A Glimpse of the Campus Heartthrob

“I don’t like that Yu Wei,” Qiu Yuelun declared bluntly from the speeding car. “He’s not a good person.”

His nature was straightforward, and with his true friends, he never beat around the bush.

Jin Bo, understanding Qiu Yuelun’s temperament, nodded. “Actually, I’ve had very little contact with him these past few years.”

“Ever since his family moved to Yunjing, my understanding of him has been stuck in our childhood,” he continued. “His current changes… are quite significant. I swear, I really didn’t know he was so aggressive with young boys!”

With a look of earnest loyalty, Jin Bo cautiously glanced at the red-haired youth, whose face remained somber.

Qiu Yuelun gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the road ahead with an unreadable surge of emotion in his eyes.

Jin Bo knew that Qiu Yuelun’s father was fond of keeping various mistresses; rumor had it he was indiscriminate with both men and women. Their father-son relationship hadn’t been good for years. Ever since Qiu Yuelun’s mother passed away, he had never returned home.

Consequently, Qiu Yuelun deeply disdained, or rather, detested those who toyed with others’ emotions.

Jin Bo sometimes marveled at how Qiu Yuelun, despite such a family background, had managed to grow up without being corrupted. It was truly a miracle and a blessing.

Qiu Yuelun held no romantic inclinations. Jin Bo wasn’t sure if it was due to his high standards or if he suffered from PTSD because of his father’s affairs.

In essence, he simply lacked those worldly desires. Jin Bo believed that his ‘Brother Yuelun,’ such a high-quality second-generation rich kid, couldn’t possibly remain single his entire life; that would be far too regrettable.

His eyes darted around as an idea struck him. He leaned closer to Qiu Yuelun and whispered, “Brother Yuelun, why don’t you come to Yunjing with me?”

“My sister said that the Yunjing University of Media and Communication’s cultural arts festival is quite grand. Anyway, Yu Wei is staying at my place for the next few days, so he can sort out his own life. I don’t want to see him either.”

“We can just go to Yunjing and have a great time!”

In their youth, Jin Bo and Qiu Yuelun were both rebellious. They stopped their studies after graduating from high school. Jin Bo went straight to his family’s company, enjoying his life as a rich second-generation heir. Qiu Yuelun, on the other hand, started his own racing team, even establishing a studio and a company. He was now thriving independently, without relying on his family.

If asked if they regretted not attending university, both would undoubtedly say no. However, not regretting it didn’t mean they weren’t curious about university life. Jin Bo’s sister, Jin Shan, was an academic prodigy. Unlike her brother, she smoothly passed her exams to enter Yunjing University of Media and Communication and was now beginning to enjoy her wonderful university life.

“No,” Qiu Yuelun refused without hesitation.

“Come on, come on! I haven’t been to Yunjing University of Media and Communication yet! Although our Z City isn’t bad, it’s Yunjing, an international metropolis!”

“Let’s go, brother, and see the world, just treat it as a trip!”

“If you want to go, go by yourself. Why do you have to drag me along?” Qiu Yuelun recalled Yu Wei’s words from earlier today and felt as if a year’s worth of meals were about to be vomited from disgust. He truly did not want to follow Jin Bo and encounter any more strange people or bizarre idiots.

“Brother Yue! Brother Lun! My Brother Yuelun! I swear I won’t take you to those kinds of places again! Today was my fault for not planning properly!”

“I heard there’s the biggest racetrack in the country in Yunjing. Do you… really not want to try it out?” Jin Bo blinked expectantly at Qiu Yuelun. He saw the other’s fingers gripping the steering wheel tighten slightly, knowing this tactic was working.

So, he intensified his offensive, continuing, “Brother Yuelun’s racing team already dominates Z City. I wonder where it would rank in Yunjing? If you don’t go and see the outside world, you’ll never know there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens, ah…”

“Shut up!” Qiu Yuelun slammed on the brakes. The car’s tires screeched against the ground, a harsh, grating sound. If not for their seatbelts, Jin Bo would have been thrown forward.

Two days later. Yunjing University of Media and Communication. The university auditorium.

“Hello everyone! I cut the broadcast short two days ago because I was busy with the rehearsal for the Yunjing University of Media and Communication’s cultural performance, which I’m hosting, yes, that’s right!”

Jin Shan, dressed beautifully with makeup on, held a selfie stick and was livestreaming to her fans and friends. She was a beauty and voice blogger on the Pomegranate app, having started livestreaming a year ago. With her sweet appearance and pleasant voice, she had successfully gained a small reputation in the livestreaming community, now boasting a million followers.

While far from the top streamers, she had a significant fan base among university students.

“The performance hasn’t started yet, so I’ll take everyone on a quick tour,” Jin Shan said.

Jin Shan winked at the screen, then flipped the camera to her first-person perspective, beginning to film. She patiently introduced each area as she walked.

“The stage is currently occupied by staff. I’ll take you to the backstage makeup area to see some handsome guys and beautiful girls. You all probably know that our Yunjing University of Media and Communication’s students are quite good-looking.”

Jin Shan walked and filmed, all while watching her screen. She frequently rotated the camera angle, which led to her taking two steps backward.

He, ah, he’s just a…”

“Ahhh!!!”

As Jin Shan walked backward, she accidentally stepped on something, lost her balance, and fell backward with a sudden jolt. She cried out in alarm, thinking she was about to make a fool of herself in front of her fans.

Suddenly, she felt someone steady her from behind, followed by a gentle, youthful voice asking, “Are you alright?”

Jin Shan’s back warmed instantly. She quickly regained her footing and turned around to see a young man in a red, exotic costume looking at her with concern. The young man hadn’t finished his makeup yet; he had only changed into his performance attire. His skin appeared even fairer against the vibrant red. His legs, encased in red sheer fabric pants, were long and straight, a waist-to-hip ratio that made anyone blush. Golden bells were tied to his wrists and ankles, emitting a clear, ethereal jingle with every slight movement.

Due to the sudden camera angle change, the fans in the livestream also caught sight of the young man.

The comments instantly exploded.

[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! Mom, my HP bar is completely empty!]
[Who is this young man? I need all his info in one minute!]
[This must be his bare face! He looks so good without makeup; how beautiful would he be with it on!]
[This exotic outfit really suits him! Alluring yet refined, vibrant yet not vulgar! I literally did a carp jump and sat up, hiss hiss!]

Jian Ye had intended to use the restroom. As he walked down the corridor, he noticed a girl who seemed to be filming something. When he saw her about to fall, he naturally couldn’t stand by and watch, instinctively reaching out to steady her.

Only after the girl turned around did Jian Ye recognize her as the host of their entire cultural performance.

Jin Shan knew that the classical dance department had a group dance performance. She hadn’t paid much attention before they changed into costumes, but now, with the exquisitely beautiful exotic youth standing before her, she was utterly captivated.

“I’m fine, thank you,” Jin Shan quickly said.

“Good, then.” Jian Ye, in a hurry to use the restroom, smiled, nodded, and departed.

Jin Shan, however, couldn’t resist filming him. The last shot she captured was the young man’s back, his red robes flowing and fluttering like flames.

After using the restroom, Jian Ye was urged by his classmates to hurry and get his makeup done. As the lead dancer, his makeup was different from the others and required a bit more time.

While getting his makeup done, Jian Ye received a call from Yi Siyu.

“Hello, Siyu-gege? Uh, I’m getting my makeup done… You’re already at the venue? That’s great, just find a seat anywhere. Our performance is third, so you shouldn’t have to wait long… Okay, okay, we’ll see each other later.”

After Jian Ye hung up, the makeup artist couldn’t help but tease, “Who was that? Your brother?”

Li Xiangchi, who had already recognized the voice as Jian Ye’s boss, quickly stepped in to smooth things over, fearing Jian Ye might be put on the spot. “Yes, that’s A-Ye’s brother. What, do you want to meet him?”

The makeup artist smiled, pursing her lips. “I was just asking. If the younger brother is so good-looking, your family’s genes must be excellent. Your brother must be very handsome too, right?”

Jian Ye thought of Yi Siyu’s impossibly handsome CEO face, and a touch of tenderness, which even he hadn’t noticed, appeared in his eyes. “Yes, he’s very handsome, even more handsome than me.”

The phone suddenly vibrated again.

Jian Ye thought it was Yi Siyu and quickly picked it up to check, only to find it was a WeChat message from Mo Huan. He had set Mo Huan’s contact name as [President].

[President]: Junior Jian, I’m also here to watch your performance. I’m in the second row. I’ll record your wonderful performance later.

[It’s Ye, not Zhui]: Aren’t you performing?

[President]: I didn’t participate this time; I gave the opportunity to others. I always went up in previous years, so it’s time to give others a chance. Besides, I’m busy with the graduation performance and can’t spare the time.

[It’s Ye, not Zhui]: Are there a lot of people outside? I’m suddenly a little nervous.

[President]: People are coming in continuously from outside, Junior. Don’t be nervous. I have great faith in you, and you should believe in yourself too.

[It’s Ye, not Zhui]: Thank you for the encouragement, President. [Struggle emoji]

[President]: [Rose emoji]

“Tsk, President Mo is quite good to you,” Li Xiangchi couldn’t help but remark, having accidentally glimpsed a bit of the chat.

Jian Ye put away his phone. “President is good to everyone, but we just happen to get along better.”

“President Mo is indeed gentle. Be careful, he might fall for you, hehe!” Li Xiangchi joked.

“No, he won’t. He’s very career-driven and probably doesn’t have time for such things. Don’t try to set us up. We’re about to go on stage, so hurry up and warm up, and think about your positioning.” Jian Ye pushed Li Xiangchi.

“Alright!”

At the same time, Jin Shan also received a call from her brother.

“What? You’re already here? Brother Yuelun came too? Wow! You’re at the entrance? I see you! Here, here!” Jin Shan frantically waved towards the auditorium’s main entrance.

She watched as her somewhat goofy brother led the cool, red-haired young man toward her.

“Brother! Brother Yuelun! Long time no see!” Jin Shan exclaimed excitedly.

“Shanshan, your host outfit looks really good. I need to take a lot of pictures to show Mom and Dad,” Jin Bo said, his eyes filled with doting affection.

Qiu Yuelun also nodded slightly, his expression still cool.

“Brother, I can’t chat much longer; I’m about to go on stage. Can you hold my phone? I’m livestreaming right now, and I promised my fans a full live broadcast.” Saying this, Jin Shan shoved the selfie stick into his hand.

After walking a few steps, she turned back. “Brother, please take Brother Yuelun to sit in the third row. I had someone save seats there.”

“Alright, go prepare for your show. Leave these small matters to your brother! So easy!”

Jin Bo adjusted the camera and noticed that the comments were all praising the red-haired young man beside him. Jin Bo chuckled ruefully; sure enough, next to Qiu Yuelun, his own handsomeness paled considerably.

Well, what could he do? Brother Yuelun was genuinely handsome.

Jin Bo thought that if Qiu Yuelun had also attended university, he would surely have been a candidate for campus heartthrob. Yunjing University of Media and Communication was known for producing “beauties” of all genders.

It hadn’t been easy to drag his friend along; now, he just wondered if they might encounter someone suitable.

“Let’s go, Brother Yuelun, let’s sit,” Jin Bo said, looking at Qiu Yuelun. “Oh, come on, don’t look so grim. I promise you, after we watch my sister host the cultural performance, I’ll accompany you to the racetrack for a few laps.”

Qiu Yuelun ignored him. After sitting down, he simply closed his eyes.