Wen Qian was listening, captivated. Although Teacher Meng, who had previously taught the course, was also very knowledgeable about Beastmen, his teaching perspective was often biased toward humans.
This was the first time Wen Qian had seen someone like Gu Mian, who could analyze the three parties so accurately from an objective standpoint.
She felt Gu Mian's conclusions and perspective were clearer—or rather, more fair.
"Wen Qian, I heard you came with Professor Gu today?" Wen Qian was so engrossed that she jumped when Fan Lin whispered in her ear.
She was just about to deny it when Fan Lin pulled out her phone, opened the school forum, and gave her a look that said, 'Don't even try to lie to me.' At the top of the forum's homepage was a photo of her and Gu Mian. The man's black shirt and dress pants accentuated his slim, upright frame. His sleeves were neatly rolled up, and judging from the firm muscles of his forearms, he was in excellent shape…
"I have to say, you two look pretty good together." Fan Lin pursed her lips, a hint of sourness in her tone.
Wen Qian let out a long sigh. 'Of course this would happen.' But she still placated Fan Lin in a gentle tone. "The professor is handsome. Anyone standing next to him would look like a good match."
"Really…" Fan Lin frowned. She carefully studied the photo in the post, and after a moment, as if she had discovered something, her voice grew even more plaintive. "But he's smiling at you."
Gu Mian in the photo was indeed smiling. His handsome, refined features, paired with a gentle smile, would make anyone look twice.
Wen Qian clenched her fists. 'What's wrong with smiling?' she thought. 'Is there a law against it?!'
'If he insists on smiling, what am I supposed to do about it? It's not like I can jump up and sew his mouth shut!'
Fan Lin asked, "Qianqian, why did you stop talking?"
"Huh?" Wen Qian snapped back to reality and forced a laugh. 'I can't very well tell her I was just being disrespectful to her heartthrob in my head, can I?'
After calming herself, and in order to preserve her fragile "friendship" with Fan Lin, Wen Qian said earnestly, "But doesn't Professor Gu smile at everyone? When you asked him that question earlier, didn't he smile then, too?"
Fan Lin tried to recall. 'Did he? Why don't I remember that?'
'Then again, Professor Gu is polite to everyone and smiles often. The smile in the photo was a bit more noticeable, but… maybe it was just the angle?'
'Besides, the professor was only invited to teach last semester. He's only taught their class a handful of times, so they couldn't have had a chance to develop a relationship.'
'On top of that, in Fan Lin's mind, Wen Qian was always either reading or taking notes—the spitting image of a bookworm. A cool, gentlemanly man like him could never possibly like her.' A thought like that was enough to put Fan Lin in a good mood again.
She affectionately rested her head on Wen Qian's shoulder, her tone gentle. "Qianqian, you always make so much sense."
Wen Qian was a little surprised but didn't push her away. Their relationship wasn't nearly as close as Fan Lin's behavior suggested. Outside of class, the two rarely spoke. Wen Qian had even saved Fan Lin's contact name as "University A's Meal Ticket."
Wen Qian and Fan Lin had originally been roommates, but Fan Lin had lasted less than a week before filing a special application with the school to move out of the dorms. Normally, a freshman's application to live off-campus would almost certainly be rejected, but what could you do when Fan Lin's aunt was the vice president of University A? With that kind of connection, it was a done deal.
Fan Lin had originally looked down on the idea of being friends with Wen Qian. After all, her family was wealthy, she had powerful connections, and she'd been elected to the student council her freshman year on the strength of her looks and dancing skills. Wen Qian, to her, was utterly useless.
But later, Fan Lin had approached Wen Qian herself. Her student council work was too demanding, and she often couldn't finish her homework. For holiday events, she had to pull all-nighters for rehearsals. She needed a top student like Wen Qian to sign in for her and take notes in class, for which she paid Wen Qian a handsome sum.
'Earning money without even having to leave campus? Wen Qian couldn't be happier. So, even though she disliked Fan Lin, she indulged her. After all, her meal ticket had a right to be demanding!'
"Of course! Only someone as outstanding as you is worthy of our Professor Gu!" With that thought, Wen Qian's expression relaxed. 'Girls are such suckers for flattery… so easy to coax.'
Fan Lin replied, "Oh, stop, you're making me blush…"
DING DING DING…
When the class dismissal bell rang, Fan Lin finally fell silent.
She quickly snatched the notebook Wen Qian had been writing in, winked at her, and said, "Let me borrow this for a bit."
Wen Qian sighed in resignation, gave her a gesture to help herself, and turned to pack her own things.
She actually had questions for Gu Mian, too, but the lectern was completely swarmed with people, including many students from other majors. Wen Qian had no intention of fighting her way through that crowd.
It would take forever for her to squeeze through.
But Gu Mian was clearly used to this; he knew how to handle the crowd and managed to disperse everyone in under five minutes.
Wen Qian, however, wouldn't know that. She was in a hurry to grab a bite to eat before heading to her part-time job at the fast-food restaurant behind the school. She had already slipped out the classroom's back door while the crowd was still swarming Gu Mian.
To pay for her tuition, Wen Qian had taken on numerous part-time jobs. Besides signing in for people and doing their homework on campus, she'd also worked as an online typist, a tutor during school breaks, and a waitress at various restaurants. Wen Qian had even considered getting a driver's license to work as a designated driver, but she dropped the idea when she learned the registration fee alone was 5,000.
'That's right,' she thought. 'For me, a driver's license isn't a vocational skill, it's a luxury item!'
'Besides, with self-driving cars becoming a thing, it probably wouldn't be that useful anyway.'
...
The fast-food restaurant was packed on a weekday, without a single empty seat. Wen Qian navigated the narrow aisles, carrying trays back and forth.
This was the most popular restaurant in the vicinity. During mealtimes, countless customers would flock here to "check in" online, making it a trendy spot near University A.
Actually, Wen Qian had already given her notice to the manager two weeks ago. Her housing situation was resolved, and she had enough money for tuition. She didn't want to work herself to the bone anymore.
Besides, a job like this did nothing for her future career prospects. If it was just about making a living, she had far better options.
Unfortunately, the manager hadn't been able to find a suitable replacement, so the matter kept getting postponed.
Until today…
Wen Qian's eyes lit up. The girl in an apron at the cash register was a new face.
As if sensing Wen Qian's gaze, the girl looked up and gave her a friendly smile. She had delicate features and two large, sparkling eyes. She looked absolutely adorable.
"Qianqian, this young lady is new. I'll need you to show her the ropes," the manager said, waving Wen Qian over. Then he scratched his head sheepishly. "Once she's trained up, you don't need to come in starting tomorrow. I'll add two extra days' wages to your pay. Thanks for all your hard work."
Wen Qian replied, "Don't worry!"
'Wen Qian was secretly ecstatic. Two extra days' pay! What a pleasant surprise!'