Jian Ran quickly waved her hand. "No, I'm not."
Her ex-boyfriend was.
"But I'm very familiar with A University. My maternal grandparents are both professors there, though they're retired now."
Actually, Jian Ran grew up in the A University faculty family. If she hadn't often hung around the campus, she might never have met Zhou Yu.
But since her grandparents went abroad to her uncle's place a few years ago, she rarely went there, only occasionally to air out the house.
Jiang Man let out a playful "Ooh" and gave Jian Ran a thumbs-up. "A scholarly family—impressive."
Jian Ran shrugged helplessly. "And then there's me, the failure of the family. That's quite impressive, isn't it?"
Everyone laughed at her self-deprecation, but no one took it seriously. Although Jian Ran's university wasn't as prestigious as A University, it was still a key university in Jing City. She was hardly a failure.
They chatted and laughed through several rounds. Jian Ran seemed to be on a lucky streak today, winning every round as either landlord or peasant.
The topic somehow drifted to romantic partners, mainly focusing on Xu Zhi and Chu Lulin.
"I haven't met anyone suitable at school. I prefer the older sister type," Xu Zhi said with a grin.
Jian Ran glanced at him in surprise—she hadn't expected him to be into older women.
"What about you, Xiao Chu? You're so handsome. Do you have a girlfriend?" Jiang Man asked.
It was Chu Lulin's turn to play. He threw down three fours without a kicker. "No."
Jian Ran's eyes lit up. "Three fives without a kicker."
She was the landlord, and Chu Lulin's play was perfectly suited to her hand.
Jiang Man frowned slightly at the scene, glancing at Chu Lulin, but seeing no unusual reaction, she thought she was overthinking.
"Then what type of girl do you like? I can introduce someone if I find a good match," Jiang Man said casually.
Chu Lulin subtly glanced to the side and replied, "I like... warm-hearted people, those who are helpful."
Jiang Man smirked. "Such specific criteria?" Could it be that he already had someone in mind?
Jian Ran also looked at him strangely. What kind of standard was that?
Chu Lulin smiled but said nothing.
The rain continued outside, but inside, the atmosphere was cheerful and harmonious.
However, after a few more rounds, Jiang Man felt something was off. She kept glancing at Chu Lulin more frequently.
Finally, when Jian Ran once again benefited from Chu Lulin's subtle assistance, her suspicion was confirmed.
She gave Chu Lulin a meaningful look. "Xiao Chu really lives up to being a top student from A University."
He not only remembered the cards but also calculated them precisely. Then, like a gentle drizzle, he let Jian Ran win by giving her exactly what she needed. It seemed almost hard for her to lose.
"What do you mean?" Xu Zhi was still confused.
But Jian Ran caught on before him. She had been winning too consistently and had her doubts.
She looked at Chu Lulin with a mixture of helplessness and amusement. Was he this dedicated? Even now, he was still thinking about how to make her happy.
Xu Zhi finally realized what was happening. His eyes widened in shock. "No wonder Big Sister Jian always wins as the landlord—we have a traitor in our peasant team!"
He looked at Chu Lulin with feigned displeasure. "Bro, you're making me look really dumb."
"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time," Chu Lulin said with not-very-sincere remorse. "I'll try not to get caught."
Jiang Man shrugged and smiled at Jian Ran. "Let's switch seats. Otherwise, this game is unplayable."
Jian Ran had no reason to refuse. She shot Chu Lulin a playful glare. Anyone would think she was a sore loser.
After switching seats, the game returned to normal. Jian Ran was now on Chu Lulin's upper left, with Jiang Man and Xu Zhi between them. Even with his card-counting skills, he couldn't smoothly feed her.
As they say, time flies when playing cards. The morning slipped away without notice.
At noon, after a nap, they saw the rain showed no signs of stopping, so they returned to the card table.
And so, they played all afternoon until nightfall, reluctantly leaving the table.
Back in the dormitory, Xu Zhi rubbed his stiff neck and stretched. "Sitting so long—didn't feel it while playing, but now everything aches."
Chu Lulin also felt a bit of neck discomfort. He thought to himself that he'd ask the front desk later if they had any neck massage devices for Jian Ran.
"Bro, I'm so jealous of you," Xu Zhi suddenly said out of nowhere.
Chu Lulin looked at him in confusion.
"Earlier, everyone at the villa said Big Sister Jian was hard to get along with. People even felt sorry for you behind your back. But after today, I think that's not the case at all. She's really nice, not arrogant at all, young and beautiful..."
Although Chu Lulin agreed with Xu Zhi's praise of Jian Ran, he unconsciously frowned at Xu Zhi calling her "Big Sister Jian."
Seeing this, Xu Zhi quickly raised his hands. "Don't worry, I'm just saying. I won't compete with you."
Chu Lulin was startled. He looked at Xu Zhi with a mix of surprise and confusion. "How did you figure it out?"
He thought he had hidden his feelings well and never showed any signs in front of Xu Zhi. How did he know?
Xu Zhi shrugged. "To be honest, I'm the same."
Chu Lulin was taken aback, then a thought struck him, and a surprised expression crossed his face. "You and Miss Jiang..."
"Yeah, just what you're thinking," Xu Zhi admitted without shame. "Why else do you think I traveled all the way from Nan City to come here?"
His purpose for coming here had always been clear: to find a rich older woman.
In Xu Zhi's view, he wasn't cheating or deceiving young girls. He was just with a wealthy older woman, living comfortably, and getting a decent breakup fee when they parted. He saw nothing wrong with that.
Of course, it had to be mutual.
Fortunately, Jiang Man didn't seem to reject him. She was from Nan City, and he happened to study there. After this was over, they'd have plenty of chances to interact.
So when Chu Lulin came and asked if Zhao Jie could assign him a guest from Jing City, Xu Zhi immediately assumed Chu Lulin had the same goal.
"From what I know, as long as you get along well with the guests here, you usually don't lose contact after returning," Xu Zhi raised an eyebrow and gave him a meaningful look. At least, that's what the senior who introduced him here said.
They were all adults, and this was an unspoken understanding. If both parties were willing to keep in touch, it meant there was a possibility for something more.
Chu Lulin didn't catch the meaning behind Xu Zhi's look. He was focused on one question. "So we really won't lose contact after returning?"
"Of course," Xu Zhi said confidently. "After spending so much time together here, as long as you find excuses to actively keep in touch after returning, it'll happen naturally."
Chu Lulin nodded slightly, looking thoughtful.
Author's Note:
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Mini Skit:
Jiang Man raised an eyebrow: "What, I'm not worthy of being called 'Big Sister'?
Chu Lulin, with a cold face: "Sorry, 'Big Sister' is a term of endearment for me."