Miles in the Depths of Affection Chapter 3

When he was in the second year of junior high school, Julian Qiao happened to be diagnosed with the second-year syndrome.

Japanese comics became popular in schools at that time. Students brought comic books into the campus in their luggage, circulated them privately, read them secretly under their covers at night, and read them openly when they went home during holidays.

Julian Qiao also developed this hobby and often bought a whole set at a time. He also generously lent them to his classmates, thus quickly establishing his prestige in the small circle.

The teacher severely criticized the unhealthy trend of reading miscellaneous books in the class, and even called the parents to criticize together. However, Ethan Qiao was open-minded and did not care about his adopted son's little hobby. As long as it did not affect his studies, there was nothing wrong with reading miscellaneous books.

Ethan Qiao is a man of experience. When he was young, martial arts novels were popular, but public opinion denounced them as a scourge. More than a decade later, Jin Yong was included in the textbooks. Time has proved that Ethan Qiao was right.

With his father's support, Julian Qiao had nothing to worry about. Even if the comic book was confiscated by the teacher, it didn't matter. He never lacked pocket money anyway, so he could just buy another set.

Julian Qiao, a sophomore in middle school, admires the passionate protagonists in comics the most. He often imagines that he is also a chosen one with strange powers, just waiting for the opportunity to awaken.

As the protagonist, you should at least have an antagonist.

Thanks to proper education in school, Julian Qiao has just established a correct world view. In his eyes, abiding by the law is justice, and violating the law is naturally evil.

Who violates the law the most?

...It seems that there is a ready-made person around, named Ethan Qiao, who is an invincible leader in the underworld.

Julian Qiao's logic is this:

∵Violation of discipline is evil. The underworld violates the law and discipline.

∴The underworld is evil.

Also, Ethan Qiao is a gangster.

∴Ethan is evil.

Again, a righteous protagonist should fight against evil. Julian Qiao is a righteous protagonist.

∴Ethan is his archenemy.

Julian Qiao was deeply shocked by his own reasoning.

How can a righteous protagonist have a gangster father? It must be because he was born in the wrong way!

In order to make his logic self-consistent, Julian Qiao made up a very naive setting for himself.

He, Julian Qiao, is actually a holy light warrior from another world of Canglan. A thousand years ago, he fought a decisive battle with an extremely evil magician, and both of them died. He was reincarnated on this earth, and still has the power to destroy the world in his previous life, but in order to hide his true power, he had to hide his true power and pretend to be an ordinary student. He was born in this filthy world, shouldering the great responsibility of purifying the world, and vowed to protect all living beings on the earth...

Despite his busy schedule, Ethan Qiao did not forget to take time out to attend the parent-teacher meeting.

The head teacher praised Julian Qiao in front of him, saying that not only had the child's academic performance improved, but his personality had also become much more stable.

"Thanks to the teacher for his good teaching methods." Ethan Qiao was polite to the head teacher.

"No, no, the child's progress is the result of the joint efforts of the school and the parents." The teacher did not forget to compliment the wealthy sponsor.

The parents' meeting ended in a joyful and harmonious atmosphere. Ethan Qiao was delighted to see his adopted son grow up. He turned down the evening social event and planned to go out for dinner with his adopted son to celebrate.

Julian Qiao was squatting in the study reading comics. Ethan Qiao patted him from behind, and he was startled.

Then he immediately put on a solemn and serious expression.

"Don't come near me!" he said solemnly, "The seal on my arm has loosened. If you approach me from behind again, I won't be able to control my power. I don't know what I will do!"

After saying that, he ran out of the study and went straight into his bedroom.

Ethan Qiao was puzzled and turned to ask the bodyguard: "What happened to him?"

The bodyguard shrugged: "It's probably the rebellious phase."

Ethan Qiao has been active in the underworld for more than a decade and has seen all kinds of storms, but at this moment he is puzzled: How could his beloved son grow up to have such a personality under his nose?

When she was little, she would run into his arms whenever there was thunder. But now, she always stares at him with a bitter and resentful expression, and mutters some profound and obscure sentences from time to time.

If he entered Julian Qiao's room without permission, Julian Qiao would roar: "How dare you destroy the barrier I painstakingly set up!"

If he criticized Julian Qiao's behavior, Julian Qiao would always be dismissive: "What's there to be afraid of is the words of my old enemy!"

If he summoned his subordinates to the mansion to discuss matters and asked his adopted son to stay away for the time being, Julian Qiao would sneer: "Look, gentlemen, the dark party is gathering!"

This personality is obviously not like that of his deceased friend Yu Xincheng, nor like that of his sister-in-law, and even less like that of Ethan Qiao himself.

His cute little crybaby grew up into an incomprehensible mysterious creature, which made the gang leader, who was always calm and composed and never changed his expression even when faced with a catastrophe, panic.

After much thought, Ethan Qiao decided to blame it on hormones and the school.

The miraculous change in the adopted son's personality must be the result of the arrival of puberty and the school's failure to guide him properly. Children are in an important period of character formation, so how can they be placed in a strange and unfriendly environment?

So when it came time to consider high school, even though students from aristocratic private schools could go directly to the high school department, Ethan Qiao insisted on changing schools.

"There's nothing good about staying in school. Come home with me."

Naturally, his insistence on his own way was strongly opposed by Julian Qiao.

"You evil minion! Don't even think about imprisoning my wings of freedom! I will definitely be able to break through the cage of thorns and return to the infinite blue sky!"

(Afterwards, Julian Qiao thought this sentence was extremely magnificent, so he wrote it in his diary. By the way, he named the diary "Holy Rose Cross Contract".)

Ethan Qiao's response was to order a group of bodyguards to forcibly escort Julian Qiao into the school gate.

After entering high school, Julian Qiao's Chuunibyou got better. Although it was far from being completely cured, it was not as serious as before.

Sometimes when I look back at the childish settings I wrote for myself in the past, I feel ashamed: What the hell kind of idiot was I?

Yet his worldview remained essentially unchanged.

In his eyes, the world is always black and white, with no ambiguous middle ground.

Two diametrically opposed fields were divided into two by a straight line in the mathematical sense. The straight line was infinitely long and infinitely extended, so the two sides were always either one or the other, and there was no possibility of confusion; the straight line had no so-called width, but was a clear-cut conceptual line, so it was impossible for someone to step on the line and belong neither to this side nor to that side.

A person is either good or evil, either standing in the light or in the darkness.

As a righteous protagonist, Julian Qiao certainly lives in a world full of sunshine.

As the gang leader, Ethan Qiao is obviously the kind of villain destined to be eliminated by the protagonist.

This made Julian Qiao very conflicted.

Because he didn't really hate Ethan Qiao. Rather, he liked him -- of course, he didn't like him "that much," Julian Qiao thought with some pride.

Although they are not related by blood, he is the father who raised him after all.

Julian Qiao really couldn't bring himself to "eliminate" him.

There is a classmate in the class named Miles He, who loves comics just like Julian Qiao and is his best friend.

Miles He read a lot of comics and gave a creative answer to Julian Qiao's doubts.

"The enemy doesn't necessarily have to be eliminated." He said, holding a copy of BLEACH. "You can whitewash it! After you turn over a new leaf, you can join the protagonist's camp and become the protagonist's ally. For example, this Kuchikashi Byakuya was a villain who kidnapped the heroine at first, but after fighting with the protagonist, he became someone who stood on the protagonist's side."

Julian Qiao suddenly understood.

That's right! As long as Ethan Qiao turns over a new leaf and stops working in the underworld, everything will be fine! He can still be a good man after he's cleansed!

He excitedly shook Miles He's hand: "Life mentor!"

"I don't deserve it." Miles He said modestly.

At that time he didn't know that the small work Miles He would do in the future would lead his life in a completely different direction.

After being guided by his life mentor Miles He, Julian Qiao is determined to make his adoptive father turn over a new leaf, abandon his villain identity and join the protagonist camp as soon as possible.

His method was very simple and crude - he found Ethan Qiao and told him directly: "Dad, don't get involved in the underworld anymore."

Ethan Qiao was drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. He raised his eyes and glanced at Julian Qiao, then his gaze returned to the social news section.

"Have you finished your homework?"

"Dad! I'm serious! Turning yourself in is the only way out for criminals!"

"When is the next midterm exam? Have you finished your review?"

"Be serious! Stop talking nonsense!"

"Your computer has been used for a year, right? How about buying you a new one?"

"Oh fine! ... No bribes! You think I'll give in?"

"If I turn myself in, you won't have a computer anymore."

Julian Qiao left in anger. It was despicable that he was threatened by such a despicable means!

He told Miles He about this failed battle. The life mentor thought for a moment and said, "It is important to be financially independent."

Julian Qiao carefully wrote down the four words "financial independence" in his little notebook.

"By the way, what does 'financial independence' mean?"

"It means to support yourself with your own hands, get rich through hard work, and make a fortune through diligence."

"You know a lot!" Julian Qiao sighed.

"You're welcome." Miles He said modestly.