Chapter 102: Appearing on the Morning News

The same morning.

Fudan.

Qian Zhenyu, with a clear and beautiful face, hair like black silk, wearing a long white down jacket, walked calmly on her way to the canteen.

She was quite tall, over 1.7 meters.

Wherever she went, she was the kind of beauty who made men and women, old and young, unable to resist glancing twice.

She had also been Cao Sheng's high school classmate.

She was considered one of the top-performing students in their class.

After the college entrance exam, she entered Fudan.

As usual, she came to the canteen, got some porridge, ordered a few spring rolls, and a cup of soy milk.

She sat alone at a table, eating with her head down.

Girls with her looks and figure were often not very social.

Girls didn't want to appear beside her as mere foils, and boys, feeling inferior, lacked the courage to show up in front of her.

On a TV not far away, the morning news was playing.

Qian Zhenyu hadn't paid attention at first, simply eating her breakfast quietly.

But then she suddenly heard Cao Sheng's name come from the TV, causing the chopsticks in her hand to pause; frowning in confusion, she looked up at the screen.

Cao Sheng?

That guy who always stared at me in a daze during class?

How did he get on TV? Could it be a legal news report?

These thoughts flashed through her mind.

Then she saw Cao Sheng on the TV, standing before a crowd of reporters, facing a cluster of microphones like long guns and short cannons, answering the reporters' questions one by one with a calm and composed demeanor.

"Sorry, I've never heard of any Gongyang Buyu..."

"Who? What Shuren?"

"Don't casually bestow the title of 'famous writer' on anyone. Shuren, please recognize Zhou Shuren, beware of fakes, thank you!"

"If the people like it but he doesn't, who does he think he is?"

"I enjoy the blessings and bear the calamities. Since he is getting old, he should care more about his own blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids. He should mind his own business on matters unrelated to him. Thank you!"

Watching the highly aggressive Cao Sheng on the TV, Qian Zhenyu felt a bit dazed; she hadn't quite heard the questions the reporters asked, and she hadn't clearly heard most of what Cao Sheng said.

She felt that the Cao Sheng on the TV looked much the same as before, perhaps a bit more handsome and more mature.

But compared to that guy in her memory, he was a completely different person.

That guy with lustful thoughts but no courage—was he now so bold? Dare to mock famous writers and professors like this?

Bestselling author? Single work sales exceeding one million copies?

Is this his achievement?

If he writes so well, why didn't he write me a love letter back then? If he writes so well, did he also write the invitation for his parents' wedding?

It was quite a while after the news about Cao Sheng finished on TV before Qian Zhenyu came back to her senses.

Looking down at her breakfast, she moved her chopsticks around twice, then suddenly lost her appetite to continue eating.

Gazing at the porridge in her bowl, she seemed to see Cao Sheng's smiling face reflected on the surface of the porridge.

This guy who once made her restless and whom she had despised for his poor grades—she had originally thought that after high school graduation, they would be separated by vast distances, that time would naturally dilute all past memories, that they would forget each other in the world, and never meet again from north to south.

But today, he appeared on the TV in her school canteen, not on a legal news report, but as the number one young writer, appearing on TV for her to see.

It turns out he wasn't as worthless as I imagined.

The only subject where he was better than me, Chinese, has actually reached this level? Enough to make him the number one young writer?

Peking University.

Fang Zhui, wearing thick glasses, stood at the counter of the small shop, staring blankly at Cao Sheng on the TV as he retorted to the famous writer and professors.

He was also Cao Sheng's high school classmate.

He was the only student in their class to get into Peking University.

Here he met some new classmates, but he couldn't see a single one of his high school classmates.

His own college entrance exam score was too high; none of his classmates could come to Peking University with him.

When he first arrived, he felt proud.

He felt he was outstanding.

But after arriving here, he discovered he seemed to have become ordinary; almost everyone here was a top student from their high school days.

His grades here were not outstanding.

His Mandarin wasn't even as good as others', he had no special talents, and with his plain appearance, he was just a country bumpkin here.

Occasionally, he felt a bit depressed and found it hard to get used to being just an ordinary student in the eyes of teachers and classmates.

Occasionally, he would think of those high school classmates.

But he knew those high school classmates would probably have no connection with him for the rest of their lives; perhaps during the holidays when he went home, he might occasionally meet one or two.

That was all.

He never dreamed that Cao Sheng would appear before him in this way, on this unremarkable day.

Cao Sheng?

Is this guy on TV really Cao Sheng?

This guy, who besides being handsomer than me and occasionally scoring higher in Chinese, didn't he go to a junior college? You went to a junior college, didn't you chase girls or degenerate? Yet you wrote two novels? And became the most bestselling young writer? I, from Peking University, haven't become famous yet! You, from a lousy junior college, acting like this, is it appropriate?

Did I attend a fake Peking University?

At this moment, a fellow alumnus came to his side.

Seeing him watching the news on TV, this alumnus also raised his head to look at the television. After watching for a while, this quite handsome alumnus smiled and said, "That was a beautiful scolding! I hate those who rely on their seniority the most! If they can't beat you in sales, they just rely on their seniority and status to belittle rising stars. It's absolutely shameless!"

After speaking, this alumnus turned his face to ask Fang Zhui, "Brother, do you think I'm right?"

Fang Zhui fell silent for two seconds, nodded, and forced a smile. "You're right!"

When leaving the small shop, he suddenly felt a bit envious of Cao Sheng.

He felt that Cao Sheng, at that so-called junior college, must be living more carefree than him.

Having become the number one young writer, surely many beauties in that junior college were chasing after Cao Sheng?

Handsome, talented, famous, and wealthy—what beauty wouldn't be moved by such a Cao Sheng?

Unlike himself; back in high school, girls had secretly sent him glances of affection, even love letters.

Now at Peking University, no girl even gave him a proper look.

The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became.

That noon.

Shanghai.

After school, Han Er hurriedly arrived at a newsstand. He rummaged through the newspapers for a while and quickly found the content he was looking for.

"Literary Newcomer Zhongyuan Yidianhui Scolds Famous Writers and Professors!"

Seeing this news headline, Han Er's eyes lit up. He quickly pulled out this newspaper, paid, and then walked while reading.

This morning, he heard many classmates at school discussing how Zhongyuan Yidianhui had heavily mocked the writers and professors who had previously criticized him.

Hearing this made him incredibly curious; his heart was itching.

Who is Zhongyuan Yidianhui?

He is the number one among contemporary young writers in his mind.

He is the object of his learning and pursuit.

One could even say he is his idol.

When his idol first went to war with traditional writers and professors on the news, how could this fan not pay attention?

How could he hold back?

Previously, when he saw those famous writers and professors criticizing Zhongyuan Yidianhui on the news, he felt quite aggrieved in his heart.

He had been expecting Zhongyuan Yidianhui to scold back and not be a coward.

But reason told him: facing suppression from seniors, few young people dare to resist.

Yet he never expected Zhongyuan Yidianhui's temper to be so explosive; he actually dared to scold back?

He wanted to learn how to scold.