"Luo Qiu? You're Luo Qiu, right?"
Boss Luo was suddenly called out to by someone. Basically, the chances of being stopped by someone in this place were extremely low.
But he was still stopped. If he remembered correctly, it was probably a former high school classmate.
The days before the college entrance exam had basically been the lowest point in Luo Qiu's life. After the exam, he had more or less lost contact with everyone in his class.
He couldn't remember the name...
Boss Luo had no choice but to nod and deploy a classic line of everyday social interaction: "So you came to this university too?"
"Yeah!" His former classmate approached enthusiastically. "I really didn't expect to see you here! I heard you got in too, but we haven't run into each other all this time. What a coincidence!"
"I'm majoring in paleontology. It's normal that we never ran into each other."
His former classmate asked curiously, "Paleontology? Our school has that major?"
That was exactly why Boss Luo felt that someone must have put a curse on him when he chose this major.
He wasn't very interested in reminiscing here, so he deployed another classic line of interpersonal communication: "Well... um, I'm about to go to class. Let's talk next time."
"Oh... okay." His former classmate smiled, then suddenly said, "How about we exchange phone numbers? Let's keep in touch!"
Unable to refuse such a reasonable request, Luo Qiu had no choice but to exchange phone numbers with the other person before they went their separate ways.
"...Classmate A? Whatever."
Since he really couldn't remember the other person's name, Luo Qiu simply saved it under that name in his contacts before heading toward the classroom.
The last time he had attended class had been ten days ago. This time, he hadn't come because the homeroom teacher had called attendance. Instead, he had received a message from Zhang Qingrui.
"Luo Qiu, let's go to class."
It was that simple.
Zhang Qingrui had arrived earlier than Luo Qiu. She was already sitting in the classroom, leisurely eating the breakfast she had brought back. Since there were only two students in this year's major, even the simple act of opening the door was enough to attract the other person's attention.
"Luo Qiu, you're here." Zhang Qingrui looked up at him with a smile. "Have you had breakfast? I can't finish all this by myself."
Luo Qiu shook his head, then sat down two rows behind Zhang Qingrui.
Out of curiosity, Luo Qiu took the initiative to ask, "Why have you suddenly become so enthusiastic this time?"
Zhang Qingrui didn't turn around. She gnawed with relish on the bun in her hand and said while chewing, "Hmm... I want to properly experience campus life? Or maybe I feel that I've been wasting time before, and I don't want to look back ten or twenty years later only to discover that my college life was a blank slate? Hmm, perhaps hoping to meet someone and start a relationship from now on wouldn't be bad either."
Pfft...
Luo Qi had just unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and taken a sip when he choked.
Only then did Zhang Qingrui turn around. With a hint of annoyance, she asked, "What's the problem?"
Thus, Luo Qiu deployed his third classic line of interpersonal communication that day: "Nothing. As long as you're happy."
"What, you think those aren't words I should be capable of saying?" Zhang Qingrui clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily.
Luo Qiu was silent for a while before saying, "It feels like you should be a woman whose rational side is stronger than her emotional side."
Zhang Qingrui seemed slightly different from the person he had known before... Her behavior and speech had suddenly become much more lively.
Usually, when people became like this, either something especially happy had happened to them, or they had encountered something particularly awful and were using this as a form of self-protection.
As if telling others, I'm fine. I'm doing great. The world is peaceful, and I'm taking things as they come, and so on.
"So in your eyes, I'm the kind of woman who develops a strong career drive at a young age?"
Seeing that Zhang Qingrui seemed intent on continuing the topic, Luo Qiu had no choice but to interrupt her directly. "The class bell has rung. Why hasn't the professor arrived yet?"
Zhang Qingrui knew when to stop. She said casually, "Probably because he didn't expect both of us to attend today? But if he still hasn't arrived after class has started... I haven't come here for about two weeks. Luo Qiu, how many days have you attended during this time?"
"Today..."
"...Could it be that the old professor also thinks there's no hope for us, so he's decided not to come either?"
There was no intense eye contact. Instead, both of them wore looks of astonishment. After remaining silent for a while, Luo Qiu stood up and looked as though he was about to walk straight toward the classroom door.
Zhang Qingrui had always felt that Luo Qiu was the sort of person whose actions were extremely decisive. Once he made a decision, he acted immediately.
For example, now that he had decided the professor probably wouldn't come, he simply left without another word.
After hesitating for a while, Zhang Qingrui packed up her things and muttered to herself, "I really didn't expect this... My first day of enjoying campus life actually ended in failure."
She couldn't help recalling some agreements she had made with her grandmother.
This was freedom she had fought hard to regain. At least until graduation, she could do some of the things she wanted to do.
Time suddenly became precious.
Unwilling to waste her first day just like that, Zhang Qingrui suddenly raised her voice. "Luo Qiu, wait!"
"What do you want?"
"Don't always look like someone owes you several thousand yuan." Zhang Qingrui quickly walked down the classroom steps and came before Luo Qiu. Smiling, she said, "Since we're already at school, how about we look around? I need you!"
Luo Qiu froze. He first glanced around, then pointed at himself with a confused expression.
Zhang Qingrui said cheerfully, "Don't get the wrong idea! I just want you to help me with a little something... We're classmates, after all. You wouldn't refuse such a small request, would you?"
"Hmm... I refuse." Luo Qiu suddenly said, "I have something to do. I'm leaving."
Zhang Qingrui froze, but the moment Luo Qiu finished speaking, he quickly walked out the door, without the slightest intention of coming back.
She couldn't help feeling greatly puzzled. "How on earth did this guy get that great beauty to fall for him?"
Zhang Qingrui then shook her head. Why should she care so much about other people's business?
She'd better take care of her own next two or three years.
When Boss Luo saw that no one was around in the corridor, he took one step forward. His next step landed on the floor of the teaching building's rooftop.
He looked down at the campus.
The reason he had left so suddenly was that he had sensed the presence of a Black Soul Envoy nearby. Moreover, this Black Soul Envoy was Taiyinzi.
With a thought from Luo Qiu, a phantom invisible to ordinary people glided up from below in the blink of an eye. It finally gathered into a shadowy figure before Luo Qiu.
"Taiyinzi greets his master!"
Luo Qiu looked Taiyinzi up and down, then asked curiously, "You Ye said you learned quickly, so she tried letting you go out... Is this the place you chose?"
Taiyinzi hurriedly said, "Yes. Black Soul No. 9, who was teaching me, recommended this crowded place. He said it was more suitable for a beginner like me... I didn't know my master was here too."
"I study here." Luo Qiu spoke indifferently.
Then Luo Qiu asked curiously, "How long have you been here?"
Taiyinzi said, "Several hours."
Luo Qiu asked, "Any gains?"
"Master! I've already found a suitable patron! This person's desires are extremely strong. Judging from his appearance, he seems narrow-minded and vicious. He should be very easy to tempt!"
This was far more interesting than accompanying Zhang Qingrui on a stroll around the campus.
Luo Qiu smiled. "Then take me to see him."
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P.S. 1: Please vote!
P.S. 2: If I still can't get past the twelfth-place gatekeeper on the new-book rankings this week, then I'll leave the new-book period and completely become a salted fish.
P.S. 3: So the reason P.S. 2 exists is that I wanted to tell all you esteemed readers... I'm actually still asking for recommendation votes.
Before you continue