Chris and John turned their heads simultaneously upon hearing the words, only to find a tall, voluptuous, beautiful girl with chestnut hair and blue eyes standing before them, smiling pleasantly.
The woman stood about five-foot-nine, her impossibly long legs giving her the figure of a runway model. Her waist was so slender it seemed a mere grasp could snap it, yet her chest was astonishingly grand; a deep ravine parted her expanse of milky-white, dazzling cleavage.
John recognized her immediately. Wasn't this Alba, the cheerleading captain? And didn't she have it in for Chris? Why was she intruding now?
Chris, the Student Council President, was also the campus beauty, came from a wealthy family, and possessed an excellent reputation. Almost every male student agreed that Chris was the cream of the crop—marrying her would be an immense blessing, saving a man at least thirty years of struggle.
Consequently, Chris was immensely popular, dubbed the "Penn Goddess" by the male students, and had held the title of Miss University of Pennsylvania for three consecutive years.
However, the more outstanding a woman is, the more admiration she garners from the opposite sex, but also the more animosity she provokes from her own. The cheerleading captain, Alba, standing before them, was Chris’s notorious rival at Penn.
In the Miss University of Pennsylvania pageants, Chris had edged out Alba by the narrowest of margins for three years straight to claim the championship.
Alba had secretly been grinding her teeth in resentment, repeatedly cursing Chris in private as a beautiful-faced whore who only looked decent. In Alba’s eyes, Chris already possessed everything, yet she insisted on snatching away the "Miss University Title"—a mere enhancement for Chris, but a vital lifeline for Alba.
Securing such a title multiple times at a prestigious university was a considerable asset for a common girl with no power, connections, or background.
Yet, this very asset, which should have been hers, had been endlessly usurped by Chris. How could Alba not harbor such deep, hidden hatred?
Alba appraised Chris with intense jealousy, her voice dripping with biting sarcasm. “Chris, I wouldn’t have guessed you had such a wild side, running off to elope like this?”
Though slightly annoyed, John held up both hands. “Hey, Alba, can you keep the war between you two from pulling me in?”
Alba gave John an assessing glance, then suddenly flashed him a flirtatious smile. “Oh, I know you. You’re John from the Martial Arts Club. Your performance at the last mixer was great!”
John, despite his size, wasn't foolish. He knew Alba mistook him for Chris’s boyfriend and wanted to lure him over to humiliate Chris, only to ditch him afterward.
John quickly took a step back. “Alba, Chris and I need to discuss some private matters. Could you excuse us?”
Alba was strikingly beautiful, possessing a distinct South American allure. She chuckled. “What private matters? Why do you two get so awkward the moment I arrive? What were you talking about?”
As she spoke, Alba’s gaze swept over and landed on the Huangdi Neijing that Chris was holding. She laughed. “What’s this book? Some kind of witchcraft or spellbook?”
Chris knew Alba’s deep-seated resentment and her tendency to cause trouble whenever they met. She was aware that confronting Alba would immediately lead others to accuse her of bullying the less fortunate. Therefore, Chris had consistently shown forbearance and backed down, remaining silent no matter what Alba said.
Seeing Chris ignore her, Alba felt a little bored but unwilling to leave. Seizing the moment when Chris wasn't looking, she swiftly snatched the Huangdi Neijing from Chris’s hands and turned to flip through it. After just one glance at the densely packed characters, her eyes swam with confusion.
Alba pouted, contemptuously tossing the book onto the floor. “What trash is this? Chris, you waste your life reading this stuff every day?”
Chris’s brow furrowed slightly. She bent down, retrieved the book from the floor, carefully dusted it off, and said with gravity, “Alba, you can disrespect me, but you cannot disrespect this book!”
Alba scoffed. “What kind of sorcery do you value so highly?”
John, standing nearby, couldn't help but interject angrily, “Alba, Chris’s grandmother gave her that book!”
Chris shook her head at John, signaling him to remain quiet, then spoke seriously to Alba: “Alba, this book is called the Huangdi Neijing, and it comes from China. It is the earliest medical text recorded in the history of humanity on this planet! You can disrespect a person, but please respect history, and respect science!”
Alba curled her lip. “Tsk, the earliest medical text? From China? And you call it science? To me, it looks like a dark book filled with backwardness, ignorance, witchcraft, and superstition.”
Having witnessed Li Yundong’s miracles, John’s heart was filled with yearning and admiration for the mysterious nation of China. He couldn't stand hearing anyone slander the country and snapped, “Alba, are you on your period or did your boyfriend dump you to be acting so hysterical? We were having a perfectly fine conversation, what business is it of yours!”
Alba’s face changed drastically, and she shrieked, “This is a free country! Where I go is none of your business! Aren't you the ones who want to go to that tyrannical, feudal state? Go ahead, just don't stay on this free soil!”
John was furious. “Where the hell I go is none of your damn business!”
A flash of displeasure crossed Chris’s face. She said sternly, “Alba, you are not welcome here. Please leave!”
Alba ground her teeth. “I’m staying right here. What are you going to do about it?”
Chris had never encountered such a shameless rogue. She shook her head with a wry smile and said to John, “Forget it, let’s just go.”
John laughed out of sheer exasperation. “Alba, we’re going to China! If you have the guts, follow us!”
A strange expression flickered across Alba’s face. She watched Chris and John turn and walk away, grinding her teeth, then shouted, “If you have the nerve, tell me when you’re leaving!”
John laughed without looking back, “Tomorrow!”
Chris jumped, quickly tugging John’s sleeve. “Hey, are you crazy? Leaving tomorrow?”
John looked surprised. “Don’t you have a passport that lets you travel anytime? I got mine sorted out long ago. If we’re going, we should go now. If we wait a few more days, you might lose the nerve, right?”
Although Chris felt it was too abrupt, she conceded that John had a point. Moreover, a wild spirit of adventure coursing through her blood made her slightly excited. Chris nodded faintly. “Alright, I’ll go pack my bags, and we’ll book the tickets tonight!”
John laughed heartily. “It’s a deal then!” He then turned back and shouted gleefully at Alba, “Alba, we’re going to China tomorrow! Follow us if you dare!”
Alba watched John swagger away laughing. She stamped her foot, cursed the wretch, and left in a huff.
When John and Chris met at the airport the next day, just as they were about to board, they suddenly saw a familiar figure gracefully approaching them, dragging a suitcase and giving them a look of blatant triumph—it was Alba!
Chris and John were dumbfounded. Chris’s eyes widened as she stared at Alba, stammering, “Alba, what—what are you doing?”
Alba tossed her chestnut hair and declared proudly, “Didn’t you say if I had the guts, I should follow? Ha! I followed!”
John’s eyeballs nearly popped out. He stuttered, “Alba, are you insane? Do you know how far China is? Aren't you worried about your family?”
Alba rolled her eyes at John. “None of your business! I’m here now, so what are you two going to do?”
Chris was speechless. “But... how did you know which flight we were on?” As soon as she spoke, she realized and spun around to glare at John. “John, did you tell her?”
John shrugged, spreading his hands in a helpless, wry smile. “I assumed she wouldn't actually follow, and even if she wanted to, she probably wouldn't have a passport. But I never expected… Damn it, is this woman truly crazy? Why did she come? Just to spite us?”
Alba ignored them both, dragging her small suitcase toward the boarding gate. “Come on, folks, time to board. We’re in this together now!” She walked ahead as if she were the captain of the group.
Chris couldn't help but press her hand to her forehead and groan, “Oh God, what is happening?”
John gave a bitter little laugh. “Maybe we should ditch her and secretly switch flights?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Alba snapped her head around and shouted angrily, “Don't even think about shaking me off!”
Chris and John exchanged a look, both giving a wry shake of the head, then trailed after her toward the gate. Chris couldn't help but sigh. “John, I have a bad feeling. This trip to China seems like it’s going to be very, very awful…”
John also turned, offering a bitter smile. “I agree! I can’t even imagine what Master will do if he sees all three of us... Heavens, he’ll probably kick me out!”
Chris gave him an irritated look. “Did he ever actually take you on as a disciple?”