Chapter 79: Side Story 1 (1/3)
September, the start of the school year.
The air was hot and humid, the cicadas buzzing incessantly. A row of bright red welcome umbrellas lined the entrance of A University.
Ran Nian, wearing a red volunteer vest, carried a box of water bottles to the table. A girl with a dejected expression squatted under a nearby camphor tree. Ran Nian pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her roommate, joining her in the shade.
The roommate, after gulping down half the bottle, finally recovered and slumped unceremoniously onto the ground, fanning herself with a baseball cap.
“I can’t take it anymore! Is the student union some kind of torture chamber?! It’s over thirty degrees out here! Everyone else is enjoying the air conditioning in their dorms, and we’re stuck here welcoming new students! I’d rather welcome death.”
Ran Nian checked her pockets and pulled out a half-eaten chocolate bar. “Look on the bright side, we get three extra points for conduct.”
The roommate took the chocolate. “Three measly points…” She showed Ran Nian the back of her neck. “Look, is this a sunburn?”
She chewed on the chocolate, her gaze scanning the university entrance. “Only a few fresh, handsome faces can soothe my wounded soul. Hopefully, there will be some cute freshmen this year. So far, so good.”
She nudged Ran Nian. “By the way, did you really break up with that…guy?”
Ran Nian, replying to messages in the group chat on her phone, didn’t look up. “Yes, we broke up. Men only hinder my money-making progress.”
The roommate said, “I saw him waiting for you downstairs at the dorm the other day. Is he trying to get back together?”
“That’s normal. I was the one who initiated the breakup. Men, you know, they always want what they can’t have. He’ll get over it in a couple of days.”
The roommate finished her water and glanced towards the sidewalk, then suddenly exclaimed, “Speak of the devil, I think I see your ex-boyfriend.”
Ran Nian was startled, immediately looked in the direction her roommate was pointing, and saw his figure indeed. She quickly ducked behind her roommate, only straightening up after the two figures had disappeared.
Her roommate, eager for gossip, asked, “Is that Jiang Xingbai with him? I heard they’re close.”
Ran Nian glanced at their retreating figures. “Yes, that’s him.”
Jiang Xingbai had taken a year off due to his health and was now a senior.
Her roommate, a connoisseur of gossip, her knowledge of campus rumors encyclopedic, hearing Ran Nian’s confirmation, forgot all about her fatigue and stood up to get a better look, but she could only see a slender figure from behind.
“Hey!” she tugged on Ran Nian’s arm. “You know that famous Xuechang Lu Yichuan, right?”
Ran Nian paused, hearing the name. “What about him?”
“Isn’t that Jiang Xingbai close to him? Some people even said their families were connected. But then I heard that Xuechang Lu doesn’t seem to like him.”
“I wonder what he did to offend him… Xuechang Lu always seemed so nice…”
Ran Nian also stood up, her expression slightly pained. “I don’t deny that Xuechang Lu dislikes him, but who told you he has a good temper?”
“Uh…everyone says so. And you have to admit, Xuechang Lu is truly a role model! He started such a successful company at such a young age! If I could get an internship at his company next year, I would become a vegetarian for a whole month!”
Even after graduating, legends about exceptional people still circulated.
After the hottest part of the afternoon passed, the number of new students at the entrance increased again.
Ran Nian and her roommate, after a short break, resumed their welcoming duties.
Cars were parked everywhere at the entrance, all makes and models. Ran Nian stood by the roadside, directing traffic, her partner a male student who stood on a slightly elevated platform, surveying the scene.
“Every year, there are always these rich kids showing off their fancy cars on the first day of school. It’s like a competition. I’ve already seen two Rolls-Royces today.”
He turned to Ran Nian. “That black one over there, how much do you think it costs?”
Ran Nian looked in the direction he was pointing. “I have no idea, I don’t know anything about cars.”
“Ignorant.”
Ran Nian wanted to smack him on the head.
Seeing her frown and not responding, the boy suddenly gasped. “Holy shit!”
Since it was just the two of them, he had no one else to share his excitement with, so he nudged Ran Nian. “That black one at the back, super expensive, probably costs tens of millions.”
Ran Nian moved away from him slightly, not wanting to indulge him, but she couldn’t help but take a look.
She had never seen a car worth tens of millions.
The black car crawled forward slowly in the traffic. Ran Nian, not a car expert, couldn’t tell the make or model, only that its lines were sleek and elegant, and the black paint seemed to have a different sheen than the other black cars.
The car stopped, and a tall man emerged from the back seat.
The man’s skin was pale, he wore a black T-shirt and cargo pants, his long legs and broad shoulders accentuated by his simple attire.
A teenager followed him, his silver-gray hair shimmering gold in the sunlight.
The heat hit them like a wave, and Jiang Heng stamped his feet. “Xun, I think I’m dying.”
Lu Yichuan took his luggage out of the car. “It’s too congested up ahead. Let’s walk.”
Freshmen were required to live on campus. Lu Yichuan and Jiang Heng each carried a backpack, Jiang Heng’s filled with his new toys.
Lu Yichuan took the backpack from him, hefting it casually. He could almost feel the little toy mouse inside, scurrying around.
“Little Jiang Heng, you already have so much stuff, what’s with this backpack full of…pests?”
Jiang Heng said, “I brought them to play with.”
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re in Dorm 305, Building A.”
Jiang Heng grumbled, “I can share them with my roommates. There are lots of cats on campus.”
The sunlight was harsh, and Lu Yichuan placed his baseball cap on Jiang Heng’s head, pulling it low, obscuring half his face.
They both had striking appearances, and as soon as they reached the entrance, a group of volunteers surrounded them. “What’s your major? We can help you with your luggage and show you to your dormitory.”
The teenager in the baseball cap peeked out from behind the man. “Business Administration. But we don’t need any help, thank you.”
Ran Nian pushed her way through the crowd. “Jiang Heng! I didn’t expect it to be you! Congratulations on getting into A University!”
Jiang Heng touched his head, a little embarrassed. “Barely made it, and I got transferred to this major.”
He thought, I’ll just go work for Lu Yichuan’s company after graduation and show him what “you get what you pay for” really means.
Ran Nian chuckled. “You improved your score so much in just one year, that’s amazing!”
“Do you need me to show you to your dormitory?” She glanced at Lu Yichuan. “Probably not, Xuechang Lu knows the campus better than I do.”
Jiang Heng naturally didn’t need any help, and he declined their offer, grateful. Mostly because he felt like everyone was staring at him.
He pulled his hat lower, covering his silver-gray hair, and suddenly felt like the university wasn’t as open-minded as he had thought.
They walked along the camphor tree-lined avenue.
The September wind was hot, and Jiang Heng’s forehead was already slightly damp with sweat.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows, and he narrowed his eyes. “I might be a freshman, but I know this campus like the back of my hand!”
Lu Yichuan walked beside him, shielding him from the crowd. “Oh, really? How so?”
“For example…” Jiang Heng pointed, “…that bush over there, under it, there’s a pile of grass, perfect for cat naps in the afternoon.”
They approached the bush, and through the leaves, they could see a ginger cat napping there.
Jiang Heng’s eyes lit up longingly.
They continued walking.
“Over there, the grass under the reeds is sweet.”
Before Lu Yichuan could even respond, Jiang Heng darted off and returned less than a minute later with a handful of grass.
He held it up to Lu Yichuan. “Want some?”
Lu Yichuan looked at the grass in his hand, made sure it wasn’t poisonous, and politely declined Little Jiang Heng’s offer to share his…snack.
Disappointed by the rejection, Jiang Heng put a blade of grass in his mouth and continued walking in the shade.
His assigned dormitory wasn’t far, and they reached it in ten minutes.
It was on the third floor. Lu Yichuan, carrying a suitcase in each hand, followed Jiang Heng, who was holding his backpack of “pests.”
“I’ve never lived in a dorm before. What are my roommates like? What if we…clash?”
The man’s arm muscles flexed as he effortlessly carried the heavy suitcases up the stairs, not even breaking a sweat. “Tell me if you have any problems. If you’re being bullied, don’t put up with it. We can request a dorm change.”
“Huh? I thought dorm changes weren’t allowed?”
“With money, anything is possible. You don’t even have to live here if you don’t want to.”
Jiang Heng followed closely behind Lu Yichuan. “I’ll stay. It’s a new experience.”
Lu Yichuan put down the suitcases, flexed his wrists, and looked at Jiang Heng with a hint of resentment. “So you’re just leaving me here alone?”
The teenager patted his shoulder. “You’re a grown man now, you have to learn to be independent.”
“…”
“305…found it.”
Jiang Heng was the third to arrive. Two roommates were already there, making their beds. They both froze when they saw him enter, no one speaking.
Jiang Heng greeted them cheerfully. “Hi! I’m Jiang Heng, I’m in this dorm too.”
The boy’s smile revealed two dimples, his eyes sparkling like stars.
The two roommates were momentarily speechless, then one of them, a slightly tanned boy, pointed at the bed by the balcony, stammering, “Y-you…hello…that one should be…yours…your name is…on it.”
Jiang Heng looked over and saw his name indeed.
He turned to Lu Yichuan. “We need to make the bed.”
Lu Yichuan, as if by magic, produced three bags of snacks and handed them to Jiang Heng. “I’ll make the bed. Go and…share your…gifts with your roommates.”
Jiang Heng took the snacks and approached his roommates.
The snacks were from Lu Yichuan, the brands unfamiliar. The two looked at the snacks, then at each other, and finally accepted them.
Jiang Heng pettily kept the only bag of spicy sticks for himself, but they were so spicy that he hissed after every bite.
“What are your names?”
“I’m Qian Zhen, and this is Song Yang. We’re from the same place, a neighboring city.”
Jiang Heng, between hisses, said, “I’m from City A, so if you have any questions, you can ask me.”
“Hiss…Who’s our other roommate?”
Although the boy’s appearance was delicate and almost ethereal, he had no airs, and Qian Zhen and Song Yang gradually relaxed, joining him in examining the unmade bed.
Song Yang said, “I joined the freshman group chat. I heard there are a few super-rich kids in our year, and one of them is named…this.”
Jiang Heng leaned closer. “Li Hao” was written on the name tag.
Song Yang lowered his voice, “I heard he’s very rich and has a bad temper, better to stay away from him.”
Jiang Heng, his mouth burning, “Hiss…Do you have any water?”
Qian Zhen silently handed him an unopened bottle.
“Gulp, gulp…Hiss…”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Song Yang, looking at the tall man making the bed, asked, “Is he…your older brother?”
Jiang Heng, his face flushed from the spiciness, said frankly, “No, he’s my boyfriend.”
“…”
Silence descended upon the room again.
Jiang Heng looked at them. “Don’t worry, I only like him. If he’s a boy, I’m gay. If he’s a girl, I’m straight. I won’t have any…designs on you.”
“Unless…you don’t like…gay people?”
Although society was becoming more open-minded, not everyone was accepting. Since they would be living together for a year, Jiang Heng didn’t want to hide it. His love wasn’t something to be ashamed of. If his roommates didn’t like it, they could move out.
Qian Zhen and Song Yang looked at each other, then at Jiang Heng’s face. To be honest, they were more likely to have designs on him.
“We don’t…dislike it. We just didn’t expect you to be so…open about it.”
Jiang Heng finished the last of his spicy sticks. “Hiss…”
The door suddenly opened, and a group of people poured in.
Jiang Heng was startled and instinctively stepped back.
Seven or eight people crowded into the small dormitory, forcing Jiang Heng and his two roommates to huddle by his bed.
A slightly chubby teenager stood in the center of the group, followed by a housekeeper.
The housekeeper immediately pulled up a chair for him, then started directing the others. “You two, make the young master’s bed! Add extra layers of bedding, this bed is too hard! You two, unpack his luggage!”
Jiang Heng watched them, sipping his water. “So this is how rich people make their beds.”
He looked up and saw Lu Yichuan kneeling on the bed, expertly smoothing out the sheets with a flick of his wrist.
Why was Lu Yichuan’s style so…down-to-earth?
The housekeeper’s sharp eyes scanned the dormitory, her brow furrowing slightly at Qian Zhen and Song Yang’s simple clothing, then her gaze settled on Jiang Heng, seemingly not even noticing Lu Yichuan making the bed.
The three of them were dressed simply, Jiang Heng’s outfit completely nondescript.
The housekeeper said sharply, “My young master is precious! Any single item he owns is worth more than some people will earn in their entire lives! If you know what’s good for you, stay away from him! Coming from some backwater village, who knows how…dirty your hands are.”
“You!” Qian Zhen was about to retort, but Song Yang stopped him, shaking his head, silently warning him not to cause trouble.
Lu Yichuan, having gotten off the bed at some point, stood beside Jiang Heng. “Want me to…deal with him?”
Jiang Heng shook his head. “Forget it, I’ve seen this kind of person before. He looks down on you now, but if you slap him in the face, he’ll come crawling back.”
Little Jiang Heng narrowed his eyes. “But I’ll only tolerate one sentence from him.”
He tossed the empty snack bag into the trash can and said to his roommates, “Let’s go. As your host, I’m treating you to a meal.”
Considering his roommates’ financial situations, Jiang Heng decided to take them to a local specialty fish hot pot restaurant.
It had been hot when they arrived, but now, as the sun began to set, although the air was still warm, a cool breeze had picked up.
On their way back, they passed the bushes Jiang Heng had pointed out earlier, perfect for cat naps, and the little ginger cat, having finally had enough rest, was stretching languidly on the pavement.
Jiang Heng nudged it. “Have you eaten?”
The ginger cat sniffed his finger and looked at him, a mixture of confusion and surprise in its eyes.
Jiang Heng stroked its head, the fur soft and thick, and whispered, “I’m Little Jiang Heng, the cat. Give me a big grasshopper, and I’ll take you to eat fish.”
