Chapter 37: Don’t Mess Around with Too Many Dates

"No, wait, I was just kidding earlier—trying to cheer up Old Jiang. How could a rich kid like me chase a girl for three years? Think about it, it's impossible!"

Cao Guangyu regretted opening his mouth and tried to backtrack.

"Yeah, sure, sure."

Zhou Chao didn't want to hear more. He grabbed some toilet paper and headed for the bathroom.

"I swear I've dated five girls before, but the more I dated, the more boring it got. That's when I realized being single is the real elite life."

"I get it, Old Cao, but can you stop following me to ramble? I'm trying to use the damn bathroom. If you wanna argue, go bug Ren Ziqiang!"

Zhou Chao paused at the bathroom door, annoyed beyond belief by Cao Guangyu's nagging, and slammed the balcony door shut with a bang.

Cao Guangyu had no choice but to turn to Ren Ziqiang instead.

Ren Ziqiang was sprawled on his bed, chatting with Pan Xiu, grinning ear to ear, barely registering Cao Guangyu's words— in one ear, out the other.

"A-Qiang, you get it, right? A rich kid like me could never be… uh, what's that word Old Jiang used earlier? I think it fits perfectly."

Jiang Qin chuckled. "Simp."

Cao Guangyu nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I'd never be a simp!"

"Uh-huh, sure." Ren Ziqiang, still texting, brushed him off with a distracted grin.

Cao Guangyu flared up instantly. "Old Ren, you're disrespecting me here!"

"I'm chatting with Pan Xiu!"

"About what?"

"Uh…"

"Holy crap, you better not be telling Pan Xiu I'm a simp! If you say that, how am I supposed to show my face in Finance Class 3?!"

Before Ren Ziqiang could turn his phone, Cao Guangyu caught a glimpse of the keywords and exploded into a rant.

Ren Ziqiang felt wronged. I'm just chilling here, having a nice chat, and you're buzzing in my ear about simps nonstop. So yeah, I typed it out—what's the big deal?

In 2008, QQ had no recall function, making this little saga all the more tragic.

Cao Guangyu stared daggers at him, speechless, before climbing into bed with a lifeless flop. He lay flat, gazing at the white ceiling in silent despair.

Tonight, he'd lost both love and dignity.

The summer night was sweltering, but Linda University's dorm only had two fans—one above the door, the other atop the balcony entrance. The old blades spun wildly under electric power, buzzing like a wheezing old man with a busted lung.

Jiang Qin stuck his head under the breeze while tweaking website details with Su Nai on his computer.

But this third-year senior seemed distracted—her replies were slow, and she even mistyped sometimes. This wasn't the behavior of a tech geek; it was more like someone who hadn't touched a computer in years.

"Senior, I found a few sites similar to what you're looking for. Take a look. I've got some stuff to handle."

"????"

After a long pause, Su Nai sent over a few screenshots with URLs attached—mature websites from the current era with clear frameworks and structures, aligning decently with Jiang Qin's needs.

Jiang Qin studied them for a while and noticed a common flaw: to showcase content volume, they crammed the homepage full.

Essential sections were a must, no question. But things like trending lists, keyword searches, and external links? Totally unnecessary. They bloated the page and wasted users' time filtering out junk they didn't want.

Of course, big-site product managers weren't idiots—they did it to maximize ad exposure time, even if it tanked the user experience.

Jiang Qin typed up his thoughts and sent them to Su Nai with a few suggestions.

She didn't reply—apparently still busy.

I'm supposed to be the client here. Why am I waiting around like a simp for a response?

What's she even doing this late that she can't reply to her boss? She's never felt the sting of the real world, has she?

Grumbling, Jiang Qin closed the chat window and clicked on Hong Yan's QQ, typing, "You okay?"

No matter what, today's mess started because of him. Not even a simple check-in would be downright inhuman.

Hong Yan replied quickly—a smiley face first, then, "I'm fine. Just not talking to Chu Siqi anymore."

In 2008, a smiley face was just a genuine smile, no hidden negativity, so Jiang Qin felt a bit relieved.

Chu Siqi's arrogance was unmatched—spoiled by her parents since childhood, she thought the world revolved around her. But if you ignored her, that temper was useless. Hong Yan was smart; she'd know how to handle it with a cool head.

Still, I keep saying even dogs wouldn't bother with romance—why am I acting like some sleazy player?

Jiang Qin felt glum. Is a peach-blossom trap some mandatory trial for reborn folks?

Next, he opened Feng Nanshu's QQ and asked if she was adjusting to staying at school overnight. She didn't say she missed home, just that Linda's nights felt so dark—her words quietly hinting at homesickness.

Then Yu Shasha messaged him, asking if he'd met Chu Siqi. Jiang Qin, sharp as ever, instantly knew she must've heard about today from Wang Huiru—why else would she ask out of the blue? He played dead, staying offline and not replying.

Besides chats, his notifications showed a few friend requests, all tagged with "Finance Class 3, [Name]"—mostly girls.

One was from Jiang Tian, the one Cao Guangyu hyped up, which caught him off guard.

[Classmate Jiang Qin, I'm Jiang Tian. Let's be friends.]

Just as he gripped the mouse, a broad hand landed on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Counselor Lü Guangrong standing behind him, his expression a mix of stern and complicated.

"Teacher Lü! Evening! Here for a dorm check?"

Lü Guangrong grunted, then spoke gravely. "Jiang Qin, you're a good-looking kid, but as a student, your focus should be on studies. Linda doesn't ban dating, but don't mess around with too many girls."

Jiang Qin: "?????"

Before he could respond, Ren Ziqiang and Zhou Chao burst into barking laughter, doubling over mid-cackle to pound the bed for extra effect.

"Alright, enough laughing. I'm here to check the dorm and to let you know: military training starts tomorrow morning. Sleep early, don't be late, and make a good impression on the instructors."

Lü Guangrong rattled off the routine notice, then left for the next dorm, repeating the exact same spiel.