Chapter 28: 28. Chapter 28: Too Abstract

Chapter 28: Too Abstract

That evening, Shen Li couldn't wait to share the good news with her sister.

Although her teacher had reminded her that, per the production company's requirements, the identities of the leads were to remain confidential and would only be officially announced at the press conference for the opening ceremony, Shen Li still told her sister in secret. She simply couldn't resist sharing this joy with her immediately.

She didn't dare to video call, so she could only send text messages. Looking at the messages from her sister, Shen Ci felt as if she could see her sister's ecstatic and excited expression through the words.

"What are you smiling at?"

When Gu Lianxing pushed the door open, she happened to see Shen Ci wearing an "auntie smile" while looking at her phone, and couldn't help but ask.

Shen Ci shook her head with a smile. "Nothing. Why did you run so fast today?"

Gu Lianxing went running on the track every night. The duration depended on her calorie intake for the day, but it was generally not less than an hour.

"My new shoes were rubbing my feet a bit, so I came back to change," Gu Lianxing said, casually tossing something to Shen Ci. "A boy downstairs asked me to pass this to you."

"Huh?" Shen Ci was startled and instinctively reached out to catch it.

Gu Lianxing smiled. "Don't be scared. It's not Li Xiao, just an ordinary boy."

Shen Ci looked at the sealed packaging in her hand, her face full of bewilderment. She gave it a light shake, and the contents made a "rustling" sound.

Not knowing who it was from or what it was, Shen Ci simply opened it.

Peering inside, she found a bag of black wolfberries.

Shen Ci was even more bewildered, having no idea why anyone would send her a bag of black wolfberries for no reason.

Seeing this, Gu Lianxing laughed. "Good stuff!"

Looking at the plain, unbranded silver sealed bag, Shen Ci asked, "There's nothing else in here. Would you even dare to eat this?"

"It was a gift for you, so I'm definitely not eating it." As she spoke, Gu Lianxing had already changed her shoes. She waved to Shen Ci and headed back out.

Shen Ci closed the bag and casually placed the black wolfberries in the cabinet at her feet.

The next day, she found out exactly who had sent them.

At the USTC canteen, just as Shen Ci and Gu Lianxing had finished getting their food and found a place to sit, a cup of milk tea appeared by Shen Ci's side.

Startled, she turned her head and saw a boy in a gray T-shirt looking at her with a shy expression.

Indeed, Shen Ci saw "shyness" in the boy's expression—that kind of gaze that wanted to look directly at her but kept flinching away.

The boy was wearing khaki shorts that had some noticeable stains that hadn't been washed out, or perhaps they were impossible to wash out.

His hair was medium-length and greasy; in some places, it was matted to his scalp, while in others, it stood up irregularly, all covered in dandruff.

Before Shen Ci could even speak, he suddenly turned and ran away.

The people around them couldn't help but smirk and giggle. The scene was simply too jarring. If he wanted to pursue Shen Ci, didn't he consider washing his hair first?

Gu Lianxing's expression was even more exaggerated than Shen Ci's. Her eyes widened in a mix of disgust and shock as she looked at Shen Ci. "Darling, that bag of black wolfberries last night was from him!"

She then hurriedly explained to clear her name: "But it was a bit dark last night, I really didn't see him look like this. I just thought he looked ordinary; I didn't notice anything else."

The milk tea on the table was actually still warm. Gu Lianxing picked it up and tossed it directly into the trash can by her feet. "Don't drink this. And throw away that bag of black wolfberries too. Thinking about it now, it's a bit nauseating."

Coming back to her senses, Shen Ci looked at Gu Lianxing with a look of utter confusion. "I don't know him!"

Gu Lianxing wasn't particularly surprised. "The news of your breakup with Li Xiao has probably reached many people by now. Before, because you were with Li Xiao, no one dared to say anything to you. Now that those admirers are emerging, it's not surprising—it's just that this guy today is a bit too 'abstract'."

It wasn't even a case of a toad wanting to eat swan meat. At least a toad would know to jump into the water to wash itself first.

Shen Ci, on the other hand, felt a lingering sense of dread, feeling that being targeted by someone like this was somewhat terrifying.

"Shen Ci, his name is Hao Penghui."

At that moment, a girl from the next table suddenly leaned over and whispered, "He's a classmate of mine, from my hometown in Zhoushan."

Gu Lianxing quickly asked, "Classmate, what department are you in? Has he always been like this? I mean, his appearance..."

The girl nodded. "I'm in the Mathematics Department. It seems like he hasn't washed his hair much since enrollment, and his clothes are always filthy. However, his family's circumstances aren't very good, so we don't say much; it's just that no one wants to get too close to him."

As she spoke, she pointed to her own head. "Our classmates all think his brain isn't quite right sometimes, but his grades are exceptionally good. Anyway, Shen Ci, just ignore him."

After hearing the classmate's description, Shen Ci felt even more unsettled.

Gu Lianxing also felt that the boy's behavior was far too abrupt. Even if his mind wasn't quite right, he wouldn't just give a girl black wolfberries and buy her milk tea for no reason, would he?

If he did it to anyone else, fine, but to Shen Ci? He couldn't seriously think he was worthy of her, could he?

"Let's just eat first."

Shen Ci calmed her emotions slightly, thinking that if the person made any further moves, she would have a talk with him.

Two days later, the production crew notified Shen Li to come for a makeup test.

The address was exactly Lu Jinzhao's "Jin Xiao Media" company.

When Shen Li arrived, the scene was chaotic. A large number of actors waiting for their makeup tests were gathered in the corridor outside the dressing rooms.

Since Wang Chuhan had no classes today, she had accompanied Shen Li. Seeing such a massive crowd for the first time, she couldn't help but widen her eyes. "My god, with this many people, how long will we be waiting? Until the year of the monkey?"

Shen Li hadn't expected so many actors to be there for the makeup test today. She felt a bit embarrassed and said to Wang Chuhan, "Chuhan, why don't you head back first? I'll wait here by myself. It looks like it'll be a long wait."

"Since we're already here, maybe we'll see a big star. I'll wait with you," Wang Chuhan said unbothered.

At that moment, Xu Zishan emerged from behind, accompanied by a fellow student.

She sized Shen Li up with a look of disdain and laughed softly. "The Fourth Miss is a concubine's daughter in the original novel, and her daily attire is very shabby. Do you even need a makeup test to play her maid? You should probably just go with a bare face to be closer to the character!"

Her opening words were so sarcastic that Shen Li's expression darkened.

Seeing that Shen Li didn't respond, Xu Zishan curled her lip in boredom and pulled her classmate along to squeeze toward the front.

"A petty person enjoying a moment of success. Pfft!" Wang Chuhan spat toward her retreating back.

Shen Li asked in confusion, "I don't even know her. Why is she targeting me?"

"Jealousy," Wang Chuhan said. "People like her, who are born with a sense of superiority, will always be jealous when they see someone more excellent than themselves. Just ignore her."

"Shen Li! Is Shen Li here?"

Just then, a staff member walked out holding a folder, calling out while scanning the scene.

Shen Li quickly raised her hand. "I'm here!"

"Go into Makeup Room A and find Teacher Wen Xuan for your test."

Shen Li nodded, only to see the staff member continue, "Liu Meng, Xu Zishan, Zhang Yuanyuan..."

He rattled off more than a dozen names in one breath, then pointed toward the innermost room. "You guys, go queue in that room!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zishan's eyes widened abruptly. Why could Shen Li go for her makeup test immediately, while she had to queue up with over a dozen other people in the back?