Chapter 11: You are greedy for Lao Tzu's money, cheap

Ye Xiu looked at his brothers with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. They pretended to be solemn about "worshiping" him, but he could see through their act—they were just envious of his sudden fame and fortune.

"Yeah, sure, you guys totally think I'm a good person. Definitely not because I became an internet celebrity or fell in love with a rich woman," Ye Xiu teased.

His brothers grinned, dropping their pretense of seriousness. They knew he saw right through them.

At that moment, Ye Xiu's phone rang. "Hey, monitor. Graduation party? Yeah, I'll be there. Alright, see you tomorrow."

Ye Xiu hung up and informed his brothers about the graduation party the next evening. The realization that their university life was ending hit them all. The room fell into a contemplative silence as they each considered their futures.

To lighten the mood, Ye Xiu asked, "So, what are your plans after graduation? Second child, you found a job at a listed IT company, right?"

"Yeah, the internship pays 8,000 a month, and it goes up to 10,000 after I get regularized. It's not much, but I like to keep a low profile," the second child said, grinning.

Everyone laughed, knowing the second child loved to show off.

"What about you, third child?" Ye Xiu asked.

"I'm going back to help with Dad's company," the third child said with a shrug. "Yeah, I have a showdown to make. I'm actually a rich second generation."

The group didn't react much because they knew it was true. The third child had a solid family business to fall back on.

The fourth child then spoke up, "Well, I'm not that lucky. I'm not good at studying, but I do have my looks. Worst case, I'll just inherit the family's fruit orchards and a few houses."

The brothers laughed and rolled their eyes at the fourth child's modest boast.

Finally, they looked at the fifth child, who looked nervous. "I..."

Ye Xiu walked over and patted his shoulder. "The fifth child is an honest person with excellent academic performance. He'll find a great job. We all believe in you."

The fifth child smiled gratefully. "Thanks, guys. I won't forget you when I make it big."

Their smiles were genuine. They trusted the fifth child to keep his word.

Their gaze then shifted to the empty bed—the sixth child's bed. He had been a mystery, barely showing up in the dorm since their senior year began.

"Do you think the sixth child was kidnapped or something?" the second child joked. "He used to talk about hooking up with a rich woman all the time. Maybe he got his kidney stolen!"

The youngest shook his head. "We don't know anything, so let's not jump to conclusions. Let's light a cigarette for him and hope he's okay."

They all nodded, lighting a cigarette each, and took a moment of silence for their missing friend. They didn't know where he was, but they hoped he was safe and happy wherever he might be.