Chapter 217: The Powerful Aura

Chapter 217: An Imposing Presence

Lu Hanchuan wasn’t wearing his military uniform. Since he'd removed his coat indoors, he only had on a simple wool sweater.

But his demeanor was so commanding that it was impossible to overlook.

"Hello, Professor Sun, I’m Lu Hanchuan," he said, extending his hand first.

Sun Zhengyao shook it.

Ye Xiaoxiao invited the professors to take their seats. Dr. Fang and the others were Sun Zhengyao’s colleagues, so it was appropriate for her to address them as "professors."

Ye Xiaoxiao handed over the menu. "Professors, we’ve already ordered a few appetizers. Please look over the menu and add anything else you’d like."

Professor Sun and his colleagues looked over the menu.

The dish names were all fancy, and Sun Zhengyao ended up ordering randomly. It wasn’t until the food arrived that they realized how exquisite the dishes were—each one adorned with intricate carvings, appearing quite upscale.

Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t surprised by the food itself, but she was surprised that Lu Hanchuan had found such a place.

Professor Sun was worldly enough, but he rarely frequented places like this.

"Xiao Xiao, didn’t we agree to keep it simple?"

Ye Xiaoxiao laughed lightly—she just hadn’t been able to find a more suitable place!

Lu Hanchuan spoke up. "This was my idea. I’d like to thank Professor Sun for looking after Xiao Xiao at school. Since you all have to return to the hospital this afternoon and can’t drink, I’ll toast you with tea instead."

Professor Sun and the others accepted graciously.

Over dinner, Fang Chenggong asked about Miao Cuifang’s recent health and offered his assistance if needed.

Ye Xiaoxiao thanked him.

Fang Chenggong had helped tremendously in ensuring Miao Cuifang’s smooth surgery.

The meal lasted only an hour. Since the restaurant was close to the hospital, Sun Zhengyao and his colleagues turned down Lu Hanchuan's ride offer and opted to stroll back instead.

Ye Xiaoxiao asked, "Are you returning to base now?"

Lu Hanchuan: "No, I’ll keep you company awhile."

"We should arrange a time soon for your parents and mine to have a meal together."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Sure, but your parents are probably busy, right?"

Lu Hanchuan: "If I tell them your parents are coming, they’ll make time no matter what."

Ye Xiaoxiao chuckled. "Then we'll work around their schedule."

New Year's probably won't work. While other families might have the holiday off, in the Lu family, even the grandparents had official functions to attend—not to mention the other high-ranking family members.

Lu Hanchuan: "Right."

Ye Xiaoxiao told Lu Hanchuan about Miao Cuifang and Ye Jianguo secretly selling tea eggs.

"My parents just can’t sit still."

"Yeah, my mom was busy from morning till night back in the village, and my dad patrolled the mountains and trained the militia. Now that they’re in Beijing with nothing to do, they probably feel lost."

Lu Hanchuan: "My dad used to train the militia in the village. Would he be interested in helping out with military training?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I don’t think that’d work. My dad used to be a soldier, but he left the army years ago. What could he even teach?"

Lu Hanchuan: "I’m not asking as a favor. I just think his combat experience could be helpful for the recruits’ daily training."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "My parents are really enjoying selling tea eggs now, and if my dad had something else to do, my mom would be stuck at home alone."

Lu Hanchuan thought for a moment. "You’ve got a point—I didn’t think that through."

They dropped the subject for now.

Ye Xiaoxiao and Lu Hanchuan spent half a day together. After the short break ended, Lu Hanchuan returned to the military, while Ye Xiaoxiao went back to school.

……

During a public lecture, Ye Xiaoxiao sat with her roommates.

Wang Jiao had been in rough shape lately. After her breakup with Fang Kaixuan, she took it harder.

He Jing advised her, "If you keep going like this, it’ll affect your studies. Do you still want to graduate?"

Jinghua University had a rigorous academic atmosphere. Even after getting in, students couldn’t coast by—failing exams could lead to expulsion or withholding of diplomas.

In such an environment, Wang Jiao was in no shape to keep up.

Wang Jiao sighed. "I don’t want to be like this, but I can’t snap out of it."

Xia Li chimed in, "The fastest way to get over someone is to get under someone new."

Wang Jiao seemed genuinely moved by the suggestion.

"You’re right."

Tang Xiuxiu warned, "You’re not actually considering rebounding, are you? Even if you want to provoke Fang Kaixuan, don’t lower your standards."

Wang Jiao pouted. "I’m not stupid. Of course, I won’t just take anyone. If I start a new relationship, I’ll find someone better."

Tang Xiuxiu had given her warning, but she had no idea what Wang Jiao was really thinking.

Tang Xiuxiu nudged Ye Xiaoxiao. "Do you think Wang Jiao’s behavior lately is normal?"

Ye Xiaoxiao glanced at Wang Jiao, who was all dolled up. "It’s not too bad, but she tends to obsess over things. I hope she snaps out of it soon and refocuses on her studies."

Tang Xiuxiu: "Their relationship was pretty toxic. If two people can’t grow together, they’re better off as strangers."

Love’s complicated—who really gets it?

Even though Wang Jiao and Fang Kaixuan’s breakup was messy, Ye Xiaoxiao believed that when they first got together, they had genuinely sought happiness.

The drama between Wang Jiao and Fang Kaixuan had blown up, and pretty much everyone in their program knew about it.

In the past few days, both of them had a bunch of new admirers.

Fang Kaixuan wasn’t looking to date anyone for the time being, and Wang Jiao used to think so too. But something her roommate said offhand made her reconsider.

Wang Jiao started talking to other guys.

She was determined to find someone more handsome and wealthier than Fang Kaixuan, just to rub it in his face.

There were plenty of smart students at the university, but those who were both good-looking and came from well-off families were few and far between.

Dissatisfied with her suitors, Wang Jiao set her sights on someone else.

"Xiao Xiao, do you know Qiao Yunhu?"

Wang Jiao whispered to Ye Xiaoxiao.

Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t know Qiao Yunhu that well—now they were only at the stage of exchanging greetings when they met.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Yes, I know him."

Wang Jiao: "I’d like to get to know Qiao Yunhu too. Can you help me?"

Ye Xiaoxiao was puzzled: "How can I help?"

Wang Jiao: "Let’s go out together—you get him to come."

Ye Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. "If I can get him to come out with us… wouldn’t that mean he might like me, not you?"

It wasn’t that Ye Xiaoxiao was narcissistic—she simply had that untouchable crush vibe.

Wang Jiao went quiet, awkwardly.

If she hadn’t known that Qiao Yunhu wasn’t exactly Mr. Popular, she wouldn’t have asked Ye Xiaoxiao for help.

But now that she thought about it, that did seem like an issue. "Qiao Yunhu might actually be into you…"

Xia Li laughed beside them: "Who at our school doesn’t have a thing for Xiao Xiao? If you gathered all the guys in our classroom and picked at random, you’d find that ninety percent like Xiao Xiao."