Chapter Twenty-One: The Date

The next morning, Du Gu Ming lazily crawled out of bed. “Zhang Liming, are you trying to get yourself killed? It’s the weekend—what on earth are you doing up so early making all this noise?” It was only seven, but Zhang Liming was already bustling around, getting dressed and grooming himself meticulously. He’d even boiled a bucket of hot water and spent over an hour in the shower. The racket left Du Gu Ming no chance of sleeping in, and he finally exploded with irritation.

As everyone knows, there are three unforgivable offenses in this world: the murder of one’s father, the theft of one’s wife, and the heinous crime of disturbing someone’s precious sleep. Would you agree? If so, give this a like.

“My bad, boss, but today’s special circumstances,” Zhang Liming said as he emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a pair of SpongeBob boxers. Du Gu Ming had long since given up commenting on Zhang Liming’s taste; no matter what anyone said, he never changed, or if he did, it would only last a few days before he reverted to his old ways. Truly, a leopard cannot change its spots.

Ever since the penalty shootout incident on the soccer field and the episode at the internet café involving League of Legends, Du Gu Ming had become a godlike figure in Zhang Liming’s eyes—his word carried more weight than that of Zhang Liming’s own parents. From then on, Zhang Liming referred to himself as Du Gu Ming’s little brother, always looking to him for direction.

“I can see it’s a special day for you. Otherwise, would you have tidied yourself up this much?” Du Gu Ming retorted. Anyone who’s lived in a dormitory before must have experienced something similar: every dorm has that one person who’s a complete slob—rarely showers, never washes their clothes, never tidies their desk. If this strikes a chord, don’t forget to bookmark this.

Indeed, Zhang Liming was the very embodiment of this notorious breed, affectionately dubbed by others as the “Dorm Destroyer.” As the name suggests, they specialize in trashing the dorm’s cleanliness, its reputation, and its communal property. Whatever breaks, goes missing, or vanishes mysteriously, you can always ask this person—they’re almost always responsible.

Yet today, Zhang Liming had gotten up early and dressed to the nines, a rare occurrence on par with China making it to the World Cup—a once-in-a-century event.

“No one understands me like you do, boss,” Zhang Liming said.

Of course, Du Gu Ming, though not particularly scheming, could read people in a glance and see right through them.

“Let me guess. You’re going out to chase girls, aren’t you? That’s the only logical explanation, but there are two big holes in this theory. First, who arranges a date so early in the morning? From what I know, beautiful girls are born to sleep in—lingering in bed is their privilege. If your date turns out to be a troll, then I suppose it makes sense,” Du Gu Ming paused, then continued, “Second, and this is the fatal flaw—what woman would be interested in you? Unless she’s after your money.”

He wasn’t wrong. Given Zhang Liming’s short, pudgy, and somewhat sleazy appearance, Du Gu Ming couldn’t imagine anyone taking a liking to him. Looks aren’t everything, but this guy wasn’t just unattractive—he was downright sloppy, and you could smell him coming from a mile away. Who would ever fall for that?

Du Gu Ming couldn’t make sense of it, but he’d forgotten that in this world, there’s a saying: “One man’s meat is another’s poison.” Zhang Liming scratched his head awkwardly and mumbled, “Boss, I’ll try to change.”

Du Gu Ming merely looked unconvinced. Old habits die hard. He lay back down, pulled up the covers, and prepared to catch a bit more sleep.

“Boss, there’s something I need to tell you,” Zhang Liming said, standing at Du Gu Ming’s bedside.

“What is it?” Du Gu Ming asked lazily, turning over.

“Do you remember that girl in our class you were checking out the other day? The one named Lin Xiaowen?” Zhang Liming asked in a low voice.

Du Gu Ming shot upright. “Why do you bring her up all of a sudden?”

“She’s coming with us today.”

“What? What’s going on? Explain yourself.”

“Yes, boss, here’s the thing. One day, I matched with a girl on WeChat, and after chatting, we hit it off immediately—like we’d known each other forever. Yesterday, after swapping personal info, I found out she’s actually a classmate of ours. She seemed to like me, and I thought she was pretty nice too. So I invited her out for tea this morning, maybe catch a movie or something. But because she’s shy, she’s bringing a friend along. Turns out, she just texted me—the friend is Lin Xiaowen.”

Meanwhile, in another corner of Ningxia University, inside a girls’ dormitory...

“Cuilan, why did you drag me out of bed so early?” Lin Xiaowen was dressed in a white lace camisole pajama set, hugging a life-sized plush doll. Her long, black hair was a little tousled from sleep, her skin as smooth and fair as ivory, impossibly cute. She yawned, rubbed her mouth, and sleepily addressed the girl beside her.

The other girl, Liu Cuilan, was tall and broad—over one meter seventy, at least—with a sturdy frame, prominent curves, and a round face. She looked more like a country flower than a Cuilan. Standards were shattered.

While applying layers of makeup, Liu Cuilan replied without turning her head, “Wenwen, I’m going to meet my boyfriend today, but I’m so shy to go alone. Come with me, please?”

Shy? More like she couldn’t wait.

Unable to withstand Liu Cuilan’s relentless pleading, Lin Xiaowen finally agreed. She quickly brushed her teeth, splashed water on her face, and headed out with Liu Cuilan. Lin Xiaowen never used any makeup—at most, just a simple cleanser.

Elsewhere, Du Gu Ming and Zhang Liming were already waiting at the campus gate, all set for the day.

Today, Du Gu Ming wore a bright, sporty sweatshirt. He dressed casually, never caring about brands—comfort was all that mattered. Sometimes, his clothes cost thousands; other times, just a few dozen.

By contrast, Zhang Liming squeezed his belly into an ill-fitting designer shirt, paired with dress trousers and a pair of leather shoes that clashed horribly—though, to be fair, the shoes alone cost tens of thousands, genuine leather. Money really wasn’t an issue.

Du Gu Ming glanced at Zhang Liming’s outfit and rolled his eyes, but let it go.

“Zhang Liming, do you have a car?” he asked.

“Yeah, why?” Zhang Liming replied.

“So where is it? Surely you’re not expecting us to walk to tea and a movie,” Du Gu Ming said.

“Of course not. We can take a taxi. My car’s at home—I don’t know how to drive, and it seems dangerous. At home, I have a chauffeur, but there’s no need for one at school,” Zhang Liming explained.

Unbelievable, Du Gu Ming thought, is this guy even a man? Afraid to drive? He decided not to argue and just wanted to see Lin Xiaowen as soon as possible. He grabbed his own Audi from the car park and pulled up at the school gate.

“Boss, you have a car too?” Zhang Liming exclaimed in surprise.

“Is it really so unusual to own a car these days?” Du Gu Ming retorted.

Seeing Du Gu Ming’s reluctance to answer, Zhang Liming let the matter drop.

The two of them waited in the car for Lin Xiaowen and Liu Cuilan to arrive.

PS: Only two chapters today. Can you imagine what the hero and heroine’s first meeting will be like? Don’t forget to bookmark after reading—just click to add to your shelf. Please keep supporting Jiemo. Thank you.