Has He Been in Love Before?

Sun Xiaoya asked, "Then can you tell me a bit about Zhang Shuai's past? Has he ever been in a relationship before?"

Wang Qiang didn't even hesitate. "He's never dated. He only arrived in Qingshui City after the New Year, and before that, he lived in the countryside his whole life..."

Sun Xiaoya pressed further, "He's twenty-five this year and looks so handsome; it doesn't seem right that he's never dated. Someone like him must have plenty of girls who like him, right?"

Wang Qiang thought to himself that the Zhang Shuai from three months ago hadn't been remotely "handsome." If not for his successful weight loss, he wouldn't have qualified for the label at all. Just as Wang Qiang was about to explain, he noticed his wife, Jing Fengqin, signaling him with her eyes. He swallowed the words that were already on the tip of his tongue.

At this moment, Jing Fengqin interjected, "Xiaoya, why are you asking about this? Don't tell me you have a crush on Zhang Shuai?"

Sun Xiaoya felt a bit guilty. She certainly couldn't admit it, especially not where Wang Qiang could hear. They all lived in the same residential complex, and Wang Qiang knew her father; if word got back to him, it would be a disaster. She quickly explained, "No, it's not like that. Zhang Shuai and I are just ordinary friends. I just get the feeling he's a bit naive, so I was curious about his background..."

Wang Qiang laughed. "He's not naive, just inexperienced in the ways of the world. He's actually quite smart..."

As they spoke, the elevator reached the twenty-sixth floor and stopped. Wang Qiang fell silent. Although Sun Xiaoya still wanted to dig for more information, she had already arrived at her floor and couldn't very well follow them into their home, so she stepped out of the elevator.

The elevator continued upward and soon stopped at the twenty-eighth floor. Wang Qiang carried their child as he and Jing Fengqin entered their apartment.

Once inside, Wang Qiang asked his wife, puzzled, "Fengqin, why were you giving me those looks? These things aren't state secrets; it wouldn't have been a big deal to tell little Sun."

Jing Fengqin replied, "Can't you tell that girl likes Zhang Shuai? That won't do at all. Her father is just a minor section chief at the Education Bureau; how can he compare to Lin Xiuwen's family background? We can't let Sun Xiaoya wedge herself in and ruin the relationship between Zhang Shuai and Lin Xiuwen. If Zhang Shuai truly becomes a son-in-law to the Lin family, his future wealth and status will be guaranteed. You're so close to him—if he really makes it big, he'll definitely look out for you..."

Wang Qiang countered, "You're always overthinking things. Honestly, I think the section chief's daughter is quite nice. If Zhang Shuai could marry her, it would be much more reliable than that Lin family heiress. After all, what kind of status does the Lin family have? Would they even look twice at Zhang Shuai? I still think little Sun is a safer bet, and they have a better chance of success."

Jing Fengqin said, "Little Sun is fine, but Lin Xiuwen is clearly superior. Not only is her family background better, but she's also prettier than little Sun. Most importantly, Zhang Shuai likes Lin Xiuwen. Didn't you see how smug he looked showing off his girlfriend to us? They're clearly in the heat of a new romance. How could we let little Sun interfere now?"

"Fine, fine. When I get the chance, I'll tell Zhang Shuai to bring Lin Xiuwen over so we can see for ourselves. I want to see just how 'superior' this Lin Xiuwen really is."

Luyuan Mansion, inside the Lin family villa.

Zhou Wei was chatting with her daughter in the living room.

"Xiuwen, I'll have Uncle Liu drive you to school tomorrow."

"Mom, there's no need to trouble Uncle Liu. I can just drive myself."

"That won't do. You just got your license; you aren't allowed on the highway, and I don't trust your driving yet."

"Then I'll just take the high-speed rail."

"Absolutely not. I've already instructed Uncle Liu to come pick you up first thing tomorrow morning."

Seeing this, Lin Xiuwen sighed helplessly. "Fine, fine. Then I'll trouble Uncle Liu."

After returning to her room, Lin Xiuwen received a message from Sun Xiaoya.

Sun Xiaoya mentioned that Zhang Shuai had bought a new car and planned to drive to school, asking if Lin Xiuwen wanted to ride with them.

Lin Xiuwen felt a pang of worry. She didn't trust Sun Xiaoya alone with Zhang Shuai. With Sun Xiaoya's brazen, flirtatious nature, if she spent the whole trip trying to seduce him, and she wasn't there to keep an eye on things, Zhang Shuai might lose his resolve...

The thought made her even more anxious. Regardless of anything else, she had to be there to watch over them. She quickly messaged back: "Okay! Let's all go to school in Zhang Shuai's car!"

Afterward, Lin Xiuwen went back to the living room to pester her mother, using every trick in the book to convince her that she would be riding with her cousin Sun Xiaoya and her cousin's boyfriend.

In the end, Zhou Wei couldn't withstand her daughter's persistence and finally gave in.

Early the next morning, Zhang Shuai packed his clothes and luggage into the trunk, drove to Sun Xiaoya's complex to pick her up, and then headed to the gate of Lin Xiuwen's complex to wait for her.

Once Lin Xiuwen was on board, Zhang Shuai set off for Hanjiang City.

Hanjiang, the capital of Chu Province in the central region, was a city famous throughout the Dragon Kingdom for its education. Zhang Shuai had never been there before, but with a GPS, he wasn't worried about getting lost. Even though he had just received his license, his driving was impeccable—fast and steady, maintaining a speed of over 120 kilometers per hour on the highway.

Three hours later, seeing the battery was running low, he stopped at a highway service area for half an hour to charge before continuing on his way.

At eleven in the morning, they finally arrived at the prestigious Hanjiang University.

Zhang Shuai had no memory of school; he had only attended elementary school, and even those memories were lost to him. Although he had self-studied the entire elementary, middle, and high school curriculum back in his rural hometown, he had never actually stepped foot inside a school building.

Sun Xiaoya and Lin Xiuwen were entering their junior year. The two girls took Zhang Shuai on a tour of the campus. Hanjiang University was massive, covering a vast area with beautiful scenery, including many cherry trees, though none were in bloom this season.

After showing him around, the two girls headed to their respective dormitories, and Zhang Shuai went off-campus to find a place to stay.

The university didn't provide housing for auditing students, so he had to rent a place nearby.

After searching for a while, he found a two-bedroom apartment less than three hundred meters from the school for 2,300 yuan a month.

Though the rent was a bit steep, it was understandable given the proximity to campus.

Zhang Shuai had money now and didn't mind the cost. After contacting the landlord and inspecting the unit, he decided to rent it on the spot.

He signed the contract, paid a 1,000-yuan deposit plus three months' rent, and successfully secured the keys.

He parked his car and hauled his luggage inside.

He would be living here for several months, and since Lin Xiuwen might come over for secret meetings, the place had to be spotless. Zhang Shuai spent over an hour cleaning and organizing the apartment.

Once he was settled, Lin Xiuwen messaged him to ask where he was.

He told her he was at his rental.

She told him to come to the school so she could help him register as an auditing student.

Zhang Shuai left immediately. When he arrived at their dormitory building, he saw two beautiful figures standing together outside before he even reached the entrance.

It was Sun Xiaoya and Lin Xiuwen.

The two were talking, so Zhang Shuai slowed his pace and pricked up his ears. Soon, he could clearly hear their conversation.