He said her name beautifully.
Or perhaps it was because he was the one in power, knowing exactly what tone, gesture, and expression made others submit.
Shen Hua’s heart skipped a beat for no reason.
Her gaze uncontrollably swept over the empty seat beside the man.
Outside the car, the night wind carried a chill, and she could even imagine the heater inside running just right, the leather seats wrapped in a warm, cozy temperature.
That seat—how many people would kill to be close to it?
After all, the man before her was successful in his career, handsome in appearance, and every move he made exuded an air of refined elegance. He was truly “no ordinary fish in a pond.”
And her?
She was just a college girl who had recently arrived in Hong Kong, separated from him by a gap as vast as clouds and mud.
A nameless feeling suddenly crept up—not jealousy, but a discomfort tinged with awkwardness.
She suddenly remembered the old folks in her village talking about “matching doors and gates,” which she used to think was an outdated rule, but now it felt painfully clear.
With that thought, Shen Hua felt a flicker of timidity and said calmly, “No need, I’ll take a cab.”
She turned to leave, but behind her came the man’s low, soft laugh, carrying a confident nonchalance: “I’ll wait for your call.”
Shen Hua paused for a moment, then walked away more quickly.
Strangely enough, as soon as she reached the intersection, she spotted a taxi with its “available” light on. She waved it down.
As she got into the car, the corner of her eye caught the Rolls-Royce still parked in place, its black body under the streetlight like a lurking beast. She felt the gaze on her back with a tangible heat that made her spine tense, until the car turned at the next corner, and that scalding sensation slowly faded.
Back in the dorm, her roommates were still out partying, so the room was quiet.
Shen Hua washed up and changed into her pajamas. Fearing that her roommates might wake her when they returned late, she put in earplugs and wore an eye mask before climbing into bed.
But that night, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, her mind full of the man’s outstretched hand, the tone of his voice when he said her name, and the deep shadows in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce.
In the dead of night, she finally sat up, pulled the business card out of her bag.
The card was cold, but holding it in her palm felt like clutching a little branding iron, making her fingertips tingle.
She stared at the three words “Lin Qinghuai,” and her heart began to race uncontrollably again. It wasn’t until nearly dawn that she drifted off into a dazed sleep.
The next morning, the dorm was still empty.
Shen Hua sighed with dark circles under her eyes. Remembering she had an early class, she rushed through her morning routine and headed to the teaching building.
The first two classes were a large lecture for the whole year. As soon as she sat down, her phone was bombarded with messages from her roommates, all begging her to answer the roll call for them and promising to bring her treats later.
With no other choice, Shen Hua found a seat in the back corner.
When the teacher called the roll, she pinched her voice, changing tones to answer “present” for her roommates, managing to get by unnoticed.
Just before the third class started, Xu Manjin burst in, flustered, wearing a clean T-shirt and jeans, clearly having gone back to the dorm to freshen up.
She plopped down next to Shen Hua and nudged her arm: “How did it go? Did you mess up the roll call this morning?”
“Relax, I’m a pro by now.” Shen Hua raised an eyebrow. “Just treat me to a milk tea at lunch—skip the meal.”
Xu Manjin immediately gave her a big hug: “No problem! Double pearls!”
These past few days, Shen Hua had been a little distracted. She couldn’t help pulling out the business card from her pocket every so often.
This unusual behavior finally caught Xu Manjin’s attention.
The moment Shen Hua took out the card again, Xu Manjin grabbed it, stepped back outside the classroom, held it up, and deliberately shouted:
“Lin Qinghuai?!”
“No way?!”
“You’ve been hiding a guy from me?!”
Shen Hua was instantly stunned, her face turning beet red. She scrambled to her feet to retrieve it: “Don’t yell nonsense! Give it back!”
“No way, no way!” Xu Manjin had grown up climbing trees in the alleyways; she ran like a rabbit. As she dashed down the hallway, she shouted, “Who is this ‘Lin Qinghuai’? Come clean right now!”
Frustrated and angry, Shen Hua chased after her down the corridor.
She finally caught Xu Manjin and dragged her toward the rooftop.
Seeing that Shen Hua’s expression had genuinely darkened, Xu Manjin stopped joking and obediently shut her mouth.
The wind on the rooftop was a bit strong, and there was no one around. Xu Manjin immediately pressed: “Come on, whose business card is this really?”
Shen Hua hesitated for a moment, then recounted everything from the Rolls-Royce to receiving the card.
As soon as she finished, Xu Manjin’s eyes went wide. She grabbed Shen Hua’s arm and shouted: “Whoa! You mean the Rolls-Royce owner has a thing for you?”
She emphasized the last few words heavily, her eyes gleaming with gossipy excitement.
Then, even more excitedly, she said: “You mean he gave you his card, and you didn’t even call?”
Shen Hua was taken aback. Before she could speak, Xu Manjin slapped her arm: “Damn it, if you’re putting on an act, I’ll really smack you!”
Shen Hua looked bewildered. Xu Manjin frowned: “You’re not pretending?”
“Pretending what?” Shen Hua asked back.
“Playing hard to get!” Xu Manjin was exasperated. “Shen Hua, are you sick? What are you being reserved about? Are you waiting for a wealthy man to fall from the sky? You’re this pretty, and you don’t get it?”
“I’m not…” Shen Hua tried to say something, but Xu Manjin cut her off.
She was speechless. “Tell me honestly, are you faking it? If not, I’ll help you.”
Shen Hua was also at a loss. She opened her mouth, but the words died on her lips. She shoved the card into Xu Manjin’s hand: “Here, take it. I don’t want it anymore.”
Xu Manjin was dumbfounded. She looked from the card to Shen Hua: “You think I’m a trash picker?”
Then she suddenly thought of something. She pulled Shen Hua closer and stared into her eyes: “Don’t tell me… you’ve never been in a relationship?”
Shen Hua nodded honestly.
Xu Manjin was completely shocked: “You’re this good-looking, eighteen years old, and you’ve never been in love?”
“I never met the right person.”
“If there’s no one suitable, you just don’t date at all?” Xu Manjin pressed. Then it hit her: “Wait, you’re this cautious? You’re looking for a man to marry?”
“Why else?”
Xu Manjin acted as if she’d heard some fairy tale. She nearly jumped up: “Sis! It’s the 21st century! Dating is for fun! And you’re doing it for marriage?”
Shen Hua was also confused: “Is that not allowed? My parents fell in love at first sight and aimed straight for marriage. Their love story is a legend in our village—”
“Oh, give me a break!” Xu Manjin rolled her eyes and cut her off, dragging her out of the rooftop. “You’re so old-fashioned.”
Shen Hua muttered in protest, “It’s not old-fashioned!”
Xu Manjin laughed: “If dating is all about marriage, then wouldn’t everyone on the streets right now be messing around?”
Shen Hua was stunned. The idea sounded shocking to her. After all, her parents were a perfect match—love at first sight, and they still had a great relationship after marriage.
Seeing that Xu Manjin wasn’t heading back to the classroom, Shen Hua tried to stop her: “Aren’t we going to class? What are you doing?”
“Class? I’m giving you a ‘life lesson’!”
Shen Hua was pulled along, protesting: “Class isn’t over yet!”
“Forget class! This lesson is a hundred times more useful than that theory class!”