I’m Really Not The Demon God’s Lackey

g knives, you would have already been dead.
Fights aren’t done this way,” Lin Jie lectured as he tapped Melissa’s forehead with an outstretched finger.

A brute like Joseph won’t do, I guess the kind-hearted me has to step out and help provide a guiding light for his child.

Given these tendencies, she might end up being some female gangster boss in school.

That would be really terrible.
I’ve got to nip it in the bud and get rid of her habit of randomly challenging others to an arm wrestle! Thought Lin Jie to himself.

Melissa puffed her cheeks and stared at Lin Jie as if she was miserable from being bullied by him.

Lin Jie withdrew his finger and casually continued the conversation, “Alright, I have already fulfilled your request.
Now, perhaps you can tell me why you have come to my bookstore?”

Melissa answered obediently, “I wanted to borrow a book.”

“Haa, you should have told me that from the start.
What book do you want to borrow?” replied Lin Jie.

Melissa calmed herself down and mumbled softly, “I read part of the book that my dad borrowed in secret.
However, I was nearly caught before even reaching the end… Do you have another copy here?”

She reckoned the bookstore owner was getting back at her for her initial impolite attitude when she first entered the store.

What a petty big shot.
Melissa no longer had the misconception that this bookstore owner was ordinary.
The being in front of her was a monster that was beyond the scope of logical reason.

Furthermore, Joseph had oftentimes said that a wise man submits to circumstances.
An outstanding knight needed to know when to be flexible and apply appropriate compromise.

Lin Jie felt he understood the situation.
It seemed like a father-daughter conflict had broken out.

This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
Many disagreements between parent and child often started over the tiniest of matters.
Then, stifling parental pressure coupled with the child’s rebellious tendencies would eventually lead to a full-blown war.

Lin Jie smiled, “Of course, there are even other editions.
But… why didn’t you try speaking with Joseph?”

Melissa rested her chin between her hands and sighed, “If he’s aware that I know he reads this sort of book, he would surely kick up a fuss.
How can I even get him to lend it to me?”

“From embarrassment?” Lin Jie asked earnestly.
“On the contrary, I do not think that is so.
As long as you show that you understand, I believe that he would understand where you are coming from.
Actually, there is no such thing as an insurmountable gulf between parent and child.
All that lacks is a little trust towards each other.”

Melissa was startled by Lin Jie’s explanation but very quickly turned her head over.
“He has never ever understood me and is always busy with his work.
Whenever I get my practice results from school, he would just berate me for not being good enough and goes on and on about how he was like in the past.”

Ah… so that’s the case, the same old common root problem — Unsatisfactory results.

Joseph is always busy with work, and only has the time to only check his daughter’s school work each day.
But as a result of neglecting his child, her results start to fall.

As a retired veteran incapable of expressing himself appropriately, he could only spur his child along through scoldings and thinking himself as an example.
However, he’s the total opposite in the eyes of his daughter.

Lin Jie suddenly had an epiphany.

Haa… My heart really goes out to all parents.

“Since you put it in this way, how about first achieving a standard that makes him sit up and take notice?” Lin Jie chuckled lightly as he turned around and pulled out a “Five-Three” book from the shelf behind.

Full title — Five Years of Gaokao, Three Years of Practice

[TL Note:
Gaokao is the name of the college entrance exams in China
Five-Threesare a compilation of gaokao exam questions of the past five years and outstanding mock exam questions within the recent three years to serve as revision material, hence the name
How it actually looks like: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BLwbsiNYL.jpg]