" Feng Lei sure is a hot guy. He may be a delivery man, yes. But he's a rich delivery man. "
Han Manxue says to no one in particular.
She remembers the kiss, as if it just happened a while ago.
Her face blushes red at the memory.
I made the onlookers curious and jealous at the same time. I tend to become impulsive, yes. But I don't regret what I did. Feng Lei sure looks hot. He is tall and slim for his age.
Han Manxue thinks, her cheeks turning red at the memory of Feng Lei ordering 10 small sacks of Jasmine rice, and even paying for the Jasmine rice for her.
She remembers the way their lips pressed together, his lips tasting of mint and freshness.
She remembers the way she embraced Feng Lei while they kissed with passion.
Right in front of everyone in the public market.
She remembers the way Feng Lei's hands brushed against hers when Feng Lei ordered 10 sacks of rice.
All for her.
She already sent 5 small sacks of Jasmine rice to her elderly parents.
She kept the other half for her personal use.
" Isn't that the viral beauty who kissed a hot delivery guy earlier? "
" Yeah. She is. And the guy isn't any ordinary delivery guy. "
" The delivery guy is a billionaire. "
" The billionaire's name is Mr. Feng Lei. "
"Mr. Feng Lei? The guy who owns Celestial Point Ventures and bought a Calvin Klein branch? "
" Yes. I saw videos of him that trended on Tiktok and Weibo, and Bilibili."
" Wait. I know that beauty. She's Han Manxue. "
" Are you classmates? "
" Well, sort of. She studies the Business Analytics & Information Engineering course. While I study the Venture Capital & AI course. "
" So you share a few units with Han Manxue. "
" You can put it that way. "
" She's a silent girl. But she's an achiever. Always the top of the class. With consistent S+ grades. "
" Damn. I'm jealous, man. At most all I get is an S-. "
"S-? My grades are at most A+. And I don't even have a boyfriend. "
Her fellow boarding house college mates crowd around her in the boardhouse living room upstairs.
They whisper and talk among themselves.
But Han Manxue pays them no mind.
Han Manxue finishes reviewing her previous lectures.
She finishes reviewing in advance, for the lectures the next day in NYU Shanghai.
She puts her Lenovo Legion 9i laptop neatly on side and takes out the laptop charger.
She recharges the drained laptop battery again for use the next day.
Her Lenovo Legion 9i laptop, and superfast Internet, is sponsored by NYU Shanghai.
She's a top scholar, with expenses fully paid.
Peng Haorin pays for her lodging,her food, her clothes, and her transportation.
She then takes out her ASUS ROG Phone 8 android smartphone, and powers on her smartphone.
She starts to idly scroll through her newsfeed on Weibo.
She finally sprawls on her bed, wearing a bold crop-top that exposes her petite, sexy body, and above the leg shorts that exposes her thighs .
" The course I take is hard, but it's harder to be born poor. I don't want to spend my life hawking on the streets of Shanghai. "
Han Manxue says, reminiscing on her childhood days.
She spent hours during the weekends helping her parents sell large soup dumplings, Chinese crepes with eggs, self-served skewers boiled in spicy broth, and soy milk.
She was a consistent top student during her primary and secondary days.
She got herself scouted by Dean Deng Hui.
He's a scholarly looking man, always wearing spectacles, the Dean of Business Management courses.
It happened during the scholastic awarding ceremony, when she was still in junior secondary school.
She was sent a special entrance exam, a few days later, sealed with the logo of NYU Shanghai.
She reviewed hard before the special entrance exam.
So Han Manxue easily passed the special entrance exam with flying colors.
Her parents were overjoyed when they heard the news, in the form of an official letter from Dean Deng Hui.
And here she was, the daughter of poor street peddlers, rubbing elbows with second generation scions, the sons and daughters of rich politicians and businessmen of Shanghai City.
" You've come a long way now, Han Manxue. From the streets of Shanghai to an elite university for the rich. Make sure not to waste all that effort. Continue to climb all the way to the top. Better that than wallowing in poverty. "
Han Manxue says to herself.
" You look deep in thought. The top girl of the class should relax, from time to time. Come, we're having a party downstairs. "
Li Zeyuan, the scion of the Zeiyuan family says, interrupting her thoughts, holding a whiskey glass half-filled with premium Japanese whiskey.
" Thanks for your offer, Li Zeiyuan, but I must decline. I would rather stay sober the next day. "
Han Manxue says.
" I see you've been studying hard again, Han Manxue. Too much study can dull your senses, you know. "
Li Zeyuan adds, his eyes flicking to the expensive Lenovo laptop being charged in the corner of Han Manxue's bedroom.
" Not everyone is as naturally blessed as you. And too much partying is not good for you as well, Li Zheyuan. "
Han Manxue says.
" Studies are too boring, Han Manxue. I prefer to party. Why should I care when the professors get angry when I pass by? I get good grades effortlessly. That's what matters to me. "
Li Zeyuan says, with a mischievous grin plastered over his face.
"Your father won't be pleased when he visits, and catches you partying, instead of studying. "
Han Manxue calls out as Li Zeyuan turns towards the door.
" He's not pleased? Hah. Let me father rage. He's too serious. So serious he does things the hard way, when there are easy shortcuts in life. "
Li Zeyuan replies back lazily, swirling his whiskey as if studying is akin to a wild, raucous party.
And Li Zeyuan studies the same way he parties, lazily, without a care in the world.
And Li Zeiyuan still gets top tier results.
Li Zeyuan. He's the scion of Liang Zheyuan, owner of the Zheyuan Group of Companies. He's more like his mother than his father.
Han Manxue thinks as Li Zeiyuan exits her bedroom, whiskey glass in hand.
Bang! Li Zeyuan slams Han Manxue's bedroom door on his way out so hard it nearly makes Han Manxue jump out of her bed.
" Mind the bedroom door, Li Zeyuan. You might break something. "
Han Manxue says, clearly amused at Li Zeiyuan's wild antics.
" If I break it, I'll pay for it. Money's not a problem for me. "
Li Zeyuan says with nonchalant carelessness, as Han Manxue hears Li Zeyuan's footsteps recede downstairs.
Han Manxue can hear strains of loud music, singing, dancing, and shouting to be heard above the noise downstairs.
She can also hear the clinking of whiskey glasses, pizzas being ordered and devoured.
She can smell the faint aroma of Chinese style spiced sauteed Wagyu beef ribs wafting from the kitchen.
About this expensive smartphone, and the expensive boarding house, this is clearly the work of that rich, ugly pig, Peng Haorin, upon the intercession of my parents.
Han Manxue thinks.
I was ok enough with the school dormitory of NYU Shanghai.
But it was Peng Haorin who insisted loudly that he would spend it on my housing.
For four years. And I accepted.
What better way to shame that ugly pig when I finally say I don't like him at all?
He even insisted that he will buy me an expensive smartphone to remember him.
Well, a free phone is a free phone.
So I accepted.
But he doesn't even know that I hacked the trackers he placed on my smartphone.
And I spammed the trackers with Peng Haorin's own locations. So he will end up tracking himself.
He's clearly not knowledgeable about coding and hacking.
All he knows is to chase girls that catch his fancy.
But if he wants to waste his money, let him. I'll gladly accept those freebies.
While I make Peng Haorin look like a fool in return.
Han Manxue thinks, a soft chuckle escaping from her lips.
" Feng Lei, you bold bastard. You're pretty much the same as Peng Haorin. Bold, in your face, chaotic and shameless. But at least you make an obvious effort to look clean, handsome, and presentable. Peng Haorin is a dirty swine by comparison. "
Han Manxue chuckles as she stalks Feng Lei's account in Weibo, swiping at post after post where Fei Lei is tagged.
She sees viral circulating videos and pictures of Feng Lei emptying the premium stock of the market stalls inside Jiashan Public Market.
She sees video clips of Feng Lei specifically asking for a very long receipt for everything he bought.
Feng Lei even requested that the luxury groceries he bought be delivered straight to his apartment unit, through refrigerated delivery trucks.
She even sees a video recording of herself kissing Feng Lei, rewinded into slow-motion, and turned into an object of memes.
The viral videos of Feng Lei, and of her kissing Fei Lei in front of everyone in Jiangnan Public Market gains billions of views, and thousands of comments.
" Feng Lei, you sly, handsome troublemaker. You sure know how to catch public attention. And you're rich and handsome. That's why I kissed you in the first place. "
Han Manxue thinks, color rising to her cheeks once more as she remembers the kiss.
Feng Lei's lips taste of mint-flavored toothpaste and mouthwash.
His breath is fresh.
He even has a perfect grin that looks great on toothpaste advertisements.
Unlike Peng Haorin, whose breath smells like a junkyard. And has rotten, decayed teeth.
That's why I back away when Peng Haorin attempts to kiss me.
A pretty laugh bursts out from Han Manxue's lips.
Ring! Han Manxue's smartphone suddenly vibrates with an incoming call.
It is her father, Minghao Manxue.
" Good evening, daughter. "
Minghao's gravelly voice can be clearly heard amidst the noisy clatter of diners sitting down for a late night dinner.
" You're still running our stall so late at night outside the university, father? You have to take care of your health. "
Han Manxue says deferentially.
" There's profit to be made, daughter. Restaurants and fast food chains close early. Might as well take advantage of that. "
Minghao says on the other end of the line.
" I know why you called, father? Peng Haorin paid you a visit again, yes? "
Han Manxue says, her voice deferentially cool.
" Yes. Daughter. He has come to offer his hand in marriage-"
Minghao says, before Han Manxue's laughter cuts him off.
" Haha. As if I'll marry him, father. He's rich, yes, but he's ugly and stinky. Tell him to use his wealth to make himself presentable, take a bath and use skincare. "
Han Manxue laughs before she ends the call.
Peng Haorin won't be pleased the next time he comes, but what of it? He's repulsive, ugly, and socially awkward. I'll rather let Feng Lei fund me than marry that ugly pig.
Han Manxue coolly thinks before she prepares to sleep.