Who Would Fall in Love After Being Reborn?

TL: Etude

“Take off your shoes.”

At night, the surface of Moonwatch Lake shimmered with waves.

Jiang Qin was sitting with Feng Nanshu on the stone boat pavilion, attempting to solidify the profound friendship between him and the young wealthy woman in a sincere and simple manner.

In some European countries, people enjoy the cheek-kissing greeting, even in important settings like diplomacy and political discussions. This social etiquette is a way to demonstrate closeness; the old rule is to kiss on the cheek, which greatly shortens the distance between people.

Jiang Qin was different; he preferred the foot massage greeting.

Feng Nanshu, well-versed in etiquette, bent her legs on the stone pavilion, hooked her fingers around her shoes to gently remove them, and then took off her socks, folding them neatly before stuffing them into her shoes. She extended her smooth, jade-like feet to the designated spot.

Then, the two casually chatted, not continuously but in breaks.

Jiang Qin had been busy with work-study matters at the University of Science and Technology these past few days. His speech carried an official tone, and since he lacked experience in charming girls, the conversation, though deep, wasn’t very interesting.

Any other girl would probably roll her eyes at him, calling him a boring man.

But Feng Nanshu loved listening. The gleam in her eyes was softer and more radiant than the moonlit lake, as if what Jiang Qin said was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Jiang Qin, there’s a fish.”

“Really? I forgot to bring some bread or something. Use your foot to feed it.”

Jiang Qin playfully extended her delicate foot into the water, causing the little rich lady to struggle in a panic, almost stuffing his mouth in the process.

After a while, rustling sounds came from the opposite bushes, as if something was moving towards the lake.

Both Jiang Qin and Feng Nanshu turned their attention, holding their breath in anticipation, and then saw a familiar face.

Cao Guangyu.

He was walking hand in hand with a girl towards a large stone by the lake, only about ten meters away from where they were. The girl had long hair, about 1.65 meters tall, carrying a bag on her shoulder and holding something in her hand, which she kept feeding to Cao Guangyu.

Cao, led by her like a weak chicken, ate whatever she fed him, looking somewhat amusing.

“Old Cao, that guy, is quite affectionate, feeding her like that, tsk tsk, so sour.”

“But why are they here at Moonwatch Lake instead of the Maple Forest?”

Jiang Qin found the scene odd because most young couples in love would choose the Maple Forest over Moonwatch Lake. The forest lacked lights, which made it ideal for some privacy, and the lakeside had more mosquitoes due to its proximity to water.

Jiang Qin brought Feng Nanshu here instead of the Maple Forest to prevent her from getting curious about kissing.

She was the type to learn everything quickly and well.

If they went to the Maple Forest, where they would inevitably see couples kissing, she might become curious about how it felt.

That wouldn’t be good, as such curiosity could spoil their friendship.

But in the next second, something under the night sky did spoil.

The girl sitting over ten meters away suddenly grabbed Cao Guangyu, and without a word, kissed him.

Jiang Qin was startled, thinking to himself, “Are young people nowadays this bold?”

It felt like a decent man was being corrupted right before his eyes.

“Darn, no wonder Old Cao didn’t go to the Maple Forest. Turns out he’s the one being pursued!”

At this moment, Feng Nanshu was also staring blankly at the scene, her pretty face filled with curiosity, her delicate and curled eyelashes trembling with each heartbeat.

In the comic “Magic Eyed Girl,” there was a brown-haired werewolf that liked to pounce on its prey, pin them down, and use its sharp teeth to cut through their throats, just like what the girl had just done. But the werewolf hunted for food, for survival, unlike these two, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves!

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed, and the situation on the other side grew more intense. Cao Guangyu looked like a small boat in a rough sea, trembling visibly.

After a moment, the little rich lady turned to Jiang Qin, her eyes sparkling with a daring curiosity.

“Jiang Qin, can we do that too?”

“We can’t!” Jiang Qin spoke with firm conviction.

“Why not?” Feng Nanshu asked with a pout.

Jiang Qin covered her eyes with his hand, fearing Cao Guangyu and his companion might escalate their actions, but he continued to explain, “That’s something couples do. As friends, our emotions should stop at the feet. Going beyond that is too much. Have you forgotten what I told you before? Turning friends into lovers often ends with them not talking to each other ever again. Don’t you want to be friends with me forever?”

“I do.”

“Then behave, pretend you didn’t see anything.”

Feng Nanshu fell silent for a while before quietly looking at him, “Just once, you won’t tell, and neither will I. We’ll still be friends. I just want to know what it feels like.”

“Heh, self-deception,” Jiang Qin didn’t believe her.

“Not at all.”

“You said the same when you begged for cotton candy. How many did you end up eating? I saw at least five. Can you really say just once?”

Feng Nanshu: “…”

“It’s not possible.”

Jiang Qin looked at Feng Nanshu’s full and rosy lips. His heart was pounding fiercely, and though it was incredibly hard to say, he maintained a calm exterior.

Some things are like caged beasts, appearing tame and harmless, but once released, they become uncontrollable and unstoppable.

It reminded him of his second uncle’s cousin, who, despite being in the senior class, still wet his pants. When questioned at home, they couldn’t understand why he didn’t just raise his hand to go to the bathroom. The cousin explained it was a life hack he learned from his desk-mate: to urinate a little, hold it, then a little more, to last till the end of class.

When asked if he couldn’t hold it, the cousin, in tears, said he couldn’t even pinch it shut.

Therefore, some things are best not tried. Once the floodgates open, the torrent is unstoppable.

“Let’s go, we’re not watching this.”

“Okay.”

After a while, Jiang Qin gently helped Feng Nanshu put on her socks and shoes, and escorted her away from the “crime scene” back to her dormitory.

When he returned to the boys’ dormitory, Cao Guangyu also leisurely made his way back, his lips curled in an unmistakable smile, radiant with the glow of someone deeply in love.

“Old Jiang, staying in the dorm tonight?”

Jiang Qin, with a cold expression, replied, “Went out for a romantic date, did you? How did it feel?”

Zhou Chao and Ren Ziqiang suddenly sat up in their beds with a rumble. “Come on, Old Cao, tell us about your love life. What did you guys do?”

“We didn’t do much, just strolled around, chatted, enjoyed some romantic moments, pretty much like what you see in TV dramas.”

“Just walking and talking?”

Cao Guangyu felt it was his duty as the first one in the dorm to get a girlfriend to enlighten his brothers on love-related matters, partly to satisfy his own pride.

What was most crucial?

He was finally one step ahead of Jiang Qin, having the upper hand to show off.

However, he was a bit embarrassed to admit he was the one being kissed forcefully. Instead, he casually unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a patch of red ‘strawberry’ marks, as if they were medals of honor.

Sure enough, Zhou Chao and Ren Ziqiang looked envious, giving Cao Guangyu a thrill of satisfaction.

Zhou Chao’s pursuit of Yanzi was too elusive, not even a feather touched, let alone a ‘strawberry’.

Ren Ziqiang was in a worse state, thinking that becoming sworn siblings with Pan Xiu would lead to some romantic progress, only to find himself buying milk tea more often without crossing any boundaries.

So seeing Cao Guangyu’s neck covered with marks of love, they couldn’t help but feel envious.

But when Cao Guangyu looked back, he saw a hint of contempt in Jiang Qin’s eyes.

“Old Jiang, what’s with that look? Are you just sour because you can’t get any? Why don’t you get Feng Nanshu to give you a bite?”

“Heh.” Jiang Qin smirked coldly, saying nothing.

Cao Guangyu, sitting confidently, said, “Actually, I don’t really like clingy types, but I can’t help it; my girlfriend is too cute, always sticking to me.”

“Old Cao, I took Feng Nanshu to the lakeside tonight, and we saw a girl kissing a guy, who was so scared he didn’t dare to move, almost whimpering. Pure innocence.”

“…”

Seeing Cao Guangyu’s expression change, Jiang Qin revealed a smile, thinking, “Take that. Got a girlfriend and thought you could outshine me? Wishful thinking.”

Then he sat at the desk, pulling out the interview questions given by Lu Guangrong, quickly forming an outline in his mind.

Question: What was your purpose in starting a business as soon as you entered college?

Answer: To train myself, help my classmates, achieve my dreams, and give back to society.

Question: What have you gained from starting a business?

Answer: I gained confidence and courage. I feel like I have fulfilled the value of my youth and achieved inner fulfillment.

Question: What should you do when you face setbacks in your entrepreneurial journey?

Answer: Don’t be afraid of setbacks. Be brave and proactive.

Question: Who should you be most thankful for on your entrepreneurial journey?

Answer: First, I’m grateful for the country’s support for college students’ entrepreneurship, then for Linchuan University, Professor Yan from the Entrepreneurship Center, the University of Science and Technology, Hu Maolin the head of the Youth League Committee, Vice-Director of the School Office Zhang Ming’an…

This thank-you list could be a bit longer, more detailed, mentioning everyone who should be and even those who shouldn’t be. As for how many names would make it into the newspaper, that was beyond Jiang Qin’s control.

The basic approach was just like this, not too difficult, and almost no different from what Zhu Feng had said.

Jiang Qin slapped the manuscript on the table, his nose twitching at the sour smell in the dormitory, only to turn back and see Cao Guangyu holding his phone, his face soft and tender.

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