Chapter 7: You Look Kind of Good With Young Master Pei

After a few days of dungeon runs with Jingzhe, Zhu Rong shot straight up to level twenty. His backpack was now stuffed with all sorts of bizarre level-up items, along with every kind of wood and plant seed imaginable.

—All of it hauled out of Polar Light after they'd beaten the lava boss that day. Jingzhe had called it compensation for accidentally landing a basic attack that scared his freshly planted lotus to death.

Right in front of a whole crowd of Polar Light members, they'd strolled into the guild warehouse and carried off a basketful of materials nobody ever wanted.

The very next day, Zhu Rong even saw Hete in the guild group chat, asking who'd cleared the junk out of the guild warehouse—calling them a kindhearted, wonderful person.

Though the message was retracted immediately.

"Ugh."

Zhu Rong couldn't help but sigh.

Jingzhe was eating up so much of his time that he had no spare moment to plant flowers or grow grass now.

"What's up." Xu Fan leaned his head over. "You've been sighing since we left the dorm. Nervous?"

Zhu Rong: "Not exactly..."

Xu Fan raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it?"

Zhu Rong was at a loss for words.

There was no way to describe how he'd violated someone's account in-game, been forced into a long-term agreement with them, and now had to log on every single day to atone—getting blown by wind, drenched by rain, roasted by fire, and even chewed on by bosses like a snack.

Of course.

Zhu Rong suspected Jingzhe was doing it on purpose. Yesterday's mother-wolf boss could've been one-shot with a single strike, yet he'd pretended to lag and let Zhu Rong get dragged around in the wolf's jaws before finally showing up.

"Game stuff," Zhu Rong summarized briefly.

If it were Shen Zichen, he'd definitely attack him for being a gaming addict, saying that if he ever married and had kids, he'd have to bring his game account to meet his mother-in-law.

But Xu Fan took it just fine, only patting his shoulder:

"Little Rong, when the interview comes up, just act like you love the student council as much as you love gaming. You'll definitely pass."

Zhu Rong forced a smile. "Wouldn't lying get me struck down by heavenly lightning?"

Xu Fan laughed twice. "No PE credits to make up for, though!"

Zhu Rong immediately started getting into character.

The first-round interview had way more people than Zhu Rong expected. More than half the venue was packed with applicants for student council president's assistant—mostly cute-looking younger guys. Clearly they'd done their homework.

Zhu Rong's number was drawn early. Before long, someone led him into the interview room.

A gentle-looking senior sister handed him a form.

"Fill in your personal info, junior."

Zhu Rong glanced down:

Name, class, favorite color... shoe size?

There was even favorite games and sexual orientation, plus a bare-faced ID photo attached?!

Zhu Rong's expression was indescribable as he looked up.

The pretty senior sister was clearly used to this, covering her mouth with a light laugh.

"Don't worry, it's one hundred percent confidential."

"And... actually, the president doesn't want an assistant who's only applying to date him."

When she smiled, there was a mole by her lips.

"Exclusive intel."

"I'm only telling you because you're cute."

Zhu Rong steeled himself and filled out the form.

After joining the first-round group chat, Zhu Rong said goodbye to the senior brothers and sisters while enduring their heart-eyed stares.

Xu Fan had finished his form on the other side too, and said with a yawn, "The first round is so half-assed. I stayed up all night memorizing the president's personal preferences for nothing—I was all ready to lay the flattery on thick!"

Zhu Rong nodded. "I memorized them too."

What he hated most was cramming for a battle that never happened.

Just as they stepped out of the classroom, they saw a row of girls leaning against the corridor windows.

"Wuwuwu the president is so handsome!"

"Who's that next to him? Even more top-tier..."

"That's Pei Yujing. Apparently he's the president's childhood friend. He took a leave of absence for illness the past two years, so he's only starting this year."

"My god, he's gotta be a hundred and ninety centimeters, right? How is he this handsome."

"This year's campus heartthrob is definitely Pei Yujing. I'm voting for him with both my ballot and my boyfriend's."

"Your boyfriend's that generous?"

"What do you know? Your boyfriend gets jealous over cute guys, but for a guy this gorgeous and loaded, he'll just accept his fate and won't even consider him competition."

Xu Fan loved gossip. The moment he heard, he dragged Zhu Rong over to join the crowd.

By the elevator bay stood two figures.

Pei Yujing had one hand in his pocket, looking listless.

"Aren't you the department head? Why'd you have to drag me here for an interview?"

Chu Huaiyu laughed heartily.

"Well, aren't you about to take office? This is the little assistant who'll be with you for the next three years. Don't you want to pick one you like?"

Pei Yujing: "..."

If he weren't his childhood friend, he'd really want to punch him.

"I don't play that game." Pei Yujing said flatly. "Just find someone who can read the room and do the work."

Chu Huaiyu leaned against the wall's edge and lifted his eyelids.

"Aren't your standards a bit low? Young Master Pei."

Pei Yujing shot back, "Should I be picking concubines like you?"

"That's pure slander." Chu Huaiyu spread his hands. "I really need to clean up the campus forum one of these days. My relationships with my assistants for the past three years have all been normal superior-subordinate ones. I've never done anything out of line, okay? Who's out here slandering a pure-hearted young man?"

Pei Yujing gave him a cold look. "Then why'd you make them attach photos to the interview forms?"

Chu Huaiyu: "Would you want an ugly assistant? Everyone loves beauty. It's perfectly normal."

"That's just lusting after looks."

"..."

Tch.

Teasing Pei Yujing was really no fun at all.

"Hey, speaking of which, you've been showing up pretty rarely lately." Chu Huaiyu asked. "Don't tell me it's just classes and gaming? Your life's way too boring, Young Master Pei."

"What else?" Pei Yujing glanced at him.

"Come on, this is college." Chu Huaiyu was exasperated. "Don't waste that top-tier character model of yours, okay? Date someone! Since the semester started, so many pretty girls and guys have asked me for your contact info—some even bought me milk tea for it. I'm getting a little jealous."

"You've got that face and you spend every day holed up at home gaming?"

Pei Yujing's expression didn't change. He stepped into the elevator, leaving only his back to Chu Huaiyu.

"No wonder a bunch of random people have been adding me lately. If you give out my contact info again, I'm deleting my comms."

Chu Huaiyu: "..."

From about ten meters away, Zhu Rong leaned his elbow on the railing, staring a little dazedly.

Chu Huaiyu followed him in and pressed the wrong button—the door-open button—so the doors stayed open.

That cold face moved away from the phone screen.

He'd just looked up when his gaze happened to land on Zhu Rong at the classroom door across the way.

A completely unexpected glance—a somewhat familiar face crashed straight into his eyes.

The girls beside him shrieked nonstop.

After a good while, realizing his gaze seemed to be on someone nearby, several pairs of eyes drifted over to Zhu Rong's face.

The shrieks turned into murmurs, then into meaningful hums, and finally into very strange stifled laughter.

Zhu Rong's face suddenly burned. Too late to dodge:

"...Why's everyone looking at me."

Xu Fan looked down again.

Pei Yujing's brows were slightly furrowed, still staring at Zhu Rong.

Six or seven parts of his features were similar—only without the white hair from the game. Now it was soft, fine black hair, and his clothes were more well-behaved and casual.

Pei Yujing looked toward the direction Zhu Rong had come out of.

That was the assistant interview venue.

His gaze was cold and full of scrutiny. Zhu Rong's back went numb for no reason. He timidly met his eyes again, then raised the back of his hand to rub his nose, trying to cover it up.

"What're you looking at?" Chu Huaiyu leaned over to ask.

Only then did Pei Yujing withdraw his gaze, saying coldly, "Looking at what idiot keeps holding the door-open button."

Chu Huaiyu: "..."

Chu Huaiyu: "You have zero class. One day I'll let all those pretty girls and senior sisters see your ugly true face."

The elevator doors finally closed.

Zhu Rong's heartbeat finally settled too.

Xu Fan's sixth sense was pretty sharp. He asked suspiciously, "You know him?"

Zhu Rong looked utterly wronged. "Of course not!"

"Then why was he staring at you?" Xu Fan rubbed his chin.

He watched as Xu Fan slowly lifted his head, stared at his whole face, then walked a circle around him, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Combining that with the girls' reactions earlier, Xu Fan said slowly:

"Little Rong, I just realized something."

Zhu Rong: "?"

Xu Fan said, "You know what? You and that Young Master Pei look kind of good together."

Zhu Rong: "...?"

Zhu Rong: "But we're strangers."

Xu Fan: "It's just—when your two faces appear in the same frame, my brain automatically fills in some scenes that need censoring. If you want, I can transmit them to you via brain-comms tonight."

Zhu Rong: "..."

Zhu Rong: "Thanks, but no thanks."