Chapter 74: Mars Collides with Earth (2) The young men of Wuling, on the eastern side of the Golden Market, rode white horses with silver saddles, passing through the spring breeze.
At that moment, Fang Yu felt a chill run down his back. It was over—Mars was about to crash into Earth.
“Um, haha, uh, this is Xia Churan, my senior from the foreign languages department.” He forced a laugh, turned around, opened his cola, and took a gulp, trying his best to calm himself.
“Fang Yu, is this your girlfriend? She’s so pretty.” Xia Churan, worthy of her reputation as the department beauty, quickly adjusted her expression and put on a fake smile, giving her long hair a gentle toss. Her charming appearance drew the attention of the students in the internet café.
“Uh, yes, this is my girlfriend, Qin Lu. She came to visit today.” Now was definitely not the time to play both sides; he had to firmly declare his stance in front of his first crush.
Qin Lu wasn’t completely oblivious either. The slim-waisted, long-legged beauty before her was looking at her boyfriend with such affectionate eyes—clearly not a good sign. Instinctively, she edged closer to Fang Yu.
Xia Churan was visibly stunned, not expecting Fang Yu to be so resolute. Her eyes dimmed for a moment.
“Oh, no wonder you talk about her all the time. Your girlfriend is really beautiful.”
“Haha, hehe.” He let out a dry laugh and slowly took several cans of drinks off the shelf.
“Here, have some drinks first.”
The three of them stood in front of the counter, silent and awkward as if performing a pantomime. Thankfully, Cheng Chen arrived for his shift, yawning.
“Fang Yu, you’re up early. Hey, Qin Lu is here?”
Qin Lu managed to squeeze out a smile and nodded.
“Cheng Chen, are you doing business with Fang Yu now?”
“Nah, I wouldn’t call it that. At most, I’m just helping out.” Cheng Chen waved his hand good-naturedly.
But then, he immediately pulled Fang Yu aside, grinning mischievously.
“Tsk tsk, you’ve really got it. Two girlfriends meeting at once—are you nervous? Excited? Is it as flavorful as soy sauce at a banquet?”
“Get lost!” Fang Yu glared at him. Just then, Li Jing lifted the curtain and walked in—obviously looking for Cheng Chen.
“Churan, are you ready? Why not invite Fang Yu and Cheng Chen to go downtown together…”
She quickly sensed the tense atmosphere in the café and immediately fell silent.
Xia Churan tossed her dark hair and turned with a cheerful smile.
“Fang Yu, is it your girlfriend’s first time here?”
“Ah, yes.” He nodded vaguely.
“Hehe, why don’t you show her around campus? Let her try the potato roll pancakes we usually eat.”
This was exactly the topic he’d hoped to avoid, but before Fang Yu could steer the conversation elsewhere, Qin Lu stood up.
“Sure! I haven’t seen your campus yet. By the way, do you always eat with your senior?”
“Haha, not really, just occasionally.” If there were a hole in the ground, he’d gladly dive into it right now.
“Let’s go, it’s on me.” Xia Churan twisted her slender waist and lifted the curtain with irresistible charm, inviting everyone along.
Now he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Fang Yu had no choice but to nod to Cheng Chen.
“Keep an eye on things—I’ll be back soon.”
Cheng Chen was reliable when it mattered. He nodded slightly.
“Go ahead, I’ve got this.”
It was only a three-to-five-minute walk from the snack street to Blue Sea Academy. Along the way, the three formed an odd “pin” formation: Fang Yu in front, followed by two beautiful girls at his sides.
“Look, it’s Fang Yu and Xia Churan. Aren’t they a couple? Who’s that other girl?”
“Yeah, I heard they’re living together. Why is there another girl now?”
“No, I think the shorter girl is actually Fang Yu’s girlfriend—they’re so close.”
Fame brings trouble, as they say. After just two months in Xianjiang, Fang Yu was already half a celebrity at Blue Sea Academy, not to mention the foreign languages department beauty at his side. As people pointed and whispered along the way, Fang Yu felt his thirty-five-year-old skin wasn’t thick enough for this.
“We’re here. What would you like to eat?” Fang Yu finally turned around and looked at the two girls behind him.
“I’m fine with anything. What’s special at your school?” Qin Lu asked.
Xia Churan stepped forward with a bright smile.
“Fang Yu, let your girlfriend try the school’s spicy hotpot. Didn’t you say it was delicious last time? I’ll go buy some pancakes for you—see you in a bit.” With that, she waved and headed straight for the cafeteria window.
He let out a long breath and took Qin Lu’s hand.
“Let’s go up to the second floor first.”
Qin Lu, cheeks puffed in annoyance, let him pull her along. Once they reached the stairs, she spoke in a low voice.
“Fang Yu, do you like your senior too?”
“Huh? What are you talking about? When did I ever say I liked Xia Churan?”
“Hmph, she’s been looking at you the whole way. Don’t think you can fool me.” Qin Lu pouted, turning away.
He hurried to stop and put on his most ingratiating smile, wrapping his arm around his first love.
“You’ve got it all wrong. Xia Churan is just my senior. You know I’m not great at academics—she occasionally helps me with tutoring.”
But Qin Lu wasn’t buying it.
“Yeah right. You weren’t so motivated in high school. It’s just because your senior is pretty. Someone like her could compete for campus beauty at my school too.”
Seeing Qin Lu’s cute jealous expression, he couldn’t help but feel a little flutter in his heart. He leaned in and gently tapped her forehead.
“Come on, there are thousands of campus beauties out there. Am I supposed to like them all? If you don’t like it, I won’t contact her anymore.”
That made Qin Lu a bit embarrassed.
“It’s not like that. It’s just that your senior is so pretty—I feel so insecure next to her.”
“Why compare yourself to others? Did you compare me to anyone else when you agreed to be my girlfriend?”
“But, but…”
“No buts. Did I ask Xia Churan for her high school uniform?”
That shut her up. Qin Lu pursed her lips, lowered her head, and smiled quietly. Fang Yu breathed a sigh of relief, took her hand, and continued up the stairs.
“Come on, I’m hungry too. Let’s eat.”
They entered the dining hall. There weren’t many students yet; the chubby owner greeted them.
“Hey handsome, sit over here.”
They found a clean spot and sat down. Qin Lu carefully picked a few dishes; she ate even less than Xia Churan.
Before long, Xia Churan came in, carrying three little bags and lifting the curtain with easy grace.
“They’re fresh out of the oven—if they cool, they won’t taste as good.”
The steaming potato roll pancakes smelled delicious, but with two beauties before him, Fang Yu felt his appetite disappear. Qin Lu, on the other hand, happily opened her bag.
“Wow, it smells amazing. We don’t have anything like this at my school.”