Chapter 374: Chapter 374: Professor Xia’s Lecture
"I’m not a picky eater. You all sit down and eat. Don’t make it seem like you’re my little entourage," Gu Jiaojiao teased with a smile.
Xu Bo, tall and long-legged, soon arrived at the cafeteria with a few other male students. As it happened, there was an empty seat right next to Gu Jiaojiao.
Just as he was about to sit, he heard what Gu Jiaojiao said and couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.
"Xu Bo, who said you could sit here?" Xiao Rui demanded sternly. He and Han Jingyi had only been able to get seats across from Gu Jiaojiao.
Before Xu Bo could think of a comeback, he heard Gu Jiaojiao’s crisp voice. "Xiao Rui, sit down and eat. This is the cafeteria, not our home. Classmates can sit wherever they like."
A happy expression immediately spread across Xiao Rui’s face, and he fell silent. He didn’t give Xu Bo a dirty look; he didn’t even glare at him.
’She said "our"! That means she considers me one of her own. Does this mean Han Jingyi and I have finally earned her approval? This is great.’
Han Jingyi was also all smiles. "Jiaojiao, would you like my chicken drumstick?"
His grandfather had instructed them not to call her "Aunt-Grandma Jiaojiao" in public; "Classmate Jiaojiao" would be fine.
"I already have one. You eat it. You boys are still growing, so you should eat more."
"Alright, I’ll eat it then. If you like them, Jiaojiao, I’ll get an extra one for you tomorrow."
The three of them chatted as if no one else was around, which Xu Bo found strange. His own lackeys were still in line to get food, so his meal hadn’t arrived yet.
He carefully sized up the female student beside him. Her clothes were brand-new, and she exuded a faint, fresh fragrance.
That was definitely not the scent left by laundry detergent. The fact that she seemingly didn’t have to do her own laundry suggested she came from a wealthy family.
Xu Bo had been the class president since the start of the school year, and he was used to being admired by his classmates wherever he went.
’Is this student, Gu Jiaojiao, pretending not to know who I am, or does she genuinely not recognize me?’
He asked probingly, "Gu Jiaojiao, do you really not recognize me?"
Gu Jiaojiao glanced at the person sitting beside her. He had handsome features, but she truly had no memory of him.
She said with genuine honesty, "I’m sorry, I really don’t think we’ve met. And you are?"
Her very sincerity was enough to make Xu Bo want to cough up blood. He took two deep breaths.
Only then did he introduce himself. "My name is Xu Bo. I’m the president of the first-year clinical program’s Class 33."
Gu Jiaojiao was speechless. ’The president of my own class! No wonder he looked so unhappy!’
"Jiaojiao, isn’t Class 33 of the first-year clinical program your class?" Xiao Rui asked, gloating.
"Yes. Hello, Class President. I’m Gu Jiaojiao. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
"I know who *you* are, Gu Jiaojiao. I just didn’t think you genuinely wouldn’t know who *I* am!"
"Jiaojiao is completely devoted to her medical studies. How would she have time to get to know you?" Han Jingyi said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Xu Bo was speechless again. ’Completely devoted to her medical studies? It’s only the first day of classes. He makes it sound like she’s some kind of master physician.’
But he was a man of good breeding. The Xu Family had been practicing medicine for generations, and his grandfather was a renowned Divine Doctor in his day.
His grandfather hadn’t set foot in a classroom for years, but he had made an exception this year to become a specially-appointed professor. Xu Bo decided he had to tell his grandfather and his father when he got home.
He would tell them that this Gu Jiaojiao from his class was arrogant and aloof, completely unsuited for studying medicine. He’d warn them to be wary of her and not be fooled by her appearance.
Seeing that Xu Bo didn’t respond, Gu Jiaojiao, who had no idea what was going through his mind, simply committed the name "Xu Bo" to memory.
Elder Xu’s surname was Xu, and this class president who loved medicine was also a Xu. There was likely a connection.
However, she wasn’t going to go out of her way to befriend him. She simply turned back and continued her nonchalant conversation with Han Jingyi and Xiao Rui.
With the usual formalities of their respective statuses set aside, the two young men were exceptionally witty and humorous, which was a real eye-opener for Gu Jiaojiao. She couldn’t stop laughing.
In her past life, she had been so crushed by the weight of her studies that she could barely breathe. She had absolutely no time for making friends, let alone sitting in a cafeteria enjoying a leisurely meal.
Now, however, she didn’t need to push herself so hard. The experience of attending school was naturally different, and so was her state of mind.
In Xu Bo’s eyes, Gu Jiaojiao’s carefree laughter only solidified his opinion that she was an unscholarly degenerate. He looked down on her even more.
When class resumed, the lecture was given by the renowned Professor Xia, a leading figure in the medical world.
As a result, every student in Class 33 sat bolt upright, practically buzzing with an excitement as if they’d been shot up with adrenaline.
Professor Xia walked into the classroom, looked straight ahead, and began his lecture immediately without even taking attendance. He was not only young but also exceptionally skilled in medicine.
The students were filled with respect and trust for him. His medical expertise wasn’t just about his exquisite technique; more importantly, his surgical success rate was incredibly high.
It was said that he was always improving his medical expertise, constantly learning and exploring new knowledge and techniques.
He provided a superior learning environment for the students; his lectures were known for being the most difficult, yet they were also clear and easy to understand.
He often said that being a superb doctor required more than just a solid foundation of medical knowledge.
To further enhance his students’ practical clinical skills, he personally supervised them during lab experiments.
None of the other students noticed anything, but Xu Bo did. He saw Professor Xia sneak several glances at Gu Jiaojiao.
’Being beautiful certainly has its perks. Even Professor Xia gives her special treatment!’
"Attention, everyone. Next Sunday, I will be performing a major surgery at the First People’s Hospital alongside Divine Doctor Su Gu."
"We plan to select fifteen students with outstanding academic and personal records from all classes, from first-year to sixth-year, to come and observe."
"Professor Xia, how many spots are available for our class?"
"There are two spots for each class. Sign-ups start today. I will personally conduct the screening assessment this Friday."
Professor Xia spoke with an air of authority, not sparing Gu Jiaojiao a single glance. This made the students of Class 33 admire him all the more.
’Professor Xia really is a renowned professor, not the least bit swayed by a pretty face.’
’He was nothing like Old Professor He, who would enter the classroom and just stare hopefully at Gu Jiaojiao. His behavior had left the students of Class 33 quite displeased.’
Little did the students know, it was precisely because of Old Professor He’s cautionary example that their Professor Xia didn’t dare look at Gu Jiaojiao.
He didn’t dare to cause any gossip that might displease his master, lest she give him the cold shoulder.
The moment Professor Xia finished speaking, all the students of Class 33 rushed to sign up, so Gu Jiaojiao had no choice but to put her name down as well.
She was going to be performing the surgery as Divine Doctor Su Gu, so she obviously couldn’t be on the list of candidates to observe.
But Xu Bo didn’t know this. When he saw Gu Jiaojiao’s lack of enthusiasm for signing up, his already low opinion of her plummeted into the negatives.
Meanwhile, the female students who had previously been prejudiced against Gu Jiaojiao actually started to warm up to her.
After class ended, Li Yanping approached Gu Jiaojiao’s desk. "Gu Jiaojiao, don’t you want to go observe Professor Xia’s surgery?"
"Of course I want to go, but I also know my place. With so many outstanding students in our class, it’s not like it would ever be my turn!"
"Ahem, you’re not bad either, you know," a male student said shyly.
If the students had known about the concept of humblebragging, they would have definitely crowned Gu Jiaojiao its founding matriarch.
