How We Love - Volume 1 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – The Downfall of the Campus Idol

Zhang Heran raised an eyebrow, “Why? Didn’t you want to hire a boyfriend to bring home for the New Year’s? What’s wrong with hiring me? Will your parents be more approving of an actual uncle with wrinkles on his face?”

Cai Xin waved her hand no, “It’s not like that. You’re younger than me, Little Brother. If I take you back home, my parents will think I’ve poisoned the nation’s youth!”

Zhang Heran didn’t continue on the topic and started relying on his handsome face instead, “I don’t care. Either way, I’m close to not being able to afford to eat. If you don’t hire me, I’ll go out the door and kill myself.”

Cai Xin was stunned, “Junior Brother, I heard you were the cold and aloof type, why did you change routes to the rascally type after graduation? Did someone use black magic on you?” She took out her purse, “Here, Senior Sister will lend you some money. Don’t die. Stay strong, you can make it!”

Zhang Heran took the money Cai Xin gave him, “Since I’ve received money from someone, I must save them from disaster. Since I’ve received your money, I must take up this mission.”

Cai Xin was speechless, “Then you should give me back the money! You’re so strange, I’m not buying yet you’ve sold yourself already!”

Zhang Heran laughed at her after tucking the money into his pocket, red lips and white teeth, “This is called basic human morals and basic ethical conduct. Senior Sister, you can’t escape from my one-sided trade. Just accept your fate.”

Cai Xin was agitated by him and felt an impending headache. She once again asked the waiter for a glass of water. After drinking, she came up with a countermeasure. She decided it was smarter to get rid of him first.

“My parents are more old-fashioned than antiques, they definitely won’t approve of me bringing someone younger than me home. So, you should let me think about it first, okay?”

Zhang Heran sincerely looked at her, “Senior Sister, I can change my age to be older than you.”

Cai Xin wanted to kick him, “If changing your age is any use, the beauty salon won’t need to provide skin-lifting procedures anymore! Your face is paler than mine, more tender than mine, who would believe you, man?!”

***

Zhang Heran pestered Cai Xin the whole night. She was so exhausted when she came home that she didn’t even have the strength to like Liu Yishuang’s posts. She took a shower and promptly fell asleep.

Zhang Heran sat in front of his computer and repeatedly refreshed “Liu Yishuang”’s Weibo profile page. A long time later and there was still no sign of “I’m Done For” liking the posts. He looked at the time, it was 11:30. According to his experience, she wouldn’t go on Weibo after this hour.

Zhang Heran happily exited Weibo and switched to Baidu to ask a question: I’m a guy and I look quite pale and baby-faced. May I please know what methods I can use to make me look darker and more mature? After a while, someone replied, he found it both amusing and annoying at the same time: Move bricks at a construction site under the hot sun. I guarantee it’ll make you ten years older in three days.

Zhang Heran decided that the next time he went to the renovation site, he would carry soil and sand with the construction workers, skip the visor when resting and stand wherever the sunlight was coming through the windows.

***

When she went back to work the next day, Cai Xin discovered something unexpected. As usual, she felt goosebumps on her back, but when she glanced back, she thought for sure she had seen a ghost! There he was, Zhang Heran, at the door of the company across the street, dirty from head to toe. She couldn’t help but place her hand on her forehead. The outstanding school talent that attracted so much attention back then fell down to such a state, a construction worker during the day and selling his soul at night!

She asked Zhang Heran with deep regret, “Why are you doing this here?”

Zhang Heran’s answer made her lament the impermanence of this world, “I can’t do what I did yesterday for the entire day, of course. I still have to find a relatively formal occupation.”

From then on, they couldn’t seem to get away from each other. Cai Xin felt it was weird that even though there were so many construction workers across the street, she could always spot this man called Zhang Heran.

Zhang Heran would pester her from time to time, “Senior Sister, have you considered it yet? You’ve seen for yourself how miserably I’m living now. Are you not going to help me out a bit?”