"We...

we were actually kicked out like that?" On the street, Pingping looked at her Manager Liu, then at Deng Jiao, her expression filled with disbelief. "Yeah, what else did you expect?" Manager Liu forced a bitter smile; the turn of events was so dramatic that he still hadn't quite processed it. "What did I expect?" Pingping sneered, waving her arms, "Let's fight them! It's just a shoddy little shop, what's so great about it? Let's have a row and show the customers what kind of place this is!" "Alright, Pingping," Deng Jiao persuaded, "Manager Sun and Manager Liu are respectable people; how can they stoop to arguing with employees and making a spectacle for others to laugh at?" "We can't just let it go like that!" Pingping persisted, refusing to back down, "Xiao Jiao, what's the deal with your classmate?" "I don't know," Deng Jiao shook her head awkwardly. "When we were in school, his family background was quite poor.

I have no idea when he came to Jiangzhou, or how he got involved with a jewelry company." "Forget it, forget it," Manager Sun calmed himself down and chuckled, "Whatever his story is, let's just continue shopping and forget this messy incident." "Manager Sun is right," Manager Liu chimed in agreement. "Let's just think of it as running into a stray dog on the road; it barked at us a few times and then ran off.

Isn't that easy to accept? After all, we haven't suffered any real loss." Since the men had spoken, Pingping had no choice but to drop the matter.

Deng Jiao's emotions were a confusing jumble, so she simply nodded along.

Manager Sun and Manager Liu exchanged a glance, both wearing expressions tinged with chagrin.

What else could they do? In their small hometown, they were the wealthy ones, the big bosses, always accompanied by friends and trailed by hangers-on.

But here in Jiangzhou, who cared who you were? General Manager of Zhongkuang Petroleum? Major shareholder of Zhongwei Petrochemical? You were just some jumped-up local rich guy with a knock-off company—nobody paid you any mind! ... "Damn it, the moment I saw them, I knew those two broads must be kept women," In Wang Zhuo’s office, Fei Long was holding court, his words pouring out, "Goddamn it, haven't they just latched onto some sugar daddy? Look at how spoiled she acts; she probably doesn't even recognize her own mother anymore." "Watch your language," Wang Zhuo tossed him a can of Coke, unimpressed. "I just despise people like her," Fei Long pressed on, unyielding. "If you're going to hook up, shouldn't you find someone younger? Look at those two men; they could practically be their fathers!" Actually, Manager Sun, who was with Deng Jiao, was only in his early thirties.

Fei Long was intentionally exaggerating to slander her.

Guan Yingying smiled and asked Wang Zhuo, "Did she really have an unrequited crush on you back then?" She had seen the commotion when Fei Long was shouting earlier and later heard the whole story from him, making her quite interested in Deng Jiao. "Maybe so," Wang Zhuo smiled faintly.

Being liked by someone was something to be proud of, wasn't it? "Sister Guan, you wouldn't know," Fei Long’s big mouth immediately hijacked the conversation. "When Wang Zhuo was in junior high, he was scorching hot property! If he didn't have eighty girls who liked him, he certainly had a hundred! There were queues of girls waiting for him outside the school gate after classes ended.

His schoolbag was stuffed with love letters, and he never spent a dime on snacks during evening study hall—he had a different beautiful girl treating him every day!" "That's an exaggeration," Wang Zhuo waved his hands in exasperation. "How many girls were there in the whole school? You have to keep your bragging somewhat believable, right?" Fei Long pointed a finger at him. "Are you daring to say you never received any love letters?" "Well, I did receive some," Wang Zhuo had to concede.

Guan Yingying listened with keen interest, smiling as she interjected, "How many did you receive?" Wang Zhuo scratched his head sheepishly, "That...

I really never counted." "Did you hear that, did you hear that?" Fei Long immediately seized the opening. "Sister Guan, this guy received so many love letters he couldn't count them!" Guan Yingying laughed while sizing up Wang Zhuo, saying, "If you said that now, it might be plausible.

But I never thought you were that outstanding back then?" Wang Zhuo sighed, explaining with a touch of wistfulness, "After I started high school, some things happened, and my grades dropped.

I also started fighting a lot and got mixed up with some lowlifes outside school.

Slowly, I changed." "Oh..." Guan Yingying's smile softened slightly.

She thought to herself that this kid had quite a few stories hidden away. "Instructor Wang’s nickname wasn't entirely earned by winning fights," Fei Long dropped another piece of gossip. "His billiards skills were famous around the school.

When he was broke, he'd go gamble a few games against people; he was sure to win." Guan Yingying was slightly surprised. "I didn't even know you played pool." "I actually didn't like playing," Wang Zhuo spread his hands to explain. "After high school, no one treated me to dinner anymore, and I didn't have money, so I had to play pool to earn some." "Sister Guan, you hear that?" Fei Long jumped in. "It wasn't me making things up when I said girls arranged meals for him in middle school!" Guan Yingying was utterly speechless.

This Wang Zhuo truly was a man hiding his true abilities.

...

Fudan University.

Walking down the tree-lined avenue in the early evening, the towering French plane trees stood sentinel on either side, perfectly still.

Occasionally, a lone golden leaf drifted silently down, announcing the arrival of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Wang Zhuo spotted Gan Lin at the intersection in front of one of the canteens.

She was bent over, picking up a palm-sized yellow leaf.

The girl wore a simple yet flowing floral sundress; bathed in the glow of the sunset, she possessed a graceful elegance, combining with the surrounding scenery to form a picturesque scene of autumn romance.

Stripped of her high school veneer, Gan Lin was like an ugly duckling transformed into a proud swan.

People said beautiful women at Fudan were mere legends, but Wang Zhuo was now seeing a new Fudan legend. "The traffic was terrible again." Wang Zhuo smiled and quickened his pace, naturally taking her outstretched hand as they walked toward the canteen side-by-side.

Behind them, a chorus of plaintive howls arose. "The flower has a keeper—" "Isn't that Gan Lin from Economics? She already got a boyfriend that fast?" "Who's that guy? He looks unfamiliar." "Maybe he's not from our school.

I heard Gan Lin had a boyfriend back in high school; maybe it's him?" "He doesn't look much handsomer than me.

Does that mean I still have some hope?" "Brother, I think you and that guy aren't far apart—maybe just a difference in decimal places." All the way there, Wang Zhuo experienced Gan Lin's level of attention for the first time.

He himself was unintentionally dragged into the spotlight.

The newly crowned department beauty bringing her boyfriend to the campus canteen for a meal would undoubtedly be fodder for gossip for quite some time. "How is it? Our school canteen isn't bad, right?" They sat down at a two-person table by the window.

Small bamboo partitions separated them from other students, making the environment rather intimate.

Wang Zhuo nodded with a smile, "Not bad.

At least it doesn't smell like formalin." "Does your school's canteen smell like formalin?" Gan Lin was slightly surprised.

Was the Medical College really that unique? "The canteen itself doesn't," Wang Zhuo chuckled dryly. "But the people sometimes do.

Some students finish their experiments and then sit down to eat, still chatting about things like blood vessels and lungs." "Stop, stop," Gan Lin waved her hands, torn between laughter and dismay. "I still want to eat.

If you keep talking, I’ll lose my appetite." Wang Zhuo gave a dry laugh and nodded.

Even he hadn't fully adapted to that environment.

He certainly wouldn't bring up that topic during dinner, even if Gan Lin asked him to.

They ate and talked, the topics seemingly endless. "Oh, right.

A few days ago, I ran into someone you would never expect.

She even asked me for your phone number." Gan Lin said this as if it were trivial, but she subtly watched Wang Zhuo’s expression. "Someone I wouldn't expect? Who?" Wang Zhuo idly asked while shelling edamame. "Ji Qiong.

How about that? Did you expect it?" "Ji Qiong?" Wang Zhuo’s hands paused over the edamame.

Looking up at Gan Lin with considerable surprise, "You ran into her?" "Yeah," Gan Lin nodded. "She came to our school to visit a friend, and I happened to be in the library, so we met.

She's changed quite a bit; I almost didn't recognize her." "Is that so..." Wang Zhuo managed an unnatural smile, lowering his head to shell the beans, only to bite down on an empty pod.

The beans must have fallen out without him noticing. "You still think about her, don't you?" Gan Lin’s heart tightened slightly, but she smiled naturally and said, "Maybe she’ll call you in the next few days." "I don't think about her anymore," Wang Zhuo shook his head, smiling with a hint of self-mockery. "It was so long ago; if you hadn't mentioned it, I’d have forgotten someone like her existed." "Really?" Gan Lin stared intently at him. "Of course it's true," Wang Zhuo smiled sincerely. "I have you now; why would I keep thinking about her?" "Then if she calls you and asks to meet, would you agree?" "That..." Wang Zhuo paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile. "That's actually a difficult question to answer." Gan Lin understood and smiled knowingly. "You don't want to lie to me, so you actually want to see her, right?" Wang Zhuo nodded.

Saying he didn't want to see her would be a lie.

He couldn't fool Gan Lin, nor could he fool himself.

Ji Qiong was the first girl he had ever liked, and she had significantly influenced his life.

Although he genuinely hadn't thought of her in a long time, the moment her name was brought up again, memories surged back like an unstoppable tide.

That's right, others had unrequited feelings for him, but hadn't Wang Zhuo harbored secret affections for other girls too? "Let me state my position first," Gan Lin said lightly, smiling as if making small talk. "You can meet her, but you can't go with her.

I won't interfere with what you do, but remember, you belong to me." Wang Zhuo was left speechless, unsure whether to laugh or cry at this peculiar stance. "Actually, I was just tricking you," Gan Lin abruptly changed her tone, nearly making Wang Zhuo stumble.

Gan Lin flashed a mischievous smile and pointed a finger at Wang Zhuo. "What I lied about was that she’s still the same as before, completely unchanged." So that was it.

Wang Zhuo, caught between laughter and tears, truly wanted to reach out, cup her playfully pretty face in his hands, and press down on her fiercely **.