Chapter 124: Hands-on Instruction

Looking at the expectant expressions on Qiangzi and Haozi’s faces, Chu Dong hesitated. He had intended to stay behind the scenes and was completely unprepared for this. He was still wearing his hospital gown, his injured hand was wrapped in gauze, and if it weren't for the jacket draped over his shoulders, anyone on the street would have mistaken him for an escapee from a mental ward. Trying to pick up women looking like this? He’d be lucky not to be drowned in spit.

"Not today, it’s not convenient," Chu Dong said awkwardly, gesturing to his attire to the two brothers.

"Brother Dong, do you even need to dress up? Have you forgotten how you teased the new biology teacher back in freshman year of junior high? I saw it with my own eyes—you shot her a wink, and Miss Liu immediately ran over and pulled you into her arms. Do you know how jealous I was of that gaze of yours, which was easily on par with Tony Leung’s?" Qiangzi recalled excitedly, determined to talk Chu Dong into it.

"Get lost. Was that a wink? That was me rolling my eyes from a high fever; if Miss Liu hadn't caught me, I would have collapsed on the floor," Chu Dong angrily revealed the long-held secret and kicked Qiangzi. "Damn it, you were right next to me, but you were too busy staring at Miss Liu to care if I lived or died. I get angry just thinking about it."

"Don't be mad, Brother Dong. This guy is just shameless. Do you remember when he got injured, the time his toe was stabbed by broken glass?" Haozi began to blow the whistle.

"Oh, yeah. That happened in the second semester of third year, right?" Chu Dong recalled. "I was in the States by then, but I remember you mentioning it over the phone."

"Right, you want to know what happened? This guy..." Haozi pried Qiangzi’s hand away from his own mouth. "This guy glued a tiny mirror onto his foot, trying to see up Miss Liu’s skirt, but he wasn't careful and got his foot pinned by the front of a desk. Haha..." It took him a while to finish, and Haozi was already gasping for air from laughing.

"Don't talk about me; didn't you egg me on to look at the time?" Qiangzi, having been exposed, retorted with an embarrassed look.

"That was you betting with me! I said it was white, you insisted it wasn't—how is that my fault?" Haozi refused to admit it.

"Alright, alright, that was years ago, why dwell on it?" Chu Dong laughed until he straightened his back to soothe them. "We aren't kids anymore, why bring up old history?"

"Exactly, Brother Dong is right," Qiangzi quickly chimed in with flattery.

"So... what color was it, did you see?" Seeing that the two had settled down, Chu Dong suddenly leaned toward Qiangzi and whispered.

"Brother Dong, you..." Qiangzi was speechless.

"Enough, let's stop talking about it." Chu Dong sat up straight. "It seems that if I don't show you some real talent today, you won't learn anything. Here’s the plan: stay about a hundred meters behind me and watch how it's done. But first, I'm hungry—we need to eat."

"Let's go, Crab House. It’s all up to you, Brother Dong." Haozi started the car, and the three of them went to eat.

After a hearty meal, Chu Dong picked his teeth with a toothpick. "Don't get too close to me, or if my cover is blown, it's game over. Understand?"

"Understood, don't worry, Brother Dong. We’re just here to observe; we won't ruin your game. The sister-in-law won't find out," Qiangzi and the other said, waiting on him hand and foot, afraid to offend him. "Brother Dong, do you need to change your clothes?"

"Change? This is how you show real strength. Just watch." Chu Dong said dismissively, walking out of the restaurant with the toothpick hanging from his mouth.

Arriving at the entrance of the Foreign Studies University again, Qiangzi got out and trotted over to open the door for Chu Dong, ushering him out.

With a shrug to adjust the jacket on his shoulders, Chu Dong spat out the toothpick and walked into the campus.

The temperature in Dalian in late October was still mild; the trees were lush and green, and though the lawns were less vibrant than in summer, they remained verdant. Stepping inside, the noise faded, replaced by tranquility, and the air quality was far superior to the bustling city center.

Legend had it that the campus was a gathering place for countless beauties; they said if you threw a piece of bread into the sky, it would land in the mouth of a beautiful girl. (No offense meant to the beauties of the university, just stating there were many of them.)

As soon as Chu Dong entered the gate, he felt a familiar atmosphere wash over him. Looking at the busy students, he felt as if he had returned to his own student days. At Harvard, he had seen similar scenes of people rushing to and fro, but almost everyone there held books. This place felt different.

Little girls held phones, chatting away; boys with faces full of happiness rode bicycles while cradling bouquets of flowers; small groups of boys chased a ball, occasionally stealing glances at the girls; and pairs of lovers snuggled on benches by the flower beds...

"No wonder Qiangzi and Haozi come here to pick up girls. Damn, the vibe here is just too good." Chu Dong, now full of curiosity about this Eden-like campus, couldn't wait to explore it.

Young girls were far less attractive to Chu Dong. Those immature little things were full of fantasies, their minds occupied only with food, beautiful clothes, showing off cosmetics, counting shoes, the quality of handbags, and how handsome their boyfriends were. None of them took their studies seriously. Chu Dong, who valued substance over looks, usually wouldn't even give them a second glance. But today, he had no choice; he couldn't admit he wasn't up to the task, especially with the two of them waiting to learn from him.

Just as Chu Dong was starting to get anxious after wandering around for a while without finding a suitable target, a beautiful figure appeared.

She wore a loose, snow-white jacket, her long, beautiful hair flowing behind her. Skinny-fit blue jeans accentuated her long legs, and her hips swayed rhythmically with her gait—it was heart-stopping.

"Beauty, help me out." Chu Dong’s ribs hadn't fully healed, so he couldn't walk fast. Unable to keep up, he had to call out to the girl in front.

Perhaps Chu Dong’s voice was too loud; over a dozen girls turned to look, and even a woman who looked like a campus janitor stopped to stare, waiting to see what he wanted. But the figure ahead showed no signs of stopping, leaving Chu Dong feeling a bit defeated.

A dozen years ago, if you called out "beauty," nobody on the street would pay you any mind; even if you stood right in front of them, you’d be lucky if they didn't call the police. But now? No matter what you looked like, if you called out "beauty," everyone would answer.

"Hey, beauty! Wait a second. Hey..." Chu Dong, unable to catch up, raised his voice even higher.

The girl finally stopped, though she didn't turn around until she heard him calling. When she saw Chu Dong waving at her from behind, she stood still, waiting for him to catch up while holding his ribs. She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Are you calling me?"

"Yes." Chu Dong finally caught up. He waited for the pain to subside before standing straight. "Beauty, are you training for a race? My god..."

Chu Dong hadn't looked up earlier, terrified of encountering someone who looked like a dream from behind but a nightmare from the front. But as he rested and looked up, his eyes widened.

Cherry-blossom lips, a refined nose, a delicate, petal-shaped face—her eyes, like autumn water, held a trace of anxiety, and her brow was furrowed as if something was bothering her. She was a beauty, no doubt, and even more amazingly, Chu Dong knew her.

"Miss Xiao?" Chu Dong thought it was quite a coincidence. How did Xiao Yu'er’s teacher end up here?

"You are...? Tan Yu'er’s brother?" Xiao Rou looked closely before remembering that this was Chu Dong, the man who had taken Yu'er on an outing. "What are you doing here? And what happened to you?"

Chu Dong’s hospital gown made it obvious he was ill, and he couldn't even keep up with her walking, which prompted her question.

"Oh, it's nothing, just a fall. By the way, isn't your brother sick? Why are you here?" Chu Dong brushed it off vaguely—he couldn't exactly say he was here for a "pick-up" tutorial—and quickly changed the subject.

Hearing him mention her brother, a flash of worry crossed her eyes. "My brother is a student here. He's been in the hospital recently and can't attend class, so I came to help him take some notes." As she spoke, she raised her notebook and offered a forced, faint smile.

"Are you headed to class?" Chu Dong checked the time; it was about time for class to start.

"Yes, look, it's really..." Xiao Rou smiled apologetically, implying she couldn't chat with him any longer.

"No problem. I don't have anything going on anyway. Could I tag along and listen? It's been a long time since I've been in school; I’d like to recapture that feeling." Chu Dong, as if possessed, asked to sit in on the class.

"Well... alright then." Xiao Rou glanced at his hospital gown but agreed.

And so, the two walked side by side, chatting and laughing as they headed toward the teaching building.

"Damn, Brother Dong is really something else. Truly remarkable," Qiangzi said, putting an arm around Haozi and giving a thumbs up, full of praise.

"I’m going to go find a hospital gown to wear, too. What kind of dark magic is Brother Dong using?" Haozi now felt that even a hospital gown looked incredibly cool on Chu Dong.

The two, oblivious to the truth, saw Chu Dong effortlessly strike up a conversation with a top-tier beauty, and they seemed to be hitting it off so well that they were walking off together. Their admiration for Chu Dong grew like a surging river, and they were ready to kneel and worship him right there.

Xiao Rou’s impression of Chu Dong wasn't bad. They hadn't spoken much last time, but today she found him quite pleasant, articulate, and approachable. Moreover, she had heard that the money for her brother’s medical treatment had come from Brother Chu, which only deepened her gratitude and favorable opinion of him.

Before entering the teaching building, Chu Dong suddenly remembered the two boys trailing behind and stopped. "Miss Xiao, look, I was so happy to see you that I forgot—I’m wearing this outfit, and it really isn't appropriate for me to go inside. How about this: I’ll treat you to dinner tonight, and we can chat more then, okay?"

"Hehe, that's true. But you can't pay; this meal is on me. I've been running between the hospital and the school, and I haven't found the time to thank you properly. Tan Yu'er told me everything; thank you so much. Once I’ve earned enough money, I’ll definitely pay you back," Xiao Rou said with a delicate smile, looking a bit embarrassed.

"If you say any more, it’ll sound fake. How about this: you go to class, and I’ll come pick you up when it’s over." Chu Dong waved his hand, letting Xiao Rou go inside.

Seeing that class was about to start, Xiao Rou nodded and followed a few students running toward the building.