Chapter 439: The Same Kind of Goods

A top student who could score seven hundred on the college entrance exam isn't necessarily incapable of dating. Some don't just date; they date seven or eight people at once. But that certainly didn't include Lin Sicheng. It wasn't that he didn't dare to date, but rather he was burdened by his reputation: at fourteen or fifteen, he dared to square off against hoodlums from outside the school and even won, so he was definitely considered a prominent figure in school.

Good at studying, good at sports, tall, with an even better build, and he was devastatingly handsome. By all logic, he should have had endless romantic entanglements.

But the problem was that in front of many classmates, he slapped Jia Chun twice.

Ever since then, no one knew who started the rumor, but it was said he had a violent streak since he was a child. The key was that Lin Sicheng's face was usually too cold; he was rarely seen smiling, and he always had an air of keeping people at a distance.

As time went on, it was rumored that he had a physiological defect—in today's terms: Super-Male Syndrome.

Therefore, countless girls drooled over his TV-ready face but didn't dare to cross the line.

Among them was the one Gu Ming used to tease: starting from the second semester of their sophomore year when arts and sciences classes were split, Lin Sicheng and He Yunzhi had been desk-mates for a year and a half.

A handsome man and a beautiful woman, similar family backgrounds, equally good at studying, and sitting together every day. There was, of course, ambiguity, but they never broke through that layer of window paper. Until they finished filling out their college applications and signed the commemorative albums, He Yunzhi wrote two lines of poetry in Lin Sicheng's album: "The green mountains share the same clouds and rain; the bright moon has never shone on two separate lands."

At the time, many classmates jeered, saying this poem wasn't a confession, but it was better than a confession. He Yunzhi neither admitted nor denied it then, just revealing a meaningful smile.

Only Lin Sicheng knew what He Yunzhi meant to express: "Parting ways, each finding their own happiness."

Because Lin Sicheng applied to Xida, and He Yunzhi applied to the University of Science and Technology of China. At the time, she had two dreams: to stay in Beijing and become a Scientist. Her future life was destined to have no intersection with Lin Sicheng. Based on this consideration, these two lines of poetry were written perfectly well.

And in the blink of an eye, four years passed; things were no longer what they used to be.

"I heard Lin Pingwa mention that during the first two years of university, he organized two high school reunions, and this girl specifically asked about you!" Gu Ming looked gossipy. "You two haven't been in touch?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: How could they be in touch?

Back then, his hostility was so heavy he felt like he could poke a hole in the sky; he even had thoughts of cutting ties with his parents and grandfather, let alone classmates. Although Lin Sicheng had never attended a reunion, it was no secret that he had completely given up in university, failing courses every year. In the eyes of these classmates, he was already a lost cause.

Besides, their relationship was average to begin with, so what was the need for contact?

"Stop making things up," Lin Sicheng glared at him. "If something like that happened, could Lin Siping not tell me?"

During that period, Lin Sicheng neither went home nor answered calls. Every month, his living expenses were passed on by Gu Ming or Lin Siping at the request of Jiang Yanfei. These two were not only relatives but also his few remaining friends. If such a thing had really happened, Lin Siping certainly wouldn't have kept it from him.

"Tsk, believe it or not? Look, she's coming over!" Gu Ming curled his lip and made a "tsk" sound again. "Such a fresh, lovely girl; tell me, aren't you missing out?" Lin Sicheng gave him an elbow jab and then stood up.

The three of them walked over, two in front and one behind. While still a few steps away, He Yunzhi waved.

A plaid knit cardigan with a turtleneck sweater underneath made her neck look even more slender. Her skin was pinkish-white, and her dark, shiny hair was slightly loose, tied into a bundle.

Ordinary jeans and flat leather shoes—even though they were loose, one could still see her legs were very long.

Her features were delicate, her cheeks full with a bit of baby fat; her appearance belonged to the typical baby-face type. Her eyes were clear, her eyelashes slightly curled, and she exuded a clean, gentle, yet lazy temperament.

Combined with her tall and exquisite figure, she gave people a feeling of being both innocent and charming.

To borrow a popular internet slang term that would only appear ten years later: Pure Desire.

For a boy in his early twenties, full of energy and feeling like he could poke a hole in the sky, she was indeed quite lethal; no wonder Gu Ming felt it was a pity for him.

But after being desk-mates for over a year, Lin Sicheng knew that He Yunzhi didn't have a shred of "innocence" about her. She wasn't exactly black-bellied, but she was definitely very smart. If one had to compare, she was worth about half of Ye Anning...

In a flash, they had reached the table. Lin Sicheng greeted them: "He Yunzhi, Ning Hui!"

"Lin Sicheng, why haven't you aged?" He Yunzhi's laughter was crisp, her long eyelashes fluttering. "Still the same as in high school?" Lin Sicheng smiled: "I don't like to smile, so I have fewer wrinkles!"

"Oh, you can joke now?" After replying, He Yunzhi's eyes stalled, staring at his hands. "Archaeology must be very hard, right?"

"It's alright!"

Only at this moment did Jia Chun notice that Lin Sicheng's hands looked like those of an old farmer who had been tilling the land for many years.

No, even worse than an old farmer: she still had a rural household registration, and her family stopped farming in middle school. Her grandfather had farmed for most of his life, and his hands weren't as dark or as rough as Lin Sicheng's.

But why hadn't she noticed just now?

Oh right... just now she was busy showing off her superiority and mocking Lin Sicheng...

Ning Hui looked terrified: "Yunzhi, is archaeology only hard? Our school has an Archaeology Department, and during their senior year internship, they were all sent to the desert in Keerqin (Jilin). No electricity, not even cell phone signals..."

"That was in the dead of winter, living in tents, gnawing on cold steamed buns, the wind and sand scraping against their faces like knives... Every day they were either digging pits or shoveling sand; it was worse than being a farmer: farmers at least have warm beds to sleep on and warm meals to eat..."

"It's not an exaggeration at all: when they came back, they were like wild men coming down from the mountains... After graduation, there were only sixteen people in the Archaeology Department, and fourteen of them changed careers..."

As she spoke, she suddenly paused, staring at Lin Sicheng's face: "Hey, that's not right... Lin Sicheng, your hands are so dark and cracked, but why is your face so white?"

Lin Sicheng brushed it off: "I cover up well!"

Gu Ming, standing to the side, almost laughed out loud.

Ning Hui took it for truth and feigned depth: "Lin Sicheng, why are you even pursuing a master's degree? If it were me, I would have found some other job long ago..." He Yunzhi nodded continuously, her eyes showing a hint of admiration: as if she hadn't expected Lin Sicheng to be able to endure such hardship. Gu Ming, watching the fun and not fearing trouble, added fuel to the fire: "You guys don't know: Lin Sicheng didn't take an exam for his master's; he was recommended. With my godfather there, it's impossible for him to go dig graves. He just goes to the lab, cleans up some Cultural Relics, mixes some Reagent, it's not too light..."

The three girls were stunned for a moment, looking at Lin Sicheng's hands and then at his face: No wonder his hands were so rough but his face was so white? Was it because he was often in contact with chemical Reagents and soaked them like that?

Thinking of his grandfather, they suddenly realized: they had heard that Lin Sicheng failed courses every year and could barely graduate, so how could he have passed the master's exam? They all knew that Lin Sicheng's grandfather was the Deputy Director of the Xida Archaeology Department. Even if he had retired, with so many students in the school, it wouldn't be difficult to get a recommendation for Lin Sicheng.

Thinking this over, the expressions of the three girls were different: Jia Chun curled her lip, looking somewhat disdainful, while Ning Hui looked envious.

Only He Yunzhi showed an expression of "well, that's not too bad": "Lin Sicheng, then you'll stay at the school after graduation, right?"

Lin Sicheng was noncommittal: "It's still early, we'll see!"

"Lin Sicheng, your grandfather just retired, he can definitely help you. You should hurry up, lest people leave and the tea goes cold..." Before she finished speaking, He Yunzhi paused and covered her mouth. "Lin Sicheng, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it..."

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "It's fine!"

Actually, this woman did mean it, but it didn't matter, because it was the truth: in his previous life, he almost didn't graduate. Anyway, in the end, he didn't miss a single exam...

"Let me leave you my number; if you feel I can be of help, call me anytime! I'm at the Municipal Cultural Bureau now..."

He Yunzhi took out her phone and sighed again. "I originally wanted to stay in Beijing, but my family wouldn't let me..."

Lin Sicheng was noncommittal: "Coming back is also good!"

"Lin Sicheng, you should take mine too!" Ning Hui also took out her phone. "I'm at the Power Bureau!"

Lin Sicheng was expressionless: "A good workplace!"

"Not as good as Yunzhi's!" Ning Hui was modest for a moment, then pointed at Jia Chun. "Jia Chun can also help you; they are at Nokia... You studied archaeology, so you definitely can't get into the R&D Department, but a logistics unit should be no problem... The benefits aren't too bad, and the work isn't tiring..."

Jia Chun reluctantly took out her phone.

But Lin Sicheng didn't move: "My phone is out of battery!"

The three girls were all stunned for a moment: out of battery, how could that be?

Subconsciously, a distant image appeared in their minds: Lin Sicheng in high school, like a swordsman, walking alone, cold and aloof.

Sure enough, old habits die hard...

In a flash, the three of them exchanged glances again: Jia Chun was still curling her lip, and Ning Hui was still putting on a somber air, looking as if she were disappointed that he wouldn't live up to expectations.

Only He Yunzhi had a glimmer of secret joy hidden deep in her eyes.

Gu Ming felt it was inexplicable: "It's not like... Lin Sicheng just didn't ask you for help, why are you happy? If you can't help, can't you just not help? Or is it that: deep down, this woman still hopes Lin Sicheng will hit a few more brick walls?"

After pondering for a good while, Gu Ming realized belatedly: these three broads were all cut from the same cloth, including the one surnamed He.

At first glance, they seemed to sympathize with Lin Sicheng, and even more so, seemed to be thinking of him at every turn, but in reality, they were still showing off their sense of superiority. Every word they spoke carried the air of, "I am better than you now, so naturally I am above you; therefore, hurry up and beg me."

However, the one surnamed Jia didn't have much of a brain and was more direct, while the other two were more subtle and better at acting.

So, would they actually help with anything?

Gu Ming let out a scoff: No wonder Lin Sicheng's expression was so indifferent and his tone so perfunctory, saying nothing but "it's alright" or "we'll see." His longest sentence hadn't even exceeded ten words...

Gu Ming stared, scrutinizing He Yunzhi carefully: "This woman, I didn't see that coming, did I?"

It's no wonder Lin Sicheng wasn't interested in her...

He Yunzhi felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at and was just about to ask Gu Ming why he was looking at her like that. But before she could open her mouth, Jia Chun stood up, a hint of excitement on her face: "He Zonghua is here, and Luo Shengyuan too..."

The other two stood up as well; He Yunzhi smoothed out her sweater without a change in expression, and the three of them walked forward a few steps to greet them.

Gu Ming wore a gossipy expression, thinking that these people must have some background, otherwise the "fake" pure one wouldn't be so excited, and the "real" pure one wouldn't be so attentive. But then, he subconsciously paused and turned his head to look at Lin Sicheng.

It felt... quite normal?

He still had that neither humble nor pushy, neither cold nor warm demeanor. But for some reason, in that split second just now, every muscle in Lin Sicheng's body seemed to tense up, as if a murderous aura had leaked out of him, making the hair on Gu Ming's arms stand on end.

This was definitely not an illusion: Old Gu had been a Police officer for half his life, and Gu Ming had been influenced by him, so his intuition was extremely strong. Moreover, he had even trained at the police academy for several months...

Gu Ming joked half-heartedly: "What's the situation, a love rival?"

Lin Sicheng glared at him: "Love your head!"

According to the original trajectory, Luo Shengyuan should have already entered the Cultural Relics Bureau. And he should know by now that: Grandfather had many priceless Cultural Relics in his hands, which would definitely be left to him in the future.

People will do anything for wealth, so this bastard had probably already started plotting. After Grandfather passed away, he would set a trap for him. It was his own carelessness, but fortunately, Lin Siping helped, and in the end, there was no danger.

Therefore, he and this bastard were not love rivals, but mortal enemies...

In a flash, the two groups met, and a series of laughter erupted in the lobby.

Gu Ming craned his neck: "That pretty boy, the one standing with He Yunzhi, what's his background?"

"He should be in the Municipal Government Office!"

"Oh, a leader's secretary?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: How old is he?

At most, he just organizes files, runs errands, and looks up data; it wouldn't even be his turn to write reports.

But the Municipal Government Office does have a resounding name.

"What about the slightly taller one?"

Gu Ming was referring to Luo Shengyuan, and Lin Sicheng remained calm: "He is at the Cultural Relics Bureau. The other one is a former peer of yours, he studied medicine. Whether he has a job or which hospital he entered, I don't know yet..."

"Wow, these classmates of yours are all quite impressive, aren't they?"

"Nonsense, we were in a Special Advanced Class to begin with; how bad could the studies of anyone who can hang out with Lin Siping be? Among these people, the worst is still Double First-Class." Gu Ming squinted: "As if you weren't in a Special Advanced Class yourself?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment, speechless: This dog of a guy isn't bad either, C9, Xijiao University.

Of course, not all students in the Special Advanced Class can get into good universities, and not everyone who comes out of a good university can find a good job. For example, Gu Ming.

The fact that these people could gather together today is just Survivor Bias. To put it bluntly: these few are the ones who have done the best among their classmates.

First, Lin Siping has a lively personality; he was the Literature Committee Member in high school and didn't stay idle in college either. Out of ten class reunions, he organized eight of them, and these people often hung out with him.

Second, it is because his father-in-law and mother-in-law have good enough jobs.

Lin Sicheng only found out two days ago: before the National Day holiday, Director Hu was promoted and is now a Deputy Bureau Chief at the Municipal Public Security Bureau Branch. His wife has been a Department Director at the City Children's Hospital for several years.

With such a precious daughter, and loving the house and its crow, even though Lin Siping is currently unemployed, he definitely won't be doing badly in the future.

Therefore, as long as Lin Siping invites them, they will definitely come.

The reason Lin Siping invited them is nothing more than wanting to show his determination to his father-in-law: "Dad, look, the friends I hang out with are all decent people with good jobs; I definitely won't be any worse than them in the future..."