The Taming of the Ruffian Hero

Like a boulder that sank into the water, the piece of explosive news gave rise to great waves.

The young elite that sent shockwaves through the business world had made a public announcement that he wasn't straight. Furthermore, he had also resigned from his position as a chairman.

More astonishingly, the personnel of his company collectively came out of the closet at the same time he made the announcement.

Countless young men and unmarried women fell into depression after finding out that these eye-catching handsome men and dazzlingly beautiful women were homosexuals. Public discussion ignited like wildlife. In a flash, everyone expressed their differing opinions and caused a huge tidal wave.

When his photo was published online, he was immediately named the best-looking chairman of the year. What kind of appearance did he have?

His sharp eyebrows were like the rainbow and his pupils glittered like stars. The bridge of his nose was tall and straight. He had sharp facial features and a cold, grave face that lent him an imposing aura even when he was calm. He was truly a giant among men, someone with a great temperament in addition to good looks.

He was surnamed Zhao, with the single name of Yuan. Though young, he was already a top gun of the construction materials business of the current generation. Not only was he famous for the astronomical figures in his company's annual financial report each year, but he was also known for pouring in nearly half of his personal fortune into building charitable schools and developing the LGBT community.

Once, a busybody investigated him and learned that he was married. The busybody subsequently committed suicide by jumping into a lake.

There were also those who found out that Zhao Yuan was intricately connected to a certain famous pianist, a certain beautiful but unfortunate diva whose star power had diminished, as well as a man whose face was splashed across newspapers for sending his own father to the guillotine. They were all graduates of Jifu University.

Thus, news of a certain chairman murdering his wife in order to love in the open appeared in newspapers. No matter how many times the police personally clarified matters, it was no match for the barbarous growth of public opinion. By the time everyone recovered their senses and looked for Zhao Yuan to clear the dense fog that shrouded the whole affair, he had secretly vanished and escaped far from trouble.

Everyone's target turned to Jifu University.

The former site of the university was unfortunately turned into a business area lined with tall buildings a long time ago.

One detective-minded reporter happened to find an old photo printed in a small town newspaper.

The main building of Jifu University had abruptly collapsed into a pile of dust and ash, revealing the complete vista of the setting sun. The sunshine that was so bright that it could cause one to stifle was now sprinkled over a lone young man standing in the wind. He wore a fedora and his suit coat billowed in the wind. His lowered head concealing his appearance as he silently lit a cigarette. Behind him were bits of paper that filled the sky. Upon closer look, those were bits of a photo that was torn to shreds.

Tracing back the time, the one who stood atop the ruins three years ago was named Lin Wenxi. What he torn to shreds was all the photos left behind in Jifu University. His hands were trembling but in the end, one of the photos still remained.

That photo was the one that ended up getting published online and provoked tears in countless people. It was of a time when he was the most youthful.

The time in which the photo immortalized was his ardent youth. Like ink that was spilled on fine writing paper, it gradually spread out diluted and permeated subtly. Under the white halo, Lin Wenxi could be vaguely seen to be squinting as if he had shed the heavy burden that weighed on his body. His two hands hung beside him as he allowed Zhao Yuan to freely embrace him. Zhao Yuan wrapped his slender body around Lin Wenxi as they kissed, with blue veins protruding on one of his arms.

He was like a bud of a bamboo shoot that sprouted after the rain. He was like an expansive forest of bamboo trees, stretching his branches and leaves for him. When the first light of dawn rose in early summer, before the morning star Venus became visible, there was no one else there. Only the light breeze of May quietly immortalized everything into an unobliterable youth.

-Epigraph.

Eleven years ago.

The admission rules of Jifu University clearly lined out that students would be undergoing a three-month military training upon entering the university.

"So long?!" Lin Wenxi wore a slight frown.

"Since university students can be exempted from entering military service, Jifu University especially arranged this as a form of compensation. The goal is to develop a strict discipline, a firm studying manner, blah blah blah..." His father, Lin Ziwei, who was also the headmaster of the university, was rather solemnly reprimanding his son.

However, that was only effective against adults who were fully eighteen. Lin Wenxi himself was clearly a seventeen-year-old child.

"You won't be enjoying any privilege!" Lin Ziwei was obviously dissatisfied with his son's reaction.

"I... don't want to live on campus," Lin Wenxi said, stammering.

Lin Ziwei's expression turned cold as he scowled. His wife, Huang Xiya, immediately terminated her desire to send her son to school. She watched as Lin Wenxi walked out on his own without any expression. On one hand, she pondered if everything was prepared-be it clothes or commonly-used medicine. On the other hand, she couldn't help wanting to put his son back into her belly like when she was pregnant with him. Once she thought of her pregnancy back then, Huang Xiya looked pensively at Lin Wenxi's disappearing figure. "There isn't much resemblance between them. In the end, he's still more similar to me."

It was the third day since the freshmen first reported to the university. After arguing with Lin Ziwei over this matter, Lin Wenxi had no choice but to haul his two heavy suitcases and carry a burlap bag on his shoulders alone. Looking like a penniless person, he followed the map of the campus and slowly made his way to his own dormitory building. Though his sense of direction didn't improve simply because he was now in university, he still successfully arrived at his dorm after several twists and turns. The only thing was that he was covered in mud after getting splashed by a luxury car. The provocation, as well as narrowed eyes of the girl inside the car, caused Lin Wenxi to subconsciously frown.

His dorm was completely deserted. He assumed that his dorm mates had gone foraging when noon arrived. There were four beds, with the bed near the washroom still empty. To a person who had never slept in a top bunk like Lin Wenxi, this was a challenge even greater than the three-month of military training. The two other beds were in somewhat of a mess; the one underneath his was the only neat and tidy one. The quilt was folded until it resembled a block of tofu. It seemed as if the owner had gone through militarized training beforehand.

Lin Wenxi attempted to carry the leather suitcase up the top bunk but upon weighing it, he realized that his meddlesome mom must have stuffed a few more clothing or a pile of books inside. He failed to carry the suitcase even after several tries. Instead, the suitcase fell on his face and brought him down with it. The leather suitcase fell on the lower bunk and instantly made a mess out of the neat and tidy bed, leaving behind a muddy imprint.

While Lin Wenxi's head was still spinning, he heard a voice coming from the door. He turned his head and saw his three dorm mates entering. He was sweating profusely and his good-looking face was burning red.

Out of the three people, one exuded the air of a bandit. He had a full beard despite being only eighteen or nineteen. There was a vague look of resentment in his eyes. He looked like Lu Zhishen with an unshaved head (a monk character in the novel "Water Margin"). The other person looked fresh-faced and handsome. His every movement exuded gentleness and ease. He looked at Lin Wenxi with an amused expression. The last one wore a mocking smile. His brows were so sharp that they looked like they were engraved onto his face. His eyes were like stars and his nose was tall and straight. His robust chin was faintly dyed with an ink-like, greenish-black color. Though he dressed in incredibly ordinary clothing, he exuded a bold and spirited air.

It was only later that Lin Wenxi would learn that they were Zheng Kai and Wang Xiang, and that the last one was named Zhao Yuan.

"My God! How beautiful!" Wang Xiang said, giggling. He saw a child with silk-like strands of black hair, picturesque eyebrows, limpid pupils and thin lips. He looked so natural that it seemed as if spring flowers had mistaken the season and bloomed amongst the cold frost. One couldn't help feeling an inexplicable sympathy for him.

Zheng Kai put on a stern expression and said nothing.

Zhao Yuan placed his hand on the chair with the other placed on his hips. While picking his teeth, he looked at Lin Wenxi as if nothing had happened. "Are you okay?" he asked. The moment he entered the door, he saw full and plump little buttocks swinging nonstop and then a boy falling down along with a suitcase. The boy looked so pathetic that despite being rather concerned, he felt more like laughing.

"He has become a bully in a second," Lin Wenxi thought upon seeing this. He pondered over it a little longer and passed Wang Xiang a note.

Unexpectedly, Wang Xiang started reading the note out loud after receiving it. "Nice to meet you, friend. I'm new here, so please treat me kindly. I'll suffer from insomnia if I sleep on the top bunk. Is it okay if we exchange beds?" Lin Wenxi had originally planned to leave the note after putting away his suitcase and go out for lunch. When he saw that Wang Xiang was the owner of the tidy bed, he directly handed him the slip of paper.

Once Wang Xiang finished reading the note, he and Zhao Yuan raised their heads and guffawed. Lin Wenxi cast Wang Xiang a furious look, his face turning even redder.

"Look, look. Everyone thinks this bed belongs to me. You might as well hand it to me." Wang Xiang was grinning at Zheng Kai.

"You are judging someone by their appearance, youngster. This bed is mine!" The unruly Zheng Kai first lit up a cigarette before spitting out a mouthful of smoke above Lin Wenxi's head.

Zhao Yuan glanced at Lin Wenxi with a small smile. "Zheng Kai, I'm also taking the lower bunk. I'll trade with you."

Zheng Kai scrunched his nose after hearing what he said. "Then you must help make my bed again. I want to see if your bed-making skills are up to my level."

Lin Wenxi made a noise as quiet as a mosquito in answering him and slowly moved Zheng Kai's "bed items" without saying a word. He unfolded the bed sheet, applied pressure on the corners of the bed, and removed creases on the sheet. He didn't rest for a single moment during the whole process and in no time at all, an even neater bed sheet, the quilt folded to form neat edges, and a new appearance came into view. Zheng Kai couldn't help praising him in his heart. Being a fresh graduate of a military school who underwent extremely strict military training, he had unexpectedly lost to a child who hadn't even grown a mustache yet.

Meanwhile, in Wang Xiang's eyes, Lin Wenxi's actions earlier were more like an artistic performance. The use of the phrase "lightly pinching in the strings, slowly strumming and plucking them" was incredibly apt for him. Immediately, he felt a sense of familiarity with Lin Wenxi as if he was an intimate friend. He jumped around a little, sometimes calling their new dorm mate the reincarnation of Lin Daiyu (a female character in the novel "The Dream of Red Mansion") and sometimes saying his skin was soft and smooth or his face was icily cold. Zheng Kai felt that his ears were unconsciously shivering and his hands were somewhat itchy.

Soon enough, Zheng Kai pressed Wang Xiang down on the bed and resolutely threw several punches at him through the quilt. "You're so verbose even though you're a man! Don't you find that to be pedantic?!"

As Lin Wenxi was still not talking, Zhao Yuan patted his quilt with a smile. "We're all brothers of the same dorm. If you want the lower bunk, I'll take the top one."

Wang Xiang suddenly escaped Zheng Kai's clutches and laughed. "Zhao Yuan, if you sleep up there and twitch too loudly, you'll make this young master below you cry. By the way, young master, we still don't know your name. Why don't you introduce yourself? You can also tell us your three measurements."

Lin Wenxi didn't speak even after a long time had passed. This bored Wang Xiang and he ran off to the dormitory next door to make some noise. Zheng Kai left for the court with a basketball in hand to look for his friends. Before leaving, he asked Zhao Yuan, "Zhao Yuan, you know how to play basketball, don't you? Let's have a one-on-one match."

"Go ahead. I still have something to do," Zhao Yuan replied, smiling. Zheng Yuan left on his own, a little miffed. When everything was finally peaceful, Lin Wenxi went to the washroom to change clothes.

"Yo? He isn't even saying thanks?" Zhao Yuan smiled pensively. His sight fell on Lin Wenxi's luggage.

Lin Wenxi entered the washroom quietly and walked out dressed in a pair of casual black shorts and a white, feather-like shirt with short sleeves. The shirt set off his pale and thin cheeks, making him look like an otherworldly figure free from the vulgarity of the mortal world. Zhao Yuan's heart jumped in surprise and a smile soon appeared on his face. "Wenxi, have you eaten?"

Lin Wenxi nodded.

"That's enough. How can a busy kid like you have time to eat?" Zhao Yuan pointed at the electronic keyboard, the variety of books, umbrella, and medicine that Lin Wenxi took out. For a moment, he wanted to laugh.

Lin Wenxi paused for a moment. How would he know the location of the dining hall or canteen when he was new to the university? For Zhao Yuan to speak this way, he was just trying to use language as well as possible actions to terminate this conversation as early as possible.

"Let's go." Zhao Yuan put his arm over Lin Wenxi's shoulders, wanting to leave. Lin Wenxi followed along in a daze. It wasn't until they were on their way that he recalled something and asked, "Didn't you guys already eat?"

"I wasn't full." Zhao Yuan smiled as he touched his belly that was almost bursting from his hotpot lunch earlier. He fiercely suppressed the belch that would betray his willpower.

During their subsequent meal, Zhao Yuan stuffed himself so much that he nearly spewed blood. Even so, he was perfectly content because this kid gave him an inherently familiar feeling.

Zhao Yuan volunteered to show Lin Wenxi around the campus after they were done with lunch.

Lin Wenxi wore a complicated expression the entire time.

In the expansive campus, avenues that stretched north and south crossed at the center while arterial roads that stretched east and west traversed over them horizontally. Sitting in the middle of it all were crisscrossing lanes. There were also some walking trails that led to remote areas of the campus, hidden under the canopy of blooming flowers and verdant greenery. The numerous tall buildings made of reinforced concrete showed a hint of the interesting design of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou with its alternatively hidden and visible structures. To Lin Wenxi's surprise, Zhao Yuan had memorized all these complicated lanes and where they lead to. What made Lin Wenxi even more speechless was that Zhao Yuan was very familiar with the buildings–whether it was a teaching building, lab building, or dormitory building, which faculty did the building house, and even whether a certain building had a male-female dormitory, which floor was the male dormitory, and which floor was the female dormitory.

This time, Lin Wenxi had no choice but to open his mouth. "Why do you know everything?"

"My family owns this university." Zhao Yuan burst out in laughter as he patted his chest. Lin Wenxi couldn't help curling his lips. "My father, Lin Ziwei, is the true founder of this university..."

If Wang Xiang found about this, his eyes would certainly widen. "The moment he entered the university, the senior sisters who want to help Zhao Yuan with his luggage can form a line! His luggage ended up getting taken to different dormitories and he didn't have his quilt! He took a few of us brothers and asked around to retrieve his things one by one. How can he not be familiar with the campus?!"

In the afternoon, Lin Wenxi's three dorm mates exuberantly pretended that they were senior brothers to help same-year freshmen "junior sisters" bring their luggage to their dormitories. Even girls without luggage weren't exempted. The moment they were found strolling around campus alone, they would become the prey of those three.

When it was almost night time, the three mentally calculated the total of numbers and names of the girls that they individually obtained. They discussed everything from the girls' looks to figures. The girl that dominated their discussion was a girl named Chen Wanxin, who was surprisingly also their classmate.

Zheng Kai described Chen Wanxin in a way that made her protruding parts sound like steamed buns and her perky parts sound like balloons. Lin Wenxi wanted to laugh when he heard this. It was Wang Xiang who sounded more poetic-Chen Wanxin, with beautiful and dark eyebrows like faraway mountains, eyes that submerged one in dreams of peach blossoms, pupils that were like pools of still spring water. Zhao Yuan said disdainfully, "Proud and arrogant 'green tea' (describing ambitious or cunning women who fake innocence)."

"F*ck! Just because she's the only girl who didn't give you her number?!" Zheng Kai retorted unhappily. "If you're that good, make her your girlfriend!"

"I bet you can't make her your girlfriend!" Wang Xiang aimed his anger at a common enemy.

"Oh? What are you betting?" Zhao Yuan read a sports digest as he lay down carelessly.

Wang Xiang and Zheng Kai exchanged looks of dismay.

"I want your No.23 jersey with Jordan's personal signature," Zhao Yuan told Wang Xiang in a lazy manner.

"Deal!" Zheng Kai replied straightforwardly. On the other hand, a stunned Wang Xiang firmly knocked his head on the metal frame of the top bunk. "No..."

When Wang Xiang was about to protest, Zheng Kai immediately ran to his top bunk and raised his fist, acting as if he was about to beat him. Wang Xiang slapped on a crying face and asked Zhao Yuan, "If you fail to make that girl your girlfriend, what will you lose?"

"I'll be your errand boy for a year for free. Needless to say, that includes getting takeout, filling seats, checking in hotels, and asking girls out on my behalf!" Zhao Yuan didn't even look up.

"Zheng Kai, if that kid happens to succeed courting the girl, won't you and I be suffering a double loss?" Wang Xiang was a little hesitant.

Zheng Kai guffawed. "There are plenty more fish in the sea. Why obsess over a single fish?"

Zhao Yuan laughed heartily and asked Wang Xiang for the deadline.

Wang Xiang raised three fingers. "Three months! Or why don't we change the bet? Make the poker face in our dorm say something to us tonight. I still don't know his name..."

Lin Wenxi gave it some thought. Wang Xiang was trying to drag him into these affairs. He quietly and hesitantly said, "Eh?"

The entire dorm fell into silence.

Wang Xiang maintained his original bet with a crying face. He acknowledged it.

Over at the women's dormitory, Chen Wanxin and a group of girls had already gotten to know each other. Girls were slower to become closer compared to guys. Thus, Chen Wanxin sat silently in the dorm. The guy that she ran into earlier in the day gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity, which was why she asked her chauffeur to drive a little closer. She didn't expect her car to splash mud all over him.

When she lowered the car window to look at him, he seemed to have looked past the mud entirely and stared fixedly with his eyes. She stared through him, his ordinary jeans, the white sleeves that were somewhat yellowing, as well as a pair of leisure shoes that couldn't be any more ordinary. Just one glance told her that he was a child from an impoverished family. Yet, why did his temperament make him look like an otherworldly being that resided outside this chaotic world? He looked so noble that he made her feel a little suffocated. Inexplicably, she felt that there was something in him that was summoning her. It felt instinctual.

Meanwhile, the guy that she was thinking of was lying down. Zheng Kai and the other two were blabbering, discussing the military training tomorrow. They couldn't help taking out their uniforms and trying them on. Lin Wenxi opened his eyes a little and saw Wang Xiang dressed messily in his camouflage clothing. Zheng Kai was dressed too rigidly. Every part of his clothing fitted tightly without any wrinkle to be seen. On the other hand, Zhao Yuan stood straight in his olive-green outfit with a mocking expression on his face.

Zhao Yuan's pitch-black eyes swept Lin Wenxi's bed. Lin Wenxi couldn't stop his eyelid from twitching until he turned over his body and continued to sleep. There was a brief moment where he felt that Zhao Yuan's tall, straight stature and his mighty, formidable brows carried an unspeakable majesty.

The beginning of the military training was marked by a loud and clear whistling sound reverberating far and wide through the entire dormitory building. Someone on the ground floor used a loudspeaker to loudly proclaim, "The military training for freshmen has officially begun! Everyone put on your clothing neatly, divide yourselves into groups, come down, and line up within five minutes!" The other three had long gotten ready. Lin Wenxi was the only one who was a little flustered.

Zhao Yuan ordered Zheng Kai and Wang Xiang to gather the students in the nearby dormitories as quickly as possible and form groups so that every student could find a place that they belonged to. When everything calmed down, he looked directly at Lin Wenxi and fixed the button that was fastened crookedly on his shirt. When their eyes met, Lin Wenxi felt Zhao Yuan's burning hot gaze on him and turned his face away. Just as he wanted to say something, Zhao Yuan had already picked up a red jersey as well as a list of names. With an urgent expression, he pushed Lin Wenxi out of their door.

Students of every class roamed chaotically like a bunch of headless flies. Zhao Yuan was the only one who waved his red jersey in the air and yelled, "Students of Class 10, gather here and stand in formation!" He took out a list of names and started taking roll call. Like streams flowing back into the ocean, the scattered students swiftly assembled. Zhao Yuan made an upright Zogist salute. "Reporting to the Instructor: Class 10 is fully assembled!"

It was only then that the military instructor's dark expression slowly eased. He loudly proclaimed, "Students of Class 10 will first go to the drill ground for the training! The rest of you, run ten laps after gathering!"

Students of Class 10 set off in a jog while in a formation amid wailing and howling sounds and ran to the drill ground with vigorous heroicness. Being amid the ranks, Lin Wenxi felt as if the red jersey in Zhao Yuan's hand was like the sunshine bathed in the wind. Suddenly, a strange sense of belongingness and tranquility emerged in his heart.

Nothing interesting happened over the few days of military training until they were told that they would have a friendship exercise with the female squad the next day.

It wasn't known whether the two enemies, Wang Xiang and Zheng Kai, woke up too early or didn't sleep at all. Before the military instructor even sounded his whistle, the two had already put on their full uniform and set off looking dashing.

Unfortunately, the friendship exercise would only begin after an entire day of military training. Thus, by the time it started, the two were muddied all over. They sat among their classmates with their heads hanging dispiritedly. When they left the dormitory earlier, they were immaculately dressed. Now, their heads and faces were filthy with grime and looked worse than beasts.

The rules of the friendly match dictated that if the girls won the talent competition, they could pinpoint a guy and make him take any "artistic action". The guy wasn't allowed to refuse, and vice versa if the guys won.

In the end, reality proved that a truly handsome guy would still stand out in a crowd. In no time at all, countless girls had already picked Zhao Yuan.

Clenching his teeth, Zhao Yuan made more than ten round trips walking on a handstand and singing five to six songs in a hoarse voice in less than an hour. But when he was requested to sing "Mom Is the Best in the World", he resolutely rejected it and accepted the punishment of being hugged, felt up, or carrying a girl and making a round trip around the drill ground.

This round of competition was a dance showdown. Zheng Kai's street dance performance was filled with fierce and enthusiastic movements. His ample force won him quite a few admiring praises. Surprisingly, Chen Wanxin was chosen to represent the girls. She accepted the invitation and slowly walked out.

In Zheng Kai's eyes, Chen Wanxin's perky, substantial chest was still visible under the hazy light despite her olive-green camouflage uniform and childish plaits. There was a small smile on her lovely face and she looked untouched by the vulgarity of the mortal world. Suddenly, the large pair of eyes under her eyelashes came to life when her two dimples appeared on her face. The dark of the night was intoxicating and her gentle dance steps were even more so. Her movements were deft and skillful as she took long strides and swayed gently with her waist. Step by step, she formed a lotus flower that blossomed in every male student's heart.

Zheng Kai stared fixedly at Chen Wanxin's steamed buns and the pair of balloons, having fallen deep in the enemy's trap. He didn't even realize it when Wang Xiang rapped him on the head.

The dance performance finally came to an end, leaving its audience in awe. Zheng Kai wholeheartedly accepted his loss.

Chen Wanxin made only one request. "The next male student to be invited is Lin Wenxi of Class 10."

"Lin Wenxi?" Surprisingly, no one in the female squad had heard of him. He had truly kept a low profile.

A commotion rose among the male squad. It took a while before Zhao Yuan lifted a slender figure and pushed him over to the girls' side. The corner of his mouth lifted to form a demonic smile. "Wenxi, tame her and then hand her over to me!"

It wasn't until now that the female squad noticed such an outstanding young master in their class. His nose, brows, and eyes caused them to begin whispering.

A dazed Lin Wenxi stood more than a meter away from Chen Wanxin. When she suddenly approached him, he abruptly recalled the car that splashed mud all over him when he was first enrolled. The owner of the car seemed to be this girl, who had looked partially provoking and disdainful.

"Shut up and kiss me." Chen Wanxin's eyes fluttered shut, looking as if she must have that kiss.

Booming adulation resounded in the vicinity like a sudden clap of thunder.

It was such explosive news to see a girl worthy of being called a campus beauty publicly wooing a guy when the school year had just started!

Zheng Kai suddenly fell silent after hearing Chen Wanxin's words. Wang Xiang beamed at Zhao Yuan, pondering over how he should torment this youngster throughout the year.

Chen Wanxin opened her eyes after sensing no movement for a good while. Lin Wenxi had disappeared out of sight. She didn't know when he had silently walked back to his squad, leaving her alone with her lips puckered for a long time.

The guys and girls all burst into thunderous laughter. The military instructor couldn't help frowning as he forcefully resisted the urge to laugh. Chen Wanxin's lovely face turned burning red under the light. She had never received such a squeaky clean rejection in her life. After a long pause, she clenched her teeth and spat out, "Wait and see, Lin Wenxi." She then turned around firmly and returned to her squad.

"Help me take my revenge!" Chen Wanxin looked at her two dorm mates, Shu Xiaoman and Zhang An'an, with a grieved expression.

"Why don't... we bend him...?" Shu Xiaowan swallowed a gulp of saliva.

Zhang An'an raised her hand in agreement and high-fived Shu Xiaoman in congratulations. They had become close friends after realizing that they shared a common interest when they had just entered the university. They thought this matter would have a rather promising outcome. Looking at Lin Wenxi's aura, they found him to be remarkably similar to a cold, arrogant, and pampered "uke". If they could witness for themselves how a talent like this was "bent", wouldn't it be a beautiful experience?

Zhang An'an and Shu Xiaoman exchanged looks and had a brief discussion before whispering the plan into Chen Wanxin's ears. Though Chen Wanxin found the plan a little strange, she also thought it was rather clever.

While they were talking, another match between the guys and girls had unfolded. This time was the male representative's, Zhao Yuan's, victory. Surprisingly, he picked Chen Wanxin.

"I want to date you. Tell me your condition," Zhao Yuan whispered into her ear.

Chen Wanxin smiled coolly. This poor kid who overestimated his capabilities dared to covet her contact details. Though she had seen many graceful, handsome, and outstanding men since young, she had never seen such a confident and bold expression. The corners of his mouth were curved into a smile. He seemed to exude a strange kind of charm.

"Oh..." Chen Wanxin slowly approached Zhao Yuan with the elegance of an orchid. "Help me bend Lin Wenxi. Make him fall for you and then dump him."

Zhao Yuan found her words to be unfamiliar to his ears but he didn't feel awkward at all. He bowed politely and planted a soft kiss on Chen Wanxin's hand. "Your word is my command, Your Highness."

Considering Zhao Yuan's circumstances, Chen Wanxin found it strange to witness such a carefree guy like him using the French gentlemen's etiquette. Furthermore, his every movement was lithe and well-practiced.

It seemed that there were quite a few outstanding guys in this batch of freshmen. Things were about to get interesting.

A girl named Zhang An'an picked Wang Xiang and made him give her a hug.

Zhang An'an was Chen Wanxin's dorm mate. The latter was unpleased with the former's taste and kept asking her for a reason on their way back. Zhang An'an smiled calmly and replied, "Zhao Yuan is impressive and has more than just looks but he seems to go his own way and is full of his own quirks. Lin Wenxi is terribly introverted and gives off the aura of a scholar from an aristocratic family. He looks somewhat delicate. Wang Xiang has thirty percent of Zhao Yuan's mightiness and fifty percent of Lin Wenxi's elegance and gentleness. He might very well embody the merits of them both."

The girls enthusiastically discussed their male classmates in their dormitory. Simultaneously, they were also surprised that their last dorm mate had yet to show up.

Over at the guys' dormitory, Zheng Kai and Wang Xiang had been finding Zhao Yuan strange recently. Wang Xiang muttered to himself, "Did he mishear our bet? That the bet is about him dating Chen Wanxin?"

Zheng Kai nodded silently.

"Then why do I get the feeling that he's trying to date Lin Wenxi? He's buying him breakfast, folding his quilt, and even washing his clothes..." Wang Xiang said in bewilderment.

"Who knows? Public morals are degenerating with each passing day. If there's the term 'cut sleeve' in ancient times, in modern times we have the term..." Suddenly, he recalled how Zhang An'an had frowned and glared at him when he used the term. She had told him, "Zhao Yuan and Lin Wenxi are called an aesthetically-pleasing pair! Do you even know your stuff?!" Wang Xiang shook his head, expressing that he had no idea. Zhang An'an spent three whole hours explaining to him as they walked round and round the drill ground in pitch-black darkness.

This gave him the sudden idea that he and Zheng Kai was also an aesthetically-pleasing pair. His reasoning was that Zheng Kai couldn't win him in the war of words and Zheng Kai would also often press him to the bed for a good beating. When Wang Xiang hesitantly expressed this out loud, Zhang An'an clapped her hands. Her pupils were full of relief and sincerity. "Then I sincerely give my blessing to you and Zheng Kai."

"If I become gay, what happens to you?" Wang Xiang didn't know if he should laugh or tear up.

"The two of us will share a husband. What say you?"

A muddle-headed Wang Xian made his way to the dormitory. He even wondered if he had truly become gay. But this was the first time in his life speaking to someone alone for three hours. Moreover, Zhang An'an was the one who spoke most of the time. Could it be that he had truly fallen for Zhang An'an... He then told Zheng Kai his doubt. Zheng Kai nodded and said, "From a biological perspective, if a girl and a guy fall in love, their hypothalamus and pituitary gland will secrete large volumes of dopamine. Dopamine is also called the happy hormone. It helps the human body improve its capability to undertake pain... Hey, kid. Your big brother isn't done talking!" Just as Zheng Kai grabbed Wang Xiang who was about to escape out of the dormitory, the latter stopped on his own accord. The reason was that Zhao Yuan was once again bringing hot water for Lin Wenxi.

Zhao Yuan carried two large pails of hot water up the dormitory building in one breath and didn't pant once. Wang Xiang quietly praised him and even Zheng Kai couldn't help feeling flabbergasted. However, Wang Xiang was eyeing Zhao Yuan and Lin Wenxi suspiciously.

Later on, when Wang Xiang told Zhang An'an the many things that happened in his dormitory, she implored him to guide this red string of fate. Shu Xiaoman also applauded. Chen Wanxin wore a faint smirk as she restrained a smile.

The so-called romance usually required the presence of a common goal. Wang Xiang also had no idea how he started dating Zhang An'an and how their mutual goal was actually matchmaking his dorm mates, Zhao Yuan and Lin Wenxi.

Zhao Yuan was also feeling absolutely helpless. No matter how nicely he treated Lin Wenxi, the kid's response was always lukewarm. While Lin Wenxi wouldn't thank Zhao Yuan and treat the latter's deeds as a matter of fact, he also wouldn't directly refuse Zhao Yuan's advances.

It wasn't until Zhao Yuan studied many materials that he realized what it meant to "bend" someone. He couldn't help wailing. Honestly, he had never dated in his life due to family matters. He had been kept busy helping his father's business. His occasional urges were all confused, yet this time he actually...

He turned to Chen Wanxin for help.

"What's the use of you treating him nicely? Someone like him probably grew up pampered. You must do the exact opposite! Unleash your natural instincts, become a hooligan, and give him a good teasing!" Chen Wanxin said, smiling. Later, Chen Wanxin forwarded several related online articles to Zhao Yuan. Thus, Zhao Yuan got the conclusion that all he had to do was act like a hooligan. When he thought about it, he was actually already one. Naturally, the ones who plotted all these was none other than Zhang An'an and Shu Xiaoman.

In the past few days, the small town they were in happily welcome the hot autumn spell. The temperature rose above thirty-seven or thirty-eight degree. There was no difference between the spacious, empty field and a worldly furnace. In order to allow the students to fully grasp the pleasures of camp activities, devilish training was conducted over three days. The students weren't allowed to bring their own water. Every morning and afternoon, they would each receive a bottle of mineral water provided by the university. Moreover, they weren't allowed to rest in the afternoon and must continue the training.

Lin Wenxi inexplicably wondered if he was seeing an illusion. While he was deep in thought, the bottle placed at his little mouth was emptied in just four or five gulps. There was one time where he had merely taken a sip but when he turned around, he found there to be only a small amount of water left inside. Lin Wenxi couldn't help pointing at the bottle and stared at his classmates with an inquiring look while they were all shaking their heads.

Wang Xiang silently waited for Lin Wenxi to seek help from Zhao Yuan. Whenever he returned to the dormitory and saw Lin Wenxi's scorched-like lips, he would inexplicably pity him. However, Lin Wenxi was calm and collected. He didn't bring up this matter at all.

Wang Xiang didn't expect Lin Wenxi to forcefully survive the two days. Even more so, he didn't expect Lin Wenxi to faint on the third day.

It turned out that on the third day, Zhao Yuan insisted on changing bottles of water with Lin Wenxi. When Lin Wenxi was unwilling to do so, Zhao Yuan resorted to materials he had on hand. He caught two shining white large worms and threw them into Lin Wenxi's cup. The worms struggled and wiggled in the water, causing a stark change in Lin Wenxi's expression. Even so, he refused to accept Zhao Yuan's cup.

Zhao Yuan had smiled smugly, thinking that Lin Wenxi wouldn't be able to help himself and would eventually give in. He didn't expect Lin Wenxi would secretly look around for a faucet in the area for replenishment while suffering from both exhaustion and dehydration. No matter how he looked, he didn't find anything. When the whistle sounded again to signal assembly, he quietly collapsed in a corner of the campus. Fortunately, Zhao Yuan found him in time. It would be hard to imagine the consequences otherwise.

Zhao Yuan saw Lin Wenxi strewn across the ground from afar and frantically ran over with his own bottle. Unexpectedly, his bottle was completely empty. Zhao Yuan shouted for water from other people, wasting a little time. He saw Lin Wenxi smiling coolly and raising an eyebrow at him before he closed his eyes.

"You're faking it!"

Zhao Yuan couldn't stop himself from forcefully shaking Lin Wenxi but the latter only slowly woke up with Instructor Zhang Dong's help.

Like Zheng Kai, Instructor Zhang Dong was also the kind of person who would get to the bottom of matters. He suspended the military training and put two and two together in investigating the truth of Wang Xiang stealing water. Then, he further found out that Zheng Kai had delivered a bottle of water over the female corps and drank Zhao Yuan's water because he couldn't bear his own thirst. That was why Zhao Yuan's bottle was completely empty when he rescued Lin Wenxi.

Zhang Dong was just about to punish the two of them. Zhao Yuan secretly felt delighted that he had escaped the punishment. Just then, Lin Wenxi took his own cup and pointed at puffy and swollen worms inside. He handed the cup to Zhao Yuan without any expression on his face.

"What?! This person actually kept his cup until now! He was pale with fright earlier, so how could he be so calm now?!"

Zhao Yuan stared fixedly at Lin Wenxi.

In a flash, the crappy teammate from Men's Dorm No. 216 became infamous. The students all thanked their dorm mates for not murdering them.

Wang Xiang and Zheng Kai's punishment was to run ten laps around the field while holding a large stone under the raging hot sun. When they were done, they had to drag a handcart full of bottles of water from the kiosk and benefit everyone. This punishment could be described as full of malice. The whole class was also hoping to see them be punished and no one was willing to plea for leniency on their behalf.

Zhao Yuan stared at Lin Wenxi's cup quietly. He felt as if there was a knot on the back of his throat.

"Brother Dong, can we change the punishment?" Zhao Yuan gave Instructor Zhang Dong a pleading look while grimacing at Lin Wenxi.

"Ask Lin Wenxi." Zhang Dong pointed his lower lip at Lin Wenxi.

Lin Wenxi took over the cup. Zhao Yuan looked at him with an expectant expression.

Lin Wenxi shook the cup as hard as he could, and then even harder. Soon, the water inside the cup became turbid with some greenish-white remains sinking to the bottom. He then handed the cup to Zhao Yuan.

"Wenxi, I didn't think you'd have such strong tastes." Zhao Yuan forced a smile. He once again looked at Zhang Dong.

Lin Wenxi turned around and soon opened a small paper box. Inside was a wriggling little earthworm that was resisting an uncertain fate. He unscrewed the lid of the bottle.

Zhao Yuan's eyes widened. He swallowed the water in a few gulps, draining the entire bottle. Just as he was about to run to a corner and vomit everything, Lin Wenxi raised Zhang Dong's hand and placed it gently on Zhao Yuan's mouth. He then turned around and left. For some reason, the military instructor obediently enclosed Zhao Yuan's mouth for a good three minutes before allowing the latter to hide behind a tree. The sounds of vomiting resounded continuously.

Over on this side, Wang Xiang was wailing and crying for his mom. Zheng Kai was quiet as he easily sped through the journey. When he ran past Chen Wanxin's square-shaped formation, Zheng Kai accidentally loosened his grip and the stone fell on his foot. Wang Xiang turned his head around to look and saw Chen Wanxin emptying a blue-labeled bottle of water over her face to wash it. The water bottles for the military training were labeled blue and red. The red-labeled bottles of water were for the girls and the blue-labeled ones for the guys. The bottle that Chen Wanxin was using was clearly Zheng Kai's.

Wang Xiang looked at Zheng Kai, feeling his heart cooling. On the other hand, Zheng Kai showed no change of expression as he continued running in his original position. The only difference was that his face would occasionally twitch.

"Brothers, why don't I go and talk to the instructor?" Wang Xiang carefully said.

Zheng Kai shook his head.

"Do you regret it?"

Zheng Kai continued to shake his head.

"Do you hate her?"

Zheng Kai shook his head in anger.

"Oh. We've run eleven laps. Will you continue?"

Zheng Kai stared at Wang Xiang with a complicated expression. He put down the stone and headed to the kiosk to get the water.

"Will you continue giving her water?"

Zheng Kai stopped in his tracks and said through clenched teeth, "I'm in so much pain that I can't speak."

"Oh, you must be hurting." Wang Xiang grinned. Sure enough, Zheng Kai felt a sudden stab in his heart.

In the distance, Zhao Yuan had wiped his mouth clean and took a spin around the female corps with a few bottles of water in hand. He guzzled all the water while quietly mocking the two idiots who had run eleven laps.

After returning from the kiosk, Zheng Kai fell to the ground on his butt. His forehead was beaded with cold sweat. Zhang Dong knew that Zheng Kai had the disposition of the man of steel and called for the military doctor to examine him. The lateral malleolus of Zheng Kai's right foot was already dripping with blood. The lateral malleolus was the bone that protruded on the side of the foot and the skin that covered it was incredibly thin. Upon contact with an external force, the bone could easily suffer damage and thus, the pain was also one of the greatest when injured. This time, the place where a stone had smashed Zheng Kai's foot was clearly showing his bone. The entire corps dubbed Zheng Kai the man of steel and the privilege of the man of steel was lying under a Chinese parasol tree and enjoying the cool air with a book in hand.

"Perhaps the bottle of water that she used to wash her face belongs to another guy," Wang Xiang said, comforting him. When he saw Zheng Kai's expression easing, he added, "Don't girls cherish their faces the most? Look, Chen Wanxin is using your bottle of water to wash her face. Surely she very much appreciates your bottle of water." Zheng Kai regained his glowing spirits and his rate of recovery also improved.

Zhao Yuan's tragic condition spread like wildlife in the female dormitories. Zhang An'an was speechless for a moment before saying, "The way I see his temper works, who he seeks revenge on is telling of who he likes." She smiled mysteriously.

During the subsequent military training, Zhang Dong permitted Lin Wenxi to get four bottles of water on the basis that the latter needed to recuperate. In a flash, Lin Wenxi became the target for every guy in the class to fawn over.

Lin Wenxi would give Zhao Yuan a bottle of water every day.

On the first day, there were two bugs inside the water in the bottle. Zhao Yuan poured the bugs out and drained the rest.

On the second day, there was sand inside the water. Zhao Yuan smiled calmly and waited for the sand to sink to the bottom before sipping the water above. He then gave Wang Xiang the rest of the water. Seeing the remains in the water, Wang Xiang felt as if his heart was being cut out.

On the third day, the water was limpid. Zhao Yuan grinned at Lin Wenxi and the latter replied with a faint smile.

Zhao Yuan unscrewed the lid and gulped down half of the water without another word. Suddenly, he felt that something was wrong. Water sprayed out of his mouth. He pointed at Lin Wenxi with a malevolent expression. "You...!!!"

Wang Xiang immediately asked him what was wrong. Lin Wenxi smiled faintly and said, "I added half a catty of salt, that's all."

"Half a catty!!!" Wang Xiang's forehead unconsciously became drenched with cold sweat.