The Hot-tempered Young Master and His Village Flower Child Bride - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Going to University

Time flies, summer vacation passed in a flash, and the inseparable couple began their university life.

Since Chu Zhi Lu would be spending at least four years at A University and renting a place wouldn’t offer enough security, Zhao Xunyu abandoned his plan to buy a sports car. Instead, he asked his father to purchase a house near campus.

Zhao Qingtang readily agreed and swiftly secured a well-appointed property for them. The entire process ended up costing significantly more than the sports car Zhao Xunyu had originally wanted, but he happily paid the bill.

Zhao Xunyu and Chu Zhi Lu arrived in City A a few days before classes started, moving their luggage into their new home. Zhao Xunyu spent the next two days showing her around the city. On the night before classes began, he pulled her into a passionate frenzy. Afterward, neither could sleep. Chu Zhi Lu nestled in Zhao Xunyu’s arms and listened to him talk.

Despite having a house near campus, they both planned to live in the dorms. Zhao Xunyu had initially wanted to live with her, but he knew she was slow to warm up. He worried that she might feel isolated at school, so when she suggested staying in the dorms, he supported her decision.

Chu Zhi Lu moved into the dorms. Unwilling to be left alone in their empty apartment, Zhao Xunyu decided to move into the dorms as well. They agreed to spend weekends at home together.

Zhao Xunyu rested his chin on her head, with one arm wrapped around her and his other hand cupping her br*ast. “If you have any conflicts with your dorm mates or if you’re unhappy in the dorm, tell me right away, okay? I want you to make friends, not suffer in silence.”

Zhao Xunyu was possessive of his girlfriend, but he encouraged her to socialize. After all, he knew nothing about shopping for clothes, makeup, or other girly things. Since they attended different schools, she would need friends nearby in case of emergencies.

Chu Zhi Lu nodded. She never let herself be taken advantage of.

Zhao Xunyu continued, “I won’t bother you during military training. It’s the perfect time to bond with your new classmates, eat together, and find your group.”

“Okay.”

“We’ll video chat every night before bed.” Zhao Xunyu had it all planned out.

Having a home nearby was a blessing. While other freshmen struggled with bulky luggage, Chu Zhi Lu only needed a small suitcase with a few changes of clothes. Zhao Xunyu had already moved her bedding and daily necessities into the dorm on the first day of move-in and helped her clean the room.

On the final day of registration, all four of Chu Zhi Lu’s dorm mates were present. They were all majoring in the same field. One was Lin Ling, a tall, outgoing native of City A with long legs. Another was Song Shu, a beautiful, spoiled young lady from a wealthy family. The third was Wei Manwen, who dressed plainly, smiled at everyone, and seemed genuinely friendly.

Chu Zhi Lu was the last to return to the dorm that day. By the time she arrived, the room was already buzzing with lively conversation. As she opened the door, the others immediately sensed that she might be difficult to get along with.

The atmosphere froze for a second before Lin Ling started talking to her. Chu Zhi Lu remembered what Zhao Xunyu had told her: Even if she didn’t feel like smiling, she had to force a smile to make a friendly first impression. So she curled her lips and tried to blend in.

At first, everyone struggled to find topics to bridge the awkwardness. Chu Zhi Lu mostly listened and remained quiet, which reassured the others somewhat. She might be a bit cold, but at least she wasn’t a troublemaking oddball who refused to cooperate.

The conversation eventually turned to the national college entrance exam. When they learned that Chu Zhi Lu was the province’s Top Scholar, Lin Ling groaned dramatically. “So beautiful and so smart? When Nuwa created humans, she really played favorites!”

“Yeah, I barely got into A University by working my butt off.”

Song Shu waved it off. “Don’t sell yourself short. We all ended up in the same dorm as dorm mates—no one here is better than anyone else.”

Chu Zhi Lu nodded. “You’re right.”

The group exchanged WeChat IDs. Chu Zhi Lu set her WeChat posts to be visible for only three days to avoid being scrutinized and discussed. As a result, her dorm mates couldn’t see any of her posts.

In contrast, Song Shu’s WeChat was completely open and filled with photos of her travels and gourmet meals from all four seasons.

Lin Ling hissed, “Phew, the smell of burning money is practically wafting off the screen.”

Wei Manwen leaned closer to look, pursing her lips in an embarrassed smile. “I’m so envious of you, Song Shu.”

Song Shu shrugged and said, “It’s nothing special. I didn’t have much time in high school, so I didn’t really go anywhere.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Chu Zhi Lu, who remained silent. A surge of superiority swelled in her chest.

Song Shu disliked Chu Zhi Lu. She dressed and styled her hair in an utterly ordinary way, yet she carried herself with such arrogance, as if she expected everyone to fawn over her just because she was pretty.

Lin Ling shook her head and sighed, saying that comparing oneself to others was enough to make one die of envy. Then, the conversation continued.

In contrast to the cautious enthusiasm in the girls’ dorm, Zhao Xunyu’s dorm was much more laid-back.

Yang Xiuzhu, who was on the bed opposite Zhao Xunyu, noticed his small suitcase and remarked, “Dude, is that all you brought? It doesn’t really match your flamboyant hairstyle.”

Zhao Xunyu was sprawled on his bed texting Chu Zhi Lu on WeChat. He replied casually, “Yeah, my place is nearby, so I didn’t need to bring much.”

The dorm had bunk beds with desks underneath. The other two dorm mates, who were playing games below, paused when they heard this.

“If you can afford a place nearby, your family must be loaded,” one of them said.

The other added, “They say eight out of ten finance students are rich kids. Who else in this dorm isn’t one besides me?”

“I’m broke.”

“My living expenses are only 800 yuan a month.”

“Get out of here! Your computer costs over ten thousand yuan!”

Zhao Xunyu continued tapping his keyboard as he texted his girlfriend, asking if they could get steak this weekend. “I’m broke, too,” he typed. “I have to rely on my girlfriend for support.”

“B*llsh*t! Even if your place is nearby, your family’s net worth must be in the tens of millions.”

Zhao Xunyu chuckled. “That’s my girlfriend’s apartment. I’m just crashing there.”

The apartment deed was registered under Chu Zhi Lu’s name.

When the topic turned to Chu Zhi Lu, Zhao Xunyu immediately put down his phone and launched into a detailed explanation. “Actually, the apartment isn’t exactly nearby. It’s about two bus stops away, near the west gate of A University. My girlfriend studies there and plans to pursue graduate studies, so her family bought the place. We usually stay in the dorms and only go back on weekends or during breaks. Honestly, I’m pretty broke. My girlfriend bought all my clothes and shoes using her college entrance exam scholarship.”

The way he said it made it sound like he was proudly living off his girlfriend.

But he wasn’t lying. Chu Zhi Lu had indeed bought his clothes and shoes with her scholarship money. Ever since they got matching hair colors, his ‘couple matching consciousness’ had awakened. From clothes and shoes to phone cases and keychains, he insisted on matching everything with her.

While wandering around City A, after buying expensive items like matching necklaces and rings, Chu Zhi Lu picked out eight sets of matching outfits and shoes, paying with her scholarship card. Though not luxury brands, they still cost a considerable amount. Zhao Xunyu wasn’t bothered by Chu Zhi Lu paying; on the contrary, he was deeply moved. He hugged and nuzzled her and told her to earn more scholarships so he could continue enjoying life as a kept man.

She studied at A University, was wealthy, and was willing to spend money on her boyfriend.

His dorm mates reacted with nothing but skepticism, envy, jealousy, and resentment.

“Seriously?”

“How did you manage to win her over?”

“Well, I’m handsome, you know? She fell for me at first sight.”

“Ugh.”