The classmate wanted to retort, but Ji Jiangyuan’s smiling face made it impossible to get angry.

If Ning Xue was heaven’s favored daughter, Ji Jiangyuan was undoubtedly heaven’s favored son. While everyone was desperately trying to study abroad, Ji Jiangyuan left his foreign school to return and study here. He even managed to get into Huaqing University, commanding respect whether one liked it or not.

Even more impressive was that Ji Jiangyuan was originally supposed to be the new student representative, but he seemed uninterested in the spotlight and firmly declined the opportunity. This led to Ning Xue representing the Class of ’84 new students. How did this student know? He was Ji Jiangyuan’s roommate. During their late-night talks, when Ji Jiangyuan mentioned he had returned from America, the whole dormitory was excited.

Fortunately, Ji Jiangyuan had a good temperament and didn’t mind being questioned about various trivial aspects of American life for half the night.

Since Ji Jiangyuan wasn’t interested in being the new student representative and speaking on stage, it seemed quite normal that he wasn’t listening to Ning Xue’s speech. The student convinced himself of this. “That’s her, Xia Xiaolan from Architecture Class 2. Beautiful, isn’t she? Even more beautiful than American girls?”

Ji Jiangyuan smiled, “Listen to the speech. Why compare Classmate Xia with American girls!”

American girls were very enthusiastic. Ji Jiangyuan had been a popular figure in high school – at least before him, no Chinese male student had been “King” at the graduation prom. Ji Jiangyuan pushed thoughts of American glamour from his mind. In China, he had to keep a low profile. He could only admire pretty female classmates from afar, not casually pursue relationships.

The same applied to Huaqing’s female students. For these girls, dating was equivalent to marriage, and boyfriends were equivalent to husbands. Ji Jiangyuan respectfully declined.

His gaze at Xia Xiaolan was purely an appreciation of something beautiful!

Unlike the worship inspired by Ning Xue’s impressive background that the new students were displaying now.

When Ji Jiangyuan looked at Xia Xiaolan, it was simply because he found her attractive, a feast for the eyes!

His gaze must have been too intense, as Xia Xiaolan turned her head and their eyes met.

Ji Jiangyuan displayed his standard smile, showing eight teeth.

…

Everyone’s attention was on Ning Xue, but one gaze remained fixed on her. Xia Xiaolan sensed it and turned to look – a male student was smiling, showing eight teeth.

When ordinary people smile like that, they might look foolish.

But his smile was just right – sunny and bright, without any pretense.

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t help but smile back. She could sense the pure appreciation in the young man’s gaze, and his smile was kind. Of course, the west campus field’s lights were bright enough for her to see his appearance clearly – he was handsome, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, looking very energetic.

This improved Xia Xiaolan’s mood slightly.

All day, she had been thinking about Zhou Cheng’s mother’s morning visit.

Guan Hui’e’s meaning was direct – she felt that Xia Xiaolan’s relationship with Zhou Cheng wasn’t beneficial for either of them. Zhou Cheng didn’t need a college entrance exam champion, a Huaqing student, or someone even more capable than men… The Zhou family had high hopes for Zhou Cheng, and his career was naturally the most important!

The Zhou family was very satisfied with Xia Xiaolan and admired her excellence.

Xia Xiaolan could tell that Guan Hui’e’s words weren’t mere flattery or perfunctory.

But this couldn’t change the result – Guan Hui’e hoped she would take the initiative to leave Zhou Cheng.

“Not suitable.”

That was Guan Hui’e’s reason.

This reason was too powerful.

Xia Xiaolan found it truly troublesome. She had just started school, and everything at Huaqing was new to her. There were so many academic experts here, and Xia Xiaolan wanted to explore fields she had never encountered before. She needed to roll up her sleeves and study hard. Then her boyfriend’s mother suddenly appeared demanding a breakup. According to Xia Xiaolan’s initial plan, she would have given Guan Hui’e a definitive answer right away.

Turn away without attachment, wave goodbye without taking even a cloud!

It was just dating, after all. The romance was about mutual pleasure – how could it still be called dating if it became too complicated?

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t immediately agreed to Guan Hui’e’s suggestion because Guan Hui’e said Zhou Cheng’s future had been affected. This influence came from Xia Xiaolan – while Gao Fei’s jealousy wasn’t her fault, what if the original trouble came from her choice to spoil Zhou Cheng with money? If Zhou Cheng’s career had been delayed by several years, Xia Xiaolan felt she wouldn’t be a decent person if she broke up with him now.

If she couldn’t add flowers to brocade, at least she shouldn’t throw stones at someone in a well.

So Xia Xiaolan’s response to Guan Hui’e was: “Alright, let me ask Zhou Cheng’s opinion before giving you an answer, Auntie!”

Xia Xiaolan felt she wasn’t graceful at all. Not to mention Guan Hui’e’s expression at that time – although her upbringing prevented her from cursing, her look at Xia Xiaolan carried a certainty of “you’ve finally shown your true colors.”

Xia Xiaolan was exhausted. She really couldn’t let go of Zhou Cheng – when he hugged her and kissed her, those butterfly feelings were genuine. She truly liked Zhou Cheng, but perhaps because her mind was occupied with too many things, she hadn’t become “love-brained” like other girls her age.

She hadn’t invested enough in Zhou Cheng, and she was trying to improve – hadn’t she applied to Huaqing University just to increase their chances of meeting?

Now it was all for nothing – Zhou Cheng’s family didn’t want to give her this chance.

Xia Xiaolan felt particularly helpless.

Was she single until her rebirth in her previous life not just because of her looks?

As Guan Hui’e said, was she too straightforward, too sharp as a woman?

But without being straightforward and sharp, she wouldn’t have been able to carve out a bloody path to success from the bottom in her previous life. Without being straightforward enough, she might have dropped out when her uncle opposed her continuing education, found an ordinary job requiring no education or skills, married an ordinary husband, and perhaps even ended up on the streets during arguments with her husband due to having no family support… Without university, without starting as a bottom-level salesperson, without seeing the view from the top, a person who doesn’t strive to improve – even with a good mind during school years – would rust after decades of disuse.

The trivial matters of daily life would wear away a woman’s intelligence.

What use would a chance at rebirth be then?

Being useless before rebirth, how could she expect to conquer the world as soon as she opened her eyes in this life? Xia Xiaolan’s ability to make money and get into Huaqing came from the strength she had accumulated in her previous life. In this life, she would try again, and keep striving upward.

“Xiaolan, what are you daydreaming about? Ji Jiangyuan has been looking at you!”

Ning Xue had finished her speech and left the stage. Su Jing nudged Xia Xiaolan.

Ji Jiangyuan was the one who had smiled so brightly earlier. Xia Xiaolan thought to herself, how could she have time to look at young fresh meat when she couldn’t even handle one boyfriend’s situation? How dare she flirt around?

“Is Ji Jiangyuan your classmate too?”

Xia Xiaolan asked casually. Su Jing replied rather proudly, “Not my classmate, but he’s definitely from Beijing. Did you know Ji Jiangyuan returned from America? If you could really be with him… wouldn’t it be great to go to America together?”

Su Jing was too gossipy.

Xia Xiaolan wondered how, after just one day of school, Su Jing even knew people from other departments.

Coming back from America wasn’t that special – Xia Xiaolan had seen enough Americans. She hadn’t expected that after the opening ceremony, Ji Jiangyuan would come directly to chat with her. The young man had indeed been in America – he was very confident and energetic, well-read too. Knowing Xia Xiaolan was from the Architecture Department, he chatted with her about architecture.

“Portman has had a huge influence on domestic hotel architecture. Beijing’s Great Wall Hotel is a typical example…”

Xia Xiaolan nodded. The Great Wall Hotel had just been completed, and she had seen it.

John Portman – this name had appeared frequently in the architectural journals she had borrowed from Zhou Cheng.

Thinking of Zhou Cheng, Xia Xiaolan apologized to Ji Jiangyuan, “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to continue our chat another time, Classmate Ji. I need to return to my dormitory to write a letter to my boyfriend.”