My System Forces Me to Live off Women-Chapter 162 - 156: Hahaha

"Keep talking and you're out."

Zhao Qingge promptly sat down at the desk, swept her dark red hair aside, and took a small sip from her water cup. As she drank, her eyes slightly drooped, half-closed beneath the golden-rimmed glasses, sharp and straight, exuding a sense of tranquility and cold elegance.

"…"

Li Peifeng had no distractions, just seriously observing the person in front of him.

Zhao Qingge inhaled, exhaled, and put down the cup to urge him: "Speak!"

Her chest slightly heaved, the collarbones under the V-neck were clearly visible, white and distinct, forming a beautiful line like a blossoming flower.

"If you're not going to speak, you can go home, I won't see you off... huh?"

Li Peifeng slowly extended his hand, and with Zhao Qingge's startled look, he took off her glasses and smiled a bit sheepishly: "Can you still see me clearly now?"

He still remembered, in his dream, Zhao Qingge did not wear glasses!

"It's alright."

Zhao Qingge squinted uncomfortably: "Both my eyes are over two hundred degrees, just mild myopia, I wear glasses usually to prevent worsening..."

The sentence broke off because Li Peifeng placed the glasses on the table, then naturally held her hand, and said softly and complexly: "Can I stop calling you mentor now?"

"No!"

Zhao Qingge scolded, but probably due to the discomfort of not having her glasses, her eyes were a bit hazy, and her hand stayed in his.

"Weren't you telling me about the new book? Speak."

Li Peifeng remembered their office chat, narrowing his brow slightly: "Let's set that aside, I want to ask if you're planning to resign?"

Zhao Qingge blinked, her mouth corners drooping for a moment, nodded: "Sort of."

"Is it because of me?"

"No."

The answer was certain, but Li Peifeng's face almost spelled 'I don't believe you.'

Zhao Qingge's gaze held a hint of mockery, or perhaps self-mockery; she withdrew her hand, slowly did eye exercises, and while closing her eyes said: "In recent years, each time the unit organized physical exams, I got startled by the age shown. Then I started wondering, how have I spent these years at work? What have I actually done?"

"Yes, I've achieved a bit, but does it really matter? It seems not. Did I gain enjoyment from it? Not really much."

After speaking, Zhao Qingge fell silent, Li Peifeng also stayed quiet until she finished her eye exercises, lowered her hands revealing eyes slightly reddened from rubbing, yet showed a smile of relief.

"A person's life is spent stumbling and exploring confusedly, without purpose and shouldn't be rigidly patterned. Being too obsessed with being remembered and considering others' opinions will just lead to suffering."

"Many people need a long exploration to become aware of this issue. Now, I've figured it out and want to take my own path."

Li Peifeng just nodded, without saying much.

Regarding Zhao Qingge's thought of resigning, he wasn't surprised. They had spent so long together in dreams, he knew well the character of the mentor's parents, and Old Zhao's growing environment and struggles.

For exceptionally strong parents, they themselves are like archers, and their children are arrows.

With bows drawn, arrows fly from the string, swiftly passing through the air, the destination being the bullseye. Until they hit this bullseye, the parents won't be satisfied.

In the archer's eyes, an arrow hitting the target realizes the arrow's value, and others watching might praise their excellent skills, indirectly affirming the archer's worth.

As for the arrow's own thoughts, those don't matter.

The archer only wants them to hit the bullseye; if the arrow wants to aim at a rabbit, an eagle, or shoot at nothing, simply wishing to fly further and see the scenery, resulting in missing the target, the archer will be angry.

And arrows in the beginning won't realize they are arrows until they are far from the archer, close to seeing the target, and realize the archer's goal differs from their own, noticing it's not what they want.

At this point, they hesitate slightly, yet can't return, to only attempt changing the future path.

Some arrows grow wings, flying toward their target, breaking free from the archer's control.

Others don't grow wings, but influenced by wind, will shoot towards unknown targets...

"You want to resign, and it really has nothing to do with me?"

"No!"

Li Peifeng wanted to inquire more, but Zhao Qingge didn't want to engage him: "You're still young, don't understand now, but might feel the same when you grow up..."

"I understand, it's to 'feel well'."

Li Peifeng interrupted: "Living, feeling well, choosing is irrespective. What earlier you mentioned of no meaning, no joy, isn't necessarily so. Look at these shelves of books, think of the students you've fostered. Previously at meals, you even mentioned witnessing their growth into independent researchers, these scented books justify your time. And also me, if you weren't a teacher, we wouldn't have met."

Zhao Qingge was noncommittal, waving her hand: "Let's talk about your book, serious matters!"

Li Peifeng pondered briefly, said: "About that, whether you choose to resign or not, I support you... I can take care of you!"

Zhao Qingge at first felt amused, wanted to say something but saw Li Peifeng's face coming closer and closer.

"Mm."

Zhao Qingge steadily arranged her hair, moved to the desk and wore her glasses.

Li Peifeng followed, attempting to embrace her from behind: "I mean it, taking care of you is real, but don't misunderstand, it's not merely material, also companionship and spiritual support. What I earn now isn't much, but surely enough to cover living expenses, don't burden yourself. Suppose I don't want to write anymore, switch fields temporarily without income, you would support me right?"

Zhao Qingge took a sip of water without speaking.

How exhausting!

"Honey, call me baby."

Li Peifeng whispered, Zhao Qingge pretended not to hear, only breath heavier than usual, hands rested on the desk, back leaning on Li Peifeng like losing balance at foot: "Let go!"

"…"

Seizing the opportunity, Li held Zhao Qingge, leading her back to the sofa, where they slowly fell, she tried struggling yet couldn't overpower him, attempting to put on a stern face: "Bastard, stop, stop it."

Lying on the sofa, she was pinned beneath Li Peifeng, her hair a mess, her pointed oval face blushing like dusk, words losing previous potency.

Zhao Qingge angrily said: "You don't want to graduate, do you? I might not necessarily resign, you'll have to pursue graduate studies with me... mm."

Her mouth was blocked again, and Li Peifeng's hands started misbehaving.

"…Release me, this is a crime!"

Zhao Qingge only felt the wine consumed during dinner hours were not as intoxicating as those few minutes now, her mind muddled, hands weakly pushing him, struggling hard, clenching her teeth, words of reproach kept coming.

"Look at yourself now, like an animal, I shouldn't have let you in, why did I choose such a trash as my student?"

"You should die, I want to expel you, I want to..."

Li Peifeng started undressing, um, just went shirtless, enough to make Zhao Qingge pale: "Scoundrel, put it on!"

"Can't put it on, it's already off, I undress very quickly!"

Li Peifeng leaned over, comforted: "Call me baby, call me baby and I'll stop."

"No call, quickly get lost!"

Perhaps not daring to see Li Peifeng shirtless, or not wishing him to discover her current flustered expression, Zhao Qingge kept covering her eyes, coldly said: "Otherwise, I definitely won't let you graduate, expulsion is light; the best punishment is letting you continue doctoral studies. I will let your graduation delay until old age, each day punching attendance eight times, work twelve hours, extended shifts rushing literature, I won't leave time for you to write. I will torment you, make you tired in mind and body, harshly humiliate you as this lousy student, and let you be a stepping stone for my promotion to full professor."

So arrogant! So domineering!

Li Peifeng immediately decided to intensify his attack, mentally searching Zhao Qingge's weak points, had a sudden determination, chuckled: "Mentor, the scolding is too light, not stimulating enough, please continue!"