Xu’s situation was truly pitiful.

Originally, he had a stable job in China as a young university teacher. Though the income wasn’t particularly high, the position was secure!

Xu had something others envied – while other teachers worried about housing allocation, he didn’t. He had inherited property, a traditional courtyard house in Beijing!

His misfortune began with his girlfriend – a beautiful woman with grand ambitions who secured a government-sponsored scholarship to study in America.

Studying abroad was one thing, but once she arrived in America, she declared everything there was better and didn’t want to return… Xu was frantic back in China. With government scholarships being highly competitive, Xu couldn’t wait another year. He sold his inherited courtyard house and eagerly packed for America.

His pursuit deeply moved his girlfriend. With roughly ten thousand dollars scraped together, Xu was considered wealthy abroad. How could the couple not be sweetly in love?

The problem was that in his rush to go abroad, Xu hadn’t secured a full scholarship!

He had to cover the portion not covered by the scholarship. Without paying tuition, he hadn’t realized how quickly dollars could disappear.

Half of his ten thousand went to tuition, and the other half vanished somehow – apparently on a new car for his girlfriend after her repeated requests. A new car! How could a poor student afford such a thing?

When they bought the car, both talked about marriage.

But somehow, by mid-last year, their relationship took a sharp downturn. They argued every few days, until finally breaking up in September.

Within a month, his girlfriend got together with Li Yong!

Xu was devastated, staying in his room for two whole weeks.

The relationship might have ended, but that car – which cost over three thousand dollars with tax – was never returned to Xu.

She did write him an IOU, promising installment payments.

His ex-girlfriend claimed she needed the car, but clearly couldn’t produce the three thousand plus dollars.

Xu’s friend was furious – wasn’t this taking advantage of an honest person?

“How much has she repaid? It’s almost April, six months since your breakup – has she even paid back 500 dollars? She has the nerve to invite you to this party – is it to show off how impressive her new boyfriend is?”

Xu’s friend was indignant.

Li Yong did cut an impressive figure – tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a trench coat with style.

With his center-parted hair copying Hong Kong dramas, he was quite popular among Chinese international students.

As Li Yong’s current girlfriend and Xu’s ex, she acted like the party’s hostess, skillfully socializing. When she noticed two young women appear beside Li Yong, she quickly moved to his side.

Xu glanced briefly before lowering his head, afraid of being noticed.

His friend, frustrated by what seemed like submission to Li Yong and the ex-girlfriend, didn’t realize Xu had spotted a familiar face. Meeting like this abroad, without having made anything of himself, filled him with shame – he thought of the residence he had sold.

Xu wanted to leave the party quickly.

Meanwhile, Xia Xiao Lan had barely exchanged a few words with Senior Li when a young woman with big curly hair approached, introducing herself as Senior Li’s girlfriend.

She scrutinized not only Xia Xiao Lan but also kept Han Jin under surveillance.

Finding it tiresome, Xia Xiao Lan seized the opportunity to excuse herself, saying she’d leave space for Senior Li and his girlfriend, quickly breaking free from Han Jin’s grasp.

Scanning the room, Xia Xiao Lan discovered a familiar face in the corner.

Both were surprised, and she walked over:

“What a coincidence, Teacher Xu, I didn’t expect to see you in New York!”

Xia Xiao Lan had unexpectedly encountered Xu Jing, the former owner who had sold the Nanluoguxiang property to her uncle Liu Yong for sixty thousand yuan.

Xia Xiao Lan remembered him as a young teacher from Beijing Normal University, rather soft-spoken, bullied by difficult tenants, unwilling to raise the price when selling, eager to complete the transaction – wasn’t he just waiting to have his price pushed down by Xia Xiao Lan?

In business terms, encountering such an opportunity, Xia Xiao Lan wouldn’t show mercy.

But that was almost two years ago. Meeting Xu Jing abroad now, Xia Xiao Lan’s greeting was natural.

Xu Jing felt everyone watching him – a sensation he hadn’t experienced since coming abroad.

Xia Xiao Lan’s appearance naturally drew attention wherever she went. Her initiating conversation with Xu Jing made others curious about his identity.

Nearby, Li Yong patted his girlfriend’s hand:

“Seems you don’t need to worry about Xu Jing – he’s got good connections in New York, and even has girls approaching him!”

Yes, and the most beautiful female student at the party at that.

Li Yong’s girlfriend tilted her head, watching for a moment, “Xu Jing is too honest to know how to flirt with girls. Maybe she’s his former student from Beijing Normal University.”

Li Yong shook his head, “No, I know about this Student Xia. She’s an exchange student sent from Hua-Tsing University to Cornell this year. She won a special prize in the National College English Competition last year and came through official Ministry of Education channels.”

So, not a Beijing Normal student?

Strange – she had only left for America a few months before Xu Jing, yet had no idea he knew such a girl.

“The exchange student arrived last month?”

His girlfriend asked Li Yong, and upon receiving confirmation, looked puzzled.

How did Xu Jing know someone who had just arrived in New York a month ago and was attending her first international student gathering?

They met through selling the house!

The more one tries to avoid something, the more inescapable it becomes.

Even hiding in a corner, Xia Xiao Lan had spotted him. Hearing Xia Xiao Lan call him “Teacher Xu,” Xu Jing waved his hands repeatedly:

“I’m not a teacher anymore. Never expected to meet you here.”

Xia Xiao Lan, wanting to avoid Han Jin’s persistence, engaged in conversation with Xu Jing. Back then, she had been the price-negotiating buyer, and he was the desperate seller unable to handle his tenants. Now both were international students, they could chat more candidly.

Learning that Xia Xiao Lan had arrived at Cornell as an exchange student last month, Xu Jing’s friend exclaimed dramatically:

“Exchange students are government-sponsored, right? The country covers all expenses?”

Xia Xiao Lan nodded, “More or less, though it’s only for one year.”

“Envious of you government-sponsored students, unlike poor souls like Xu and me. We worry about next semester’s tuition from the moment we wake up, and have to shamelessly attend these student parties for free food and drinks.”

Xu Jing’s friend spoke without filters, embarrassing Xu Jing to the point of wanting to disappear into the ground.

Xia Xiao Lan was also speechless, quickly excusing herself to get a drink.

“Why did you say all that in front of Student Xia?”

Even Xu Jing’s anger was soft-spoken.

His friend grinned, “If we don’t mention these things, who would know how much you’ve suffered? Not bad, Xu, knowing such a beautiful girl. Look at Xiang Li – her expression changed. She probably never thought a country bumpkin like you would have admirers!”

Xu Jing panicked, “Don’t talk nonsense. What admirer? Do you know who I sold my Beijing courtyard house to? This Student Xia!”

Xu Jing’s friend was shocked.

“She’s that wealthy?!”

His eyes lit up as he suddenly became excited: “Well, well, Xu Jing, you said you didn’t know any rich people but isn’t this an investor falling from the sky? Our project might be saved!”