Chapter 24: Though We’re Rotten But We Have Fragrant Core

January 2nd, is the last day for this new year's holiday for Bai Yutang. Today Jian Kang Lu needed to go to the hospital, but didn't have a polyclinic schedule. He promised Bai Yutang to send him back to the dorm before dark.

Bai Yutang said that he wants to treat Jian Kang Lu for dinner. He suggested having dinner at Huaxiang. Jian Kang Lu agreed and reserved the place. They will go back to his dorm around 6.30 pm.

While waiting for Jian Kang Lu back from the hospital, Bai Yutang sat in his favourite place. The chair in the dining room has the best view to see outside from the glass door. He likes this place so much, and determines if one day he had his own apartment, he'll design it like this. These last three days, he feels so comfortable here.

While he was studying, he called his parents and sister. Yesterday he also called them, but his parents were busy outside and his sister was going out with her friends. Bai Yutang pondered whether he should tell his parents that he was hospitalised. But in the end he decided not to.

He didn't tell them before because he doesn't want them to worry. If he tells them now, his parents will get mad, and disappointed with him for not telling them. So better just say nothing.

Besides he is already getting better. His sore throat today is gone, his cough only sometime in the morning. But the phlegm is not green or yellow again. Now already clear white. He still needs to take his antibiotic for the next three days.

After talking a while with his parents, he also called his sister. Bai Yutang discussed his final exam this week and his coming home for this winter break with his parents. Winter break also serves to celebrate Chinese new year. He will have winter break for five weeks before coming back and starting the new semester.

He talks a lot with his sister. He asked her, "So how is your preparation for Gaokao?"

Gaokao is an academic examination held annually. This test is known as the National College Entrance Examination. It's a prerequisite for entrance into almost all higher education institutions. All third year high school students or parents who have children in third year, are stressed due to this annual test.

"Don't even speak that word! I heard that word too many times last year and will just increase this next six month!" His sister screamed from the other side.

Bai Yutang laughed, he could understand the pressure. He still remembers the nightmare. All those long hours studying and pressure. Even though his parents are kind enough not to press him, he can still feel their uneasiness.

"Are you still wanting to strive for my faculty here?" Bai Yutang asked.

His sister was silent for a while. "I actually don't know, Ge. I wanted to apply there because I honestly didn't know where my passion was. But my counselor advised me to choose another field. Since my artistic sense is almost zero."

Bai Yutang pondered for a while, then he finally said, "How about medical faculty? I have a friend here. He's a doctor. I think he's really cool. Listening to his story, it seems that being a doctor suits you. And your grade is also very good to apply for medical faculty."

"Hmm.. That's actually a good idea. Do you think i can be a good doctor?" His sister's voice seems uncertain.

"I think you will be an excellent one. In addition, if you have difficulty in medical faculty, you can ask my friend. He's seriously one of the best people I've ever met." Bai Yutang said. "I'll introduce you to him if you really want to be a doctor."

"Okay, i'll talk to my counselor about this. By the way, how do you know this man? From the hospital? Are you sick?"

Bai Yutang denied, and told his sister about his encounter and his friendship with Jian Kang Lu. He didn't realise that his voice boasted every positive thing about Jian Kang Lu.

They chat on the phone for a while, and Bai Yutang hangs up. He took a nap after lunch, then after he woke up he packed his things. He feels this place is not only comfortable to live in, but he also studies well here. Maybe the tranquil atmosphere here helps his brain to concentrate more.

Jian Kang Lu came home at 5.30 pm. He said he will take a bath first before sending him home. Yu Dong and others are already going back to the dorm also. Bai Yutang invites them all to eat hotpot also. They agreed to meet him there once he arrived in Huxiang.

Earlier at noon time, there's one chat group consisting of some female students (or maybe male too) from T university. This chat group lively talking about incoming exams and how stressed they are. These group's members belong to the one university forum dedicated to one certain topic. This forum is called 'Though we're rotten but we have fragrant core'.

They're the rotten girls¹ of T university.

This forum was established by their unknown senior. And the current active students have their own chat group. Our rotten girls from the literature faculty are also members of this group.

Up until now, they have more than one hundred active members in this group. They like to gather up once every two or three months. Due to the differences in their activity, and some members prefer to be unknown, the members who come to this meeting are usually only ten to twenty five people.

Tonight, they planned the meeting at a Huxian hotpot restaurant. The number confirmed to come is twelve people. They reserved two tables next to each other at 6.30 pm. They come there on time and lively start their conversation.

"Sister, I miss you so much! Oh I need your recommendation to fill my winter break."

"Exams have not yet started and you are already talking about winter break??"

"Don't worry, this sister has a lot of new references. I'll share them in the group once we finish our exams."

"Sister, do you have any recent artwork? I rarely see your post nowadays. Busy studying?"

"Oooooh.. I have a lot. Just I don't dare to post them in the group."

"Why? I love your artwork, I use them as my mobile phone wallpaper."

"Don't turn this pure girl into a toxic rotten girl like you. Forget about her artwork, it's too lewd"

"Oh sister, then show me! I'm not pure like this junior!"

"Why are you afraid to post them sister? Is it someone we know?"

"It started at one late midnight snack at the fast food restaurant here.. When this new CP¹ comes in. Our gong is truly charming!"

"You will regret it if you saw these artwork from her."

"Oooh.. So beautiful! Who is this handsome gong, sister? From which novel? Movie star???"

"But why didn't you draw the shou's face clearly, i want to see his face too."

"Here sister, this one has his face shown clearly."

"Eehh, why is the shou's face not as beautiful as the gong?"

"Err.. Why do I feel familiar with this shou? Is this someone from our university?"

"Oh I don't care, i love this one so much. In this particular artwork, this gong's face makes me want to lick the screen."

"This position! Sister, how do you know i like this position the best!"

"So, we meet this CP at the fast food restaurant near the dorm. Both of them wearing black from head to toe. You won't believe how caring that gong's act towards his shou. He looks at his shou the whole time with his gentle eyes!"

"Don't make your own assumption. Listen to me, they're just wildly imagining all these things inside their head."

"Who cares! I definitely support this CP!"

"But it seems not right for me, sister. Why didn't you draw the shou as handsome as the gong? I beg you to draw more and beautify this shou like the gong."

"She didn't beautify the gong. In my opinion, the real gong is much more handsome than her artwork. His aura is so.. Oh i can't even describe it with my limited vocabulary collection."

"Really?? We never saw someone like him in this university."

"Don't compare our God with the local radish. I'll tell you, this gong is so handsome, and mature, and elegant, oh so beautiful. Definitely not our usual handsome face."

"I still feel familiar with this shou."

"Oh you should feel familiar. I think this shou belong to your department. Does anyone in your class look like this?"

"Really?? Oh but i don't think someone from my class. My senior, or junior maybe?"

"Sister, why do you look like that? Close your mouth ah, you even dropped your chopstick!"

"Sister, hello? Why are both of you freezed?"

"It's them!!! Oh my God, this definitely my lucky day. It's them! Quick, at the entrance!"

At the speed of light, the twelve pair of girls' eyes look at the two men coming inside the restaurant. The tall man is so handsome. He wears a light blue long sleeve shirt with a dark blue sweater. There are thin yellow ornaments in the sweater sleeves. He wears ocean blue wool pants. He holds his jacket in one hand and the other hand holds the restaurant door to let his partner come inside.

The other man is shorter than him. He opens his jacket at the entrance, then comes in and says something to the tall man. He wears an ordinary brown sweater with black turtle neck inside. The tall man looked at him gently and smiled.

These twelve pair eyes widened and took all their effort to hold themselves not screaming 'aaaahhh' in unison while looking at this sweet scene from the artwork come to life. They tried not to stare, but the shock was too great and took them a while until they finally diverted their eyes from that couple.

"Sister!!! You're right!!! This gong is so handsome!"

"There's something in him that makes you can't stop looking at him!"

"Oh my God, this is definitely my lucky day! What a pleasant view before starting exams."

"I think i recognise him now. That shou is my senior. Third year i think."

"Sister! You're the only one that belongs to the architecture department. Can you dig his information for us?"

"I really ship this CP!"

"Rrrr.. Why do I think they're not really matched with each other? The gong is too handsome for him."

"Who cares? If not because of that shou, do you think you will have chances to see this kind of gong come here?"

"Sister, you're right as always. Please forgive me for my short sight and lack of wisdom."

"Whoever works this magic, worthy of our worship."

"Sister, please dig the information of that handsome gong from your senior!"

"That's right sister, you're our only hope!"

"Sister, I'll pay for your lunch in a whole week if you can get us this gong's name and job."

"He might be a model or presenter. But I never saw his face before."

"Or an overbearing president!"

"No no no, definitely a loving and dotted president. Do you see how he looks at the shou now?"

"Oh, you're so damn right sister. At first I didn't believe you when you said that this gong looked at his shou the whole time with his gentle eyes."

"I'm your mother. Of course i'm always right."

"Sister, please please please gather the information!"

"Yes sister!"

This one poor second year architecture student named Mu Xiaoya, can't refute her rotten sister and finally just concede defeat to them. She promised them to start investigating after the exam.

That's how our other love story will begin. And how this rotten meeting will change Bai Yutang life forever.