The three of them packed up quickly, left the dormitory building, and walked along the tree-lined path toward the East Gate.
Around six o'clock was peak time for the student dinner rush.
Jiang Yue wore a simple gray hoodie, not even bothering to put up his hood.
But soon, the atmosphere around them began to feel a bit off.
Students passing by slowed their steps. Many whispered among themselves, and some even quietly aimed their phone cameras in their direction.
Walking beside him, Lu Ming keenly felt the gazes coming from all directions. He unconsciously straightened his back. “Brother Yue, with how many heads you're turning, I'm basking in your reflected glory here.”
Chen Haotian, on the other hand, stared straight ahead, completely detached from his surroundings as if blocking out all inefficient social signals.
As they neared the small plaza by the East Gate, three girls approached them.
The leading girl, wearing a plaid pleated skirt, widened her eyes like saucers the moment she saw Jiang Yue. She grabbed her companion's arm and stomped her feet in excitement.
They quickly closed the distance, blocking the path of Jiang Yue and his roommates.
“Hello, classmate.”
The girl in the plaid skirt blushed like a boiled shrimp, clutching her phone to her chest.
Jiang Yue stopped. With a calm expression, he smoothly used his go-to line for turning people down: “Sorry, my phone is dead. I can't scan WeChat.”
But this time, the script had changed.
“No, no, no! We're not trying to add you on WeChat!”
The girl waved her hands frantically, her voice trembling with excitement. “Jiang Yue! I'm your fan! My whole dorm are fans of yours! We stayed up all night yesterday to finish 《Manhunt》. Your portrayal of Shen Xu was just too handsome! Could we... could we take a photo together?”
Jiang Yue was momentarily taken aback.
Fans?
This was the first time in his life that he had encountered real, living people face-to-face who were fanatical about a character he played.
The feeling was quite interesting—straightforward, pure, and without any hidden agendas.
Looking at their flushed faces, a slight smile played at the corner of Jiang Yue's mouth.
This smile was as gentle as a spring breeze in March, completely devoid of any trace of the creepy, psychopathic hacker from the drama.
“Sure.”
He nodded.
The three girls let out a series of sharp, muffled squeals.
Click.
“Thank you! Thank you!”
The girl looked at the captured photo on her phone, utterly incoherent with excitement. “We'll always support you!”
Watching the girls skip away like cheerful little sparrows, Lu Ming nudged Jiang Yue with his shoulder and clicked his tongue repeatedly.
“Tsk, tsk, look at this treatment. If you smiled like that in an idol drama, wouldn't you sweep a whole crowd off their feet?”
“Cut the chatter, let's eat. Any later and your poached spicy pork slices will only have bean sprouts left.”
Jiang Yue didn't take the bait. He shoved his hands into his pockets and continued walking toward the East Gate.
Old Ma's Sichuan Restaurant was bustling with noise and packed with lively energy.
The owner, Old Ma, had just come out carrying a tray. The moment he spotted Jiang Yue, his booming voice echoed through half the restaurant.
“I saw your video online last night! Kid, this meal is twenty percent off on your uncle!”
“Thanks, Uncle Ma.”
Jiang Yue accepted with a smile.
The three of them easily found a seat by the window, ordered a table full of rich, spicy dishes, and devoured everything like a whirlwind sweeping through clouds.
Jiang Yue scanned the QR code to pay the bill, and the three of them strolled back to the dorm with round, full bellies.
Right after they finished washing up, Lu Ming came rushing in from the balcony like a bolt of lightning, holding his phone high.
“Brother Yue, you're on the confession wall again! These fans are seriously fast!”
Lu Ming shoved his phone screen right in front of Jiang Yue's face. It was the interface of Donghai University's campus confession wall.
The pinned post at the very top was the photo of the three girls from earlier.
The caption was extremely dramatic: “Ahhhh, guys, you won't believe this! I met a wild Jiang Yue at the East Gate! He's incredibly handsome! So gentle! He even smiled at me! I can't breathe!!!”
The post had only been up for half an hour, but the likes had already surpassed a thousand.
The comment section was filled with replies like “manifesting an encounter with Jiang Yue” and “crying from jealousy.”
Looking at the rapidly refreshing data, Lu Ming asked, “Brother Yue, you just went out for a casual meal and generated this much hype. Aren't you going to do something about it?”
Hearing this, Jiang Yue pulled up his system panel and glanced at it.
The number for his Prestige points was ticking upward at a small but highly consistent rate.
“Do what? Letting nature take its course is perfectly fine.”
Jiang Yue's tone was relaxed.
As the night deepened, the campus quieted down.
Lying in bed and listening to Lu Ming's soft snoring from the bunk below, Jiang Yue quickly fell fast asleep.
At ten o'clock the next morning, in Dormitory 307 of Donghai University.
Jiang Yue sat in front of his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
On the screen, lines of recognition algorithm code scrolled frantically. The model building for his thesis was nearing its final stages.
Beside him, Lu Ming wore headphones as he dominated the Summoner's Rift, his mechanical keyboard clacking like thunder.
Meanwhile, Chen Haotian pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, rapidly deriving formulas on a piece of scratch paper.
The phone on the desk suddenly began to vibrate.
Jiang Yue glanced at the screen. The caller ID read: Counselor Li Feng.
He pressed the answer button and casually switched it to speakerphone.
“Jiang Yue, are you in the dorm?”
The counselor's voice carried a tense, defensive quality, even trembling slightly.
“Yes. Is something wrong, Teacher?”
Jiang Yue stopped typing and leaned back in his chair.
“Come to the school administration building's office right now.”
Li Feng paused, then lowered his voice. “Two police officers from the municipal bureau are here, and they specifically asked to see you. Jiang Yue, tell me the truth. You haven't... taken on any shady freelance gigs online lately, have you?”
The air in the dorm instantly froze.
Lu Ming's in-game character was dive-killed under the tower, and his screen turned gray, but he didn't even glance at it.
He ripped off his headphones, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull.
The pen in Chen Haotian's hand dropped onto the desk with a clack, rolling quite a distance.
The two of them turned in unison, staring at Jiang Yue with the terrified eyes of someone looking at a wanted criminal.
“I haven't. I'll be there in ten minutes.”
Jiang Yue hung up the phone cleanly.
Lu Ming leaped to his feet, nearly knocking over his folding chair.
“Brother Yue! Tell me the truth. Did you really hack into the municipal traffic management system?! I knew your villain didn't look like acting at all!”
Chen Haotian quickly shut his thick book, his expression solemn.
“According to Article 285 of the Criminal Law, the crime of illegally invading computer information systems is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment.”
“Jiang Yue, leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist. Let's not panic first. I'll start looking up reliable criminal defense lawyers for you right now.”
Jiang Yue glanced at the two of them, utterly speechless.
What kind of logic was this?
He pulled back his chair, stood up, and grabbed his keys from the desk.
“Stop watching so many legal drama shows. I'm going to meet guests, not turn myself in.”
He pushed open the door and left, leaving behind a cool, composed back.
Ten minutes later, in the second-floor conference room of the administration building.
Jiang Yue pushed open the door and walked in.
Counselor Li Feng was standing by the office desk, sweating profusely and clutching a disposable paper cup in his hand.
Sitting opposite the desk were two police officers in plain clothes, one male and one female.
The man was in his early forties with a kind face, while the woman was in her twenties with short hair that made her look highly efficient.
Seeing Jiang Yue walk in, the middle-aged officer immediately stood up and proactively extended his hand.
“You must be Student Jiang Yue? I'm Zhou Jianguo, Chief of the Municipal Bureau's Publicity Department.”
Zhou Jianguo sized him up with a smile. “Don't be nervous. We're here to present you with a banner.”
Jiang Yue was startled.
Zhou Jianguo chuckled and shook his head. “Just a joke. Actually, we want to ride the wave of your character 'Shen Xu' to shoot an anti-fraud promotional video.”
“You played that villain too well. Several of our young officers in the bureau are your fans now.”
Hearing this, Counselor Li Feng let out a long sigh of relief and slumped heavily back into his chair.
As long as they weren't here to arrest him.
The discussion went exceptionally smoothly.
Jiang Yue offered to do it free of charge, and using his technical background, he even suggested several details that were closer to reality.
After all, official traffic and endorsement were far more useful than a bit of monetary compensation.
Zhou Jianguo was overjoyed upon hearing this and made the decision on the spot.
“Great! We'll borrow your school's computer lab to shoot the scenes directly this afternoon!”
Rate on N.U.
