It was not only the day for freshmen at Donghai University and the College of Finance to register; almost all universities in Suzhou Province were having their registration on this day. The bus station was full of students, who, under the hot sun, carried their luggage and waited in line to exit the station. They were already feeling irritable.
But when Xiao Rongyu cried out, these soon-to-be college students, who looked innocent but were curious at heart, suddenly became excited, as if they had stumbled upon a major piece of gossip.
Xiao Rongyu was beautiful, and her appearance while looking aggrieved was pitifully charming;
Chen Hansheng, with his sunglasses on, had an unclear face, but his tall frame suggested he wasn't bad-looking;
Wang Zibo, dark-skinned and standing awkwardly on the side, was clearly not the main character and could be ignored.
So everyone's eyes focused on Chen Hansheng and Xiao Rongyu. These young minds, fresh from the college entrance exam and still riding the wave of teenage emotion, immediately imagined a story of a heartless man abandoning a devoted girl just based on the words, "You promised my dad you'd look after me."
Chen Hansheng became anxious as soon as he heard this. How did a simple joke turn serious? He hurriedly whispered, "Don't cry, there are so many people here."
Xiao Rongyu, in fact, hadn't shed many tears; she was just angry and flustered. But she didn't want to forgive Chen Hansheng so easily, not even for a joke.
Xiao Rongyu wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and turned away without speaking.
Jianye, known as one of the "Four Furnaces" in the country, was still in the sweltering end of summer on September 1st. Xiao Rongyu, sulking and unwilling to move, didn't bother Chen Hansheng. But he, tired of standing under the sun, rubbed his hot scalp and sighed, "Let's get moving. That shout of yours might make people think we're involved, and that could affect my chances of finding a girlfriend later."
"What?!"
Xiao Rongyu suddenly looked up, disbelief written on her face. Was this the classmate she had known for three years, her admirer?
Look at that—was that something a human would say?!
She had been crying, yet Chen Hansheng was worried about not finding a girlfriend in the future.
Chen Hansheng was startled when Xiao Rongyu glared at him so suddenly but then felt it was unnecessary—after all, she had rejected him before.
"Alright then, I'll walk you to the train station and make sure you get on the bus. Is that enough?" Chen Hansheng said, clearly still intent on teasing Xiao Rongyu.
"Still going to leave me behind?!"
Xiao Rongyu was furious, her breathing noticeably quickened.
"Not speaking means you don't oppose. I'll help you with your luggage to the station," Chen Hansheng said, reaching to pick up Xiao Rongyu's bag. But before he could, she grabbed his wrist and, without another word, bit down on it.
"Hey!" Chen Hansheng shouted involuntarily.
Xiao Rongyu didn't hold back at all, her face flushed with anger. Chen Hansheng felt the sharp pain in his arm but couldn't hit back or push her away for fear of hurting her.
Meanwhile, the watching students cheered and hollered.
"Good one!"
"Bite him hard!"
"Teach that heartbreaker a lesson!"
The onlookers, seeing the beautiful and pitiful Xiao Rongyu, naturally sided with her, casting Chen Hansheng, with his sunglasses, as the heartless man.
"Ugh, a modern-day Chen Shimei!"
"No good student would wear sunglasses; he must be a thug. Such a shame for a pretty girl."
"Tragic beauty indeed."
Even parents accompanying their children took the opportunity to give advice: "See that? This is what early relationships get you. When you go to university, focus on studying—no dating!"
Chen Hansheng didn't dare take off his sunglasses now and even decided he would never wear this outfit again, for fear that the "Heartless Guy at the Bus Station" label would follow him throughout his college life. How could he possibly enjoy life then?
But Xiao Rongyu's strength was limited, and Chen Hansheng's skin was tough. Even though her jaw ached from biting, his arm didn't bleed, only bearing deep teeth marks that wouldn't fade for a while.
Wang Zibo stood in a daze the whole time, struggling to understand why the goddess of Port City No. 1 High School could do something like biting someone in public. But on second thought, maybe it was because Chen Hansheng was simply too infuriating.
When anger finds an outlet, it eventually cools down. While biting, Xiao Rongyu felt furious, but as she calmed down, she started to feel disbelief, especially with so many onlookers around. Her heart began to pound.
Looking at the teeth marks on Chen Hansheng's arm, Xiao Rongyu felt a pang of guilt. Chen Hansheng had every right to find a girlfriend; why get so angry?
"Xiao Chen..." Xiao Rongyu looked up with teary eyes, unsure whether to apologize or say something else.
Unexpectedly, Chen Hansheng looked at her for a moment and then smiled, "Feeling better now?"
Xiao Rongyu first shook her head, then nodded. Wang Zibo quickly intervened, "Alright, alright, it's over. Let's get out of the station first."
Wang Zibo picked up most of the luggage, and Chen Hansheng also carried some. Xiao Rongyu, with only a small backpack, followed as the three walked away under the watchful eyes of many.
As the main characters left, the crowd dispersed, and the bus station returned to its usual hustle and bustle.
Outside the station was a complex intersection and an overpass. Watching the endless flow of traffic, both Wang Zibo and Xiao Rongyu felt lost and had no choice but to follow Chen Hansheng.
Wang Zibo, being more reserved, worried that more drama might unfold and tentatively asked, "Xiao Chen, where are we going now?"
"To get lunch. Aren't you hungry?" Chen Hansheng replied.
"Then we should go to Longevity Lake Park in the afternoon. We can't leave Rongyu behind," Wang Zibo urged.
Chen Hansheng rubbed the teeth marks on his arm and nonchalantly agreed, "We can take her along."
Wang Zibo, relieved, turned to Xiao Rongyu, "See? Xiao Chen agreed to come with us."
Xiao Rongyu first smiled but then felt a pang of sadness. She glanced at Chen Hansheng's back. That show-off had even bought a paper fan for 10 yuan at the Longevity Lake Park tourist center earlier.
He walked with a carefree stride, sunglasses on, fanning himself—the epitome of doing whatever made him happy.
"Hah, men!" Xiao Rongyu sighed inwardly. Chen Hansheng had once valued her greatly, but ever since she had rejected him, she could clearly feel her importance in his heart diminishing.
Now, it could be said, she held almost no place at all.
For the first time, the 18-year-old Xiao Rongyu experienced the heartlessness and indifference of Chen Hansheng. She thought today was the worst of it, but it was just the beginning...