Chapter 8 Fear
"It's better if we choose a nicer place to eat; you don't have to save money for me."
"As for the recharge card, since it's a reward from my wife, I will gladly accept it."
Seeing that Liu Shang hadn't rejected her offer of the recharge card, Jiang Ruolin's anxious heart finally settled. But when she saw the word 'wife,' she frowned, sighing softly before quickly typing a reply.
"Who's your wife? You're so shameless!"
"...Liu Shang, you probably can't predict or even imagine how many thorns and hardships we'll face on the road ahead. If we ever want to see that day, I'm afraid we'll both have to work incredibly hard."
Lying on his bed, Liu Shang smiled and replied:
"It's fated. You belong to me. Leave all the bumps and thorns for me to handle. I don't want you to be sad, to struggle, or to suffer even the slightest bit. Good night, go to sleep. I really love you!"
Feeling the confidence in his words, Jiang Ruolin could picture Liu Shang's sunny, boyish face in her mind. Although she knew how flimsy such bold declarations from a boy his age could be, her heart felt as sweet as honey.
Perhaps this was the magic of love, making her rational, wise self act this way. She would rather cling to a beautiful, fragile bubble than accept the cold, cruel reality.
After another soft sigh, Jiang Ruolin fell asleep with a smile on her face, clutching her phone. Liu Shang, on the other hand, felt more awake than ever.
Because he was afraid. Terrified.
He was afraid that if he fell asleep, he might never wake up in this world again.
He was afraid that this was all an illusion, that when he opened his eyes, the beautiful reality he cherished would be gone.
The next day, he woke up to the sounds of his roommates talking. He had probably only slept for four or five hours, but it didn't stop him from feeling fully energized.
Just being able to 'live' was the greatest happiness, wasn't it?
"Well, look at him. People in love are just different. Nothing like a happy heart to put a spring in your step!"
Following Zheng Shiwei's big laugh, Fu Liang and Cheng Meng also started booing good-naturedly.
"No kidding! If it were me, I don't think I'd be able to sleep at night!"
"Idol! An absolute idol!"
Liu Shang just smiled and got dressed neatly. He was about to head out in his sportswear when his roommates stopped him.
"Liu Shang, where are you going?"
Liu Shang paused. "For a run."
"Your health is your greatest asset. Want to come?"
Everyone shook their heads. "What time is it? We have class in a bit. Isn't it too late for a run?"
"There's a class? Then I'm not going. If they do a roll call, answer for me!"
Liu Shang smiled and dashed out of the room.
In his heart, Liu Shang had always been critical of his four-year university curriculum. The petrochemical courses taught at the school were obsolete, outdated, and completely detached from any practical application. Even the material some teachers used hadn't changed in over a decade.
For Liu Shang, who now possessed world-class, cutting-edge technical knowledge, attending class was tantamount to wasting his precious time.
...
He ran 5000 meters in one go. Although he was out of breath, it was still manageable. His physical fitness as a freshman was pretty good.
On the other side of campus, Jiang Ruolin, who also had a morning class, turned down Liu Shang's suggestion to have breakfast together but agreed to meet him for a few minutes.
From yesterday to today, Jiang Ruolin had received too many inquiries and veiled attempts at persuasion from all sorts of people, which left her feeling annoyed and worried.
Always assertive and true to her own ideas, she didn't care about others' opinions or doubts, and no one would dare question her face-to-face anyway.
She was more worried about Liu Shang.
What she had to do now was minimize the impact of this situation as much as possible.
"Liu Shang, what are you doing here? You're sweating so much."
"By the way, I remember you have a class this morning too, right? You haven't had breakfast yet, so you're probably running late."
Seeing Liu Shang's athletic clothes and sweat-drenched hair, Jiang Ruolin instinctively took out a tissue and handed it to him.
"I went for a run."
"I have a class first period, but I don't plan on going."
Liu Shang smiled as he took the tissue. Then, unexpectedly, he stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug.
Startled by the sudden and public display of affection, a slightly angry Jiang Ruolin started to pull away, but Liu Shang's next words seemed to cast a spell on her, making her go still.
"It's so good to have another day with you."
After speaking, Liu Shang took a step back with a smile, letting her go.
"Okay, you should get to class. I'm going to grab something to eat!"
Jiang Ruolin stood frozen for a long time, watching Liu Shang's retreating figure as he waved goodbye with a smile on his face until he disappeared from sight.
Just like at the school gate before, Liu Shang's words and a single tight hug had instantly overwhelmed her with a powerful emotion.
She felt truly lucky to have this heart-pounding, pure, and beautifully innocent first love, as sharp and sweet as a green apple. At the same time, she was deeply distressed. Was she putting too much pressure on him, a burden too heavy for someone his age?
After saying goodbye to Jiang Ruolin, Liu Shang had breakfast, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and went straight to the student union office to submit his application for withdrawal.
Now that Jiang Ruolin was his girlfriend again, there was no need for him to continue wasting his precious time and energy there.
Afterward, Liu Shang went to an internet cafe, rented a private VIP room, and began to search for information on current oil technology, as well as large, local oil service companies in Fengcheng.
Now that his most important task was complete—being lucky enough to have that girl back in his life—it was time to do something else.
Make money. Strengthen himself. Even use himself as a starting point to change the entire world.
Theoretically, the technical formulas he now possessed were priceless treasures. However, having lived a full life before, Liu Shang deeply understood the danger that comes with possessing something so coveted.
Finally, after spending the entire day researching, Liu Shang selected several large-scale local oil service companies in Fengcheng. As the saying goes: small companies are defined by their bosses, medium-sized companies by their systems, and large companies by their culture. The companies Liu Shang pre-selected were all the type run by bosses who were known to be open-minded and daring.
By now, it was almost the time he had agreed to meet Jiang Ruolin and her friends.
Just as Liu Shang was packing up to head to the dinner, he received texts from Zheng Shiwei and Fu Liang.
Having been absent from class for a full day, he had been called on by two different teachers, and they had marked him absent. The teachers were, according to his friends, very displeased.
They definitely didn't expect that Liu Shang would simply laugh off what they considered to be serious consequences.