Chapter 148: A Romantic Young Man

Jiang Qin didn’t want to chat much with Cao Guangyu. He pulled him to the back door, then slipped into the classroom while the teacher was writing on the blackboard.

In early December, the heating was on in the school. The whole room felt warm, instantly relaxing their tensed bodies.

Feng Nanshu noticed the person she was thinking about strolling down the corridor. She obediently picked up her coat from the neighboring seat, making space for him to sit.

Today she wore a black turtleneck sweater. Its fitted style accentuated her graceful curves. Combined with her fair skin, she looked lively yet innocent. However, due to the high indoor temperature, her cheeks were slightly flushed, giving her a more delicate appearance than usual.

Jiang Qin sat beside her but realized he didn’t bring his book.

No matter, he wouldn’t read it anyway.

That’s the difference between university and high school.

In high school, Jiang Qin had worn out the word lists at the back of his English textbook. It was so tattered that he had to tape it back together, a testament to his diligence.

But his university textbooks were all brand new, some even unfolded at the cover, evidence of his lax attitude.

“I heard you answered for me?”

Feng Nanshu was resting her head on the desk, staring blankly at him. Hearing this, she perked up, “I did a good job imitating you.”

Jiang Qin couldn’t help but smile, thinking this silly girl believed she had fooled the teacher by mimicking him, not realizing Zhu Feng and the others had turned a blind eye.

“It’s getting colder. Is the heating working well in your dorm?”

“Yes, Wenhui dried her socks on it, and they were dry the next day.”

Jiang Qin glanced at Gao Wenhui, “Hey Gao, you know a lot of nifty tricks for the broke!”

Gao Wenhui was drinking water and almost choked. Her face flushed, “Don’t you guys do the same in the boys’ dorm? Feng Nanshu does it too sometimes.”

“I learned it from you!” Feng Nanshu turned to her.

“It’s fine for the little rich girl. Her socks smell nice.”

Gao Wenhui clenched her fist, thinking that detail was weird but oddly appealing.

Jiang Qin leaned back, glancing at the blackboard. He intended to memorize a few words to make the trip worthwhile, but his mind soon wandered like a zombie had eaten it.

He picked up Feng Nanshu’s textbook and flipped through it aimlessly, only to find his name scribbled on almost every page.

The little rich girl’s handwriting was elegant and neat, just like her.

Sometimes there were one or two instances on a page, other times seven or eight.

The variation likely depended on how often Feng Nanshu zoned out – the more she daydreamed, the more she wrote.

Thankfully, there were no hearts drawn after his name…

“Keep textbooks clean, don’t scribble in them.”

Jiang Qin returned the English book to the little rich girl with a gentle reminder, then looked around the room.

Classes 3 and 4 rarely mixed, generally sticking to their dorm cliques. Jiang Qin spotted Pan Xiu flanked by Song Qingqing and Jiang Tian.

Seeing this, he turned to find Ren Ziqiang had indeed returned to his old seat next to Zhou Chao.

So it was just a fleeting dream?

“Jiang-ge, what am I doing?” Ren Ziqiang looked bewildered.

Jiang Qin leaned on the desk behind, “How are things with Pan Xiu? I’m bored, tell me to cheer me up.”

Ren Ziqiang didn’t mind, expressionlessly replying, “I haven’t talked to her in a week. Suddenly it didn’t seem like a big deal. The first few days were rough, but after getting used to it, I felt relaxed and unburdened. Not only did I sleep better, I had enough living expenses. Sometimes I even enjoyed the solitude, like shedding a heavy load.”

“Has Old Cao introduced you to a new girlfriend yet?”

Overhearing, Cao Guangyu joined in, “Not yet, but I might invite the girls from their dorm next week. You guys can join.”

Reminded of the last time he got slapped, Ren Ziqiang shuddered, almost instinctively freezing, “Cao-ge, could you just introduce me to the prettiest one alone? Can’t you do that for me?”

“They haven’t even met you. How could I arrange that unless I had Old Jiang’s thick skin or my charming personality?”

“You’ve got that backwards,” Jiang Qin sneered at him.

Ren Ziqiang sighed, “Maybe I’ll pass. Being single isn’t bad. It’s getting colder, and every time you get a girlfriend, Cao-ge, you come back shivering. Not worth it. I’ll just read novels and play games.”

Zhou Chao cleared his throat, “Cao-ge, are you taking us to Juxian Building? I’ll go if you’re buying, even if I get slapped.”

“Can’t afford Juxian Building anymore. We’ll just grab something simple near campus,” Cao Guangyu could only afford instant noodles after treating them at Juxian Building once.

Jiang Qin redirected the topic to Ren Ziqiang, “Old Ren, just go with the flow about girlfriends. Worst case, you can learn from me. Look, I’m doing just fine.”

Ren Ziqiang pursed his lips, “Don’t tease me, Jiang-ge. How could I ever find a girlfriend as beautiful and sweet as Feng Nanshu? That would take lifetimes of good fortune.”

Jiang Qin’s expression darkened, “Hey, watch your sharp tongue!”

“Huh?”

Before Ren Ziqiang could understand, a milk candy appeared in front of him.

On the other side, Gao Wenhui had been patting her desk and looking around, growing puzzled. She thought, I just took out a candy, where did it go?

“Feng Nanshu, did you eat the candy from my desk?”

The little rich girl shook her head innocently, “No, I don’t like milk candies.”

“I didn’t say it was a milk candy. How did you know?”

Gao Wenhui stared at Feng Nanshu, who remained still-lipped, then glanced at Jiang Qin. It didn’t seem to be for feeding her boyfriend either.

Strange, where the hell did my milk candy go?

At that moment, Jiang Qin turned around, swiping Ren Ziqiang’s milk candy too. Why would a grown man eat milk candies? He unwrapped it and popped it into the little rich girl’s mouth.

“Jiang Qin, where did you get that candy?” Gao Wenhui looked suspicious.

Jiang Qin glanced at her, “Gao, you’re awfully nosy.”

“No, I lost my candy!”

“So no one else can have one?”

“…”

Before long, the English class ended. Jiang Qin stretched lazily, feeling his knowledge had enriched considerably.

From the moment they left the classroom, Feng Nanshu stuck by his side. That’s how she was – whenever she saw Jiang Qin, she didn’t want to separate.

So Jiang Qin took her to the Xitian milk tea shop on the first floor, checked the accounts, and symbolically inquired about the staff’s life and studies.

Fang Xiaoxuan now managed the shop at the University of Science and Technology, while Hu Xin and Chen Yong handled Linchuan University’s Xitian branch. Their work efficiency was a bit lower than Fang’s, but still sufficient for the small shop.

The little rich girl insisted on inspecting the new menu items.

Gao Wenhui tagged along, claiming to be the little boss lady’s best friend, so she had to inspect too.

The two girls hugged their milk teas and found a corner to chat idly.

“Jiang Qin, is your class having a party? Ours is planning one. Why don’t you come with Feng Nanshu?”

“I’m too busy lately with a new project launching. Can’t make it,” Jiang Qin coolly declined.

Gao Wenhui seemed disappointed, “If you don’t go, Feng Nanshu definitely won’t either. She’s too clingy with you.”

“Class parties are just dining together, nothing fun. It doesn’t matter if I go or not.”

“We might sing or watch a movie too, but definitely not as fun as your team building activities.”

Jiang Qin smiled faintly, “The little rich girl told you, huh? We went to a farmhouse in the suburbs for team building, cooked our own food, played cards. Definitely more interesting than a dinner party.”

Gao Wenhui took a sip, “I saw the photos of your team building. You sneaked out to climb the ‘marriage tree’ in the middle of the night like a mischievous bear stealing honey.”

“???”

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Qin’s expression changed, “What ‘marriage tree’?”

Gao Wenhui blinked, “The marriage tree you climbed, covered in wish plaques. The photo was really clear. You’re quite the romantic at your young age.”

“Don’t spout nonsense. That was a ‘friendship tree’!”

“As if! I’ve never heard of such a thing as a ‘friendship tree’. Do you think I’m three?”

Jiang Qin held his breath, turning to Feng Nanshu. She was innocently blowing bubbles into her cup through the straw.

After a while, Jiang Qin returned to Room 208 with a bunch of milk teas, rewarding his staff.

Lu Xuemei stretched out her hand expectantly, eyes shining, but after waiting, she remained empty-handed while everyone else received one.

“Boss, I don’t have a milk tea!”

“You don’t get one.”

Jiang Qin remained aloof.

Lu Xuemei’s eyes widened, “Why not?”

“Don’t you know that trouble comes after taking good photos? Or do you think your name is Chen?”

“????”