Having recently helped a trendy clothing brand with photo editing, Xue Yang had gained a certain understanding of the market. He had a feeling that online shopping was destined to become a huge market, and if he wanted to make money, he could focus his efforts in this direction.
However, if he really wanted to open such a large online store and build its brand recognition, he would need to invest a substantial amount of capital upfront.
At his current rate of earning, it wasn’t nearly enough for the initial investment.
Continuing to do photo editing online was an option, but that would barely cover his daily living expenses and nothing more.
As for modeling, it seemed to be the quickest way to make money at the moment.
Xue Yang got out of bed, threw on a jacket, and sat down at his desk. He took out a notebook and a pen and began to list his future plans.
Open a Taobao store.
Photo editing.
Part-time modeling.
Prepare to enter Lin Corporation.
***
Cui Hao woke up in a daze. Seeing Xue Yang already sitting at the desk and writing something seriously, his sleepiness vanished in an instant.
"Damn, Xue Yang! Asleep at four and up by six, are you even human?"
I thought I was already working myself to the bone, but this guy is on another level—to the point of not sleeping at all.
Xue Yang looked up at him and said, "My kidneys are strong; I don’t need much sleep."
Cui Hao irritably scratched his hair. A moment later, it finally registered. "The hell? You’re the one with weak kidneys! Your whole family has weak kidneys!"
Xue Yang put away his notebook, went to the balcony to wash up, then got dressed and prepared to head out.
Cui Hao climbed out of bed, staggered to the balcony, and also began to wash up.
On the balcony, a pair of socks hanging conspicuously caught his eye. He yanked them down and tossed them aside. "Who hangs socks out to dry in a proper guys’ dorm?"
Seeing the socks lying on the balcony floor like a crumpled rag seemed to improve his mood a bit.
He quickly finished washing up, then went back to bed, closed his eyes, and drifted back to sleep.
Yup, gotta nourish the kidneys!
***
After leaving the dormitory, Xue Yang ran a lap around the track, went to the cafeteria for breakfast, and then headed to the Student Council office.
Even though he no longer needed to rush for a bus, joining the Student Council kept his schedule quite full.
Moreover, since he was just starting out, there were many things he had to learn to handle.
What Xue Yang hadn’t expected was that someone was already in the office, even though it was only a little past six.
I thought I was early, but it turns out someone is even earlier than me.
Yu Kexin was about to have breakfast when she saw Xue Yang come in and greeted him warmly.
"President Xue, have you had breakfast? Want to join me?"
"I’ve already eaten. Thanks."
Yu Kexin went back to seriously eating her breakfast.
"You’re here early today too, President Xue?"
"Kexin, you can just call me Xue Yang. There’s no need to be so formal."
"Haha." Yu Kexin was amused by Xue Yang’s earnestness.
She had often heard her roommates discussing how handsome and aloof Xue Yang was.
Now it seems he’s definitely handsome, but aloof... apparently not so much.
Yu Kexin picked up a deep-fried dough stick, dipped it into her soy milk, and began to eat while making small talk with Xue Yang.
"I’ve heard you’re a very devoted person, Xue Yang, capable of liking someone for six whole years. I’ve always been curious about you. I have to admit, I was pretty surprised to hear you say last night that you have a girlfriend now."
Xue Yang appreciated people like Yu Kexin who asked questions directly rather than just speculating in private.
"Yeah, I liked her for six years. Thinking back on it now, I’m surprised myself."
"You liked her for so long, and now you suddenly have a girlfriend. It’s hard not to suspect you’re doing it just to spite her."
"If I said I’m not, would you believe me?"
"Can I ask why? Don’t mind me, I’m just curious. How can a guy like someone for six years but then walk away the moment he says he doesn’t anymore?"
"Do you think I’m a scumbag?" Xue Yang asked.
"Right now, it does look that way. But scumbag or not, I don’t mix personal matters with work," Yu Kexin added.
It was clear she was a very considerate person. A department like the Student Council needed people like her. Only then could internal problems be avoided.
"I could have lied and said I didn’t have a girlfriend. But I didn’t."
"Why not?"
"Because I don’t think having a girlfriend is something to be ashamed of. If I have one, I should say so openly, right?"
"That’s true. But we seem to have gotten off-topic. You still haven’t told me how you could let go of six years of feelings just like that."
"Because my senior told me a long time ago that she didn’t like me. Those six years were just a product of my own imagination."
"Really? But from what I’ve seen, it looks like she does have feelings for you."
"Do you really think someone who wasn’t moved after six years of effort could be won over in just two or three months?"
Yu Kexin was speechless.
She had never been in a relationship, so she didn’t know what it truly felt like to love someone. But she understood that if six years weren’t enough to move a person, then they really must not have liked them.
Xue Yang continued, "I didn’t understand before. I always thought a fluttering heart was love. It wasn’t until I met her that I realized love is more than just that initial spark. It can be a single moment, or it can be found in a simple, ordinary little thing. When I’m with her, it’s not awkward even if we aren’t talking.
"Things that might seem childish to others feel like pure happiness when I’m doing them with her."
Yu Kexin looked at Xue Yang.
He’s so handsome, tall, cheerful, and talented. It’s hard to imagine why Chen Ying wouldn’t like a treasure like him. Her sadness now must just be because she can’t accept it, right?
"Although I’m still a bit puzzled, congratulations on finally escaping the mire of unrequited love and finding someone you truly like," she said.
"Thank you!" Xue Yang replied sincerely.
They shared a smile, a sense of having found a kindred spirit. It was a feeling that had nothing to do with romance, merely the bond of friendship.
"Sigh. I was hoping to make some female friends by joining the Student Council, since my Computer Science department has so few women. But after all that, I still end up having to work with a guy," Yu Kexin said with a touch of mock annoyance.
"Why did you choose to study computer science, Kexin? It’s true that not many women pick that major."
After all, most computer science graduates become programmers, and female programmers are as rare as giant pandas.
"Because I love it. I’ve been interested in all kinds of programming since I was little. The reason I got into Yanbei University through special admission was that I was the national champion of a computer competition."