The band on the small stage performed with great enthusiasm, and several band members, with their long hair cascading, exuded a modern hard rock style.
On the left side of the stage was a makeshift bar, where drinks were freely available, while on the right was a cold food area offering some Western-style snacks.
The small dance floor in front of the stage was crowded with wildly gyrating men and women, their movements appearing somewhat surreal under the illumination of the laser lights. Both the bar and the cold food area were packed with people.
"Hey, Candice, long time no see..."
"Hey, Candice, come over here quickly, let me introduce you to a few friends."
Apparently, Candice seemed to be quite popular among the girls' group, as soon as they entered the hall, several girls greeted her successively.
Candice let go of Jin Muchen's hand. "You go and grab something to eat over there. I'll go say hello to a few friends."
Candice smiled at Jin Muchen, who nodded and walked towards the cold food area.
To be honest, after a day's work at the distribution center, he was already famished. Although he had eaten quite a bit for lunch, his appetite now was extraordinary.
Arriving at the cold food area, he saw that there were mostly Western-style snacks, beautifully decorated but mostly sweet in taste. Trying to fill his stomach with these delicacies alone would probably not suffice for Jin Muchen.
However, eating a bit would at least ease his hunger.
Jin Muchen picked up a plate and filled it with several pieces of snacks, then retreated to a corner. Soon, he finished them all and made a few more trips back and forth to the food area, finally managing to fill his stomach somewhat.
Looking up again towards where Candice had just gone, he saw her holding a beer, chatting happily with a few girls.
As if sensing his gaze, Candice glanced in his direction, their eyes meeting briefly in the air. Candice raised the beer in her hand and smiled faintly at him.
The people beside Candice also noticed her gaze and turned their eyes in his direction. When they saw him, their eyes lit up.
With his black hair, healthy wheat-colored complexion, tall stature, and well-defined facial features, Jin Muchen, clad simply in a plaid shirt and jeans, exuded a sunny aura that couldn't be concealed.
Especially when he smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting, along with his black hair and the clearly visible collarbone line revealed under the open collar, as well as his sturdy chest muscles, instantly added a touch of recklessness to his demeanor.
One of the girls with brown hair couldn't help but smile and turn to ask Candice, "Where did you find such a handsome guy? Why haven't we seen him on campus before?"
Another girl with red hair chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, Candice, you always say that you moved out of the campus dorms this semester because of him, right?"
The girls' disguised compliments evidently pleased Candice, but she didn't explicitly say, "Hehe, actually, he was on campus before, you just didn't notice him."
"By the way, where is he from? Is he Chinese or Korean?"
"Well, he's definitely not Japanese. Heli, didn't you used to date a Japanese boyfriend? Haha, the two of them are so different in temperament!"
"Don't mention that guy. Whenever I think of him, I feel nauseous. Clearly a man, but likes to do eyebrow shaping and eyeliner like a woman, and even likes to wear capri pants. Oh my god! Please don't let me see that guy again."
"Don't digress, Candice, be honest, what's the background of this guy?"
The girls chattered incessantly, but it was clear that Candice was pleased with their attitude after they saw Jin Muchen.
"He's Chinese."
"Oh my god!"
"Haha, I guessed it right. He's definitely Chinese, from the mainland, right?"
"Then he must be from a red aristocratic family?"
"Yes, he must be from a wealthy family."
Several girls surrounded Candice, chattering incessantly, but the center of their conversation always revolved around Jin Muchen's background and origins.
Candice, however, pretended to be mysterious, not revealing any details to them, knowing these girls too well. If she divulged Jin Muchen's details, tomorrow the news about her and Jin Muchen would spread like wildfire, especially since there were many privacy-related issues involved.
"Oh, Candice, have you slept with him?"
"Yeah, I heard that Asian guys have very small..."
"Can he satisfy you?"
The girls, having had quite a bit to drink, became more unrestrained in their conversation, and soon, several sharp questions made Candice blush.
"Enough, you bunch of little hussies. Remember, I'm a devout Catholic, and some topics should not be crossed."
"Hehe! Crossed? What are you girls talking about so happily? Mind if I join in? Hey, Candice, long time no see."
As she spoke, a charming figure emerged from behind everyone, clad in a red short-sleeved top paired with simple jeans. She wasn't very tall, but her golden hair, paired with her doll-like exquisite face and the two high mounds under the red top, immediately captured the attention of most of the surrounding boys.
This girl could be described as exceptionally beautiful, and compared to many other Western girls with large pores, her delicate skin could definitely be called refined.
Though not tall, her figure was curvaceous, coupled with golden hair and sweet features, she was the epitome of the standard American sweetheart in the minds of countless Americans.
Although Jin Muchen was far away, he also recognized this girl, the pretty girl who used to hang out frequently with Candice.
At that time, their relationship seemed very good, often coming and going together, eating, going to the library, and attending classes together. Every time they appeared together at an event, it could definitely be considered a beautiful sight.
However, this time, he clearly noticed that Candice seemed somewhat unnatural when facing this girl again.
"Hi, Helen, long time no see."
"Helen, when did you arrive?"
"Oh, Helen, where's your Popeye?"
The girls around were all giggling and saying hello to Helen, except for Candice, who just nodded coldly at Helen without saying a word.
Helen immediately became the center of attention, and several girls quickly surrounded her, chattering away. However, this time, their conversation shifted to the recent fashion trends.
Candice quietly squeezed out of their circle and soon came to Jin Muchen's side.
"Why did you come over? Aren't you friends with that girl? I used to see you two together on campus all the time."
Jin Muchen asked Candice, while Candice took a small sip from the paper cup of beer.
"Yes, we used to be very close friends, but we haven't been friends since a few months ago."
It was evident that Candice was feeling miserable at this moment, and Jin Muchen didn't dare to inquire further. He quickly set down his tray and pulled Candice aside to another corner to get a beer.
"So, not going down to dance?"
Candice raised her chin and gestured towards the dance floor below, asking Jin Muchen.
As Jin Muchen looked at the gyrating figures below, he turned to Candice and asked, "Do you think they're really dancing down there?"
Candice chuckled, "That's not dancing. What do you think they're doing?"
"I think it's more like gorillas in heat!"
"Pfft!"
Unable to hold it in, Candice spat out the beer she had just sipped.
"You rascal! Your mouth is really sharp!"
She lightly punched Jin Muchen's shoulder, while Jin Muchen raised his hands, swaying his head and body around, shaking here and there, and said to Candice, "How about that? Don't you think so? Don't tell me you haven't watched the Discovery Channel. There's an episode about African gorillas, and when they're in heat, they seem to dance like this in front of the opposite sex."
"Oh, come on, you scoundrel!"
Candice couldn't stop laughing, her mood that was a bit down just now vanished completely.
"Hey! What are you guys talking about, so cheerful?"
A clear voice sounded in Jin Muchen's ears, and he quickly stopped his dance moves. When he looked over, Candice had stopped laughing, but she was looking at something behind him with a complicated expression.
Turning around, he saw Candice's former good friend Helen standing behind them, accompanied by a tall, handsome white young man who was now staring at Jin Muchen with a somewhat provocative look.
Candice's gaze towards the white young man was also complex, and without much thought, one could tell that there must have been some history between Candice and that white young man.
At this moment, the standard American sweetheart-like beauty approached them with a smile.
"Hey, Candice, I just chatted with Halle for a while, why did you leave? It's been a long time since we've seen each other! How have you been lately? And who's this? Your new boyfriend?"
Although the beauty was smiling, Jin Muchen could clearly sense the mocking and disdainful tone in her voice. It seemed that there was definitely some unpleasant history between these two girls.
Moreover, this American sweetheart definitely didn't come with good intentions!