Who Would Fall in Love After Being Reborn?

TL: Etude

Restaurants near the school couldn’t be too upscale. After all, when setting up shop, businesses had to consider the spending power of college students. So, after much deliberation, the group of seven decided on Nanshan Restaurant, the most popular choice.

Jiang Qin entered the private dining room with six girls, urging them to order whatever they liked, before stepping out to use the restroom.

Upon returning, he received a friend request with the message, “Hello, boss, my name is Shi Miaomiao.”

It took Jiang Qin a while to remember her – she must be the girl who withdrew from the Literature Club due to Yao Yanling’s suppression.

Shi Miaomiao mentioned that she had spoken with Dong Wenhao and was willing to serialize “You are the Color of Fireworks in the World” on the website. She inquired about when she could start.

After some thought, Jiang Qin gave her Su Nai’s QQ number, suggesting she ask Su Nai for an internal account to start updating that evening.

Back in the dining room, Feng Nanshu’s roommate had already ordered the dishes.

A group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls had chosen a table full of meat dishes, which left Jiang Qin astounded. He thought to himself how great it was in 2008, with girls seemingly free from body image concerns.

“Nanshu, look at Jiang Qin, he seems shocked. Is he worried about the cost?” Gao Wenhui joked, nudging Feng Nanshu’s arm.

Feng Nanshu patted her chest confidently, “No worries, I have money.”

Jiang Qin took a seat beside Feng Nanshu with a flourish, “Even if you have money, you don’t need to spend it. Gao Wenhui, eat as much as you like today. I won’t bat an eye even if you eat like a pig.”

“Really?” Gao Wenhui paused, then realized, “Wait, it seems like you’re calling me a pig?”

“Remove the ‘seems like,’ you’re a university student, be confident!”

“Feng Nanshu, look at your boyfriend!” Gao Wenhui’s face reddened instantly.

After a moment of silence, Feng Nanshu suggested, “Jiang Qin, maybe we should add ‘seems like’ back?”

Laughter erupted in the room.

Cai Fang commented that they were perfectly in sync, teasing Gao Wenhui for trying to complain to Feng Nanshu, calling it hilariously misguided.

Hearing the laughter, Jiang Qin couldn’t help but glance at Feng Nanshu. Under the soft orange light, the ‘little rich lady’ appeared flawlessly fair, with delicate features, rosy lips, and a high nose bridge, as if naturally airbrushed.

He was curious about how the misunderstanding of him being her boyfriend started. Was it because of the funny faces he made with Feng Nanshu at the back door of the Finance Class 4?

Feng Nanshu probably wouldn’t explain, perhaps mixing up ‘boyfriend’ with ‘male friend.’

Jiang Qin thought to himself, deciding not to clarify either. Feng Nanshu was so charming, she would surely attract unwelcome attention during her university years. He could act as a shield for her, considering he had no plans for romance.

But being a shield wasn’t easy. A little benefit in return wouldn’t be excessive, right?

“Jiang Qin, I want a slice of lotus root.”

Feng Nanshu, wearing plastic gloves and busy with crayfish, couldn’t spare her hands, so she crisply made her request.

Jiang Qin picked up the chopsticks and fed her a vinegar-soaked lotus root slice.

The ‘little rich lady’ crunched through the dish quickly, finishing the lotus root in a few bites.

The whole room watched them, their eyes filled with teasing and suggestive looks.

“Jiang Qin, I want a slice of lotus root too~”

Gao Wenhui, seeking playful revenge, mimicked Feng Nanshu.

Jiang Qin obliged with a new pair of chopsticks, feeding her: “My little rich lady is somewhat socially anxious. Sister Gao’s care over the next four years will be invaluable, consider this my advance thanks.”

Gao Wenhui, initially joking, suddenly felt embarrassed, especially by the respectful address of ‘sister Gao,’ which made her feel awkwardly elevated. Hesitantly, she opened her mouth to accept the food.

In an instant, the spicy flavor spread from her mouth to her nose.

Gao Wenhui burst into tears.

“Ugh, it’s ginger! Jiang Qin, you bitch, you fed me ginger!”

“Damn, sorry about that. I wondered why the lotus root slice looked so weird. Yellow is one thing, but this is just ridiculous.”

Gao Wenhui quickly grabbed a glass of water to dilute the strong ginger taste. After calming down, she stood up, hands on hips, threatening a duel with Jiang Qin until he called her ‘sister Gao’ three times, which finally placated her.

After the commotion, Jiang Qin put his chopsticks on the plate in front of him, only to find that a small pile of peeled crayfish tails had appeared.

He looked at Feng Nanshu in slight surprise.

She was still busy peeling shrimp, her lips reddened from the spiciness, looking exceptionally adorable.

…

Jiang Qin remained silent for a moment, then picked up a crayfish tail and chewed it thoughtfully.

The taste was decent, but his heart and upper spine felt an unfamiliar tingling sensation.

He had never experienced this feeling before, neither in his past life nor since his rebirth.

After a while, as the gathering was nearing its end and the six girls were satiated, they stopped eating and started chatting.

Jiang Qin took this opportunity to show off his website, encouraging them to give it a try when they had time and provide feedback for improvements.

His website already had a substantial framework and content, but what it lacked was real user experience. As the owner, his perspective and touch were limited by vested interests, and his evaluations couldn’t be entirely accurate. Only real users could truly assess whether a website was good or not.

“Is this a college student forum?”

“Sort of. The original forum focused more on academics, while this one leans more towards entertainment.”

After explaining, Jiang Qin frowned, noticing that Fan Shuling, sitting opposite him, was looking at him with a cold, hostile expression: “Fan, what’s wrong? Didn’t you eat enough?”

“No, I ate well,” Fan Shuling replied, softening her expression and sipping some tea.

Jiang Qin was confused. This was his first encounter with Feng Nanshu’s roommate, and they had never met before. Why would his treat be met with annoyance?

Unbeknownst to him, Fan Shuling, the ‘big sister’ of Dorm 503, had witnessed the scene of four girls confronting Jiang Qin on South Street that afternoon.

However, she hadn’t known Jiang Qin at the time and hadn’t paid much attention.

It wasn’t until dinner that she suddenly made the connection, realizing that the man from South Street and the one before her were the same.

Wasn’t this the scoundrel who had troubled an entire dorm?

Such a man, how could he possibly be in a relationship with the innocent Feng Nanshu? Could it be that he was taking advantage of Feng Nanshu’s naivety?

With this mindset, Fan Shuling’s perception of Jiang Qin plummeted.

However, she hadn’t yet decided whether to speak up about her suspicions or how to approach the subject.

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