Chapter 18: The Treasure Girl

Although the boys were eager to meet the girls in the class, when they arrived at the playground and heard the girls' tinkling laughter from afar, each one of them hesitated, feeling too shy to approach and greet them. 

The girls, on the other hand, were no different. As they chatted, they glanced sideways at the boys, and eventually, they grouped into small clusters based on their dorms, clearly divided into distinct groups. 

The boys were searching for any pretty girls, and the girls were observing for any handsome boys. Of course, the results were disappointing for everyone because they were all wearing bulky military training uniforms, which made it hard to distinguish anyone. 

"Are the girls in our class the worst batch in the history of the business school?" Guo Shaoqiang asked with concern after sobering up. 

"Could be. Yesterday, when I saw the senior girls, they were so charming, but now, look at our class. Ugh!" Yang Shichao sighed. 

Chen Hanxing couldn't help but smile. There's always a tendency to glorify the past. 

In reality, the female students of the 2002 business school batch were later acknowledged as the best-looking batch, and even in Chen Hanxing's class, there was a girl who could rival the beauty of Xiao Rongyu. 

"I'm going to get to know them. Anyone want to join?" Chen Hanxing asked. 

Several of his roommates shook their heads. They were like Wang Zibo, the type who were strong with words but weak in action. 

Chen Hanxing ignored them, quickly tidied up his hair, and walked over with a smile to talk to Hu Linyu: "Beautiful Hu, we meet again." 

Hu Linyu was chatting with her roommates. They too were concerned about the boys' lack of courage and drive. No one dared to approach them openly. 

Seeing Chen Hanxing approach, Hu Linyu was a bit surprised and said to the other girls, "Look, there are 27 boys in our class, but the only one brave enough to take the step is handsome Chen!" 

The other girls, not recognizing Chen Hanxing, were all curious and stared at him. 

Chen Hanxing introduced himself, "I'm Chen Hanxing, from Harbor City. Any beauties here from my hometown?" 

"Ah, I am!" A girl immediately raised her hand. 

Hu Linyu, standing beside them, suggested, "Tan Min, you two could go home together next time." 

Chen Hanxing had already known that Tan Min was from Harbor City, and they even came from the same district. 

Of course, in his past life, the two of them didn't have much interaction. The main reason was that although Tan Min was attractive, she didn't meet Chen Hanxing's standards. As a result, they only maintained a relationship as classmates and fellow natives. 

Tan Min's roommate joked, "Who's going to whose house? To Min Min's house or to handsome Chen's?" 

Tan Min blushed, hurriedly trying to cover her roommate's mouth, causing the surrounding girls to burst into laughter. 

And so, Chen Hanxing successfully integrated into the girls' group. His roommates watched on, both envious and jealous. 

"Chen Hanxing must have had a girlfriend in high school. Look at how smooth he is; he's definitely an expert," Yang Shichao said, nodding firmly. 

"That's obvious. Girls like him because he has a little bad boy vibe. Too bad guys like us, the nice boys, are out of style," Jin Yangming agreed. 

Yang Shichao spat, thinking to himself, "You're a nice guy? Then I must be the Buddha." 

Hu Linyu, the class monitor, was very enthusiastic. Though her thinking was not always thorough, there were benefits to her straightforward approach. Before Chen Hanxing even brought it up, she was already helping him get to know other girls. 

Class 2 of Public Administration had 27 boys and 27 girls, making for a perfect balance. 

The business school had merged with the Su Dong Province Cadre Management Academy and the Accounting College. Though it was a second-tier school, it still had some influence within the provincial system, allowing the school leaders to maintain a balanced male-to-female ratio. 

After Hu Linyu made the introductions, she took on a more serious tone, acting as the class monitor, and gave Chen Hanxing a responsibility: "Hanxing, there will be a lot of miscellaneous things to handle in the first year. I hope you can take charge of the boys and help Teacher Guo manage the class." 

Chen Hanxing nodded in agreement, but in his mind, he thought, "Little Hu seems quite obsessed with the class monitor role. I wonder if she'll resent me for taking the position." 

Both of them had developed a strong interest in the monitor position, though one was open about it and the other kept it hidden. 

Hu Linyu was almost transparent about her intentions, and not only the counselor knew, but the other girls also had a good idea. 

As for Chen Hanxing, aside from him, no one else knew his thoughts at that moment. 

"Is this girl from our class?" Chen Hanxing changed the topic, pointing to a girl. 

Hu Linyu tapped her forehead: "I almost forgot! She's from our class—Shen Youchu. She's also my roommate." 

Shen Youchu was a towering 1.7 meters, but her tall figure was hidden beneath the military training uniform. Moreover, her self-confidence was inversely proportional to her height. 

When Hu Linyu introduced her to Chen Hanxing, Shen Youchu blushed and nodded silently, keeping her eyes on the ground before quietly walking away as if isolating herself. 

"Hanxing, please don't mind her," Hu Linyu explained. "I looked at Shen Youchu's records yesterday. Her parents passed away, and she's been relying on student loans for college. She's a bit shy..." 

Chen Hanxing thought to himself, "Of course, I know that. Otherwise, I'd be aiming for girls like Xiao Rongyu, not ones at this level." 

Shen Youchu's life was genuinely tragic, and she didn't fit in well with others. During their four years at university, Chen Hanxing's impression of her was mostly of her wearing loose, old school uniforms, eating cheap rice and free soup, and working part-time in both the library and the cafeteria. 

The only commendable thing was that she had won the university's top scholarship every year for four years. 

It wasn't surprising that she had good grades, but the real miracle was that she was accepted into Jianye University's graduate program. Jianye University was the best university in Su Dong Province and ranked in the top five nationwide, even ahead of Donghai University. It was nearly impossible for a student from a second-tier school to get into such a prestigious university. 

It was only then that Chen Hanxing began to pay attention to this quiet girl who deliberately hid in the crowd. 

Unfortunately, it was too late. On graduation day, possibly as a way to mark the end of her university life, Shen Youchu borrowed a set of clothes. 

And with that, she stunned the world. 

Though it was just an ordinary knee-length chiffon dress, not even well-fitting, the skin that showed was porcelain-white and smooth. Her long hair curled naturally, and her slender legs were adorned with silver heels. She seemed a bit out of place in such attire, not accustomed to the stunned gazes of others. Her face was as radiant as a peach blossom, confused yet shy, making every man instinctively protective of her. 

What's more, her figure, usually hidden beneath old clothes, shone through with an enchanting grace. 

At that moment, Chen Hanxing realized that Shen Youchu was actually the most beautiful girl in the 2002 class of the business school. However, she went on to study at Jianye University for her master's, and Chen Hanxing got deeply absorbed in his entrepreneurial pursuits, eventually losing contact with her. 

"I can't let this pearl stay hidden any longer," Chen Hanxing thought to himself. 

This treasure of a girl... how should I say it? 

She's worth crossing mountains and oceans for. 

In other words, three years of effort will definitely pay off.