Chapter 24: A Little Show-Off

Amidst the casual chit-chat, time quickly slipped to noon.

The group, having drunk their fill, called the owner over to settle the bill. To Jiang Qin's surprise, the other two guys weren't the same breed of "big sucker" as Qin Ziang—they actually only paid for their own milk teas. Guo Zihang, the idiot, pulled out his living expenses, ready to treat everyone, only to be stopped by Jiang Qin.

Starting university and already playing the simp—simping for a few random girls and two guys? Wasn't that the textbook definition of a "big sucker"?

In the end, everyone obediently paid their own share. Only Jiang Qin locked eyes with the owner and asked for a discount.

"Buddy, your milk tea was already ten yuan. There's no change to round off."

"Then can I pay eight yuan?"

"Uh… sure, I guess."

Hearing this exchange, the others couldn't help but cast disdainful looks. Sure, university students might not have much spending money, but a milk tea costing ten or twenty yuan should be affordable, right?

Slap!

With a light sound, Jiang Qin decisively slapped a crisp ten-yuan bill onto the table.

"Keep the change. The extra two yuan's your tip."

"?????"

The owner was dumbfounded, the students from Linchuan University of Science and Technology were dumbfounded, but Jiang Qin just grinned.

What's the meaning of life?

Of course, it's to throw in a little show-off whenever and wherever possible, to soothe the long, boring years.

Witnessing this scene, Hong Yan, sitting across from him, couldn't help but take a closer look at Jiang Qin. She found him genuinely interesting—not only did he speak with a perfect balance of ease and restraint, but he also didn't follow the usual script. He seemed different from the guys she'd met before.

The three guys nearby, meanwhile, were deep in thought, wondering if they could pull off this clever, cost-free little flex themselves sometime.

By 1 p.m., with the weather heating up, the group started discussing where to grab lunch. Jiang Qin patted Guo Zihang on the shoulder, saying he wouldn't be joining them. He wasn't even a student at the University of Science and Technology, so there was no reason to stick around.

"You guys enjoy your meal. I've got to head back to my school."

Guo Zihang panicked instantly. "Godfather, I can't do this without you! I can't talk to people I just met!"

Jiang Qin spat in disgust. "You coward! You're a disgrace to your godfather. Helping you socialize is one thing—do I have to help you get a girlfriend too?"

"But… classes don't officially start until tomorrow. What do you have to do this afternoon?"

"Feng Nanshu arrives this afternoon. I need to show her around. That girl's ability to adapt to new environments is absolute trash." As he spoke, Jiang Qin pulled out his phone to check the time.

"Brother Jiang, why does it feel like you're raising a daughter?"

Jiang Qin paused, then realized it wasn't a bad comparison. Feng Nanshu, with her social anxiety and natural airheadedness, really was like a little girl who never grew up. For a guy pushing forty like him, saying he was raising a daughter didn't feel too far off.

So, Jiang Qin bid farewell to the group and hopped on a bus heading toward Linchuan University.

When he arrived, he stepped off the bus and immediately spotted the familiar school gate. Calling it a gate was generous—it was more of an irregular quadrilateral structure, pure white, with "Linchuan University" written across it. You could call it majestic or brimming with artistic flair, depending on your mood.

Since it was the start of the semester, the entrance was packed with people—new students arriving with their families, returning upperclassmen, and even local vendors seizing the opportunity to sell basins, cups, coat hangers, and other dorm essentials. The noise—shouting, honking, and general chaos—filled the air.

It was a total mess.

Jiang Qin didn't feel like squeezing through, so he crouched by the bus stop, watching the stream of female university students passing by—their slender, fair legs and curvy waists catching his eye.

But in the next second, his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure. That girl was staring at him in surprise too.

"J-Jiang Qin?"

"Hong Yan? You're at Linchuan University too?"

The two questions hung in the air as they locked eyes, and then it all clicked.

Well, damn. They'd both been putting on an act.

They were both Linchuan University students, yet they'd coincidentally met at a mixer for the University of Science and Technology, pretending to be classmates—and now it turned out they actually were.

"Let's reintroduce ourselves. Hong Yan, Law Department, Linchuan University."

"Jiang Qin, Finance Department, Linchuan University."

Hong Yan was amazed she'd guessed right, then broke into a smile. "Why didn't you say so from the start? Pretending to be from the Computer Science Department at Tech— you played it so convincingly!"

Jiang Qin smirked. "I'm too good-looking to pass as a nerd. I was afraid no one would believe me if I told the truth."

"Really?"

"Of course. But mostly, I was there to back up my friend. He was the main character—I didn't need to steal the spotlight."

"Honestly, I was thinking the same thing."

Hong Yan's eyes sparkled as a curious fondness for this guy began to bloom. She'd always had emotional intelligence beyond her years, adept at reading and managing people's feelings. It earned her plenty of friends but also left her frustrated.

Why?

Because her high EQ made everyone else's actions seem childish to her. Especially in high school, where her good looks and figure drew a lot of loud, attention-seeking boys. Once, while passing the basketball court, a guy had even dunked in front of her on purpose, then "accidentally" tossed the ball her way.

She thought they were ridiculous but couldn't say it outright, so she just spoke less and smiled more.

It left her lonely.

But this time, she'd met someone whose words and actions felt genuinely comfortable—a rare find. Imagine if it had been someone else at the milk tea shop. They'd probably have bragged about being from Linchuan University right away, fishing for praise.

Hong Yan didn't dislike those types; she just preferred people with a bit more maturity. Everyone has their preferences, and Jiang Qin's choice to downplay his identity hit hers perfectly.

Still, she had to rush back to her dorm to make her bed, so there wasn't time to chat. She took the initiative to add Jiang Qin on QQ.

"This is the first time I've ever added a guy on QQ first."

"What a coincidence—I've never been added by a girl first either."

Hong Yan smiled, serene and at ease. "I've got to go. There's a ton to do at the dorm. Let's chat sometime?"

Jiang Qin nodded slightly. "Sure, see you around."

"Bye-bye."

Hong Yan waved and headed into the East Campus gate. Jiang Qin, meanwhile, crossed the overpass to the main campus, squeezing his way in—only to realize it was even more crowded inside.

Some poor guy seemed to have lost his girlfriend in the chaos, yelling "Qi Jiayi! Qi Jiayi!" over and over. Annoyed, Jiang Qin pushed through and told him, "Bro, Qi Jiayi equals eight. We're all university students here—can't you do basic math?"

Following the map from his admission letter, Jiang Qin finally reached his dorm building in the equally packed dorm area. Inside, three guys were already chatting. Exhausted and irritable from the crowd, he plopped onto a chair, resting while listening to them talk, gradually getting a sense of who they were.

Zhou Chao: from Longcheng in the south, dark-skinned, short.

Ren Ziqiang: from Dongshan, tall and lanky, some acne, but polite.

Cao Guangyu: from Hangzhou, decked out in brand-name clothes, full of himself, even bragging that his dad was a businessman during introductions.

"And you, bro?"

"Jiang Qin, from Jizhou. I like doing business."

"What the hell?! You trying to one-up me?!" Cao Guangyu's jaw nearly dropped. You're basically claiming to be my dad! Meanwhile, Ren Ziqiang and Zhou Chao burst out laughing, thinking, Serves you right—flex too hard and you'll get struck by lightning!

Jiang Qin inwardly shrugged. I didn't say anything wrong. I do like doing business. Bite me if you don't like it.