Chapter 108: Events That Unfolded After Returning to the Academy

Uncle Mao and Wang Sheng were arranged to stay at Gano’s hospital. Since they were in Gano’s care, I felt at ease. I assigned Buck to guard Uncle Mao, and I returned to the academy to prepare for graduation. I also planned to find Jiaying to let her know I was fine so she wouldn’t worry about me any longer.

So, I left the hospital and hailed a taxi straight to the academy. After all, I had only been missing for a day; it probably wouldn’t cause much of a stir, so I didn’t pay it much mind.

The ride was short, and upon arrival at the academy, I headed directly into the campus, making my way to the freshman girls’ dormitory area. I figured Jiaying was probably still upstairs since there were no classes today.

“Excuse me, do you happen to know Zhao Jiaying? Are you in the same class as her?” I stopped a girl who looked like a freshman and asked.

“I don’t know!” she replied.

...

This was the girls’ dormitory zone, with more than a dozen buildings of varying heights. How was I supposed to find her? I asked countless girls, but not one seemed to know.

Just as I was about to give up, I heard a girl calling from a third-floor window, “Jiaying, could you toss down the XX for me?”

Hearing the name Jiaying, I hurried over and asked, “Excuse me, do you know Zhao Jiaying?”

The girl turned her head, flashing a smile full of yellow-stained teeth. “Yeah, classmate, Jiaying and I are in the same class. Are you looking for her?” She even leaned closer to me.

Looking at her, I was reminded of a real-life dinosaur. Could it be she was coveting my good looks? As she steadily closed in, I forced a smile and said, “I’m her cousin. Could you please call her down for me?” I smiled helplessly.

I always thought I wasn’t handsome; probably only these dino-girls would fancy me. Usually, I had no confidence around beautiful girls. Facing this lovestruck girl, I wondered if I was really that good-looking.

“Wait for me, I’ll go call her right now. I never expected Jiaying to have a cousin like you!” she said, trotting upstairs with quick steps, calling out, “Jiaying, your cousin is here!”

I lingered below for a while, admiring a potted plant at the dorm entrance, paying no attention to the two figures slowly approaching from behind.

“Your cousin?” a strange female voice whispered in my ear. It was quite different from Jiaying’s voice. Curious, I slowly turned around.

Damn! Who was this girl? Was she a tomboy? Probably stronger than most men!

A tall, burly girl with rough skin, a ponytail, and flaring nostrils looked at me with a puzzled expression. I was utterly embarrassed.

“Sorry, I think I have the wrong person,” I said, forcing a smile to these two oddballs before turning and sprinting out of the girls’ dorm area.

Once clear, I gasped for breath, amazed that such a character could exist. I figured her future husband would need to be taller than Yao Ming and as strong as an ox; otherwise, he’d be dominated by her for life.

I hurried out because I feared another glance at her muscles would blind me.

After searching all morning without finding Jiaying, I decided to relax a bit.

I strolled along the academy’s walking path, surrounded by lush greenery. I felt like shouting to the heavens: “God, damn it!”

Watching couples walking hand in hand along the two-meter-wide quiet path, I bitterly smiled. My parents hoped I’d find a daughter-in-law here, but how could I—so shy that my face turns bright red at the sight of a girl?

Sigh. I’ve been single for over twenty years and grown used to it. Although I like Ashuang, I lack the courage to confess. Besides, we’re worlds apart, so I can only let fate take its course and hope we meet again.

I kept my hands in my pockets, walking this medium-length, tranquil path. Watching juniors and underclassmen laughing in pairs, I shook my head bitterly and plunged into the greenery, sitting alone on a park bench, enjoying the peace and the birdsong.

“Ah, cousin! So you’re okay! Why didn’t you come find me? You worried me to death—boohoohoo!” a clear, sweet voice sounded beside me, accompanied by a coquettish tone that nearly startled my soul out of my body.

I looked up and saw that Jiaying was standing right before me.

“Little sis, your cousin’s fine. I’m tough as nails. Besides, how did you know I was here?” I said, glancing at Jiaying in amazement at her impressive search skills.

“You tell me. My roommates told me. They played a prank on you, but you ran off scared. As long as I see you, that’s enough. Let’s go eat outside the school. I know a restaurant with amazing food,” Jiaying said, reaching to link her arm with mine.

I quickly pulled my hand away, frowned, and said seriously, “No, no, little one. I’ll treat you to the meal. You had me worried for so long. But you can’t keep holding my arm like that—it’s embarrassing if others see.”

I blushed halfway through my sentence. Jiaying giggled quietly, but before I could recover, she grabbed my arm again, saying, “Cousin, you’re not a kid anymore. Why blush? Besides, I’m your cousin—what’s the big deal? It’s the twenty-first century, stop being so old-fashioned!” With that, she tugged me toward the academy gate.

My Jiaying cousin was tall with a perfect figure—both beautiful and captivating. She had a sweet demeanor but was a notorious foodie. No matter how much she ate, she never lost her flawless shape. Since childhood, she competed with me for food and still hadn’t shaken her foodie reputation. I truly worried about her future husband.

If this girl’s future husband lacked money, how could he support such a foodie? She was always craving a bite of everything; deny her food, and she’d gnaw you like a rabbit.

We arrived at a Japanese restaurant. I hadn’t realized Jiaying had recently developed a taste for Japanese cuisine. Judging by the restaurant’s size, it was a high-end place.

I worried about my wallet. If I wasn’t mistaken, I probably only had about a hundred thousand yuan left in my bank card. If I couldn’t afford this meal, how could I ever hold my head high in front of Jiaying?

But I was just a struggling student. I wondered if Jiaying was trying to embarrass me or if she was used to living the life of a wealthy second-generation. Maybe she thought everyone else was rich too.

I was wrong. Jiaying led me inside and whispered, “Actually, my parents wanted to see you. They haven’t seen you for over ten years and miss you a lot, hehe.” She smiled playfully and took me into a luxurious private Japanese dining room.

...