A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Auditing Student

◎Surprise◎

Shengcheng’s night was filled with countless streams of traffic and neon lights. Commercial buildings stood tall, and if viewed from an aerial perspective, the intricate transportation network looked like a galaxy of star bands, winding and converging through mountains, lakes, and rivers, creating a masterpiece of human ingenuity spanning thousands of years.

After completing the day’s tasks, Gu Zhu and Li Jiajia took a leave of absence. Bai Tan took her from the training camp, and they weaved through the dense crowds. Unlike the scattered snack shops in the small county town, this seemingly endless food street was packed with people in bright clothes. Immersed in this bustling, vibrant atmosphere, their souls felt temporarily liberated from the steel-skeleton-like office buildings.

Gu Zhu was led by Bai Tan, who zipped from one alley to another. She was like a fish returning to familiar waters, ignoring the long lines at the popular influencer-endorsed shops and heading directly into a discreet old establishment tucked away in a corner. Inside, it was still busy, with several wooden tables and a large round table in the middle. Compared to the fiery chaos outside, it was much quieter here.

It felt like a perfectly secretive place to make a fortune.

The proprietress, however, had a loud voice, speaking a dialect of Cantonese that Gu Zhu couldn’t quite understand. The gist of it was that there were no empty tables, so did they want to share one?

Bai Tan nodded. “Sure.”

They sat down, and Bai Tan gave a perfunctory glance at the menu before rattling off her order. Since it was a late-night snack, she didn’t order too much, just a few of their popular signature dishes: “Coconut Duck Soup,” “Sizzling Clay Pot,” and “a plate of fried spring rolls.”

The Coconut Duck Soup was made by stewing ingredients inside a whole coconut. The sizzling pot contained squid drenched in a savory sauce. Even the fried spring rolls had a thin, crispy skin with a generous filling. Dipped in the shop’s secret sauce, they were refreshing, fragrant, and not greasy.

Perhaps it was because her mood was much lighter, or because the person eating with her was Bai Tan, but Gu Zhu’s appetite, which was usually average, was excellent today. The entire pot of soup was finished, leaving her feeling warm and relaxed.

When she looked up, the girl across from her was watching her with sparkling, smiling eyes. Gu Zhu touched the corner of her mouth, a little confused. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing~” Bai Tan shook her head, deliberately drawing out the sound. “I just think I’m so great for finding a restaurant you like so much.”

Gu Zhu also smiled. “Mm, it was delicious, and I really like it.” Perhaps after spending so much time with Bai Tan, straightforward words came more easily to her.

“Can you come home with me tonight?” Like a big bad wolf trying to lure a little white rabbit, she first used a delicious meal to win her over and lower her guard, only to reveal her true intentions at the end. Bai Tan’s words often jumped from one topic to the next, catching people off guard and making them fall into her trap.

Gu Zhu was no exception. She couldn’t deny that she was deeply tempted. The person who should have been hundreds of miles away had suddenly appeared, a figure of divine light descending, creating ripple after ripple in her heart. The ripples were endless, and her affection was unceasing. The time they had was too warm and beautiful to leave so easily.

She struggled with the decision for a long time, but requesting to leave on the very first day of training camp was probably not appropriate. Lowering her eyes, Gu Zhu couldn’t bear to see Bai Tan’s disappointed expression. Using the action of wiping her mouth, she hid her face. “It’s not good to leave during training. I’m sorry.”

Bai Tan watched her quietly, noting her calm demeanor and the slight coldness that appeared whenever something was on her mind. Gu Zhu is a little like a turtle, she thought. When she felt safe, she would poke her head out and gently explore the world. But as soon as she sensed a hint of danger, she would immediately retreat back into her shell.

Yet sometimes, she was very brave, with a determination that would use her hard shell to smash everything to pieces.

Bai Tan saw this in her, which was why she wasn’t afraid of her feigned coldness. She had long seen through that cold layer and touched a soft soul. Perhaps it was a genetic inheritance, as the innate bloodline of a businesswoman was also inherited by her. Bai Tan wouldn’t overlook the opportunity cost, focusing only on the obvious gains while abandoning the potential ones.

She leaned over, reached out, and gently flicked Gu Zhu’s forehead. As Gu Zhu’s eyes widened, Bai Tan let out a small “ooh” sound. “A little revenge. Okay, I forgive you.”

Gu Zhu covered her forehead, understanding what Bai Tan meant. Her palm then moved down to cover her eyes, and the guilt was quietly chased away, replaced by a sweetness welling up in her heart, like a sparkling summer drink, fizzing and bubbling.

After dinner, they walked to aid their digestion. Leaving the bustling food street, the four-lane road was wide, and even with many tall green plants lining the sidewalk, it didn’t feel crowded. The magnolias gave off a faint fragrance in the moonlight, making the street feel peaceful and comfortable.

There were quite a few people coming and going: night runners, people taking a walk, and those walking their dogs. A Samoyed with fluffy white fur, even with a muzzle on, showed its cheerful mood through its brisk steps, wagging tail, and clear eyes. Sometimes, when a girl passing by said “Hi” to it, it would stop, happily shake its head, as if you could almost see its sweet smile.

It was rare to see such a large pet dog in the county town, and Gu Zhu couldn’t help but stop, captivated by its handsome appearance. Its pure white fur was like a magnified version of the cat in the young mistress’s profile picture. She had never actually met Bai Tan’s cat, but she was already drawn to a dog of the same color.

Cats and dogs were always different. Species with clashing personalities don’t get along, and might even hate each other and fight. Bai Tan, with her distinctly cat-like personality, took two steps back and leaned against the side of the road, squinting at the foolish dog, which was like a beautiful temptress seducing her little Gu Zhu. Fine, I’ll let you have these two minutes.

The Samoyed probably noticed the pretty person’s curiosity and admiration and stopped as it passed Gu Zhu. Its owner said “ooh,” and awkwardly touched her forehead. “I’m sorry, it just can’t walk when it sees a pretty person. It’s a dog in the late stages of being a face-con.”

“It’s okay.” Gu Zhu shook her head and looked at the little dog, eye to eye.

The dog was confused as to why the pretty human could resist petting it. It whined, took a step forward, and its tail wagged on the ground, rustling the fallen leaves.

Bai Tan’s eyebrow twitched higher, her lips pressed together, as if she were silently saying: Foolish dog, dare to take another step?

“Do you want to pet it? It loves it when people it likes pet it~” the owner offered enthusiastically.

But Gu Zhu shook her head and pointed to the person to her side. She said something softly, then said goodbye to them. “Goodbye, have fun.”

Afterward, she waved again. “Bye-bye, little dog.” She then walked over to Bai Tan. “Let’s go.”

When other dogs passed by, she didn’t linger but followed Bai Tan’s steps, walking slowly forward.

“Why didn’t you pet that silly… little dog?” Bai Tan couldn’t help but ask. She had looked so curious, yet she had just walked away. She had seen Gu Zhu point at her, so she was curious what she had said.

“You don’t like it.” It was a very simple statement, and the person beside her said it in a calm tone, not thinking it was strange at all.

Because I like you more than a cute little dog.

The other person seemed to be conveying this message, and the little cat who had successfully received the message was completely relieved of its crisis. Even the few minutes of disdain turned into something to brag about. Bai Tan put her hands behind her back and unconsciously twirled them, her good mood evident.

Gu Zhu glanced at her several times and was also infected by the young mistress’s inexplicable joy, her eyes crinkling into a smile as gentle as the moonlight.

When they returned to the school, there was half an hour left until lights out. They said goodbye at the entrance, both a little reluctant to part, but their goodbye was quick and decisive, as if they were both afraid of making the other late. So they said their farewells with effort.

Gu Zhu returned to her dorm. Her roommate had just gotten out of the shower. They nodded a greeting, and she quickly went to get ready herself. By the time she was in bed, it was just lights out.

Holding her phone in the same posture at the same time as the night before, this time she didn’t have to rack her brain wondering what Bai Tan was doing, because there were countless messages lined up in the chat window, more than she could even read.

Habit is a very scary thing. Her eyes flickered in the darkness, and she suddenly remembered that Bai Tan was going to change dorms for the new semester.

She had promised to be Bai Tan’s roommate, and her only permanent one. Not for a week or two, a time that could be endured with a little effort, but for a long time, in units of months, quarters, and years.

Would she get used to it? Could she change her bad habits because of it?

She suddenly felt a little excited at the prospect of a life where they could see each other the first thing when they woke up. Maybe, when her heart found a place to land, it would finally be at peace.

The next day, Gu Zhu still got out of bed when her roommate’s alarm went off. As she walked to class, she heard some people talking quietly.

“I heard someone paid a lot of money to come in as an auditing student. They say it’s because of a hobby and they want to soak up the atmosphere of the top chemistry students. They don’t even care that they can’t compete.”

“Uh… but can I be honest, I’m only here to get into a good university without taking exams…”

“Well, a hobby and what you’re good at can be different, right? Right?”

“Yeah, because I really want to be on holiday!”

The students looked at each other, thinking about the unknown student who was here for love of the subject, not for fame or fortune:

—Is it possible that you are our role model?

An auditing student? This was probably the first time the summer camp had accepted a non-competitor. She wondered who this strange person was. Gu Zhu’s thoughts lingered for a moment, then she dismissed it.

It wasn’t until class started that a strange sound came from the back door. Some students turned to look, and even the teacher on the podium let out a small “ahem.”

Gu Zhu subconsciously looked back and saw the person she had said goodbye to just last night, now appearing in front of her as if by magic.

The girl who had snuck in through the back door probably didn’t expect to attract so much attention. She quickly bowed in apology and found a seat awkwardly.

She sat in the corner, quiet and still, her gaze wandering before settling on the girl in the front-right window seat.

As their eyes met, Bai Tan immediately gave her a brilliant smile. Afraid of disrupting the class, she held a book up to cover the lower half of her face. Only her eyes were still full of laughter, as if they were saying:

—Surprise?

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