Study Monster Cultivation System - Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Risk
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Enticed by the allure of his studying efficiency, Li Zheng pulled open the zipper on the side of his bag and reached toward his phone.
The usage of phones was allowed when school was over, but students could not play games or watch videos. All they were permitted to do was engage in necessary communication or to look up school files.
However, this time, Li Zheng was going to take the risk.
Li Zheng secretly unlocked his phone after he surveyed the surroundings and opened up a video app that started with the letter “B”.
This was Bali Bali. There are many videos about studying on the platform. He frequently studied using the platform.
However, this time was an exception.
Li Zheng swallowed. He then nervously entered a forbidden word.
Cat.
Soon, he found tons of cat videos.
Li Zheng’s breathing gradually became heavier.
He was anxious to watch the videos, but he was afraid that he would be spotted by others.
He calmed his nerves after confirming that Lin Yujing was not paying attention to him. He tapped on a video titled “One Week Without Returning Home: A Cat’s Pitiful Look When It Sees Its Owner.”
It was an American Short Hair. It laid on the sofa and revealed its white, fluffy belly for all to see. There were even tears in its eyes.
A hand reached toward the cat and started rubbing its belly to console it. However, the cat still looked incredibly pitiful.
“Ah…” Li Zheng almost could not control himself.
There was no stopping him now that he was excited. He had not even finished the video when he tapped on the next one.
“What Will Happen If We Continuously Rub A Sleeping Cat’s Head?”
This time, the cat in the video was a fat orange cat. It was sleeping peacefully.
“Rub it, rub it, rub it quickly!” he thought.
Li Zheng pulled on the progress bar anxiously.
A system prompt suddenly sprang out when he reached the sweet spot.
[Relaxation activity detected: Scrolling through videos.]
[Energy recovery rate: – 0.3.]
[For every minute of the activity, you will reduce 0.3 minutes of energy. If your energy for the day is depleted, it will be deducted from your energy tomorrow.]
“Ah!” Li Zheng tossed his phone away in shock.
This also shocked Lin Yujing.
She turned her head and revealed half an eye through her kneecaps. She glanced toward the phone on the ground.
The orange cat on the screen was unhappily twitching its ear.
“Ha, ha, ha!”
She laughed again as she glanced toward Li Zheng.
Her laugh was as mocking as ever.
Li Zheng wiped off his drool and reached for his phone in a hurry, “Was that funny?”
Lin Yujing turned her head and buried it back into her knees. She ignored him.
Li Zheng picked up his phone in frustration and shame.
He thought, “Let me relax somewhere else.
“This girl is not adorable at all when she’s not studying.
“I get irritated the more I look at her.”
[Relaxation activity detected: Flirting.]
[Energy recovery rate: 7.8 (Lin Yujing).]
[For every minute of the activity, you can recover 7.8 minutes of energy, to a maximum of 60 minutes.]
[You can obtain relevant skills by using your coins. This will enhance the experience of relaxation and increase the efficiency of your relaxation.]
[Gift of Gab: Obtain a more accurate, effective, and aesthetic way of expressing yourself.] (5 Game Coins.)
[Trendsetter: Gain the ability to recognize the serial number of every luxury lipstick and praise every new seasonal product.] (5 Game Coins.)
[Fashion Expert: Gain the ability to better dress yourself.] (10 Game Coins.)
Li Zheng was dumbfounded when he saw these options.
In the past, he had thought that anything he did would negatively affect his time for studying.
It was only now that he understood what a balance between labor and relaxation meant. It was only now that he understood what a pairing between man and woman was.
He thought, “Is this still a study system? Why is the study interface so simple when the relaxation interface comes with this many functions?
“Now that it has come to this.
“To flirt, or not to flirt?
“That is the question.
“More accurately.
“It is a kind of true-false question.
“I can’t.”
Li Zheng chose false for this question.
Li Zheng wanted to relax, but he could not accept toying with someone else’s emotions to achieve his goal.
Li Zheng had a biological aversion to the skills characteristic of a douchebag that had been presented to him.
The stern shout of a female suddenly rang from outside the garden just as Li Zheng was about to pick up his bag and leave.
“The two of you! What are you doing?”
Li Zheng was alarmed. It was a mature voice of an indiscernible gender.
It had to be the discipline mistress.
Lin Yujing trembled. She was so shocked that she fell from the bench.
She flailed her arms as she fell.
Both of her hands grabbed onto Li Zheng’s pants.
She even knelt on the ground.
“Hey! How dare you do that in front of me!” The meticulously dyed and curled Buddha-like hairstyle of the discipline mistress nearly blew up when she saw the situation, “Which class are you from? Don’t move! Don’t move from that position. I’ll get your parents to come and have a look.”
Li Zheng thought, “How could she not move?
“Has Lin Yujing, a high and mighty Study God, been this embarrassed in her life?”
Lin Yujing quickly pulled her hands back. She did not dare to look at Li Zheng as she scooped up her bag and ran outside.
The discipline mistress, who was half a century old, had exceptionally agile feet. She blocked off Lin Yujing’s path in an instant.
“You’re still running! You’re still running!” The discipline mistress pointed toward Lin Yujing, who had nowhere left to go, and scolded, “Where are your guts now? Where are the guts you showed just now?”
Lin Yujing was in despair.
She covered her face and silently wept.
However, Li Zheng was not afraid since he did not have a guilty conscience. He raised his head and stood in the pavilion with his hands behind his back.
He was authoritative without being angry.
“You! You! You!” The discipline mistress was angered by his posture, “You’re rather unbothered. Which class are you from? I’ll first get your homeroom teacher to get your parents here. Both your father and mother.”
Li Zheng was not flustered. He nodded politely as he said, “Discipline Mistress Sun, you got it wrong. We were just coincidentally relaxing in the same place.”
“Ha! Ha! You’re quick. Relaxing? You sure know how to find excuses for an early romance.” The discipline mistress angrily fished out her phone. “Which class are you from? I’ll first notify your homeroom teacher.”
Li Zheng turned his head and looked toward the security camera at the corner of the garden. He wanted to tell the discipline mistress that she could verify his innocence by retrieving the footage.
However, the discipline mistress was currently at the peak of her anger. He would only anger her even more if he said such words.
“Class 2-4,” Li Zheng sighed. He had no choice but to trouble Mrs. Hu. The discipline mistress would only listen to her words in such a situation.
“So it’s Class 2-4, Chunmei’s class. Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…” The discipline mistress puckered her lips as she flipped through her contacts. “Tell me, you have a student as good as Lin Yujing in your class, so why are you engaging in an early romance? Can’t you learn from her…”
“Hm…” Lin Yujing buried her face deeper into her hands. She seemed to already be crying.
The discipline mistress only noticed now that this girl had a unique disposition.
She quickly bent over and observed her from another angle.
“My God, this is big news,” she thought.
“Lin Yujing?” The discipline mistress subconsciously turned off her phone. Aside from the fury on her face, there was now a tinge of excitement. “It can’t be…”
Lin Yujing gave a heavy, pained nod, but did not say a word.
“You… Why would you…” The discipline mistress ignorantly glared at Li Zheng. “Why would a top student like you be with such an ordinary boy… No, no, why would you engage in an early romance?”
Li Zheng was annoyed. The discipline mistress’s first focal point was a little biased.
The discipline mistress could not continue. She quickly gave Lin Yujing a little distance as she said, “Then you… You should hurry and leave. I will not tell others about this.”
Lin Yujing kept wanting to explain herself but did not know where to start.
In the end, she glared fiercely at Li Zheng with tears in her eyes. She then hugged her bag and ran out of the garden.
Just as Li Zheng was also about to say goodbye to the discipline mistress, Discipline Mistress Sun pulled him back.
“You can’t leave! Get your parents!”
Li Zheng felt as though he was being made fun of.
“Why would such a good student like Lin Yujing be with… Why would she engage in an early romance!” Discipline Mistress Sun grabbed onto Li Zheng and proceeded to dial Hu Chunmei’s number.
Fortunately, Hu Chunmei was an understanding person. She quickly cleared up the situation with the discipline mistress and expressed that they were both good students. They had just had an intense test and could not help but exchange opinions about the questions.
Discipline Mistress Sun hung up the call still half in doubt.
“Your name is Li Zheng, is it? Your teacher is defending you, but I don’t believe her.” Discipline Mistress Sun released her hand but did not stop talking, “I’ll not let you off no matter what Hu Chunmei says when I see you two alone together the next time.”
Li Zheng picked up his bag.
It was alright that Discipline Mistress Sun misunderstood him, but Mrs. Hu was innocent.
Li Zheng only cared about studying and would never break the rules. The discipline mistress would not be able to do anything to him even if she deliberately looked for a bone to pick with him in the future.
However, if Mrs. Hu was to displease Discipline Mistress Sun, she would be put at a disadvantage in the small circle of the school’s teaching staff in the future.
Li Zheng moved his arm and pointed toward the camera, “Discipline mistress, there’s a security camera over there. If you feel that there’s a problem between us, you are free to obtain the footage. You can even invite my entire family here to view the footage.”
“Hey!! You!!” Discipline Mistress Sun glared at Li Zheng for the longest time before she said, “You… You sure are clever. It’s no wonder that even Lin… Don’t let me catch you!”
[Relaxation activity detected: Flirting.]
[Energy recovery rate: – 23.1.]
[Warning: This mode of relaxation is inappropriate, your energy is being expended at a rapid rate.]
????
“This… This…” Li Zheng thought.
“This is too hardcore.”
Li Zheng’s spirit crumbled instantly. He scurried with his head lowered without saying another word.
“Hmph…” Discipline Mistress Sun looked at Li Zheng’s back. She secretly clenched her teeth. “Li Zheng, is it? You sure stand out amongst the rest. I’ll remember you.”
