It was already quite late when Chen Pingjiang returned to the dorm, mainly because he was hungry and went to the physical education institute to find Zhou Guanghan for a late-night snack.
As soon as he pushed open the door, several roommates, who were playing games, fiddling with their phones, reading novels, and picking their feet, immediately dragged their stools over and leaned in.
Chen Pingjiang saw Wang Lei, after picking his feet, bring his hand to his nose to sniff, almost making him throw up the roasted oysters he had just eaten.
"Damn, you're a beast, kid."
Wang Lei didn't mind, smiling shyly.
This guy was the one Chen Pingjiang had misjudged the most; he seemed honest and straightforward on the day of registration, despite a face full of acne.
But after just one day, he seemed to have adapted to the new environment and completely revealed his true colors.
He was so engrossed in novels that he couldn't pull himself away, climbing into bed last night without even showering, living in his own world.
"Old Chen, confess and be lenient. Quickly tell me what's going on between you and Zhang Xinyue."
Dong Tinghui gossiped, leaning in like an interrogator, with the others acting as his accomplices.
Chen Pingjiang looked at the "three-way interrogation" setup before him, felt like laughing inside, and said dismissively,
"High school classmates."
Everyone had a "we'd only believe you if hell froze over" expression, but deep down, they were extremely envious.
Although Qin Bei and Cong Nini in their class were also good, compared to Zhang Xinyue, they were completely not on the same level.
"Just classmates?"
Zhao Shaoyang asked, his tone rising a few degrees.
At this moment, Zhao Shaoyang seemed to perk up.
If they were truly just ordinary classmates, didn't he still have a chance?
"Brother Chen, you said it, then I'm going to pursue her."
"Go ahead and pursue her. I promise I won't kill you."
"Tsk, and he still says it's nothing."
Zhao Shaoyang felt annoyed, but he also knew what was important.
Why couldn't a devoted good man like him get any girls interested?
"It really is nothing,"
Chen Pingjiang insisted stubbornly, and he wasn't wrong, of course.
He and Zhang Xinyue were indeed classmates at the moment.
As for their past relationship, why should he mention it?
He didn't need to gain admiration from those around him through this matter; that was something only kids did.
"Although I don't know who the campus belle of our school is, I feel that Zhang Xinyue is probably as good as it gets. Old Chen, aren't you going to seize such a good resource? If I were you, I would have gotten her in high school," Dong Tinghui said.
Chen Pingjiang lied effortlessly, his lies needing no thought.
"I'm a straight man, okay? In high school, my eyes were only on studying; in college, my eyes are only on making money. Besides, I think Zhang Xinyue looks pretty average."
A group of people looked at each other, wide-eyed and speechless, upon hearing this.
It felt like bragging, but Chen Pingjiang's serious demeanor didn't quite fit.
If a liar even fooled himself, deceiving others would be a piece of cake.
Dong Tinghui chuckled and gave Chen Pingjiang the middle finger.
"Plain Jane Zhang Xinyue, huh?"
Chen Pingjiang turned the tables,
"How's it going with you and Wang Liwen? You sly dog, praising Qin Bei during the day, so you were secretly doing something else all along, hiding your true intentions."
Dong Tinghui felt a bit guilty.
"Qin Bei would have to be interested in me first. I know my own capabilities very well. Wang Liwen is not bad; we can talk well. If I don't act quickly, what if those damn sophomores and juniors get ahead of me? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?"
"The strategy isn't wrong, but don't use me as an excuse, damn it,"
Chen Pingjiang grumbled.
"Godfather, my bad, my bad, let me light your cigarette."
Dong Tinghui was thick-skinned, quickly pulling out a cigarette and lighting it for Chen Pingjiang.
Chen Pingjiang, now in high spirits, began to offer advice.
"Shaoyang, you sit with girls at night, acting all arrogant and cool like you're some hotshot. Aren't you silly? Do you think you're me, that handsome?"
"And you,"
Chen Pingjiang pointed at Guo Dewen,
"sucking up to Gu Linling, serving tea and water, helping her pick songs, oh so warm. But what's the use? Remember what your brother says: 'warm' guys rank behind dogs."
"And you, Wang Lei, not showering in the summer, you smell awful. Don't you see the girls avoiding you?"
"As for you,"
Chen Pingjiang's gaze turned to He Siyu, and after a thought, he said,
"you're still a child, just focus on your studies."
...
Having just participated in their first dorm mixer, it was a time of excitement, and a few people began chattering.
Which girl was the prettiest, which girl was cuter, which girl had a good figure.
Chen Pingjiang truly disliked discussing these things with his younger friends, but not discussing them made him seem out of place.
Eighteen or nineteen-year-old men really have women, women, women on their minds.
He had been through that age too, so he understood perfectly.
The boys' dorm was talking about women, so what could the girls' dorm talk about? Men, naturally.
Although men weren't mentioned at the beginning, topics about boys would definitely be interspersed throughout.
Wang Liwen had a likable personality, good judgment, and got along well with several girls, making her popular.
"Xinyue, is your relationship with Chen Pingjiang from our class somewhat unusual?"
After showering and lying in her fragrant bed, Zhang Xinyue thought of Chen Pingjiang's annoying behavior, how he had just slipped away that evening, not gentlemanly at all, more like he didn't like her anymore.
She immediately became furious.
"Unusual, my foot! He pursued me in high school, but I wasn't interested. He was too roguish."
Yu Tingting, with the longest reaction time and the most outspoken, was the first to voice a different opinion.
"Isn't Chen Pingjiang handsome? I think he's quite handsome, and it's that kind of roguish handsome, very natural and not fake at all. He's much more fun than those boys tonight who either pretended to be profound or were just quiet."
Cong Nini, drying her hair, stopped her movements when she heard this.
"I also think Chen Pingjiang is pretty good. If he pursued me, I might consider it."
Cong Nini's "green tea" level was a bit high.
Sitting next to Chen Pingjiang, she knew best what was going on between the two of them.
She didn't believe Zhang Xinyue disliked Chen Pingjiang.
If it were truly nothing, how could Zhang Xinyue have let Chen Pingjiang lead her out of the KTV private room?
If Zhang Xinyue genuinely disliked Chen Pingjiang, Cong Nini would definitely have put it differently.
If she likes someone, I'll make that person fawn over me.
If she doesn't like someone, I won't like them either.
Zhang Xinyue, hiding in her mosquito net, had an unpredictable expression, and her lips gradually tightened.
Given Zhang Xinyue's tsundere personality, unless she had a confirmed relationship with Chen Pingjiang, she would never admit in front of everyone that she came to Dongcai alone to follow in Chen Pingjiang's footsteps, nor would she admit she liked Chen Pingjiang, especially since he was so cold towards her.
In the small group chat "Sisters, Charge!"
Zhang Lu: "I feel it's a bit complicated. Xinyue and Chen Pingjiang definitely have an unusual relationship. Now Cong Nini also seems to have her eyes on Chen Pingjiang. Could our dorm be staging a palace drama?"
"What's complicated? Didn't Zhang Xinyue say she wasn't interested in Chen Pingjiang?"
"Tingting, if everyone were as innocent as you, it would be great," Wang Liwen said.
Gu Linling: "Cong Nini has liked to compare herself with Xinyue since yesterday's registration. Although she's in the same class as Xinyue, forgive me, I'm a lookist; I just love Xinyue's looks too much."
"Sisters of Class Four, Business Administration." (Zhang Xinyue not included)
Cong Nini: "Chen Pingjiang is a boy from our class. Why should he be looked down upon by people from other classes? It makes me furious!"
...
(End of chapter)
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