Chapter Nineteen: The Paintings in My Home

Qin Ruhua majored in graphic design. There were over fifty students in the class, but after excluding those who had left school for work and couldn't make it back, more than forty showed up today.

With so many people, it was impossible to book a private room, so they reserved four tables in the third-floor hall, separated by screens.

As soon as Qin Ruhua and I stepped onto the third floor, some sharp-eyed students spotted us and immediately shouted out, causing everyone to turn their heads toward us.

At that moment, I felt Qin Ruhua’s hand tremble slightly, as if instinctively trying to pull away, and I quickly tightened my grip.

A quick glance revealed an almost equal number of male and female students, all scrutinizing me with burning gazes.

A beauty of Qin Ruhua’s caliber, the campus goddess of their class, was surely revered among them. Now that she suddenly had a boyfriend, their curiosity was natural.

I smiled and waved at them in greeting.

Qin Ruhua’s cheeks flushed faintly, and she shyly smiled, pulling me to sit at a table by the side.

This table held about ten people, three of whom were boys, the rest girls. Their quality was noticeably higher than the other three tables; they were dressed much more elegantly. The Ma Hou I had seen this morning was among them.

Seeing me, Ma Hou smiled awkwardly and quickly looked away. The other two boys glanced at me coldly from the corners of their eyes.

A girl with curly yellow hair sitting next to Qin Ruhua said with a smile, “Hua Hua, introduce your boyfriend to us!”

“Hua Hua?” That nickname was more intimate! How come I hadn’t thought of that? Girls certainly had a knack for giving nicknames.

Recovering from her initial shyness, Qin Ruhua smiled and said, “His name is Chu Fan.”

Everyone waited for a grand introduction from Qin Ruhua, and hearing such a brief reply left them a bit stunned.

“Is that all?”

Qin Ruhua lightly tapped the curly-haired girl and laughed, “Don’t be silly, that’s enough!”

A boy with a stylish and handsome haircut said coolly, “I think Chu Fan is older than us. He probably doesn’t go to our school, right?”

I observed the three boys at this table. Aside from Ma Hou’s scholarly appearance, the other two were quite handsome and fashionably dressed. Sitting at the same table as Qin Ruhua, they must consider themselves worthy of pursuing her! Otherwise, ordinary students would feel too inferior to sit with her. There was also an empty seat beside the two boys, likely reserved for Sun Wen.

I smiled and said, “I never went to university and have been working for many years.”

Hearing that I hadn’t attended university surprised everyone, and they immediately looked down on me. Students at the other three tables also leaned in curiously to listen.

The two boys sneered disdainfully.

Qin Ruhua’s expression darkened. She reached under the table and gently touched my thigh to comfort me.

At that moment, Sun Wen came up the stairs, still with his hands in his pockets, his expression even more arrogant than before. He leisurely sat down in the empty seat next to the two boys.

Whether intentional or not, he didn’t glance at me once. With the air of a leader, he looked around and smiled, “What are you all talking about?”

The boy with the stylish haircut smiled faintly, “We’re asking which school Chu Fan is from.” He deliberately left the question hanging, waiting for Sun Wen to ask again.

“Oh?” Sun Wen leaned back in his chair with interest, casting me a sideways glance with a superior smile. “Which university?”

The girls nearby immediately sensed tension and eagerly gathered to watch.

I sneered inwardly. It seemed that upon learning their goddess had been taken by someone else, and seeing I was nothing extraordinary, they wanted to humiliate me.

Out of respect for Qin Ruhua, I chose not to argue with them.

---

However, Qin Ruhua couldn’t hold back and said displeasedly, “Sun Wen, you’re meddling too much.”

Sun Wen smiled slightly, “Asking about his university can’t be too much, right?”

I patted Qin Ruhua’s shoulder and smiled, “Darling, don’t be angry. You’re the goddess, and it’s only natural they’re upset that I’m the one who won you.”

Upon hearing this, aside from Ma Hou who kept his head low and stayed out of it, Sun Wen and the other two boys instantly changed their expressions.

That was basically saying they were inferior to me, that I had beaten them!

Sun Wen crossed his arms and sneered, “We’re just curious. Who is this divine figure who managed to win over our campus beauty? Chu Fan, surely you won’t deny us this curiosity? Also, we’re all quite curious why Qin Ruhua has been single throughout her four years at university and only today suddenly has a boyfriend.”

Qin Ruhua said coldly, “Sun Wen, don’t push it. Chu Fan, ignore him!”

I lightly placed my hand on Qin Ruhua’s shoulder, leaned back in my chair, and calmly said, “You are indeed meddling too much. Ruhua and I are perfectly matched; we can be together however we want. It’s none of your business.”

As for which university I attended, I had already said I didn’t go to college. If he hadn’t heard, I saw no reason to repeat myself just for him.

Sun Wen’s face stiffened, and he sneered.

The curly-haired girl quickly intervened, sensing the escalating tension. She laughed, “Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this. The food is almost here. Let’s cherish the last moments of our university life.”

The other girls quickly changed the subject to cosmetics and work.

Qin Ruhua took out her phone and tapped a few times, then gently touched my arm.

I realized she was sending me a message on WeChat.

“Brother Fan, sorry, I didn’t expect them to be so mean. Please don’t be angry. (Hug)”

I smiled faintly and replied, “I want a real hug.”

Turning to look at Qin Ruhua, she just rolled her eyes at me.

I sent another message: “You told me to be patient earlier, but you couldn’t hold back yourself.”

“Who told them to be so mean, always targeting you? Of course, I couldn’t hold back. (Playful)(Playful)(Playful)”

“So you really care about me. (Flirt)”

“Narcissist! (Knock knock) I don’t care for you, it’s just that since I asked you here, I feel a little guilty.”

“How will you make it up to me? (Flirt)”

“I’ll treat you to dinner. (Cute)”

“Might as well eat up Ruhua. (Flirt)(Flirt)(Flirt)”

“(Knock knock)(Knock knock)(Knock knock) Don’t call me Ruhua, it’s so cheesy and embarrassing. (Shy)(Shy)(Shy)”

I couldn’t help but laugh, all the previous annoyance vanished. Looking at Qin Ruhua, I saw she was also gazing at me.

We smiled at each other.

I sent another message: “Ruhua, you’re like a completely different person now compared to earlier! Split personality, aren’t you afraid of going mad?”

“I act like this in front of girls! Of course, in front of boys it’s different. Actually, many girls don’t show their true selves around boys. Didn’t you know that?”

---

“Then I’m not a girl. What do you think I am?”

“Guess! (Playful)”

“Husband?”

Qin Ruhua didn’t reply but playfully kicked me under the table.

I pretended it hurt and gasped.

Then I suddenly noticed the surrounding quietness.

Looking up, everyone at our table was staring at us, and many at the other three tables were watching as well.

The girls wore knowing smiles, the boys looked envious, and Sun Wen and his group wore sour faces, looking utterly displeased.

I smiled, put away my phone, and touched Qin Ruhua gently. She looked up, let out a soft sigh, blushing deeply, and kicked me again.

The curly-haired girl laughed, “Ruhua, you’re really not fair! Flaunting your love in front of us openly, trying to make us single dogs jealous!”

“Exactly!”

“Later, you two will have to drink three shots as punishment!”

The girls nearby enthusiastically agreed.

Sun Wen and the others looked even more displeased.

Soon the food and drinks arrived.

Sun Wen, with a stern face, opened a crate of beer, pulled out all the bottles, opened them one by one, and placed them in front of each student.

Then he poured himself a glass, walked to the center of the four tables, and half-jokingly shouted, “Gentlemen, the goddess you’ve all longed for these four years has fallen to our friend here. Isn’t it frustrating? If so, show your manliness and give Chu Fan a hard time. Everyone, raise a glass! I’ll go first!”

This guy was really sly! If he had said it seriously, he might not have been able to rally the others, but said half-jokingly, everyone happily cheered.

“Go for it!”

“Make sure to toast him! One glass isn’t enough—at least three!”

The other boys joined the jeering.

Qin Ruhua wore a stern face and whispered, “Chu Fan, ignore them.”

I smiled faintly, “It’s nothing.”

Sun Wen came up to me with the cup, his eyes gleaming slyly. He smiled, “Chu Fan, I’ve chased the goddess for four years and couldn’t win her, but you did. Impressive. Here’s to you!”

I smiled calmly, raised my glass, and lightly clinked it with his.

We both drank it down in one go.

Sun Wen didn’t stop and raised his voice, “Honestly, I’m really not okay with this! In looks, I’m more handsome than you! In education, I’m higher than a high school graduate! In family background, my family runs a small company making millions a year! I really don’t see what advantages you have. Can you tell us about your background, where you work, and your annual salary? Of course, if you’re too shy to say, we won’t force you!”