Chapter 80: Your School Beauty? No Way, She’s My Little Follower

As he scrolled through the forum posts, Jiang Zhou — currently wandering around the food street — was utterly baffled.

Who the hell spread that rumor about him scamming someone every ten steps?

He was clearly a kind-hearted, entrepreneurial student who cared deeply for his classmates!

Just as he was starting to react, the post suddenly disappeared.

He refreshed the page again. Deleted.

Damn it, he hadn’t even finished reading!

Honestly, watching people slander him was kind of entertaining.

Why wouldn’t they even let him enjoy that?

Jiang Zhou tapped his phone and made a new post: [Didn’t finish reading the last post. Anyone got a screenshot? Send it my way.].

Instantly, the comment section exploded:

“Bro, let her go while you still can!”

“She just made a dumb mistake, cut her some slack!”

“That poor lady looked like she’s been through enough. Her skin’s already sagging, give her a break.”

“Scam King, please don’t bring blood and chaos to the streets again!”

What the hell were these replies?

Did people really think I am some kind of demon now?

Jiang Zhou sighed. Clearly, he needed to do something to fix his reputation.

He pocketed his phone and continued walking.

As he strolled into the middle stretch of the street, he passed by a stir-fry noodle shop.

Suddenly, loud shouting broke out.

“Eat if you want to! If not, then get the hell out!

“You saying my noodles aren’t fresh? You blind or what?!”

The greasy-faced Brother Fried Noodles, cigarette dangling from his mouth, was yelling at a group of stunned students.

Everyone on the food street knew: When it came to food, you could debate quality.

But when it came to temper, no one could top this guy — Old Qiao.

Not just students, even nearby shop owners preferred to steer clear of him.

Technically, his shop should’ve had the least business.

But thanks to using expired ingredients and playing dirty, he actually made a decent profit.

He was also the guy who got into a fight with a food delivery rider just last night.

“Your food isn’t fresh, period. Smell this chicken leg yourself!”

“Yeah! I only took one bite and nearly threw up!”

“You’re a shady businessman, you’re gonna go out of business sooner or later!”

That last comment made Old Qiao raise his spatula in anger.

The five students stepped back in fear.

Nearby merchants rushed out to intervene.

After all, if word got out that a student got assaulted here, the entire food street could face repercussions or even forced closures.

Old Qiao glared viciously at them. “Say it again! I dare you! Are you rebelling now?!”

Then, a voice cut in from behind him, “They said you’re a shady businessman and you’ll go out of business soon.”

Old Qiao turned around furiously, only to freeze the moment he saw who it was.

“J-Jiang… Brother Jiang?”

Jiang Zhou looked at him coldly. “Beating up a delivery guy was one thing. Now you’re trying to hit students too?”

Old Qiao quickly lowered his spatula and forced a smile.

“That thing with the rider? Just a misunderstanding! He wouldn’t let me finish my card game!”

“What did the contract say? Orders come first, did you forget?”

“I was about to win 100 bucks from that round! But a single food order only makes me ten!”

Jiang Zhou nodded. “So it’s my fault you didn’t earn more?”

Old Qiao waved his hands frantically. “No no! Since I started taking online orders, my sales have tripled all thanks to you, Brother Jiang!”

“Right. You’ve got 325 orders a month, 300 bad reviews, and 25 complaints. And you’re proud of that?”

“They just don’t know how to appreciate the taste! The older generation loves my cooking!”

“Enough. Talking won’t help. Take a look at this.” Jiang Zhou slapped a document on the table.

Notice of Violations: Rectification Deadline and Online Product Removal

“Product removal…?” Old Qiao panicked.

He hadn’t been running this shop long, just over six months.

But with his attitude and the expired food, he never had repeat customers.

If his shop got delisted, he’d have zero income.

“Brother Jiang, can’t we talk this through? I’ll change, I promise!”

“Fix it first. We’ll talk after.” Then Jiang Zhou waved to the five students. “You can go now. No need to pay for today.”

They looked at each other. “Uh… what about next time?”

“Next time?! You guys are nuts!”

They breathed a sigh of relief and ran out of the shop, but they didn’t leave.

They waited at the corner to thank him properly.

After Jiang Zhou handed out notices to the other violating vendors, the five students came up to him.

While introducing themselves, they thanked him sincerely.

“Bro, we’re all freshmen from Qingbei. I’m Wu Di, this is my girlfriend Chen Lanfang, and these three are my dormmates. Thanks so much for earlier.”

Jiang Zhou nodded. “No need to be so polite. We’re all students here.”

Chen Lanfang looked surprised. “You’re a student too?”

“Why? I don’t look that old, do I?”

“No, no! I just saw how scared that shop owner was of you, and then heard you were a student,  so it surprised me!”

Jiang Zhou smiled casually. “He should be scared. I outrank him. He has to call me ‘Grand-uncle.’”

“Oh… I see.”

“You guys heading back to campus now?”

“Yeah.”

Jiang Zhou thought for a moment. It was about time he visited Qingbei University.

Most students in Shangjing had gotten used to ordering food online.

But the Qingbei crowd still preferred eating out.

He needed a plan to make them lazy.

How else was he going to profit?

“I’m heading to Qingbei too. Let’s walk together.”

“Sure, sounds good!”

On the way, Jiang Zhou chatted with them about the food street businesses.

He wanted to get a sense of which vendors had good reputations, and which ones were as terrible as the fried noodle guy.

These freshmen had already spent a month at school.

They’d eaten enough to know the lay of the land, so they spoke with surprising insight.

The Qingbei campus was slightly larger than Shangjing’s.

However, its academic atmosphere wasn’t quite as intense.

Still, in terms of architecture and student fashion, Qingbei was definitely trendier.

Jiang Zhou’s previous visits were just to see Chu Yuwei, so he’d never taken a proper campus tour.

This time, he finally saw the stark differences between the two schools.

Shangjing was more traditional. Qingbei leaned toward innovation.

For instance, the teaching buildings. Shangjing’s were all built to standard blueprints. Qingbei’s featured a lot of oddly shaped, artistic structures.

“Wu Di, do you guys have a part-time job club?”

Wu Di thought for a second and shook his head. “I’m not too familiar with the clubs.”

But Chen Lanfang suddenly chimed in, “My roommate’s in the part-time club. She hands out flyers and stuff every day.”

“Can I get her contact info?”

“You’re from Shangjing University, right? Coming to Qingbei for a job?”

Jiang Zhou smiled. “I’ve got some other business with them.”

Chen Lanfang nodded. “I’ll give you her QQ number.”

“Thanks.”

After exchanging contact info, a cheer suddenly rose from nearby.

Excited shouting caught their attention.

On the fenced-in tennis court in the distance, a group of female students in white T-shirts were in the middle of a tennis match surrounded by a dense crowd of male students, all with eyes glowing like spotlights.

“Is your school holding some kind of event?” Jiang Zhou asked curiously.

“Nope. It’s a tennis match between the girls from the Medical School and the Law School,” Wu Di replied.

Medical School?

Jiang Zhou paused slightly when he heard those words.

That’s the school where Chu Yuwei, a freshman, studied. He wondered if she was here.

She used to love participating in sports back in high school and wasn’t as introverted as Feng Siruo.

She had athletic talent, too.

Wu Di continued, “The Medical and Law schools have the most beautiful girls in the whole university, so a lot of people come to watch the matches.”

Chen Lanfang, standing next to him, snorted. “Looks like someone spends plenty of time at the Medical and Law Schools watching girls.”

“What?! No way. I just heard that from my roommates!”

“Hmph. A man’s mouth is full of lies, just like the rest of him!”

At that moment, another cheer erupted from the field, louder than the last.

Jiang Zhou instinctively looked over. The previous match had just ended.

The Law School scored a point, and the Medical School needed to sub in a new player.

The new girl who stepped onto the court had refined features, captivating eyes, and long, fair legs. Even her walk carried a unique charm.

“Chu Yuwei…”

Wu Di turned his head at the name. “You know her too?”

Jiang Zhou nodded slowly. “She’s that well-known?”

“Of course. She’s the most beautiful girl in the Medical School. Everyone says she’s a shoo-in for campus belle next time.”

Jiang Zhou smiled faintly. “Then the guys in your school clearly have poor taste.”

Wu Di raised an eyebrow. “Are you insulting Qingbei’s standards of beauty on behalf of Shangjing?”

Jiang Zhou chuckled. “This is a battle between my many wives. What’s it got to do with Qingbei or Shangjing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Chu Yuwei is my provisional little wife. But she’s been a bit naughty lately, so I’m thinking about firing her.”

Everyone around him, including Wu Di and his roommates, immediately looked at him with disdain.

They’d seen people brag, but this was on another level.

Chu Yuwei was known for being icy and aloof. Even after a month into the semester, no more than five male students had managed to exchange more than three sentences with her.

That’s why she was called the “Iceberg Beauty.” Despite that, her popularity was off the charts. There were already countless guys in Qingbei who wanted to chase her.

Rumor had it that on orientation day, over twenty male students followed behind her like ducklings.

But she’d made it clear: no dating in college.

A beautiful and principled girl like that, be someone’s little wife? Impossible.

Besides, to Wu Di and his roommates, this guy from Shangjing didn’t seem particularly special. Aside from being Old Qiao’s “Grand Uncle,” what else did he have going for him?

Just then, another wave of cheers swept through the court.

Chu Yuwei had scored a point, prompting the male crowd to erupt in shouts of “Long live!”

However, the match was taking a toll on her physically.

Before the tenth round, she had to call for a substitution.

When she stepped off the court, all the boys watching were visibly disappointed.

Wu Di turned to Jiang Zhou. “Didn’t you say she’s your little wife? Go on then. Call her over.”

“Nope,” Jiang Zhou replied. “No point. Besides, she can be pretty annoying.”

“Pfft, I think you’re full of it.”

Jiang Zhou grinned. “Tell you what, how about a little wager?”

Wu Di’s interest piqued. “What kind of bet?”

“If I can get her to come over here, you and your roommates hand out flyers for me for a month.”

“No problem, sounds like a guaranteed win. But what if you lose?”

“If I lose, I’ll pay for your meals for the whole month.”

Wu Di and his roommates exchanged glances. “That’s a hefty bet. Don’t back out.”

“The bigger the stakes, the more fun, right? So, deal?”

“Deal! Anyone backs out is a little puppy!”

Wu Di and his gang thought they were clever.

Chu Yuwei had already said she wouldn’t date in college. Even if she changed her mind, there’s no way she’d be someone’s “little wife.”

A bet like this? They’d take it every day.

If it worked, they wouldn’t have to pay for meals for four years.

Jiang Zhou nodded with satisfaction and walked up to the iron fence surrounding the court. Then, he called out loudly:

“Chu Yuwei!”

His voice was so loud that it drowned out the chatter around them. Everyone turned to look.

Who the heck is this guy? So bold?

Everyone knew Chu Yuwei hated being shouted at in public. Her temper was no joke.

But today, something seemed… different.

“Jiang Zhou? Why are you here?” She smiled radiantly and ran toward him, eyes sparkling like stars.

But the fence was still between them, so they could only look at each other.

Even so, it was obvious to everyone that Chu Yuwei’s face was glowing with joy.

“You came to watch me play?” she asked expectantly.

Jiang Zhou nodded. “Yeah. But you’re so bad, I’m disappointed.”

Chu Yuwei immediately lowered her head. “I understand. I’ll play better next round.”

“No, no, I’m just kidding.”

“Really?”

He nodded again, then gestured toward the stunned group behind him. “Let me introduce you. These are my new employees from Qingbei.”

Wu Di and his friends were utterly dumbfounded.

This wasn’t Jiang Zhou’s fault. They were just too gullible.

Who the hell actually believes someone would pay for a month of meals for losing a bet?

When Jiang Zhou claimed to be Old Qiao’s grand uncle, no one doubted him.

But the one thing he said that was true? They all dismissed it as fake.

Chu Yuwei blushed. “Hi, I’m Chu Yuwei.”

Wu Di and the others quickly snapped out of it and nodded rapidly.

Then she turned to Jiang Zhou again. “Do you have time later?”

Jiang Zhou thought for a second. “I’m not too busy. What’s up?”

“I want to take you somewhere,” she said, biting her lip.

“Far?”

“No, not far. It’s our school’s Xinyue Lake.”

Xinyue Lake? Jiang Zhou blinked. What a tacky name.

But the students standing around him all shivered when they heard it.

“Xinyue” Lake?!

Two characters off from “Xinyue Jun” (admiring you from the heart), but the meaning was completely different.

As the saying goes: “There’s wood in the mountains, and branches on the wood; I admire you from my heart, but you do not know.”

Everyone stared at Jiang Zhou in disbelief, burning with rage.

What the hell does this guy have that we don’t?!