Zhuang Yihan was too stubborn. When he liked someone, he would protect them with all his might, wishing he could just pull out his heart for them. However, no matter how much he did, it was destined to be an unrequited love that would end without a result, because Jiang Xi simply couldn't cross the barrier of sexual orientation.

Zhuang Yifan sometimes didn't understand why his brother had to like Jiang Xi. After much thought, he figured it was probably from that year when their father passed away. The vast Zhuang Family was on the verge of collapse, and the young Zhuang Yihan's shoulders were still thin and weak, unable to properly support the family business. It was Jiang Xi who had reached out to help at that time. The two families supported each other to get to where they were today.

Unfortunately, Jiang Xi was straight. Although his family background and financial resources were slightly inferior to the Zhuang Family's, it wasn't by much. His brother didn't have the ability to turn him gay, nor the power to make him bow his head. He could only suffer the bitter consequences himself.

Every time Zhuang Yifan thought about this, he felt a measure of regret. His brother had single-handedly carried the Zhuang Family through its most difficult times, not only having to deal with pestering relatives but also facing rivals in the business world who were eyeing them like tigers. Only late at night could he catch his breath and privately deal with the pain of his father's death.

Unfortunately, he was in his rebellious phase back then. He didn't understand anything and couldn't help Zhuang Yihan. Otherwise, Jiang Xi wouldn't have had the chance to slip in. A small, casual favor from him had been on his brother's mind from the age of seventeen until now.

Zhuang Yifan looked up at the ceiling, his mind wandering. He thought that this time, going to choose a gift would most likely be another case of making a friendly advance only to be met with a cold shoulder. It would have been fine in the past, but ever since the successive confessions, Jiang Xi had been keeping a wide berth from his brother, wishing he could sever their ties completely. Sending any gift would be useless.

Meeting the wrong person in the best years of his life, the ensuing pain in the rest of his life had long surpassed that little bit of well-intentioned support from back then. How many times did his brother have to hit his head against a brick wall before he would turn back?

If Chen Shu knew what Zhuang Yifan was thinking, he would surely smile and tell him that there was a lot more wall-hitting to come. In his previous life, he hit it for nine years and still hadn't given up. This was nothing.

But even if he hit it until he died, what did that have to do with him?

For the following month, Chen Shu buried himself in his studies. Although he had good looks, his usual style of dress was too unsophisticated, and his presence was almost zero. Hardly anyone in the entire school knew him.

His roommate, Yu Hui, had fainted from a high fever last time. Fortunately, he was discovered in time and sent to the hospital. A little later and it could have led to serious consequences. After learning about the incident, the school specifically issued a notice of commendation for Chen Shu. In addition to academic credits, they also had the school's news department conduct an interview to promote good deeds on the campus website.

Most young people weren't very interested in this kind of news, as it was far less explosive than gossip. But they couldn't ignore the fact that the photo taken during Chen Shu's interview was simply too eye-catching.

He was wearing a simple, clean outfit, being interviewed in front of the academic building. He had neat, short black hair and fair skin, as delicate and timeless as an ink wash painting. Yet his eyes were slightly upturned, carrying a charm that didn't fit his age, like a brilliant red sun in a black-and-white landscape scroll, shedding its monotony and suddenly coming to life.

The moment this interview was published, it blew up on the campus website, with the click-through rate soaring wildly. Good heavens, they had been so busy burying their heads in books, how had they not noticed that the school had such a peerless hottie? With him around, all the department and school heartthrobs had to step aside!

During that period, Chen Shu became widely famous throughout the school, easily claiming the title of C University's Campus Beau with just one interview photo. There were even many people who would pretend to pass by his classroom to sneak a peek at him during class. Love letters and milk tea were sent in piles. If the internet hadn't been less developed at the time, he might have even become famous outside the school.

However, for some reason, Chen Shu was always indifferent to these things. He returned everything as it was. Besides attending classes and his part-time job, he basically never set foot outside his dorm room. Only then did the swarm of admirers outside gradually calm down.

"Hey, Big Campus Beau, the weather's so nice today, why don't you go out and have some fun? Don't blame me for not reminding you, staying in the dorm for too long can easily turn you into a bookworm."

Yu Hui returned to the dorm after playing basketball. As he pushed the door open, he saw Chen Shu sitting at his desk, writing a programming assignment. There was no telling how many years old that laptop was; it buzzed every time it ran, and the paint was peeling off its dusty edges. It was probably because he was short on cash that he had never replaced it.

Chen Shu hadn't been very popular in the dorm before. On the day of new student registration, even his Mandarin was halting and carried a rural accent. Coupled with his mediocre grades and his habit of never socializing with others, he had invisibly become the country bumpkin everyone laughed at.

But for some reason, in the last couple of days, Chen Shu seemed like a completely different person. His hair was trimmed neatly, his clothes were simple and sharp. Although he was still as quiet as before, he was never timid at critical moments and had gotten full marks on several assignments and quizzes.

If he was a puddle of withdrawn, self-loathing mud before, then now he was as calm and composed as flowing water. This kind of temperament was exceptionally special in a twenty-year-old young man.

Yu Hui's family owned several luxury stores in the city, so his family could be considered wealthy. In the past, he was the one in the dorm who disliked Chen Shu the most. He just found Chen Shu meek and so infuriatingly quiet you couldn't get a word out of him. It was just annoying to look at him. But he never expected that this person he disliked the most would be the one to save his life.

He heard that Chen Shu had run all the way from the eighth floor to the first to get him to the Medical Building that day. He didn't take any credit for it afterward and left quietly. When the school's news department came for an interview, Chen Shu even refused several times. In the end, it was a teacher who gave the order, and only then did he reluctantly stand under the academic building to hastily accept a brief interview.

The day Yu Hui was discharged and returned to school, his parents specially bought a pile of gifts and came to the dorm to express their gratitude in person. After all, Yu Hui was the only child in the family. If anything had gone wrong and his brain had been fried, there would be nowhere to cry.

If it were the old Chen Shu, he would have been too nervous to say a complete sentence, only waving his hands and shaking his head. Even Yu Hui thought his parents were bound to get the cold shoulder, since everyone in the dorm knew Chen Shu had that annoying trait of being poor and proud, always pretending to be aloof.

However, the jaw-dropping thing happened. Faced with Yu Hui's mother's nearly sobbing thanks, not only was Chen Shu not too nervous to speak, but he handled it with composure, comforting the red-eyed Mrs. Yu in just a few words.

As for those large and small bags of expensive gifts, refusing all of them would be unappreciative of their kind intentions, but accepting them would be too much. Amidst the enthusiasm of Yu Hui's parents, who were as insistent as if they were stuffing red envelopes during New Year's, Chen Shu ultimately picked out only two relatively inexpensive nutritional supplements from the pile to keep, returning the rest. Only then was the matter concluded.

He heard that Yu Hui's parents worked abroad year-round and had never even had a proper look around their son's school. When he saw them out of the dorm, he specially accompanied them for a stroll downstairs, bought some local snacks for them to try, and introduced the school's history along the way. His words were clear and his speech was logical, nothing like a clueless twenty-year-old student who had yet to step into society.

This led to Yu Hui's father praising Chen Shu endlessly for several days after returning home, thinking that his son had finally made a well-mannered roommate. Later, when he accidentally learned from Yu Hui that Chen Shu had privately given the two boxes of nutritional supplements to the two seniors who had helped take him to the hospital that day, in their names, he let out a long sigh:

"Young people these days are truly incredible. He is definitely not a fish in a small pond. He will surely have great achievements in the future."

Yu Hui didn't really hold any grudges against Chen Shu anymore, but hearing this, he felt a little unconvinced and muttered, "He just happened to take me to the hospital, that's all. It only shows he has good character and is kind. How does that mean he'll have great achievements?"

Mr. Yu shook his newspaper, looked up at his foolish son, and then thought of the calm, jade-like, and upright young man from that day. He could only shake his head inwardly and say earnestly:

"Is being kind not enough? That alone makes him better than most people in the world. To be kind but not foolish is even rarer. I heard you used to pick on him in the dorm, yet Chen Shu could save you without holding a grudge. Even if he doesn't achieve anything great in his career, he is successful as a person."

"Ah Hui, great achievements aren't just about being wealthy. For a person to stay true to their principles, not be swayed by negative emotions, and do what most people in this world cannot, is a rare achievement in itself."

The corner of Yu Hui's mouth twitched. His dad loved to spout all sorts of cheesy, inspirational nonsense. "For real?"

Mr. Yu retorted, "You have dozens of fair-weather friends. Is any one of them like Chen Shu?"

Yu Hui was at a loss for words. He thought about it carefully and realized that there really wasn't anyone. Those friends were fine for drinking and eating, but when it came to important matters, not a single one was reliable. Still, he stubbornly retorted, "They're not stupid. Who acts like a goody-two-shoes simpleton these days?"

Mr. Yu stared at him and asked seriously, "Then in the future, would you rather deal with someone like Chen Shu, or those so-called 'smart people' of yours?"

Yu Hui: "Uh..."

Mr. Yu frowned, perhaps reminded of Yu Hui's terrible grades. "Also, I heard from your teacher that Chen Shu's recent quiz scores have all been perfect, even surpassing the top students. In what way do you think he's stupid?"

Yu Hui was completely choked up, with nothing left to say.

First, there was the life-saving favor hanging over him, and second, his parents were constantly telling him to interact more with Chen Shu. Yu Hui's mentality shifted without him realizing it. He now liked to invite Chen Shu along whether he was playing ball or at a gathering at school, and he often gave him things. Although Chen Shu never went and never accepted anything, it didn't hinder Yu Hui's enthusiasm.

He felt his dad was absolutely right. Having one true friend was better than having a hundred fair-weather friends. Those other people in the dorm were always flattering him, but wasn't it just so he would pay the bill when they ate and drank? And when he had a fever that day, not a single one of those bastards showed up!

Chen Shu was the honest one. He didn't hold a grudge even though he'd been targeted before, and he didn't accept gifts. He clearly wasn't after anything from him.

With that thought, Yu Hui became even more enthusiastic. Cradling his basketball, he moved closer and said, "Chen Shu, are you doing your Data Structures homework? I have a new computer over there that I'm not using. You can take it. This one is so old, you should just replace it."

Unfortunately, Yu Hui was too late. Chen Shu glanced at him, used the mouse to submit the homework online, and shut down the computer. "Thank you, but I'm already done."

"Huh? Done?" Yu Hui was stunned for a moment, then cheered up again. "Since you're done, we can go out and have fun. I've set up a dinner with the department next door, a mixer for guys and girls."

Chen Shu was never interested in this kind of gathering. "No, I have a part-time job this afternoon. I'm in a hurry."

He had quite a few classes this month, which made it hard for Chen Shu to squeeze in time for a part-time job. Coincidentally, a nearby mall was holding a commercial event on the weekend. Chen Shu would go over in the evening to help clean up the venue. He could earn four hundred yuan for two days of work.

Yu Hui was completely dumbfounded. How was it that every attempt he made to curry favor backfired? Chen Shu wasn't giving him any chance to repay the favor at all. "Where do you work part-time? I can give you a ride."

Chen Shu found the cleanest and most presentable set of clothes from his wardrobe and put them on, sitting on the edge of his bed to put on his shoes. "No need, it's just at Mengtai Plaza. It's quite close."

"Mengtai... Mengtai Plaza?"

Yu Hui suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes sparkling. He excitedly grabbed Chen Shu's shoulder and said, "You should have told me you needed a part-time job! My family has a branch in Mengtai Plaza, and they happen to be short-staffed. It would be so much better if you just worked for my family. Name your own salary! Work as many hours as you want!"

'Oh my god, I've finally found the right way to curry favor!'

To be honest, Chen Shu had never considered being friends with Yu Hui. It was probably because he could never forget the disdainful expression the other had worn in their past life when he called him a poor wretch. Those words were like a thorn buried in his heart, which would sometimes fester into a bit of self-loathing hatred in the dead of night, a feeling far more profound than the knowledge he had painstakingly acquired over more than a decade of study.

Even after Chen Shu became successful in his past life, he would still be stung by that memory at unexpected moments. Looking back after many years, there were many things that were no longer worth fussing over, but that damp feeling followed him like a shadow, faintly emerging even on warm, sunny days, never to be dried out.

Yu Hui didn't know about these reasons and just thought it was Chen Shu's personality. He said even more enthusiastically, "It's settled then. I'll drive you there now. You have to work somewhere anyway, so why not at my family's place? This is what you call keeping the benefits within the family!"

Yu Hui was a man of action. He immediately dragged Chen Shu to his family's luxury store. There was no need for an interview; he just made a phone call to his parents and the job was settled. He could work as many hours as he wanted, just coming over when he was free from school, and he would be paid by the hour.

This time, Chen Shu couldn't find any reason to refuse Yu Hui's help. His younger siblings back home were almost old enough for college. If they didn't want to be stuck messing around in a small county town after finishing high school, studying was their only way out. And with his scattered part-time jobs, who knew when he would be able to save up enough for their tuition fees. In comparison, working part-time at Yu Hui's family store became his best option at the moment.

"Thank you."

Chen Shu rarely expressed his thanks, but this time it was sincere.

Yu Hui lifted the hem of his basketball jersey to fan himself. "It's nothing. If I didn't know you wouldn't agree, my family would be fine with paying you a salary every month for nothing. Anyway, my parents said not to delay your studies. You just need to come over a couple of times on the weekend when you're free."

Fate is a wondrous thing. Every gentle flutter of a butterfly's wings can change its trajectory. And Chen Shu, after thinking for a long time, still couldn't understand why things in this life were so completely different from his last.

All he did was not sleep with Zhuang Yihan and return to school a few hours earlier that morning. Then, by a twist of fate, he ran into Yu Hui, who had fainted from a fever. From that moment on, everything became different.

What on earth was fate trying to tell him? Was he really not supposed to have gotten entangled with Zhuang Yihan in his previous life?

Chen Shu let out a soft laugh, finding it somewhat absurd and ironic. However, this emotion flashed across his face for only an instant, unnoticed by anyone.

The job at the luxury store was far better than the other sweaty part-time jobs outside. Under the protection of Yu Hui, the "young master," Chen Shu not only didn't have to stand at the door to greet customers like everyone else, but he could even sit to the side and do his schoolwork on a computer during his free time. His colleagues, when they discussed it privately, felt it was a terrible waste. After all, with a face like Chen Shu's greeting customers at the door, business would probably multiply several times over. Having him sit inside as a mascot was a complete waste, wasn't it?

Unfortunately, the big boss of the main store had specifically instructed that he only needed to sit behind the counter and polish samples every day, without being responsible for reception duties. Despite this, eight out of ten female customers who entered the store liked to ask Chen Shu for introductions and recommendations. They originally thought that this college student wouldn't know anything, but unexpectedly, though he usually seemed quiet, he was extremely professional when introducing watches. He knew the origin, components, and craftsmanship like the back of his hand, and he even had some knowledge of collector's items worth millions.

"Chen Shu, I heard your major is in computer science. How come you're so proficient with watches too? Did you work in this industry as a part-timer before?"

The team leader, Ria, couldn't resist asking during a break. She propped her chin on her hands, leaning on the counter, waiting for Chen Shu's explanation, her bright and charming eyes filled with curiosity. However, she didn't expect him to bend down slightly and pull out a thick product introduction manual from under the counter, placing it on the table.

"No. The questions those customers ask aren't very deep. It's all written in the product manual. I had nothing to do during my lunch break, so I read a few pages."

"..."

Ria didn't know whether to be amazed or ashamed. They all knew Chen Shu was someone who got the job through connections, so no one said anything even if he was a bit quiet. But she never expected Chen Shu would actually read through such a thick and dizzying product list on his own time. After all, short-term part-timers came and went every month; who would be so serious?

"You're too amazing, remembering so much after just a few days. Comparisons are truly odious. I didn't have such a good memory at your age."

Chen Shu wanted to say that he wasn't really amazing, just hardworking. Because he had no family background, no confidence, no shoulders to lean on for support, the only thing he could do was work hard. This was the only thing a child from a poor family could offer.

But in the end, he said nothing, only giving Ria a faint smile. Under the light, his eyes were actually very clear, possessing a seriousness that was rare in others. "I was idle anyway. There's no harm in reading a bit more."

Just as they were talking, a synchronized "Welcome" suddenly sounded from outside. Ria had to end the conversation and turn to greet the customer. Chen Shu also habitually glanced at the incoming customer, but his gaze froze upon contact with the person's familiar face. His heart, which had gradually calmed down, now felt as if it had been abruptly squeezed by a large, invisible hand, and even his breathing paused for a moment.

Zhuang Yihan...

No one could have expected such a coincidence, to run into their "one-night stand" while out at a mall.