After the soul swap, I became stronger (3): Even wearing a dragon robe doesn’t look like a prince

Si Qi left amidst the crowd’s adoration, leaving only the Child of the World standing at the door, quickly drawing the attention of the classmates behind.

“President, what’s wrong with you?”

“Did that person make you angry?”

The Child of the World couldn’t help but twist the truth: “That person is really outrageous…”

People around were curious: “What’s wrong with him?”

“He,” the Child of the World paused for a moment, speaking with malicious intent, “his parents owe debts outside, and they used his scholarship to pay them off. He then argued with his parents, making them write IOUs, promising to pay him back later.”

The surrounding students were clearly shocked by this: “There are still people like this?!”

The child of the world saw the disdainful looks from those around and felt a bit annoyed, then said, “And he always asks his parents for money, saying he wants to buy the same things as the other students around him, like shoes worth thousands of yuan and stationery worth hundreds of yuan, without even considering how much his parents earn in a month.”

While saying this, he couldn’t help but feel that these words were so heart-wrenching. Was he cursing others or cursing himself? Looking around at the people who were indignant and chattering away, saying that Si Qi was no good, the feeling of being shot down became even stronger.

Suddenly, someone interjected, speaking harshly: “Wang Jiu, when did you become like this, talking behind others’ backs in front of so many people?”

The Child of the World paused for a moment, then turned to look at the person across from him.

That person was the original owner’s good friend, a close buddy, with over ten years of friendship. He was also the person the Son of the World hated the most, apart from the original owner.

He constantly came over to cause trouble for him, his eyes filled with suspicion when they looked at him. He went around stirring up discord, saying he had changed, that he was no longer like he used to be, that he was dating girls, shopping, eating and drinking everywhere, and that he never used to be like this.

The Child of the World felt both anxious and scared. After hearing these words, he immediately held a grudge against this person. There was no longer any patience for his hypocrisy and deceit; he automatically distanced himself, fearing that the other party would notice even more discrepancies.

Wang Jiu smiled and retorted, “It’s not that I talk bad about people behind their backs, it’s that I’m just too angry.”

Several classmates around nodded repeatedly: “Yeah, Wang Jiu has always been great. It’s normal for him to dislike those heartless guys.”

The heartless child of the world: “…………”

Damn it, he couldn’t even retort when someone insulted him. So infuriating!!

The friend, however, let out a cold laugh, looked at the Child of the World as if he were some strange monster, turned around, called over a few of his buddies, and left, making his disdain very clear.

Seeing this, the Child of the World was once again furious.

A few people nearby couldn’t help but say, “Did you have a falling out with Xie Man?”

“He’s been acting really strange lately, always going against you.”

“Exactly, when he looks at you, your eyes aren’t eyes, and your nose isn’t a nose.”

The Child of the World tugged at the corner of his mouth and said in a sarcastic tone, “Maybe he’s just not in a good mood. I won’t hold it against him.”

The people around him fell silent for a moment, and seeing the Child of the World suppressing his anger, they always felt that something was a bit off.

It was just that this little oddity was quickly uncovered by the Son of the World, who was wholeheartedly pretending to be someone else. He returned to his usual good-natured self and chatted and laughed with his classmates.

The atmosphere gradually became harmonious and cheerful.

Wait until he sent these people away and dispeled their doubts.

The Child of the World frowned, went outside, and found a few people from other classes. He asked them, “Do you know someone named Si Qi in the Special Class?”

A few students nodded upon hearing this: “The only impoverished student in the school, of course we know.”

“The one who is in the top ten of the grade, right?”

“President, you know him too? This guy is really annoying. Not only is he poor, but he’s also very vain! He used to come around here all the time, trying to take advantage of us—why are you suddenly bringing him up? What’s happened to him?”

The Son of the World had a grim expression, and as for the reason for his grim look… Well, that was hard to say. With a serious and sinister face, he said, “He keeps pestering my girlfriend, and after being rejected, he still keeps trying to win her over. His character isn’t great.”

After hearing this, a few people around suddenly realized and immediately started cursing loudly: “I told you that guy looked shifty, and sure enough, he’s not a good person!”

The Son of the World, who was called a rat-faced thief to his face, had veins popping on his forehead.

“Still daring to pester our sister-in-law, he should take a look in the mirror and see what he’s really like!”

After failing to confess his feelings, the son of the world, who tried to cling to his current girlfriend’s side, had a face that grew darker and darker.

“He’s like heaven and earth compared to our Brother Wang; it’s a miracle that the sister-in-law even looks at him!”

“Enough!” The Child of the World was so angry that his face turned blue. He didn’t even know how to express his anger, and the more he listened, the more grating it became.

Seeing the puzzled expressions on the faces of the people next to him, the Son of the World paused for a moment and could only say, “I don’t like people speaking ill of others in front of me.”

A few people nearby suddenly realized and flattered, “That’s right, that’s right, Brother Wang, don’t mind us, we spoke too bluntly and dirtied your ears!”

“Mainly, we are angry on your behalf. Don’t worry, we will take care of Si Qi for you!”

They were very clear about their own character. Wang Jiu suddenly found them and said those words in front of them. What was the purpose of that, wasn’t it obvious?

Coincidentally, they had been currying favor with Wang Jiu for so long without getting any response from him. Now that Wang Jiu took the initiative to ask them for help, they were so happy they couldn’t refuse.

At that time, they just patted their chest and agreed.

The Child of the World watched these people smilingly send him off, completely disregarding “Si Qi,” and felt quite uncomfortable inside.

Sure enough, the poor are just poor; in the eyes of these elites, nothing is worth anything.

He had been dreaming beautifully for over two months and didn’t want to go back to the past at all. He wanted to thoroughly crush the only person who knew the truth, “Si Qi,” making sure he couldn’t utter a single word of the truth, making him…

The Child of the World thought about these things and returned to his class with a serious face.

And in the classroom he passed by, Si Qi was sitting at his desk, flipping through the pages of a book in his hand.

Many female classmates nearby were secretly glancing over at him, whispering in hushed tones:

“How come I never noticed before that Si Qi is so good-looking?”

“Look at him when he’s sitting there, that demeanor…”

It reminded one of a patch of snow that falls on a pine tree in winter, pristine and untainted by a speck of dust. It also brought to mind the moon covered by dark clouds; as the clouds slowly drift away, the moon’s pure light is revealed, its radiance elegant and solitary, evoking a deep yearning in the heart.

He quietly sat by the window reading, a gentle breeze blowing, lifting a few strands of his dark hair. The sunlight poured over him, warming the heart. This scene was both pleasant and serene, like a cup of afternoon tea, lazy and carefree, just watching it felt like a delight.

The girl never thought she would actually see such a good-looking person in real life. Thoughts that usually come to mind only when writing essays involuntarily popped up in her head. As she was looking, she casually glanced to the side with her peripheral vision and then realized that the sudden silence in the classroom wasn’t without reason. Everyone’s gaze was directed at that person, and they instinctively lowered their voices, as if afraid of disturbing hin.

Until the class bell rang, everyone returned to their seats.

Si Qi flipped through a few books and confirmed that the content was all within his grasp. He casually set the textbooks aside and let Xiu Xiu gather the medical information of this world into his consciousness space, and then he began to read.

The Wang family in this world was a medical dynasty, having opened several hospitals and a few companies related to medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, making it a century-old family.

Because the nature of the medical field was special, regardless of whether it was the business, political, or military circles, many people wanted to build good relationships with them and tap into their network. After all, as human beings, who hadn’t been sick and hospitalized at some point? When it came to life and death, this relationship might just save a life, which was why the Wang family held a rather transcendent position in the upper circles.

The original owner, due to being influenced by his surroundings, was very interested in healing and saving people. However, the path he was interested in seemed a bit off to his parents—he neither liked becoming a doctor, which would make it convenient for him to inherit the family business by becoming the hospital director in the future, nor did he like studying business management to take over the company as the chairman and decision-maker.

He enjoyed doing research.

Moreover, it was the kind of pure scientific research that might not show any signs of improvement even after four or five years.

If placed in an ordinary family, a child with the potential to become a research scholar would definitely be considered “promising.” Earning a salary of 10,000 to 20,000 a month, and occasionally receiving bonuses from the institution for research achievements, was quite good.

But in a prestigious family like the Wang family, what could an heir who only understood theoretical research, didn’t know business management, and couldn’t even handle competition do?

No wonder that couple was so fond of the Son of the World who dived into the money pit. As Xiu Xiu would say, it was like a turtle looking at a green bean—mutually eyeing each other.

For the sake of money, they could even abandon their own son, and just like that, they could make the switch. This couple was quite something.

Si Qi was daydreaming in class and looking at some course materials. The teachers knew he had just recovered from a serious illness and had just woken up from a vegetative state. They also received a call from Si Qi’s parents, who asked them not to tire the child. Seeing Si Qi with his eyes closed, arms crossed over his shoulders, listening to the lecture, they didn’t say anything to him.

However, the third period was art, so they had to change classrooms. Si Qi went to the other teaching building at the invitation of his classmates.

Unlike most public schools, the art room in this private school was very large, filled with stone sculptures, paints, easels, and other supplies.

Generally speaking, just these things alone could cost quite a bit of money; you can’t get by without spending at least a few thousand or even tens of thousands. The Son of the World came in as a sponsored student, so not only did he have scholarship subsidies, but his tuition and miscellaneous fees were fully waived, and the teachers helped prepare all the equipment, so there was no need to worry about falling behind others.

But you know…

Even if he used the same equipment as those around him, the Child of the World was different from the children who had been educated in elite schools since childhood; he had risen through the ranks from public schools. In his previous art classes, he learned at most the most basic sketching, watched cartoons that the teacher played in class to cultivate his sentiments, and that was about it.

After coming to this school, the formal art education in the art room completely exceeded his understanding. He saw his classmates skillfully taking their art supplies and setting up their easels. Their natural and familiar demeanor made him feel very uncomfortable, and for the umpteenth time, he felt out of place and even inferior to those around him.

Especially after seeing others’ works that looked quite impressive, the child of the world held a drawing board in his hand that looked like a child’s scribble, lowered his head, imagined the sounds of people around him mocking him, and felt even more unwilling.

He always felt that if his background were the same as these people’s, he wouldn’t have fallen to the point of being ridiculed.

It was all his parents’ fault for dragging him down, making him lag behind others even in the most basic education, causing so many people to look down on him. Clearly, he did nothing wrong; his learning ability was better than anyone else’s. A thousand mistakes, all of them were his parents’ fault for not giving him a good start in life.

And it was not just art; it included horseback riding and swimming in PE class, piano and violin in music class, and even his embarrassingly poor spoken English in English class.

Every little thing seemed to remind him, you come from humble beginnings, you can’t compare to the privileged ones around you. Even if you get into a good university in the future, you’ll just end up working for wealthy families, spending your whole life earning what your peers have had since birth.

Until one day, he suddenly found himself in the identity of another young man, possessing the most prestigious background in the world.

His life underwent a drastic transformation all at once.

All the hard times had fallen on someone else’s shoulders.

Here, “someone else” naturally meant Si Qi.

Si Qi arrived at the storage cabinet that belonged to “him,” took out the drawing board, easel, and paints inside. He inadvertently saw the work that the Child of the World had started over two months ago, looked at it carefully for a moment, and then moved away with a somewhat indescribable expression.

It was not that this painting was particularly bad; even if it was a child’s work, it still looked quite cute and full of childlike fun.

But the works of the Child of the World were full of utilitarianism; you could tell at a glance what he wanted to express and who he was imitating. The craftsmanship was too heavy, just like him.

He moved a stool over to sit in his spot, casually organized his painting tools, dipped his brush in water and wiped it dry, then dabbed at the paint on the palette.

Before putting the brush to paper, Si Qi had already decided what to paint. When the brush touched the canvas, his effortless demeanor attracted the attention of many who were already observing him from the shadows.

When his painting was almost complete, a little girl found him, shyly smiling and saying, “Si Qi, are you painting a cat? It’s so cute.”

On the drawing paper, a cute little orange cat was napping on the sofa. Sunlight was shining on it, and it lay lazily with its four paws up, its lips slightly parted, as if you could hear a soft “meow~.” Its round, soft belly was so adorable that just looking at it made you feel good.

Si Qi squinted, applying a much-diluted light orange dot to the kitten’s body, then turned to look at her: “Yeah, it’s my friend’s kitten.”

The girl really liked this painting by Si Qi. It clearly didn’t use any particularly advanced painting techniques, and there was not much emphasis on its momentum, composition, or depth, but it just made people feel fond of it at first glance, as if a spring breeze had brushed past their hearts, making them forget all their worries.

She sincerely said, “Your drawings are much better than before.”

The girl’s words caught the attention of those around her. Curious, they came over to see just how good Si Qi’s work was. After seeing it, they all nodded in unison, “It is good.”

“Watching it, I just can’t help but smile.”

“Clearly, I’m not interested in cats, but if it’s the cat in this painting, I really want to keep it.”

“Too cute.”

Many people remembered what Si Qi’s earlier works were like. At first, they were very poor, but then he improved rapidly. However, despite his quick progress, the works he produced were still somewhat mediocre, and the teacher often gave him a C.

But this time, a classmate confidently said, “You are definitely going to get an A.”

There was also an art student standing in the crowd, looking down at the work on the easel, then glancing at Si Qi, whom he had always disliked. Suddenly, his impression of Si Qi changed quite a bit.

Originally, according to the character of the Son of the World, no matter how well he disguised himself in daily life, he would often accidentally reveal his true self. A jealous glance or a painting that felt overly imitative could easily ruin others’ good impression of him.

It was just because of his status as a sponsored student that many people wouldn’t openly bully or ostracize him; otherwise, what would happen? At most, they just wouldn’t talk to him or give him a good face.

But this little bit of differential treatment was enough for the petty-minded child of the world to harbor resentment for a long time. He felt that this group of people looked down on him, a poor person, and didn’t even want to talk to him. All day long, he thought about “don’t bully the young and poor” and “Thirty years in Hedong and 30 years in Hexi” treating these classmates who hadn’t even spoken a few words to him as his imaginary enemies.

Now this group of imagined enemies took the initiative to find Si Qi, and their attitude was quite good. With a smile, they said, “The realm of your painting is very free and easy. I’ve always wanted to capture this kind of feeling, but I just can’t seem to get it.”

Just as the class bell rang, Si Qi placed the unfinished artwork on the easel, covered it with a white cloth embroidered with his name, and set it in the corner of the studio. As he walked out, he said to his classmate, “Actually, when the time comes, the things you want to paint will naturally come out. The more anxious you are, the less you can paint.”

That student thought carefully for a moment, nodded, acknowledged Si Qi’s theory, and helplessly said, “But even if we say so, how can we control our thoughts?”

They finished their class and left, and the students from the neighboring class who had art next period were walking over here.

Si Qi saw the Child of the World in the crowd, his expression unchanged, as if he hadn’t seen him, continuing to talk with the people around him, his gaze inadvertently falling on someone behind the Child of the World.

That person seemed to have noticed Si Qi in the crowd as well, their footsteps subtly pausing for a moment. Then, their eyes fixed intently on Si Qi, as if they had a grudge against him, staring fiercely and forcefully.

Si Qi gave him a smile, and this familiar smile caused the other person’s expression to suddenly crack, their entire body tensing up as if struck by lightning.

Watching Si Qi slowly walk away amidst the crowd, he gradually returned from that world filled with blankness. The classmate walking behind Si Qi chatted casually as they walked, their voices carried by the wind to his ears: “Si Qi has really changed a lot since coming back this time.”

“Yeah, even though his face hasn’t changed and his clothes haven’t changed, it just feels different.”

“He’s become so classy!!” A girl suddenly got excited: “It’s that kind of noble aura, I can’t quite explain it, but I feel like a prince would definitely be like him!! So attractive, you know? He’s so handsome my legs go weak! If he dressed up a bit, he’d be even more charming!”

A few friends nearby joked, “You’ve got a crush again. Didn’t you say before that you were devoted to the president?”

The girl shyly said, “B-but, I suddenly think Si Qi is also very handsome, just as handsome as the president!”

A few people were talking and gradually walking away. Xie Man, with a blank expression, watched their backs, his gaze unconsciously turning towards a friend who seemed to have already become a stranger.

But then he saw the other person showing an expression of resentment that had never been seen in over a decade, an expression that should never have been revealed. With a face full of bitterness, he lowered his head, clenched his fists, as if bearing some immense humiliation.

Xie Man didn’t know what this seemingly changed friend was thinking, nor did he care to find out. With a cold expression, he walked past the other person, feeling nothing but disappointment towards him.

In class, he saw the other student hand in their work from the previous lesson to the teacher. The teacher gave Wang Jiu a somewhat awkward glance, marked a C, and comforted him with a few words: “You might be hitting a bottleneck. Go back and find your inspiration. The more you rush to finish something, the less vitality it will have.”

Wang Jiu had his back to Xie Man, and Xie Man couldn’t see Wang Jiu’s expression. He just inexplicably felt that this person was definitely in a bad mood, even somewhat gloomy.

He couldn’t help but shake his head, increasingly reminiscing about the time spent with him. Always felt like he had an important treasure that he accidentally lost, leaving his heart feeling empty.

He heard the teacher say again, “There’s a student in the next class whose work has a similar quality to your previous pieces. You can go ask him about his experience and learn from him.”

Who knows which part of this sentence touched Wang Jiu’s sore spot, but the other person’s voice raised a few decibels, sounding a bit exasperated: “No need!”

Xie Man didn’t know what expression Wang Jiu had when he said that, but judging by the teacher’s reaction, which seemed almost scared, it definitely couldn’t have been anything good.

This Wang Jiu must really be possessed, how did he end up looking like this?

The more he thought about Wang Jiu’s changes during this period, the more his emotions became suppressed. Even when he started to paint, he subconsciously chose dark tones, using thick paint and applying heavy strokes.

In the end, a perfectly fine picture was drawn to look bitter and resentful, dark and gloomy.

Clearly, the one drawn inside was his favorite little guy right now…

Xie Man became even more unhappy and took the painting to the teacher for grading.

The teacher frowned as soon as he saw it, took a close look at Xie Man, gave a D, and then said, “Are you under a lot of stress lately? You’re in your senior year, so it’s important to relax appropriately.”

Xie Man nodded silently, and the teacher, seeing this, thought for a moment and said, “Come with me.”

He took Xie Man to search the corners of the studio and found a piece covered with a white cloth. He lifted the cloth and took a look, confirming that it was indeed the same painting of a little cat as Xie Man’s. He said to Xie Man, “You can take a look at this painting, get a feel for it. Your mood will improve a lot after seeing it.”

After finishing speaking, there was no response for a long time. The teacher, puzzled, turned around to look at Xie Man.

Little did he know, Xie Man stood there in shock, eyes fixed on the artwork above, incredulously saying, “How, how could it be, it’s my family’s Mimi…”

He suddenly looked up, grabbing the teacher’s arms, his tone agitated: “Teacher, who drew this? Who drew this!!”