Chapter 67: A Man's Words, a Liar's Trick

Once the banner was put up, the hype from the Humanities Department's freshmen gala ensured that everyone passing by the student center or going to the cafeteria saw the address: "Building F, Room 101." This location was familiar to students, situated near the parking lot, close to the west gate and cafeteria, making the advertisement more effective than those at Yiwu's merchandise center.

On Friday evening at 7 p.m., the Humanities and Social Sciences Department's freshmen gala officially began. Possibly due to the university's 50th anniversary, Vice President and head of the Youth League Committee, Lu Gongchao, also attended the event. Chen Hansheng noticed Yu Yueping and, needing to consult him, approached to greet him.

"Secretary Yu."

"Hansheng, the gala has been organized well," Yu Yueping said, patting Chen Hansheng on the shoulder. He then introduced Chen to Lu Gongchao. 

"Dean Lu, this is the entrepreneurial freshman I mentioned. He's an ambitious young man."

Lu Gongchao shook hands with Chen Hansheng, while the Humanities Department Director, Pang Wenliang, looked surprised; he hadn't realized there was a student entrepreneur in his department.

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Hansheng whispered to Yu Yueping, "Secretary Yu, I'd like to move a few classroom desks and chairs into Rooms 101 and 102 of Building F this Saturday. It looks too empty otherwise."

"Not a problem. I'll inform the Building F manager and have him assist with the coordination," Yu Yueping responded without hesitation. Universities were never short on desks and chairs, and it wasn't as if these were personal belongings. Besides, the two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes hadn't been finished yet, so Yu knew exactly where they stood.

As he talked, Chen Hansheng accompanied the department leaders to their seats in the event center. Walking through the aisle, he noticed Deputy Chairman Hu Xiuping standing there, smiling like a reception hostess. However, as soon as they passed, Hu's face turned dark.

Mu Wenling, observing this, remarked to Qi Wei, "Chen Hansheng has upset Hu Xiuping."

Qi Wei was surprised. "Hu Xiuping loves politics, while Chen Hansheng is obviously more interested in entrepreneurship. How did they end up on opposite sides?"

Mu pointed to the seat Chen Hansheng had taken. "That was Hu Xiuping's prized spot."

Qi Wei sighed; all this fuss over a seat.

The gala hosts were outstanding: the male was handsome and the female charming. It was hard to believe they were freshmen, given their poise and eloquence. The Business College may have its flaws, but its average student appearance could easily outshine neighboring universities.

The performances were arranged by the propaganda department, and given the abundance of talent in the Humanities Department, the show quality was impressive. The second class of Public Administration had both a recital and a dance performance.

Chen Hansheng clapped enthusiastically during these performances, puzzling Lu Gongchao and Pang Wenliang. Chen smiled and explained, "I'm the class monitor of Public Administration 2, and those are my classmates. I'm genuinely proud of their amazing performances."

Lu Gongchao and Pang Wenliang exchanged smiles.

Realistically, in the two-and-a-half-hour event, this was Chen's only interaction with the department leaders. If he knew this alone would offend Hu Xiuping, he probably would have avoided the needless trouble. But if trouble came knocking, Chen was never one to shy away.

At 9:30 p.m., the gala concluded, and as the students and leaders gradually left, the student council stayed behind to clean up the venue. Chen found Shen Youchu's seat and said, "I'll come find you downstairs later. I have something to discuss."

Before she could respond, Hu Linyu interrupted, "It's too late for that. Talk tomorrow."

Chen thought to himself, *Why is this tomboy meddling so much? I'm not flirting with you.* 

"Hey, Hu, do you know what single people are busy doing every day?"

"What?"

"Giving relationship advice to people who are taken."

With that, Chen Hansheng walked off nonchalantly. Hu Linyu stood stunned for a moment, unable to come up with a retort, and could only shout at his retreating figure.

"Scumbag!"

…

After the venue was cleaned, Chen went to the girls' dormitory area, where he met Shen Youchu, and the two took a stroll through the garden walkway. The moonlight filtered through the vines, casting a pattern of shimmering jade on the ground. Deep autumn in Jianye had a way of stirring emotions.

"My friends are coming to visit the college tomorrow, and they want to see Room 101 in Building F. Will you meet them?" Chen asked.

Shen Youchu had planned to thoroughly clean Rooms 101 and 102 over the weekend, so she hesitated.

"I'd like you to come. They're high school friends, and it'd be nice if everyone got to know each other."

Chen's expression shifted slightly. "It might reach my parents' ears."

At this, Shen Youchu, already hesitant, quickly shook her head. "That's... too soon. I'll go to the library tomorrow."

"Oh, okay," Chen sighed, relenting. "I won't push it. There'll be other opportunities."

"Mm," Shen Youchu whispered, nodding, then stopped walking.

There were stone benches ahead where, under the cover of night, couples often exchanged sweet nothings.

"You should go back. It's getting cold," Chen said, unusually understanding that night.

After watching her leave, Chen thought that his performance had been pretty good. Balancing anticipation for Shen Youchu to meet his friends with understanding her worries and respecting her choice, he felt he had conveyed all three emotions convincingly—practically an Oscar-worthy act.

With that matter settled, Chen strolled down the walkway filled with traces of hormonal energy. Every few meters, couples were snuggled up, managing to engage in their own world without disturbing or being disturbed by others, fully absorbed in whispered endearments.

…

Passing by the student center, Chen picked up the "Building F, Room 101" banner. Unexpectedly, there was still someone inside. The main lights were off, leaving only dim side lights that revealed a girl adjusting the projector on the stage.

"Still here?" Chen called out.

"I'm trying to fix this projector, but it's stuck," replied the girl with long hair and glasses, standing around 1.65 meters tall.

Normally, Chen wouldn't have bothered, but feeling generous after resolving the "queen meets queen" issue between Shen Youchu and Xiao Rongyu, he decided to help. "These projectors are tricky. Let me fix it for you," he said, half-jokingly. "Isn't it scary for a girl to be here alone at night?"

The girl laughed calmly. "There aren't ghosts on campus."

"I meant 'hungry ghosts' of a different kind—like me."

After a bit of fiddling, the projector was fixed. The girl asked, "What's your major?"

Just as Chen was about to say his real name, he noticed the mature look in her eyes and paused. He changed his response to, "I'm Li Zhennan from Public Administration 2."

On his way back, Chen felt increasingly uneasy. *Wait, could she be a teacher?*

At a convenience store, he picked up a bottle of Coke and returned to the dorm.

"Zhennan, this is for you," Chen said.

Li Zhennan looked delighted. "Chen, why are you being so nice?"

"Mm, you just seem agreeable lately."