Love Apartment: Tomb Raiding System - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Teacher Zeng’s Strengths?

“Teacher Zeng, you’re overthinking it. Chen Yuze isn’t like you,” Lü Ziqiao sighed.

“Exactly! You can’t measure Yuze by your standards. He’s so handsome—your bar is way too low,” Chen Meijia chimed in defensively.

Lu Zhanbo glanced at Zeng Xiaoxian. “Seriously, Teacher Zeng, don’t worry. If you had even half of Xiaoze’s… let’s say courage, because the rest would be asking too much, you wouldn’t be in this mess. Why stress over them now?”

“Don’t be too hard on Teacher Zeng. He does have strengths—they’re just not very obvious,” Lin Wan Yu interjected, unable to bear the roasting any longer. As roommates, she felt they were being too harsh and tried to soften the blow.

“See? Wan Yu gets me. Unlike you shallow people,” Zeng Xiaoxian grinned smugly. “Wan Yu, they’re all blind. Only you have the vision to recognize true greatness. Truly, kindred spirits!”

Wan Yu instinctively scooted her chair away from him, but Zeng Xiaoxian, lost in his own world, struck a dramatic pose, sweeping his hair back, completely oblivious.

The others shot Wan Yu sympathetic looks, as if questioning her eyesight. What kind of judgment is this? Even Wan Yu felt a little guilty and forced an awkward smile.

“Strengths…” Meijia scrutinized Zeng Xiaoxian head to toe, then frowned at Wan Yu. “Wan Yu, if you’re sick, see a doctor. How could you possibly spot strengths? Did you forget your glasses again?”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Zeng Xiaoxian slammed the table, turning to Wan Yu, who offered a sheepish smile. He then looked at Zhanbo, who shook his head. “Don’t look at me. I don’t see it either.”

“Unbelievable! Ziqiao, you say something!” Zeng Xiaoxian glared at Lü Ziqiao, as if one more insult would make him explode.

“…Fine. Teacher Zeng does have strengths,” Ziqiao finally muttered after a long pause.

Zhanbo and Meijia immediately shot him disdainful looks. Even Wan Yu joined in—which was ironic, since she had started this topic.

“Like what?” Meijia pressed. She genuinely couldn’t think of any. This was all just playful banter, but honestly, watching Zeng Xiaoxian agonize over a simple phone call for hours was unbearable. What kind of man hesitates this much?

Everyone turned to Ziqiao, waiting.

Ziqiao froze like a crashed computer. “…”

Ten minutes passed. No movement, no words.

Another ten minutes. Still nothing.

Finally, Meijia snapped and smacked him. “Lü Ziqiao! Did you crash or run out of battery? Speak!”

Ziqiao blinked. “I’m thinking! Give me another half-hour—I’ll come up with something.”

“…Short legs count?” The moment he said it, everyone stared at him with dead-fish eyes. Ziqiao shrank back. I never should’ve tried to comfort him.

“Okay, fine. I admit it—I can’t lie to myself.” The group collectively sighed.

“Told you. No way he has any strengths.”

Ding…

A strange glass-like shattering sound followed Meijia’s words.

“Huh? Did something just break?” Wan Yu glanced around, searching for the source.

Zhanbo pointed at the now petrified Zeng Xiaoxian. “You heard right. That was Teacher Zeng’s heart breaking.”

“A glass heart?” Meijia gasped.

Suddenly, Zeng Xiaoxian lunged at them, snarling like a wild beast. “I’LL KILL YOU ALL!”

“Teacher Zeng’s lost it! Run!” Wan Yu bolted, the others scrambling after her.

Zeng Xiaoxian chased them, but—short legs. Meijia, seeing his increasingly deranged expression, yelled, “Watch out! His rabies is flaring up! He might bite!”

After several laps around the apartment, they decided to flee to the bar. As Zeng Xiaoxian charged, Ziqiao and the others pelted him with every cushion in sight, delivering both physical and emotional damage. Zeng Xiaoxian collapsed on the floor, contemplating the meaning of life.

Meanwhile, the others regrouped downstairs at the bar, sipping drinks, completely abandoning their broken-hearted roommate.

“Honestly, Teacher Zeng, it’s just a phone call,” Meijia grumbled, exasperated.

Lu Zhanbo shrugged. “That’s Teacher Zeng for you. If he weren’t like this, I’d already be an uncle by now.”

“To be fair, it’s not entirely his fault. Feifei’s so domineering—the pressure’s too much for anyone,” Wan Yu reasoned.

Ziqiao shook his head. “I disagree. Yuze already whisked Hu Yifei away. No matter how tough she is, she’s still a woman. This just proves Teacher Zeng’s a coward.”

“Wait… can we even call my sister a woman?”

“…Fair point,” Ziqiao conceded.

Meijia rolled her eyes. “It’s not about Feifei being tough—her intimidation is innate, gender aside. The point is, girls need to be pursued. Has Teacher Zeng ever tried? I bet they’ve never even traveled together. The farthest they’ve gone is probably the front gate of the complex. Meanwhile, Yuze straight-up took her who-knows-where—maybe even the other side of the planet by now!”

“I agree with Meijia. Deep down, Feifei is a girl. What girl doesn’t like romance? Tomb exploration? Sounds dreamy. Compared to Teacher Zeng, Yuze’s leagues ahead,” Wan Yu added. As a girl herself, she understood—Zeng Xiaoxian simply didn’t get women.