Chapter 2 The Mermaid and the Killer Whale
As the figures of Liu Shang and Jiang Ruolin, chatting and laughing, gradually receded into the school grounds, everyone left at the school gate stood utterly dumbfounded.
Just before, they had all seen the boy with the big suitcase lying on the grass for an unreasonably long time.
At the time, they were all thinking the same thing: this guy had no class whatsoever.
This was the main lawn right outside the school gate. Lying there so carelessly, especially on a major day like freshman welcoming day, was a real eyesore.
But it wasn't until the impossibly pure and beautiful girl appeared, and the two of them subsequently walked into the school talking and laughing, that everyone present had a sudden, shocking realization.
Could it be that the only reason the freshman with the suitcase had been lying on the grass for so long was as a calculated ploy to attract a kind, enthusiastic, and beautiful girl from the school to come over and talk to him?!!!
What kind of strategy was this?
Was this some kind of master-level gambit, like Jiang Taigong fishing (a legendary tactic of waiting for the right person to take the bait), or just dumb luck, like waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree?!!!
The scene was a painful blow to the eyes and fragile hearts of several upperclassmen. "Damn, are all the freshmen this year so aggressive?"
"Wasn't that girl just now the super-popular freshman, Jiang Ruolin?"
"Just this morning I heard that a lot of wolves in the Student Union were planning to make their move. I can't believe he was swooped on by a freshman like this!"
"I sincerely hope his little trick gets exposed and the girl ends up despising him! But judging from how they were talking and laughing just now, this kid's got some serious game!"
Not far from them, another group of seniors also watched the direction Liu Shang and Jiang Ruolin had disappeared with shrewd, flickering eyes.
"Before, when I saw that freshman lying on the grass, I was reminded of that old Stephen Chow line: 'He looks as pitiful as a stray dog.'"
"But looking at him now, that boy is actually quite clever. He's got that sunny, handsome look. You can tell he knows how to please a girl."
"Hey, don't give me that look. It's just a fact that all cute, caring girls have a soft spot for strays."
Just as the crowd was buzzing with interested discussion, not far from the lawn, two other freshmen who had arrived together to register were taking in the scene.
"Tsk, tsk. The old routines have been popular since ancient times, and for good reason."
"Look at that guy just now. Didn't he just score himself a premature encounter with a gorgeous girl?"
"However, the reason humanity progresses is because we love to learn."
"You just stay here and watch. Watch your buddy here replicate that masterpiece of a routine for you."
With that, this freshman, whose name was Chen Qiang, pushed his own large suitcase to the exact same spot. He then imitated Liu Shang's earlier posture and lay down flat on the grass.
This scene immediately caused the surrounding crowd to gasp and stare.
What was with the freshmen this year? Were they all this thick-skinned and shameless?
Listening to the murmurs of the crowd, Chen Qiang, who was lying on the lawn with his eyes closed, felt a secret surge of pride.
The louder the buzz from the people around him, the more successful his strategy was proving to be.
That kid before him may have been the founder of this routine, but it was destined to be perfected and carried forward by him.
Who knows, maybe he could meet an even more beautiful girl?!
But then he recalled Jiang Ruolin's lovely figure, and he had to admit with a tinge of disappointment that the previous guy had been incredibly lucky.
He was afraid that even if you searched the entire campus, you would find very few girls who could stand shoulder to shoulder with that one.
Still, he wasn't picky! Even if he met a girl who was eighty percent as beautiful as the last one, he would be satisfied. She had to be at least at the level of the prettiest girl in her class or department, right?
Just as he closed his eyes, his mind filling with pleasant thoughts, he suddenly felt the ambient light around him dim by several degrees.
He frowned and opened his eyes, only to see a girl, about 170 cm tall, with a build that could easily demolish his own semi-sturdy frame, standing before him like a small skyscraper.
The drop in light he had just perceived was because the small patch of sunlight he occupied on the grass had been completely eclipsed by her shadow.
If Liu Shang had been able to see the dappled sunlight filtering through Jiang Ruolin's hair just moments before, what Chen Qiang saw now was a vast, imposing black hole...
Just as Chen Qiang lay on the grass, his eyes blank and his jaw slack, the girl in front of him boomed with gruff "concern," "Student, are you okay? Do you need me to carry you to the school infirmary?"
"Uh... hehe, I'm fine..."
"I... I wouldn't want to bother you, classmate..."
Before Chen Qiang could stammer out his true meaning (I'm fine, please leave quickly, don't ruin my fishing attempt), the girl used a single hand to hoist him up from the grass as if he were a baby chick.
"My name is Fang Jiajia. I'm from the Disciplinary Department of the Student Union, a second-level national shot put athlete, and your sophomore senior."
"I see you're a new freshman. Perfect, it's on my way, so I'll take you to register."
Afterwards, the indomitable Fang Jiajia grabbed Chen Qiang's relatively small suitcase and began leading him toward the school.
Perhaps to show her friendliness, she gave Chen Qiang a symbolic pat on the back, a gesture that sent a burning, tingling shock through his entire body.
Seeing all this unfold, Chen Qiang's friend, who was still standing not far away, shot him a wide-eyed look that screamed, *'I'm so envious! I worship you, bro! Best of luck, you'll need it!'* before pushing his own suitcase and beating a hasty retreat.
Observing the fate that had befallen Chen Qiang, and the hilarious, stark contrast with Liu Shang's experience, the entire crowd was now roaring with laughter.
Meanwhile, on the path to the freshman registration office under Fang Jiajia's firm guidance, Chen Qiang was filled with an endless, soul-crushing bitterness:
Damn it all, that other kid met a delicate and pure mermaid, so why did I have to meet a terrifyingly strong killer whale?!!!!
* * *
Two months later, while Liu Shang and Jiang Ruolin were walking together, chatting and laughing on their way to an internet cafe, Liu Shang suddenly stopped on the roadside just a short distance from their destination.
Jiang Ruolin also paused, looking at him with a familiar hint of playfulness and joy in her eyes.
In the past two months, the two had grown progressively closer, their relationship heating up at a rapid pace.
The fact that Jiang Ruolin, who had never before spent time alone with a member of the opposite sex, was now willing to accompany him to an internet cafe already explained everything.
Their relationship had progressed to the point where all that remained was for one of them to make the first move; just a thin layer of window paper was left between them.
Compared to Liu Shang's previous life, the development of their relationship had accelerated significantly.
Now, facing Jiang Ruolin's curious gaze, Liu Shang still showed no intention of moving forward.
Instead, he crossed his hands behind his head and looked up at the large sign above the building's entrance: Youth Internet Cafe.
"Jiang Ruolin," he said softly, "having you be a part of my youth… it's a wonderful thing."