Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Keep Away from Lu Youbang Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Keep Away from Lu Youbang Lu Youbang hesitated for a moment and said, “I might not go back for the National Day holiday.”
“You didn’t go back during summer vacation, and now you’re not planning to return for the National Day holiday?” Xu Jianqiang said with feigned surprise, “Doesn’t your family miss you?”
“I’m a guy, it’s not like I’m that homesick, and my family is used to it,” Lu Youbang replied.
“I see.” Huang Qichong and his company exchanged glances before Huang Qichong asked, “By the way, which places do the locals in Fengnan City like to eat? Like snack streets or restaurants, anything is fine.”
Lu Youbang was really stumped by the question. How would he know about the local snack streets and restaurants in Fengnan City?
Although Hexing Village was under the jurisdiction of Fengnan City, it was actually quite far from the city center.
The only time he ever went to Fengnan City was to take the train.
His only knowledge of Fengnan City was the train station; he hadn’t been anywhere else.
Lu Youbang smiled and said, “I was focusing on studying to get into Jing University, I don’t really know where the locals usually hang out in Fengnan City. How about I ask around for you later?”
Unexpectedly, Huang Qichong agreed without any courtesy, “Sure.”
As a result, the next day, which was the orientation for new students, the three roommates left early for the cafeteria without saying a word to Lu Youbang.
Lu Youbang found it odd and as he made his way to the cafeteria, he called Huang Qichong, “How come you guys left early?”
Huang Qichong and his friends were eating and came up with an excuse, “Aren’t you eating with Huang Mengyao?”
“Didn’t I tell you last night? Mengyao doesn’t have class this morning, so she’s not eating with me. I asked you to wait for me,” Lu Youbang said, frowning slightly.
“Is that so? We must have forgotten then,” Huang Qichong laughed it off.
“Which cafeteria are you at? I’ll come find you.” Lu Youbang said while walking, but noticed that people passing by were looking at him.
There were even girls who, upon seeing him, covered their mouths and whispered something to their companions.
Lu Youbang didn’t think he was being sensitive because those people were definitely looking at him and whispering.
Then, Huang Qichong said on the phone, “Uh… we’ve already finished eating. We’re really sorry about today; we truly forgot. By the way, what do you want to eat? I can bring it back for you.”
“No need, I’m already on my way to the cafeteria,” replied Lu Youbang, hanging up the phone. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was a feeling that Huang Qichong and his friends were avoiding him.
Upon reaching the cafeteria and about to buy breakfast, he saw Huang Qichong’s group had just finished eating.
Since they were a bit far away, Lu Youbang couldn’t hear what Huang Qichong and his friends were saying, but he saw the three of them hastily cleaning up their plates, with Huang Qichong’s gestures urging the others to hurry.
The three quickly dumped their plates in the recycling bin and dashed out of the cafeteria as if their feet were greased.
Lu Youbang frowned—why did those three seem to be avoiding him?
After leaving the cafeteria, Huang Qichong’s group breathed a sigh of relief.
“Let’s just avoid Lu Youbang in the future. We can’t help sharing a dormitory, but outside the dorm, let’s try not to deal with him,” Huang Qichong whispered, “This will also let people know that our relationship with him is just so-so. To avoid the impression that birds of a feather flock together. Lu Youbang has character issues, and if we get too close to him, it would be bad if others thought we had issues too.”
“Right,” Gao Zhengzhong nodded, “Lu Youxi wouldn’t speak so openly at the university if she wasn’t ready to confront Lu Youbang; otherwise, she’d be sabotaging her own future.”
“Exactly,” Xu Jianqiang nodded, “And didn’t Old Huang probe Lu Youbang last night? Lu Youbang claimed that his family was from Fengnan City, yet he couldn’t mention a single thing about the city.”
“Yeah,” Huang Qichong pursed his lips, “He thinks he’s got a good excuse, but it’s really lame. Even if you’re studying hard for the college entrance exam, if it’s a place you’ve lived since childhood, you’d still know some things. The local snack street, the old restaurants, they don’t just shut down easily; they’re even part of the local people’s childhood memories. How could he not know anything at all? Like where I live, everybody knows the famous local snack street, even if they don’t go there often.”
“So, I initially thought without evidence, it would be wrong to jump to conclusions, but Lu Youbang’s reaction has made me believe Lu Youxi’s words even more,” Gao Zhengzhong said quietly.
At this time, they still didn’t know that Lu Youxi had pulled off something big during the new student induction ceremony.
*
After the morning induction ceremony, university classes were set to begin immediately.
It was the first day and first encounter with university courses for the freshmen, and they were all a bit excited.
After Lu Youxi’s first class, she was walking out with Lu Xiaohui, Xia Jinqiao, and Mo Yuchun when someone called out to her, “Youxi!”
At this call, not only Lu Youxi but also the surrounding people looked over.
At the end of the corridor, where there weren’t many people, stood Lu Youbang.
Lu Youbang had indeed transformed since coming to the Imperial Capital.
Lu Youxi, after all, was someone who had once been a CEO and had worn and seen all kinds of expensive clothing.
And she was even a regular at major brand fashion shows.
Lu Youbang’s outfit was not extremely expensive, but it was definitely beyond what the Lu family could afford.
Lu Youxi sneered, “No wonder he always asks for money from home; it’s not just for dating his girlfriend, he’s also splurging on himself.”
When Lu Xiaohui and others heard Lu Youxi’s comment, looked at Lu Youbang’s attire, then at Lu Youxi’s outfit, they immediately understood.
Lu Youbang was dressed no differently from a modern urban young man.
But Lu Youxi?
She would look better even in clothes bought from a night market stall compared to what she was wearing.
Reflecting on what Lu Youxi had said at the morning induction ceremony, everyone looking at Lu Youbang was filled with contempt.
Lu Youbang frowned slightly; he was now convinced that something was definitely up.
These people’s looks were just too strange.
It was something he had never experienced before.
Lu Youxi first spoke to her roommates, “I’ll go over there for a bit; don’t wait for me.”
“Go ahead,” Lu Xiaohui replied, but she and Xia Jinqiao and Mo Yuchun stood waiting nearby.
Lu Youbang coming over to find Lu Youxi surely meant he had something to say; it wasn’t convenient for all three of them to join, but they didn’t plan to leave either.
With a cold face, Lu Youxi walked up to Lu Youbang, but before she could say anything, Lu Youbang began, “Youxi, I haven’t congratulated you yet on getting into Jing University.”
Lu Youxi nodded, “Thanks.”
To Lu Youbang’s surprise, Lu Youxi’s attitude towards him was still relatively okay.