Put on a Little Show

As they chatted about this and that, noon came around before they knew it.

After everyone had drunk their fill, they called the Boss over to pay the bill.

To Jiang Qin's surprise, the other two guys weren't Qin Ziang-style total suckers at all. They really only paid for their own milk teas.

Guo Zihang, on the other hand, was such an idiot that he pulled out his living expenses and planned to treat everyone, but Jiang Qin stopped him.

He hadn't even started college and was already acting like a simp—not only for a few girls he didn't know, but also for two guys. Wasn't that the very definition of a total sucker?

In the end, everyone obediently paid their own bill. Only Jiang Qin exchanged a glance with the Boss and asked him to round it down.

"Student, your milk tea was only ten yuan to begin with. There's nothing to round down."

"Then can I pay eight?"

"Ah... Well, sure, I guess."

Hearing this exchange, everyone else couldn't help looking disgusted.

University students might not have much in the way of living expenses, but they should still be able to afford a cup of milk tea costing ten or twenty yuan, right?

Smack! With a crisp sound, Jiang Qin slapped a brand-new ten-yuan bill onto the table.

"No need for change. Count the remaining two yuan as a tip."

"??????"

The Boss was stunned. The students from Linchuan University of Science and Technology were stunned. Jiang Qin, however, was smiling.

What was the meaning of life? Obviously, it was to put on a little show anytime and anywhere, soothing himself through these long, boring years.

Seeing this, Hong Yan, seated across from him, couldn't help giving Jiang Qin a serious once-over. She found him rather interesting. Not only did he know how to balance his words, but he also refused to play by the usual rules. He seemed quite different from all the boys she had met before.

The three guys beside them, meanwhile, were deep in thought. Could I also try showing off like that someday? It was clever, and it didn't cost anything.

It was past one in the afternoon, and the weather was scorching. The group began discussing where to go for lunch.

Jiang Qin patted Guo Zihang on the shoulder, indicating that he wouldn't be joining them. He wasn't a student at the University of Science and Technology to begin with, so there was no need for him to stay.

"You guys go ahead and eat. I have to get back to school first."

Guo Zihang instantly panicked. "Godfather, I can't do this without you! I can't talk to people I just met."

Jiang Qin spat viciously. "You spineless coward. You're really embarrassing your godfather. Fine, I'll help you socialize, but do I have to help you date in the future too?"

"But... We don't officially enroll until tomorrow. What do you have to do this afternoon?"

"Feng Nanshu is arriving on campus this afternoon. I need to show her around first. That girl is absolutely terrible at getting familiar with unfamiliar places." As he spoke, Jiang Qin pulled out his phone and checked the time.

"Jiang Ge, why do I feel like you're raising a daughter?"

Jiang Qin froze after hearing that, then decided it was actually a pretty accurate description. Feng Nanshu was socially anxious and naturally absentminded, truly like a little girl who would never grow up. For a middle-aged man approaching forty like him, saying he was raising a girl wasn't entirely wrong.

Jiang Qin then said goodbye to everyone and boarded a bus heading toward Linchuan University.

After getting off at the stop, Jiang Qin immediately saw the familiar school gate. Calling it a gate was generous—it was actually an irregular quadrilateral structure, pure white from top to bottom, with the words "Linchuan University" written across it. One could call it imposing and grand, or artistic and refined.

Since the school had just opened for the semester, the area outside the gate was packed with people. All kinds of chatter, shouting, and car horns rang out without end. There were freshmen arriving with their families, returning upperclassmen, and even nearby vendors who had seized the opportunity to squat at the entrance and sell basins, cups, clothes hangers, and all sorts of daily necessities.

In short, it was complete chaos.

Unwilling to squeeze through the crowd, Jiang Qin squatted at the bus stop, watching the female college students come and go, along with their fair, jade-smooth calves and shapely waists and hips.

But the next second, he caught sight of a familiar girl from the corner of his eye—and that girl was looking at him in surprise too.

"Jiang... Jiang Qin?"

"Hong Yan, what are you doing at Linchuan University too?"

The two questions came out almost simultaneously. They looked at each other, and everything became clear.

Well, well. So they had both been putting on an act.

They were both students at Linchuan University, yet by coincidence, they had met at the University of Science and Technology's mixer and pretended to be students there. And now it turned out they were actually classmates.

"Let's get properly acquainted. Hong Yan, Department of Law at Linchuan University."

"Jiang Qin, School of Finance at Linchuan University."

Hong Yan was amazed that she had guessed correctly, then couldn't help smiling. "Why didn't you say so from the start? You insisted you were from the Computer Science Department at the University of Science and Technology, and your act was so convincing!"

Jiang Qin smiled faintly. "I'm too handsome. I don't look like an academic genius, so I was afraid you wouldn't believe me."

"Really?"

"Of course. But mainly, I was there to accompany a friend. He was the main character, so there was no need for me to make myself seem superior."

"That's what I thought too."

Hong Yan's eyes flickered, and she suddenly felt a curious fondness toward this person.

She had possessed emotional intelligence beyond her peers since childhood and was very good at taking care of other people's feelings. This had earned her many friendships, but it also left her feeling troubled.

Why? Because when one's emotional intelligence exceeded that of the people around them, those people's actions seemed childish in her eyes. This was especially true because she was beautiful and had a great figure, which caused many boys in high school to shout and make a fuss in front of her just to attract her attention.

Once, when she was walking past the basketball court, someone had even deliberately dunked in front of her, then pretended to accidentally throw the ball toward himself afterward.

She thought those people were idiots, but she couldn't say so outright. So she could only speak less and smile more.

That left her lonely.

But this time, she had met someone whose words and actions both made her feel comfortable. That was truly rare.

Just imagine: what if someone else had been at the milk tea shop earlier? He would certainly have wanted to show off his superiority. The moment he opened his mouth, he would have announced that he was from Linchuan University, then waited for everyone else to praise him.

Hong Yan didn't hate such people. She simply preferred making friends with people who were a little more steady. Everyone had their own preferences, and Jiang Qin's choice to hide his identity happened to align perfectly with hers.

However, she had to hurry back to the dormitory to organize her bed and didn't have much time for idle conversation, so she took the initiative and added Jiang Qin on QQ.

"This is the first time I've ever added a boy on QQ myself. I've never done it before."

"What a coincidence. This is also the first time a girl has added me first."

Hong Yan smiled serenely and easily. "I'll get going, then. I still have a mountain of things to do in the dormitory. Want to come out and chat sometime?"

Jiang Qin nodded slightly. "Sure. See you when we have time."

"Bye-bye."

Hong Yan waved at him, then turned and entered the East Campus gate.

Jiang Qin, meanwhile, crossed the overpass and walked all the way to the main campus. He then struggled his way inside, only to discover after getting in that it was even more crowded inside.

A young man seemed to have lost his girlfriend in the crowd and was frantically shouting, "Qi Jiayi! Qi Jiayi!" Jiang Qin found it irritating, so he kindly squeezed over and told him, "Brother, Qi Jiayi equals eight. We're all college students now—how can you still not know addition and subtraction?" Jiang Qin then followed the map included with his admission notice and finally found his dormitory building in the equally crowded dormitory area.

When he entered, three people were already chatting in the dormitory. A little agitated from being jostled, Jiang Qin sat in a chair to rest while listening to them talk, gradually getting a general idea of who they were.

Zhou Chao was from Dragon City in the south. He had dark skin and was rather short.

Ren Ziqiang was from Dongshan. He was tall and thin, had a few pimples on his face, and spoke very politely.

Cao Guangyu was from Hangcheng. He was dressed in branded clothing and carried himself with great arrogance. During his introduction, he even made a point of saying that his biological father was a businessman.

"What about you, buddy?"

"Jiang Qin, from Jizhou. I usually like doing business."

"Fuck, are you taking advantage of me?!"

Cao Guangyu was so angry that the corners of his mouth nearly twisted. Aren't you forcibly making yourself my dad? Ren Ziqiang and Zhou Chao beside him burst out laughing, thinking, Serves you right. Do you not know that showing off invites a thunderbolt? Jiang Qin thought, I didn't say anything wrong. I really do like doing business. If you're unhappy, bite me.