Category: I’m Actually Really Rich

I Understand

Wen Le pushed Zhou Kao away and walked ahead.

Zhou Kao took a couple of steps forward. “Wen Le.”

Wen Le responded with a simple “hm.”

Zhou Kao said, “I’m being sincere.”

Wen Le replied, “I understand.”

“I understand” –  what kind of response was that?

TN: HAHA our male lead sure does have it tough~

Zhou Kao sighed, anxiety gripped his heart and he thought that this was probably a result of his own actions.

The list for the new round of scholarships was out. Wen Le filled out the forms and handed them to her counsellor.

The counsellor took Wen Le’s application form. “Alright then, I’ll be leaving first, Teacher.”

But suddenly, the counsellor added, “Wen Le, wait a moment. Close the door, please. I need to talk to you about something.”

Wen Le’s brows furrowed at the tone of the counsellor’s words. It was apparent this wasn’t something positive. She closed the door, wondering what the counsellor could want to discuss with her. There hadn’t been any major incidents recently that would require a conversation with the counsellor.

Wen Le walked over to the counsellor after closing the door. The counsellor said, “Recently, a fellow student approached me and reported about hearing some not-so-positive things.”

Wen Le frowned. “What do you mean, teacher?”

The counsellor continued, “Wen Le, you’ve always been a focus of our department’s attention. You excel in various aspects both academically and in extracurricular activities. The school hopes for your success, but you know, to cultivate individuals beneficial to society, morality comes first, followed by talent. Teacher isn’t saying this to belittle you or accuse you. We’re well aware of your family background, and most of your classmates know it too. You’re a child from an impoverished mountain area, but no one has ever looked down on you because of it. On the contrary, due to your outstanding personal abilities, everyone likes you very much. This shows that gaining recognition from others doesn’t require a prestigious background or wealth. Your personal charm is more than enough.”

The more Wen Le listened, the more uneasy she felt. “Teacher, what happened? You can just tell me directly.”

The counselor said, “Le Le, I know your family circumstances and I trust your character. Recently, someone informed me that you donated 5000 yuan for the mountainous area. Then they mentioned you bought a luxury bag recently, which involved a substantial amount of money. Donating money was initially an act of goodwill, and no one should compare or compete. We should do it according to our own abilities. Isn’t that right?”

“You’ve been hesitant to apply for financial aid for impoverished students, yet now you’re spending so extravagantly. Add to that the report from fellow students – It’s causing some concern. At your age, you shouldn’t rush with financial matters. With your abilities and educational background, this won’t be a problem in the future. Don’t let momentary confusion lead you astray. You’re an exceptionally talented child, and the teacher believes you can think this through.”

Wen Le’s heart sank. “Teacher, did someone tell you something bad? Do they think my spending is suspicious?”

The counselor remained silent, looking conflicted. But Wen Le could already read it from the counselor’s expression.

Wen Le’s heart sank further. “Teacher, I don’t apply for financial aid for impoverished students because my family isn’t actually poor. Moreover, I’ve been financially independent since the second semester of my freshman year. I have my own part-time job and various scholarships from the school. It’s enough to support my current life…”

……

Leaving the counsellor’s office, Wen Le’s face was clouded with gloom. She didn’t understand why someone would go to the counsellor and spread rumours. Wen Le wasn’t sure how that person had presented things to the counsellor, but she didn’t need to guess; it must have been unkind.

Honestly, Wen Le felt upset. The so-called luxury bag she had bought was on sale for less than a thousand yuan. Furthermore, she hadn’t even used it since she brought it home. Only her few roommates knew about the bag.

And Sun Youmei, since moving out to live with her boyfriend, hadn’t returned, so she wouldn’t know about the bag.

She didn’t want to suspect anyone, but she felt genuinely disappointed. She believed they had a close relationship, but instead, she felt betrayed by these people who stabbed her from the back.

Back in the dorm, Wen Le didn’t tell anyone about the conversation with the counsellor. However, her silence and unusual demeanour raised suspicions. Everyone could tell something was off about her, but when asked, she remained tight-lipped.

Wen Le stared at her computer for a while.

Suddenly, a notification message on her phone snapped her out of it.

It was a message from a courier.

Wen Le was puzzled. She hadn’t ordered anything recently, so there shouldn’t be any deliveries.

She checked several shopping apps again to confirm, and indeed, she hadn’t ordered anything.

Still perplexed, Wen Le decided to retrieve the package.

It was a very heavy box.

She couldn’t tell if it contained books or paper?

The box was heavy, and it took a lot of effort for Wen Le to get it back to her dorm. She was sweating by the time she managed it.

Her roommates came over to see what was going on. “What did you buy that’s so heavy?”

Wen Le wiped her sweat. “I don’t know.”

Wen Le found scissors, opened the box, and was astonished to find it filled with certificates and awards.

Wen Le was stunned. 

She opened them all.

Every one of them was written with a single name – Zhou Kao.

Wen Le was so frustrated that her heart ached. She felt like Zhou Kao was sending her a message, and trying to make a point.

Zhou Kao must be retaliating against her.

Wen Le imagined Zhou Kao was probably laughing triumphantly at the moment, thinking he could crush her with all these certificates.

Wen Le felt that Zhou Kao was about to succeed. She felt like these certificates were going to exhaust her to death. Her back was practically breaking from carrying them all this way.

Originally already angry with him, Wen Le took out her phone, and messaged Zhou Kao, feeling the fury build further.

wl: Are you out of your mind? 

wl: Are you trying to show off to me? 

wl: You send me this pile of stuff just to try and suffocate me, right?

wl: Do you find this amusing? 

wl: Who doesn’t have these kinds of things? I could bury you with my certificates too. Just you wait.

Wen Le sent five messages in rapid succession.

After a while, Zhou Kao only replied with one sentence.

z: Are you one of those legendary straight girls*? 

wl: ? 

z: Just take a further look.

*straight girl = is a chinese slang for saying girls who have a personality that’s difficult to get along with

Amid her roommates’ astonishment, Wen Le went through each and every one of Zhou Kao’s certificates.

In the end, she still couldn’t quite figure it out, but she summed it up with one sentence: this guy is seriously outstanding.

It wasn’t until Wen Le reached the bottom of the box and found a USB drive.

Wen Le was quite curious. She inserted the USB drive into her computer and upon opening it, she found only one thing inside the 8GB drive – an MP4 format music file.

Wen Le thought that this might be some sort of virus – probably Zhou Kao’s way of trying to mess with her.

However, her curiosity got the better of her and she couldn’t resist opening it.

Her roommates also gathered around, curious to see what it was.

It was a song.

“To Conquer” by Na Ying.

TN: LOL our male lead really has got nothing better to do haha

Wen Le burst into laughter.

It seemed like the gloomy atmosphere resulting from the visit to the counsellor’s office had just vanished.

Wen Le was nearly laughing herself crazy.

Lunatic, Zhou Kao must be a lunatic.

Wen Le messaged Zhou Kao.

wl: Have you lost your mind? 

z: Miss Top Scholar, can you see my sincerity for you?

Wen Le was laughing uncontrollably.

wl: I roughly get the meaning behind “To Conquer,” but what’s the point of giving me a pile of certificates? 

z: As long as you conquer me, these will be your trophies. 

z: I’ve heard that Miss Top Scholar loves collecting certificates and awards.

Wen Le laughed with amusement.

wl: Excuse me, but what’s the use of certificates and awards with your name on them? 

z: Mainly, I wanted to show you my excellence.

Wen Le took quite a while before responding.

Zhou Kao sent a question mark after a while.

z: ? 

z: What are you up to? 

wl: I’m trying to flirt with someone from the backup list to show you how he will try to pursue me. You can learn something from him. 

z: !!! 

z: Wen Le, are you crazy? 

z: You try it! 

z: You dare! 

wl: Why wouldn’t I dare? I’m going to give it a try right now.

Zhou Kao was probably getting really frustrated.

No messages came for quite a while.

Oddly, Wen Le felt unexpectedly good about her mood.

After a while, Wen Le still hadn’t received a message from Zhou Kao, so she headed downstairs to buy some food as her stomach growled.

Wen Le was in her pajamas and slippers. As soon as she stepped out of the female dormitory, she saw Zhou Kao squatting not far from the entrance, looking at his phone absentmindedly.

Still in her slippers, Wen Le hurried back when she spotted Zhou Kao.

Zhou Kao also noticed Wen Le and quickly called out, 

“Wen Le, come over here.”

Since she was already spotted, there wasn’t much point in retreating. Wen Le walked over and asked, “What are you doing squatting under the girls’ dormitory?”

Zhou Kao ruffled his hair, stood up, and sighed, “Well, wasn’t I just worried that you… would look for a backup?”

TN: hahaahaha lol our male lead is actually quite a dorky cutie isn’t he 😛

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In Order To Pursue You

That night, Zhou Kao lay on his dormitory bed for a long time. A friend request appeared on his WeChat, and he saw the nickname “Zhang Ze” attached to it. Zhou Kao couldn’t help sitting up.

Before going to the competition, Zhou Kao had wanted to clarify the truth about the incident that had caused his misunderstanding years ago.

He messaged a few classmates he had been relatively close to in his first year of high school on QQ, telling them that he had something to discuss and asking them to add him on WeChat if they saw the message.

He hadn’t spent much time at the same high school as Wen Le during his first year, and after he left, he only stayed in touch with a few people, and that was just through QQ.

Nowadays, QQ wasn’t commonly used anymore, and unfortunately, Zhou Kao didn’t have any other contact information for them.

He had sent the message while he was competing in H city, but it took half a month to receive a friend request.

Zhou Kao accepted the request and went to the washroom with a cigarette.

They chatted on voice call for a while. When Zhang Ze heard that Zhou Kao had been admitted to University A, he didn’t seem very surprised.

He simply said, “So you did go to University A.”

The word “so” made Zhou Kao’s heart skip a beat. “How did you know?”

“Have you forgotten? Back then, the school made a chart of our target universities to encourage us, and it was posted on the wall outside. I remember your name was in the first column, the first one right after your name was University A. No one else in the class wrote down such a prestigious university. Only you. I remember it very clearly.”

For some reason, Zhou Kao felt a strange sensation in his heart, but he didn’t dwell on it.

Zhang Ze continued, “Hey, do you know that Wen Le also got into University A? You should remember her, right? In our first year, the two of you were always competing for the top position in the science department.”

Zhou Kao nodded, “Yeah, did she initially aim for University A as well?”

Zhang Ze replied, “No, she’s a science student. She wrote down Peking University. So, you see, when she ended up going to your University A, we were quite surprised.”

“Back then, she ranked fourth in our entire province’s exam. Our small city had never produced such a high score before. It was almost the most sensational news in the city. The school gained a lot of reputation through Wen Le as well.”

“We initially thought she would go to the nearby Peking University. After all, Peking University’s science program is more prestigious. They even came to our school to recruit Wen Le. It was said that they offered very attractive conditions. We all thought she would go there. But no one expected that she would choose University A. Everyone found it very surprising.”

The inexplicable feeling in Zhou Kao’s heart grew stronger, even carrying a trace of bitterness. He lit a cigarette and took a puff, his handsome face hidden in the smoke, exuding a mysterious and gloomy aura.

He rarely smoked. Initially, he had started smoking during the summer vacation of his senior year of high school when he was leading a team for a project. At that time, everyone around him had doubts, and he was just a high school student with insufficient credibility. The project was also burning through a lot of money, putting him under tremendous pressure. He had learned to smoke as a way to cope. He hadn’t smoked in a long while, but he found himself smoking more recently for some unknown reason.

Zhang Ze didn’t notice that something was off with Zhou Kao and enthusiastically asked, “How well did you rank in the exam?”

Zhou Kao took another drag of the cigarette, his voice somewhat low, “I was given a direct admission.”

Zhang Ze was surprised, “Damn, that’s awesome. But that means you two can’t compare rankings anymore.”

“In fact, I saw Wen Le at school,” Zhou Kao brushed off some ash from the cigarette, saying, “She has changed a lot.”

Zhang Ze asked, “Did she become even more beautiful?”

“No,” Zhou Kao held the cigarette between his fingers, his gaze lowered, so his expression wasn’t clear, “She became… much gentler, not quite like her from before.”

Zhang Ze chuckled at this, “That’s indeed a bit strange. Back then, Wen Le was like the boss of our elementary, middle, and high schools.”

Zhou Kao seemed to be leading Zhang Ze toward a certain topic.

Zhou Kao continued, “Do you remember passing by the alley behind the school back then? We saw her with a few guys, and they had kicked another guy to the ground. Later, it seemed like someone called for a teacher, and we left.”

Zhang Ze thought for a moment, “Really? I don’t remember.”

Zhou Kao’s voice was slow and dragging, leading Zhang Ze to recall, “I remember that at the time, Wang Xu said she always bullied guys.”

“Always bullying people?,” Zhang Ze laughed heartily, “Wen Le is indeed a bit aggressive and can fight well, but she doesn’t bully people unless provoked. She’s very studious and doesn’t have much free time for troublemaking. If she takes the initiative, the other person must not be a good person. Oh! Now that you mention it, I remember a bit more. Back then, she was with a few guys and beat up that guy, Zhou Li, at the school gate.”

“You didn’t know, that guy was a jerk. He used to bully a girl and even sexually harassed her, threatening her not to tell anyone. The girl was timid and scared, and she became mentally unstable. Then, that day, he cornered the girl in an alley to bully her, and Wen Le caught him in the act and beat him up.”

“So, she wasn’t engaging in campus bullying, right?” Zhou Kao’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

Zhang Ze laughed, “Of course not. She’s really nice, known for being a big sister who’s equally approachable by guys and girls. Hahaha.”

A bitter taste filled Zhou Kao’s heart, lingering in his mouth.

Zhou Kao thought he had been foolish back then.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Kao found a reason to chat briefly with Zhang Ze and then ended the call.

Zhang Ze, who had just hung up the phone, felt puzzled about what Zhou Kao wanted to talk to him about.

Zhou Kao leaned against the window and stared blankly, his mind filled with thoughts of Wen Le and snippets from their sophomore year.

He remembered that rainy evening back then, when they shared an umbrella and walked back to the dormitories.

Wen Le slightly lowered her head, revealing a slender and delicate neck with a faint pink hue, and the unmistakably clear sound of her heartbeat, even masked by the sound of the rain.

Then came the time when he had distanced himself from Wen Le. She had looked at him, her eyes that were once filled with stars now had gradually dimmed, replaced by confusion and loss.

The Wen Le from back then, young and tender, was already radiant. Now, the more mature Wen Le was attracting the attention of everyone around her. More and more outstanding individuals would appear by her side. Zhou Kao thought of Wen Le’s decisive departure from his side tonight, and his heart ached with numbness.

Waves of pain surged through Zhou Kao’s heart. He truly regretted his choices.

Suppressing the bitterness in his mouth, Zhou Kao made a phone call to his housekeeper and gave some instructions. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

On that Friday, Wen Le was scheduled to attend an award ceremony.

In reality, this ceremony was a scholarship program sponsored by a corporation for outstanding students at A University.

The scholarship applications had been submitted in the previous semester, but the distribution of the scholarships and the awarding of the scholarship certificates had been postponed to this semester.

The corporation established this scholarship program to enhance its image of social responsibility, and naturally, they needed to draft some press releases and news to improve their image.

So, this award ceremony was organized.

Naturally, the attendees of this ceremony were the top academic performers from various departments.

As it was a formal occasion, Wen Le tied her hair into a ponytail and wore a black suit with a black pencil skirt, along with stockings and high heels.

The venue for the award ceremony was a small conference room in the administrative office building.

There weren’t too many people in attendance, probably a few dozen.

As soon as Wen Le entered the room, she saw that tall and upright figure.

Zhou Kao was also dressed in formal attire, looking tall and handsome. Wherever he went, he was always the center of attention. Wen Le spotted him at a glance, but she didn’t want to approach him to say hello. Instead, she walked past Zhou Kao as if they were strangers.

Wen Le could feel the burning gaze behind her, yet she acted as if she didn’t notice and took her seat.

Throughout the event, Wen Le didn’t exchange any eye contact with Zhou Kao. It was as if she was completely ignoring his presence.

After the awards ceremony, the representatives from the corporation and the school teachers praised and encouraged the award-winning students. Following that was a group photo session, which didn’t last very long and quickly ended.

A group of people left the hallway, and the narrow staircase felt crowded with dozens of individuals.

The high heels Wen Le was wearing were a bit large and uncomfortable. The staircase being congested and someone being in a hurry to attend a class pushing past, caused Wen Le to bump into someone. Her foot slipped, and she nearly fell down the stairs.

She tried to grab the railing, but someone was passing by on the inside, so she couldn’t hold on.

As she was about to tumble down the stairs, a pair of arms firmly caught Wen Le, and in the next moment, she was enveloped in a broad embrace.

Wen Le was still startled, tightly clutching the fabric on the person’s chest, her eyes showing a trace of panic. She breathed heavily, while the strong arms held her protectively.

The owner of those arms held her tightly, gently patting her back to comfort her. Leaning against the warmth of the embrace, smelling the familiar scent, she gradually relaxed, feeling an inexplicable sense of safety.

By this time, most of the people on the stairs had moved on, leaving them behind in the crowd, with few noticing the two of them.

In this moment, a strand of Wen Le’s hair fell, draping across her flushed and slightly damp eyes due to fear, giving her a touch of delicate beauty.

Wen Le rarely showed such vulnerability, and Zhou Kao’s heart couldn’t help but soften. He held her gently and comfortingly in his arms.

Wen Le’s heart rate gradually calmed down. She pulled herself out of Zhou Kao’s embrace and softly thanked him.

By now, the others who had attended the award ceremony had completely left, leaving only the two of them on the staircase.

Wen Le thanked him and was about to leave.

Zhou Kao, however, grabbed Wen Le’s hand and led her to a secluded corner.

Wen Le furrowed her brows, shaking off Zhou Kao’s hand. “What are you doing? I need to go for my duty at the Student Union soon.”

Zhou Kao pressed Wen Le against the wall and raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s being really heartless, is this how you thank me?”

Wen Le felt somewhat indignant and muttered, “Didn’t I already thank you just now?”

Zhou Kao leaned closer to her and said, “I didn’t hear that, say it again.”

Wen Le raised her head, glared at him, and through gritted teeth, she said, “Thank… you!”

Zhou Kao suddenly chuckled softly, lowered his head, and gradually moved closer to Wen Le.

Zhou Kao’s face got closer and closer, his warm breath and the scent of his cologne surrounding Wen Le. She turned her head away, a bit irritated, and pushed Zhou Kao’s chest with one hand. “What are you doing? Keep your distance.”

However, Zhou Kao continued to approach slowly, and his lips brushed just a centimetre away from Wen Le’s cheek. He got close to her ear, brushed a strand of fallen hair with his hand, lightly tucking it behind her ear, and whispered, “I’m leaving.”

Wen Le’s ears turned red from his deep and magnetic voice, both attracted and irritated by it.

She pushed Zhou Kao away and walked ahead on her own.

Zhou Kao followed behind Wen Le at an unhurried pace.

While going down the stairs, Zhou Kao reached out and took Wen Le’s hand.

Wen Le swatted his hand away. “This gentleman, what are you doing?”

Zhou Kao said, “Either I hold your hand or I carry you. Your choice.”

“Why?”

“Because high heels don’t suit you,” Zhou Kao stated.

Wen Le was about to be driven mad by this guy; it seemed dogs really couldn’t change their habits.

Zhou Kao added, “You’re too beautifully dressed, too many people might have designs on you.”

“You’re insane.” Wen Le turned around, ignoring him.

But, undeniably, her mood had improved considerably.

Zhou Kao slightly bent over and extended his hand, mimicking the gesture from the day he invited Wen Le to dance. 

“Miss, you surely don’t want to walk barefoot in front of everyone.”

Wen Le snorted, slowly and gracefully placing her hand on the stair railing. “I can hold onto the railing. What do I need you for?”

As she spoke, Wen Le started walking forward while holding onto the railing.

Hmm, not easily fooled. Zhou Kao sighed inwardly but his eyes carried a hint of amusement.

…

Since she wasn’t easily fooled, then…

Zhou Kao chuckled lightly and strode forward, lifting Wen Le in a princess carry.

Wen Le exclaimed and quickly clung to Zhou Kao’s shoulders. Zhou Kao carried Wen Le down swiftly and steadily.

Zhou Kao’s breath remained surprisingly calm. “It’s faster this way.”

Feeling frustrated, Wen Le gave Zhou Kao a light punch. “What are you up to?”

Zhou Kao’s tone was serious yet patient. “Your foot was just sprained, and you’re wearing uncomfortable high heels. Don’t you care about your ankle?”

Wen Le sceptically assessed Zhou Kao with an expression of disbelief.

Zhou Kao chuckled again, his voice low and gentle. “Of course, primarily it’s also because I’m pursuing you.”

TN: *gasp* finally some real plot movement!!!!

Wen Le’s heart skipped a beat at his words, then suddenly started accelerating.

In the next moment, Wen Le smiled seductively, her eyes playful. “Well then, you can give up hope. It’s futile. Why would I give up an entire forest for a crooked tree?”

At Wen Le’s response, Zhou Kao’s expression grew dark and grim, his face turning an almost purplish hue as he glared at her.

For some unknown reason, seeing him like this brought a sense of satisfaction and triumph to Wen Le’s heart.

Zhou Kao’s face remained grim as he tightened his hold around Wen Le.

She winced from the pressure; he was holding her too tightly.

After descending the stairs, Zhou Kao put Wen Le down.

At this moment, the black hair tie Wen Le had used to secure her hair suddenly snapped, causing her once smooth and elegant hair to fall in a slightly disheveled manner.

Caught off guard, Wen Le instinctively reached out to grab the fallen strands of hair.

Suddenly, Zhou Kao’s hand lifted, and his distinct knuckles clasped the knot of his tie. In a couple of swift motions, he loosened his tie.

Almost uncontrollably, Wen Le’s gaze was fixed on Zhou Kao’s prominent knuckles and his graceful neck. There was an indescribable, blush-inducing sensuality to the way Zhou Kao loosened his tie.

With his tie removed from around his neck, Zhou Kao unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt, revealing an attractive Adam’s apple and collarbone.

Zhou Kao took hold of Wen Le’s hand and helped her gather her hair, which had fallen once more.

He clumsily used his own tie to secure Wen Le’s hair, fashioning it into a makeshift hair tie.

Surprisingly, the tie’s end, hanging alongside her hair, created an unexpectedly appealing sight.

Wen Le held her breath, allowing Zhou Kao to work behind her. She could almost feel his warmth surrounding her in a soothing embrace.

After finishing with her hair, Zhou Kao leaned closer to Wen Le’s ear, his tone gentle and almost imploring as he whispered, “Give me a chance, hmm?”

TN: KYAAAA I’m loving the pace of this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I did! 😆

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He’s Regretting It Now

On this Sunday, apart from meeting with Zhou Kao, Wen Le didn’t have any other plans. Since Zhou Kao postponed the meeting, and she had nothing else to do, she went out in the morning to check out a few dance interest classes. However, most of these classes didn’t fit her schedule, or they were quite far away. Wen Le couldn’t make up her mind, so she only added the WeChat contacts of the class organizers, saying that she would consider it.

Afterwards, she spent the entire day in the library.

In the evening, when she returned from the library, Wen Le overheard her roommates discussing the campus beauty contest. While removing her makeup, she listened with half an ear and then remembered that today was the campus beauty contest. She had been in the library all day and hadn’t paid any attention to it.

Cheng Hui and Bao Xiao Fan had gone to watch the event, just for the fun of it, and they were gossiping about it.

This year’s campus beauty was from the Department of Gymnastics in the Physical Education Institute, named Tan Dan Yi.

Cheng Hui sighed and said, “Actually, if we talk about it, Tan Dan Yi’s looks are quite good compared to previous departmental beauties. She’s not bad in a lineup of departmental and campus beauties, but she’s really not on the same level as our Wen Le.”

Bao Xiao Fan chimed in, “Although I haven’t seen many celebrities in real life, I believe even celebrities can’t surpass Le Le’s beauty. Le Le’s appearance is at its peak, it can’t possibly get any better.”

Cheng Hui laughed and said, “Do you remember that Li Le Xue from back then?”

Bao Xiao Fan suddenly realized, “Right! Li Le Xue actually had great looks even in the whole entertainment industry, but she was still overshadowed by Wen Le. A few days ago, Li Le Xue’s new drama was a big hit, and netizens were praising her looks. It reminded me of that old video.”

Cheng Hui said, “The internet has a long memory. That video where Wen Le overshadowed her is still on the BBS.”

“And Wen Le wasn’t even photographed well in that shot. Do you remember when Li Le Xue’s agency sent people to deal with that video? When they saw Wen Le in person, they were completely stunned and couldn’t take their eyes off her. They were tongue-tied and ended up wanting to sign Wen Le. Hahaha.”

Wen Le cleared her throat and said, “Hey, I’m right here. If you keep praising me like this, I’ll start floating away.”

Both of them burst into laughter.

Bao Xiao Fan still felt regretful, “Le Le, if you participated, honestly, you wouldn’t even need any special talent. Just go up and dance a simple square dance, and the title of campus beauty would be yours. No one could compete.”

After removing her makeup, Wen Le stood up to freshen up and said, “I’m not going. Even if they offer it for free, I won’t take it. I’m planning to conquer you fish-lipped humans with my wisdom and strength.”

Cheng Hui playfully threw a pillow at her, saying, “You fool.”

Wen Le laughed and dodged it.

 On Monday morning, just before the fourth class ended, Wen Le received a text message on her phone. It was the payment for her article from “Wen Xing Magazine,” totaling 5256 yuan. She sent a message to the editor, letting them know that she had received the payment, but the editor didn’t reply immediately.

As the class bell rang, Wen Le packed up her bag. However, she noticed the class monitor stepping up to the podium, saying that they were going to have an impromptu class meeting for about five minutes to discuss something.

The school had a quota for volunteer teaching in rural areas every semester. Unfortunately, this year’s graduates who had gone to teach in the mountainous regions were caught in a flood down south. While the mountain areas weren’t affected by the floodwaters, heavy rains had caused landslides and mudflows. Luckily, the students who had been volunteering and the local children were safe, and there had been no accidents.

However, due to the heavy rain this year, many areas in the mountains suffered severe losses. Even the houses and schools of the left-behind children were affected. The graduates planned to mobilize social forces to help raise funds for rebuilding schools and homes for the children in the mountain areas.

This initiative had started a week ago. The student union had received the information early, but the college was a bit slower. The class monitor’s announcement was about the fundraising efforts.

Donations could be made through various methods, including assisting in fundraising events, direct monetary donations, or participating in the reconstruction projects. This way, they could provide assistance to the children affected by the disaster and contribute their compassion. Moreover, it would provide valuable social practice opportunities.

Most of the sponsorship funds for the three-day student union and the college union gathering had already been allocated for donations. They had also organized activities like mask auctions and other sales to increase the fundraising efforts.

The specifics of the projects for reconstruction and fundraising hadn’t been detailed yet. However, it was mentioned that students who wanted to donate could contact the class monitor. The amount was not limited whether it be one yuan or one hundred yuan, it was voluntary and deserving of respect.

Naturally, Wen Le wanted to support this cause. She also lived in a mountainous area with her grandparents, even though it wasn’t a disaster-stricken region. But she had once considered herself a left-behind child and could empathize with the feelings of these children.

After some thought, Wen Le considered it fate. Since she had just received 5256 yuan in payment for her article, she decided to donate it all at once.

On Friday afternoon, Wen Le received a call from a senior student at the school’s magazine department. They explained that due to the impact of the floods in the southern region on many underprivileged children, they were looking to collaborate on a project to raise awareness about the situation and increase societal attention about these children’s plight. They had previously organized a mask DIY event and an auction during the student union gathering, and they wanted to build on that success.

The magazine’s chief editor had heard about Wen Le’s involvement and the article she wrote for the school’s magazine, which expressed deep thoughts and heartfelt sentiments about the gathering. Considering her good writing skills, they wanted to collaborate with her on this project.

Wen Le agreed almost instantly.

On Saturday, a senior student from the magazine introduced Wen Le to another senior student.

This senior student was majoring in Chinese literature and was a top scorer in the college entrance examination from a prominent province. His writing skills were exceptional, and he had won numerous awards. He was currently in his fourth year and had already received a job offer from a highly reputable publishing company.

The senior student’s name was Xu Wenhao. They had arranged to meet at a coffee shop through the introduction of the senior student. When Wen Le saw him for the first time, she found him quite captivating.

Xu Wenhao wasn’t the kind of strikingly handsome person with an intense presence. He gave off a gentle vibe, like a lightly inked Chinese ink painting that was surprisingly pleasant to look at.

He was probably around 1.8 meters tall, slender, and had delicate features. His fair skin, coupled with thin-framed silver-rimmed glasses, gave him a scholarly and refined aura. However, his demeanor wasn’t stiff. On the contrary, he was gentle, humble, well-read, and witty in conversation. He was as gentle as spring water in April, providing a comfortable and relaxed feeling.

No one could help but develop a positive impression of such a person.

They talked about various topics, ranging from the weather to literature, covering domestic and international themes, as well as ancient and modern subjects.

The senior student on the side was in awe and looked at Wen Le with surprise, saying, “Wow, it’s quite rare for our knowledgeable genius Xu to chat so much with someone. Many people can’t keep up with his topics, especially when he starts mentioning names that no one has heard of. Wow, Wen Le, you’re really a hidden treasure. You must have the reading capacity of a whole library!”

Wen Le chuckled, “That’s impossible, senior, you’re exaggerating.”

Xu Wenhao interjected, “You might be too modest. I’ve read many of your articles, and both the wording and the depth of your writing reflect your accumulation of knowledge. I rarely have such in-depth conversations with peers. The last time I had such a deep conversation was with an editor who’s almost forty. And you, a science major, have me puzzled.”

Wen Le smiled, “Really, I don’t have that level of knowledge. I’ve learned these things mostly from my grandfather.”

Xu Wenhao grinned, “To have raised such an outstanding granddaughter, your grandfather must be an extremely knowledgeable elder.”

However, the senior student was slightly surprised. She had heard that Wen Le came from a mountainous area, and if her grandfather truly possessed such extensive knowledge, given the scarcity of intellectuals in that era, how could their family have ended up in the mountains?

The senior student hesitated, unsure whether to ask Wen Le about this matter. If Wen Le was lying and got upset when asked about it, how should she handle the situation?

Seemingly unaware of the senior student’s dilemma, Wen Le shifted the conversation to another topic.

They had a delightful conversation that afternoon. Wen Le and the senior student exchanged contact information for future communication.

Since the fellowship event, Wen Le hadn’t seen Zhou Kao for about two weeks. She hadn’t thought about him much either. Even the people around her hadn’t mentioned Zhou Kao. He seemed to have disappeared from her life. Later, she heard from someone that Zhou Kao had gone to H city to participate in some competition.

Wen Le didn’t pay much attention to it and didn’t ask further.

Between her daily studies, club activities, and occasional part-time work, Wen Le’s life had become quite busy. She didn’t have much time to think about other things.

After a few days since the fellowship event, one evening at around 10:30 PM, Wen Le returned to her dormitory from the library. She overheard her roommates discussing how Zhou Kao had just won an award at some national competition. Wen Le didn’t listen closely and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

One of her roommates glanced at Wen Le without saying a word and didn’t bring up the topic again for some reason.

A couple of days later, Xu Tianhao asked Wen Le out for dinner. They met at a trendy restaurant near the school, the same place where Wen Le had met with her friends earlier. Xu Tianhao said they could discuss the school publication project.

It was a Saturday, and Wen Le had some rare free time. However, in the morning, she had an appointment with her friend to get her hair done. So, she arranged to meet Xu Tianhao in the afternoon.

Wen Le and her friend had been binge-watching Korean dramas lately and became fascinated with the soft brown hair color of the female lead. They decided to get their hair done that Saturday since they had time.

Cheng Hui, who was watching a drama about in-law relationships, scoffed, “Keep fooling around as much as you want.”

The two of them looked proud of themselves, like two peacocks.

With her new light brown hair and big waves, Wen Le looked gentle and charming. The light hair color made her fair complexion stand out even more. After the hair coloring session, she looked like she had a Korean filter applied, she was glowing white and exuding a gentle youthfulness.

The hair styling and coloring took five hours, from 8 AM to 1 PM. Since it took a while, and the nail artist in the shop wasn’t busy, Wen Le even got a BLINGBLING manicure.

During that time, Wen Le received a WeChat message on her phone, but she was busy, so she didn’t check it.

It wasn’t until two hours later when the manicure was done that she checked the message. It turned out to be from Zhou Kao.

But what to do? She didn’t want to read it.

Wen Le deleted the notification right away. 

She should have blocked him.

That day, with her new hair, she wore a lavender-colored floral dress and a pair of white shoes. She looked like the female lead stepping out of a Korean drama, with a gentle and pure appearance. When Xu Tianhao saw her, he paused for a moment and then smiled genuinely, praising her, “You look beautiful today too.”

The use of the word ‘too’ pleased Wen Le, and she smiled as she took her seat.

She had arranged to meet Xu Tianhao at 5:30 PM, and they ended up chatting for a full three hours until 8:30 PM. 

They discussed movies, music, literature, publishing, but they hadn’t touched upon the school publication project.

Wen Le thought that this was probably the adult routine — arranging a meeting under the pretext of official matters but not discussing anything official. Instead, they would chat about everything under the sun, laugh and talk ambiguously, conveying the signal of “I want to pursue you.” If you wanted to decline, all you had to do was subtly indicate it, and when you met again, you could continue cooperating without any awkwardness.

Wen Le couldn’t help but think of Zhou Kao. First, she couldn’t resist cursing him inwardly. She didn’t know what his problem was – he had conveyed an ambiguous signal and then abruptly cut it off himself.

A psycho!

At 8:30 PM, they left the restaurant. Xu Tianhao accompanied Wen Le back to her dormitory, and they chatted and laughed along the way.

When they reached the entrance of the women’s dormitory, Xu Tianhao bid Wen Le goodbye, saying, “There’s a good Japanese restaurant on North An East Road. Next time, I’ll take you there.”

Wen Le smiled in response.

After Xu Tianhao left, Wen Le turned back towards her dormitory.

She had only taken a few steps when her arm was grabbed.

Startled, Wen Le turned around and saw Zhou Kao walking out of the shadows with a dark expression.

Zhou Kao had been away for half a month, and his longing for Wen Le had grown more intense by the day. He didn’t even know why he felt a bit restless.

Zhou Kao suddenly regretted his approach. He should have been straightforward before leaving. He should have confessed everything on the Sunday before he left, or better yet, he should have kissed her on the evening of the fellowship event.

TN: YESS ZK you should’ve done that…sobs

What logic was there in love? What use was calmness? What need was there for cause and effect? Emotions were inherently subjective; what was wrong with following your feelings? He had prided himself on being intelligent, yet he had acted foolishly in matters of the heart.

Damn it, he thought. He couldn’t wait a moment longer; he needed to see Wen Le immediately.

So, right after landing, he hadn’t even returned to his dormitory or unpacked. He had just left his luggage at the side and came straight to find Wen Le.

Yet, after waiting for three hours downstairs of her dormitory, this was what he encountered.

Wen Le, in a purple dress with a new hairstyle and meticulous makeup, was standing there, smiling beautifully at another guy. Zhou Kao felt like his heart was about to explode.

Zhou Kao tightly held onto Wen Le’s arm, his lips pursed together, his gaze deep, and an intense air about him.

Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao and said calmly, “Do you need something?”

Her tone was icy, her attitude distant.

Zhou Kao’s heart clenched suddenly, feeling a heart-wrenching pain. His voice lowered, sounding somewhat hoarse, “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”

Wen Le nonchalantly replied, “Didn’t see them.”

Zhou Kao pressed his lips together, staring fixedly at Wen Le, as if some terrifying thing was burning in his eyes.

But Wen Le seemed to be getting impatient. She forced a slight smile, then firmly and resolutely pulled her arm back from Zhou Kao’s grip, inch by inch.

Then, she turned around and walked away.

Zhou Kao watched his empty hand and felt a heavy air of gloom enveloping him.

TN: Our poor male lead, how will he fix this?? 🙁

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A Flag

After buying the skirt, Zhou Kao’s mind was filled with nothing but Wen Le the whole night.

He frequently spaced out and was absent-minded. Although he drank the drinks offered to him, he often responded slowly during conversations with his senior. When the senior asked if he had something on his mind, Zhou Kao refused to talk about it.

By the time they dispersed, it was already late. Zhou Kao walked alone on the dimly lit path of the campus, carrying his shopping bag. There were not many people on the road, and it was quiet around, with only the sounds of insects chirping and the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze.

As he looked at the streetlights, Zhou Kao couldn’t help but drift off again, recalling Wen Le’s appearance when they reunited on the university campus.

At that time, Wen Le had also been wearing a red skirt; slightly intoxicated by alcohol, she had been exuding an irresistible charm.

Zhou Kao couldn’t help but smile; he realized that he had never been able to get over his infatuation with Wen Le.

From the moment he was captivated by Wen Le at first sight to the moment he kissed her forehead, every moment between him and Wen Le flashed before his eyes.

Under the influence of the slight intoxication, Zhou Kao found himself standing in front of the women’s dormitory building.

He understood why Wen Le had rejected his kiss.

She should have refused it.

The consecutive two days of dancing, the lights, music, and the atmosphere created during the dances would have led to a kind of artificial confusion and infatuation.

Being in such an environment, even Zhou Kao couldn’t tell whether it was the influence of the surroundings or if his feelings had already accumulated to the point of eruption.

Zhou Kao once shared the same viewpoint as Wen Le, thinking that the intense desire, yearning, and the chaotic heartbeat that night were just momentary infatuation.

Perhaps, after they separated and calmed down, they would return to their previous state.

But Zhou Kao had stayed calm for three or four days, thinking he could face Wen Le calmly, yet after imagining her tonight in that red skirt, his mind was still filled with thoughts of her.

So, Zhou Kao finally realized that he was deeply infatuated with Wen Le and couldn’t forget her.

It was that simple, but it was difficult to admit.

Apart from their pride and so-called rationality that stood between them, there was also that damn sense of competition.

Zhou Kao stood outside Wen Le’s dormitory building for a long time, smoking two cigarettes, and then he decided to call her.

The call connected.

The surroundings were quiet, and Zhou Kao spoke softly, “It’s me.”

Wen Le was momentarily stunned, and after a moment, her voice came from the other end of the phone, “Zhou Kao?”

Zhou Kao replied with a faint “Yes.”

There was a brief silence on both ends, and they could hear each other’s quiet breathing through the phone.

From Wen Le’s side, there was a soft closing of a door.

Then Wen Le spoke in a polite tone, “Is there something you need?”

This polite yet distant question instantly blocked the words Zhou Kao wanted to say.

He opened his mouth but suddenly didn’t know how to start. After a moment, he finally said, “I have something to discuss with you. Can we meet and talk when you have time?”

Wen Le seemed somewhat surprised and asked, “What is it?”

Zhou Kao replied, “It’s hard to explain over the phone. Let’s talk in person. When are you available?”

Wen Le said, “Sunday.”

Zhou Kao hung up the phone, and in the darkness and smoke, his expression was indiscernible. After a while, he extinguished the cigarette and turned to leave.

This weekend, Wen Le had no specific plans. She had thought about checking out some dance classes, as suggested by her aunt. However, just half an hour before Zhou Kao called, her little brother messaged her, saying he was in Beijing and asked if she had time to meet up on Saturday.

So, Wen Le made plans to meet with her little brother on Saturday.

Although Wen Le now appeared gentle and elegant, she was actually quite wild and unruly when she was younger.

From elementary school to junior high, Wen Le was essentially unbeatable in fights at school. She was a wild and fierce girl whom everyone feared.

Wen Le had been beautiful since she was little. In elementary school, boys would express their liking for girls by teasing them, like pulling girls’ hair or snatching their books and pens. These mischievous boys often angered the girls and even made them cry.

But Wen Le was different.

The little warrior Wen Le responded to these mischievous and malicious pranks with extremely cruel and severe retaliation.

For example:

A little boy tried to get Wen Le’s attention by pulling her hair, but Wen Le immediately turned around, pressed the boy down before he could run away, and ruthlessly yanked his hair while sitting on his belly, making the boy cry.

Another example:

A little boy tried to get Wen Le’s attention by snatching her pencil case. Wen Le chased the boy up for two floors, and the boy got scared and threw the pencil case away. But Wen Le continued to pursue him relentlessly, eventually catching him and giving him a good beating.

Girls develop earlier than boys. Wen Le grew tall in elementary school and was unbeatable. In junior high, she earned a black belt in taekwondo and also learned some martial arts and jujitsu, but the boys still couldn’t beat her.

Even in ninth grade, Wen Le’s old classmates occasionally witnessed scenes of her overpowering boys.

With her formidable combat abilities, Wen Le gained a large group of followers, and even now, she maintained good relationships with some of her “little brothers.”

The ones who came today were the little brothers who followed Wen Le since junior high, and some of them had known her since elementary school. Some attended vocational high schools, while others followed Wen Le to the same high school, but their relationship had always been strong.

They met at a restaurant near Wen Le’s school.

During the meal, Zhang Hao asked, “Sis, you still don’t have a boyfriend? I told you not to be so fierce. Look at how fierce you are, who would dare to date you?”

Wen Le playfully slapped Zhang Hao on the head and said, “Nonsense, which part of me is fierce? Now, who doesn’t call me a gentle lady when they see me?”

Zhang Hao rubbed his head and grinned, “See, you just said you’re not fierce. If you weren’t fierce, would you still be single?”

Wen Le pretended to hit him again, and Zhang Hao quickly covered his head and dodged.

The group laughed and joked as they always did, maintaining their close relationship.

From afar, Zhou Kao watched them laughing and playing, but for some reason, his mood felt a bit sour.

Today, he and his friends happened to pass by this restaurant, and through the glass window, he spotted Wen Le’s figure.

Two of those boys looked somewhat familiar to Zhou Kao, and it reminded him of scenes from high school, making him feel annoyed as he lit up a cigarette.

The first time Zhou Kao saw Wen Le, she had been in her school uniform with short hair and no makeup, standing on the flag podium giving a speech, she was exuding pride and confidence, like a wild rose blooming in a desolate corner, stunning at first sight.

Later, in high school, there had been a sudden rain shower in the evening, and Wen Le had been in front of the library searching for an umbrella in her backpack. Zhou Kao had passed by her.

Wen Le’s hand had already touched the umbrella’s handle, when Zhou Kao had seen the corner of a light yellow item pressed between some books.

But for some reason, Zhou Kao had acted as if he hadn’t noticed and had walked up to Wen Le, saying, “Let me walk you home.”

Wen Le had looked up at Zhou Kao with surprise filling her beautiful eyes.

After a moment, she had quietly pushed the umbrella back into the innermost part of her backpack, pretending she didn’t have one, she had nodded.

As the heavy rain poured on Zhou Kao’s umbrella, they had walked very close to each other but had still kept a slight distance, not touching each other.

They hadn’t exchanged a single word the whole way, and had only focused on walking. When they parted, they said thank you and you’re welcome.

But on that day, the mutual attraction between the boy and the girl was revealed by themselves and to each other. At the moment they had turned around, the smiles that appeared on their lips spoke volumes.

It was a youthful and beautiful first crush.

Afterward, Zhou Kao recalled the scene that made him suppress his feelings for Wen Le.

It was one afternoon when Zhou Kao and some boys from his class passed by a small alley behind the school. They saw the usually well-behaved and gentle girl execute a graceful side flip, kicking a boy to the ground.

Wen Le coldly looked down at the boy on the ground, followed by four or five unruly-looking little brothers. The scene resembled that of a delinquent girl mingling with a gang.

Zhou Kao’s gaze met Wen Le’s as she turned her head back. Wen Le seemed to be slightly surprised but said nothing.

Zhou Kao and his classmates left, and one of the boys next to him teased, “Oh, the big sister is beating people up again. I wonder who’s the unlucky one this time.”

“Don’t make a fuss, she’s been bullying people for a while now.”

……

The first time Zhou Kao’s young and tender heart was moved, it suffered a great impact.

From that moment on, Zhou Kao started to distance himself from Wen Le and later transferred to another school due to his father’s job transfer, leaving without saying goodbye.

Thinking about the past, Zhou Kao felt a bit overwhelmed and lit a cigarette.

He received a call from the teacher before he could finish the cigarette. The competition he had signed up for was scheduled for Monday.

Zhou Kao hung up the phone and put out the cigarette.

After a while, he sent a message to Wen Le.

He would be leaving on Monday, but he was to meet with Wen Le on Sunday to clarify things. Leaving for the competition would mean being away for half a month, and everything felt too rushed.

He needed the right moment to talk to her.

Wen Le was chatting with her little brothers when her phone vibrated. She glanced at it and saw that Zhou Kao had cancelled their Sunday meeting, saying he had some last-minute matters.

Her face darkened, and she turned the phone screen facedown on the table without replying.

Wen Le couldn’t help but think about the phone call two days ago.

Zhou Kao’s ambiguous attitude on the phone, coupled with their interactions during the dance, made Wen Le overthink. She didn’t know what business Zhou Kao had that required him to bother her so late at night and yet he couldn’t discuss it over the phone.

Though Wen Le sounded calm on the phone, she was in a daze after hanging up. Zhou Kao’s call had left her restless for several days.

But just when it was about to happen, Zhou Kao suddenly said he had something coming up and canceled their meeting.

Wen Le was filled with anger, gritting her teeth as the fury surged within her.

Yes, it was her fault. She knew Zhou Kao was always good at backing out at the last minute, yet she still had hope.

High school was no different; he had left without saying goodbye, and now he had suddenly cancelled their meeting.

Clearly, Zhou Kao was always the one making the first move, but he was also the first one to run away.

You’re a coward, Zhou Kao. 

Wen Le thought to herself, if she gave him another chance, she would be a dog.

No, she swore to herself, she’d be a fucking ugly dog!

TN: Oh nooo, that’s not what ZK intended 🙁

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The Red Long Skirt

On Thursday afternoon, the four roommates in Room 307 had no classes in the last 2 periods, so they made plans to watch the latest release, “Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.” They also decided to grab some barbecue and do a little bit of shopping.

Although all four roommates in Room 307 came from small towns except for Bao Xiaofan and Sun Youmei, their families were not financially struggling. 

Bao Xiaofan’s family owned two properties in Beijing, and they were well-off, so she had some disposable income.

Man Qingxuan’s parents were both teachers, and she also had a part-time job, which earned her some pocket money.

Cheng Hui’s parents ran a small factory, and she also occasionally took on some part-time work.

As for Wen Le, she had achieved financial independence since the second half of her freshman year. She often submitted articles online, ranging from magazine pieces to film and music reviews, public posts, advertisements, and various other miscellaneous writing.

Sometimes it was out of interest, and sometimes it was to hone her writing skills. Although Wen Le did not major in literature, she had been writing almost non-stop under her grandfather’s influence.

Now, Wen Le had gained some reputation in her circle, and she had saved up a considerable amount of money, aside from what she had spent. 

This sum of money might not be considered much for others, but for Wen Le, even if she stopped doing part-time jobs, it would be enough to get her through university with her spending habits.

None of the four roommates had financial pressures, and their spending habits and values were similar, so they could hang out together.

The movie started at 8 p.m., and they finished dinner by 7 p.m.

Cheng Hui paid the bill and waved her hand, “Let’s go! Time to shop!”

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Yo-yo-yo!”

“Time to shop, time to shop!”

Wen Le said, “Wait for me to touch up my lipstick!”

Shopping often led to impulse buying, especially when encountering discounts, and once they found something they liked, nothing could stop them from making a purchase… Except for an empty wallet and maxed-out credit cards.

Even though they knew this about each other, every time they went shopping, the other three roommates still placed high hopes on Cheng Hui.

Man Qingxuan held Cheng Hui’s hand solemnly and said, “Dorm leader, you must stop me. If it’s over 200 yuan, just drag me away.”

Cheng Hui rolled her eyes, “Dream on. I don’t think I can drag you away even if I had a tractor.”

Bao Xiaofan also held Cheng Hui’s hand and earnestly entrusted her, “Dorm leader, I just received my allowance today. Just wake me up from my trance if it exceeds 250RMB!”

Cheng Hui rolled her eyes and looked at Wen Le, “What about you?”

Wen Le replied, “Me? I’m quite rational in my spending.”

Cheng Hui said, “Haven’t you heard about the big discounts tonight? Be a bit more realistic, okay?”

Wen Le chuckled and touched her nose, “Alright, then you can hold me back and just let me buy one item.”

So, half an hour later, the four of them had two bags each and began to playfully blame each other.

Man Qingxuan looked at her two shopping bags with sorrow, “Dorm leader, you let me down with my expectations about you.”

Bao Xiaofan said, “You promised to stop us, but you bought the most!”

Wen Le sighed, “I am the epitome of rationality with just one shopping bag.”

Wen Le had one of Cheng Hui’s shopping bags, and she only had one herself. Cheng Hui bought three… T-shirts.

Cheng Hui said, “Oh, my three items didn’t even reach the price of your one tote bag. You’re just two dollars short of breaking the four-figure barrier. Congratulations, classmate Wen Le.”

Wen Le felt the pain, “It’s all because of you telling me it was on sale.”

As they were playfully blaming each other, they arrived in front of a boutique brand store.

Through the glass display, they could see a beautiful red pencil skirt on the model. Wen Le stopped in her tracks as she looked at the skirt, it reminded her of the red skirt she had cut into a high slit before and which resembled this one.

Clearly, her roommates also noticed this. Bao Xiaofan said, “This skirt looks similar to the one you ruined before.”

Wen Le replied, “What do you mean ‘ruined’? Isn’t a high slit more sexy?”

Cheng Hui glanced at the price, “Damn, 5999, six thousand for just a skirt?”

Cheng Hui pulled Wen Le away, “I still think you looked better in that torn slit.”

Wen Le smiled and followed after Cheng Hui, “I think so too.”

—

One of the seniors that Zhou Kao was close to had his project approved, so he invited a group of friends to gather for a meal. As Zhou Kao had a good relationship with this senior and had previously helped him a little, he was also invited.

It was rather noisy inside the restaurant, so Zhou Kao stepped outside to take a call. As he spoke, he spotted a familiar figure downstairs.

The square was like most shopping malls, with a huge central atrium on the ground floor that allowed a clear view up to the top floor through transparent glass. The square was open from the second floor to the top floor, with glass and railings providing safety barriers between each level.

Zhou Kao was on the fifth floor, and as soon as he stepped out of the restaurant, he could see the scene downstairs through the half-height glass barrier. At that moment, directly opposite on the fourth floor, four girls were standing in front of a shop, pointing and laughing at a red skirt.

Despite being separated by a floor and most of the square, Zhou Kao immediately recognized the familiar figure. The girl wearing a white shirt and a light yellow floral long skirt was Wen Le.

Today, she had her hair tied in a low ponytail, with a strand of hair gently falling down her face, making her look extremely gentle.

The four girls were joking and laughing while looking at the red skirt inside the glass cabinet. Seeing that skirt, Zhou Kao couldn’t help but recall that night.

It was the night when Wen Le hurt her ankle after being pushed by Su Zhenzhen. When she returned from the infirmary, she borrowed scissors from the school doctor to cut open the long skirt on her for convenience.

Zhou Kao hung up the phone, and in his mind, he seemed to see that red skirt that Wen Le had cut open and her beautiful, snow-white legs wrapped around his waist that night.

Zhou Kao’s breath paused, and his eyes gradually deepened.

The girls hadn’t noticed Zhou Kao. They chatted and laughed as they took the escalator between floors and went up to the sixth floor, which was where the cinema was located.

Zhou Kao came out to make a call but stayed outside for a long time. His classmates from inside found him gazing absentmindedly at something across and teased, “What are you daydreaming about? Come back in?”

Zhou Kao snapped back to reality, nodded, and followed them inside. However, as he reached the entrance, his footsteps suddenly stopped as if he had remembered something. “You go in first. I need to go out for a bit, and I’ll be back soon,” he said.

Without waiting for the guy to reply, Zhou Kao patted his arm and left.

The guy didn’t understand what was going on, shrugged, and returned to the private room.

Zhou Kao didn’t know what had gotten into him. He followed the escalator down to the fourth floor and stood in front of that shop without even knowing what he intended to do.

At a glance, Zhou Kao saw that red skirt, and images of Wen Le wearing that red skirt involuntarily flashed in his mind.

It would suit her very well.

Zhou Kao walked into the store.

The sales assistant heard footsteps and turned around, only to be taken aback.

It was a tall handsome young man with long legs –  a strikingly attractive super handsome guy.

The sales assistant was momentarily stunned by his looks and was slow to react. The assistant manager, who was observing the situation, immediately approached with a beaming smile.

The sales assistant regretted not taking the chance to strike up a conversation with the handsome guy. 

She had seen celebrities promoting for the mall before, and they were well-known for their good looks in the entertainment industry. But compared to the person in front of them, even those celebrities would pale in comparison.

The assistant manager approached with a big smile, “Hello, how may I assist you?”

Zhou Kao didn’t say anything, his eyes were fixed on the model in the display window.

As the manager spoke, she secretly observed Zhou Kao.

This place was close to several universities, and students often came here. Zhou Kao looked so young that the assistant manager could almost instantly tell he was a student.

They were a luxury brand, and the prices were not affordable for the average student. Of course, there were many students with wealthy backgrounds, dressed in designer clothing, so buying from this luxury brand was nothing to them.

But…

The assistant manager sized up this young man.

His appearance and physique were excellent, and although his clothes appeared simple and didn’t reveal any brands, the fabric seemed to be of top quality, making it difficult to judge.

Seeing Zhou Kao look at that skirt, the assistant manager struck up a conversation, “Are you buying it for your girlfriend? This is a limited edition from our new collection this season. Your taste is really good.”

Zhou Kao didn’t say anything; he absentmindedly fiddled with his phone, seemingly lost in thought.

The assistant manager subconsciously looked at Zhou Kao’s hand and noticed the watch on his wrist, which seemed to cost at least six figures.

The assistant manager raised an eyebrow, impressed.

Continuing the friendly conversation, the assistant manager asked, “What size does your girlfriend wear?”

Upon hearing the word “girlfriend,” Zhou Kao’s eyelashes flickered, but he didn’t say anything. How could he know her size? He could only estimate that Wen Le’s figure was similar to that of the model.

“Let’s go with this one,” Zhou Kao said.

The assistant manager replied, “If your girlfriend’s figure is similar to the model, then it should be the small size.”

Zhou Kao nodded and said, “Wrap it up please.”

The assistant manager asked, “The total is 5999. How would you like to pay?”

Zhou Kao swiped his card, and as he carried the women’s clothing back to the restaurant’s private room, he couldn’t help but think that he might be acting irrationally or under some kind of enchantment.

TN: Oooo our male lead is finally flaunting his rich background!

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TN: I have a feeling that everyone will really love this chapter hehe~ Enjoy! 🥳

Been Led Astray

Wen Le’s heart trembled, her pupils contracted, and she suddenly looked towards Zhou Kao. Her heart skipped a beat, blood rushed straight to her brain, and her ears buzzed. Her face behind the mask turned red.

Zhou Kao’s face was hidden behind the mask, and no one knew who this clown was. The audience erupted in cheers, thinking that this was another one of Wen Le’s enthusiastic pursuers. They didn’t think much of it. There were even guys in the audience openly challenging Zhou Kao, loudly proclaiming, “The goddess is mine!”

“Hahaha.”

Laughter filled the audience.

But not everyone was unaware of the identity of the clown on stage confessing to Wen Le. Several good friends of Zhou Kao from the student council and his three silly roommates in the audience knew.

At the moment when Zhou Kao mentioned Wen Le, those few people who knew couldn’t believe their eyes as they looked at Zhou Kao. They immediately started whistling excitedly or laughing and cheering, but they remained inconspicuous among the crowd.

The mask was indeed a great disguise. It allowed people to shout out things they wouldn’t normally dare to say.

However, if these excited individuals knew that the clown standing next to Zhou Kao at this moment was Wen Le, they probably wouldn’t know how to react, they would probably have felt either shocked or thrilled.

Today’s host was a male student from the Student Union who was not familiar with Zhou Kao and Wen Le. He didn’t know that this fake clown couple on stage was exactly them. Upon hearing Zhou Kao’s words, he said, “It seems our goddess Wen Le truly has endless charm. But…”

The host changed the subject and shouted loudly to the audience, “Let me see how many rivals he has!”

After the host’s words, laughter filled the audience. For the sake of joining in the fun, about a third of the guys in the audience raised their hands.

The host exclaimed in surprise and patted Zhou Kao’s arm, “Bro, you have to work harder.”

Laughter erupted from the audience again.

Wen Le was a bit absent-minded, still thinking about Zhou Kao’s words. Her mind was in a mess, but she wasn’t sure why. She just couldn’t think straight, to the point that the host had to call her twice before she snapped out of it.

Wen Le smiled apologetically at the host.

The host said, “It seems this beautiful lady is a bit nervous. Let’s give her a round of applause, shall we?”

Applause echoed from the audience.

The truth question that Wen Le drew was:

If someone you’re ambiguous with confessed to you right now, would you accept it?

Damn.

When Wen Le drew this note, a group of mythical creatures galloped through her mind.

What the hell was this?

If it weren’t for her being a staff member, she would have suspected that someone had maliciously prepared some kind of confession ceremony.

Just as Zhou Kao had answered that she was his first crush, she drew a question like this.

Who wouldn’t think too much about it?

Imagine if they weren’t wearing masks at the moment.

Zhou Kao said that Wen Le was his first crush.

And now Wen Le drew a question asking if she would accept a confession from someone she was ambiguous with.

It was as if they were asking Wen Le, “Are you willing to be with Zhou Kao?”

Wen Le’s breath hitched, she awkwardly curled her fingers, and smiled at the host, saying, “I choose the dare.”

The host nodded and asked Wen Le to draw another dare.

The dare that Wen Le drew was:

No Flutter Challenge: Complete three ‘No Flutter Challenges’. If you fail, you have to accept the bitter melon juice punishment.

Wen Le nodded, this was doable.

The host smiled and brought an electronic watch that could measure the heart rate. He put it on Wen Le’s wrist.

The first ‘No Flutter Challenge’ was to watch a video on a certain video app that had a lot of likes for handsome guys.

All the challenges were prepared in advance, and there were a total of five videos, all featuring several of the hottest guys on a certain video app.

The videos were played on the LED screen behind the stage, visible to everyone.

Naturally, the handsome guys who had so many fans on a certain video website were impeccable in terms of looks. As soon as the first video started, Wen Le heard a girl in the audience quietly squeal.

Wen Le remained expressionless, but her heart rate gradually dropped from 85 to 82 as she watched the video with the handsome guy changing outfits.

The host chuckled and said, “It seems this one is not your cup of tea.”

Moving on to the next video, this time it wasn’t a change of outfits. Instead, the guy pushed his hair covering his forehead up and slowly turned his head towards the camera in slow motion.

This guy had beautiful eyes and long eyelashes. When he looked towards the camera in slow motion, there was a touch of deep emotion, it was very captivating.

Wen Le’s heart rate dropped from 80 to 78.

The host sighed and said, “Seems like it’s difficult to handle you.”

The host selected three more videos, including some popular rising stars.

The girls in the audience kept screaming, but Wen Le watched expressionlessly, and her heart rate continued to decrease at an almost steady pace. By the time she finished watching several videos, her heart rate had dropped to 78.

The host looked at Wen Le and wondered, “Why do I feel like you’re a bit disdainful?”

Wen Le laughed out, “No, not at all.”

The host wondered, “Wow, the guys who like you must be in a tough spot. You seem difficult to pursue.”

Wen Le innocently blinked her eyes, “Is that so?”

The host said, “It’s okay, there’s still the second challenge.”

The host scanned the audience and pointed at the purple-suited clown to come on stage.

Both Wen Le and Zhou Kao furrowed their brows instinctively.

The host whispered something to the purple-suited clown.

After the host finished speaking, he turned to Wen Le and deliberately made a funny villainous laugh, saying, “Bring it on, hahaha.”

Wen Le turned her gaze away speechlessly.

The purple-suited clown seemed a bit helpless, but still followed the host’s instructions. He took a red rose from a vase used for decoration next to the stage and walked slowly towards Wen Le.

This person truly lived up to his background in fashion performance. The way he moved, with an elegant gait cultivated through years of training, was different from an ordinary person. 

Surprisingly, his deliberate elegance coincided with Zhou Kao’s internal temperament. Coupled with their similar height and physique, it’s no wonder people easily mistook him for Zhou Kao.

Whether it was Wen Le’s illusion or not, she felt that this person seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally imitating Zhou Kao.

The girls in the audience were somewhat excited, seemingly envious of Wen Le.

The purple-suited clown approached Wen Le and handed her the red rose, whispering in a deliberately lowered voice, “You look beautiful tonight.”

Wenl Le: …

Zhou Kao’s deep affection under the mask turned somewhat displeased.

Wen Le didn’t react immediately. Instead, she glanced at Zhou Kao first.

And at that moment, Wen Le’s heart rate rose from 78 to 82.

The host sounded somewhat triumphant, “It went up, it went up!”

Zhou Kao frowned upon hearing this.

Wen Le turned her head to look at the purple-suited clown and said calmly, “Thank you.”

As Wen Le accepted the rose, her heart rate stabilized at 80.

The host expressed some regret, “Oh, it went back down again. This is too difficult to handle!”

Laughter erupted from the audience again.

The clown in the purple outfit left the stage.

The host seemed to give up and randomly pointed at a guy, pointing at Zhou Kao next to Wen Le.

The host, with waning enthusiasm, said, “Buddy, say something romantic in the beauty’s ear.”

Zhou Kao glanced at the host, then looked at Wen Le, raising his eyebrow slightly.

Wen Le’s heart skipped a beat, and her heart rate slowly began to climb.

Zhou Kao leaned in slowly to Wen Le’s ear.

The host couldn’t believe his eyes, holding his breath as he watched the heart rate on the LED screen next to Wen Le skyrocket to 99.

Everyone witnessed the comical orange-clad clown lingering by the yellow-clad clown’s ear, and their heart rates went off the charts. The yellow-clad clown’s heart rate even exceeded 120.

With the heart rate exceeding the limit, Wen Le failed the challenge.

The host was shocked and hurriedly approached Zhou Kao, asking, “Buddy, what did you say to the beauty? It was so effective! My goodness, teach us, and if you find a girlfriend in the future, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Zhou Kao smiled and glanced at Wen Le without saying a word.

In reality, he didn’t say anything at all.

TN: HAHAHAHA I love this interaction!!!

Wen Le felt annoyed and looked away, avoiding his gaze.

The host brought over the bitter gourd juice, filling a small cup halfway.

Wen Le was about to reach out and take it.

But just then, a hand reached past Wen Le and grabbed the cup of bitter gourd juice before her.

Wen Le looked behind her and saw Zhou Kao, dressed as a clown, standing there with the cup of bitter gourd juice in his hand. He said calmly, “Let me handle this.”

Whistles erupted from the audience.

The host also enjoyed seeing this scene and gladly agreed.

Zhou Kao brought the cup to his lips and took a sip.

Wen Le looked up and watched his Adam’s apple move up and down.

Zhou Kao set down the empty cup and nodded towards the host.

The host couldn’t believe it and said to Zhou Kao, “I’ve tasted this thing, and it’s absolutely bitter to the point of questioning life. I’m starting to doubt if what I tasted is the same thing you just drank.”

Zhou Kao showed no reaction at all, as if he had just drunk a glass of plain water.

The host gave him a thumbs up and said, “Impressive.”

“If someone like you can stay single, then the rest of us should all be bachelors.”

Laughter erupted from the female audience members.

For some reason, Zhou Kao glanced at Wen Le.

After the punishment game was over, everyone went off the stage, and it was time for the mask auction.

Wen Le didn’t have much to do. Her main task was to write a promotional article after the auction, elevate the theme of the evening, and improve the image of the Student Council, Social Union and the A University for the school magazine.

Currently, everyone was focused on the auction, and Wen Le, as an idle staff member, waited in a secluded corner behind the LED screen, ready to lend a hand if any unexpected situation arose.

Wen Le was stationed near an exit behind the LED screen, which led to a tunnel-like path. It was called a tunnel because the overhead section was the audience seating area of the basketball court.

Wen Le leaned against the wall of the tunnel, playing with her phone. The lighting in the tunnel was dim, making it difficult to see the faces of people in the distance. It was secluded and quiet.

Wen Le heard footsteps, which was normal. It wasn’t strange for someone else to pass by besides her.

But these footsteps approached her, casting a shadow in front of her.

Wen Le looked up.

It was Zhou Kao.

Zhou Kao was still in his clown attire, wearing a mask and a hat. The only difference was that he held a yellow helium balloon in his hand.

Now he matched perfectly with their dormitory’s silly antics.

It was somewhat silly, but Wen Le couldn’t find it funny at all.

To be honest, ever since Zhou Kao revealed that she was his first crush, her heart had been in turmoil. Even now, she felt like she was slow to react.

In truth, she wasn’t surprised by his answer. She was his first crush, and he was hers. They understood each other without needing to say it explicitly.

But she didn’t expect him to say it out loud.

When the window paper wasn’t pierced* Wen Le thought everything was still manageable. They could act as if nothing had happened.

*TN: Wen Le is referring to the metaphor she used in chapter 13

But now that it was pierced, everything had changed completely.

Wen Le was even a bit angry that Zhou Kao had broken through that barrier.

In the dim and quiet tunnel, every sound became more pronounced.

Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao expressionlessly.

Zhou Kao asked her in a low voice, “Were you upset on stage just now?”

His low voice seemed surprisingly gentle in this environment.

The anger in Wen Le’s heart seemed to dissipate.

Wen Le shook her head slightly and replied softly, “No.”

Zhou Kao chuckled, “Even the top elite can accept failure.”

Wen Le playfully punched his chest and said, “You’re so annoying.”

Zhou Kao lowered his voice and chuckled softly.

The low laughter echoed faintly in the tunnel.

Wen Le’s ears twitched, and she withdrew her hand to put it behind her back.

However, Zhou Kao held onto her hand, preventing her from retracting it.

Wen Le didn’t pull her hand back, but asked in a low voice, “What are you doing?”

Zhou Kao tied the small yellow duck helium balloon from his hand onto Wen Le’s wrist.

“Smack.”

Wen Le waved away Zhou Kao’s hand.

The small yellow duck helium balloon swayed on Wen Le’s wrist.

Wen Le felt an inexplicable anger rising within her. She suddenly couldn’t bear it and asked with frustration, “Do you even know what you’re doing, Zhou Kao?”

Zhou Kao lowered his head and looked at his own hand. After a moment, he spoke in a low, hoarse voice, “I know.”

Wen Le lifted her head and stared straight into Zhou Kao’s eyes, which were filled with suppressed desire and tenderness.

Wen Le was on the verge of succumbing to the passion and affection hidden within those eyes, which burned with repressed desire and sparkled with starlight.

Wen Le’s gaze gradually became hazy, and both of them were breathing rapidly. In the midst of confusion and infatuation, Zhou Kao lowered his head slowly to kiss her.

TN: OMG OMG WHAT IS THIS SEXUAL TENSION!!

Wen Le tilted her head back, her gaze blurred, as their lips gradually drew closer.

Zhou Kao’s eyes were almost infatuated.

But in the next moment, Wen Le suddenly turned her head slightly and placed her index and middle fingers against Zhou Kao’s lips.

His lips were soft, and his breath was scorching.

Wen Le’s breath became unsteady, and the fingers pressing against Zhou Kao’s lips trembled lightly.

Wen Le’s voice was unsteady, but it was calm to the point of being cruel as she said, “You were enchanted by the lights and music.”

A momentary confusion and helplessness appeared in Zhou Kao’s eyes. After a brief struggle, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the desire and tenderness in his eyes had completely faded away. The hazy gaze finally regained its calmness.

Zhou Kao let out a sigh and reached out to remove Wen Le’s wrist from his grasp.

Wen Le lowered her gaze and didn’t look at Zhou Kao.

Zhou Kao looked down at Wen Le, his voice low and gentle as he said, “You’re right. I was impulsive.”

Then Zhou Kao lowered his head gently.

Wen Le felt a warm sensation on her forehead.

But her heart felt as if it had been scalded, and it skipped a beat.

It was a very light kiss.

TN: We are finally getting some steamy action!! 😗

Previous | Index | Next

Enlightenment of Love

The two of them glided on to the dance floor, dancing gracefully to the music.

They had already danced two dances, and even with just the physical contact, Wen Le could immediately recognize that it was Zhou Kao.

Then who was the person from before…

Wen Le’s gaze involuntarily shifted towards the Joker in the purple suit.

However, the person opposite her seemed dissatisfied with her distraction. The palm of the hand resting on her back suddenly pressed forcefully. Wen Le exclaimed in surprise as she was abruptly and forcefully pushed into his familiar embrace.

*TN: Kyaaaa I love ZK’s possessiveness keke!

Wen Le’s upper body was tightly pressed against Zhou Kao’s chest, and Zhou Kao’s one arm embraced her slender waist. To the rhythm of the music, they spun in the air.

Wen Le held onto Zhou Kao’s arm tightly and looked into his eyes as they spun in the air.

The two of them faced each other, separated by two layers of masks, and irrelevant people were pushed out of their minds.

Wen Le landed, and Zhou Kao pulled her hand, leading her to spin in his embrace.

It was truly magical. The Joker in the comical orange and yellow jumpsuit danced with the Harley Quinn in the yellow jumpsuit, creating a whimsical and romantic atmosphere, like a fairytale.

The Joker in the comical clown suit had a tall figure and elegant dance moves. It was said that clothes make the man, but there were also some individuals who were blessed with natural advantages. Even if they were dressed in a sack, they could exude a kingly aura.

Just because of a momentary distraction, Wen Le had lost her lead to Zhou Kao. Zhou Kao’s skilled dancing made Wen Le feel like a puppet being manipulated.

Wen Le quickly regained her focus and reclaimed her lead.

Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao with curiosity. Since he had brought her onto the dance floor, he hadn’t said a word.

Wen Le glanced at Zhou Kao’s outfit for the evening and couldn’t help but chuckle, guessing that it was because of his comical costume.

Zhou Kao’s voice was indifferent. “What’s so funny?”

Wen Le said, “I just didn’t expect that you would dress up like this.”

Zhou Kao asked, “Surprised?”

“Surprised,” Wen Le laughed and looked up and down at Zhou Kao, teasingly saying, “Your appearance tonight is fantastic.”

Zhou Kao said, “Don’t you think that your compliment sounds a bit too forced.”

Wen Le burst out laughing.

“How did you come up with the idea of dressing up as a clown?” Wen Le asked.

Zhou Kao paused and replied with a somewhat awkward tone, “Because there was a special offer from the store: buy two, get free shipping, and buy three to get one free. The clown costumes were on sale, and four of them only cost $120.”

Wen Le could hardly believe it. This person who was wearing a six-figure luxury brand dress suit last night for a not-so-formal social event had suddenly become budget-conscious today. Wen Le even suspected their family had gone bankrupt overnight.

Wen Le was extremely shocked and exclaimed, “Wow!”

Zhou Kao glared at her and then added in a calm and lifeless tone, “And also because of a roommate who believes everything should be perfectly ridiculous.”

Wen Le couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. She laughed so hard that she was shaking, and even Zhou Kao’s hand holding hers trembled along.

Wen Le was really about to die laughing. In her mind, she immediately imagined a serious and refined person like Zhou Kao being forced by a ridiculously organized roommate from their dormitory to wear this perfectly ridiculous clown costume. The expression on his face should be close to… that of a person being forced into prostitution.

Wen Le suddenly wanted to see Zhou Kao’s other three ridiculous roommates.

She turned her head and scanned the entire gymnasium, but she didn’t have to put in much effort. She quickly found Zhou Kao’s other three ridiculous roommates.

Because they were especially ridiculous, ridiculously conspicuous.

Wen Le almost immediately spotted the three clowns in the crowd, each holding a helium balloon.

They were wearing clown costumes of different colors from the same series as Zhou Kao, and each of them had a helium balloon in their hand. They looked more like clowns selling balloons at an amusement park.

Wen Le was about to die laughing. She asked Zhou Kao, “Where is your balloon?”

Wen Le looked around and, in a serious tone, reprimanded, “Your dormitory isn’t in-sync anymore.”

“I often feel like I don’t fit in because I’m not ridiculous enough,” Zhou Kao responded with a helpless expression, pointing to a railing near the backstage area. 

“It’s over there.”

Wen Le looked in the direction Zhou Kao had pointed and saw a helium balloon tied to the railing, shaped like a small yellow duck.

Wen Le asked, “Why did you put it there?”

Zhou Kao said, “Otherwise, should I hold a helium balloon in my hand while dancing with you?”

Wen le shrugged, “I don’t mind.”

Suddenly, Zhou Kao pulled Wen Le into his arms from behind, encircling her.

Caught off guard, Wen Le was tightly embraced by Zhou Kao from behind. Zhou Kao turned his head slightly, leaning closer to Wen Le’s cheek, and his warm breath brushed against her neck. Wen Le felt Zhou Kao’s arms holding her tightly, his broad and warm chest against her back. Her heartbeat paused for a moment and then raced quickly.

Zhou Kao lowered his voice and said slowly, “I do mind.”

*TN: KILL ME RN!!!! Red card for ZK!!!

His movements seemed to slow down as he uttered those three words, holding Wen Le from behind. The two of them swayed slightly on the dance floor like a couple deeply in love, with their breaths blending together, surrounded by each other’s scent.

Zhou Kao gently leaned his head closer to Wen Le’s ear, it was a subtle movement as if he instinctively sought her scent and the fragrance of her perfume. It seemed unconscious, a craving, and an infatuation.

Wen Le noticed this extremely subtle movement. She felt a tingling sensation on her scalp, and Zhou Kao’s breath near her ear became even hotter. It was almost unbearable for Wen Le, and her toes curled up slightly inside her shoes. Her breath sped up rapidly.

Neither of them spoke anymore. They silently danced, but they knew that their hearts were far from the calmness portrayed by their bodies.

They seemed unable to effortlessly chat, tease, and joke around as before. They needed time to settle certain things.

The dim environment and surreal lighting easily created a blurred and unreal sensation, resembling the space between dreams and reality.

Such a sensation easily lowered one’s guard, relaxed them, and made them lose their vigilance. Rationality gradually receded, giving in to impulses and allowing ambiguity to thrive. Deep-seated desires grew unchecked.

Wen Le felt that tonight, things might get a little out of control, but her rationality had been eroded by the surroundings to the point where she couldn’t summon the thought of stopping it.

Wen Le cleared her mind and fully immersed herself in the dance.

When the music ended, Wen Le took deep breaths, trying to steady her breathing.

Her mind was now in chaos, and she didn’t even know what dance she had just performed.

But everyone around them stopped and stared directly at her and Zhou Kao.

However, they seemed oblivious to the stares and just gazed at each other intently.

It wasn’t until applause broke out, which broke their gaze.

Wen Le looked at the crowd somewhat bewildered, not knowing what had happened.

After a while, Wen Le seemed to get the answer from the murmurs of the crowd.

It turned out that at some point, Zhou Kao had lifted her up with both hands, she had done a split in the air, and then flipped and hung on Zhou Kao…

Crazy….

Wen Le thought, she and Zhou Kao must be crazy…

Wen Le felt that she and Zhou Kao needed to calm down.

As the dance ended, Wen Le quickly gave a courtesy, but it was ridiculous because she clearly didn’t have a skirt.

Zhou Kao also took off his hat and bowed, performing a gentlemanly hat tip.

However, just then, the host instructed everyone to stay with their dance partners in place. They would identify the mismatched CP (couple) and subject them to either a dare or a truth punishment.

When the staff pointed at Zhou Kao and Wen Le, Wen Le was taken aback and involuntarily looked at Zhou Kao.

Zhou Kao also looked at Wen Le.

Wen Le struggled to say, “Although you’re not that clown, I think we are still considered an official CP in a broad sense.”

Zhou Kao didn’t say anything; he just put his hands on Wen Le’s shoulders and pushed her onto the stage to face the punishment together.

Zhou Kao’s scorching hands had a strong presence on Wen Le’s shoulders. Wen Le tried to ignore it and shifted her focus. She said, “When you first came to ask me to dance, didn’t you think the same way?”

Zhou Kao glanced at the ring on Wen Le’s hand at an angle which Wen Le couldn’t see, but he smiled without saying a word.

*TN: ZK is so sneaky but smart!!! 😂

The two of them stood on the stage while the host continued naming people, and one by one, they walked onto the stage.

They whispered to each other quietly while on stage.

Inadvertently, Wen Le’s gaze swept over the clown in the purple outfit whom she had mistaken for Zhou Kao earlier. She couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Kao and make a comparison. She remarked to Zhou Kao, “That person, his back view looks similar to yours.”

Zhou Kao glanced casually and nodded.

Just when Wen Le thought Zhou Kao wouldn’t say anything more, he casually said, “That’s the class monitor of the Costume Design Department.”

A University only had one class in the Costume Design Department, so there was only one class monitor.

Wen Le frowned; she still felt somewhat uncomfortable about that guy, especially after witnessing him kissing the female clown in the red and blue outfit. It made Wen Le particularly uneasy.

Zhou Kao seemed to not want Wen Le to pay attention to that guy from the Costume Design Department and told Wen Le about some interesting people in the audience.

Wen Le’s gaze landed upon Zhou Kao’s dormitory mates again, and she chuckled saying, “Before you told me, I had thought the guys holding the balloons were staff members prepared by the president.”

Zhou Kao seemed to smile as well. “Indeed, your president is not incapable of doing such things.”

Wen Le glanced backstage and said, “I didn’t see the president and your student council president today.”

Zhou Kao casually said, “They went for a PK.”

Wen Le asked, “What?”

Zhou Kao explained to her.

The general idea was that yesterday, the president and the student council president teamed up for a game and lost in the qualifying match. They blamed each other for being bad players. To prove who was really bad, the student council president took the members of the student council, and the president of the Student Union took the members of the Student Union to a corner during the dance to secretly play games.

Wen Le was speechless.

While they were talking, the host called up another group of people.

That classmate who was dressed as Zhu Bajie eventually formed a CP with the classmate who was dressed as Black Widow. They were called up and the girl dressed as Black Widow walked on stage dejectedly, while the Zhu Bajie classmate was quite proud.

Tang Monk and the four spider spirits also went on stage, with Tang Monk trembling as he was surrounded by the four spider spirits.

The audience below burst into laughter.

Once the host had called enough people on stage, he announced the rules.

The punishment options were truth or dare.

The host had a box in hand, containing slips of paper with truth or dare tasks written on them.

Each person could draw twice. If they didn’t want to choose the first task they drew, they could draw again. Once they drew the second time, they had to choose one of the two tasks and had no further chances.

The truth or dare tasks were controlled to a certain extent by the organizers, but they still had a hint of ambiguity.

The first person was a girl, and the truth question was, “Among the gentlemen present, who best matches your ideal type?”

The girl didn’t draw a second time and blushed, pointing to the male clown in the purple outfit in the audience.

To be honest, based on physique and temperament alone, he was really eye-catching in the crowd, and because of the mask, it was really difficult to tell him apart from Zhou Kao.

The crowd let out a good-natured laughter.

The second person drew a truth question that said, “Say the name of the girl you have a crush on.”

The guy glanced at the audience, blushed, and chose dare.

He drew a dare that said, “Apply a big red lipstick mark on a tissue and slip it into the pocket of the person in the audience who attracts your attention the most.”

As soon as the host announced this task, the audience burst into laughter.

The second guy blushed and said he would choose dare.

Laughter erupted from the audience.

The host brought out a lipstick and a tissue.

To enhance the game effect, one of the guys in the audience was assigned to apply the lipstick on the punished person.

That guy probably had never applied lipstick on anyone before, and he ended up smudging it all over.

People in the audience burst into laughter while the guy applied the lipstick and gave instructions like, “Pucker your lips, pucker!”

The girls in the audience were about to burst into laughter.

Despite taking nearly five minutes, the lipstick was still applied terribly.

Finally, it reluctantly left a huge red mark on the white tissue.

The guy who applied the lipstick exclaimed, “Holy shit!” as he stepped back repeatedly, muttering, “Why do lipstick marks on TV look so sexy? This is just damn scary. Who would want this…?”

Laughter filled the audience.

The punished guy, with a crooked and smudged red lip, sheepishly tucked the tissue with the huge lipstick mark into the arms of Tang Monk, who was surrounded by the four spider spirits.

Tang Monk froze, looking utterly devastated.

The audience below was also shocked.

The punished guy, feeling embarrassed, said, “I’ve been paying attention to you since you came on stage.”

Tang Monk was about to faint.

The punished guy continued, “Why do so many girls like you?”

The audience erupted in laughter.

Tang Monk looked hopeless and said, “A good man should be faithful. I can’t handle such fortune.”

The audience was on the verge of madness from laughter.

When it was Zhou Kao’s turn, he drew the option for truth first.

“Say the name of your first girlfriend.”

The host added, “Crush is also fine, but no celebrities. It must be the name of the first girl who made your heart flutter.”

Zhou Kao’s Adam’s apple moved up and down.

Wen Le’s heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily looked at Zhou Kao.

Zhou Kao’s voice was low and calm. He said, “Change it.”

The host looked somewhat disappointed.

So Zhou Kao drew another one.

“Group dare, pass a candy wrapper using only your mouths.”

The host showed Zhou Kao the small, transparent candy wrapper and said, “This is a group activity that requires everyone present to participate.”

A slight frown appeared on Zhou Kao’s brow hidden behind the mask.

He didn’t even consider the second dare.

The host, seeing Zhou Kao’s silence, asked, “Which one will you choose?”

“Wen Le.”

TN: Combusting internally right now, bye!!!!!

The host didn’t hear clearly, “What?”

Zhou Kao repeated it again, his voice calm.

“I said the first one, Wen Le.”

TN: ahhh this is such a bomb-drop!! hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! 🎉

Previous | Index | Next

The Second Kiss

This masquerade ball didn’t have a specific theme, and not all the guests were expected to come in prepared costumes. The organisers, the Social Council and Student Union, suggested that if someone was interested in dressing up and portraying a character, they could choose a character with an official CP.

Of course, the organisers themselves would lead by example and follow the rules.

Wen Le chose to cosplay as Harley Quinn, the partner of Joker from Batman.

Harley Quinn’s makeup was relatively simple. 

Since she would be wearing a mask on her face, the makeup didn’t need to be too elaborate. However, since the mask would expose the eyes, Wen Le still applied a smokey eye makeup and dark red lipstick.

Wen Le’s costume was not the typical red and blue outfit with fishnet stockings. It was a yellow gold jumpsuit with a pink bra from the movie “Birds of Prey”.

This outfit didn’t accentuate the figure; the loose jumpsuit concealed the leg and waist lines. However, fortunately, Wen Le had good leg proportions, so even while wearing this figure-detracting jumpsuit, her legs still appeared long and her waist seemed slender.

The upper body that was exposed was also eye-catching with delicate collarbones, beautiful shoulder blades, a slender neck, and smooth, glowing skin. Even while wearing such an outfit, Wen Le still stood out.

After changing into the costume, Wen Le held an ordinary white mask with eerie blue and red patterns drawn around the eyes. It perfectly matched Wen Le’s Harley Quinn look.

The mask was quite big, such that only her chin and red lips were exposed, completely concealing Wen Le’s true appearance.

That was the intention behind Wen Le’s choice of the mask. However, for some unknown reason, Wen Le absentmindedly put on the emerald ring from yesterday.

With the costume fully prepared, Wen Le turned around and asked the female classmates nearby, “Can you recognize who I am?”

The female classmate looked at Wen Le in astonishment and laughed, “I can’t tell. But Wen Le, this is such a clever approach. It’s neither funny nor not funny. You’re somewhat pretty, but not that good-looking. Tsk tsk, if I had known, I would have chosen Harley Quinn too. You’re so smart.”

Wen Le chuckled, “Your Poison Ivy is not bad either.”

The female classmate shook the red apple in her hand and said, “Jealous? I can even bring snacks with me.”

Wen Le responded, “You look stunning. Just don’t eat the floral lipstick.”

The female classmate laughed along.

Around five o’clock, some students who had bought the paper mask started heading to the prepared DIY room to make their own masks.

Wen Le, wearing a mask, was responsible for maintaining order and organising DIY materials in the DIY area with her classmates.

Wen Le watched as a master craftsman turned an ordinary paper shell into a work of art in forty minutes.

The craftsman sat attentively at a prepared table, gradually attracting a crowd of onlookers.

Wen Le stood on the inside of the long table, directly facing the craftsman, which allowed a clear view of his every move.

The craftsman seemed to be a DIY video blogger, as he immediately placed a small smart camera on the table and adjusted the angle before getting to work.

Wen Le stood behind the craftsman, watching him cut aluminum cans into the same shape to secure them to the mask, he painted them with colors, sealed the edges with lace, created tassels with beads and silk thread, and added feathers as a final touch.

The craftsman seemed to have a sketch in his mind from the start. After burying himself in his work for forty minutes, the inexpensive paper shell had become a piece of art in his hands.

When he finished and lifted his pen, Wen Le almost wanted to applaud him.

And indeed, the surrounding crowd began to applaud.

Wen Le quickly approached and took photos of the craftsman’s work, and asked if he was alright with them uploading the pictures to the forum for voting and a final auction.

Wen Le believed that this mask definitely had the potential to compete until the final auction stage.

The craftsman smiled foolishly and said, “That was actually my plan. I genuinely feel that your event is particularly meaningful, and I didn’t know what I could contribute. So, I thought I’d make a beautiful mask to support your event.”

Wen Le was deeply moved and shook hands with the craftsman, saying, “Thank you very much for your support. It’s our organisers’ good fortune to have a guest like you.”

In reality, if they hadn’t organized this DIY event, Wen Le wouldn’t have known that their school had so many talented craftsmen.

Their university, A University, didn’t have any art majors, and Wen Le thought that such a DIY event would be even more spectacular at a university with an art program. Unfortunately, their school didn’t offer an art major.

However, to Wen Le’s surprise, even without art students, A University still showcased extraordinary talent during this DIY event.

Each exquisitely crafted mask was ultimately donated by its creator to the organizers, allowing them to conduct a final auction.

To be honest, it was truly touching.

The stunning masks were not limited to just thirty pieces. This posed a dilemma for the staff, as they found it difficult to select which masks to keep. In the end, they decided to upload pictures of all the masks they couldn’t choose between and let the netizens decide.

At 7 PM, all the DIY handmade masks were completed, and everyone entered the venue.

Because it was a masquerade ball, the lighting tonight was not as bright as the previous night. The lighting technician turned on colored lights, creating a mysterious and romantic atmosphere in the dim environment.

Others often thought that top students were serious and earnest, but in reality, they could also be playful and silly at times.

To liven up the atmosphere, the organizers initially stipulated that every staff member should dress in a whimsical and funny manner. The underlying meaning was to be as silly and funny as possible because it wouldn’t be fun if everyone was too serious.

In fact, the organizers greatly underestimated the silliness level of the top students.

Since Wen Le walked from the DIY room into the dance floor venue, she almost died laughing.

Wen Le saw some Sailor Moon characters standing together, looking like they were going through a case of a second puberty crisis and she guessed that they must be from the same dormitory.

There were many other cosplay outfits by dormitory groups like this.

For example, in the southwest corner, there were four people dressed as the Tang Monk* and his disciples.

*Tang Monk/Priest refers to the chinese classic character in “Journey to the West”

Wen Le was about to burst out laughing and asked a female classmate beside her, “May I ask who is the official couple among the Tang Monk and his disciples?”

The girl was puzzled for a moment and said, “Is there one? Really?”

Wen Le also witnessed a person wearing a suit but with a Husky dog mask on their head walking past her.

Wen Le stood dumbfounded on the spot, then she saw that guy find his partner a girl wearing a white dress with a Samoyed dog mask.

Wen Le was shocked. What kind of silly couple was this?

And that’s not all, there was a male version of an angel wearing a deep V-neck white gown, with fake wings on his back and a white wire circle on his head.

Wen Le felt overwhelmed by what she was seeing.

Suddenly, the girl next to Wen Le, the Miss Poison Queen, pointed to a spot and said, “There are four Spider Demons over there.”

After saying that, she muttered quietly, “Those four Spider Demons should all be with the Tang Monk…”

Wen Le: …

Of course, Wen Le also saw many popular couples like Harley Quinn and Joker, but most of them were wearing red and blue outfits. Wen Le managed to avoid matching with anyone.

At 7 o’clock, the host took the stage punctually and announced the beginning of the masquerade.

The host was now a different guy. In fact, during the three days of the Orientation, the host was changed every day.

After the host finished reading the script, which Wen Le had seen before and had already memorised, something unexpected happened. 

The host suddenly said, “Now, please invite your official CP of the character you are portraying, to enter the dance floor and perform the first dance of the night together.”

Wen Le was bewildered because this was not part of the planned schedule.

Wen Le looked at her senior sister who was equally confused, and then they both looked at the student union president, who had a mischievous grin on his face.

Alright, now she understood. It turned out that portraying characters with a CP was for this purpose.

But Wen Le didn’t pay much attention to it. She was a staff member, and she hadn’t planned on dancing tonight anyway.

However, unexpectedly, the host added, “One minute from now, anyone who hasn’t entered the dance floor will face a dare as punishment! Of course, those who chose the wrong CP will also face a dare! This applies to everyone present, whether guests or staff members.”

After saying that, the host looked at everyone with a wicked smile, as if implying that the dares would be quite scary.

As a result, the whole venue became lively.

Those who hadn’t participated in character cosplay could easily grab a dance partner and enter the dance floor, while those in character cosplay frantically searched for their character’s CP on the dance floor, never mind if they were official or unofficial, as long as they could find them.

In this entertaining gathering, hardly anyone would go against the game rules set by the organizers. They all cooperatively looked for dance partners on the floor.

Wen Le was portraying Harley Quinn, so she just needed to find a Joker. And she did see quite a few of this popular Harley Quinn-Joker pairing already on the dance floor.

Unfortunately, it seemed that there were a bit too many Harley Quinns.

The host was still counting down on the stage, “45, 44, 43…”

Wen Le saw a guy dressed as Zhu Bajie* blocking a girl in front of her. The girl was in a panic and said, “Big brother, please, I’m Black Widow, not a Spider Demon! Ahhh, time is running out!”

*Zhu Bajie is a character from the chinese classic “Journey to the West” who is a man reincarnated as a pig. 

Wen Le spotted a Joker with a purple suit and green hair in the distance and quickly walked over.

 “20, 19, 18, 17…”

With fifteen seconds remaining, Wen Le approached the Joker.

The Joker had a tall and slender figure, and the well-tailored purple suit accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs, making him stand out.

He wore a black mask that covered most of his face, but his outstanding demeanor made Wen Le feel that he was somewhat familiar.

Her lips curved slightly as she took two steps forward, about to call out to the Joker.

But she was cut off by a Harley Quinn in red and blue fishnet stockings.

The Harley Quinn wore ultra-short shorts that revealed a pair of incredibly beautiful long legs, straight and slender. The legs were wrapped in torn fishnet stockings, resembling a mermaid who had just emerged from the water. The captivating long legs, coupled with a tight crop top that exposed her midriff, accentuated her ample bosom against her slender waist.

Wen Le could sense that the guys around her seemed envious of the Joker.

Wen Le stood behind, motionless, silently observing the Joker.

The Harley Quinn in front extended an invitation to the Joker.

The Joker remained motionless, neither refusing nor accepting, while the Harley Quinn was determined to win him over.

In the end, the Joker relented, holding the hand of the Harley Quinn and leaning down to give her a kiss.

Wen Le’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

*TN: Someone’s jealous~ 😉

Whispers started to circulate around them, as people recognized the tall stature and actions of the Joker that it was Zhou Kao.

The two of them entered the dance floor, hand in hand.

Wen Le stood in place, her aura becoming subdued. She felt a strange anger and a coldness in her heart.

The host continued the countdown.

“10, 9…”

Wen Le felt disinterested. She turned around, intending to go back to the backstage area, but at that moment, a figure blocked her path.

It was a Joker.

However, it wasn’t the handsome Joker in a purple suit. This clown was wearing the type of orange and yellow striped overalls seen in amusement parks. He didn’t have the comical multicolored wig, but instead wore a matching-colored top hat, making him appear less comical.

Wen Le thought to herself that this was indeed correct. Clowns at amusement parks were also a Joker, but she didn’t feel like entering the dance floor now.

Wen Le shook her head, gesturing to the Joker that she didn’t want to dance.

However, the Joker stubbornly bent down and extended his hand, inviting her.

“5, 4, 3…”

Listening to the host’s countdown and looking at this persistent Joker in front of her, it seemed like he really wanted to dance.

Wen Le’s heart softened. Fine.

Wen Le placed her hand on the Joker’s hand.

The Joker lowered his head and gently kissed the emerald ring on Wen Le’s hand.

Wen Le suddenly raised her head and gazed at the Joker.

TN: Oooo cliffhanger!!! Which joker do you think Zhou Kao was?

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A Strong Male Friend

Wen Le gave a scornful laugh.

What an asshole.

She took a few sips of the sweet milk, feeling comfortable as she squinted her eyes, her whole body relaxed.

Zhou Kao handed Wen Le a document.

Wen Le took it and glanced at it. It was the process planning, host script, and promotional copy for tomorrow night’s masquerade ball.

Wen Le said, “Do you really need me to help you with this little bit of stuff?”

Zhou Kao complimented her, “You’re good at writing.”

Wen Le was speechless. “I’m the science student, and you’re the arts student, right?”

Zhou Kao gave her a sideways glance. “Will you help or not?”

Wen Le forced a smile and said, “I’ll help, I’ll help.”

In fact, there wasn’t much to do, just double-checking the already planned process to see if there were any oversights.

As they flipped through the document, they chatted.

Wen Le said, “The feedback in all aspects tonight was pretty good, and the online buzz is strong. We should be able to meet our expected goals tomorrow, but if too many people show up at the last minute, we might need to prepare more masks.”

Zhou Kao made two marks on the document with his pen and said, “Hmm, they thought of that. Just now, the senior student in charge ordered another batch of props, feathers, and paint, which will arrive tomorrow.”

Wen Le looked over the document again, correcting a few typos and word choices. “There’ are no more errors.”

She put down the document and looked at Zhou Kao, her eyes turning as she suddenly became curious. “What will you dress up as tomorrow?”

Zhou Kao paused for a moment at the question, his face twisting momentarily.

Wen Le caught the fleeting emotion and became interested, staring at Zhou Kao, wanting to hear his answer.

Zhou Kao quickly regained his composure and said, “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

Wen Le was naturally dissatisfied with this answer. “I’ll find out anyway, why don’t you tell me now?”

Zhou Kao flipped through the pages of the document and stopped talking.

Wen Le knew she couldn’t get anything out of Zhou Kao’s mouth, so she gave up. It was just that…

Wen Le thought about the request unanimously passed by the Student Union and the Social Council, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

The seniors of the Student Union and the Social Council believed that, as staff, they should be responsible and dedicated to the Orientation project. They were willing to sacrifice their own image to create conversations and hype, enliven the atmosphere, and increase the sense of participation in the masquerade.

So everyone decided that the staff members would be responsible for being funny, and the guests would be the ones looking beautiful. The organization even decided to hold a vote on the day of the masquerade, and the staff member who sacrificed the most would receive a dedication award and a small gift prepared by the organization. Those who dressed themselves up beautifully would be condemned by everyone.

Therefore, the staff members’ costumes probably wouldn’t be too beautiful. Wen Le actually thought that a funny masquerade would be more fun. 

But Zhou Kao…

Wen Le really couldn’t associate Zhou Kao with the words funny or ugly. Zhou Kao seemed to always have the image of a beautiful flower on a high mountain.

Wen Le thought of Zhou Kao with a teasing look in her eyes.

Zhou Kao’s eyes were still on the documents, but he seemed to notice Wen Le’s expression and said, “Don’t look at me like that. Think about yourself. How good can your situation be, Deputy Director of the Communications Department?”

Wen Le didn’t care and raised her eyebrows, “I’m looking forward to your performance tomorrow night, Director of the Organization Department.”

The orientation ended at 9:30 pm. After all the guests left, all the staff members stayed behind and held a brief meeting to summarize tonight’s situation, arranged tomorrow’s tasks, and finally cleaned up the equipments and the venue.

Wen Le didn’t return to the dormitory until 10:30 pm.

She kicked off her high heels, took off her earrings and bracelets, and put them in a box.

Wen Le looked at the jade ring on her hand and was lost in thought for a moment.

She couldn’t help but think of Zhou Kao’s gentle kiss on the ring.

His lips touched the jade ring, and his warm breath caressed Wen Le’s hand. She seemed to be able to feel that kiss through the ring, and her fingers and palms were burning with abnormal heat.

Wen Le suddenly felt hot and quickly took off the ring from her finger.

The ring was held in Wen Le’s hand, and her fingers involuntarily curled as she carefully placed the ring back in its box and tucked it into the corner of her drawer before slowly closing it.

Tonight’s party was destined to be the hottest event that would not be extinguished for a long time.

The school forum had been discussing the party for a while, and even on Weibo, the hype was high. 

Everyone was excited, and for some, it was also a special night.

Wen Le got ready for bed and listened to her roommate’s excited voice talking about the party on BBS. They talked about how Yi Ze’an gained 300,000 followers because of his live broadcast tonight, how everyone was impressed by her cheongsam dress, singing praises of it on the forum, and also….

Talked about her dance with Zhou Kao that shook the entire audience.

As she listened, Wen Le began to daydream, her unfocused gaze fixed ahead of her dormitory, and the dormitory lights shone brightly in her hazy vision.

Wen Le seemed to recall the light above the dance floor through that halo.

In slow motion, Zhou Kao leaned down, and Wen Le’s waist was tightly held by his powerful arm. Wen Le’s hand was held in Zhou Kao’s palm, and she leaned back, looking up at his handsome face from above.

The light shone from above, and Zhou Kao’s few strands of hair bounced because of his movements and were reflected by the light.

Zhou Kao’s narrow and deep eyes gazed at Wen Le, and the black pupils reflected only her figure. It seemed that nothing else could enter his eyes except for Wen Le, and at that moment, time seemed to stand still.

Zhou Kao held Wen Le’s waist and made the two of them stand up straight. Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao’s hand slowly brushing up her elbow, then sliding down to her palm, and finally slipping through her fingers, interlocking his fingers with hers.

Wen Le stared at Zhou Kao in a daze, and he led her towards the center of the dance floor in front of the crowd, where they danced together in circles all night long.

Wen Le opened her eyes, her heart pounding. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and looked at the time; it was already half-past nine in the morning. It turned out that she fell asleep at some point last night because she was too tired and had dreamt about dancing with Zhou Kao all night.

Wen Le sat up and took a glance. Bao Xiaofan and Man Qingxuan were still sleeping, Cheng Hui was playing with her phone on the bed, and Ai Fei had already long disappeared. Sun Youmei’s bed was empty.

Seeing this, Wen Le lay back down and continued playing with her phone on the bed.

She opened WeChat but found no messages.

The party would last for three consecutive days, from Friday night to Sunday night. Yesterday was Friday, and today was Saturday.

There were no classes or arrangements in the morning, so Wen Le played with her phone for a while. When Bao Xiaofan and Man Qingxuan woke up, the dormitory gradually became lively with conversations. It was only then that Wen Le got out of bed to freshen up.

At noon, the four of them were too lazy to go to the cafeteria, so they ordered takeout. Ordering takeout meant they didn’t have to change clothes, which saved them the trouble. As soon as the takeout arrived, they could simply put on a long coat over their pajamas and go downstairs to pick it up. There were quite a few girls in the dormitory building dressed like this, but no one would go to the cafeteria in their pajamas.

Sun Youmei still hadn’t returned by noon. Cheng Hui said, “She told me this morning that her boyfriend bought a house near the school, and they’re going to move out and live together.”

The others were surprised. “Does the guidance counselor know?”

Cheng Hui replied, “She said she already told her.”

They exchanged glances and didn’t say anything more.

Around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the staff members went to the gymnasium to begin decorating.

Wen Le carried her makeup kit, the same small box from yesterday, but the clothes inside had been changed.

Tonight was the masquerade party.

A masquerade party naturally required masks.

However, not all guests would prepare masks in advance, so the organizers contacted vendors and purchased a large number of masks.

To keep costs down, the masks they bought were the cheapest ones with hard paper shells and a white base.

They simply cut the hard paper shells into the shape of masks, but there were no patterns on these hard paper shells.

Because the masks were made of hard paper shells, they were very cheap, and even with a large quantity purchased, it didn’t cost much.

To minimize costs, they first conducted a survey on the BBS to estimate the number of people attending the masquerade party and purchased the plain paper shell masks.

To add more fun to the party, they added a DIY mask session before the start of the party.

All guests holding plain masks could enter the venue one to two hours in advance. In the designated area prepared by the staff, they could use the materials provided by the staff to decorate their own masks.

They purchased a large quantity of feathers, paint, plastic chains, various colored threads, and all sorts of inexpensive trinkets such as beads, lace, and wire to provide the guests with materials for mask-making. They even included shredded aluminum cans, which were both environmentally friendly and inexpensive.

Of course, these items were not free, but they weren’t expensive either.

For just one dollar, guests could get a plain paper shell mask and enter the venue, using the materials provided by the staff to decorate their masks.

For the cost of one dollar, they could enjoy such an interesting party, and they believed no student would hesitate to spend that amount.

In their publicity, the Student Union and the Student Council made it clear that all the money students spent on masks would be donated to impoverished children in the southern regions who had lost their schools and homes due to floods.

The staff took photos of the completed masks and selected the most unique thirty masks to be posted on the BBS. After the party ended and with the consent of the creators, the top ten masks with the most votes would be auctioned off on-site. The money raised from the auction would be donated to children in mountainous areas.

DIY masks themselves were already an attractive project, but combining this project with the masquerade party, auction, and charity work made it even more eye-catching.

By 5 o’clock in the afternoon, the venue setup was completed.

After going to the cafeteria for dinner and returning, they went through the process again and then went to the dressing room in batches to change clothes.

Shortly after Wen Le entered the dressing room, someone came in carrying a pile of milk tea to distribute.

The girls in the dressing room were pleasantly surprised. This brand of milk tea came in large cups and tasted delicious. Of course, its price matched its size, costing around ten yuan per cup.

There were various flavors of milk tea, and the girls eagerly selected their favorite flavors, whispering and asking who treated them.

The girl who brought the milk tea said, “It’s your new idol, Zhou Kao, the school hunk of the campus.”

The girls started to excitedly whisper, “Ahhh~oh my God, he’s so charming.”

“I don’t want to drink this milk tea anymore, I want to keep it as a memento.”

TN: LOL literally hahaha

“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I have the privilege of drinking milk tea treated by the campus heartthrob. Ahh!”

The girl who brought the milk tea said, “And he bought a cup for every staff member too. It must have cost several thousand dollars.”

“Damn, what a rich person.”

“Ah ah ah, he’s both rich and handsome.”

“This new idol is really too impressive.”

Wen Le looked at the milk tea in her hand and for some reason, thought of the cup of hot milk from last night. She felt a warmth spreading from her palm to her heart, making her feel all fuzzy inside.

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