Chapter 1: Don't worry about Fanta Soda, the fun has just begun. ...
"Luo Shu, get out of class is over."
The bell rang for a while. Luo Shu sat by the window with her chin on one hand, staring intently at the mobile phone in her other hand. Her delicate features were reflected in the black screen that had automatically turned off due to being on standby for too long.
Gu Jiaqian packed up her textbooks and saw that she still didn't move. She immediately bent down and waved her hands in front of her unfocused eyes, repeating loudly: "Luo Shu, get out of class is over."
Luo Shu jolted back to reality. When she looked up, most of the students had already left. She unlocked her phone, and a chat screen popped up. The last message, sent a week ago, lay silently in a blank white box, awaiting resolution.
"What are you daydreaming about? You're not even active after class?" Gu Jiaqian took her arm and asked, "Have you decided what to eat?"
Luo Shu shook her head and looked around slowly: "Where is Sisi?"
"She has no classes in the afternoon, so she works part-time."
Luo Shu said "Oh", closed the book, and slowly put the cap on the pen that hadn't been used in a class. Then she stared at the indecisive message and said thoughtfully: "Jia Qian, you said..."
"What are we going to eat?" Gu Jiaqian answered quickly, looking thoughtful. "I haven't had clay pot rice from the cafeteria in a while. How is it?"
Under her friend's eager anticipation, Luo Shu laughed and then cooperated very well by making an OK gesture.
In a canteen in Liyuan, Gu Jiaqian wanted to buy and buy the clay pot rice at the window that was made fresh. After waiting for 10 minutes, with her flattery and pleading, the auntie who served the rice finally smiled and made an exception and gave her two bowls of chicken soup.
In an inconspicuous corner, Luo Shu scooped up a spoonful of bright yellow chicken soup sprinkled with chopped green onions and flecks of oil. After taking a sip, she couldn't help but frown. "It's a bit salty. I'll go get some water. What do you want to drink?"
Gu Jiaqian, who was sitting opposite, was enjoying her meal by taking a mouthful of rice, a bite of sausage, and then a sip of soup. "Is it salty? I think it's just right."
In this situation, Luo Shu gave up and stopped arguing with the hungry ghost. She stood up and walked straight towards the convenience store. Standing in front of the freezer, facing a variety of different drinks, hesitantly, was about to make a list when a voice floated over her head: "What do you want to drink?"
The moment the voice fell, Luo Shu felt like she had stepped on a landmine and dared not move.
An aquatic scent mixed with a faint hint of tobacco enveloped her entire back. She slowly raised her eyes and met the familiar features reflected in the glass.
Still those eyes that show you never stay up late.
Luo Shu stared at him without saying a word. Her mind was in a daze for a moment and she thought she was dreaming. She pinched her palm hard with her fingernails and woke up a little. It was really him.
The man didn't urge her, but stood behind her waiting for her answer.
"It will be all right."
After getting a positive answer, the presence behind her suddenly approached, and an arm passed over her ear and opened the freezer door. The bony fingers grabbed two cans of classic orange Fanta from a pile of dazzling items.
When checking out, Luo Shu took a look. The tall man was standing in the uneven queue. He was dressed simply in black, and his temperament was in the transition period between freshness and maturity. He was not like the others who hunched their backs, nor did he look around casually like the others. He lowered his head and carefully read the ingredient list of the soda while moving forward little by little. It was obvious that he was good-looking.
She clearly thought that he seemed more handsome after not seeing him for half a month.
I couldn't help but think of a joke that Gu Jiaqian shared in the dormitory: A man's golden age is not 30 years old but 16-24 years old, because at this age, as long as you are handsome, people will like you, if you study well and have a good personality, people will like you, if you are versatile, people will like you, if you play ball well and play games well, people will like you. But after 24 years old, if you don't have money, few people will like you.
Unfortunately, he has all these unique advantages.
When it was his turn, he ordered another pack of Lanzhou cigarettes, wrapped in black. He seemed to have a penchant for this particular brand, and she had a deep impression of it because the top of the pack had a scratch-off feature, and whenever she got the itch, she'd secretly scratch off the coating.
At the convenience store entrance, they parted ways again without saying goodbye. Luo Shu clutched the iced drink she'd been forced into her hand, watching the towering figure gradually disappear. A chill ran through her palms, spreading throughout her body.
When she returned to the dining table, there was a group of people at the next table. Gu Jiaqian bit her chopsticks and lowered her head to watch videos with relish. It might be gossip or her two-dimensional husbands.
Hearing the sound of a chair being dragged, Gu Jiaqian took the time out of her busy schedule to glance over and ask, "When did you start drinking this drink?" Without waiting for Luo Shu to answer, she was immersed in the content of the video and burst into laughter, as if she had forgotten what happened in the previous second.
Sometimes Luo Shu envied her for being able to multitask to the fullest. Her gaze stayed on the Fanta on the right for a few seconds, and she resolutely opened her phone, deleted the edited text in the chat box, and habitually clicked into the BBS campus forum before exiting. The topic about the appearance of this year's freshmen was a cliché, and as an elected representative of the previous session, Luo Shu's name was often brought up for comparison.
Lululu: [It's hard to judge, I always feel like she's secretly playing around with multiple people.]
Yabi was embarrassed: [I really don't understand why people say she's beautiful. It's only in this engineering school with the imbalanced gender ratio. Otherwise, with her looks, she'd be a passerby at any other university.]
Unfortunately, Luo Shu didn't care about the outside world's evaluation of her, and her attention was completely attracted by another post about rescuing someone.
[Searching for crush online. I ran into a guy in Chongxue Building this morning. I don't know what major he's from. He's tall and handsome. Taking candid photos is rude. If you're offended or have a crush on someone, please delete this immediately.]
The accompanying picture is a photo taken from a candid angle. The picture quality is slightly blurry but it does not affect the appearance of the protagonist at all.
Soon, an account replied: [Fang Qingzhuo, senior in computer science, Shenzhen native, enjoys gaming, appears to be from a well-off family. Senior year has fewer classes, so if you're looking for a chance encounter, you can probably find one in the lab or on the basketball court. Unsure about partner selection, neither warm nor cold with the opposite sex, always agreeing on the occasion. Whether he's always single is a mystery. He hasn't even been rumored to have a girlfriend at school, but he doesn't rule out having one outside of school.]
Just as Luo Shu was poring over the last line of words, the people next to her suddenly waved and called out to the distance, "Brother Zhuo, this way."
As soon as the words fell, the noisy cafeteria fell silent. Luo Shu followed the curious gazes and looked over. Across two or three rows of tables and chairs, Fang Qingzhuo was slowly approaching. Their eyes briefly crossed the crowd. The former was hurried, the latter calm as ever.
Luo Shu realized it later and turned her head to look at the seat next to her at the next table. It was empty, but there was an ordinary rice bowl on it. In the blink of an eye, a can of familiar soda fell on the corner of the table. The familiar smell hit her in the face, and Fang Qingzhuo sat down next to her.
With him as the center, the lake, which was already not very calm, was stirred up by a stone and caused thousands of waves and splashes of water.
When Fang Qingzhuo appeared at the next table, Luo Shu fidgeted uncomfortably. Gu Jiaqian was blissfully engrossed in her phone, oblivious to the surroundings. Meanwhile, a group of people at another table were enthusiastically discussing a code program that laymen couldn't understand.
The edges of the two tightly put together tables are like a watershed, one volcano and the other Antarctica.
Fang Qingzhuo ate his meal slowly and leisurely, answering a technical question or two from time to time.
Luo Shu poked her chopsticks into the bowl, her thumb and index finger unconsciously rubbing against each other, but she hesitated to move. His right elbow and her left elbow were only a hair's breadth apart, and the unintentional contact, the tentative touch of fabric, made her heart sink in her throat. This meal was destined to be troubled.
At this moment, Fang Qingzhuo put down his chopsticks, and while picking up the can of Fanta with his right hand, he bent his index finger and pressed it against the pull ring. With a light hook of his fingertips, he pried it open naturally. His movements were smooth and flowing. With a "bang", he leaned back in his chair comfortably and raised his head to bring the can to his mouth.
Gu Jiaqian also made some moves, calling out Luo Shu's name anxiously as if she had discovered a new world. "The group chat said there's a social gathering with the graduate school next door, and the number of places is limited. I'll sign us up quickly."
Yu Guangzhong suddenly stopped drinking halfway through.
Luo Shu refused without even thinking: "No thanks."
"Why?" Gu Jiaqian yelled loudly without holding back, causing the group of people next door to stop their discussion and all stick their heads over.
When people are at their most embarrassing moments, they always pretend to be busy to cover it up. Luo Shu was no exception. She hurriedly picked up the food and stuffed it into her mouth, just begging Gu Jiaqian to shut up quickly: "No reason, I've just been too busy lately."
Gu Jiaqian's eyes, sparkling with brilliance, narrowed slightly. She didn't know whether Luo Shu was busy or not. As the saying goes, there must be something wrong when things are out of the ordinary: "You are not secretly dating behind my back, are you?"
Luo Shu was already feeling guilty, and was swallowing a grain of rice when she was not paying attention. She choked and started coughing. Gu Jia quickly handed her a tissue: "I'm just kidding, don't get excited."
Is she the type to joke like that? Luo Shu thought to herself, but unexpectedly, Gu Jiaqian said something shocking the next second, "Even if we're in a relationship, we can still go secretly." She started coughing even harder, and in a hurry, she grabbed the soda on the table and gulped it down. By the time she recovered, Fang Qingzhuo had already disappeared.
On the sixth-floor terrace, Guan Siqi reclined in a rattan chair, concentrating on playing a game. He felt a shadow cast over him, then looked up and saw who was coming. "Would you like to spend more time with your girlfriend?"
"Coincidence." Fang Qingzhuo's lips curled up slightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes. He took out the newly bought cigarette box, tore open the film and pushed out a cigarette.
Seeing this, Guan Siqi immediately slid the lighter on the round table and said, "I'm not saying anything, but I'm also obedient. You said you didn't want to make it public, so I just cooperated. You ignored me and didn't make a fuss."
She hit him on the shoulder and said, "We just got together and you give me such a cold shoulder. I think you have a way."
Fang Qingzhuo took out a medium-sized cigarette and played with it between his fingers, keeping silent.
Gu Yang, who was sitting at the same table, leaned back in his chair, his expression indistinguishable from joy or anger. "Aren't you worried that we'll go too far and let her get upset and affect our plans?"
Fang Qingzhuo held the cigarette between his teeth, pausing to light it. Recalling Luo Shu's refusal, he said firmly, "Not at the moment."
Gu Yang pressed on: "How long do you plan to leave her alone?"
The light plum fragrance of the tobacco penetrates into the heart, and from the moment the tobacco burns, it sweeps away the sweet orange-flavored soda in the mouth.
Fang Qingzhuo didn't rush to respond to Gu Yang's question. He exhaled a puff of smoke and casually tossed the cigarette he'd just taken a puff of into the ashtray, leaving it to die. Then he walked over to the railing, resting his arm on it and looking down from above.
In the campus where autumn colors were deepening, the branches of the sycamore trees on both sides of the road began to turn yellow. The pedestrians chattering on the road wrapped themselves in thin coats. The next second, Luo Shu, wearing a beige waist-length skirt and swaying gracefully, walked into his sight dramatically.
The cool breeze brought a refreshing feeling, and Fang Qingzhuo's dark hair was gently blown by the wind. That faint, tiny emotion also drifted away with the wind without any attachment.
"Don't worry, the fun has just begun."
The author has something to say:
----------------------
(Edited on March 10th, this is a semi-dissuading post)
After serializing it for so long, I have to stand up and say a few heartfelt words. The evaluation of the male protagonist has always been accompanied by negative words such as harsh words, vindictive, and bad personality. These are beyond doubt. At the beginning, I also shaped him around complexity, defensiveness, dark, and double standards.
Steel is not forged in a day, nor is evil formed overnight. He may be an unfinished jade, but he will never be a rotten wood.
But the first time the word "misogyny" appeared in my mind, I couldn't describe the feeling. When I was vacant, I asked myself, did he immediately harbor dislike for the female characters? What was the trigger for his harsh words? I remember the scene at the end of the first hot pot chapter where he ran into the siblings, and they even specifically described him putting away his cigarette.
Is it because the bearing surface is different or am I using too much force?
The more you talk, the more mistakes you make. You might even say something like "I love men."
Of course, I am not trying to criticize or refute those comments. There are a thousand Hamlets for a thousand readers. I just want to make my position clear. I am a female author and would never allow such a setting for the protagonist in my novel. However, the process of self-adjustment will somewhat affect my subsequent writing passion and original intention. So I hope that readers with ideas who see this will stop the loss in time to avoid wasting time and hurting the relationship.
grateful!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
