The girl felt a bit puzzled and somewhat frustrated.
Back at school, she was at least considered the campus beauty of her department and was always well-received by the boys. Yet now, on this train, she'd met a guy who matched her taste, and not only did he fail to show enthusiasm, but he was also particularly cold toward her. This was something she wasn't used to and found quite unpleasant.
Liao Zhiyong smiled and said, "From your accent, you don't sound like you're from Chongqing. Are you here for a visit?"
Xu Xiuwen smiled and shook his head. "I'm indeed not from Chongqing. I'm here accompanying my girlfriend back home."
Liao Zhiyong had already noticed the quiet Tang Weiwei sitting beside Xu Xiuwen, engrossed in her book. He didn't want to interrupt her since she seemed so focused, but he'd been curious about her relationship with Xu Xiuwen. Now that he heard Xu Xiuwen's words, everything made sense to him.
A guy as good-looking and charming as Xu Xiuwen should naturally be with a beautiful and sweet girl. A perfect match, no less.
Usually, when a guy hears that a very attractive girl already has a boyfriend, he'd feel at least a tinge of disappointment. Not because he necessarily liked her, but because of the instinctive possessiveness toward the opposite sex ingrained in men's genes.
However, when Liao Zhiyong heard Xu Xiuwen's words, he didn't feel the slightest bit of disappointment. Of course, it wasn't because Tang Weiwei wasn't pretty enough—it was simply because she wasn't his type.
On the contrary, the girl sitting beside him, the one who had been somewhat cold to him, made his heart race with just one glance.
In all these years, he'd never experienced this kind of feeling before.
At this moment, the girl sitting beside Liao Zhiyong suddenly extended her hand toward Xu Xiuwen and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Leng Rou, a junior at Sichuan Conservatory of Music."
If Xu Xiuwen's previous indifference was understandable, now that the girl had taken the initiative to introduce herself and even extended her hand, ignoring her would just be too rude.
Reluctantly, Xu Xiuwen extended his hand and shook hers briefly.
Leng Rou was, in fact, very beautiful, and her voice was quite pleasant too.
But Xu Xiuwen had seen plenty of beautiful women and wasn't the kind to develop feelings for just anyone. He wasn't that fickle.
His attention was mostly focused on Liao Zhiyong.
"Liao Zhiyong, what's your major?"
Liao Zhiyong smiled and replied, "I'm studying Public Administration. I'm a junior now and will start my senior year next semester."
"Have you decided on a company for your senior-year internship?"
It was common for college students to intern during their senior year, so Xu Xiuwen asked casually.
"My advisor has recommended a few companies, but I haven't decided whether to go or not," Liao Zhiyong replied.
"Oh? Is it because the companies aren't good enough?"
Liao Zhiyong scratched his head awkwardly. "Not really. The companies are all pretty decent."
"Then why not go?"
Liao Zhiyong hesitated before saying, "It's just that I want to see the world outside. I've never been out of Sichuan and Chongqing my whole life. If it doesn't work out, I can always come back."
"Do you have a specific place in mind?"
Liao Zhiyong shook his head. "I haven't decided yet."
Xu Xiuwen wanted to continue the conversation but was interrupted by Leng Rou.
Leng Rou had been feeling unhappy. She had introduced herself to Xu Xiuwen earlier, yet besides shaking her hand, he hadn't said a single word to her. So, while the two were chatting, she couldn't help but interject.
"Xu Xiuwen, which university are you from? What year are you in?"
Xu Xiuwen turned his head to glance at Leng Rou. His gaze was calm, which made Leng Rou's heart skip a beat. But he quickly replied, "I'm a first-year student at Jinling Jiaoda Jiangling College."
"Jinling Jiaoda?" Leng Rou clearly only caught the first part of his sentence.
Xu Xiuwen guessed she might have misunderstood and clarified, "It's not the main campus of Jiaoda you're thinking of. My school is just an affiliated branch, a third-tier college."
"Oh."
Leng Rou didn't show any disdain upon hearing that Xu Xiuwen was from a third-tier college. Instead, she suddenly smiled and said, "So, in that case, I'm two years ahead of you. I guess that makes me your senior?"
A row of imaginary black lines appeared on Xu Xiuwen's forehead.
"Uh, I don't think that counts. We're not even from the same school."
"Why wouldn't it count? I'm two years older than you," Leng Rou said, her mood suddenly improving. "Come on, call me senior!"
It was clear that Leng Rou was teasing him and taking advantage of the situation.
Although Xu Xiuwen didn't really mind, he wasn't so quick to oblige.
As he hesitated, Liao Zhiyong said to Leng Rou, "Leng Rou, we're in the same year, you know."
Leng Rou's attitude toward Liao Zhiyong was much colder. She nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Xu Xiuwen thought for a moment. After all, calling her "senior" wouldn't cost him anything, so he relented.
"Senior Leng Rou, is that good enough?"
"Haha… Good boy, junior," Leng Rou replied with a wide grin, clearly delighted.
Xu Xiuwen rolled his eyes at her and ignored her, turning back to Liao Zhiyong. "Brother Liao, where do you want to intern?"
The "Brother Liao" caught Liao Zhiyong off guard. He froze for a moment before replying, "I want to head south."
"Shanghai?"
"Shanghai would be fine."
Xu Xiuwen continued chatting with Liao Zhiyong. They talked about all sorts of topics, with Xu Xiuwen even asking about his grades.
Liao Zhiyong was quite straightforward by nature. He answered all of Xu Xiuwen's questions honestly.
After some time, Xu Xiuwen gained a better understanding of Liao Zhiyong.
Before they knew it, it was already noon.
The train attendants began pushing carts through the carriages, selling goods one section at a time.
When the cart reached their area, Liao Zhiyong stopped it, intending to buy instant noodles for lunch.
He enthusiastically asked Xu Xiuwen and his group if they wanted anything.
Xu Xiuwen and Tang Weiwei had already eaten before boarding, so he smiled and waved his hand to decline.
Liao Zhiyong then turned to ask Leng Rou.
Although Leng Rou hadn't eaten lunch, she also refused. "Skipping one meal won't starve me to death," she said casually.
She had no intention of eating instant noodles in a cramped train carriage filled with all kinds of smells. She simply couldn't stomach it.
Seeing that none of the three wanted anything, Liao Zhiyong didn't overthink it. He bought his instant noodles and got up to head to the water station.
After Liao Zhiyong left, Xu Xiuwen's gaze accidentally met Leng Rou's from across the seat. Leng Rou had been watching him the entire time, which made Xu Xiuwen's heart skip a beat.
He wasn't self-absorbed enough to think the girl liked him. Instead, he guessed it might be because of his earlier indifference, which could have left her feeling upset.
Still, Xu Xiuwen didn't intend to explain or apologize. So, he simply looked away.
Turning his head, his eyes landed on Tang Weiwei, sitting beside him. She was still reading her book, completely engrossed.
She was truly diligent, holding a book on computer science and reading it with full focus, not stopping for even a moment.
Xu Xiuwen couldn't do that. Even when reading novels, he needed to take breaks every now and then before continuing.
But he had to admit, Tang Weiwei looked stunning while reading.
Sunlight streamed into the carriage through the window, illuminating her face. The fine hairs on her cheeks were visible under the light, yet her delicate features remained flawless, without a single blemish.
Coupled with her soft and gentle personality, she was utterly irresistible.
Xu Xiuwen found himself staring at her for a long time.
Eventually, Tang Weiwei noticed and couldn't help but blush. She turned to look at him and asked softly, "Xu Xiuwen, why are you staring at me?"
Xu Xiuwen replied bluntly, "Because you're beautiful."
Tang Weiwei's cheeks turned even redder at his words.
"But you can't keep staring at me like that. How am I supposed to keep reading?"
Xu Xiuwen smiled and said, "Then don't read for now. Take a break and let me admire you a little longer."
Tang Weiwei hadn't expected Xu Xiuwen to be so shameless.
She protested softly, "That's not fair."
"Heh, I say it's fair. Don't move—sit still like a good girl."
Just then, Tang Weiwei suddenly noticed the girl across from them had been watching her intently.
The look in the girl's eyes made her feel flustered, and she quickly lowered her head.
Leng Rou, observing the way Xu Xiuwen and Tang Weiwei spoke to each other, was slightly surprised. She became even more curious about their relationship.
They didn't quite seem like a couple, but there was definitely something between them.
Leng Rou blinked and asked, "Xu Xiuwen, aren't you going to introduce the girl next to you?"
Xu Xiuwen glanced at Leng Rou and thought to himself, Why should I? What does this have to do with you?
Before he could say anything, Tang Weiwei quickly spoke up in a flustered voice, "Hello, my name is Tang Weiwei."
Leng Rou smiled and replied, "Hi, I'm Leng Rou."
After a brief pause, she added, "Wow, you're so beautiful! How is your skin so flawless? What brand of skincare products do you use?"
"Thank you for the compliment, but I don't use skincare products," Tang Weiwei replied earnestly.
She didn't realize that, though her words were entirely true, the truth could sometimes be infuriating—just like now.
Leng Rou was stunned upon hearing Tang Weiwei's words.
For a moment, she couldn't tell if Tang Weiwei was being evasive or deliberately showing off. She leaned toward the latter.
Xu Xiuwen interjected, "What Weiwei said is true. She never uses skincare products."
Hearing this, Leng Rou finally realized Tang Weiwei wasn't lying.
Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but her skin was flawless too?
Leng Rou glanced at Tang Weiwei with deep envy.
Just then, Liao Zhiyong returned, carrying a cup of instant noodles.
As soon as Leng Rou saw the noodles and caught a whiff of the aroma, she frowned.
Out of sight, out of mind—she turned her gaze toward the window.
Xu Xiuwen, on the other hand, didn't mind. Eating instant noodles on a train was a common sight, after all.
Many passengers in the car were already enjoying their instant noodles, and the air was filled with the smell of seasoning.
To be honest, it wasn't particularly pleasant. But this was simply part of the train experience in this era.
And honestly, even ten years from now, there would still be people eating instant noodles on high-speed trains.
Before digging in, Liao Zhiyong turned to Leng Rou and asked, "Leng Rou, are you sure you don't want some? If you do, I'll give you this one and go buy another."
The smell alone had already killed Leng Rou's appetite. She replied coldly, "I don't want it."
"Alright then."
Liao Zhiyong began eating. The hot water made the noodles scalding, so after one bite, he had to set the cup down to let it cool a bit before continuing.
Once he finished eating, he left the empty cup on the table.
Leng Rou sneered, "Could you at least throw it away after eating? Leaving it here—how do you expect others to sit?"
"My bad, I didn't think of that."
Liao Zhiyong quickly apologized and hurried to the trash can with the empty cup.
The train continued navigating through the complex terrain of the Sichuan-Chongqing region.
Xu Xiuwen turned to Tang Weiwei and asked, "Weiwei, do you want to take a nap?"
Tang Weiwei gently shook her head. "I'm not sleepy yet."
"Alright then, I'll take a nap. Wake me up when we're almost there."
"Sure, go ahead and rest."
Xu Xiuwen leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest, but he couldn't fall asleep sitting upright.
Seeing this, Tang Weiwei said, "Xu Xiuwen, why don't we switch seats? You can nap leaning on the table; it might be more comfortable."
Their row had three seats. Tang Weiwei sat by the window, Xu Xiuwen was in the middle, and a middle-aged woman occupied the aisle seat.
Xu Xiuwen thought for a moment before agreeing.
If the person on the aisle had been a middle-aged man, Xu Xiuwen wouldn't have agreed—his possessiveness was just that strong.
After switching seats, Xu Xiuwen leaned on the table and quickly fell asleep.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was 3 p.m.
With less than ten minutes until the train arrived, Tang Weiwei gently woke Xu Xiuwen.
Xu Xiuwen rubbed his eyes and stretched.
"What time is it?" he asked casually.
"It's 3 o'clock. We're almost there," Tang Weiwei replied.
"Alright."
Sitting across from them, Liao Zhiyong was delighted to see Xu Xiuwen wake up.
Earlier, while Xu Xiuwen was sleeping, Liao Zhiyong had tried striking up conversations with Leng Rou multiple times. But Leng Rou remained cold and unresponsive throughout, showing no interest in engaging with him. This left Liao Zhiyong both anxious and helpless.
Now that Xu Xiuwen was awake, Liao Zhiyong immediately asked, "Xu Xiuwen, where is your girlfriend from?"
"You'd have to ask her. I can't explain it clearly myself."
At this moment, Tang Weiwei wasn't reading. She softly replied, "I'm from Wumu Town, Zhong County."
Liao Zhiyong eagerly said, "I'm from HC District."
Then, he turned to Leng Rou and asked, "Leng Rou, which district are you from?"
Leng Rou responded indifferently, "I'm from YZ District."
"That's close! Leng Rou, let's exchange numbers. When school starts, we can travel together. I can even help you carry your suitcase. What do you think?"
Without hesitation, Leng Rou declined, "No need. I can manage on my own, and I don't have a phone."
"Oh, I see. Alright then," Liao Zhiyong replied, clearly disappointed but unable to do anything about it.
At this point, Xu Xiuwen suddenly spoke up.
"Brother Liao, if you decide to intern in the south and can't find a suitable position right away, you can come to my company."
Liao Zhiyong froze in surprise.
Even Leng Rou looked stunned.
After a moment, Liao asked, "Your company? Aren't you just a freshman? Are you interning already?"
Xu Xiuwen chuckled and explained, "Not an internship. It's my own company—a film and television production company. We happen to be looking for someone with administrative management expertise."
Liao Zhiyong hesitated upon hearing this, a conflicted expression appearing on his face.
"What's wrong?" Xu Xiuwen asked with a smile.
"A small company doesn't really need a professional in administrative management. It feels like a waste."
From his expression and words, it was clear to Xu Xiuwen that Liao was politely declining.
The reason wasn't hard to guess—he likely thought Xu Xiuwen's company was small and didn't want to settle for less.
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