The Taming of the Ruffian Hero

Zhao Yuan volunteered to show Lin Wenxi around the campus after they were done with lunch.

Lin Wenxi wore a complicated expression the entire time.

In the expansive campus, avenues that stretched north and south crossed at the center while arterial roads that stretched east and west traversed over them horizontally. Sitting in the middle of it all were crisscrossing lanes. There were also some walking trails that led to remote areas of the campus, hidden under the canopy of blooming flowers and verdant greenery. The numerous tall buildings made of reinforced concrete showed a hint of the interesting design of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou with its alternatively hidden and visible structures. To Lin Wenxi’s surprise, Zhao Yuan had memorized all these complicated lanes and where they lead to. What made Lin Wenxi even more speechless was that Zhao Yuan was very familiar with the buildings–whether it was a teaching building, lab building, or dormitory building, which faculty did the building house, and even whether a certain building had a male-female dormitory, which floor was the male dormitory, and which floor was the female dormitory.

This time, Lin Wenxi had no choice but to open his mouth. “Why do you know everything?”

“My family owns this university.” Zhao Yuan burst out in laughter as he patted his chest. Lin Wenxi couldn’t help curling his lips. “My father, Lin Ziwei, is the true founder of this university…”

If Wang Xiang found about this, his eyes would certainly widen. “The moment he entered the university, the senior sisters who want to help Zhao Yuan with his luggage can form a line! His luggage ended up getting taken to different dormitories and he didn’t have his quilt! He took a few of us brothers and asked around to retrieve his things one by one. How can he not be familiar with the campus?!”

In the afternoon, Lin Wenxi’s three dorm mates exuberantly pretended that they were senior brothers to help same-year freshmen “junior sisters” bring their luggage to their dormitories. Even girls without luggage weren’t exempted. The moment they were found strolling around campus alone, they would become the prey of those three.

When it was almost night time, the three mentally calculated the total of numbers and names of the girls that they individually obtained. They discussed everything from the girls’ looks to figures. The girl that dominated their discussion was a girl named Chen Wanxin, who was surprisingly also their classmate.

Zheng Kai described Chen Wanxin in a way that made her protruding parts sound like steamed buns and her perky parts sound like balloons. Lin Wenxi wanted to laugh when he heard this. It was Wang Xiang who sounded more poetic—Chen Wanxin, with beautiful and dark eyebrows like faraway mountains, eyes that submerged one in dreams of peach blossoms, pupils that were like pools of still spring water. Zhao Yuan said disdainfully, “Proud and arrogant ‘green tea’ (describing ambitious or cunning women who fake innocence).”

“F*ck! Just because she’s the only girl who didn’t give you her number?!” Zheng Kai retorted unhappily. “If you’re that good, make her your girlfriend!”

“I bet you can’t make her your girlfriend!” Wang Xiang aimed his anger at a common enemy.

“Oh? What are you betting?” Zhao Yuan read a sports digest as he lay down carelessly.

Wang Xiang and Zheng Kai exchanged looks of dismay.

“I want your No.23 jersey with Jordan’s personal signature,” Zhao Yuan told Wang Xiang in a lazy manner.

“Deal!” Zheng Kai replied straightforwardly. On the other hand, a stunned Wang Xiang firmly knocked his head on the metal frame of the top bunk. “No…”

When Wang Xiang was about to protest, Zheng Kai immediately ran to his top bunk and raised his fist, acting as if he was about to beat him. Wang Xiang slapped on a crying face and asked Zhao Yuan, “If you fail to make that girl your girlfriend, what will you lose?”

“I’ll be your errand boy for a year for free. Needless to say, that includes getting takeout, filling seats, checking in hotels, and asking girls out on my behalf!” Zhao Yuan didn’t even look up.

“Zheng Kai, if that kid happens to succeed courting the girl, won’t you and I be suffering a double loss?” Wang Xiang was a little hesitant.

Zheng Kai guffawed. “There are plenty more fish in the sea. Why obsess over a single fish?”

Zhao Yuan laughed heartily and asked Wang Xiang for the deadline.

Wang Xiang raised three fingers. “Three months! Or why don’t we change the bet? Make the poker face in our dorm say something to us tonight. I still don’t know his name…”

Lin Wenxi gave it some thought. Wang Xiang was trying to drag him into these affairs. He quietly and hesitantly said, “Eh?”

The entire dorm fell into silence.

Wang Xiang maintained his original bet with a crying face. He acknowledged it.

Over at the women’s dormitory, Chen Wanxin and a group of girls had already gotten to know each other. Girls were slower to become closer compared to guys. Thus, Chen Wanxin sat silently in the dorm. The guy that she ran into earlier in the day gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity, which was why she asked her chauffeur to drive a little closer. She didn’t expect her car to splash mud all over him.

When she lowered the car window to look at him, he seemed to have looked past the mud entirely and stared fixedly with his eyes. She stared through him, his ordinary jeans, the white sleeves that were somewhat yellowing, as well as a pair of leisure shoes that couldn’t be any more ordinary. Just one glance told her that he was a child from an impoverished family. Yet, why did his temperament make him look like an otherworldly being that resided outside this chaotic world? He looked so noble that he made her feel a little suffocated. Inexplicably, she felt that there was something in him that was summoning her. It felt instinctual.

Meanwhile, the guy that she was thinking of was lying down. Zheng Kai and the other two were blabbering, discussing the military training tomorrow. They couldn’t help taking out their uniforms and trying them on. Lin Wenxi opened his eyes a little and saw Wang Xiang dressed messily in his camouflage clothing. Zheng Kai was dressed too rigidly. Every part of his clothing fitted tightly without any wrinkle to be seen. On the other hand, Zhao Yuan stood straight in his olive-green outfit with a mocking expression on his face.

Zhao Yuan’s pitch-black eyes swept Lin Wenxi’s bed. Lin Wenxi couldn’t stop his eyelid from twitching until he turned over his body and continued to sleep. There was a brief moment where he felt that Zhao Yuan’s tall, straight stature and his mighty, formidable brows carried an unspeakable majesty.

The beginning of the military training was marked by a loud and clear whistling sound reverberating far and wide through the entire dormitory building. Someone on the ground floor used a loudspeaker to loudly proclaim, “The military training for freshmen has officially begun! Everyone put on your clothing neatly, divide yourselves into groups, come down, and line up within five minutes!” The other three had long gotten ready. Lin Wenxi was the only one who was a little flustered.

Zhao Yuan ordered Zheng Kai and Wang Xiang to gather the students in the nearby dormitories as quickly as possible and form groups so that every student could find a place that they belonged to. When everything calmed down, he looked directly at Lin Wenxi and fixed the button that was fastened crookedly on his shirt. When their eyes met, Lin Wenxi felt Zhao Yuan’s burning hot gaze on him and turned his face away. Just as he wanted to say something, Zhao Yuan had already picked up a red jersey as well as a list of names. With an urgent expression, he pushed Lin Wenxi out of their door.

Students of every class roamed chaotically like a bunch of headless flies. Zhao Yuan was the only one who waved his red jersey in the air and yelled, “Students of Class 10, gather here and stand in formation!” He took out a list of names and started taking roll call. Like streams flowing back into the ocean, the scattered students swiftly assembled. Zhao Yuan made an upright Zogist salute. “Reporting to the Instructor: Class 10 is fully assembled!”

It was only then that the military instructor’s dark expression slowly eased. He loudly proclaimed, “Students of Class 10 will first go to the drill ground for the training! The rest of you, run ten laps after gathering!”

Students of Class 10 set off in a jog while in a formation amid wailing and howling sounds and ran to the drill ground with vigorous heroicness. Being amid the ranks, Lin Wenxi felt as if the red jersey in Zhao Yuan’s hand was like the sunshine bathed in the wind. Suddenly, a strange sense of belongingness and tranquility emerged in his heart.

Nothing interesting happened over the few days of military training until they were told that they would have a friendship exercise with the female squad the next day.

It wasn’t known whether the two enemies, Wang Xiang and Zheng Kai, woke up too early or didn’t sleep at all. Before the military instructor even sounded his whistle, the two had already put on their full uniform and set off looking dashing.

Unfortunately, the friendship exercise would only begin after an entire day of military training. Thus, by the time it started, the two were muddied all over. They sat among their classmates with their heads hanging dispiritedly. When they left the dormitory earlier, they were immaculately dressed. Now, their heads and faces were filthy with grime and looked worse than beasts.

The rules of the friendly match dictated that if the girls won the talent competition, they could pinpoint a guy and make him take any “artistic action”. The guy wasn’t allowed to refuse, and vice versa if the guys won.

In the end, reality proved that a truly handsome guy would still stand out in a crowd. In no time at all, countless girls had already picked Zhao Yuan.

Clenching his teeth, Zhao Yuan made more than ten round trips walking on a handstand and singing five to six songs in a hoarse voice in less than an hour. But when he was requested to sing “Mom Is the Best in the World”, he resolutely rejected it and accepted the punishment of being hugged, felt up, or carrying a girl and making a round trip around the drill ground.

This round of competition was a dance showdown. Zheng Kai’s street dance performance was filled with fierce and enthusiastic movements. His ample force won him quite a few admiring praises. Surprisingly, Chen Wanxin was chosen to represent the girls. She accepted the invitation and slowly walked out.

In Zheng Kai’s eyes, Chen Wanxin’s perky, substantial chest was still visible under the hazy light despite her olive-green camouflage uniform and childish plaits. There was a small smile on her lovely face and she looked untouched by the vulgarity of the mortal world. Suddenly, the large pair of eyes under her eyelashes came to life when her two dimples appeared on her face. The dark of the night was intoxicating and her gentle dance steps were even more so. Her movements were deft and skillful as she took long strides and swayed gently with her waist. Step by step, she formed a lotus flower that blossomed in every male student’s heart.

Zheng Kai stared fixedly at Chen Wanxin’s steamed buns and the pair of balloons, having fallen deep in the enemy’s trap. He didn’t even realize it when Wang Xiang rapped him on the head.

The dance performance finally came to an end, leaving its audience in awe. Zheng Kai wholeheartedly accepted his loss.

Chen Wanxin made only one request. “The next male student to be invited is Lin Wenxi of Class 10.”

“Lin Wenxi?” Surprisingly, no one in the female squad had heard of him. He had truly kept a low profile.

A commotion rose among the male squad. It took a while before Zhao Yuan lifted a slender figure and pushed him over to the girls’ side. The corner of his mouth lifted to form a demonic smile. “Wenxi, tame her and then hand her over to me!”

It wasn’t until now that the female squad noticed such an outstanding young master in their class. His nose, brows, and eyes caused them to begin whispering.

A dazed Lin Wenxi stood more than a meter away from Chen Wanxin. When she suddenly approached him, he abruptly recalled the car that splashed mud all over him when he was first enrolled. The owner of the car seemed to be this girl, who had looked partially provoking and disdainful.

“Shut up and kiss me.” Chen Wanxin’s eyes fluttered shut, looking as if she must have that kiss.

Booming adulation resounded in the vicinity like a sudden clap of thunder.

It was such explosive news to see a girl worthy of being called a campus beauty publicly wooing a guy when the school year had just started!

Zheng Kai suddenly fell silent after hearing Chen Wanxin’s words. Wang Xiang beamed at Zhao Yuan, pondering over how he should torment this youngster throughout the year.

Chen Wanxin opened her eyes after sensing no movement for a good while. Lin Wenxi had disappeared out of sight. She didn’t know when he had silently walked back to his squad, leaving her alone with her lips puckered for a long time.

The guys and girls all burst into thunderous laughter. The military instructor couldn’t help frowning as he forcefully resisted the urge to laugh. Chen Wanxin’s lovely face turned burning red under the light. She had never received such a squeaky clean rejection in her life. After a long pause, she clenched her teeth and spat out, “Wait and see, Lin Wenxi.” She then turned around firmly and returned to her squad.

“Help me take my revenge!” Chen Wanxin looked at her two dorm mates, Shu Xiaoman and Zhang An’an, with a grieved expression.

“Why don’t… we bend him…?” Shu Xiaowan swallowed a gulp of saliva.

Zhang An’an raised her hand in agreement and high-fived Shu Xiaoman in congratulations. They had become close friends after realizing that they shared a common interest when they had just entered the university. They thought this matter would have a rather promising outcome. Looking at Lin Wenxi’s aura, they found him to be remarkably similar to a cold, arrogant, and pampered “uke”. If they could witness for themselves how a talent like this was “bent”, wouldn’t it be a beautiful experience?

Zhang An’an and Shu Xiaoman exchanged looks and had a brief discussion before whispering the plan into Chen Wanxin’s ears. Though Chen Wanxin found the plan a little strange, she also thought it was rather clever.

While they were talking, another match between the guys and girls had unfolded. This time was the male representative’s, Zhao Yuan’s, victory. Surprisingly, he picked Chen Wanxin.

“I want to date you. Tell me your condition,” Zhao Yuan whispered into her ear.

Chen Wanxin smiled coolly. This poor kid who overestimated his capabilities dared to covet her contact details. Though she had seen many graceful, handsome, and outstanding men since young, she had never seen such a confident and bold expression. The corners of his mouth were curved into a smile. He seemed to exude a strange kind of charm.

“Oh…” Chen Wanxin slowly approached Zhao Yuan with the elegance of an orchid. “Help me bend Lin Wenxi. Make him fall for you and then dump him.”

Zhao Yuan found her words to be unfamiliar to his ears but he didn’t feel awkward at all. He bowed politely and planted a soft kiss on Chen Wanxin’s hand. “Your word is my command, Your Highness.”

Considering Zhao Yuan’s circumstances, Chen Wanxin found it strange to witness such a carefree guy like him using the French gentlemen’s etiquette. Furthermore, his every movement was lithe and well-practiced.

It seemed that there were quite a few outstanding guys in this batch of freshmen. Things were about to get interesting.