Chapter 3: Kill That Gold-Digging Scammer 3
After sitting on the slow green train for two whole days and one night, Shen Wu felt completely numb.
He felt like his butt no longer belonged to him.
By the time he arrived at the Jing City train station, covered in dirt and dust, it was already approaching nine o’clock—at night, of course.
Carrying a nylon woven bag, Shen Wu walked out of the train station and gave Zhou Geng a call.
It only rang a few times before the other party picked up.
“Wuwu, have you arrived?” Zhou Geng’s voice came through the phone.
This was the first time the two had actually spoken on the phone.
Zhou Geng was the golden phoenix who had flown out of their mountain village. Through his own hard work, he got admitted to a university in Jing City, and after graduating, he found a job with a very good salary.
Quite an inspiring story.
It was just that Shen Xingwu wasn’t very close to him. Moreover, he was three years older than Shen Xingwu, so they didn’t exactly grow up playing together.
He was merely a tool used to introduce Shen Xingwu to Xie Cishu.
Because when Zhou Geng came to pick up Shen Xingwu, it was Xie Cishu who drove him.
Although it was absurd, the plot of a dogblood novel was just illogical like that.
Roughly, it went like this: Zhou Geng had to work sudden overtime, and when he left the company, he happened to run into his university senior, Xie Cishu.
Xie Cishu then offered to give him a ride.
After Zhou Geng declined, mentioning he had to go to the train station to pick someone up, Xie Cishu, having nothing better to do, drove him to the train station.
And then—
Shen Xingwu met Xie Cishu through Zhou Geng. Of course, it was merely a passing encounter.
They would truly get to know each other later at a bar.
…
“Geng-ge, I just came out of the train station. I’m at the West Square now. Where are you?”
“West Square, right? Look toward the east, do you see the Jiaxin Group building across the street?”
Shen Wu looked across the street. It was a very large building, and the landmark was quite obvious. “I see it.”
“Cross over to this side of the road and wait for me at the entrance of the Jiaxin Group. I’ll be there in about five minutes.”
“Okay, Geng-ge.”
After hanging up, Shen Wu carried his bag and walked forward to cross the street.
Having spent two days on the train, he reeked of unpleasant odors. Just before getting off, he went to the restroom and changed into a clean set of clothes.
However, he still looked quite down and out.
Once he reached the spot Zhou Geng specified, Shen Wu waited for about two minutes before a black Mercedes stopped in front of him.
The passenger-side door opened, and Zhou Geng stepped out with his phone in hand, walking up to him.
His gaze fell on Shen Wu as if confirming his identity. After a few seconds, he spoke uncertainly, “Shen Xingwu?”
He hadn’t seen Shen Wu in two years. The gloomy teenager in his memory seemed to have changed completely; this well-behaved face made him hesitant to confirm.
“It’s me. Geng-ge, don’t you recognize me?” Shen Wu smiled at Zhou Geng, looking completely honest and naive.
Zhou Geng was wearing a white shirt and black dress pants. It was a very simple outfit, but he was tall—visually around 185 cm—so even the simple attire made him look exceptionally upright and sharp.
The top button of his white shirt was undone, revealing delicate collarbones. The sleeves were casually rolled up to his forearms, devoid of any superfluous accessories.
But just standing there, he gave off the vibe of a first love straight out of a TV drama.
Shen Wu blinked. As expected of the golden phoenix flying out of the mountains he had written himself. This face and this temperament were truly not bad.
“It’s not that I don’t recognize you, it’s just that it’s been two years and you’ve changed a lot.”
Zhou Geng looked at Shen Wu with a gentle smile. Without a hint of disdain, he proactively took the nylon woven bag from Shen Wu’s hand. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to get some food first.”
“Thank you, Geng-ge.”
After placing the bag in the trunk, Zhou Geng opened the rear door. “Get in.”
After Shen Wu got in, Zhou Geng didn’t sit in the back with him but returned to the passenger seat.
After all, Xie Cishu had kindly driven him here to pick someone up; he couldn’t just treat him like an actual driver, right? That would be too impolite.
Xie Cishu glanced at Shen Wu through the rearview mirror. He paused for a second before withdrawing his gaze and slowly starting the car.
Shen Wu secretly sneaked a peek at Xie Cishu.
However, he only caught a glimpse of his side profile and couldn’t see exactly what he looked like.
Along the way, Zhou Geng and Shen Wu chatted casually.
But it was purely making conversation. Mostly, they talked about the weather back home, whether the farm work was busy, how their families were doing, and so on…
As for Xie Cishu, he didn’t say a single word the entire time.
Half an hour later, the car followed the navigation and stopped in front of a night market.
Zhou Geng checked the time; it was almost ten o’clock.
Although Xie Cishu had told him earlier that he would go straight home after helping him pick up his friend, Zhou Geng still politely asked again before getting out of the car.
“Senior, want to grab some barbecue together? The food here is pretty good.”
Just now in the car, Zhou Geng had asked Shen Wu what he wanted to eat and listed a few options. Shen Wu had chosen barbecue.
In the middle of summer, late at night, having some barbecue was simply delightful.
Xie Cishu remained silent for a moment before agreeing.
Zhou Geng was somewhat pleasantly surprised.
He originally didn’t want to owe Xie Cishu a favor. Now that Xie Cishu was willing to eat together, he considered it returning the favor.
Shen Wu gave him a surprised look.
In the original plot, Xie Cishu dropped Zhou Geng and Shen Wu off and drove straight away. They didn’t eat together!
Could it be that his transmigration had altered the storyline?
Well, it wasn’t a major issue anyway.
…
After the three got out of the car, Zhou Geng smiled and asked them,
“Do you want to sit inside or outside?”
“I’m fine with either,” Shen Wu replied with a smile.
After speaking, he glanced at Xie Cishu beside him. Only then did he get a clear look at Xie Cishu’s face.
It was a very cold and indifferent face.
His skin was a cool, pale white, and his eyelashes were dense and long. He looked aloof and noble, like an unattainable flower of wealth in the mortal realm.
His black shirt was buttoned all the way to the top, making him look perfectly rational and ascetic.
Shen Wu clicked his tongue in his heart. As expected of the protagonist gong.
What a handsome face.
Even though he looked as gloomy as a widower, it still couldn’t conceal that ascetic aura around him.
…
Xie Cishu glanced inside, hesitated for a second, and chose to sit outside.
At this hour, the temperature outside had long since cooled down, and there was an occasional hint of a night breeze.
Sitting outside was actually a bit more comfortable than sitting inside.
Zhou Geng and Shen Wu went to pick out the food. Xie Cishu sat at the table, pulled out a few tissues, and vigorously wiped the surface.
He was a germaphobe. Most of the time, he didn’t eat out, and even necessary social dinners were usually held at high-end restaurants. Sitting at a street-side food stall like this was a first for him.
The two returned quickly.
Shen Wu sat opposite Xie Cishu.
Zhou Geng smilingly introduced the two of them to each other, but it was just a polite exchange of greetings.
Shen Wu looked at Xie Cishu, whose back was ramrod straight, and felt that he looked entirely out of place sitting there.
“Senior, I wasn’t sure what you liked to eat, so I just grabbed a bit of everything,” Zhou Geng said cheerfully. “I hope you don’t mind!”
“I don’t mind. I can eat anything.” Xie Cishu’s expression was faint, his tone equally flat.
A server brought over several bottles of beer. Zhou Geng looked at Xie Cishu.
“Senior, what would you like to drink? I ordered beer for Wuwu and me, but you have to drive, so you can’t drink alcohol. Want me to go buy you some other beverage?”
There was a convenience store right next to the barbecue stand.
“No need. Just order me a bottle of room-temperature mineral water.”
“Alright.” Zhou Geng didn’t stand on ceremony and asked the server to bring over a bottle of mineral water.
Translator’s Note:
- Green train (綠皮火車): Refers to the old, slow-moving trains in China, traditionally painted green. They are known for being uncomfortable on long journeys.
- Golden phoenix (金鳳凰): A metaphor for someone who rises from a poor, humble background to achieve great success.
- Dogblood (狗血): A popular slang term used to describe overly dramatic, cliché, or melodramatic tropes in novels and TV shows.
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