Chapter 11 Scheming BOY?
Liu Shang laughed and gently took Jiang Ruolin's two cute little fists in his hands. "Alright, alright, I'm just joking, I'm just joking..."
"For the sake of our classmates' appetites and healthy development, you should probably stop eating with me."
"Otherwise, if a huge crowd from our major and dorm comes over to tease us, it'll be incredibly annoying."
In his heart, Liu Shang was naturally eager to have dinner with Jiang Ruolin.
However, he still had many things to attend to, which would probably require him to skip classes frequently and be away from school. To avoid making Jiang Ruolin worry, he could only reject her proposal.
But Jiang Ruolin changed the subject, a sly smile in her eyes. "You don't want me to eat with you... are you worried about being seen by other pretty girls?"
"For example, a beauty like Song Sha from my dorm?"
Hearing this, Liu Shang couldn't help but laugh.
"Haha, I've already won over the most popular, beautiful, perfect, and kind-hearted girl in the whole school, so why would I pay attention to anyone else?"
Speaking of which, Liu Shang gently pulled Jiang Ruolin in front of him. His tone suddenly shifted as he stared into her eyes and said with utter seriousness, "Ruolin, in my life, no girl can ever take your place."
"Not in the future, not ever."
His words were filled with an incomparably pure and deep emotion, tinged with a hint of sadness.
This sentiment not only moved Jiang Ruolin but also made her heart ache for him.
With her eyes growing moist, Jiang Ruolin stepped forward and hugged Liu Shang tightly.
She rested her head in his arms and fell silent.
After a long time, Jiang Ruolin, still in his embrace, asked slowly, "Liu Shang, I heard you left the student union?"
"Did someone, or maybe a teacher at the school, say something to you?"
As Jiang Ruolin spoke, Liu Shang failed to notice the flash of coldness and sharpness in the eyes of the girl in his arms, who was usually so kind and gentle.
At this stage of their lives, Jiang Ruolin considered her love for Liu Shang her most precious treasure.
She would absolutely not tolerate anyone trying to sabotage it.
At this, Liu Shang just smiled. "After we parted ways this morning, I went to the student union to handle the withdrawal procedure."
"To be honest, I found the student union pretty boring."
"Besides, you know I've always been a selfish person. I think it's more worthwhile to spend my limited time and energy with you than to serve the public."
After listening to Liu Shang's explanation, the exceptionally intelligent Jiang Ruolin was skeptical, but she instantly changed the subject.
"Liu Shang, I'm going home this weekend to spend a couple of days with my parents."
"I'll be back to see you on Sunday afternoon. You'll be good and stay at school these two days, okay?"
As she spoke, Jiang Ruolin took Liu Shang's arm and shook it gently in a coquettish manner.
Liu Shang was amused by her playful antics. He affectionately pinched her little nose and nodded.
Afterward, Liu Shang saw Jiang Ruolin off in a taxi and then returned to his dormitory alone.
Meanwhile, Song Sha, Dong Hong, and Yang Dandan had also returned to their dorm.
Unsurprisingly, both Dong Hong and Yang Dandan had bought a mountain of snacks on the way back.
This scene made Song Sha frown and exclaim, "Hey! You two!"
"Didn't we just finish eating? Why did you buy so many snacks?"
"Aren't you afraid of gaining weight?"
Yang Dandan sighed at her words and flopped heavily onto her bed.
"This is all your fault for insisting on that Western-style barbecue."
"Dong Hong and I aren't very familiar with Western food, and we're clumsy with the knives and forks."
"Seeing how polite and elegant you all were, all we could do was watch and get anxious!"
Dong Hong, who was standing to the side, chimed in, "Exactly, exactly!"
"Actually, if it was just us with you and Ruolin, Song Sha, we'd have been fine."
"But Liu Shang... he's just too intimidating. How is it that he looks as comfortable eating Western food as we do in the school cafeteria?"
"Because of that, Dandan and I had to be extra careful with our knives and forks!"
Yang Dandan then complained with theatrical tears, "Ugh, the worst part is that the dishes Liu Shang ordered were genuinely delicious, and they looked so appetizing."
"Poor me, I'm still starving!!!"
"By the way, Song Sha, what do you think of Liu Shang?"
"I think he's a great match for Ruolin. Her taste is really good."
Hearing Yang Dandan's words, Song Sha let out a deep, cynical laugh.
"I admit, based on his performance today, there was nothing to find fault with."
"Whether it's his conversation or his composure, he was impressive."
"His choice of dishes at a Western restaurant and his familiarity with that environment surprised even me."
"But so what? That doesn't mean anything."
"He might be slightly better than other boys, but because of his upbringing and family background, there's still a huge gap between him and Jiang Ruolin."
"And that's a gap that a little bit of excellence can't possibly close."
"So, my opinion hasn't changed. Jiang Ruolin choosing a poor boy like Liu Shang is fundamentally a mistake."
"Their families aren't a match. They're from two different worlds!"
Speaking of this, Song Sha paused for effect, then gave Dong Hong and Yang Dandan a mysterious smile.
"Also, I have a bolder theory."
"Do you two want to hear it?"
Girls of this age are naturally curious and love to gossip.
Seeing Song Sha's expression, Dong Hong and Yang Dandan's interest was piqued. They moved closer, waiting for her next words.
Song Sha smiled and said mysteriously, "I found out about Liu Shang's family situation through a good friend of mine."
"Both of his parents are ordinary employees, and their workplace benefits are just average."
"With their family's financial condition, it's absolutely impossible for him to be so casual and natural with Western dining etiquette and in that kind of environment."
"Therefore, it's highly likely that Liu Shang's parents, hoping their son would make something of himself, have been meticulously training him, hoping he could find a better platform to change his own destiny."
"And judging by the results, they've succeeded."
"Liu Shang got into this university, gaining this platform and opportunity. Then, he successfully charmed Jiang Ruolin and became her boyfriend."
"If—and I mean *if*—the two of them could actually end up together, with Jiang Ruolin's family background, Liu Shang would save himself at least thirty years of struggle compared to his peers."
"He could go from being a poor boy straight to the top, marrying into wealth."
"Of course, the two of them are destined not to last. Most people, including me, are not optimistic about their chances."
Hearing Song Sha's analysis, understanding dawned on Dong Hong and Yang Dandan.
"Now that you mention it, Liu Shang's behavior today didn't seem like a typical freshman's at all."
"That's right, that's right. Hearing you say that, Song Sha, I'm suddenly realizing how scheming Liu Shang is!"
"It's actually kind of scary!"