Better None Than the Wrong One

Seeing Song Jia react like that, Wu Caiyun and Song Guangyuan exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with concern.

After returning to the bedroom, Song Jia finally let out a long breath and flopped onto her big bed.

"Ugh, my mom's just like that—she's neurotic all day long. So annoying."

"I've only just started my freshman year, okay? I haven't even gotten to enjoy the freedom and happiness of college yet. Why would I go looking for a boyfriend?"

"And where did all these random guys even come from?!"

Song Sha stretched lazily and smiled. "Exactly."

"When it comes to finding a boyfriend, you have to choose carefully. Better none than the wrong one."

"By the way, Jiang Ruolin, your roommate, must be really popular in Wind City's local social circles, right?"

"Who would've thought she'd find a boyfriend so quickly?"

"I bet the moment they heard the news, a whole bunch of her admirers were beating their chests in regret, weren't they?"

Hearing that, Song Jia remembered something and couldn't help laughing.

"I don't know about the others, but I remember Tan Feng's expression when he heard the news. He practically looked like the Blue-Faced Beast, Yang Zhi!"

"I bet the others weren't much better."

"Actually, it's not just me. A lot of people can't figure out why Jiang Ruolin suddenly got a boyfriend, or why it had to be Liu Shang."

"You might not understand, Sha Sha, but Jiang Ruolin is even more popular in Wind City's circles than you think."

"With her qualifications, even marrying Tan Feng, the son of the district's top official, would count as marrying beneath her."

The moment she heard Song Jia's words, Song Sha frowned.

Deep down, she had always seen Jiang Ruolin as someone she was competing with, but she had never expected Jiang Ruolin's family background to be far deeper than she had imagined.

"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"

"I heard Jiang Ruolin's father worked in the oil field. Even if he were the top official or second-in-command, he shouldn't rank that much higher than Tan Feng, should he?"

Song Jia frowned and thought for a moment. "I don't know the details, but the news is absolutely accurate. I heard Jiang Ruolin's mother has connections in the capital."

"Even back in high school, friends from the capital would come looking for her every holiday."

"And even Tan Feng and the others were extremely wary of those people's identities."

"I've always been too lazy to ask about things among them. If you're interested, Sha Sha, I can ask around for you."

Song Sha smiled and shook her head. "I'm not really interested in those things. I was just asking since it came up."

"By the way, Jia Jia, I heard the gathering you guys had a few days ago caused quite a stir. Someone even drank himself into the hospital?"

"You have no idea. Rumors about that gathering are spreading all over the school now. Jiang Ruolin's boyfriend, Liu Shang, really made a name for himself too. But I figured your version would be the most reliable."

Song Jia spread her hands. "I didn't attend the gathering that day either. I only rushed over later, after Tan Feng and the others had been sent to the hospital."

"So I'm probably just like you. Everything I know about that gathering came from other people's versions of the story."

"And Tan Feng, Zhou Liang, and the rest have been extremely evasive about what happened that day, so I didn't ask too closely."

"But one thing is certain: they really drank a huge amount that day."

"In my impression, Lu Kai has always been the best drinker in the circle. Whether it was fighting, drinking, or even risking his life, he was the last person to admit defeat."

"But that day, Liu Shang really drank him unconscious. Afterward, in the hospital, he admitted that when it came to drinking, he admired Liu Shang. He really wasn't Liu Shang's match."

"I've known Lu Kai for so many years, and it was the first time I'd ever seen him admit defeat. You can imagine how fierce their drinking battle must have been!"

Seeing how animated Song Jia became when she mentioned Lu Kai, Song Sha blinked. "Jia Jia, the guy your mom said had ulterior motives toward you... don't tell me it's Lu Kai?"

Before she could finish, Song Jia immediately collapsed.

"Pah, pah, pah..."

"Come on, are you serious? Lu Kai and Tan Feng have come to my house to mooch meals more times than you have. If it were really Lu Kai, my mom would probably call his family directly."

"That's completely impossible! How could I possibly like that stubborn mule, Lu Kai? We're basically just buddies!"

"I'm telling you, Sha Sha, don't listen to my mom's..."

While Song Jia's home was filled with laughter and warmth, Liu Shang got off work and took the bus back to school.

Since he had arranged to meet Zheng Shiwei and Fu Liang at the school gate before going out for rice noodles and internet café games, Liu Shang, who arrived first, waited outside the gate.

It was the weekend, and the side gate was bustling. There were stalls, vendors selling all kinds of street snacks, and more than a dozen students wearing Student Union badges organizing some kind of event.

At that moment, a casually dressed student with a stylish air, who looked like a sophomore or junior, came over and struck up a conversation.

"Hey, buddy, our Student Union outreach department is running an event with the cinema above Walmart."

"If you buy movie tickets through us, it's convenient and cheaper. You don't even have to show your student ID."

"So, want to add each other's contact info? If you ever go see a movie with your goddess girlfriend, you won't have to line up to buy tickets, right?"

Hearing him, Liu Shang was clearly taken aback.

Seeing his reaction, the other man smiled confidently and extended his hand. "Let's get acquainted. I'm Li Huaiyuan, a junior and the head of the Student Union's outreach department."

"As for how I know who you are, I don't think you need to think too much about it."

"You just started school and already won over Jiang Ruolin, one of the top freshmen and someone very famous in Wind City's local circles. It'd be hard for you not to become famous."

Liu Shang smiled as well, shook his hand, and they exchanged contact information before chatting casually.

Through their conversation, Liu Shang found Li Huaiyuan to be quite an interesting person.

To become the head of outreach, one of the more important departments within the Student Union, his ability and social skills had to be excellent.

After all, much of the funding needed for Student Union activities had to be obtained by their outreach department through business sponsorships and naming rights.

At the same time, while discussing this cinema event, Liu Shang could sense that Li Huaiyuan had set up the procedures very clearly and meticulously, especially the parts involving money and funds.

That made it difficult for anyone, including Li Huaiyuan himself, to manipulate things behind the scenes, line their own pockets, or embezzle funds.

For someone his age to possess such integrity and principles, Liu Shang felt that it was a far more valuable quality than mere ability.

Li Huaiyuan's upbringing must have been exceptionally rare and commendable as well.

Curious about him, Liu Shang continued talking with him in greater depth.

Just as he had expected, Li Huaiyuan's parents were both college graduates and both worked technical jobs at the oil field research institute.

College students in their era had been far harder to come by, and far more valuable, than they were now.

As the two chatted, Zheng Shiwei and Fu Liang finally arrived. Liu Shang greeted Li Huaiyuan, waved goodbye, and left.