Jiang Linyuan had long suspected there was something going on between Shen Wanyu and Su Muzhi.
But neither of them had brought it up, and he didn't dare ask.
What if asking turned their love-hate relationship into a tangled affair involving three people? That wouldn't be good.
So Jiang Linyuan pretended he hadn't heard anything and focused on the barbecue.
I'll just eat! Eat! Eat!
"Are Department Head and Senior Sister Su on bad terms?"
Lin Yilin was curious, though. She leaned close to Jiang Linyuan and whispered.
Jiang Linyuan said darkly,
"Junior, as the saying goes, church doves don't kiss crows, and top-ranked senior brothers don't keep company with stray-dog junior brothers."
At that, Su Muzhi grew interested and asked,
"Then tell me, between me and your Department Head, who's the dove and who's the crow?"
Jiang Linyuan laughed heartily.
"Don't humiliate yourself, Little Su. We're friends, and I don't want to insult you."
Hearing that only convinced Su Muzhi even more that leaking his class schedule to Liu Tingting had been a righteous deed done for the greater good.
"Senior, that's a bit much."
Lin Yilin spoke up in the name of justice.
"Haha, I wasn't finished. The dove was actually you, junior. That's right, junior, did you know that in some places, doves can use magic? They shout..."
"Senior!"
Lin Yilin betrayed justice.
She hurriedly clapped a hand over Jiang Linyuan's mouth, her little face red enough to drip, and glared at him fiercely.
She looked ready to take him down with her if he said another word.
Shen Wanyu acted as if she hadn't seen the two of them and said coolly,
"When you're done fooling around, come back and grill."
Lin Yilin's face flushed as Jiang Linyuan got up to leave. She whispered, "When it comes to girls, that's not being childish. It's romantic..."
Then came a string of hard-to-understand words, things like "Senior definitely feels the same way" and "Everyone has fantasies," which made Jiang Linyuan burst out laughing. The whole place was suddenly filled with cheer.
Binary Sister puffed up angrily and turned away, refusing to talk to Jiang Linyuan.
One chance encounter, and my dream of college is ruined.
That jerk of a senior!
After a bit more joking around, the Student Union members had nearly all arrived.
The main purpose of this get-together was to break the ice and help members of the different departments get to know one another.
They'd make introductions amid the lively atmosphere, then everyone could do their own thing.
First, a few of the old-timers like Jiang Linyuan would set an example and get things started. Then the freshmen would go.
After introducing himself, Jiang Linyuan began sizing up each freshman.
As the saying goes, flowers bloom again, but people never grow young twice.
This was the golden age for winning over green tea girls! Focus! Scan quickly!
Su Muzhi and Shen Wanyu were A-Rank Cards, but they were just side gigs. He couldn't forget his main business.
Hmm, this one's D-Rank, obviously a virgin. This one's C-Rank—not really his type.
Wait, what the heck is that!? It's huge!
[Target: Yu Songsong; Bad Woman Rank: B]
"Hi, everyone! I'm Yu Songsong, a new member of the Academic Department. You can call me Songsong. I like traveling and music, so if you're into those too, come find me!"
A tall woman with delicate features introduced herself to everyone with lively enthusiasm.
That wasn't the important part. The important part was, what was that exoskeleton armor on her chest?
She was only a B-Rank Card, yet she had a D-Rank chest. What kind of person was she!?
"Senior, what are you looking at?"
As Jiang Linyuan marveled, Lin Yilin's little hand came to rest on his shoulder. She said pointedly,
"Staring at that part of someone's body is really rude!"
Sorry, forgot to turn off auto-aim.
Jiang Linyuan looked away, then instinctively glanced at Lin Yilin's chest.
Hmm, a petite junior was cute too.
Lin Yilin noticed his gaze and puffed up angrily.
"You're awful!"
"Yeah, you're awful."
Su Muzhi had sidled over too, grinning as she whispered,
"Is this Yu Songsong your next target?"
What kind of thing was that to say? He hadn't even said anything! What did she take him for!?
He despised her filthy way of thinking!
He was like Qin Shi Huang on a swing—winning so hard he was soaring!
"Use more elegant words. What do you mean, 'next target'? I just want to make friends with her."
Jiang Linyuan said.
"I get it, I get it."
Su Muzhi smiled knowingly.
Jiang Linyuan decided to ignore her and started thinking about how to make his move.
This green-tea junior, armed with a weapon of her own, was different from Liu Tingting. She was a freshman.
That meant her past would be harder to investigate and information more difficult to gather.
Luckily, she was in the Student Union, so he'd have plenty of chances to interact with her.
He found Zhang Shuo and jabbed him in the ribs.
"Ow! What are you doing?"
Caught off guard by the sneak attack, Zhang Shuo let out a strange Kun-like cry.
"Shuo, isn't Yu Songsong in your Academic Department? What's she like?"
Jiang Linyuan asked.
Zhang Shuo eyed him suspiciously.
"What are you up to?"
"You know my English has never been good. I saw Yu Songsong's English was great, so I thought I'd study with her."
Jiang Linyuan lied without batting an eye.
Lin Yilin, who was listening with her ears perked up, condemned him fiercely in her heart.
You pervy senior! You're obviously just after her looks! Avada Kedavra!
"I'm telling you, don't try anything!"
Zhang Shuo had grown up with Jiang Linyuan and knew exactly what he was like. He said sternly,
"She's a freshman, and she takes her studies seriously. She asked me a lot about competitions. She's a good kid."
"Exactly. Don't bother her, senior."
Lin Yilin nodded in agreement.
This little junior didn't take him, the External Relations Department head, seriously at all!
What, he was a deputy head? A deputy head was still a department head!
"Fine, I won't ask any more."
Jiang Linyuan first put on an expression of disappointment, then changed tack.
"Then I'll bother Little Yilin instead."
Binary Sister froze, then came to her senses and cried out in alarm,
"I'm off-limits too! And what kind of name is 'Little Yilin' anyway!"
"Hehe, I think Little Yilin sounds pretty nice too."
Su Muzhi came over, smiling sweetly.
"You two! Forget it! Call me whatever you want!"
Lin Yilin decided she couldn't win an argument against these two jerks and gave up in exasperation.
Haha, junior girls really were fun.
"Haha, Little Yilin is so cute."
Su Muzhi covered her mouth, her eyes narrowing into slits as she smiled.
After teasing Binary Sister, Jiang Linyuan turned his thoughts back to Yu Songsong.
With Zhang Shuo's social skills, even if she hooked him, he'd just grin foolishly.
His opinions on girls were about as reliable as the words of a terminal cancer patient. He was that far gone, so why not just go along with it?
You had to let people hold on to their best fantasies about girls.
I'll have to handle this myself!
Second Lieutenant Su Muzhi, fall in!
"Minister Su, what's your opinion?"
"Hm? What's with you, you country bumpkin?"
"Did you just call me something weird?"
Su Muzhi looked innocent.
"I don't think so."
Then she smiled.
"If your hearing's bad, Jiang, I can recommend a doctor."
This was mutiny! Mutiny!
You treacherous Su, I'd show you what it meant to have presence!
"Hehe, just a little joke, a small counterattack. You're not mad, are you, Jiang? We're partners, aren't we?"
Seeing his reaction, Su Muzhi smoothly changed course and went on,
"As for Yu Songsong, I'd say she's all shine on the outside and rotten within."
Fine. Since you're still useful, your parents get to keep their lives.
"Explain."
Jiang Linyuan said.
Before you continue