Zhao Yuan quickly stopped Liu Zhu. "Easy there, man. Let's not stoop to an asshole's level."
This area around Xinglin Lake was always crowded. A fight would bring the Student Union's Disciplinary Department and the teachers running in minutes. At that point, Liu Zhu, having thrown the first punch, would almost certainly face disciplinary action.
"Who the hell are you calling an asshole?" Cao Han shot back, his face darkening.
"Do you even have to ask? Of course I'm talking about you!" Since Cao Han was looking for a fight, Zhao Yuan wasn't about to be polite. He scoffed, "Can't even figure that out? Guess your IQ isn't all that high, huh!"
"Holy fuck!" Seeing Zhao Yuan throw his own insult right back at him, Cao Han almost exploded with rage. But no matter how angry he was, he didn't dare make a move. After all, there were four of them. He was self-aware enough to know he wasn't Superman and didn't have what it takes to fight four guys at once. He could only continue to run his mouth, scoffing, "Whatever, I won't stoop to your level. After all, you guys already got stood up. That's pathetic enough..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a girl's voice cut in. "Who said they were stood up?"
Cao Han froze, stunned. He turned to see four gorgeous girls walking gracefully toward them.
"Lin... Lin Xue?!"
'Zhao Yuan and his three friends were waiting for Lin Xue's group?'
'How is that possible!'
Cao Han's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing.
'I literally just said they got stood up, and now their dates show up. And it's the Sweetheart Goddess of the Nursing Department, no less... Holy hell, talk about a slap in the face! And a vicious one at that!'
Lin Xue's roommates didn't spare Cao Han a single glance, walking straight up to Zhao Yuan and his friends.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. We wanted to get all dolled up to look pretty for you, so it took a little extra time. You're not mad at us, are you?" The one speaking was Lin Xue's best friend, Yang Zi. She was deliberately acting cute and flirty, putting on a show for Cao Han.
It wasn't just her; Lin Xue's other two roommates also played along, acting cute. This made Cao Han's jaw drop in shock. As for Lin Xue, while she didn't join the coquettish act, she proactively stepped forward and took Zhao Yuan's arm. The impact of this scene on Cao Han was far greater than the other three girls' antics, leaving him completely dumbstruck.
"Shall we go?" Lin Xue asked, her smile incredibly sweet.
"Let's go." Zhao Yuan nodded. It was the first time a girl had ever taken his arm. Smelling the faint, pleasant scent wafting from Lin Xue, his heart traitorously began to pound in his chest. His footing faltered, and he nearly tripped over his own feet.
He wasn't the only one who looked pathetic. Liu Zhu, Wang Rongfeng, and Wu Yan were in even worse shape than he was.
'Lin Xue is actually holding Zhao Yuan's arm? Impossible. I must be dreaming. This has to be a dream.' Snapping out of it, Cao Han pinched himself hard. The pain made him grimace and almost cry out, which only confirmed that he wasn't dreaming. Everything he was seeing was real.
'The Sweetheart Goddess must be blind!' Cao Han roared indignantly in his mind.
Just as Zhao Yuan and the others were walking past Cao Han, his phone suddenly rang.
He pulled out his phone and saw it was the girl he was supposed to meet today. He quickly hit the answer button and yelled, "What the hell are you playing at? I'm already waiting here at the Seeking Knowledge Pavilion! Where are you?"
It looked like he was planning to take out all the frustration he'd just suffered on this girl.
"What's your problem?" The girl was taken aback by his attitude, and her voice instantly turned to ice. "Cao Han, I was calling to tell you that something came up with my friends tonight, so the date is canceled. And by the way, given your charming attitude, don't bother me again. Thanks!"
With that, she hung up the phone without waiting for Cao Han to explain.
Cao Han's face turned green with rage, but in front of Zhao Yuan and the others, he had to put on a brave face. He couldn't let this humiliate him. He began to pretend, saying into the silent phone, "What's the use of crying? What's the use of apologizing? I'm not going to forgive you..."
He was really getting into his performance, but Zhao Yuan couldn't help but laugh. "Cao Han, give it a rest. The girl hung up right after telling you not to bother her again. Who exactly are you talking to right now?"
"What? You... how could you know what was said in that call?" Cao Han was so shocked he dropped his phone. 'Holy shit, to be exposed right in the middle of trying to save face... this is so damn awkward and humiliating!'
Zhao Yuan replied, "My apologies. I just happen to have very good hearing. I couldn't help but overhear your entire call."
In that moment, Liu Zhu and the others finally understood what had happened and burst into laughter.
"Cao Han, I actually thought you were some tough guy. Who knew it was all just an act."
"Oh my god, I'm dying! He gets shot down but insists on acting like he's the one laying down the law. Cao Han, you're a really great actor! You shouldn't be in medical school, you should've gone to film school. Who knows, maybe you could've won Best Actor at Cannes or something."
"Who would've thought... The person who actually got stood up was you, Cao Han. Talk about karma!"
Cao Han looked like he was on the verge of tears.
'Holy hell, my face has been slapped so hard I can't even show it in public anymore! And it wasn't just one slap, it was a goddamn combo! SLAP! SLAP! It just wouldn't stop! But the most unacceptable part was that he had voluntarily offered up his own face to be slapped...'
'I've never been so humiliated in my life!'
Cao Han was too ashamed to stay a second longer. He bent down, snatched his phone, and bolted, disappearing from sight in a flash. He ran so fast that even Zhao Yuan had to admit he couldn't keep up.
Once Cao Han was out of sight, Lin Xue and her friends let go of the boys' arms. They said with bright smiles, "So, how was our performance? We didn't embarrass you, did we?"
"It was absolutely brilliant!" all four of the guys said in unison, giving them a thumbs-up in sincere praise.
This little interlude effectively broke the ice between the eight young people, reducing the initial awkwardness of their first meeting to a minimum.
After a round of self-introductions, the group grew even more comfortable with each other. They chatted and laughed on their way to the seafood buffet restaurant just outside of campus.
Seeing them enter the seafood buffet from a distance, the owner of the hotpot buffet down the street let out a long sigh of relief. "As long as they're not coming here to eat," he said with lingering fear, "I'm good."
Inside the seafood buffet, Zhao Yuan's appetite, as expected, astonished everyone.
Lin Xue and Yang Zi were fine, as they had witnessed Zhao Yuan's massive appetite before. Their two roommates, however, along with the three guys from Dorm 301, were completely dumbfounded.
"Third Brother, when did you start eating so much?" the three from Dorm 301 asked in unison.
"I've been training lately. The workouts are pretty intense, so my appetite has increased," Zhao Yuan said, offering an excuse.
"No wonder you're so ripped. So that's how you get those muscles, just by eating," Lin Xue's two roommates exclaimed in admiration.