**After a night of heavy drinking, Jiang Chen and his roommates crashed hard, only to be jolted awake by frantic pounding on their door.**
"Jiang Chen! Open up!"
"Who the hell is it?!" Luo Peng groaned, dragging himself out of bed. He yanked the door open to find a neighbor from the next dorm.
"What time is it? You guys are still asleep?"
"We drank too much last night," Luo Peng yawned.
"Where's Jiang Chen?"
"Still sleeping. Why?"
"Sleeping? Get him up! Something big's happening!"
The guy barged in, yanking Jiang Chen's blanket off. "Jiang Chen, wake up! You've got a visitor!"
Jiang Chen blinked groggily. The beer was fine, but those three glasses of imported liquor at Li Shurui's table had hit him like a truck.
Li Shao and Bai Zheli stirred too, rubbing their heads as they sat up.
"What's going on?"
"Li Shurui's downstairs!"
"Who?!" Luo Peng froze, wondering if he'd misheard.
"Li Shurui! The art school queen! She's been waiting for you for ten minutes. Get down there!"
The neighbor tugged at Jiang Chen, his disbelief palpable. *Jiang Chen? The campus simp? The guy who'
**"There are three types of people I despise,"** Li Shurui said, her voice sharp as ice. **"Those who overestimate themselves, those who pretend to be something they're not… and you. Did you think paying my bill would make me like you?"**
**"No, no,"** Jiang Chen replied, unfazed by her venom. **"It was just drinks. I didn't expect anything in return. Consider it a gift."**
Li Shurui studied his earnest expression, suspicion flickering. *Was he actually sincere?*
**"You know what I hate most?"**
**"What?"**
**"Fools."** She glared. **"5,888 yuan might be nothing to me, but for you? That's months of scrimping. Starving yourself to impress others? That's pathetic."**
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. Li Shurui's reputation painted her as a materialistic ice queen, but here she was… *warning him?*
**"Guess I'm all three types then,"** he chuckled bitterly.
Without another word, Li Shurui pulled a Chanel wallet from her bag and slapped a stack of cash into his hand. **"Here's 6,000. Take it."**
**"Really, you don't—"**
**"Want everyone watching?"** she hissed.
Jiang Chen pocketed the money—a tidy 112-yuan profit. *Technically money laundering, but who's counting?*
**"We're from different worlds. Stay out of mine."** She turned to leave.
**"What world is that?"** Jiang Chen called after her. **"The one where people drive million-yuan cars?"**
Li Shurui paused.
**"I won't give up, Shurui. I'll make you see me."**
**"Don't waste your time,"** she said without looking back. **"Even if you strike gold someday, I'm not waiting."**
With that, she vanished behind designer sunglasses, leaving a trail of whispers.
---
**"What happened? Why'd she give you cash?!"** Bai Zheli bombarded Jiang Chen the moment he returned.
**"Payment to leave her alone,"** Jiang Chen shrugged, flipping through the bills. **"Easiest 112 yuan I've ever made."**
Luo Peng gaped. **"And you're… happy about this?"**
**"Why not?"** Jiang Chen grinned. **"Lunch is on me."**
As they filed out, he glanced back at the dorm.
*The road ahead's long… but 10 trillion buys a lot of pavement.*