The Boisterous Boss Chen and His Impeccably Groomed Young Master

When the door opened, a voice came rushing in before anyone did.

"Slow down, slow down! Don't scrape that box against the wall! There's a computer inside. If you break it, I'll dock both your wages!"

A middle-aged man strode in right behind the voice.

He wasn't short, and his belly stuck out a little. He wore a dark blue polo shirt with the collar turned up, and his belt buckle gleamed. His hair was slicked back and glossy, and he held a set of car keys. As soon as he entered, he frowned and swept his gaze around the room like he was inspecting a construction site.

Two men helping with the move followed him, one carrying a box and the other hugging an armful of bedding. Neither dared slow down.

"What kind of lousy school is this? How can the elevator be broken?"

The middle-aged man waved a hand, his voice booming through the entire dorm room.

"I pay tens of millions in taxes every year, and my son has to live in a place like this and climb five flights of stairs himself. Honestly, isn't Jiangcheng University a little too cheap?"

Han Dong had just stuffed a bag of socks back into his suitcase. He froze.

Lu Chuan stood by the desk and looked up.

He's here.

Just as expected, it's him.

Chen Ziang's father had made the same entrance the first time he came to room 504 in Lu Chuan's previous life. His grand display had announced him before he appeared, as though he couldn't wait to plaster "I'm rich" on the dorm room door. But seeing it again this time around, Lu Chuan no longer had that reflexive urge to compare himself, imitate him, or hurry to pick up a few tricks.

He just found it rather interesting.

The middle-aged man clearly had no intention of holding back.

First, he looked at the bed.

"This bed's so narrow! My son will have trouble even turning over at night, won't he?"

Then he looked at the desk.

"This desk is old too. Look how worn down the edges are. Can't your school replace it? I'll call your college later and donate a batch of new ones."

Then he looked overhead.

"Where's the air conditioner? This air conditioner's already worn out? That won't do. I'll get someone to install new ones tomorrow and donate them to the whole floor while I'm at it. That way it won't look like something out of the last century."

As he spoke, he directed the two men carrying things.

"Put the quilt there and push the suitcase farther in. Don't squash that bag of snacks. Yes, yes, lay the mattress flat for me. My son isn't used to sleeping on a hard bed."

The little bit of warmth Han Dong had just brought into the room was thrown into disarray by Boss Chen's booming voice.

Only then did Chen Ziang walk in from outside.

He had clearly put effort into his appearance today.

His hair was carefully styled, he wore a watch on his wrist, and his shoes were a limited edition. His clothes didn't look flashy, but every piece showed signs of careful coordination. He was doing his best to maintain an air of "I'm low-key, but I really do have a little something."

Unfortunately, his father's voice was simply too loud.

That polished image shattered into pieces the moment he walked in.

"Dad, that's enough."

Chen Ziang frowned and reminded him in a low voice.

"Give it a rest. Other people are here."

"What's wrong with me saying a few words?" Father Chen didn't even turn around. "My son's come to college, and I can't say anything?"

"It's not that you can't say anything. Just keep your voice down."

"Keep it down? This is just how loud I am."

Han Dong sat there, staring wide-eyed.

Lu Chuan leaned against the edge of his desk and watched quietly, feeling almost like laughing.

He had done much the same in his previous life, though he hadn't been quite so "unrestrained."

Chen Ziang had too.

It was just that he was luckier than Lu Chuan: his family really did have money behind it.

But he happened to have a father like this, who tore his layer of "respectability filter" clean away with a single shout.

"Dad, seriously, stop."

Chen Ziang's face was already starting to look strained.

"All dorms are like this."

"That doesn't make it okay." Father Chen turned to look at him. "Don't you know what kind of place you've been used to living in since you were little? You probably can't even fit your clothes in this wardrobe, can you?"

As he spoke, he actually went over and pulled the wardrobe door open.

"What can this thing hold? I'll find someone to replace it with a new one later."

"The school won't allow it," Chen Ziang said through gritted teeth.

"Then talk to the school."

"Dad!"

He had kept his voice very low, but the embarrassment was still plain on his face.

Watching the scene, Lu Chuan suddenly found it quite vivid.

Whether someone had money was one thing; how their family spoke and acted, and how they brought their habits into a room, was another. What really made people interesting had never been how shiny their belt was or how expensive their watch was, but these traces of life that simply couldn't be hidden.

Once the two drivers had put everything down, Father Chen finally stopped to catch his breath.

Then he began his second round of operations.

He took a carton of cigarettes from the bag he carried. One look at the packaging showed it wasn't cheap. He tore it open, pulled out several packs, and tossed them onto Han Dong's desk without even asking.

It was a generous gesture, and very much like the kind of person he was.

"Here, take these."

"My Ziang's never had to rough it since he was little, and his temper can be a bit much sometimes. You boys will be living in the same room from now on, so please bear with him."

Han Dong was startled when the cigarettes landed in front of him and didn't know where to put his hands.

"Oh my goodness, Uncle, no, no need. What's this for? I'd feel bad taking them..."

"Take them." Father Chen waved a hand. "It's nothing."

Then he added another sentence.

"If anything comes up, just say so. Here on Jiangcheng's little patch of land, your uncle's words still carry a little weight."

Han Dong immediately nodded, his head bobbing rapidly.

"Right, right, okay. Thanks, Uncle."

It was clear the whole display had really left him a little stunned.

When it was Lu Chuan's turn, Father Chen handed him the cigarettes, but his gaze lingered half a second longer than it had before.

A businessman like him met a lot of people, and the first thing he looked at was their reaction.

Poor students usually reacted in one of two ways when offered something like this. Either they were flattered and hurried to accept, thanking him over and over, or they felt awkward and stubbornly refused, the discomfort showing on their faces.

Lu Chuan did neither.

He simply placed the cigarettes on the corner of his desk with complete ease and spoke calmly.

"Thank you, Uncle."

"We're living in the same dorm room. Of course we should look out for each other."

His words were neither servile nor arrogant.

Father Chen was visibly taken aback, then took another, more careful look at Lu Chuan.

The young man's taste in clothes was ordinary, but he gave off a polished impression. He didn't say much either, yet he stood there looking perfectly composed. The way he had accepted the cigarettes in particular had been steady. It wasn't composure put on for show, but the steadiness of someone who had seen the world.

Father Chen said no more and just nodded.

"All right. You're a good young man."

Chen Ziang watched from the side, and something stirred in his heart.

His father spoke roughly, but he had a sharp eye. He could always tell who had really seen the world and who was putting on a brave front in front of him. That "you're a good young man" had been more than mere politeness.

After another ten-odd minutes of fussing, Father Chen finally finished saying everything he needed to.

"Call me if you need anything."

"Tell me if your living allowance isn't enough, too."

"Don't shortchange yourself, understand?"

"I know." Chen Ziang no longer wanted to say anything more.

Only then did Father Chen bustle downstairs with his men. Before leaving, he didn't forget to turn back and shout one last thing.

"I'll have the driver bring you some fruit tonight!"

"Don't!" Chen Ziang's temples were about to burst.

The door closed, and the dorm room finally fell quiet.

Han Dong was the first to let out a long breath.

"Good grief."

He kept his voice low, like he had just watched a grand drama.

"Your uncle's really something."

Chen Ziang stood where he was, his expression still a little tense.

A few seconds later, he seemed to finally suppress his embarrassment. He turned, walked over to his desk, took off his watch and casually set it down, then pulled out his chair and sat down.

His movements were rather polished, as though he were trying to recover the ground he had just lost.

"That's just how my dad is."

He spread his hands, deliberately making his tone a little more casual.

"He's in traditional business and cares too much about putting on a show. Sorry you had to see that."

"I'm Chen Ziang, a Jiangcheng local."

Han Dong immediately chimed in.

"Han Dong, from the northeast. We'll be roommates from now on, so let's look out for each other."

There was already a touch of unconscious politeness toward a "local rich second-generation" in those words.

Chen Ziang nodded, then turned his gaze to Lu Chuan.

He had expected Lu Chuan to show some reaction after all that commotion. Surprise or pleasantries, at least he ought to say something in keeping with the atmosphere.

But Lu Chuan merely nodded.

"Lu Chuan."

With that, he turned to unscrew his water cup, as though everything that had happened here was nothing more than an ordinary bit of commotion on dorm check-in day.

That's not the right reaction.

Chen Ziang narrowed his eyes slightly and let his gaze linger on Lu Chuan.

He hadn't looked closely before, but now that he did, he noticed something unusual about Lu Chuan's clothes. There was no brand, and they looked simple, but the fabric draped cleanly and the shoulder lines were sharp. They didn't look like something bought at random from a mall.

A string in his heart was gently plucked, and he asked as if making casual conversation.

"The fabric of your clothes is pretty unusual."

"Did you come by yourself?"

Without even looking up, Lu Chuan screwed the lid onto his cup and answered in an even voice.

"I took a taxi here by myself."

"The elevator hadn't broken down when I arrived."

The dorm room fell quiet for a moment.

Looking at Lu Chuan's back, Chen Ziang suddenly felt a slight hitch.

His usual way of showing off and sounding people out was like punching cotton. He hadn't even gotten an echo out of it.