It was clear that Zheng Yanyan was genuinely angry; she slamd the door as she left. Shen Yu asked, "Don’t you think you were a bit too harsh?"
Su Qing, however, didn’t think so and replied matter-of-factly, "If she can’t handle this, how is she going to be Zhou Yuwen’s girlfriend?"
And Su Qing wasn’t wrong. In her previous life, she had been extrely upset by Zhou Yuwen’s relationships with other won, but she acknowledged that it was her own fault. However, Su Qing didn’t dwell on those thoughts now. Even if Zheng Yanyan and Zhou Yuwen were dating, Su Qing still saw it as nothing more than childish bickering. She didn’t believe their relationship would go beyond holding hands or perhaps so innocent touching. She simply couldn’t imagine Zhou Yuwen actually sleeping with Zheng Yanyan.
But this did remind Su Qing of sothing important—if, in this life, Zhou Yuwen’s first ti was with Zheng Yanyan, she would be at a serious loss. Dating could wait, but Zhou Yuwen’s first ti definitely couldn’t be with soone else.
As she pondered this, Su Qing genuinely considered the issue.
anwhile, Zheng Yanyan was fuming in the hallway outside the dorm. Zhou Yuwen wasn’t answering her calls or replying to her ssages, and now that she thought about it, their parting earlier had been sowhat unpleasant. Was he upset because I didn’t say goodbye when I left? Or was it because I didn’t give him what he wanted? But she couldn’t bla herself—they had just started dating. If she gave in so easily, what kind of girl would that make her?
As the night wore on and midnight approached, Zheng Yanyan grew more frustrated. After so hesitation, she found Chang Hao’s number in her contacts. She had already blocked and deleted Chang Hao on WeChat, but she had kept his phone number.
Now, she regretted deleting him. At least if she had kept him around, he could have helped her keep an eye on Zhou Yuwen in the future. But since she had deleted him, there was no going back. Unable to reach Zhou Yuwen, she decided to call Chang Hao.
At that mont, Chang Hao was in the middle of a ga. Seeing a call coming in late at night, he casually checked who it was and was surprised to see Zheng Yanyan’s na on the screen. His heart skipped a beat. Glancing at Zhou Yuwen, who was on the balcony talking on the phone, Chang Hao composed himself and answered, "Hello?"
"Are you in the dorm?" Zheng Yanyan’s voice was laced with barely contained anger. After all, any girl would be upset if her boyfriend hadn’t responded to her ssages.
"Yeah, I’m here," Chang Hao replied, feeling a bit uneasy. After all, Zheng Yanyan was now Zhou Yuwen’s girlfriend, and Zhou Yuwen was just outside on the phone. What could she possibly want from him? Was she planning to ask him to go ho with her for the holidays?
But his hopes were dashed when Zheng Yanyan coldly asked, "Is Zhou Yuwen in the dorm?"
Her tone made it clear she was just checking up on her boyfriend. The way she asked made Chang Hao uncomfortable. He lit a cigarette and headed for the bathroom, muttering to himself, "Didn’t you two just part ways? Why are you checking up on him so soon? Can’t you go a mont without knowing what Zhou Yuwen is up to?"
Once upon a ti, Chang Hao had wished he could be in Zhou Yuwen’s place. If he were the one dating Zheng Yanyan, he wouldn’t let her get so worked up over sothing like this.
"Is Zhou Yuwen in the dorm?" Zheng Yanyan repeated, growing impatient.
Chang Hao’s expression darkened. "Yeah, he’s here."
"What’s he doing?" she demanded.
"He’s on the phone."
"With whom? A guy or a girl?"
"I don’t know. I think it’s one of his high school buddies, a guy from the chanical Engineering College. I t him when we were selling those cards," Chang Hao replied, about to light his cigarette.
"Give the phone to him," she ordered.
Chang Hao, who had just reached the bathroom, was taken aback. "But he’s on a call."
"I don’t care, give the phone to him!" she insisted, her tone revealing the stubbornness that often cos with being in love.
With no other choice, Chang Hao sighed, put away his unlit cigarette, and headed to the balcony to find Zhou Yuwen.
Zhou Yuwen had returned to the dorm a little later than Zheng Yanyan, but he hadn’t been wandering around. Before he even reached the dorm, he had received a call from Liu Shuo. Liu wanted to know when Zhou Yuwen was coming back because he and a few others wanted to treat him to a al.
Zhou Yuwen brushed it off, saying, "Just go by yourself. Why invite ? I don’t even know them that well."
But Liu insisted, "What do you an? You’re the president of the Xu-Huai Association. Everyone here respects you!"
"Wait, what’s the Xu-Huai Association?" Zhou Yuwen asked, confused.
Liu Shuo hesitated before sheepishly explaining that many people from their hotown had heard about the association and wanted to join.
"And then?" Zhou Yuwen pressed.
The more Liu Shuo explained, the more embarrassed he beca. Zhou Yuwen couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "You’re in college now, and you’re still pulling this high school nonsense?"
Liu Shuo defended himself, saying, "Co on, Zhou, I didn’t do anything. It’s just that when you’re away from ho, you need to look out for each other."
"Listen, Zhou, the real reason I’m calling is because it’s almost National Day, and a lot of my classmates are looking for part-ti jobs."
"You have no idea, Zhou, how shady the part-ti job market is here. They’ll promise you 120 to 150 yuan, but by the ti the upperclassn get their cut, you’re lucky to get 90 or 100. If I hadn’t been smart enough to check, we would’ve been ripped off!" Liu Shuo ranted, his frustration evident. "Everyone here thinks you can help. They’re counting on
to ask if you know of any reliable part-ti jobs."
Zhou Yuwen couldn’t help but curse Liu Shuo. "What do you think I am, a job agency? Where would I even find jobs like that?"
Liu Shuo just took the scolding, apologizing profusely. "You’re right, Zhou. It’s my fault for acting like a big shot."
"But seriously, Zhou, you have to help
out here. I’ve already promised them. If I don’t deliver, the Xu-Huai Association’s reputation is on the line."
"Reputation? What reputation?" Zhou Yuwen was exasperated but realized he couldn’t leave Liu Shuo hanging. Fortunately, he had so connections from his previous life. While he couldn’t find high-paying jobs, he could secure so basic positions like security or handing out flyers.
After berating Liu Shuo, Zhou Yuwen asked how many people he was talking about.
"Fifty!" Liu Shuo replied.
"How many?" Zhou Yuwen asked, incredulous.
"Fifty," Liu Shuo confird.
"You’ve got so nerve," Zhou Yuwen muttered.
"All thanks to your na, Zhou," Liu Shuo chuckled.
"Get lost."
Liu Shuo’s college was full of guys, most of whom were eager to earn so pocket money through part-ti jobs. Liu Shuo, always keen to maintain his reputation, had been boasting about his connections. As a result, students from other classes started approaching him, offering cigarettes and asking if he could find them jobs over the break.
Of course, Liu Shuo couldn’t refuse. He had to keep up appearances.
So, Liu Shuo had spent his first month of college living it up, treating his new friends to als. He wasn’t short on money, but his pride drove him to continue this charade. He even got into a few conflicts during military training to maintain his status.
After the call, Zhou Yuwen didn’t have much choice. He rembered a few reliable job agencies from his past life, so he called one, pretending to be a student representative.
"Hello, is this Manager Sun?" Zhou Yuwen began. "I’m looking to hire so security for an event. How many people can you provide?"
Manager Sun was imdiately interested, sensing a potential big client. He suggested they connect over WeChat to discuss further.
Security was in high demand, especially during the National Day holiday. While so upperclassn acted as middlen, taking a cut from the pay, Zhou Yuwen could offer a more direct and reliable service, making his proposition very attractive to Manager Sun.
After arranging the jobs, Zhou Yuwen returned to the dorm, still on the phone with Liu Shuo. When he entered, Li Qiang tried to start a conversation, but Zhou Yuwen signaled that he was on a call and headed to the balcony.
Chang Hao had initially thought Zhou Yuwen was talking to Zheng Yanyan, but when he overheard Zhou Yuwen discussing setting up a labor agency, he was completely lost.
Zhou Yuwen was planning to start a labor company, but not for himself—for Liu Shuo. He would provide the financial backing, but the rest would be up to Liu Shuo.
"Really, Zhou? Can I handle this?" Liu Shuo hadn’t expected to beco a boss in his first year of college and felt a bit nervous.
Zhou Yuwen reassured him, "Why not? You’ve already gathered fifty people. I’ll help you set up the channels; you just need to handle the rest. Take so ti to register the company with the authorities. Once the business is formalized, it’ll make things easier in the long run. You’ve already built the frawork; more and more people will co to you for part-ti jobs."
Liu Shuo didn’t know much about running a business, but he felt like Zhou Yuwen was guiding him to success, which made him both grateful and motivated. Zhou Yuwen then asked, "So, are you up for it?"
Spurred on, Liu Shuo replied, "Yes! Of course, Zhou! If you ask
to do it, I’ll do it!"
"Good. Add him on WeChat; I’ve already sorted out the basics. You can handle the details directly with him."
As Zhou Yuwen discussed the logistics of the labor company with Liu Shuo on the balcony, he also made sure that the students working under Liu Shuo wouldn’t be shortchanged. Zhou Yuwen suggested that if any of the students were short on cash for necessities like food, they could be given an advance on their wages.
This wasn’t just an empty offer—Zhou Yuwen knew from experience how tight money could be for students, sotis not even having enough to eat. The jobs Zhou Yuwen secured were reliable, but with so many workers, paynts might be delayed. That’s why he proposed advancing the wages, as he wasn’t looking to profit from the labor company but genuinely wanted to help the students.
"Got it, Zhou. I’ll take care of it tomorrow," Liu Shuo said, grateful.
As Zhou Yuwen wrapped up the call, he was gathering the laundry he had hung out to dry when Chang Hao approached him on the balcony.
"Hey, Zhou."
"Yeah?"
"Yanyan’s looking for you," Chang Hao said, holding out his phone.
Zhou Yuwen’s phone was on speaker mode, and both of his hands were busy with the laundry, so he couldn’t take the call himself.
Seeing this, Chang Hao relayed to Zheng Yanyan, "Zhou’s hanging up the laundry; he can’t talk right now."
"Give him the phone!" Zheng Yanyan insisted, a bit unreasonable in her current state.
Chang Hao was taken aback, feeling a sudden twinge of emotion. Even though he hadn’t put the phone on speaker, Zhou Yuwen could still hear what was being said. With Yanyan being so insistent, Zhou couldn’t avoid taking the call. He took the phone from Chang Hao, put it on speaker, and asked, "What’s up? Why are you so urgent?"
Hearing Zhou Yuwen’s voice, Zheng Yanyan finally felt at ease. She hadn’t realized how anxious she had been, not being able to reach him. But now, just hearing his voice cald her down, and her tone softened, "What were you doing, Zhou Yuwen?"
Her tone was entirely different from how she had spoken to Chang Hao.
"On the phone."
"With who?"
"Liu Shuo—you’ve t him," Zhou Yuwen replied, before quickly telling Liu Shuo that he had to go and ending that call.
"Tomorrow’s the start of the National Day holiday, so the business registration office might be closed. Make sure to finalize the part-ti jobs for your classmates before then," Zhou Yuwen instructed Liu Shuo.
"Okay, got it, Zhou. Are you sure you can’t co to the dinner tomorrow?"
"No, I have to take your sister-in-law to the train station," Zhou Yuwen replied.
"Oh, okay!" Liu Shuo hung up.
It was strange—Zheng Yanyan had been fuming, having sent Zhou Yuwen so many angry ssages on WeChat. But hearing him casually refer to her as "your sister-in-law" instantly defused her anger. She obediently waited for him to finish his conversation, and only then did Zhou Yuwen ask, "So, what’s up? Why did you need to reach
so badly?"
"Can’t I just want to talk to you?" Zheng Yanyan pouted.
Zhou Yuwen was confused. "I don’t get it. You left in such a hurry when we were together, and now, right after we part, you’re desperate to talk to
again."
"And you even called Chang Hao to find ?" Zhou Yuwen added, glancing at Chang Hao, who was still handling the laundry.
"I couldn’t reach you!" Zheng Yanyan replied, her voice filled with frustration and a hint of a sniffle.
"Oh," Zhou Yuwen responded, not really interested in indulging her.
"Zhou Yuwen," she called out again.
"What is it?"
"Did you see the WeChat ssages I sent you?"
"Not yet, why?"
As Zhou Yuwen began to check his phone, Zheng Yanyan quickly said, "Don’t look—I was just angry."
"You’re too late; I already saw them. What’s the idea? You want to put
up on the confession wall?" Zhou Yuwen said, finding her ssages more amusing than anything.
"No! I was just upset because I couldn’t reach you!" Zheng Yanyan explained, her voice turning pitiful. Worried that Zhou Yuwen might be mad at her, she added, "I was scared you didn’t want
anymore."
Zhou Yuwen felt a bit embarrassed hearing this, especially with Chang Hao right there. Chang Hao was even more uncomfortable, wanting to leave but unable to because Zhou Yuwen still had his phone.
"Fine, I’ll call you back after I finish the laundry. Seriously, you can’t reach , so you call my roommate?" Zhou Yuwen said.
"You weren’t responding."
"Alright, I’m hanging up now," Zhou Yuwen said.
After the call, Zheng Yanyan felt much better and said, "Okay."
"Oh, and make sure to thank Chang Hao for ."
"He’s right next to you; you can thank him yourself."
"Co on, you do it for ~" Zheng Yanyan whined, trying to be cute.
Zhou Yuwen had enough. "Can you act normal for once?"
After a few more words, they ended the call. Zhou Yuwen handed the phone back to Chang Hao and thanked him.
Chang Hao shook his head and said, "No problem."
As Zhou Yuwen continued with the laundry, Chang Hao hesitated, then finally said, "Zhou,"
"Yeah?"
"If you’re dating Yanyan, just take it seriously. She’s a good girl."
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