To be honest, the few of them who frequently spent time at bars weren’t exactly elites in the traditional sense. They also disliked that oppressive, so called elite education.
“Jiang Chu, tell us something about your life that we don’t know.”
“Have you ever taken a green skinned train?” Su Qingyu took a sip of his drink and looked toward them. “Whether it’s a hard seat carriage or a hard sleeper carriage, there’s something interesting about traveling on a green skinned train.”
Earlier, one of them had used trains to mock Jiang Chu.
Tonight, Su Qingyu decided to talk to them about trains.
“Several people might be squeezed around one of those little tables in the hard seat carriage. They could come from all across the country, from places thousands of miles apart. You sit around that tiny table, chatting about your hometowns and your destinations and you can even play cards amid the shouts of people drinking beer and snacking on sunflower seeds.”
“Every now and then, you lift your head and look out the window. There are green mountains and clear rivers, vast landscapes stretching out beneath the open sky and a sense of space that seems to fill the air.”
“Once, I encountered a thief on a train. I learned a mountain folk song and I even picked up the dialect of a particular place…”
One by one, the others found their attention completely captured by him.
The man who had just dazzled the entire bar with his pole dance was now sitting so casually on the sofa, surrounded by the glittering lights and lively atmosphere of the bar, speaking openly about his world in a pleasant, immersive voice.
It made them realize that, to them, taking a plane or a high speed train was simply a means of getting from one place to another, a mode of transportation for their journey.
But for him, riding a green skinned train was a way of life.
He continued telling them about so many aspects of life they had never known.
His world was novel and fascinating, vast and far reaching.
And once again, they felt that this was precisely why Jiang Chu was such a genuine, multifaceted and captivating person.
“We have a tofu Xishi in our hometown. I remember thinking that if only I could- ”
“Enough!”
While the others gathered around Su Qingyu, listening to him with great interest, Sheng Xun suddenly stood up and interrupted him.
He couldn’t bear to listen anymore.
The more Jiang Chu spoke, the more genuine and vivid he became and the further he drifted away from the image Sheng Xun had carefully constructed in his mind.
Even when he looked at Jiang Chu now, he could no longer see the version of him he wanted to see. Instead, all he could see was Jiang Chu’s individuality, so distinct and forceful that it seemed to push its way into his mind, leaving no room for the image he had created.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
“Jiang Chu, are you leaving or not? If you aren’t, then I’m leaving.”
Su Qingyu lifted his chin slightly.
“Go ahead.”
“…”
Sheng Xun left in a huff, his anger evident in every step.
527: 【…】
For some reason, as it watched Sheng Xun’s furious back disappearing into the distance, it seemed to see Xu Yunhan.
After driving the man away, the person who had been speaking so confidently and enthusiastically just moments ago suddenly lowered his head. He stared at the wineglass in his hands without saying a word, his entire figure filled with loneliness and sorrow.
527: 【…】
The most terrifying thing in this world really was an actor, wasn’t it?
Especially an actor who was a scumbag.
Sheng Xun’s several friends noticed Su Qingyu’s sudden dejection. Despite being people who frequently spent time in bars, they found themselves at a loss for what to do.
Hua Shuming spoke nervously.
“Jiang Chu, what’s wrong?”
Li Dongfeng added, “Jiang Chu, don’t take it to heart. I don’t know what’s gotten into him today. He’s been acting like he’s swallowed a whole bundle of explosives.”
“It’s not just today.”
Su Qingyu shook his head.
“I hadn’t been with him for very long before he started asking me to wear white shirts, telling me which hairstyle to keep, which perfume to use and what kind of dance to learn.”
His voice grew low and desolate.
“At first, I thought he was just controlling but recently, I’ve started feeling more and more that something isn’t right. I always have this feeling that he wants to turn me into someone else.”
“What do you mean?” Hua Shuming asked in shock. “He’s treating you as a substitute?! Has he lost his mind?”
Sheng Xun’s other friends were equally astonished. It was difficult for them to imagine that Sheng Xun would actually want to turn someone like this into a substitute.
Only one person remained silent.
Even as Sheng Xun’s friends discussed his romantic history, that person continued to sit quietly without saying anything.
Hua Shuming noticed his silence and asked him directly, “Xia Hongyu, do you know something?”
Xia Hongyu was the person who had pointed out the tear mole to Su Qingyu.
All of them were Sheng Xun’s friends but they had become acquainted with him at different stages of his life. Hua Shuming had grown up alongside Sheng Xun and was his childhood friend, while Xia Hongyu had been his classmate in middle school.
After remaining silent for a few seconds, Xia Hongyu finally said, “It’s Gu Mengchen.”
Several voices rang out in unison.
“Who?”
Xia Hongyu explained, “Gu Mengchen. He was our senior in high school. He only attended high school in China for two years before transferring abroad. He left right around the year you guys entered high school.”
“When Sheng Xun was in his second year of high school, he even went abroad to visit him. They might have been together at some point but I don’t know why they broke up.”
Li Dongfeng asked, “How can you be sure it’s him?”
Xia Hongyu glanced at Su Qingyu.
“They look very similar and Gu Mengchen only wore white shirts and studied classical dance.”
The others were all stunned.
Hua Shuming looked at Su Qingyu before asking again, “Are they really that similar?”
Xia Hongyu replied, “I don’t have any photos of him here but he participated in the academy’s New Year’s Eve gala both years he was there. He even served as the host one year. We should be able to find a photo of him.”
And, as expected, they found one.
The resemblance to Jiang Chu was undeniable yet, despite seeing the similarities, all of them felt that Sheng Xun had a serious problem. He was stubbornly trying to turn a precious gemstone into a piece of glass.
Hua Shuming held himself back again and again before finally losing his temper.
“Sheng Xun has gone too far! He has absolutely no respect for Jiang Chu!”
Su Qingyu finished an entire glass of alcohol. Then he gave a bitter smile.
“It’s probably better that I know now.”
Hua Shuming immediately asked, “Then are you going to let go? Are you planning to give up on him?”
Su Qingyu: “…”
527: 【…？】
“What are you talking about?” Li Dongfeng scolded him.
But deep down, he was thinking the same thing.
Sheng Xun truly had no idea how to cherish what he had. Someone like Jiang Chu could be the dream lover of countless people. He possessed a charm that was entirely his own and yet Sheng Xun had chosen to treat him as a substitute, forcing him to dress and live according to the appearance of someone else.
Li Dongfeng wasn’t the only one thinking this way.
One after another, Sheng Xun’s friends began cursing him inwardly.
They all took turns comforting Jiang Chu. When they eventually left the bar, each of them added Jiang Chu on WeChat, telling him that if he ever needed help with anything, he absolutely had to contact them.
Xia Hongyu hadn’t been drinking, so he offered to drive Su Qingyu back to the university. The moment Hua Shuming heard this, he climbed into the car as well.
After parking near the university, they still insisted on accompanying Su Qingyu all the way to the school gates.
As they passed the food street near the university, Su Qingyu suddenly turned into it. He stopped in front of an auntie selling stinky tofu.
It was already past midnight. The auntie still hadn’t packed up her stall. A dim, yellow night lamp hung from the small cart, casting a faint glow over the roadside. She was waiting, perhaps, for someone who might suddenly crave a serving of stinky tofu in the middle of the night and come by to buy one.
Su Qingyu said, “Auntie, give me three portions.”
“Coming, coming!”
The auntie immediately lit the burner and began frying the tofu for him.
Su Qingyu added, “Fry them a little more hollow.”
The auntie smiled.
“You really know your stuff, young man! Stinky tofu has to be fried until it puffs up and becomes hollow inside. That’s when it’s best dipped in the sauce. Crispy on the outside, tender and fragrant on the inside!”
Su Qingyu smiled.
“Mm, I know. My mother makes stinky tofu for a living.”
The auntie stared at him in surprise.
“Really? You wouldn’t be able to tell at all, you wouldn’t! You’re a student at Jin University, aren’t you? That’s wonderful! Your mother must be so happy. If only my son could get into Jin University too…”
She pointed toward the back, where a boy was fast asleep with his head resting on a small table.
“That boy over there. He does his homework at my little stall every single day. Whenever he gets tired of studying and feels like giving up, he just lifts his head, sees your university right there and sits back down to continue.”
While waiting for the stinky tofu to finish cooking, the two of them continued chatting like this.
Hua Shuming and Xia Hongyu watched Su Qingyu with slight astonishment.
The person standing before them now was completely different from the dark, bewitching figure who had danced on the pole in the lively bar earlier.
He was standing on a street that had grown much quieter, in front of a roadside stall in the middle of the night. Under the dim, yellow light, his peach blossom eyes curved warmly and beautifully when he smiled and he spoke about experiences they had never known or felt for themselves.
How could one person have so many different sides?
Contradictory, yet harmonious, each side was genuinely and vividly etched into him.
Just as the two of them stood there watching him in a daze, a freshly cooked box of stinky tofu was placed into their hands.
“Thank you for taking me back. This is for you two.”
The two men accepted the boxes of stinky tofu in a daze, suddenly unsure of what to do with themselves.
To be honest, neither of them ate much from roadside stalls, let alone something as pungent as this. In the past, whenever they encountered food like this, they would go out of their way to avoid it. They couldn’t possibly let the smell cling to their clothes.
Su Qingyu took the final box and used a small fork to pick up a piece, placing it into his mouth.
The two men didn’t eat theirs. Instead, they watched him.
His cheeks puffed up slightly as he chewed and his entire face was filled with an intense, unmistakable happiness. The expression was so infectious that simply watching him made them feel better.
And hungry.
After eating one piece, Su Qingyu looked at them.
“Come on, eat. Stinky tofu tastes best right after it’s taken out of the oil. You have to eat it while it’s hot.”
Hua Shuming picked up a piece of stinky tofu with his fork. He hesitated, then carefully placed it into his mouth.
He had already prepared himself mentally. Even if this slightly foul smelling food turned out to be disgusting, he was determined to swallow it without changing his expression.
But the outer skin of the stinky tofu had been fried until it was crisp and slightly firm. It was coated in a specially prepared, fragrant, spicy sauce. The moment he bit into it, the tofu inside was tender and soft, complemented by the sour, spicy, sweet and crunchy cabbage.
Hua Shuming’s eyes widened instantly.
It was past midnight and two wealthy young masters from prestigious families were crouching beside a roadside stinky tofu stall with Su Qingyu, eating stinky tofu without the slightest concern for their image.
“Auntie, give us another serving!”
527: 【…】
It was so delicious that it made it want to cry from hunger. QAQ.
The three of them didn’t leave until one in the morning.
The university was right there in front of them, so Su Qingyu no longer allowed them to accompany him any farther.
Hua Shuming and Xia Hongyu walked together toward where they had parked the car. After taking a few steps, Xia Hongyu suddenly turned around.
He glanced at the small stinky tofu stall. The yellow night lamp hanging above it cast a dim glow, while beside the stall, the mother gently patted her son.
Then, following the direction of that faint light, he looked toward Su Qingyu’s retreating back.
Strangely enough, Hua Shuming immediately understood what Xia Hongyu was feeling at that moment.
Xia Hongyu’s family was no less wealthy than his own. Their family business was huge and with a large business came plenty of complications. The relationships within his household were somewhat complicated and every member of his extended family seemed cold and distant.
But when you thought about it, how much better were any of their families, really?
Hua Shuming patted him on the shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
When Su Qingyu returned, he was still holding a box of stinky tofu and eating from it.
527 said, 【That’s so strange. The repentance value actually increased by three points just now.】
Su Qingyu smiled. Before entering the dormitory building, he finished the remaining stinky tofu, then threw the empty box into a trash can.
His phone had already rung several times. Sheng Xun had sent him a series of messages, most of them centered around the same sentence:
[I want to have a serious talk with you.]
Su Qingyu turned off his phone, returned to his dormitory, took a comfortable hot shower and went to sleep.
…..
Sheng Xun barely slept that night.
He was angry and irritated. He had deliberately returned to the university dormitory because he wanted to have a proper conversation with Jiang Chu about what had happened that evening.
Jiang Chu had gone far too far tonight. This matter needed to be discussed seriously.
He had sent Jiang Chu several messages but none of them had received a reply. By two in the morning, Jiang Chu should have returned, shouldn’t he?
So he called him.
But his phone was actually switched off!
Sheng Xun was even more furious and sleep became completely impossible.
He tossed and turned in bed, his thoughts a chaotic mess. One moment, he was thinking of Jiang Chu wearing a white shirt; the next, he was seeing Jiang Chu dancing on the pole onstage.
The more he thought about it, the more stifled and restless he became.
He might have slept for only two or three hours when he woke up to a phone call from Hua Shuming.
“Hey, Sheng Xun, did you return to the university last night? It’s Monday today, so you’re going to the company, right? Then, on your way, could you bring me one portion, no, wait, ten portions of the stinky tofu from your university’s food street?”
Sheng Xun: “？？？”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The coffee goblin has awakened. It wants tribute.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 30 · Fengdu Underworld (1)Chapter 31 · Fengdu Underworld (2)Chapter 32 Part 1 · The Humble Young Master (1)Chapter 32 Part 2 · The Humble Young Master (1)Chapter 33 Part 1 · The Humble Young Master (2)Chapter 33 Part 2 · The Humble Young Master (2)Chapter 34 Part 1 · The Humble Young Master (3)Chapter 34 Part 2 · The Humble Young Master (3)Chapter 35 · The Humble Young Master (4)Chapter 36 · The Humble Young Master (5)