Chapter 32: Tiger Girl

Fortunately, Xie Yuyan and his wife didn't pay much mind to it, as Xie Silu often came out with childish babble that no one could understand at her age. Instead, Old Xie criticized Yang Tianxing: "Why bring so much? Just a taste is enough."

"Good things come in pairs, after all."

Yang Tianxing gave a simple, honest smile.

Xie Yuyan and Yang Tianxing sat on the sofa to chat. Perhaps because it was a private setting like a home, today's conversation went much deeper. It was then that Xie Yuyan discovered Yang Tianxing was quite knowledgeable and had a very clear plan for his university career.

"Thinking of doing some business or even starting a venture?"

This was the first time Xie Yuyan had heard a freshman express such thoughts. Generally speaking, graduates nowadays were more inclined toward state-owned enterprises, government departments, or foreign firms.

Of course, there were those who struck out on their own, but they only did so after accumulating a certain amount of experience.

"I plan to start a small business on campus. I'll need Teacher Xie's guidance and help when the time comes," Yang Tianxing said modestly.

Xie Yuyan thought this was just a polite remark and nodded without saying anything; he never imagined that Yang Tianxing was already laying the groundwork.

"Time to eat!"

Teacher Xie's wife called out from the kitchen.

Yang Tianxing took the initiative to go over and help serve the dishes, not acting like a guest at all.

Old Xie took a bottle of Wuliangye from the cupboard and asked with a smile: "Tianxing, how many cups for lunch?"

"I'll leave it to Teacher Xie's arrangement."

Teacher Xie's wife worried that Yang Tianxing couldn't handle white spirits, but Xie Yuyan waved his hand: "This kid has a better tolerance than me; a bottle of white spirits is no problem."

Teacher Xie's wife had good culinary skills, and Yang Tianxing didn't stand on ceremony. After eating and drinking his fill, he went to the balcony with Old Xie to smoke a few cigarettes, preparing to leave around three in the afternoon.

While changing his shoes in the entryway, Xie Yuyan suddenly called him to a stop: "Do you know a girl in our class named Liu Jiaoyue?"

"I do."

Yang Tianxing nodded and said, thinking to himself: *Knowing her is an understatement; I'll be sleeping in the same bed as her in the future. *

"Her family situation isn't very good. Before the break, He Yulin tried to apply for a poverty grant for her, but it didn't succeed; it seems to have gotten stuck at the Youth League Committee. You should look into it when you have time, and keep an eye out if there are any suitable part-time jobs on campus for her."

After Xie Yuyan finished speaking, he saw Yang Tianxing looking a bit stunned and asked: "Is there a problem?"

"No problem at all. Well, Teacher Xie, I'll be heading back now."

Yang Tianxing hadn't expected Old Xie to hand him a "Sword of Imperial Authority." Now he had a reason to directly intervene in or even arrange Liu Jiaoyue's daily life, and even if He Yulin secretly tattled, it would be useless.

After returning to school, the rain had just stopped and the clouds had cleared. The sunset at the edge of the sky was hazy and colorful, like a bright red silk ribbon hanging in the air. Yang Tianxing suddenly wanted to call Liu Jiaoyue and Tan Zhizhi out, point to the sky, and say: "No matter how beautiful the scenery is, it isn't as pretty as you two."

However, when twilight pulled back its long threads of lingering sorrow and opened its black pupils to gaze upon the earth, Yang Tianxing was pulled back to reality.

Tan Zhizhi was ignoring him, Liu Jiaoyue was on her guard against him, and the only ones there to greet him were the bunch of bachelors in Dorm 312.

Some of them had brought local specialties from home. Yang Tianxing had already used his to bribe Old Xie, so he ran downstairs to buy a crate of beer. Everyone ate the local snacks, drank beer, and bragged, their voices even attracting boys from other dorms.

They felt that 312 was the liveliest spot, so they simply went back to their dorms to bring their own specialties to mix together. In the end, it evolved into a tea party for all the boys in Public Administration Class 2.

This was the liveliest and most innocent time. Every boy spoke without restraint about stories of themselves or others, commenting recklessly on the girls in the class. Something called cohesion was quietly solidifying.

It wasn't until the dorm-checking auntie was attracted to the noise that these boys reluctantly left 312.

……………

After returning from the National Day holiday, the freshmen had gone through a month of adjustment and adaptation, and everyone looked a bit more like a university student.

The teacher for "Western Economics" was a woman in her forties, still a beauty in her prime. Even in October, she was wearing a cotton gauze skirt that exposed her calves in Chang'an. Yang Tianxing had his book spread out on the desk, but his mind had long since flown to the ends of the earth.

He had a lot to do this semester, but he still hadn't found the right opportunity to negotiate regarding the Deep Link Express matter. Yang Tianxing was currently the class monitor and the deputy minister of the department student union's liaison department; this status had some influence, but he still lacked a climactic move.

However, such things could not be rushed; one needed to find such an opportunity in life.

As long as one has the heart, it will appear sooner or later.

"Ring-a-ling."

The bell for the end of class finally rang. Not just Yang Tianxing, but many people in the classroom couldn't help but slump down to rest. Having spent so long lazing around at home during the break, their biological clocks were already in chaos.

"Yang Tianxing, come out with me for a moment."

Someone walked over and said this.

Yang Tianxing was stunned, thinking: *This person must not have figured out my position yet. Don't they know that apart from our counselor, Old Xie, I'm the biggest person in Public Administration Class 2? *

He looked up and saw it was the Youth League Secretary, He Yulin. Especially since she was holding an envelope in her hand—the one Yang Tianxing had left for Liu Jiaoyue yesterday. He didn't know how it had ended up in He Yulin's hands.

*I still have to give Little He some face, otherwise, no one will help me get things done in the future. *

Yang Tianxing muttered to himself and slowly followed He Yulin out of the classroom. Halfway there, he suddenly turned his head to look at Liu Jiaoyue, who indeed lowered her head in a panic.

"Hmph, this little girl from Sichuan-Chongqing."

Once outside the classroom, He Yulin stared at Yang Tianxing with a serious face, her eyes as sharp as knives.

Yang Tianxing said helplessly: "We don't need to do this between us. We know each other's lengths and depths, we know each other inside and out, and we're as familiar as if we weren't wearing any clothes. Just say what you have to say."

"You hooligan!"

The mood He Yulin had been brewing for quite a while instantly collapsed. She also gradually discovered that Yang Tianxing's thick-skinned nature far exceeded her expectations; playing tricks in front of such a person was of little use.

"This is what Jiaoyue asked me to pass on to you."

He Yulin took out the envelope and handed it over.

Yang Tianxing took it, glanced at it, and asked: "Did she open it?"

"She didn't touch it! I opened it!"

He Yulin stood with her hands on her hips, lifting her chin proudly.

Yang Tianxing shook his head; he couldn't argue with He Yulin about such things: "Opened is opened. What do you want with me?"

He didn't expect He Yulin to keep pressing: "Seriously, a person like you shouldn't be chasing that girl. Chen Sisi and Deng Yidi are both very pretty, or you could chase that high school classmate of yours. Can you stop harming Liu Jiaoyue?"

Yang Tianxing laughed as soon as he heard this: "How am I harming Liu Jiaoyue?"

He Yulin pointed at the envelope: "You give Jiaoyue this 500 yuan—is this chasing her? This is insulting her. It's a good thing she didn't dare to open it."

Yang Tianxing curled his lip: "Only you have the guts."

Liu Jiaoyue probably didn't dare to return the envelope to him directly, so she entrusted her roommate He Yulin to pass it on. He Yulin, this "Tiger Girl," didn't know the situation from the day they had the hot pot, and thought Yang Tianxing had other intentions in giving the money.

There is some misunderstanding here, but seeing that He Yulin truly cares for Liu Jiaoyue, Yang Tianxing still gave a guarantee: "Just believe that I won't harm her; if she doesn't agree, I won't force her."

"Really?"

He Yulin looked up; she had no way to demand too much of Yang Tianxing, after all, she was still being coerced herself, so she could only earnestly advise: "The boys in our class all respect you, and most of the girls trust you too; you must live up to this responsibility..."

"Little He, you're too long-winded."

Yang Tianxing lit a cigarette and looked He Yulin up and down until he made her feel uneasy, then Yang Tianxing said: "Class Secretary He, you probably haven't dated anyone yet, right? I'll introduce one to you: Yi Min, a wind-chasing youth who owns a mobile phone; he is eloquent and helpful..."

Before he could even finish speaking, He Yulin spat and left; Yang Tianxing grinned, this is the only way to deal with a tiger-girl.

However, He Yulin walked halfway and then turned back.

"Anything else?" Yang Tianxing asked.

"The girls in the class feel they aren't very familiar with the boys, so someone suggested holding a class social mixer; one reason is to get familiar with faces, and the second is to increase group cohesion."

Yang Tianxing thought this proposal was good; it was worth implementing for both public and private reasons.

For the public, if after graduating from four years of university, classmates couldn't even name or recognize their own classmates, that would truly be a dereliction of duty for the class cadres.

As for the private, it was naturally to increase opportunities to get close to Liu Jiaoyue.

"What are your thoughts?"

Yang Tianxing intended to hear He Yulin's opinion first.

"It's nothing more than gathering everyone to eat and sing," He Yulin said.

Yang Tianxing thought for a moment: "Singing and eating are both too cliché, and it will definitely turn into interactions within dormitory circles again; if we really want to achieve results, we must break up these small dormitory groups."

He Yulin felt that what Yang Tianxing said made sense, but she lacked the experience to know how to break them up, so she could only ask: "Do you have any ideas?"

Yang Tianxing actually already had an idea, but he kept her in suspense: "Let me think about it when I get back to the dormitory, and I'll tell you then."

He Yulin nodded and prepared to go back, but was stopped by Yang Tianxing.

"You've finished talking about your business, but I still have something to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

He Yulin felt she was upright and honest, working her heart out for the class; what could a class monitor who doesn't care about anything possibly want to talk to her about?

"Why didn't you tell me that the poverty scholarship you applied for for Liu Jiaoyue before the holiday got stuck at the Youth League Committee?"

Yang Tianxing's expression darkened as he stepped on the cigarette butt and said.

"I..."

He Yulin opened her mouth wanting to explain, but didn't know where to start; she had only asked Xie Yu'an for help with this matter, and apparently, Old Xie had passed the task on to Yang Tianxing.

"Does Teacher Xie trust Yang Tianxing that much? Could it be that he thinks if I can't solve it, Yang Tianxing definitely can?"

Thinking this way, He Yulin felt a bit aggrieved; she always felt her ability was no worse than Yang Tianxing's, just that her methods weren't as good as his.

Yang Tianxing gave a blunt reprimand: "We agreed at the time that if you couldn't solve a problem, you'd hand it over to me to implement; it's good to have self-esteem and ambition, but you can't let personal emotions delay important matters."

He Yulin stiffened her neck and retorted stubbornly: "Who said I couldn't solve it? I was planning to go to the Youth League Committee again after class; I would have succeeded this time."

Yang Tianxing thought this was a classic case of not giving up until seeing the Yellow River; it seemed necessary to use this incident to let this tiger-girl He Yulin know that Yang Tianxing is always your Brother Xing.

"How about this, I'll go to the Youth League Committee with you after class; I also need to understand the situation."

"Whatever."

He Yulin threw out the word and walked quickly back to the classroom.

The students in the classroom didn't think much of it; it was normal for the class monitor and the Youth League secretary to have things to discuss, but He Yulin told Liu Jiaoyue about the situation.

Liu Jiaoyue didn't expect that the "bad guy" Yang Tianxing would actually want to intervene; her little face slumped, and she lay on the desk, feeling unhappy.