Chapter 79: Four-Eyed Toad (1) The young nobles of Wuling rode east to the Golden Market, their silver saddles shining atop white steeds as they crossed through the spring breeze.

That night, Fang Yu had drunk a bit too much. He vaguely remembered sending Zhang Hao, Hang Jia, and several key members of his company off in taxis before stumbling into a roadside hotel that looked reasonably clean. He took out his ID and booked a single room for the night. He slept straight through until noon the next day, only to be awakened by Xia Churan’s phone call. The girl’s voice was full of irritation as she demanded to know where he was.

“Hey, Fang Yu, where did you go? Cheng Chen said you didn’t come home all night.”

“I told you I was going to Songyu, didn’t I? I wasn’t even awake yet and you’re already calling. Fine, I’ll be back this afternoon,” he said, yawning as he hung up.

It was almost half past four in the afternoon when he drove his old Santana 2000 back to the snack street. Although he looked a little worn out, the satisfied spring in his step caught Cheng Chen’s attention.

“You’re in such a good mood—what did you get up to? Did you win the lottery or something?”

“Hmph, look at you—winning the lottery isn’t much, at most five million, and after taxes it’s only four,” Fang Yu said contemptuously, lighting a cigarette.

“Five million is a lot! Even if you added up all the income from the shop, we wouldn’t have a million yet.”

Fang Yu waved dismissively and tilted his head toward the students surfing online in the shop.

“Cheng Chen, go fetch five crates of drinks from the back. Today’s my treat—everyone who comes to surf the net gets a free bottle of cola!”

The students didn’t know why their young boss was so happy, but free drinks always tasted better than ones you had to pay for. Caught up in his enthusiasm, Xia Churan stepped out of the cashier’s booth, grinning.

“Hehe, it’s the weekend! Let’s go singing tonight, shall we?”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“No way. I’ve been driving all day—I’m exhausted. I’m going home to sleep.”

“Hmph, Fang Yu, you’re such a blockhead!” she retorted, but in the end, she still cared for him. After dinner, she urged him to hurry back to their rented place and catch up on sleep.

Back at the courtyard, Fang Yu was bone-tired. Humming a tune, he headed to the bathroom for a satisfying shower. Shivering, he was about to crawl into bed when Qin Lu called.

“Fang Yu, I need to talk to you about something,” the girl’s voice sounded aggrieved.

“Lulu, what’s wrong? You don’t sound right—someone messing with you again?” He recalled the trouble she’d run into recently.

“No, not that. There’s a boy in my class chasing me. It’s so annoying, he keeps bothering me. I even skipped lectures yesterday,” Qin Lu said, clearly frustrated.

Her words roused his anger. He grabbed a towel and wiped himself down, quickly pressing for more details.

“Damn, is it Hua Chen again? That guy never learns, does he?”

“It’s not Hua Chen. This boy’s name is Jin Hai. What should I do? He’s in my class, so I see him every day.”

The thought of his beloved being coveted by someone else was never pleasant. Fang Yu forced himself to stay calm.

“All right, how about this—I’ll come by tomorrow and see for myself what kind of toad thinks he can eat swan meat.”

His joke made her laugh, though she remained worried.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you. But promise me—don’t start a fight, you hear? I know you too well; back in the day you and Cheng Chen were infamous troublemakers.”

“Fine, fine, I promise. Just some verbal abuse, no hands,” Fang Yu muttered, hanging up. Too tired to think, he drifted off as soon as his head touched the pillow. After such a long day, he deserved the rest.

Early to bed, early to rise. The next morning, he rushed to Qin Lu’s teachers’ college. She had classes that morning, so he waited until just after eleven, finally spotting her outside the dormitory building.

“Lulu, over here!” He waved.

Her face still showed a hint of grievance, but when she saw him, her cheeks flushed, and she happily ran into his arms.

“Are you cold? Have you been waiting long?”

“I’ve waited so long already—what’s a little more?” he replied, his words carrying more than one meaning.

Qin Lu’s cheeks were crimson, delight shining in her eyes. She fidgeted for a moment before lifting her head.

“Wait for me—I’ll put my books away, and then let’s go to the second cafeteria for rice noodles, okay?” With that, she bounced off toward her dorm.

At noon, Fang Yu and Qin Lu ordered two bowls of rice noodles at one of the school’s small eateries, eating with gusto.

“Mmm, the food here at the college is so much better than the slop on snack street.”

“What nonsense—slop? Are you calling everyone pigs?” Qin Lu laughed so hard she doubled over.

“Hey, Qin Lu, you’re here for lunch too? My mom sent some homemade pickled vegetables—come have some!” Before Fang Yu could ask about last night’s topic, a grating duck-like voice interrupted their laughter.

Fang Yu turned around to see a boy wearing thick black-framed glasses, not as tall as Lu Zhen, approaching with an ingratiating smile.

“Sorry, Jin Hai, I told you I don’t eat with other boys,” Qin Lu’s pretty face was full of impatience.

“I’m not other people—I’ll be your boyfriend one day. Come on, don’t be shy, try some. My mom made it especially for you. Hey, who’s this? You said you never eat with men,” Jin Hai, the duck-voiced boy, glanced at Fang Yu, who was laughing.

“This is my boyfriend, Fang Yu. Didn’t Keke and the others tell you?”

“Oh, so you’re Fang Yu?” Jin Hai pushed up his glasses, eyeing him with hostility.

“That’s me. Why, four-eyes, got a problem?” Fang Yu stood up, towering over Jin Hai.

Jin Hai scrutinized him and nodded.

“I know your name, but I don’t think you’re fit to be Qin Lu’s boyfriend. I heard you’re from the neighboring college—I won’t bother asking how you got into our school, but you should know your place. Qin Lu should be with me. We’re in the same class; I can take care of her every day.”

Before Fang Yu could reply, Qin Lu’s anger flared. Her face frosty, she stood.

“Jin Hai, you’re so rude! He’s my boyfriend. You’re just a classmate—what gives you the right to say that?”

Jin Hai showed no remorse; instead he stared directly at her.

“Qin Lu, I told my mom about you. She agrees you should be with me. As soon as we graduate, you can marry me and join my family’s ancestral hall.”

Fang Yu was amused—this guy reminded him of a steamed bun, just minus a hundred kilos. He patted Jin Hai’s shoulder, suppressing a laugh.

“Four-eyes, you really are something. What’s so special about your ancestral hall—did your family produce emperors or prime ministers?”

Jin Hai wasn’t fazed. He stared at Fang Yu.

“Fang Yu, I hope you face reality and leave Qin Lu soon. You look like a playboy to me—you’ll only hurt her. Only someone as devoted as me can truly be good to her.”