(Fifty)

A huge question mark rose in Jiang Zhiming's mind. If what she said was true, then he would feel sorry for her, because there were actually people in this world as pitiful as him, not to mention that the girl in front of him was a beautiful girl. But his doubts were even stronger; he felt that she was lying to him. Therefore, he questioned, "My poverty is written on my face and on my clothes. People can tell at a glance that I am a child from a remote mountain village. You, on the other hand, are so clean and so beautiful. You must be lying to me." If she was lying to him, he would definitely be very angry.

Hearing this, Ye Wenyu raised her head, a desolate smile appearing on her face. She slowly said to him, "Jiang Zhiming—" As soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had misspoke and wished she could bite her tongue.

She quickly lowered her head, her heart pounding with panic.

Sure enough, Jiang Zhiming's face was full of curiosity, and he asked in bewilderment, "How do you know my name?"

Ye Wenyu felt sweat pouring down her forehead. Uh, how did she know? It was a secret she couldn't tell anyone, and no one would believe her if she did.

She had no choice but to say, "Because you're a celebrity at our school."

A celebrity at the school? Jiang Zhiming was suspicious. A hint of joy and surprise rose in his heart, but then he said sadly, "Yes, because of my poverty and my humble origins, I have received extraordinary attention since the first day I entered this university!" His strong inferiority complex was acting up again.

Ye Wenyu was stunned. Good heavens, what is this all about?

She looked at Jiang Zhiming, observing him carefully. In her past life, she didn't know Jiang Zhiming from university. When she met him, he was already a dashing figure, wearing a well-tailored, high-quality suit, and appeared before her with Lin Tingyue, who was as beautiful as a movie star. He was clearly a successful person in society. Lin Tingyue's eyes were full of admiration and love. She introduced him to Ye Wenyu: "This is my fiancé, his name is Jiang Zhiming."

She never imagined that after her rebirth, she would meet Jiang Zhiming three years earlier. Jiang Zhiming was still a college student, young, naive, sensitive, and insecure, yet also incredibly aloof and proud.

He is a complex contradiction.

At this moment, his eyes were red, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. He looked like a small animal that had been hurt many times, clearly very angry and sad. He seemed like a boy who did not know how to live peacefully with the world around him.

Young and impetuous, confused and lost, unwilling to submit to fate but unable to find a way out, like a bird endlessly flapping its wings in despair in front of a tightly closed window.

Ye Wenyu didn't want to hurt him, so she immediately said, "No, no, you misunderstood. I know you're a celebrity because you're the top scorer in your province!" She was just guessing. A poor kid, so proud, and he got into Q University.

"Really?" Jiang Zhiming believed it. His anger and sadness miraculously vanished, replaced by joy and gratitude. He gazed at her, his eyes shining like stars. So this girl wasn't bad after all. She wasn't like other girls at all. Her words made him so happy. Yes, he was the top scorer in their province's college entrance exam. That year, he was the only one from their province to be admitted to Q University. He was the pride of their province!

He was once a prominent figure. Wherever he went in his hometown, he would be surrounded by people who admired him. Elders praised him with affection, younger generations looked at him with admiration, and girls of the same age looked at him with affection. Some bold girls even handed him love letters.

However, after more than a month at university, his poverty attracted too much ridicule and alienation, and he himself almost forgot that he had always been a very smart and academically excellent person.

Because in this talent-rich Q University, academic excellence is nothing special. The students are all multi-talented, not only smart, but also have high emotional intelligence, good looks, and great fashion sense. In their eyes, he was an ugly duckling from a remote mountain village. He didn't know if he would ever become a swan, and he couldn't see any hope. He was almost desperate. At one point, he even thought about going back to the remote mountain village where he was born and raised, because only there could he find confidence.

Jiang Zhiming gazed at Ye Wenyu, a deep sense of gratitude welling up inside him. A warm current swept through his heart. He thought to himself that no matter what happened in the future, he would never forget this girl. It was her sincere words that gave him the courage to persevere at Q University.

He looked at her, almost wanting to imprint her beautiful appearance into his heart.

In that instant, his heart froze into amber. He heard the sound of his first stirrings of love.

He smiled at her and said, "What were you trying to say? I don't believe you're as poor as I am. Look at me, I come from a remote mountain village, while you, you look like a child raised in a big city." The anger and suspicion on his face had long since vanished, replaced by gentleness and joy. Even his originally sharp tone had become exceptionally soft, like a spring breeze in March.

Ye Wenyu gave a bitter smile, looked into the distance, and said softly, "Are children who grow up in the city rich? Have you ever heard of the term 'urban poor'? That's right, I grew up in the slums of a big city." After a moment of silence, she murmured, "We are all fellow sufferers in this world, why should we need to have known each other before?"

Jiang Zhiming opened his eyes wide, his face filled with shock, but he quickly regained his composure and hid his shock inside.

We are both wanderers in this world, why should we need to have known each other before?

Ye Wenyu, who had been gazing into the distance, turned around to face Jiang Zhiming. She asked him sadly, "Jiang Zhiming, I'm asking you, are your parents divorced?"

Jiang Zhiming shook his head, thinking of his farmers parents who had toiled their entire lives in the fields, and said softly, "They not only didn't divorce, but they are very loving."

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