Chapter 71: The New Campus Heartthrob, the Talented Scholar of Jinling

The next morning, at precisely seven o’clock, Cheng Yao got out of bed. He still had to go to school.

In the blankets, Lin Ketong was already awake as well.

“Aren’t you getting up?”

“I don’t have work today. I’ll sleep a bit longer…” Lin Ketong ground her teeth in frustration. She wished she could tear Cheng Yao apart. She swore never to listen to his nonsense again—every word from his mouth was a lie.

Cheng Yao nodded lightly, brushing his teeth as he said, “How about it? Be my girlfriend?”

“Are you planning to break up with that other girl?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why don’t you just drop dead!” Lin Ketong was incredulous. He could really say something so shameless.

Cheng Yao smiled. “You can still bear to let me die now?”

“What?”

Please, just go die already!

Lin Ketong dove back under the covers, out of sight and out of mind.

She hadn’t expected to be so completely led around by a boy six years her junior. The feeling was simply dreadful.

After he finished washing up, Cheng Yao made a sharp popping sound, causing Lin Ketong to shriek and sending him dashing out of the room.

Furious, Lin Ketong hurled her pillow at the door and collapsed back into sleep.

…

That morning, Cheng Yao had to go practice for the third part of his driving test. He’d already reported this to his homeroom teacher, Old Li, and promised to borrow Liu Hanyue’s notes.

Old Li was easygoing, and since Cheng Yao had won the Top Ten Singer competition, bringing honor to the class, he agreed—though he did remind him, “A student must put studies first.”

Cheng Yao heard the words but didn’t take them to heart.

He planned to finish practicing for the third test and take the exam the day after. After National Day, he could pick up his car. The third part was supposedly simpler than the second, especially since he’d paid eight hundred yuan for a guaranteed pass.

As a girl, Lu Mengyao was already doing well just driving steadily.

When they finished, Lu Mengyao eyed him curiously. “Why do I feel like you’re thinner than before?”

“Malnutrition—all for you, I suppose?”

“…?”

Lu Mengyao rolled her eyes, thinking it wasn’t like she was that formidable, enough to make him lose weight.

“I bought two pairs of sunglasses yesterday. I was going to give them to you last night, but then Chen Qian and Wang Wenbo had a falling out, so I couldn’t make it. Here you go.” She handed him a delicate glasses case. “I picked these out myself—they’ll definitely make you look cool!”

“Let me try them on.”

Cheng Yao put on the sunglasses. He did look stylish. “They’re not cheap, are they?”

“Twenty-five thousand.”

“So expensive! What brand?”

“Lotus—the most expensive eyewear brand in the world. And this is just a regular pair. The pricier ones go for a hundred or two hundred thousand.” Lu Mengyao seemed to have discovered a whole new world. Poverty really does limit the imagination.

“So, you don’t have much money left, do you?”

“Mm…”

Cheng Yao already knew. Altogether, he’d only given Lu Mengyao a hundred thousand yuan before. Spending tens of thousands at a time, it was impossible for it to last.

So, he transferred another two hundred thousand into her bank account.

No words were needed; Cheng Yao understood her gaze well—it was… very… contented…

“I’m busy tonight. Let’s wait until after National Day.”

“Okay.”

After parting with Lu Mengyao, Cheng Yao found himself exhausted. Yesterday it was Lin Ketong, today Lu Mengyao—even if he were made of iron, he couldn’t keep up.

He’d told himself he wanted to work out, but honestly, he was just fooling himself.

If he actually went and got a gym membership, he’d probably only torture himself once or twice before giving up.

He got back to school just as class ended, and the hallways were bustling with students.

With one glance, Cheng Yao noticed quite a few girls watching him—and plenty of guys, too. By now, he was famous at the University of Finance.

Back in the classroom, Wang Wenbo asked curiously, “Moved again last night?”

“Moved, my ass. I was out having fun with a girl.”

“No way, out all night? You’ve finally wised up?”

Wang Wenbo realized and said, “You’re not much of a brother, man. You don’t even bring me along when you’re seeing a girl! I always brought you along back in the day.”

“Next time, for sure!”

“Damn! Now that you’re famous, you gotta introduce more girls to me…”

“Liu Hanyue.”

When Cheng Yao called her name, Liu Hanyue’s heart skipped a beat.

She’d just been telling herself, “He can’t see me, he can’t see me”—lying to herself.

“Wh…what is it?” She turned, her big doe eyes staring at him.

Cheng Yao walked over and sat down. “You haven’t forgotten about yesterday, have you?”

“Cheng Yao, are you even a man? A real man should be magnanimous, not petty.”

“Don’t give me that. Hand it over.”

“I’m warning you, I won’t agree to anything excessive.” Liu Hanyue clenched her dainty fists, extremely wary.

Cheng Yao glanced at her chest—utterly unremarkable—and let out a snort.

That sound was especially grating to Liu Hanyue’s ears. “I heard that! Remember, don’t borrow my notes again in the future.”

“All right, all right, my bad. Give me the notes and I won’t make any requests.”

“Fine!”

She changed her attitude faster than flipping a page. Was this what girls were like?

Having successfully borrowed the notes, Cheng Yao let out a sigh.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want it—just that the time wasn’t right.

After the Top Ten Singer competition ended, campus life returned to calm, but the buzz around the event never faded. Especially the two songs Cheng Yao sang at the competition—they were nothing short of astonishing, leaving his classmates in awe.

Now, all of Finance University was talking about Cheng Yao. Nicknames like “Talented Scholar of Jinling,” “King of the Campus Singers,” and “Campus Heartthrob” started popping up.

When someone asked who Cheng Yao was, several students were surprised—was there really anyone who didn’t know him by now?

On the forums, the upperclassmen and underclassmen were practically fighting over him. The university’s new male idol was not only handsome and a great singer, but also a skilled guitar player…

Thanks to those two songs, Cheng Yao’s followers on Douyin quickly surpassed five hundred thousand. With his occasional eclectic videos, he was nearing six hundred thousand.

Cheng Yao also found time to successfully pass the third part of his driving test. Of the four students in his car, he was the only one who passed.

Out of more than fifty test-takers, only about twenty passed; the rest were all eliminated.

Cheng Yao felt lucky—if he hadn’t paid the eight hundred yuan, would he have failed too, and wasted more time retaking the test?

Lu Mengyao failed the second part but had an easier time with the third.

Lately, Lin Ketong had been ignoring him, but Cheng Yao still sent her messages every day to keep things from going cold.

He took on the role of the patient fisherman, casting no bait and waiting for those willing to bite.

It was only because Lin Ketong was already twenty-five that she overthought things. If she were just eighteen or nineteen, or in her early twenties, she probably would have blocked him by now.

He enjoyed a rare two days of rest—no more aching legs or back—recharged and ready for a new round after National Day.

As for National Day, all his reserves were to be saved for Zhang Ya!

With anticipation, the quiet days at school finally came to an end, and the feverish rush of National Day began—the peak season for travel.

Zhang Ya returned that very night, but her mother came to pick her up, so Cheng Yao didn’t go. Although he felt more confident now, it still wasn’t the right time to meet the parents.

Ever since moving to the new place, Cheng Cheng had been shopping almost every day: plush toys from claw machines filled the sofa and every room—even on top of the fridge and the washing machine.

“Bro, I’ve finished packing up my stuff!”

…