store with her friends, repeatedly picking up her favorite pen, then reluctantly putting it back down.

A single yuan wasn’t much, but it was enough for Qi Meng to buy her favorite pen. Seeing her radiant joy was all that mattered.

“Alright, I was just teasing you.”

“Get yourself all dolled up. We’re going out at noon to lure the snake out of its hole.”

Qi Yuan stood up and patted his silly little sister’s head.

“Brother, you’re such a tease!” Qi Meng pouted, but quickly cheered up, finished her remaining wontons, and rummaged through her closet for a pretty dress.

She didn’t have any makeup, but her natural beauty shone through. After slipping into her carefully chosen dress and applying a touch of lip balm, she let her long hair cascade over her shoulders, a classic picture of pure beauty. The baby fat on her cheeks softened the cool sharpness of her features, adding a hint of youthful innocence.

“How do I look?” Qi Meng asked, beaming as she ran to Qi Yuan.

“Beautiful!” Qi Yuan gave her a thumbs-up, showering her with emotional validation.

This made Qi Meng even happier. She pulled out her phone, snapped a few photos of herself, and sent them to her best friend.

Qi Yuan also changed his clothes and dressed up nicely.

He took off his glasses and, following a tutorial, used a hairdryer to style his thick, simple hair into a reasonably presentable hairstyle.

His hairstyling skills were truly subpar, but fortunately, fashion’s success often hinges on one’s face. The disheveled hairstyle, paired with his handsome features, drew immediate attention to his face. When people finally noticed the hairstyle, its messy appearance, complemented by his face, paradoxically created an impression of artful disarray.

Step one of the plan was complete.

The two struck poses, took photos, and posted them on WeChat.

The caption was vague and sentimental, something about “You’re my only one,” making Qi Yuan feel both embarrassed and cringey.

Qi Yuan also recruited a few slightly closer high school classmates to help. Since they were all home for the holidays, he could easily hire them for a small sum.

These tall, muscular sports students looked like soldiers just standing there.

When they heard about catching a stalker, their sense of justice exploded. Some even offered to handle the matter for free.

But while they said they didn’t want payment, Qi Yuan couldn’t bring himself to not compensate them.

Nearing noon, the two prepared to leave.

They headed to the city’s largest shopping mall in the downtown area.

Qi Yuan had already ordered a set menu for two from a restaurant via his phone, so they just needed to arrive and eat.

They took a taxi to the mall entrance.

Qi Yuan had Qi Meng take another photo of the mall and post it on her WeChat Moments.

The first phase of their plan had officially concluded, and the second phase was about to begin.

As they walked to the restaurant, Qi Yuan subtly exchanged glances with his people hidden among the mall’s crowd.

Though he remembered everything from his past life and knew exactly who was stalking his little sister, he couldn’t reveal this directly. Instead, he had meticulously crafted a capture plan tailored to the stalker’s personality.

Qi Yuan’s goal wasn’t merely to catch the man and issue a simple warning. He wanted to ensure this person would never stalk Qi Meng again—or anyone else, for that matter.

Never believe a villain will change. They’re only putting on a show for you, all the while laughing at your foolishness behind your back.

The only way to deal with such individuals is to crush them at their core.

After entering the restaurant, the siblings took their seats.

A staff member verified their pre-purchased set meal.

While waiting for their food, they chatted and laughed, their close bond immediately evident to anyone who saw them.

The dishes arrived gradually, and they were halfway through their meal when…

Seeing Qi Meng’s expression change as she turned to look around, Qi Yuan grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring pat, signaling her to remain calm. “If we scare him off, it’ll all be for nothing,” he mouthed. “Just pretend you don’t notice anything.”

Immediately, Qi Yuan pulled out his phone and sent the stalker’s location to their group chat, hoping someone could find him. Ideally, they should observe first to see if anyone was lurking in the shadows, watching Qi Meng inside the restaurant.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a commotion erupted outside.

Qi Yuan swiftly rose and hurried outside, forcing his way through the crowd with Qi Meng to the center of the commotion.

There, they saw a middle-aged man pinned to the ground by several burly young men, completely immobilized.

When the young men noticed Qi Yuan’s arrival, one of them immediately spoke up to explain.

“This bastard, Brother Qi! I caught him using his phone to film you and your little sister. He was hiding in a corner, taking photos like a total creep—his eyes were practically dripping with sleaze. You can tell he’s nothing but trouble.”

The middle-aged man, who had been cursing and struggling violently, suddenly fell silent. He stopped fighting, his body going completely limp, as if he had died on the spot.

“Teacher Fang?” Qi Meng asked, frowning in disbelief.

Though she had only caught a fleeting glimpse, she recognized the middle-aged man before her. It was Fang Wei, the art teacher—a man known for his impeccable reputation at school, his care for students, his polite demeanor, and his genuine concern for their well-being.

“But… why?” Qi Meng stepped forward, demanding an explanation. “Why would you do something so disgusting?”

Her question was destined to go unanswered.

It seemed Fang Wei intended to play dead all the way to the police station.

Qi Yuan picked up Fang Wei’s phone, which had fallen to the ground—likely when Qi Meng had tackled him. It must have slipped from his grasp as he was tackled, landing with a clatter and sliding open. The screen was cracked, but the device still functioned and could be unlocked.

Fortunately, Qi Yuan knew the passcode.

He entered the passcode and began sifting through the phone’s messages, account chat logs, photos, and videos.

The more he saw, the more enraged he became.

Eventually, he couldn’t bear to continue. He turned off the phone, closed his eyes, took a moment to compose himself, and then opened them again.

He pulled out his own phone and called the police.

Qi Yuan genuinely couldn’t understand—was this man arrogant, stupid, or just plain sick? What kind of person would keep criminal evidence on their phone? Weren’t they afraid of being discovered one day?

When the police arrived, the middle-aged man was handcuffed, and Qi Yuan unlocked the man’s phone and handed it over to the officers.

The incriminating evidence on that phone was enough to land the man at least a decade in prison.

In his previous life, the man had been sentenced to life imprisonment. Qi Yuan wondered if things would change this time around.

The middle-aged man, now on his feet, glared at Qi Yuan, the one who had led to his downfall, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

Never a stable individual to begin with, the sight of Qi Yuan handing the phone to the police shattered what remained of his rationality. With a violent shove of his elbow, he pushed aside the officer next to him and lunged at Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan, who had just finished handing over the phone and was about to leave with the others, didn’t notice the danger behind him until he saw the horrified expressions on the faces around him.

He had barely turned around when he felt a gust of wind rush past his hair, followed by a sharp thud.

A young figure suddenly appeared in front of him, lowering his leg after kicking the man away. The newcomer turned to scrutinize Qi Yuan from head to toe.

Seeing Qi Yuan’s stunned expression, the young man assumed he was terrified.

“Scared, huh?”

He Zhou spoke up.

While handling business at the mall, he’d noticed a crowd gathering and police arriving. Initially, he’d intended to let the mall manager handle it, but his plans changed when he saw the slender young man standing at the center.

The closer he got, the more familiar the young man seemed, yet he couldn’t place where he’d seen him before.

It wasn’t until the handcuffed middle-aged man suddenly lunged at the youth like a cannonball that He Zhou’s body moved on its own, kicking the assailant away with a swift strike.

At that moment, it finally clicked: He Zhou remembered where he’d seen this irresistibly alluring young man before.

It was in a dream.

A dream of unrequited longing.

He Zhou had no idea why he’d had such a nonsensical dream, but the emptiness and unfulfilled yearning he felt afterward were undeniable.

For a moment, he was unsure how to react.

“He Zhou?” Qi Yuan asked, looking at He Zhou’s face with puzzlement.

Qi Yuan could never have imagined running into He Zhou here—what a strange twist of fate.

“You know me?” He Zhou asked.

“Could it be… you’re also a student at Weilika?”

He Zhou had accurately guessed Qi Yuan’s identity.