Chapter 109: The Romance Simulation Game
Chapter 109: The Romance Simulation Game
After returning to Linchuan University from South Street, Jiang Qin led them straight to the Room 208 of the Entrepreneurship Center.
Jian Chun and her friends had never been to the Entrepreneurship Center before. Initially, they were puzzled about why they were there. However, when they heard everyone in room 208 collectively calling someone “boss,” their minds went blank. It took them a long time to regain their senses as they looked around room 208, their hearts pounding rapidly.
“Old Cao, just write it according to your idea.”
“Feiyu, since you study journalism, you’ll do the final editing. I believe with you and Old Cao working together, you’ll be unbeatable.”
“Jinrui, once Old Cao’s post is written and uploaded, help him make it a sticky post. Aim to get more people to see it, but don’t label it as a sticky post, just mark it as trending.”
Jiang Qin methodically instructed the on-duty staff, arranging all subsequent tasks. Then, he asked the girls from Class 3 to find a seat and review the post for any additional details that might be needed.
There are many people suffering in the world, and this was all he could do to help.
“I’ll step out for a bit, write well.”
“Okay, I got it.”
Cao Guangyu’s fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, his writing flowing like a spring, seemingly deeply moved by the old lady’s story.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qin slipped out of the office to the main office to find Director Yan, to see if he had left work yet and to listen again to the details of the story from last time.
The path of development was the same, and the direction was similar, so he had to fully understand this story to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
Most importantly, he needed to find out what incorrect information Director Yan had given that led to the website’s downfall. He had to clarify this to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
But he was overthinking it.
It was already so late; which professor wouldn’t have left work?
So, he didn’t find anyone.
But since he was there, Jiang Qin chatted with Cao Xinyue, who was on duty.
Sister Cao’s love life was quite sweet. She had received another gift from her boyfriend today, not a store-bought item but a ceramic cup he had made himself. She treasured it immensely, which made Jiang Qin feel a bit sour.
His sourness was not because he longed for a sweet romance, but purely out of concern that Cao Xinyue might get hurt.
Sister Cao was a good person, and he could only hope that the man she liked was also a good person.
However, he heard that her boyfriend was not from their university, but from another school. Whether their relationship could truly succeed was uncertain, and Jiang Qin could only silently wish them well.
When he returned from the main office, Old Cao’s post had already been edited by Lu Feiyu and then manipulated by Wen Jinrui, making it a top post on the website.
The forum had a lot of traffic. Old Cao was quite infamous, and combined with the front-page sticky, the post instantly attracted countless replies.
“Is this true?”
“I know about this, I’ve seen that grandma too. I always buy apples from her, they’re big and sweet.”
“Holy crap, isn’t this Young Master Cao, the scoundrel? I can hardly believe this change in style!”
“It really is Young Master Cao. He’s actually got a conscience now. Then he’s definitely not a rich second-generation!”
“It’s so heartbreaking to read. If you want to eat fruits, go to grandma’s place, it’s not expensive!”
“Do they have oranges? I’ll go buy two pounds of oranges tomorrow!”
“How come Young Master Cao’s style has changed so quickly? I’m not even used to not scolding him!”
“What you wrote today is quite good. Alright, I’ll spare you for now!”
Cao Guangyu looked at the comments on the post, feeling somewhat dazed. He thought to himself that although these trolls were still cursing, their tone seemed to have softened a lot, with many even encouraging him. Even those who usually threatened him said they wouldn’t bother him anymore.
Old Cao felt an indescribable sense of achievement and unexpected warmth in his heart.
“Alright, we’ve done enough for today. The actual impact will only be known after it develops overnight. Everyone, go back and sleep.”
After Jiang Qin finished speaking, he suddenly noticed a box of green grapes on the table. Looking up, he saw that Lu Feiyu, Wen Jinrui, Lu Xuemei, and Dong Miaomiao’s desks also had a box of green grapes each, along with strawberries and other fruits, offering a wide variety.
“Who bought these fruits? Why didn’t I get any?”
“The boss lady bought them!” Wen Jinrui sweetly replied.
Jiang Qin laughed, thinking they were making up stories. That naive and cute little lady wouldn’t know such tactics to win people’s hearts. “Stop kidding, who really bought them?”
Su Nai raised her head: “It’s really the boss lady. She came here after school this afternoon and bought a lot of fruits for us to eat. Boss, your boss lady is much more generous than you.”
“?!”
Jiang Qin was bewildered, wondering if the ‘boss lady’ they were talking about was the same person he had in mind.
…
Late at night, as she left the Entrepreneurship Center, Jian Chun’s mind was still in a daze.
She knew about the campus beauty contest and had even signed up for it. She was also aware of the popularity of the Xi Tian Tea Shop and had visited it several times.
In last Wednesday’s economics class, the teacher had used this as an example, saying that this person was full of ideas and capable, bold yet meticulous, and unstoppable. He also mentioned that this person would not stop there.
But she had never imagined that Jiang Qin was the boss of the website.
That frivolous man?
No, was he really frivolous?
Jian Chun couldn’t help but recall the scene in South Street, where Jiang Qin had immediately taken control of the situation, arranging for someone to buy food, instructing Zhuang Chen to get milk, and inquiring about the incident. He handled everything meticulously and securely.
If it were her…
No, if it were anyone else present, they couldn’t have done it so thoroughly.
Realizing this, Jian Chun turned her head to find Song Qingsheng, Jiang Tian, and Pan Xiu also in a daze, their eyes filled with disbelief.
“Jiang Qin is the boss of Zhihu?”
“Jiang Qin driving the Audi single-handedly was so cool!”
“I heard Zhihu made over five hundred thousand just from advertising fees last month.”
“He’s rich and capable, my god, my idol is so charming!”
As they were talking, a dark shadow suddenly appeared, racing towards them on a bicycle. It was Zhuang Chen, drenched from the rain.
He was originally heading towards the dormitory, but upon seeing Jian Chun, he quickly turned, drifting while braking, looking incredibly cool.
There’s no helping it; a nice guy resembles a dog.
It’s okay to cram six people into a car, but not one more. That’s the way of a nice guy. He has to be courteous and say, “You go first, I can go back alone.” He has to say, “It’s okay, don’t worry about me.”
So why are warm guys not as good as bootlickers?
If a bootlicker really loses all shame, maybe he can gain some advantage, but a warm guy can’t. He has to be courteous and gentlemanly, and in the end, gets nothing.
“Chun Chun, why are you guys here?” Zhuang Chen got off his bike, looking concerned.
“Jiang Qin brought us here.” Jian Chun’s voice trembled slightly when she mentioned Jiang Qin’s name.
Zhuang Chen didn’t ask further, instead expressing some reproach: “He didn’t even escort you to the dormitory, not gentlemanly at all. How about I take you back?”
“Forget it, it’s raining heavily, you go back first. I don’t want to talk, my mind is a bit confused,” Jian Chun said, not giving Zhuang Chen a chance to speak further, and walked away.
“…”
Watching Jian Chun leave, Zhuang Chen sighed softly but didn’t feel too disappointed.
He thought Jian Chun must have been greatly shocked and was understandably distraught.
So, Zhuang Chen got back on his bike and headed towards the male dormitory. When he reached the dorm building, he didn’t hurry back but went to room 302 and handed Jiang Qin two hundred yuan.
Jiang Qin naturally accepted the money for the milk and ointment he had advanced for the old lady.
“From Jian Chun?”
“It’s from me.” Zhuang Chen smiled with narrowed eyes.
Jiang Qin rubbed the collar of his shirt and couldn’t help but laugh: “She hit someone, and you pay the money. What kind of move is that?”
“My relationship with Jian Chun is like yours with Feng Nanshu, inseparable.”
“…”
Jiang Qin gave him a warm smile as encouragement, thinking to himself that his brother really should take a walk on a construction site sometime, otherwise he was bound to waste away.
Love is such that the onlooker sees clearly while the involved are lost. Others can’t save them; they can only save themselves.
Zhuang Chen didn’t stay long in room 302 and left soon after with a faint smile, mirroring the expression of Ren Ziqiang lying on his bed.
How intriguing.
Jiang Qin poured out the water and saw Cao Guangyu still typing as he passed by the bed.
“What are you doing?”
“Just chatting with a forum user.”
“…”
The next morning, the rain had stopped at some unknown time, leaving the air clear and bright.
The morning class was a joint session with Class 4, so Jiang Qin arrived early at the classroom and saw Feng Nanshu wearing a white sweater, sitting quietly beside her was the “canine strategist,” Gao Wenhui.
“You went to 208 yesterday? And bought fruits?” Jiang Qin sat next to Feng Nanshu.
Feng Nanshu nodded: “Yes, I did.”
Jiang Qin found it incredible: “Impossible, you shouldn’t be able to do something like this. Did someone teach you?”
After hearing this, Gao Wenhui burst into laughter: “Of course, I taught her. Shouldn’t a boss lady often visit the company? What if there are female secretaries wearing black stockings around the boss? Besides, what’s wrong with buying some fruits for our own employees?”
“…”
Jiang Qin suddenly realized that Gao Wenhui was not just into shipping couples; she treated their relationship like a romance simulation game: “Gao Wenhui, I advise you to mind your own business.”
“What’s wrong?” Gao Wenhui looked defiant.
“Feng Nanshu, don’t listen to her.”
“Okay.”
Feng Nanshu turned to Gao Wenhui: “Gao Wenhui, I won’t listen to you anymore.”
“What a perfect couple!” Gao Wenhui exclaimed enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Chen, sitting behind them, handed a warm cup of milk to Jian Chun and then sat down, trying to find a topic to talk about. However, he noticed Jian Chun was staring blankly at Jiang Qin’s back, her face showing confusion, irritation, and a sense of loss.
“Chun Chun, what’s wrong?” Zhuang Chen couldn’t help but ask.
Jian Chun came back to her senses: “Nothing, I was just thinking about the old lady from yesterday. I wonder how she’s doing now.”
“Let’s go check on her after class. But don’t get your hopes up too high. The forum post refreshes faster than my messages to you, and without any explosive content, it probably sank already.”
…
AN: Thank you to the alliance master, “I’m Still the Same Boy,” for the owed chapter update, and thanks to “Ice and Snow Little Snow,” for the owed chapter. Had no sleep tonight, truly exciting.
TL: Author got some subscribers/patrons and posted two extra chapters that day. In light of that, please consider supporting me on kofi 🙂
/etudetranslations