Study Monster Cultivation System

Chapter 180: Every word of a woman is a distraction.

Although it was a sudden shopping trip, it was actually a well-considered choice.

First was the relaxation level, which during this time, had casually accumulated to Lv.3, 356/360 hours.

Just in time, the 72-hour monthly shopping relaxation reset.

Additionally, Mother Ke’s aesthetic in fashion and styling was quite impressive, and I really wanted to exchange some thoughts.

Also, having meals treated by Mother Ke usually meant going to the business district, and I was thoroughly sick of the hotel food by now.

Moreover, I indeed needed a haircut.

Taking such numerous factors into account, this bizarre shopping expedition took place.

It was only on the way that I learned Mother Ke’s job involved representing and sourcing some niche luxury goods, and she had even attempted to create her own brand, but luxury items are illogical—they are less about quality and more about branding and marketing. In the end, she had to give up.

Accompanying Mother Ke, Li Zheng’s peculiar knowledge base expanded considerably.

Usually, he had zero interest in such knowledge.

But having been immersed in chemistry for two weeks, any knowledge not involving elements and molecules started to appeal.

It’s like after having spicy hotpot continuously for two weeks, even a washed cucumber seemed like a feast for the gods.

Throughout the shopping, hairstyling, and dining, Li Zheng thoroughly enjoyed his conversation with Mother Ke.

It was Zhang Xiaoke who had a tough time, though.

She felt like a bystander the whole time.

Indeed, for the master...

All that grooming was just a façade.

Only knowledge baited the trap successfully.

...

It was after eight in the evening when Shi Yang left the restaurant with many buzz cuts, stepping onto the elevator.

We exchanged glances, suffering from utter boredom.

Damnit.

This half-day rest was worse than no rest at all.

After parting ways, Shi Yang, hands in his pockets and dejected, returned to his door, only pressing the doorbell when he noticed the "Do Not Disturb" light was off.

After confirming there was nobody inside, he sighed, swiped his card to unlock the door, and turned on the lights as he entered.

Looking at the empty room and the stacks of physics books and comic books on his desk, he sighed again.

Why can’t I meet a pretty, cute girl who loves chemistry?

With this question in mind, he went to the toilet alone, brushed his teeth alone, showered alone, and prepared to go to bed alone.

Just as he was about to get into bed, his expression suddenly tensed.

Hair!

Long hair!

He picked up the long hair on the bedsheet in shock.

His eyes gradually reddened.

God damn it!

Li Zheng!

What the hell... in my bed!

Between grief and fury, the door opened.

Clutching the strand of hair, Shi Yang furiously approached the door.

But before he could start yelling, he froze.

Fuck.

This guy.

Had become handsome again.

Brand new short, perky, sexy side-parted hair, brand new rugged, macho-styled leather jacket.

Brand new big leather boots, brand new explosive jeans.

Plus that slightly groomed faint stubble.

Why the hell?

Why be brothers with someone like him?

I don’t even dare talk to him!

Li Zheng stood at the door, holding two large bags, and suddenly felt a bit shy, "Changed my style, getting used to it."

"..." Shi Yang gnawed his teeth for a long time before finally raising his hand to reveal the strand of hair, "Found this on my bed, you... explain this."

Li Zheng looked at the strand of hair.

He felt this scene was eerily familiar.

He vaguely remembered.

A day after Tang Zhifei’s home visit.

Ning’er had picked up a hair from the couch and grilled Old Li the same way.

At the time, Old Li was really panicked, but he himself had helped him out of the predicament.

Li Zheng, of course, was not at all panicked, simply entered the room, shut the door, "She sat on your bed, it would be weird if she didn’t shed any hair, right?"

"Just... sat?"

"Seems like she also lied down for a bit?"

"Damn it! Why didn’t she lie on your bed?"

"My bed had a lot of stuff on it at the time."

"Argh!" Shi Yang clutched his head, "That makes so damn much sense!"

"Alright, she only lay down for a bit, what’s the big deal." Li Zheng put down the bags, slipped on his slippers, and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth, "I know you love spicy food, there’s spicy crawfish in the bag for you, just six, don’t eat too many."

"Oh?" Shi Yang’s nose twitched instantly, following the scent, he indeed found a box of crawfish from Li Zheng’s bag, and instantly his sorrow turned to joy, "That’s cool, brother, you get me!"

"If her mom hadn’t come too, I would’ve called you over." Li Zheng said with a smile, squeezing toothpaste, "Eat it while it’s hot."

"Mom?" Shi Yang plonked down at the bathroom door, opened the meal box in surprise, "Her mom... came with her to see you? That’s pretty... open-minded?"

"What are you thinking, it was just on the way during a business trip." Li Zheng scolded with his toothbrush in his mouth, "They packed these crawfish specifically to bring back for you."

"Good mom, good mom." Shi Yang then put on plastic gloves, picked up a crawfish and started gnawing on it, mumbling as he chewed, "You know, Brother Zheng... I’ve been following you for so long, yet I haven’t seen much improvement... why don’t you teach me some tricks on how to make a girl come running over a thousand miles just for you."

"What was a simple concern between classmates turns so disgusting the way you put it..." Li Zheng rinsed his mouth and shook his head, "Indeed, your emotional intelligence and perception are really too low, I’ll give you three strict rules. Just follow these three, and although they’ll restrict your performance, you won’t lose out. And you better off not trying to perform at all."

"Brother Zheng, please!" Shi Yang finished off the meat of the crawfish in one bite, looked up at Li Zheng with undivided attention.

After a brief ponder, Li Zheng cleared his throat and said, "Firstly, control your eyes and mouth, don’t look where you shouldn’t, don’t say what you shouldn’t, you have to fully respect the other person. Even if you have evil thoughts, try your best to pretend to be relaxed, to appear experienced and unperturbed. To sum it up in five big characters—steady and not frivolous."

Shi Yang nodded repeatedly in agreement, "Makes sense... but how exactly do you achieve being steady and not frivolous?"

"Hm... it’s pretty much like discussing a chemistry problem,"

"Okay, I’m good at that," Shi Yang said eagerly, pulling another crayfish from the pile. "And the second one?"

"Second, you can only believe a woman’s expressions, not what she says," Li Zheng said while rinsing his mouth. "When humans communicate face-to-face, it’s the expressions that convey the most and most accurate information, especially when communicating with women. What they say is just to confuse and distract, like the decoy choices in multiple-choice questions, and it’s easy to be misled."

"!!!!" Shi Yang’s scalp tingled as he exclaimed in shock, as if the numbing effect of the Sichuan peppercorns in the crayfish had gone to his head. "So that’s it! Women’s words are just distractions, and expressions are the real deal! Brother Zheng, you’re awesome."

"What’s there to get excited about? This is just the basics," Li Zheng explained as he brushed his teeth. "To help you understand, I’ll give you an example—let’s say a woman is looking around while talking to you. It means she wants to end the conversation soon, even if she says ’Wow, Shi Yang, you’re so smart.’ Don’t believe it. Instead, if you take the initiative to say ’You go ahead with your work, and if there’s a chance, we can discuss this problem later,’ you’ll actually make a better impression."

"I’ve learned a lot, Teacher Li," Shi Yang slapped his thigh. "No wonder girls only talk to me once and then never again. Are there more examples like this?"

"Countless. Take Lin Yujing, for example..." Li Zheng admired the shape of his beard in the mirror, smiling foolishly as he said, "She rarely speaks, so most of the time, you have to judge by her expressions. Interestingly, her expressions are often the opposite of her thoughts. For example, when she glares at me fiercely, it’s not because she hates me, but because she’s looking forward to me trying harder to provide her with more challenges and excitement."

"Wow! I really can’t understand this at all, Teacher Li."

"No help for it, that level is too high for you, your rank is too low. You’ll have to build it up slowly," said Li Zheng as he cleaned his toothbrush cup and exited the bathroom to continue his lesson. "Finally, the third one: never, ever, ever start a conversation with ’sexual undertones,’ let alone say anything like ’picking up girls.’ Such things are like using your mouth to blow out an alcohol burner while doing an experiment—it’s an absolute Achilles’ heel, instant fail."

Shi Yang said blankly, "Aren’t girls nowadays very open?"

"Idiot, openness depends on the person and a certain level of familiarity," Li Zheng said, tapping his forehead firmly. "If you’re not within her comfort zone, you’re just cutting off your own prospects. Even if you are, you have to be extremely cautious."

Shi Yang swallowed and asked breathlessly, "Then... what if it’s the girl who brings up... that kind of topic?"

"Hm... that...," Li Zheng shook his head gravely. "I haven’t been through that... From my point of view, such things can disrupt your focus and affect your studies. It’s best to discuss this after marriage. If a girl had any designs on me during high school... I would most likely keep my distance, just like with those 174 girls who wrote me love letters."

"..." Shi Yang felt severely uncomfortable, and with a squeak, he crushed a crayfish head in his teeth. "Your mother... and you say you’re not a cad..."

But as a science guy, he still spotted a loophole in Li Zheng’s lecture and immediately spat out the crayfish head to ask, "You said ’most likely.’ What about the small chance left?"

"You ask too much, don’t be greedy," Li Zheng said, dodging back into the bathroom. "Alright, now according to the Feynman technique, summarize it yourself."

"Okay, Teacher Li..." Shi Yang reluctantly set aside the crayfish and sat cross-legged in thought. "When with a girl, you should look straight into her eyes, unblinkingly, and discuss studies seriously. Meanwhile, you should always observe her expression, and if she shows even the slightest annoyance, you should offer to let her leave. And always speak with integrity, avoid any ambiguity. Is that right?"

"Close enough," Li Zheng nodded assuredly. "That’s pretty much how I go about it."

"I’ve learned. I’m going to turn it into a catchy phrase to memorize," Shi Yang declared.

"Hm, with the way you catch on, you better memorize it hard."

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Li." Shi Yang mustered his energy and exclaimed, "I’m going to be just like Teacher Li, a total scumbag!"

"Hm?"

"I mean a tough guy, a tough guy."

"Hm."