Chapter 50: The Cement is Loosening (Revised)
TL: Etude
After walking Feng Nanshu, Jiang Qin returned to the dormitory under the cover of night. As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by a thick cloud of smoke, causing him to immediately step back.
What, you set the dorm on fire while I was gone? Jiang Qins eyebrows shot up in alarm.
Zhou Chao grinned sheepishly, Brother Jiang, why did you come back so late?
Just had some things to do, went out for dinner.
Jiang Qin stepped inside, fanning away the smoke and observed closely. He noticed Zhou Chao engrossed in his phone, Cao Guangyu furiously posting online, and the source of the smoke: Ren Ziqiang. Ren was sitting on a chair, looking numbly out the window into the night, a half-smoked cigarette in hand. His left foot, dangling a slipper, was propped up as cigarette butts littered the floor around him. His eyes lacked their usual sparkle, and he appeared thoroughly dejected.
The scene seemed vaguely familiar to Jiang Qin. Something like Fire Cloud Evil God?
Jiang Qin looked curiously at Zhou Chao, Whats up with Old Ren? Practicing asceticism?
He wanted to ask Pan Xiu out today, but found out she was getting cozy with a senior from our department. It was pretty intimate and
Stop, stop, stop, Jiang Qin immediately cut him off, a stern look on his face. Old Ren must be feeling awful right now, and you want to remind him of it? Thats really unethical!
Zhou Chao promptly shut his mouth, while Ren Ziqiang sent a grateful look his way.
Liking someone is not shameful, but watching your crush with another man and being teased by roommates can be distressing for anyone.
Jiang Qin changed his clothes and began checking the website. Shi Miaomiao had already received her account and started serializing her original novel, releasing the first 30,000 words. However, due to the lack of real users on the platform, it hadnt received much feedback.
Additionally, Dong Wenhao and his Literature Club had activated their account and were uploading their manuscripts.
The most impressive was Cao Guangyu. Despite not being paid, his My Unpretentious Life as a Rich Second Generation series had already reached its 35th post.
Jiang Qin skimmed through it.
Cao Guangyu, the rascal, wasnt satisfied with just showing off reality; he had started posting stolen pictures online.
In the Wine Tasting episode, Cao claimed that Lafite was childs play to him. He preferred drinking directly from the bottle, stating that real men drink Romane-Conti, the peak red wine from Frances oldest winery.
In the Luxury Watch episode, he claimed Rolex was for nouveau riche, preferring Patek Philippe, especially their slogan: You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.
In the School Beauty Girlfriend episode, he lamented being pursued by the high school beauty, troubled because he liked someone else, a celestial beauty. The school beauty, however, was relentless, and he sought online advice on what to do.
Jiang Qin was stunned, thinking, Am I looking in a mirror?
Old Jiang, when can we upload videos on the site? I want to post a fitness video showing off my abs, Cao Guangyu suddenly turned around and asked.
Jiang Qin was taken aback, You have abs?
I have hands; I can download. (AHAHA LOL)
Ha, mixing Chinese and English, truly showy. Wait for the video feature; its still under development.
Cao Guangyu pouted, a hint of regret in his expression. Without video, the full extent of his showiness couldnt be achieved.
Jiang Qin ignored him and turned to check the backend data. As he browsed, he suddenly noticed a genuine account registered just a minute ago Magic Eyed Girl Feng Nanshu.
?
Oh right, he had asked her dorm to help test the site during dinner. Feng Nanshu must have taken it to heart and immediately registered upon returning.
Jiang Qin lounged with his legs crossed, sipping cola while intently watching the screen, curious about what the little rich lady Feng Nanshu would post.
This is the nature of the internet; for those with access rights, privacy for online users is non-existent. All privacy settings, such as hidden posts or visibility restrictions, are mere illusions to administrators.
Feng Nanshu, the Magic Eyed Girl, posted: What should I do if Im a bit scared of people?
Triggered by the keyword what should I do, the automatic reply system kicked in.
Reply 1: Dont worry, youre amazing! You can do it! Keep it up!
Reply 2: Believe in yourself, dont hesitate!
Feng Nanshu continued: What should I do if Im not good at talking to people?
The replies were identical to the previous ones. Seeing this, Jiang Qin almost sprayed his cola out of his nose.
He realized a glaring flaw in these auto-replies: triggering the same keyword consecutively resulted in nearly identical responses. This needed fixing before the sites wider rollout.
Meanwhile, Feng Nanshu kept posting, seemingly oblivious to the oddness of the replies or perhaps not having seen them due to system delay.
Magic Eyed Girl Feng Nanshu: What should I do if I want to hang out with a boy every day?
Magic Eyed Girl Feng Nanshu: Why do I feel ticklish inside when I hang out with a boy?
Reading these posts, Jiang Qins relaxed demeanor faltered, and he felt an inexplicable unease, causing him mild discomfort.
Magic Eyed Girl Feng Nanshu: Can best friends live together for a lifetime?
Magic Eyed Girl Feng Nanshu: Do you think the name Jiang Qin sounds nice?
After these last two questions, Feng Nanshu seemed to realize something was off with the websites replies and stopped posting new queries.
Jiang Qin chuckled softly at the questions, then felt a moment of wistfulness before quickly dismissing any emerging emotions.
Love affairs were not his concern; making money was the true path. He decided not to dwell on these distractions.
He opened QQ to report the issue with the auto-replies to Su Nai, asking her to modify the system to prevent repetitive responses to the same keywords.
After chatting with Su Nai, Jiang Qin was about to shut down his computer and go to sleep when he noticed Feng Nanshus account active again.
Magic Eyed Girl Feng Nanshu: Can someone tell me what it feels like to be in love?
Jiang Qins breath hitched, and he quickly shut down his computer.
The seal over his heart seemed to be loosening.
No, he thought, he needed to fortify his heart again.
Old Zhou, tell me again what happened to Ren Ziqiang today, in detail and as painfully as possible!
Ren Ziqiang looked up, his face turning green, Im already heartbroken, and you have the nerve to do this, Jiang? Isnt that unethical?
Jiang Qin retorted, Did you think about ethics when you told Pan Xiu I had been chasing someone for three years? Hurry up, Old Zhou!
Zhou Chao, excited, began to recount the story in his heavy southern accent, which surprisingly added to the narrative.
According to him, Ren Ziqiang had used a half-pound of hair gel that morning, mustering the courage to ask Pan Xiu out. But just as he arrived at the girls dorm, he saw Pan Xiu playfully interacting with a senior, almost revealing her shoulder straps.
Ren Ziqiang was instantly disheartened and returned to the dorm to smoke relentlessly, filling the room with smoke.
Pan Xius really something, getting close to a senior before military training even ended?
Hearing the story, Jiang Qin felt his heart solidify again. Love was indeed a fantasy; pursuing wealth was the real deal.
Exciting indeed! He planned to have Zhou Chao retell the story the next morning for a spirited start to the day.
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