Having smoothly received the text message notification for the interview, Zhuang Chi arrived at the destination’s entrance the next morning.
A few people had already arrived sporadically, all looking like they were here for the same interview. Among them, a flash of gold was particularly eye-catching.
“Ah, Zhuang Chi!” Olivia had also noticed her early on. She quickly approached her as if to welcome her, a joyful smile on her face. “This is great. I felt relieved after seeing you… No one was talking here before, and the atmosphere felt a bit oppressive…”
Indeed. Zhuang Chi glanced around and felt that everyone seemed wound up, full of competitive spirit. As someone who was just here to participate, Zhuang Chi didn’t share this feeling. She gave Olivia a reassuring smile. “It’s an interview, after all, so it’s natural for everyone to be nervous. How are you feeling now?”
“I… I’m a little nervous too.” Olivia said, pressing a hand to her chest and smiling shyly. “I originally thought I’d be eliminated at the resume stage because I really didn’t know what to write… I didn’t expect to actually pass. I’m not mentally prepared for an interview.”
…Even Olivia feels like she has nothing to write? Zhuang Chi thought. A foreign princess with a legitimate right of succession should have attended plenty of international events, yet now she has to be interviewed to join a student council presidium…
“Then let’s talk about something else.” Zhuang Chi wanted to help Olivia relax. After a moment’s thought, she said, “By the way, have people been asking you about you and Gu Ximian recently? You don’t have to answer those questions too seriously. Most people are just watching for the drama, so you can just say a few things to brush them off.”
Her experience in this area was probably a bit richer than Olivia’s. Olivia nodded in sudden understanding, then said in alarm, “Is it bad to say too much? Oh dear, but Lily also asked me when I got home yesterday, and I said a lot…”
“…I see. Telling Lily… should be… fine, right…”
…It probably depends on how Olivia said it. Zhuang Chi thought. If she was just gushing about her fondness for Gu Ximian, it could easily lead to a misunderstanding with Lily… Ai, I wonder if there will be any chain reactions.
The two of them were chatting idly in a corner when Gu Ximian arrived, with five minutes left before the interview. Her gaze shifted, and she walked over to them. “You’re both so early. Don’t you get bored waiting outside for so long?”
“Well, there’s not much to do in the dorm anyway…” And I’d be annoyed by the incessant chatter of Ling Jing, who can’t participate in the interview (she’s been hanging out in Zhuang Chi’s dorm whenever she’s free lately). Zhuang Chi didn’t finish her thought, instead changing the subject. “You look… like you’re not very nervous.”
“I’m alright,” Gu Ximian replied, her expression as calm as usual. “Just treat the interview like a chat. It’s just everyone sitting together and talking, so it’s more or less the same.”
…As expected of the female protagonist, her mindset is really something else. Zhuang Chi thought that this was something she probably couldn’t learn. Just then, the door to the empty classroom, which had been shut tight, was pushed open. An Chen walked out and announced in a very official tone, “Thank you for waiting. You may come in now.”
Zhuang Chi and the others walked in with the group. The space inside was large and seemed to have been specially tidied up. The room appeared very empty, with only a round table in the very center being the most conspicuous feature. Zhuang Chi swept a glance over it and understood.
It seems to be a group interview. The kind with a group discussion? Zhuang Chi followed Gu Ximian and sat down at the round table, thinking that she wasn’t very good at jumping in to speak. Should I make an effort this time, or what—
“Whoa, has it started already? Sorry, sorry, I didn’t pay attention to the time before I left…”
Just then, the already closed door was suddenly opened. A boy poked his head in. He had regular features, but his looks leaned more towards cute than handsome. He raised a hand to take off the earbud from one ear, his round eyes showing an apologetic expression as he looked at An Chen. “Can I come in?”
He looks like someone who’s late for the interview, Zhuang Chi thought, but… strange, the round table seems to be full already.
“…” An Chen didn’t respond right away. He looked very surprised. After a long moment, he said hesitantly, “…You… come in first. Lou Che.”
“Oh, oh, thank you.” The boy called Lou Che happily slipped through the crack in the door. As he closed the door behind him, his eyes widened with curiosity, looking at the people around the table. “Looks like it hasn’t started yet. That’s good, seems I’m not too late… So? Which one is Zhuang Chi?”
He smiled innocently and harmlessly, revealing the tips of his canine teeth. “This interview is happening because of her, right? So I’ve always wanted to meet her.”
When An Chen called out the boy’s name, her heart gave a sudden jolt.
…But she hadn’t expected him to look for her right away. Zhuang Chi stiffly looked up at Lou Che, who was now standing beside her. The boy seemed very curious about her, blinking as he looked her over from head to toe. His bright smile was filled with deep interest. “Hey… so you’re Zhuang Chi. I remember… your resume said you beat An Chen? How did you win? Can you tell me?”
I won with rock-paper-scissors. Zhuang Chi thought. If I say that, will he think I’m messing with him?
No, let’s not talk about that first. The more important thing right now should be the name “Lou Che”—wow, isn’t this really that “little wolf dog”?
Although he currently looked like a harmless puppy, even Zhuang Chi, whose memory wasn’t that clear, had a vague impression: this person was far from as innocent as he appeared. His level of difficulty was at least eight Olivias combined.
She was a bit confused for a moment, unable to figure out why Lou Che would appear here. Lou Che was staring at her without blinking, waiting for her answer. Before Zhuang Chi could speak, a clear, cool voice came from beside her.
“Who are you?” Gu Ximian turned her head slightly, glanced at Lou Che, then looked at An Chen, her voice deepening slightly. “Is this also part of the interview? If so, before suddenly questioning someone, shouldn’t you at least introduce yourself first?”
Her tone was relatively calm, but it was enough for everyone present to sense her displeasure, and Lou Che was no exception. He raised an eyebrow, took a step back before An Chen could answer, and grinned as he apologized to Gu Ximian, looking quite sincere. “You’re right. I’m sorry, that was too abrupt of me… My name is Lou Che. This isn’t an interview, and strictly speaking, I’m not really a member of the Presidium either…”
He frowned, looking somewhat troubled, as if he didn’t know how to explain his identity. At this moment, An Chen interjected, “…Lou Che is sort of the… advisor for the Student Council and all the clubs.”
“To put it simply, for all decisions, for any problems that arise, you can seek his help.” As An Chen spoke, he glanced at Zhuang Chi and said pointedly, “…He is exceptionally outstanding. This is his third year doing this job, so… his say in the Presidium is greater than mine.”
“Third year?” Olivia let out a small gasp. “But… he looks so young. Is he already a fourth-year senior?”
“Hm? Nope, I’m not a fourth-year,” Lou Che replied, turning his head. His large, light-brown eyes blinked slyly. “I started my PhD this year.”
“…”
The room instantly fell into an indescribable silence. An Chen let out a soft breath and spoke again. “That’s right. Lou Che is what you’d call a—genius.”
A proud, arrogant, and eccentric boy genius.
This was the label Zhuang Chi had given Lou Che back then. Although it seemed a bit much now, it was probably quite normal at the time. What old-school novel didn’t have a few geniuses?
“Oh well, I originally thought that if we were going to recruit someone, we should just find the most outstanding person and have them join,” and this genius seemed to have a restless heart, eager to stir up trouble. Zhuang Chi heard Lou Che say in a carefree tone, “But for whatever reason, it was changed to a selection process. Since we’ve already gathered everyone here, I feel like we should at least make it a little more fun to justify the time everyone spent on this. Mmm, group discussions and all that are too boring.”
“How about this,” he said, his eyes suddenly brightening as if he’d thought of a great idea. He looked at An Chen. “There’s another batch of clubs setting up stalls for recruitment tomorrow, right? How about we temporarily assign everyone to different clubs to help with the recruitment? It’s an interesting task, isn’t it?”
“Eh,” An Chen was taken aback and retorted with a frown, “This is too sudden. The clubs recruiting tomorrow must have already made their preparations—”
“Really? Most of the clubs at our school aren’t that competent.” Lou Che looked unconvinced and pouted. “Even if they’re prepared, they’ll never have enough hands once they actually set up their stalls. Sending these people over won’t do those clubs any harm. Then, how much of a role they can play in the process is what they’ll have to consider. Isn’t that a very suitable interview question for an outstanding Presidium member? It’s much more reliable than some group discussion where you win by talking, right?”
Seeing An Chen still frowning, unable to let it go, Lou Che smiled and spread his hands. “Of course, this is just a small suggestion. If you’re not sure, just let all the Presidium members vote on it.”
An Chen was silent for a long moment, then finally closed his eyes in semi-resignation and bowed his head apologetically to the interviewees at the long table. “Excuse me, please wait for a moment.”
After speaking, he walked towards the door with Lou Che, quietly chiding him as they went, “Next time you have a proposal like this, say it in advance.” Lou Che, in turn, stuck out his tongue and replied with a grin, “Sorry, sorry, it just suddenly came to me,” and then they left the room together.
The people in the room were left looking at each other in dismay. The look of surprise on Olivia’s face hadn’t faded. She looked in the direction Lou Che had left and marveled in a low voice, “What an… an amazing person. He looks like he’s just barely an adult at most, right? To think he’s already a PhD student…”
“…Yeah.”
Having a good idea of how things would eventually turn out, Zhuang Chi sighed silently and looked at Gu Ximian. The other girl was quietly looking down, a thoughtful expression on her face. Noticing her gaze, she looked up and met her eyes for a long moment.
“Another troublesome person has appeared,” Gu Ximian said, a faint smile playing on her lips as she looked at Zhuang Chi. “What do you think of Lou Che?”
“…” The implied meaning in her words was self-evident. Knowing that Gu Ximian had already realized Lou Che was an important character, Zhuang Chi gave a wry smile. “…He is… a bit troublesome, I guess.”
And just as she expected, when An Chen and Lou Che returned, they came back with a container for drawing lots. Inside were slips of paper with the names of the various clubs recruiting the next day. Zhuang Chi drew the Mental Health Research Club, which sounded very proper.
After that came an explanation of the new rules. To put it simply, they were to help the clubs as much as possible, and then come back here the day after tomorrow to give a written and oral report—like a thesis defense—after which all the members of the Student Council Presidium would grade them one by one.
…So, that means we’re done for today after drawing lots. Next, I’ll have to find the president of my assigned club. People were already starting to leave. Zhuang Chi looked at her slip of paper, thinking melancholically that things seemed to have gotten more complicated. Just as she was about to leave the room as well, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“…Can you stay for a moment?” It was An Chen. He looked heavily preoccupied, and his tone was exceptionally serious. “I… have something I want to say to you.”
Setting everything else aside, Olivia, who was next to her, had already let out a small “Ya!” shriek. After quickly covering her mouth, her eyes darted wildly between An Chen, Gu Ximian, and Zhuang Chi. No, it’s not what you think, Olivia… It was obvious he wanted to talk about Lou Che. For a moment, Zhuang Chi didn’t know how to explain this to Olivia’s romance-addled brain, so she could only turn to Gu Ximian first. “Then… you and Olivia go on ahead. I’ll talk with An Chen…”
Gu Ximian nodded in understanding. After softly leaving a “We’ll wait for you outside,” she led the still-confused Olivia out of the room, not giving Zhuang Chi a chance to say “You don’t have to wait.” Zhuang Chi had no choice but to race against time and look at An Chen, her speech quickening. “…The person you told me about yesterday, you were referring to Lou Che, right?”
“Yes.” Now that it was just the two of them in the room, An Chen answered straightforwardly. “He seems to be very interested in you right now… Ai, at this point, there’s no harm in telling you. He was the one who proposed recruiting new members for the Presidium from the freshmen this year. He was also the one who said to just talk to Ximian and settle the matter. But he hasn’t had much contact with Ximian for the time being, so I’m not quite sure what his interest in you is really about—”
“Are you talking about me?”
An Chen was cut off mid-sentence. It was again the clear voice of a young man coming from the doorway. An Chen and Zhuang Chi turned their heads in unison to see Lou Che walking in with a bottled drink, smiling at them. “I just went to buy a drink. Can I join you?”
Talk about someone behind their back and they’re sure to appear, Zhuang Chi thought silently, watching Lou Che walk between them. After smiling at An Chen, he immediately looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“You…” Lou Che paused, then smiled relaxedly after some consideration. “You don’t really seem like an Alpha.”
Zhuang Chi froze, then heard him explain, “Ah, I’m not talking about your looks or anything, just the overall impression you give, and also…”
“That question I asked you earlier, Gu Ximian helped you out, didn’t she?” Lou Che twisted open his drink and took a sip, saying nonchalantly, “I feel that an Alpha… shouldn’t need help from others for such a small problem.”
“…”
There was no malice in his tone, but the content was rather unfriendly. Zhuang Chi frowned slightly. An Chen was even more unable to hold back than she was, speaking up, “Lou Che, what you’re saying is a bit out of line—”
“Is it? Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.” Lou Che, surprisingly, apologized readily and smiled. “Actually, it’s just that my understanding of the word ‘Alpha’ is a bit different from most people’s—I think it should be… a title for the most outstanding people in the world.”
“For example… Gu Ximian is very much like an Alpha.” He said, letting out a regretful sigh. “…I was actually looking forward to meeting you after seeing your resume. What a pity.”
“An Chen probably told you just now. The one I wanted from the very beginning was Gu Ximian. He agreed with my opinion at first, but then he went to a banquet and changed his mind. If you ask me… this is all just a waste of time—everyone’s time. Outstanding people will win in the end no matter how you compete, so why go through all this trouble?”
“So, as an apology, I thought I should at least let you all have a little fun,” Lou Che screwed the cap back on his drink. The plastic bottle made a soft clicking sound in his hand. He squeezed it a few times out of boredom, then quickly lost interest and smiled at Zhuang Chi. “So that’s that. Have fun, and bye-bye.”
Like an unpredictable typhoon, Lou Che said his piece and left just as he pleased. Zhuang Chi could almost clearly feel that he had lost interest in her. Beside her, An Chen’s expression was very ugly, and he was resentfully muttering things like, “This is why geniuses are… Hey, Zhuang Chi, you’re the one who beat me! You can’t let him look down on you like this! Show him what you’re made of with your skills!” which gave her another headache.
…It’s a good thing Lou Che is probably the last important character in this school. Otherwise, she’d really have to make an appointment at the Mental Health Research Club sooner or later.
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