Xi Luting was stunned for quite a while. What she was thinking, nobody knew.
Normally, with her personality, it would have been absolutely impossible for her to initiate casual conversation with Han Lie again.
You, Han Lie, are so impressive, treating me with such indifference. Fine, from now on, our interactions will be strictly business. Do you really think I have no temper?!
But that would be under normal circumstances, and the current situation was anything but. Han Lie's performance had piqued her curiosity far too much.
Xi Luting had seen top students before; some of her high school classmates had been accepted into prestigious universities like Qingbei and Fudan. But this was a completely different story. It was natural for top students to get into Qingbei, and just as unsurprising for underachievers to get into humanities. An underachiever getting into humanities and then suddenly becoming a top student, however... that was utterly far-fetched.
Moreover, none of those diligent scholars who had always been top students were as complex, multidimensional, and mysterious as Han Lie. Xi Luting was burning with curiosity.
She kept telling herself: Don't be fooled! Han Lie is doing this on purpose. If you take the initiative, you've lost!
However, watching Han Lie SWISH, SWISH, SWISH through two more pages of exercises, then RUSTLE, RUSTLE, RUSTLE through his book, flipping directly past page 100 to work on λ-matrix exercises, she finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Principles? What principles? Forget them! I just have to satisfy my curiosity!
"The teacher hasn't gotten to that part yet..."
Han Lie didn't even lift his head. "Can't I self-study?"
"Well, you can, technically."
Xi Luting's gaze became a bit nuanced. "But if you have that kind of self-study ability, then how exactly did you end up testing into this place?"
Han Lie still didn't look up.
"Perhaps I suddenly had an epiphany during the summer break? Or maybe I got into a fight before the college entrance exam and ended up hospitalized? Or, here's a thought: I'm actually a genius who goofed off for three years in high school and has now, finally, decided to turn over a new leaf. Three possibilities. Which one are you willing to believe?"
Xi Luting eyed Han Lie's profile skeptically. "Are you trying to fool me? I don't believe any of them!"
"The third one!" Yu Yun suddenly interjected, grinning and raising a small fist at Han Lie. "Brother Lie is definitely a genius! The moment I saw you, I knew you were different from the other guys!"
You're a genius too, Han Lie thought, glancing at her but not responding. Self-taught, in just a few years you trained yourself to be a 'tea master,' married a rich second-generation heir without ever suffering a loss. Until your ship sank, you were a legend among our alumni...
Miss Yu Yun is a ruthless character, one who won't act without seeing a clear advantage—she won't cast her net until she sees the rabbit. If you have enough strength, she can endure any number of cold shoulders from you. If you lack strength, no amount of fawning will do any good. You might think her concern for you is based on genuine liking, but in reality, most of it is like a mass broadcast. Like a farmer scattering feed in a fishpond, get it? The current Han Lie doesn't possess the 'hard power' to conquer her, so he can't be bothered with her. Anyway, she won't easily commit to anyone, nor will she easily give up on any 'fish' in her pond. So, he'll just let things wear on slowly with her. Let's see who time will ultimately side with.
Xi Luting, on the other hand, was worth toying with a bit.
"Class President, since you refuse to believe anything, why not make a guess yourself?"
"Fine, I'll guess!" A hint of excitement suddenly sparkled in Xi Luting's beautiful large eyes. Her entire demeanor was as if she'd been injected with chicken blood, revealing a vibrancy Han Lie had never seen in her before. She raised an index finger and began to speak, slowly and deliberately.
"Actually, you truly are a genius.
"But you were too rebellious during high school, always getting into fights, and never really applied yourself. So, your grades were quite average, only good enough for a second-tier college.
"Before the college entrance exam, your girlfriend cheated on you with a rich second-generation guy. This caused you to underperform, and you didn't even make it into a second-tier college.
"After the exam, you couldn't stand it and went to seek revenge. But you were outnumbered and got beaten badly by his lackeys, ending up bedridden for three months.
"While you were hospitalized, the rich second-generation guy brought your ex-girlfriend to the hospital to humiliate you.
"You silently swore: I will definitely make you pay!
"You decided to study finance because it's the fastest way to make money, and you set your sights on schools in Magic Capital.
"During those three months in the hospital, you frantically self-studied the university curriculum.
"On September 22nd, your injuries finally healed.
"With a heart full of resentment and dreams, you boarded the train to Magic Capital. Only this place could accommodate your ambition to rise and satisfy your desire for revenge.
"To motivate and remind yourself, you still kept the knock-off phone your ex-girlfriend gave you.
"Every time you look at it, you secretly tell yourself: Stay away from pretty girls. Just study hard. Don't bother with someone like Xi Luting; you'll only get hurt. Right now, striving is the most important thing; there's no time to waste on relationships!
"So, that's why you arrived the latest. It's why you immediately used brute force to become the dorm leader. It's why you don't lack money yet use an old phone, and why you learned advanced mathematics in advance.
"During your self-introduction, you said you wanted to find a girlfriend because you wanted to forget a woman. But afterward, you made no move because you still fear emotional involvement.
"And despite your mature personality, you deliberately play hard to get with me because you're both attracted to and afraid of me...
"See? Doesn't that make much more sense now?"
WHOA! Impressive! Not only is she unwilling to concede anything, but her counterattack is also incredibly sharp...
Han Lie was finally intrigued. He put down his pen, turned his head to look at her, and with a half-smile, asked, "Are you moonlighting as a novelist on Jinjiang or something?"
Xi Luting's ears flushed scarlet in an instant, though neither Han Lie nor Yu Yun noticed, thanks to her hair concealing them.
"What on earth are you talking about? Weren't you the one who asked me to guess?"
Han Lie chuckled, amused. "I did ask you to guess, but I didn't ask you to write a script for a teen drama, did I?"
Xi Luting confidently arched an eyebrow, her lips curling slightly. Her usually cool face revealed a hint of teasing and a touch of radiance that was utterly beautiful.
"What does it matter if I'm writing a script or something else? Just tell me, is my theory reasonable or not?!"
Han Lie smacked his lips, feeling a bit of a headache coming on. If I don't consider the 'cheat' factor, Xi Luting's explanation actually seems like the most logical deduction... This is just freaking preposterous.
Of course, he wouldn't give a clear response. "Well then, you can take your time verifying it."
With a profound and inscrutable smile, the 'old soul' promptly changed the subject. "Hey, what's the name of that novel you're writing on Jinjiang? Let me take a look!"
The previously confident Xi Luting finally couldn't maintain her composure. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, taking the opportunity to avert her gaze.
She really had written a novel. As a liberal arts student who wasn't doing well academically but had a high opinion of herself and wanted to make big money on her own, it was quite natural for her to set her sights on web novels. By 2013, copyright deals for web novels were already booming, and there were more than just one or two hit TV dramas adapted from popular female-oriented web novels.
She had excitedly plunged in, believing that becoming a top-tier author would be as easy as flipping her hand. Instead, she flopped so spectacularly that her work disappeared without a trace, not even causing a ripple. How could she possibly mention it to others?
More crucially... in female-oriented web novels, if there isn't a bit of 'that sort of thing,' authors feel too embarrassed to even chat in their online groups. Everyone understands, right? So, naturally, she had to respect the market!
However, it seemed her talents were somewhat... misaligned. She wrote those kinds of scenes with such masterful skill, making them so vivid and captivating—far more engaging than the actual plot.
Consequently, she was even more embarrassed to admit to it.
"You're overthinking things!" she said, her face stern as she firmly denied it. "I have to study, manage the class, and handle student council work. Where would I find the time to write web novels?"
Han Lie had initially just been teasing her. But his Level 3 Psychology skill suddenly proved useful. Observing Xi Luting's reaction, her micro-expressions, and listening to her tone and speech pace, "Master Han" immediately confirmed it: She really has written one! And it's one hundred percent on Jinjiang!
Heh! Now this is getting interesting~~~
In my previous life, I, Han Lie, never heard about this. In my eyes, Xi Luting's image was very one-dimensional, simplistic, a mere symbol. Whether it was her fiery appearance in a crimson dress or her ethereal look in a pristine white formal gown, for me, it all boiled down to four words: Good-looking, want to bed. As for anything else, why bother worrying so much? Her heart would never open up to me anyway, so fantasizing about her looks and physique was enough! That's why, after all those years, I only knew Xi Luting as dominant, intelligent, and cold. I knew she married well but wasn't happy in her marriage. I never knew she had this side to her.
Han Lie smiled playfully.
Beauty, you seem to care an awful lot about that web novel experience, huh? Didn't go too well? In that case, perhaps I should find your masterpiece, give it a thorough read, and then encourage you to continue down that path? Don't worry if you lack talent; Big Brother here can help! When it comes to writing spicy stuff, Big Brother is a professional. With a bit more guidance and encouragement, I could become your mentor or your online 'blue-faced confidant,' and then slowly uncover all those little secrets of yours... And when the truth finally comes out... MWAHAHAHAHA! Just imagining the look on Xi Luting's face on the day we meet in person... it excites me to no end! Doing these kinds of dastardly deeds is truly so much fun. So, the most important question now is... how do I dig up her book?