Gold-Devouring Bottom: A Guide to Pampering - Chapter 20

Shen Xinghuai instinctively swallowed. “I. I.”

His wrist was already held in a tight grip by the man, and the bank card was shoved firmly into his palm. “From now on, you are not allowed to use a single cent of Ye Xiujun’s money. Do you hear me?”

His wrist stung with a burning pain. Wanting to be released as quickly as possible, Shen Xinghuai accepted the card. “I’ve got it.”

Ye Xiuchen glanced at the reddened wrist he had just squeezed and let go. “I’m heading out in a bit as well. I can drop you off wherever you’re going.”

“Lincheng University.”

“What a coincidence; I happened to be heading there myself.” In truth, it wasn’t a coincidence at all. He simply had nowhere specific to unleash his restless energy today and figured he might as well.

However, his company had been developing a new product recently, and a professor at Lincheng University was a renowned expert in that specific field. Visiting to check on the progress would save him from another lecture from his grandfather about how he only knew how to cause trouble and ignored the family business.

After breakfast, Shen Xinghuai got into Ye Xiuchen’s car. The university wasn’t far from the villa—barely a ten-minute drive.

“Notify me when you’re finished.” Ye Xiuchen glanced at the university gates, his expression turning icy.

Ye Xiuchen had studied here for a year, but something terrible had happened during that time—a messy, embarrassing incident that had made the news and the rounds of campus gossip. Old Master Ye had eventually been forced to send him abroad, so he harbored zero affection for the place.

Shen Xinghuai wasn’t sure when he’d be done and didn’t want to trouble him. “It’s not far from home; I’ll just head back on my own.”

Ye Xiuchen only looked at him once and didn’t argue further, heading off toward the laboratory building.

Shen Xinghuai had arrived thirty minutes early; Nan Yang’s class wasn’t over yet. He wandered around the campus for a bit, and seeing a group playing basketball, he found a spot to sit down. Back in his own college days, he’d play a game or two occasionally, though he wasn’t particularly obsessed with it. Since graduating, he hadn’t had much of a chance to play at all.

He had specifically chosen an inconspicuous corner to sit in, yet he was surprised to find he had already drawn the attention of everyone present. Even the players on the court were frequently glancing his way.

One student passed the ball, stopped, and asked a classmate, “Which department is he from? Never seen him before.”

The classmate, eyes glued to Shen Xinghuai, shook his head. “Hell if I know. I’m seeing him for the first time, too. Which department managed to recruit such a fresh-faced junior and hide him for this long?”

As the two stopped to chat, the others on the court lost interest in the game as well and decided to break.

Shen Xinghuai had intended to watch for a while until Nan Yang finished class, but everyone dispersed the moment he sat down. There was no point in sitting there alone, so he stood up to explore elsewhere.

Before he could step off the bleachers, he was blocked by the two students who had been playing basketball. The taller one was Zhang Lei, and the shorter one was Guan Fei—classmates.

Seeing them blocking his path, Shen Xinghuai asked, “Is something wrong?”

Zhang Lei was the athletic type—tall, muscular, and a bit dim-witted. Standing in the way, he gave off the distinct impression that he wanted to start a fight. However, he wasn’t there to fight. When he spoke, his tone was oddly mismatched with his physique: “Which department are you in, Junior? Were you just watching us play? If you like basketball, let’s exchange contact info. We can bring you along next time.”

Shen Xinghuai was slender and elegant; he didn’t look like someone who enjoyed a rough game of ball. It was a transparent excuse to get his number.

But Shen Xinghuai had no desire to chat. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve already graduated; I’m just passing through today.”

“Graduated?” Zhang Lei and Guan Fei were both stunned. Shen Xinghuai looked barely twenty; he didn’t look like an older alumnus at all.

Guan Fei assumed he was lying. “You’re joking, right? You look younger than the both of us. Stop messing with us.”

Just as he finished, Shen Xinghuai’s phone rang. It was Nan Yang—his class must have ended. Shen Xinghuai expected them to leave once he answered, but they didn’t. They stood there like two pillars, making no move to go, and even eavesdropped on his conversation. It was incredibly off-putting.

Shen Xinghuai told Nan Yang he’d wait for him at the entrance of the basketball court and hung up. “Excuse me, I need to go.”

Zhang Lei didn’t move; instead, he stepped closer. “Add me on WeChat before you go. Let’s stay in touch.”

Initially, Shen Xinghuai tried to remain polite, but seeing they had zero social awareness and were physically barring his exit, his patience snapped. His tone turned cold. “I don’t use WeChat. Move.”

“Oh! Quite the temper. Getting snappy just because I asked for your WeChat? Do you even know who I am?” Zhang Lei’s face was naturally rugged; when he scowled, he looked quite intimidating. He reached out, intending to grab Shen

Xinghuai’s arm.

The “thug” vibe was so strong that Shen Xinghuai couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Talk about bad luck; I’ve run into a total idiot. Dealing with people like this through logic was impossible. “Move!” he barked, raising his hand to shove away the reaching arm.

Nan Yang waited at the entrance for a while, and when Shen Xinghuai didn’t appear, he grew worried and ran toward the court. Upon entering, he saw a circle of people gathered around the rest area—it looked like a fight had broken out.

Actually, the fight was already over. A professor who had been playing nearby saw the scuffle and had immediately stepped in to pull them apart. But since Shen Xinghuai was an outsider, the situation was delicate, and the professor had already called the police.

Nan Yang squeezed through the crowd. Shen Xinghuai was sitting on a bench; his face was uninjured and his clothes were relatively neat, but he was hunched over, clutching his knee. During the scuffle with Zhang Lei, his knee had slammed into the concrete edge of the bleachers. It was throbbing and had already begun to swell.

Zhang Lei, however, looked much worse. His left cheekbone was swollen, and he had tissues stuffed up his nostrils to stop a nosebleed. Despite his size, he was clearly the one who had taken the beating.

Guan Fei was currently busy twisting the facts, explaining his version of the “incident” to the professor. Shen Xinghuai just held his knee, not bothered enough to argue. The professor was clearly familiar with the two students; more importantly, from their conversation, it appeared Zhang Lei’s father was also a faculty member at Lincheng University.

Even if Shen Xinghuai talked until his breath ran out, the professor wouldn’t believe him. He’d have to wait for the police to arrive to explain things.

“Xinghuai! Where are you hurt?” Nan Yang crouched in front of him, reaching out to roll up his trouser leg. Shen Xinghuai blocked his hand. “I’m fine.”

Truthfully, Shen Xinghuai was a bit embarrassed. He had come here to talk business, only to end up in a brawl within minutes. Moreover, he was twenty-four and a college graduate; being caught in a fight with a bunch of hot-headed teenagers felt incredibly undignified.

He spoke apologetically: “Nan Yang, the injury is nothing, but I might be delayed for a while. I can’t go talk shop until the police finish handling this.”

Zhang Lei, clutching his eye, snarled, “You think you’re going anywhere? You’re a non-student coming onto campus to cause trouble and assault students! You aren’t leaving!”

Shen Xinghuai glared at him. “You were the one harassing me.”

The police had yet to arrive, but more and more students were gathering. Ye Xiuchen, having finished his meeting with Professor Bai, walked out of the laboratory. He noticed groups of students running toward the basketball court in excitement.