Chapter 403: Chapter 403
At seven o’clock the next morning, after consuming countless cups of coffee, Zhao Heng finally received a reply from Shen You’an.
——Stay composed. Be cautious of joy turning into regret. Cultivating oneself is the way to go.
The boss really knows how to deflate enthusiasm. This update is available on novel⁂fire.net
Shen You’an slung his backpack over his shoulder and went to the hotel front desk to check out.
There was supposed to be breakfast service, but Shen You’an simply couldn’t get accustomed to the delicate Western-style breakfast. He left the hotel and casually found a roadside breakfast shop, ordered tofu pudding and a vegetarian bun, and quickly felt satisfied and full.
The hotel was separated from Qingzhou University by only one street. Nearby were two internet cafes, three bars, and four karaoke lounges. The street stalls were full of bleary-eyed college students sporting dark circles under their eyes.
"Did you guys hear about the dark horse in the CTF competition this time? Xu Xin thought he’d take home the championship—what a joke. Doesn’t he know his own limits? Embarrassed himself big time."
"I heard the team that came first in the problem-solving contest is called PT. They’ve never been heard of before in this circle, probably newbies. To achieve such an impressive result, they’re definitely not to be underestimated."
"Dominated by ten times the points... wow, that’s insanely powerful."
"The academy gave Xu Xin so much special attention, even Professor Li was biased towards him. I heard that if his team won the championship, they’d get an immediate contract with Feilian Group and join Cheng Fan’s core team for development. But now look what happened—Cheng Fan will definitely be eyeing PT. There’s no chance left for him now."
"Today’s the offline attack-defend match. Let’s finish eating quickly! The match starts at nine, and we can meet PT’s top players in person at the venue. I can’t wait to see for myself who they really are."
A group of college students chatted away, oblivious to the fact that the person they were discussing was sitting right behind them.
The boy was dressed in all black, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, with a backpack slung over his shoulders. His frame was slender and tall, and his exposed skin was as white as snow, giving off an air of mystery.
When the group finished breakfast and started to leave, one of them couldn’t help but take another glance at the boy.
"What are you staring at?" his companion asked.
"Don’t you think that guy seems a bit weird? Broad daylight and he’s dressed like he’s trying not to be seen. And look at his skin..." The person involuntarily gave a shiver.
"It’s as pale as a ghost."
The group turned to take another look. Someone remarked, "Not so bad, he actually looks pretty cool. What brand is his shirt? I want the link."
"Why are you being all sissy, just caring about what others are wearing..."
"I don’t recognize him at all. He’s probably not from our school, right?"
The group chatted and laughed as they walked off, quickly forgetting about the passerby they had noticed.
Shen You’an finished his breakfast and set off leisurely toward Qingzhou University, backpack in tow.
The time was still just before eight, but there were already quite a few students riding bicycles across campus in a hurry—most of them headed for the library to grab seats.
The library opened at eight, and arriving late meant they wouldn’t be able to secure a good spot.
Shen You’an strolled leisurely through campus, passing by a lakeside where two pretty girls with great figures stood next to the white jade railing. They were wearing dance outfits, practicing vocal exercises while stretching their legs. Each of them had long-earbud wires trailing from their ears.
One of the long-haired girls couldn’t help but hum a tune: "Dreams in the mortal world, flowers fall with the wind, love follows fate, deep and unwavering~."
The melody was lilting, and the lyrics were tender, easily stirring the softest chords of the heart.
The short-haired girl exclaimed in surprise, "That’s Jiang Han’s ’Mortal Dreams’! So you like his music too!"
The two girls, as if discovering a shared passion, immediately launched into an animated discussion.
"I absolutely adore this song, ’Mortal Dreams.’ It has that bittersweet sense of longing for unattainable love—it reminds me of my late ’white moonlight’..."
"Several songs from Jiang Han’s new album have been praised endlessly by music critics, but ’Mortal Dreams’ is hands down my favorite. Jiang Han’s voice carries so much emotion—it paints vivid images in your mind. I can’t stop replaying it; it’s such a masterpiece."
"He writes, composes, and performs all his songs himself. How can there even exist a man this talented in the world?"
"And he’s super handsome, too."
"Really? I’ve been so caught up in his music, I didn’t even pay attention to his looks. Got any pictures? Show me!"
As the two girls huddled together, the long-haired one suddenly covered her mouth and let out a dramatic gasp: "He’s so young and ridiculously good-looking!"
"Oh, heaven, how is someone this talented and this handsome even allowed? How are the rest of us supposed to survive?"