CH 2

The Scumbag and The Bitch

Wen Le walked back to the dormitory, shuttling back and forth in the brightly lit corridor, and gradually sobered up.

It just so happened that the dorm leader had also just come back from another dormitory, “Le Le*, you just got back?”

*Lele is an informal way of addressing Wen Le, usually by close friends.

Wen Le faintly nodded, “En.”

She seemed to be engrossed in thoughts. 

The dorm leader muttered in her heart, and took another look at Wen Le, but was still unable to figure out what was wrong. She then followed Wen Le into the dormitory.

Everyone in their dorm was present. Upon seeing that Wen Le was back, they greeted each other before returning to their own affairs.

Wen Le sat down in front of her desk and absent-mindedly began to remove her makeup unhurriedly. 

Her phone on the desk vibrated slightly. Wen Le subconsciously took a look and saw that the dorm leader, Cheng Hui, who was playing on her phone a few steps away, had sent her a message.

Hui: Are you ok?

Hui: Seems like you have something on your mind.

Wen Le looked at the two messages sent by Cheng Hui and was not sure how to reply to them. 

She simply replied with a few words.

WL: I’m fine, I drank a little too much and my head hurts. 

It was not that Wen Le did not want to say, but she didn’t even know what she was thinking; her thoughts and emotions were all a mess and incoherent.

Wen Le kept thinking of the person who sent her back today.

Having not seen him for three years, he was even more outstanding than he was before. Amidst the crowd, he could be spotted at a glance.

Wen Le recalled Zhou Kao’s profile under the light; his eyebrows and eyes, the bridge of his nose, his lips, neck, Adam’s apple, and the bit of clavicle exposed outside the black T-shirt.

He appeared cold and indifferent as if everything was beneath his contempt, this was coupled together with a deadly charm. But it was somewhat more restrained now compared to the past, yet seemingly it made him look more reserved and mature, making one unable to stop staring at him.

He was handsome to the point where it was a little excessive.

Wen Le loved anything that was beautiful and had little resistance to a top-level handsome guy like Zhou Kao.

…

However Zhou Kao, this bastard…

Wen Le could not help but think of the past. The memory she thought had been forgotten for three years was still as clear as yesterday.

Wen Le grew up in a remote mountain village with idyllic surroundings in a southwestern province. Before she went to high school, they did not even have a computer at home.

As for Zhou Kao, the young master who was born with a golden spoon, he had been studying in a top private school from kindergarten all the way to high school, and he should have even been sent to university on a recommendation or should have studied abroad.

She and Zhou Kao should have never crossed paths.

However just three years ago, due to a job transfer, Zhou Kao’s father brought his family and relocated to the small remote city where the high school Wen Le was studying was located.

Zhou Kao transferred schools and became schoolmates with Wen Le.

For the first exam he took after transferring, Zhou Kao stole Wen Le’s No. 1 spot in the whole school by a difference of ten marks.

Ever since Wen Le started going to school at the age of seven, no one had been able to take the No. 1 spot from her. For nearly ten years, Wen Le had always occupied the No. 1 spot in the grade and had never been defeated.

Only in the second semester of their first year of high school, did she lose to Zhou Kao by a ten-mark difference.

That was the first time Wen Le had a taste of defeat.

Wen Le thus cried badly over this, and henceforth, completely regarded Zhou Kao as her life’s number one rival, even if Zhou Kao did not know of her existence. 

As long as there was a  first time, there would inevitably be a second, third, and Nth time.

After three consecutive exams, one at the beginning of the semester, and two monthly exams, Wen Le suffered defeat one after another.

Beneath the surface, Wen Le was actually wild at heart. The more ladylike she appeared on the surface, the crazier she was inside.

The successive failures could not rattle Wen Le’s confidence. Instead, it incited her to try even harder through her defeats till she succeeded. 

In the mid-term exam that year, Wen Le wrote an essay with a perfect score that got published in a magazine. She beat Zhou Kao with a difference of five points and retook the No. 1 spot.

That was also the first time Wen Le entered Zhou Kao’s life as a victor.

–

*** back to the present

There seemed to be a faint smell of Wen Le’s perfume still lingering on his clothes, quietly seducing him in the tranquil summer night.

It was an elegant and charming light floral fragrance, just like how Wen Le was tonight.

Her long wavy hair, exquisite makeup, and bright, eye-catching red dress were beautiful yet also unfamiliar.

Zhou Kao could not help but reminisce the first time he met Wen Le. 

At that time, his father had been schemed against and his career suffered from a setback. He was then transferred to a small remote city in the southwestern province. His father was worried about his safety, so he took his son along with him, and Zhou Kao was thus transferred to the only elite high school in that small city.

Resources were limited, and the knowledge taught did not provide sufficient depth and breadth. The school exams were relatively simple for him, and he easily attained the No. 1 spot within his year in several exams. But unfortunately, he always failed to widen the gap between himself and the No. 2 within their year. The gap between the second and third place was 50 points, and yet the gap between him and No. 2  was never more than 10 points. This made Zhou Kao put away his contempt for the school.

Zhou Kao had imagined that if the educational resources for both of them were the same, the competition between him and No. 2 would be even more intense.

However, one’s background was also a part of one’s strength. So Zhou Kao never once paid any heed to the No. 2. 

It was not until that midterm exam when Zhou Kao was finally overtaken by the relentless No. 2, and managed to beat him with a five-point lead to gain back the No. 1 spot.

Zhou Kao had read her essay, it was brilliant yet still simple and sincere. It made one be amazed by the author’s age, while also admiring them greatly in their hearts.

An evenly-matched opponent was a very precious gift to each other.

Zhou Kao valued and respected this hard-to-come-by opponent in his heart.

–

The first time Zhou Kao really met Wen Le was at the grade assembly held after the midterm exam.

Like all the students present, Zhou Kao stood amongst the crowd under the flag platform in a blue and white school uniform, while looking at the flag platform.

It was at this moment that Wen Le entered his sight. 

Just like everyone else, Wen Le was wearing a blue and white school uniform. At that time, Wen Le still had shoulder-length hair, and under the sun, it shone brownish-yellow.

Wen Le calmly walked to the microphone with a smile as the wind caressed her shoulder-length hair; she was proud and confident, in high spirits and her eyes were as if they were full of starlight.

The 16-year-old Wen Le without any makeup had a beauty that surpassed even the beauty of a lotus flower rising from under the water. It was a beauty that could amaze everyone with just a simple smile. Her innocent and tender appearance was like an orchid that had just bloomed in the morning, adorned with dew drops. Fresh, beautiful, and unforgettable.

Surprise and astonishment flashed in Zhou Kao’s eyes. It turned out that the owner of the name that had been mentioned countless times in his ears, that powerful opponent and talented writer, was such a beautiful and outstanding girl.

She had a temperament that was different from all the girls Zhou Kao had seen before. She was serene yet willful like an orchid. It was rare and precious, yet grew in this barren and remote corner. It made people wonder so that they could not help but want to find out more.

That was the first time Zhou Kao saw the brilliantly talented and overly beautiful Wen Le. No one could not help but be impressed by the 16-year-old Wen Le.

Zhou Kao was no exception.

…

A pity…

It was unsure what Zhou Kao had recalled; his eyebrows frowned slightly.

…

Forget it….it’s all in the past. 

Zhou Kao was distraught by the mere thought of this.

Entering the dormitory right before the curfew, he was immediately blocked by his roommates as soon as he opened the door to their dorm. The three of them held a broom, ruler, and belt in their hands, respectively, posing as if they were going to extract a confession through cruel punishments.

Zhou Kao was helpless, “Are you guys very idle?

Roommate Hang Shuai, “There’s still a short paper that’s left which is due tomorrow, but that’s not important!”

Roommate Cheng Liang echoed loudly following with, “That’s not important! The important thing is that you have to give us an explanation!”

Roommate Lan Zhixin also followed, “Explain! When did you, when…”

As he talked, it was as if he got possessed by a drama queen, and said aggrievedly while sobbing, “When did you and my goddess, when wuuuuu~~~”

wuuuu – onomatopoeia for sobbing, crying 

Before he finished his words, Lan Zhixin covered his face, pretending to cry.

Zhou Kao said indifferently, “Goddess? Who?”

Cheng Liang glared at him, “You dare say who! You dare say who?”

Lan Zhixin: “It’s, it’s the belle of the School of Economics & Management, my goddess Wen Le!”

“Wen Le?” Zhou Kao faintly smiled, “Your goddess?”

Lan Zhixin raised his chin, “What! Are you going to hit me?”

Zhou Kao ignored Lan Zhixin’s playing of tricks, and suddenly asked another question, “You said she was from the School of Economics & Management?”

Hang Shuai: “You don’t even know about this? What kind of boyfriend are you?”

Zhou Kao frowned slightly and said, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Lan Zhixin was shocked, “You still don’t want to admit it! My goddess has already admitted! You scumbag!”

Zhou Kao: ???

Zhou Kao pushed away the three of them blocking behind the door, too lazy to talk nonsense with them, and took out clothes to go and take a shower.

Behind him, he could still hear his roommates denouncing him.

“You scumbag!”

“Scumbag!”

Zhou Kao: …

After Zhou Kao came out of the shower, Lan Zhixin still refused to give up, chasing after Zhou Kao and chattered endlessly, “Laoda*, what exactly is going on between you and my goddess? How did you two, the king and queen of visuals, get together?”

*laoda – a term to refer to someone who is the leader of a group or a boss, can also refer to someone who is the eldest in a family

“How could you not tell us you’re dating? No wonder you, the flower on a high peak*, have shown no interest in anyone. Turns out, you already have a girlfriend.”

*flower on a high peak – something out of one’s reach

“Tsk tsk, if the girls in our major knew, all their hearts would be broken.”　

Lan Zhixin grasped his heart and said, “My heart is also broken.”

Zhou Kao patiently explained it again, “We’d just met before, we’re not close.”

Cheng Liang rushed up front and asked curiously, “Then earlier…”

“Earlier, she was using me as an excuse to reject a confession,” Zhou Kao smirked, his tone sarcastic, “Can’t you tell?”

Lan Zhixin: “Ahhhh, I see.”

“You’re so pitiful.”

Zhou Kao looked at Lan Zhixin blankly.

Lan Zhixin sheepishly closed his mouth.　

TN: I love Zhou Kao’s roommates ahahahaa

Lying on his bed typing his paper, Hang Shuai did not forget to chime in, saying, “It’s mainly because if you two are together, it’s too breaking of a news.”

Cheng Liang followed in agreement and said, “This won’t do. We won’t be able to bear it, we won’t be able to bear it.”

Lan Zhixin: “If you two are together, the number of people in school would reduce by half. Half of the girls would jump into the river due to heartbreak because of you, and half of the boys would jump from a building because of the goddess.”

“Tsk tsk, you guys are committing an unpardonable sin.”

The author wishes to say:

Awesome warning, a warning for the crematorium, hahaha