“Pan Ke Xiang Ku!”
Ren Jian burst into unrestrained laughter, leaving Diao Sinan with a confused expression. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Lu Sen replied, holding back his laughter. He gestured toward me and Hao Shuai, introducing us one by one. “This big guy is Xia Tian, and the pretty boy here is Hao Shuai! As for me, I’m Lu Sen!”
Seeing Diao Sinan nod in acknowledgment, Lu Sen continued, “We were just talking about going out for a meal. Want to join us?”
“Sure!” Diao Sinan replied enthusiastically and added generously, “This meal is on me!”
“Well, if someone’s treating, it’d be a waste not to go!” I said casually. Since Diao Sinan was so generous right off the bat, why not take advantage of it?
Hao Shuai chuckled. “This guy is pretty generous, huh?”
“Why are we standing around? Let’s go eat!” Lu Sen slapped both my and Hao Shuai’s shoulders, urging us forward.
The campus had everything, even a commercial street. While there was a large cafeteria, there were also many small restaurants. Though not spacious, these eateries were decorated quite elegantly.
We ended up eating at one of those small restaurants.
“What would you like to order?” A waitress approached as soon as we sat down.
“Since Sinan is treating, let him order the dishes!” I leaned back in my chair and said nonchalantly. After all, it was his treat; he could order whatever he liked.
“Um… It’s my first time eating out. Why don’t you three decide instead?” Diao Sinan scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke.
This guy’s family must be seriously wealthy. It’s his *first time* dining out?
“Alright, don’t mind if I do.” Lu Sen wasted no time, ordering a ton of dishes. Since it was the start of the new term, the school had strict rules about alcohol sales, so we each got a bottle of soft drink instead.
“Cheers!” I raised my drink to everyone.
Hao Shuai and Lu Sen smiled, lifting their bottles and echoing, “Cheers!”
Though confused, Diao Sinan followed suit, raising his drink and repeating, “Cheers!”
*Clink!* The sound of four glass bottles touching rang out as we said in unison, “Cheers!”
“So sweet! This stuff tastes way better than coffee!” Diao Sinan exclaimed after taking a sip, his face lighting up with excitement.
I had only ever tried instant coffee like Nestlé, so I kept quiet. Though I knew he meant no harm, his comment had an unintentional air of pretentiousness.
“Let’s eat,” I said with a helpless smile.
From our short interaction, Lu Sen struck me as someone who could get along with anyone. Optimistically speaking, he was outgoing; cynically speaking, he was a bit of an idiot. Diao Sinan, on the other hand, came across as a naive, inexperienced young man.
Only Hao Shuai was hard to figure out. Could he be the person Qin Shousheng wanted me to protect?
Since he arranged for us to be in the same class, it wouldn’t be surprising if we ended up in the same dormitory too.
I decided to probe Hao Shuai. After all, my main purpose for attending Shenghua University was to act as a bodyguard. But when I thought about the four years of university and the fact that Qin Shousheng only paid me a million yuan, I suddenly felt like I got the short end of the stick.
“Hao Shuai, you mentioned earlier that you’re a local. Where do you live?” I asked casually, trying to gather more information.
Hao Shuai paused for a moment, then smiled and replied, “Just a small, insignificant place.”
“Not drinking? Then I’ll have yours!” Before I could press further, Lu Sen interrupted, trying to grab my drink.
“Hey!” I slapped his hand away. “Sinan is treating us; you can just ask for another one!”
Diao Sinan nodded in agreement. “Exactly, Brother Sen. I don’t mind spending a little more. Just order another bottle!”
Wow, was this guy for real? Happy to get ripped off? His family must be so rich that money is the least of their concerns.
Lu Sen didn’t hesitate and shouted to the waitress, “Two more bottles of drinks, please!”
“Lu Sen, can you even finish three bottles by yourself?” Hao Shuai asked curiously.
Grinning, Lu Sen replied, “Didn’t Sinan just say the drink is delicious? I’m ordering one for him too!”
“Brother Sen, you’re the best!” Diao Sinan’s response nearly made me spit out my drink. Seriously, what was wrong with this guy? He was the one paying!
Shenghua University was a mix of wealthy second-generation students and top-performing ordinary students.
Ordinary students graduated to find good jobs, while the wealthy second-generation inherited their family businesses. That’s why the saying “Heroes come from Shenghua” wasn’t entirely an exaggeration.
But even among the wealthy, there were levels. There was always someone richer.
Lu Sen’s family must have some wealth; otherwise, with his demeanor, how could he have gotten into Shenghua?
As for Diao Sinan, it was obvious he came from a rich family, though he wasn’t local to the capital.
Hao Shuai, however, was much harder to gauge, which made me increasingly suspicious that he might be the person I was tasked to protect.
“Ah!” Suddenly, Lu Sen let out a duck-like squawk, drawing our puzzled stares.
I took a sip of my drink and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Staring dramatically at the ceiling, Lu Sen declared, “After a bit of wine, inspiration strikes!”
“You need to tilt your head at a 45-degree angle to look like a poet,” Hao Shuai teased.
Confused, Diao Sinan muttered, “Brother Sen drank soft drinks, not wine. Why is he talking about drinking?”
“Oh, your Brother Sen gets tipsy on soft drinks,” I explained with mock patience, feeling like a saint for indulging Diao Sinan’s naivety.
Diao Sinan laughed. “Brother Sen, that’s embarrassing!”
“Don’t listen to Xia Tian’s nonsense!” Lu Sen dropped the act and resumed eating.
After the meal, we returned to the dormitory. Luckily, Hao Shuai knew the way; otherwise, we would’ve gotten lost.
Back at the dorm, Diao Sinan beamed. “The food at that place wasn’t as good as back home, but eating with you guys was really fun!”
“There’s more fun to come! Come, let me show you some of my cherished films!” Lu Sen pulled Diao Sinan over, opened the notebook Diao Sinan had just given him, plugged in a USB drive, and prepared to play some “educational” videos.
I immediately yanked out the USB. “Don’t corrupt the kid!”
“We’re all men here. Watching stuff like this isn’t corrupting him; it’s teaching him biology!” Lu Sen said nonchalantly. He snatched the USB back and plugged it in again. “Wait here, Sinan. I’ll be back after washing my face!”
He headed to the bathroom.
Not long after, a loud cry erupted. “Why? Why?!”
The three of us froze, then shouted in unison, “What’s wrong?!”
“Why am I so handsome?!”
D*mn it! I’d seen narcissistic people before, but never to this degree!
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Check out my other projects: Flower Stealing Master , Ask the Mirror, Immortal Divine Tribulation, The Way of Restraint