Collision with the Campus Queen

Huo Xuan's neurons fired like sparklers on Lunar New Year's Eve. "Wait... your face..." He leaned forward, the train's fluorescent lights catching the sudden recognition in his eyes. "Haven't we met before?"

Lingering rouge danced at the corners of Lin Yue's lips. "How many girls fall for that pickup line daily?" Her Gucci perfume wafted between berths like invisible barbed wire.

"Jiangzhou University!" He snapped his fingers, the sound cracking through compartment's tension. "Class of '07 Campus Queen—Lin Yue! The girl who broke the internet when your graduation photos leaked!"

Her porcelain mask slipped for a millisecond. "How...?"

"Class of '08 remembers." Huo Xuan's grin held equal parts triumph and awe. Even through time's erosion, the Campus Queen's legend persisted in alumni forums—the girl who turned lecture halls into pilgrimage sites, whose morning jog routes spawned spectator crowds.

Lin Yue's laughter rang like windchimes in a typhoon. "To think our reunion happens in a sleeper car smelling of instant noodles." Her manicured finger tapped the space between them. "Let me guess—you were part of the bicycle chain gang that blocked the cafeteria exit sophomore year?"

Huo Xuan's ears burned hotter than Sichuan hotpot. The memory surged back—hundreds of hormonal freshmen forming human barricades just to glimpse her sunrise-through-cherry-blossoms smile. He'd been collateral damage in that absurd spectacle, his lunch tray sacrificed to the stampede.

"Where's this life detour taking you, junior?" Lin Yue's question sliced through the compartment's humidity, her Patek Philippe watch glinting as she adjusted a stray lock of hair.

Huo Xuan's confession about the ill-fated crush hung between them like cheap incense smoke. "Chasing ghosts in Jiangzhou University's amphitheater?" Her laughter carried the crispness of jade pendants colliding. "I'd rather face Myanmar jade smugglers than my ex's wedding."

His knuckles whitened on the armrest. "Business in Jiangzhou?" The deflection emerged rougher than intended.

"Stone Gambling Festival." She produced a business card embossed with「Phoenix Jade Consortium」. "Our buyers need enough raw jadeite to drown a Ming vase."

Huo Xuan's Buddha's Eye throbbed in sync with the rails. Visions of jade cores glowing like trapped supernovae made his temples pulse. "Mind an amateur spectator?"

Lin Yue's crimson nails drummed an encrypted rhythm against her Hermès handbag. The last intern who breached confidentiality now "retired" in Yunnan's jade mines. Yet those earnest eyes disarmed her protocols. "Ever differentiated nephrite from serpentine under UV?" She flipped open a crocodile-leather case where specimens glowed like crystallized moonlight.

"Lavender jade from Xinjiang, blood-streaked Burmese imperial..." Her forensic cadence dissected each stone. "Remember—real masters read moss deposits and quartz veins, not..." Her pause lingered like a guillotine's shadow, "...superstitious hunches."

Huo Xuan's gulp echoed louder than the dining car's clatter. As the train plunged into the Jiangzhou Mountain Tunnel, their reflections in the blackened window merged—an omen of the jade smuggling ring they'd dismantle by moonrise.

"Where are you headed, junior?" Lin Yue asked after some casual conversation.

Huo Xuan explained about attending the class reunion. Upon learning he had once confessed feelings to Ye Qian, Lin Yue understood the potential awkwardness. "Since that's the case, why insist on going?"

Huo Xuan forced a laugh, avoiding disclosure of his true motives. Changing the subject, he asked, "What brings you to Jiangzhou, senior?"

"I work for a jewelry company," Lin Yue replied. "There's a Stone Gambling Festival in Jiangzhou this week. I'm looking to source some jadeite."

Stone Gambling Festival? Huo Xuan's pulse quickened. With his newfound X-ray vision, he could potentially win every bet. Suppressing his excitement, he asked, "Could I join you to observe? I'd like to learn."

Lin Yue hesitated. Bringing a male companion might complicate matters, and she needed to focus on her mission.

Reading her expression, Huo Xuan tactfully said, "If it's inconvenient, I'll go separately."

His considerate response made Lin Yue reconsider. "No inconvenience at all. We can go together and watch out for each other." She retrieved a flat leather case from behind her.

Inside lay hundreds of soybean-sized jade samples in various types and colors. "These are reference specimens," Lin Yue said with a smile. "Since you're interested, let me give you a crash course on jade."

Huo Xuan glanced at Lin Yue, a surge of appreciation rising within him. Knowing the value of jadeite—these samples likely worth millions—her unreserved trust in showing them to him felt genuinely commendable.

The combination of her inherent allure and this newfound trust stirred subtle emotions in him.

Accepting the case, he examined each specimen intently. When focusing, his vision penetrated the jadeite's internal crystalline structures—a miraculous perception allowing him to discern the precise arrangement of mineral particles.

"Why this sudden ability?" he wondered, the surrealism lingering like half-remembered dreams.

Lin Yue, noticing his concentration, began explaining jadeite grading criteria:

"Jadeite, a nephrite variant, is evaluated by three key factors. First, color quality. Preferences vary—red, green, purple, blue, black—but premium hues must exhibit five traits: saturation, vividness, purity, intensity, and uniformity. Market trends and personal taste determine which color commands higher value among equal grades."

"Second, water clarity ('shuidi')—transparency levels. Higher clarity means greater worth. For example, glass-clear specimens surpass semi-transparent white-water grades, which outvalue waxy glutinous-rice types. Clarity and jade type fundamentally determine value."

"Third, jade type classification ('zhongtou')—the overall visual impression. Categories include antique (old), modern (new), transitional (new-old) types; further subdivided into glass, ice, glutinous, oil-green varieties. Additional factors like setting craftsmanship, carving artistry, dimensions, and polish also affect valuation."

As she lectured, Lin Yue presented corresponding samples. Each time, Huo Xuan peered into their microscopic structures, observing crystal patterns and grain sizes.

Through this unique inspection method, his understanding of jadeite surpassed even veteran collectors—no ordinary enthusiast could achieve such sub-millimeter scrutiny.

After examining all hundred samples, Huo Xuan expressed genuine gratitude: "Senior, this has truly expanded my knowledge."

Lin Yue smiled. "With your diligence, junior, you might become an expert someday." She suddenly rotated her neck slightly, a flicker of discomfort crossing her features.

Huo Xuan's gaze instinctively penetrated her neck muscles. His molecular-level perception revealed obstructed blood and qi flow in that area compared to surrounding tissues.

"Are you experiencing neck pain?" he inquired.

"A stiff neck from sleeping awkwardly last night," she confirmed, massaging her nape with furrowed brows.

Huo Xuan recalled techniques learned from his uncle, a professional masseur. "If you trust me, I can alleviate the discomfort through massage."

Surprisingly, Lin Yue agreed without hesitation. "Please do—it's been bothering me all day." She adjusted her position, granting him access.

Suppressing his racing pulse, Huo Xuan positioned himself behind her. Drawing from his uncle's teachings, he applied gentle pressure with the fleshy space between thumb and forefinger to her trapezius muscles.

Being this close, Huo Xuan detected the faint feminine fragrance emanating from Lin Yue, momentarily unsettling his focus.