"Isn't that just the worst? To think she lost such a great job at Yueronghua Corporation. It's honestly so tragic!"
Mashouzi shook his head with a sigh, lamenting, "Afterward, Lin Xuerou's parents scraped together some money from here and there, borrowing bits from everyone. They started a small shop selling cold drinks and light refreshments, barely managing to make ends meet and still sending her to university."
Chu Nan actually felt some sympathy for the Lin Family at this point, but this information wasn't particularly helpful to him. Still hopeful, he asked, "Apart from her name, Lin Xuerou, does she have any nicknames or aliases?"
"I really wouldn't know that! Even if she did, I couldn't just go and ask, could I?"
Mashouzi spread his hands, looking at the table now empty of meat skewers, all devoured by Chu Nan, leaving only bamboo sticks behind. He patted his slender face and brazenly asked, "So, are you full? You want some more?"
Chu Nan truly wanted some more, but seeing that the skewers weren't cheap and this meal had already cost him seventy to eighty yuan, he thought better of it and said, "That's about enough, eating too much at night isn't good."
"Uh, right, eating too much at night can make you slim. Look at me, I'm just like this because I eat too much in the evenings!"
Mashouzi, pinching his fleshless face, said with a sigh, "Let's go, don't you want to learn more about Lin Xuerou? Let's sit at her family's cold drink shop!"
Chu Nan was startled, then thought to himself that it made sense, and followed Mashouzi, walking forward about three hundred meters until a shabby little storefront came into view.
"Lin Xuerou's family's cold drink shop is right here. We—Oh my, what's going on here?"
Mashouzi had just started to speak when he suddenly stopped, staring at the shop in front of him with surprise.
At the entrance of the shop stood a middle-aged woman who bore a resemblance to Lin Xuerou but appeared much more haggard, as she was closing the roll-up door.
Inside the cold drink shop, it was a mess; many tables and chairs had been knocked over, and the glass counter was shattered, giving the appearance of having been ransacked.
"Auntie, why are you closing up so early?"
Mashouzi approached with a puzzled look on his face. The cold drink shop usually stayed open very late since many students came out to buy snacks at night, and Lin Xuerou's parents, in their effort to support the family, usually were among the last to close up.
"I'm sorry, student, we're not open for business today."
Mother Lin nodded with a bitter smile, struggling to pull the roll-up door down with a long-handled iron hook, but it just wouldn't budge. She almost fell over in the process.
"Let me help!"
Seeing this, Chu Nan went over, leaped up, and with a single tug, pulled the old roll-up door down with ease, which emitted a grating metal-on-metal sound. He figured this woman must be Hua Hua's mother. Although Chu Nan wanted to call off the engagement, helping out was no bother at all.
Mother Lin's expression was somewhat dim, yet she still politely thanked him, secured the roll-up door with a bow, and walked toward the inner house, disappearing inside the living quarters.
"Looking at the situation, it seems like something happened?"
Chu Nan, noting Mother Lin's unusual demeanor, couldn't help but ask in a soft voice.
"I have no idea. Could they have been harassed by some punks?"
Mashouzi too looked baffled, shrugging as he said, "The auntie just now was Lin Xuerou's mother. I had originally planned to familiarize you with the place, but it seems we'll have to wait until next time now. Let's head back!"
"Alright then!"
Chu Nan realized he really couldn't find any more clues, so he had no choice but to follow Mashouzi back to the dormitory, quickly wash up, and retire early to bed.
The long and tiring journey finally led him to a place of rest, and the fatigue of his entire body dissipated with his dreams...
The next day, Chu Nan got up bright and early and woke up Mashouzi, who was still lost in a pleasant dream, preparing to go find the gatekeeper to handle his paperwork.
"Is it already daylight?"
Mashouzi was very reluctant to get up early, but in order to keep Chu Nan around, he still managed to muster the energy to get out of bed. Like a wandering spirit, he grabbed a pack of cigarettes and groggily made his way to the building manager's office.
"Uncle Zhou, this is the good buddy I mentioned to you last night. He needs a certificate for auditing classes. Surely someone as resourceful as you can sort that out, right?"
Mashouzi deftly slipped the cigarettes into Uncle Zhou's jacket pocket and then, with a laugh, gestured towards Chu Nan, who was following behind.
"Hmm?"
Uncle Zhou took out his reading glasses and looked Chu Nan over carefully. Although he appeared young and didn't seem like a bad person, he still glared with suspicion and interrogated him like a criminal: "What's your name? Have you ever done anything bad? Do you have a criminal record at the police station?"
"My name is Chu Nan, sir. Do I look like I would do bad things with such a kind face?"
Chu Nan couldn't help but feel a mix of annoyance and amusement as he spread his hands and said, "I even avoid picking up coins that fall on the ground, let alone go to the police station. I've only ever been there to get an ID card and that's it!"
Despite saying this, Chu Nan silently added to himself that he was often wanted by various organizations in the Middle East, but in his home country, he was indeed an upstanding citizen!
"What did you say? Your name is Choo Nan?!"
Uncle Zhou was taken aback, thinking the young man was messing with him.
"It's Chu, as in Chu Mengyao, and Nan, as in the wood," said Mashouzi, quickly jumping in to explain. "It's the same surname as the female lead in that TV drama you watch every day and adore so much! At first glance, you can tell he's a good person!"
"Oh, cut the crap! Every time I think of that drama, it annoys me. I turned to reading the book instead, and now I've fallen too deep into it. Over ten million words, how long will this old man have to read, huh?"
Uncle Zhou sighed and bantered: "Enough babbling, get to the point. Why does he need to audit classes?"
"Heh heh!"
Mashouzi scratched his head embarrassingly and made up a story: "Actually, my buddy comes from a poor village and has dreamt of studying at a university. But since his family is too poor to afford the tuition, it would be really nice if you could help him out!"
"Writing you a note is no problem, but you guys need to pay attention and not make things difficult for me!"
Uncle Zhou glared at Mashouzi, quickly wrote a few lines on a piece of paper, and handed it over saying, "Take this and go find my cousin thrice removed. He's the head of the school security department. When you see him, tell him Third Master sent you to get procedures for campus access and auditing sorted out. Then go to the student office and get a stamp, and you'll be set."
"Thanks, Uncle Zhou! We won't disturb your reading any longer!"
Mashouzi cheerfully took the note, winked at Chu Nan, and the two of them quickly left the office and exited the dormitory building.
Seeing that time was not on their side, the two jogged along, but they didn't forget to enjoy the vibrant campus scenes and the many diverse young women along the way.
Watching the students in their uniforms and short skirts, clutching books and frolicking along the shady paths, Chu Nan couldn't help but feel an odd sense of contentment. It seems being a student has its own happiness!