Chapter 36: Dad, Start Class

“What kind of background does Jiang have that two goddess-level girls are fighting over him to the death? I really can’t figure it out.”

“I can’t figure it out either. Isn’t he just a bit more handsome, with fairer skin, spends more money, and knows how to sweet talk? Other than that what does he have? What can he compete with us good guys on?”

School of Finance, Male Dorm Room 302.

Ren Ziqiang and Zhou Chao had been pondering this matter ever since returning from the restaurant as if studying a martial arts manual.

They simply couldn’t imagine how such goddess-level girls who should be as cold and ethereal as moonlight would act so pitifully in front of Jiang Qin while he remained indifferent and annoyed to the point of making them numb with envy.

Shouldn’t girls like that be treated like fragile treasures, cherished and doted on?

But Jiang could just turn and leave without any hesitation while the girls chased after him in tears begging him not to go.

If they could learn this trick wouldn’t they be able to strut around the school?

Cao Guangyu thought the two of them were idiots. Without even learning the inner secrets how could they grasp anything from just seeing a few superficial moves? Studying it for eight lifetimes would be pointless. Since when could you become a martial arts master just from getting beat up a lot?

“Cao.”

“What’s up?”

Zhou Chao looked over with burning eyes, “You’re a rich second generation. You’ve seen more. Tell us why.”

Cao Guangyu had been listless the entire afternoon and was still half-dead. Even his words lacked energy, “You already figured out the reasons. Why are you asking me?”

“When did I figure out the reason?” Zhou Chao looked at Ren Ziqiang in confusion.

Ren Ziqiang was also dumbfounded, “What reason? How come I don’t know?”

“He’s handsome, has fair skin, spends a lot, and sweet talks. Isn’t that enough? Four things. Do you have even one of them?”

Zhou Chao fell silent for a moment, “But I feel I have all four.”

Cao Guangyu sneered, “Get lost.”

“No, something’s not right with you Cao.”

“What’s not right with me?”

Ren Ziqiang sized him up carefully, growing more certain of his judgment, “It’s one thing for us to lose but you’ve always refused to admit Jiang was better. How come today you seem so deflated without any of your usual boasting? Raising his spirits while crushing your own?”

Hearing this, Cao Guangyu looked irritated. He muttered for them to scram before turning to climb into bed, pulling the covers over his head.

Actually, this lunch hadn’t dealt that big a blow to Ren Ziqiang and Zhou Chao. At most it gave them a premature taste of life’s unfairness. But they would have experienced this sooner or later anyway. It wouldn’t kill them so it didn’t matter much.

But it was different for Cao Guangyu. What he felt wasn’t just disparity but a fatal blow.

Even if Jiang Qin got Song Qingqing or Jiang Tian or even both, he still wouldn’t accept it. As a rich second generation himself, how could he lose to Jiang?

But Hong Yan was different. Because Hong Yan was once the dream girl of every male student at First High School of Hangcheng.

This was no exception for Cao Guangyu.

Hong Yan was his most beautiful secret crush, the only pure white jasmine in his heart, the wonderful fantasy of his adolescent self whose mind was not fully mature but whose heart had already awakened to love.

In his three years of high school, Cao Guangyu never dated any girl. He was actually just a timid little virgin who only dared to say hi to Hong Yan on QQ. So when he learned that Hong Yan liked Jiang Qin, he felt the heartbreak of a pure-hearted warrior collapsing in defeat.

Ever since the start of college, Jiang Qin had one-upped him in everything but Cao Guangyu refused to acknowledge it no matter what. But this time, he was truly a bit dazed from the pounding.

“Cao, what’s wrong? Did that bastard Jiang crush your confidence?”

“Cao, don’t be sad. When Jiang Qin comes back, the two of us will teach him a good lesson!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to room 302 suddenly opened. Jiang Qin strode in. The moment he looked up he saw Ren Ziqiang and Zhou Chao walking over with somber expressions.

Then they pulled out chairs for him, brought him slippers, almost kneeling to take off his socks for him.

“Dad, when will you start class?”

Cao Guangyu flung off his covers and glared at his two roommates, “Ren, Zhou, have you lost all your integrity?”

Zhou Chao looked up at Cao Guangyu sitting on the bed, “What’s integrity compared to a sweet girlfriend?”

“Ren, are you living up to your name (Ren Ziqiang means ‘Ren the Strong’)?” Cao Guangyu switched targets.

Who knew Ren Ziqiang would straighten his back and stick out his chest, “When my dad named me, I didn’t agree to it. But I had no say.”

Actually, Jiang Qin didn’t even need to ask to know what they were thinking. Nothing more than having their eyes opened, being unable to accept this sense of loss after awakening, always questioning others and then starting to question themselves.

“Alright then, everyone pull up a chair. While I’m in a good mood today, I’ll explain things to you properly.”

Zhou Chao and Ren Ziqiang quickly went to get chairs while Cao Guangyu, after putting on airs for a while, also couldn’t resist. He jumped off the bed and leaned against the wardrobe. But he didn’t get a chair because not getting one was the last shred of dignity he kept for himself.

Then Jiang Qin sat down and directly shared the story of how he liked Chu Siqi for three years in high school but got rejected on the spot when he confessed.

To be honest, there was nothing embarrassing about this.

What’s the most impressive thing about a man pushing forty? It’s knowing how to reconcile with himself.

Reconciling with his young self, telling him it’s not his fault for loving the wrong person; reconciling with his middle-aged self, telling him it’s not his fault for not making money; he can even reconcile with his aged self, telling him it’s not his fault for leaving behind so many regrets.

Misfortune is more common than fortune, but words spoken to others should be few. If you can’t reconcile with yourself, acknowledge your own mediocrity and failures, you simply can’t survive in this rotten world.

In an instant, Cao Guangyu’s eyes came alive.

“Jiang, you also had an unrequited love?”

Jiang Qin curled his lip, “Why do you look a bit gleeful about it?”

Cao Guangyu suddenly felt his backbone stiffen. He even grinned a bit nastily, “If you had said so earlier…turns out you also liked someone for three years. Then we’re all suffering brothers!”

Hearing this, Jiang Qin perked up. There’s a story here too?

“Cao, you phrased that quite interestingly. You have a story too?”

“Alright then, I’ll share mine too.”

With Jiang Qin paving the way, Cao Guangyu didn’t hide anything this time. He thoroughly explained his crush on Hong Yan, even admitting that he never had a girlfriend. When he finished, he even seemed a bit smug, feeling like he finally had something in common with Jiang Qin.

He didn’t know what was so great about having something in common with Jiang Qin but he just felt very proud.

When he finished, Zhou Chao and Ren Ziqiang glanced at him, their expressions suddenly growing strange.

“What’s wrong?” Cao Guangyu was a bit confused.

“Just this and you dare to call Jiang Qin brother? I’m embarrassed for you!”

“How am I embarrassing?” Cao Guangyu refused to accept it.

Ren Ziqiang curled his lip, “Although you both had unrequited loves for three years, look at Jiang. A couple words from him and that Chu Siqi is desperate. What about you? You sat in that restaurant for two hours and Hong Yan doesn’t even know who you are.”

Zhou Chao also came over to pat his shoulder, “Although Jiang bro didn’t end up dating Chu Siqi at least Hong Yan likes him. What do you have?”

At this point, Jiang Qin delivered the final fatal blow, “Cao, I look down on you a bit.”

“????”