TFS | Chapter 38

In September, when school started, Xu Zhou insisted on going with her to report to campus. He said that her boyfriend, who was short a few IQ points, had demanded it, and if Xu Zhou didn’t do as told, that guy would definitely not let him off when he came back.

Xu Linruan’s refusal got him nowhere, so she let him do as he pleased. Anyway, having a free laborer to help her out was a good deal. Might as well take it.

She wasn’t worried he’d pull anything. Sure, his personality was a little lacking, but he wasn’t impossible to deal with.

Only, some of this guy’s behavior lately had become really strange. His attitude toward her was hot and cold too. When he was being good, he was meticulous down to the smallest detail. When he was being bad, he’d toss out a few yin-yang comments and sarcasm. She wondered if he had hit menopause early.

Xu Linruan thought this guy was hard to handle, and even if he was taking care of his good brother’s girlfriend, there was no need to be that devoted, right?

She looked at the person in front of her with open dislike, and suddenly felt that Qi Xiaoyue’s head looked a little green.

The boy before her did not look bad at all. He was tall and long-legged, with handsome features and a soft, delicate face. Compared with Qi Yue, he seemed much more refined, especially when he smiled. He gave off a harmless, gentle feeling.

What should have been the boyfriend’s job had ended up being done by the good brother instead. Who knew if Qi Xiaoyue would regret it after he came back?

“Wait here for a bit. I’m going to ask for directions.”

Xu Zhou glanced around. The medical university’s environment was pretty good, much better than his third-rate college. And since it was freshman enrollment, there were a lot of people on campus. He headed over to a nearby stall.

“Okay.” Xu Linruan nodded and stood under a tree to wait. She looked down at her phone and didn’t pay attention to her surroundings, not noticing that her lovely side profile had drawn the attention of quite a few passersby.

Xu Zhou asked for directions, then went to a nearby convenience store and bought a sun umbrella. It was too hot. He noticed that Xu Linruan was sweating, especially since her skin was so fair that it had turned a little red after being exposed to the sun. That made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

When he came back, he saw several boys gathered under the tree trying to strike up a conversation with Xu Linruan. The boys who had entered university were obviously much more enthusiastic than they had been in high school. A few of them asked which dormitory building she was in, and even volunteered to carry her suitcase…

Xu Zhou narrowed his eyes. Standing in the sun, he suddenly felt a little irritated. He had only been gone for such a short while, and this woman was already being flirted with?

If he weren’t here to keep an eye on her, wouldn’t that be a disaster?

No, he had to help Qi Yue keep her well watched. If some other dog man lured her away, Qi Yue would definitely not let him off when he came back.

So Xu Zhou kept his composure and walked over calmly. “Have you been waiting long, Ruanruan?”

He wore a smile, his attitude intimate, dressed in a casual outfit, a white shirt paired with black pants. He had a refined, gentle air that made it easy for people to like him.

The people passing by kept sneaking glances. This year’s freshmen really did have high standards for looks.

Xu Zhou handed her the umbrella. His movements were so familiar and natural that he looked just like a boyfriend staking his claim.

Xu Linruan replied, “Not very long.”

“Mm, that’s good. I found the dorm building. I’ll take you up now.”

Xu Zhou expertly took the suitcase from her hands. Whether he did it on purpose or not, when he reached for the handle, he accidentally brushed against the boy beside him.

“Sorry about that, but she already has someone to carry her suitcase.”

The boys around her had misunderstood. So she already had a boyfriend, and he even looked pretty reliable. The few boys felt awkward, exchanged looks, muttered a few greetings, and quickly left.

Xu Zhou watched them go before finally dropping his guard. He turned around and glanced at her with obvious disgust. “Xu Linruan, don’t forget, you’re a woman with a man. From now on, you’re not allowed to pay any attention to other wild men who come up to flirt with you.”

Xu Linruan really wanted to roll her eyes at him. “What does that have to do with you? Why are you so nervous?”

Xu Zhou was a little anxious. He turned to look at her. “How could I not be nervous? Don’t you remember I promised your boyfriend? If he comes back and finds out you were taken away by some other man, wouldn’t that guy skin me alive and tear me apart?”

He thought about it, then couldn’t help emphasizing, “My life is literally in your hands now. Please, my lady, you have to pay attention to this. If you’re feeling too bored, just use me for entertainment. I don’t mind, really, because…”

Xu Zhou’s steps faltered. Only when the words reached his lips did he realize that this was actually how he had been treating her. Suddenly, he felt a little annoyed with himself. He didn’t know since when, but he had discovered that he actually felt a bit…

“Because what?” Xu Linruan asked, tilting her head.

The girl’s eyes were crystal clear. Especially when she looked at someone, the corners of her eyes lifted slightly, and her gaze was intensely focused.

Xu Zhou awkwardly averted his eyes and coughed lightly. “Nothing.”

Seeing that look on her face, it was obvious she didn’t believe him. Xu Zhou turned his face away again and gave a dry explanation.

“Cough, I mean, I just promised Qi Yue, that’s all. If he comes back and finds out you were lured away by some other dog man, wouldn’t I end up dying miserably?” The boy tugged at the corner of his mouth, trying hard to look rational.

As if he were really just keeping an eye on her for his good bro.

Xu Linruan couldn’t help laughing, and asked casually, “When did you become so obedient to him? Weren’t you always the one who disliked me, and wished we’d break up?”

“How can that be the same? Before, I was blind and didn’t know that my lady was not only brilliant but also beautiful. Now I’ve been conquered by your charm, so I’ve cleaned up my act and fully become your most loyal supporter.”

An experienced flirt really was different. He could talk sweetly without even trying. Xu Zhou patted his chest and promised her. Compared with that rookie Qi Xiaoyue, this guy was basically a master at flirting with girls.

“Oh, then thank you very much.” Xu Linruan raised an eyebrow. She tucked the stray hair by her cheek back into place, her smile still warm and gentle.

The boy looked away a little uneasily and said in a low voice, “There’s no need to be polite with me. Anyway, from now on you just need to behave yourself and stop making me worry.”

That was what he said, but whenever something involving Xu Linruan came up, he still ran faster than anyone else.

…………

The last time she had called Qi Xiaoyue was a week ago. Back then, he had been complaining to her about how his old man had坑 him and tricked him into entering a closed, militarized school.

The school’s management was insanely strict. The administrators had hired actual instructors to teach, and the rules were extremely severe. It was very hard to sneak out of campus. Entry and exit were all checked thoroughly, and once any misconduct appeared on campus, the managers would impose both mental and physical suppression and punishment on the offenders.

At the time, he had even been acting especially aggrieved, sweetly asking her to comfort him. Xu Linruan had half-heartedly coaxed him a couple of times, then told him to study hard and that he could go home once the courses were over.

How had that guy responded then?

He had said he would definitely stick with it, because this was his own decision. No matter how hard it was, he would transform completely before coming back to see her.

After that, the two of them lost contact.

Then, in October, a major injury incident occurred at the school. The student-organized protest was forcibly suppressed. The exact details weren’t very clear domestically, but the commotion was huge. It made the local news, and there was also an incident where a manager shot an international student. After that, Qi Xiaoyue lost contact with everyone back home…

Later, the police confirmed that the people shot were two Asian freshmen. But because the situation had been too chaotic at the time, a stampede had broken out, and that caused the whereabouts of the shot international student to become unknown…

For this reason, some family members had gone abroad to learn what had happened. Unfortunately, because the clues were unclear, the specific facts couldn’t be confirmed. All that was known was that the manager who shot the student had been sentenced to several years in prison for intentional assault.

No one had expected something like this to happen.

When Xu Zhou found out about it, the first person he thought of was Xu Linruan. If Qi Yue really was… gone, what would she do? Would she be very sad?

He actually didn’t want to see her looking that heartbroken.

So he decided to hide it from her. He disguised himself as Qi Yue when relaying messages to her, told her about life abroad, acted spoiled with her, bought her gifts… He almost really started treating himself like her boyfriend.

Unfortunately, a fake was still a fake. No matter how convincing the disguise was, it was never real. Later, the deception was exposed, and the two of them had a fight. Only then did Xu Linruan learn that Qi Xiaoyue was missing.

“Was it fun messing with me, Xu Zhou, young master?” The coldness in her eyes made it feel like something had stabbed straight into his chest.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, but Qi Yue really…”

“So what? Do you think I won’t wait for him, or that I don’t have the time?” Xu Linruan looked at him, and the darkness of her eyes revealed an enviable, unshakable resolve.

Xu Zhou suddenly felt very irritated. There was a dull ache in his chest. He actually wanted to ask, What if you can’t wait for him? What if he really disappears like that? Are you going to wait for him for the rest of your life?

Because of some hidden, but very real, feeling in his heart, he felt unbearably ashamed. He even wished that Qi Yue would just disappear. If he really disappeared, maybe that would be the best outcome.

But when the words reached his lips, he still didn’t dare say them out loud. He was afraid that if he did, the two of them wouldn’t even be able to remain friends. After all, it was because of Qi Yue that he had the chance to slowly get close to her.

Looking at the disappointed boy in front of her, Xu Linruan tactfully made clear her feelings for her boyfriend. “I’m not that fragile, and I’m not as stupid as you think. Please don’t do that again. You’re not him, and the person I like isn’t you either. Besides, he’s only missing, that’s all…”

Xu Zhou’s expression froze. He lowered his head and let out an “Mm.” “I know. I won’t do it again.”

From that point on, the boy grew up quite a bit. His good friend’s disappearance had dealt him a considerable blow, and he gradually came to realize his own weakness.

He began trying to study. He had plenty of time, and starting from freshman year, he began interning at the company, starting from the bottom. He was also quite hardworking. A young master from a rich family wasn’t entirely a useless spoiled brat. He had been exposed to a lot of things, all sorts of things. Though he liked eating, drinking, and having fun, none of the business connections came from nowhere. They were all talked out over banquets.

Over the course of several years, Xu Zhou matured a lot. He was no longer the idle, useless young master he had once been. Although he had grown up gradually with the help of his family background, he had not picked up the impatience or sleazy habits of the business world.