When Tang Buyi heard that his daughter had suffered food poisoning from eating stinky tofu near the school, he flew into a rage and immediately called the city's police chief, Guo Zhengyang. He demanded that the street vendors' food be confiscated and tested, emphasizing that the lives of students should not be treated as a joke.
Guo Zhengyang was surprised to receive a call from Tang Buyi so late at night. He thought it might be another problem involving Tang Buyi's precious daughter, which was usually the only time Tang Buyi reached out to him. Knowing he couldn't afford to offend this influential figure, Guo Zhengyang answered the call right away.
"Mr. Tang, calling this late?" Guo Zhengyang asked.
"Old Guo, I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but there's something I need to bring to your attention," Tang Buyi said politely.
"Haha, Mr. Tang, no need to be so formal. What can I do for you?" Guo Zhengyang replied, trying to sound relaxed.
"It's like this—today, Tang Guo ate some snacks from a vendor near her school and ended up with food poisoning. Fortunately, those around her acted quickly; otherwise, she might not have made it. Old Guo, students are the future pillars of our country. How can such unsafe conditions be allowed near schools?" Tang Buyi's voice carried a mix of concern and frustration.
When Guo Zhengyang heard that Tang Guo had suffered food poisoning, he was shocked and quickly apologized. "Mr. Tang, this is our oversight. I sincerely apologize. I just learned about this earlier—there was a group food poisoning incident at Shimu University today."
"What? A group food poisoning incident?" Tang Buyi was stunned. He glanced at Ye Qiu and Lin Bao'er, wondering if they knew about this.
"Yes, it's quite alarming. Some unscrupulous vendors, in their greed, used spoiled tofu to make stinky tofu, which they then sold to students. Twelve students experienced varying degrees of food poisoning and are currently receiving treatment at the hospital. I just returned from the hospital after confirming that they are out of danger. I had no idea Miss Tang was also affected," Guo Zhengyang explained, his tone filled with regret.
Tang Buyi glanced gratefully at Ye Qiu. If it weren't for his timely intervention, who knows if Tang Guo might have ended up in the hospital too. He felt increasingly satisfied with Ye Qiu as a bodyguard—skilled in both combat and medicine, a true multi-talented individual. After learning from Guo Zhengyang that the vendor had already been detained, Tang Buyi decided not to pursue the matter further. With the wealth of the Tang family, they certainly didn't need to worry about compensation from a street vendor.
After hanging up the phone, Tang Buyi looked at Ye Qiu with deep gratitude. "Ye Qiu, I don't know how to thank you enough. If you need anything, just ask, and I'll do my best to fulfill it."
"Uncle Tang, there's no need to thank me. I was just doing my job," Ye Qiu responded with a smile, declining the offer. He couldn't think of anything he needed at the moment. His credit card still had a balance of 100,000 yuan, and with his simple lifestyle, that money would easily cover his expenses for four years of university.
Zheng Ru, who had been holding Tang Guo's hand and wiping away tears, also walked over to Ye Qiu. "Ye Qiu, I can't thank you enough. Your Uncle Tang and I have been so busy that we haven't been able to take proper care of Guo Guo, and now she's gotten sick from eating unclean food... Buyi, maybe I should come by every day to cook for them? My cooking may not be the best, but at least it's clean and safe."
Tang Guo was the apple of Tang Buyi's eye, and seeing how much Zheng Ru cared for her made him appreciate Zheng Ru even more. He smiled at her and said, "No need for that—you don't have the time. Just give her some extra pocket money so she can eat at better restaurants. I just don't understand why she'd want to eat that stuff in the first place."
Ye Qiu realized it was time for him to leave since this was a family moment. He excused himself and left the apartment. As he walked away, he couldn't help but think of Zheng Ru's guilty expression, and the suspicion he had been harboring about her grew stronger. He also recalled something that Wang Bo had hinted at before.
Later that night, Ye Qiu was sleeping soundly when his phone rang, waking him up. Seeing that the caller was Yang Le, Ye Qiu suddenly jumped out of bed. He had nearly forgotten—it was Saturday, the day when all the school clubs were recruiting new members. He had arranged with Yang Le and Li Dazhuang to meet at the main teaching building to recruit new members for the Archaeology Enthusiasts Club. But now he had overslept.
"Ye Qiu, you're not still in bed, are you? Dazhuang and I have already set up the booth, and Mr. Chen came by to check on us, but you're nowhere to be found. Get over here quick—Mr. Chen asked about you just now," Yang Le said over the phone, his voice almost drowned out by the loud background noise, indicating how lively the campus must be today.
"I'll be there in thirty minutes," Ye Qiu replied, quickly getting ready before hailing a taxi to the school.
As soon as Ye Qiu got out of the taxi at the school gate, he noticed that the atmosphere on campus was different from usual. The normally quiet campus was filled with laughter and chatter. In front of the main teaching building, it was like a bustling market, with stalls set up everywhere. Red banners fluttered in the breeze, adding to the festive atmosphere.
"Join the Computer Enthusiasts Association—We Welcome You!"
"Become the Star of the Stage—Hip-Hop Dance Club is Recruiting New Members!"
"Basketball Enthusiasts Wanted—No Amateurs Allowed!"
After searching for a while, Ye Qiu finally found the Archaeology Enthusiasts Club's booth. It consisted of two tables, a few chairs, and a box of bottled water. They had even forgotten to bring a banner. The scene reminded Ye Qiu of the cold reception he had received when he first joined the Archaeology Department.
"Hey, come check out the Archaeology Enthusiasts Club—we welcome your membership—"
"Archaeology Enthusiasts? What's so interesting about that?"
"We can explore the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization together. We can immerse ourselves in the cultural treasures painstakingly preserved by our ancestors. We can experience the beauty of ancient artifacts—"
"You're nuts. I think I'll join the Dance Club—there are more girls there."
"Please, hold on. Have you ever read *Ghost Blows Out the Light*?"
"Yeah, I've read it."
"Wouldn't you like to learn how to tomb raid like Hu Bayi, the protagonist?"
"Are you out of your mind?"
Ye Qiu watched as Li Dazhuang and Yang Le failed one after another, barely holding back his laughter. He walked over and asked, "How's it going?"
"See for yourself." Li Dazhuang tossed a stack of sweaty registration forms onto the table, grabbed a bottle of water, and gulped it down. Seeing other clubs' booths swarmed with students while they couldn't even get one to sign up was frustrating.
"We haven't recruited a single person. It seems like our club doesn't have much appeal. If I weren't majoring in archaeology, I wouldn't join this club myself," Yang Le said with a wry smile. "Ke Xin went to visit her relatives yesterday. She said she'll come by later."
Ye Qiu picked up the stack of forms that Li Dazhuang had thrown on the table. "Let me give it a shot."
"Go ahead. You're handsome, so maybe you can lure a few lovesick girls to join," Yang Le joked, patting Ye Qiu on the shoulder.
After trying several times, Ye Qiu had to admit that being handsome wasn't much help. It didn't fill his stomach, swipe a card, or attract a few girls to their club. Every time he approached a student and started to explain, they'd catch sight of the "Archaeology Enthusiasts Club Membership Application Form" in his hand and bolt.
The three of them were bored, slumped over the table, watching the girls from the Hip-Hop Dance Club across the way perform lively dances. Suddenly, a pair of slender, pale hands appeared in front of them.
"I want to join."
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8