Chapter 35: Actually quite handsome!

Yancheng Institute of Technology, male dormitory.

Zhang Wensheng stared at his goddess's travel updates on his Moments feed, his eyes turning green with envy. He practically leaped out of his bed.

After hesitating for a long while, he still didn't have the courage to send her a message.

Gritting his teeth, he slapped his quilt and opened a forum app.

In the Automotive section and the Romance section, he posted: "Sincere question: what car is this? I need to accept my fate."

Body text: "The high school junior I've always had a crush on rejected my invitation to a movie, but went on a road trip with someone else. I want to know where I lost."

Then, he uploaded a photo containing a shot of a car's interior.

It was a photo Zhao Yaqian had taken of the open passenger-side glove box, which was filled to the brim with snacks.

Perhaps because both the photo and the title were catchy, it quickly garnered many replies.

【Need to Settle the Loss: "Great legs! Definitely worthy of being called a goddess!"】

【Ice Cream: "Judging by the length of the calves, this girl's height is excellent. Definitely no less than 175cm! Suitable for basketball."】

【Fitness Tough Guy: "With legs like those, it's a tragedy she isn't pedaling a tricycle."】

...

The comments below were a uniform chorus of praising her legs.

Although the photo only revealed slender, straight calves, it still attracted a large crowd of thirsty onlookers.

Zhang Wensheng hurriedly replied below: "Guys, can we focus on the main topic? What car is this exactly?"

After a while longer, some decent netizens finally clicked in.

【Rocket Husky: "The interior looks unfamiliar, probably modified. I have to say, the owner has good taste; it's quite pretty."】

【Almost Believed It: "Strange, the interior layout looks familiar, but I just can't place it."】

...

【High Temp: "Look at the B-pillar, then look at the glove box. Isn't this my beloved Wuling Hongguang S? [Interior.jpg]"】

Zhang Wensheng froze, then immediately clicked the photo to zoom in and compare.

Sure enough, the overall layout was extremely similar to the one Zhao Yaqian had posted. He could basically confirm the model.

"A Wuling Hongguang S?" He opened Douyin to search for details. Seeing the model and the price, he instantly relaxed.

Thank goodness, she definitely wasn't dating!

A girl as outstanding as Zhao Yaqian had plenty of suitors back in school; her standards wouldn't be low.

This guy looked mediocre at best—not even a handsome guy—and he was driving a 50,000-yuan Wuling Hongguang. How could he possibly win her over?

Having cleared his thoughts, an excited Zhang Wensheng opened WeChat and liked Zhao Yaqian's update.

He commented: "Qianqian is as beautiful as ever! Who are you traveling with? The Wuling Hongguang has plenty of space; take me with you next time! I've recently taken a photography elective, and my skills are top-notch!"

After admiring Zhao Yaqian's beautiful photos for a while, Zhang Wensheng watched the notifications popping up and then deleted his forum post.

These thirsty guys really had no class, getting this excited just by seeing a pair of legs.

***

Tiankuo Garden Residential Area.

The Wuling Hongguang slowly pulled up outside the entrance of Unit 2, Building 6.

Having played all day, Zhao Yaqian leaned quietly against the seat, a faint, imperceptible smile on her lips.

In the darkness, her exposed skin appeared exceptionally fair.

Her smooth, long hair cascaded along her delicate face and rested upon her rising and falling chest; her sleeping posture was very sweet.

Tang Song did not wake her immediately. He moved the car slightly to ensure it wouldn't obstruct others from passing.

He pulled to the side, turned off the engine.

The streetlights in the residential area were dim. Without the noise of the engine, the interior of the car instantly became dark and quiet; he could even hear the slight sound of her rhythmic breathing.

Tang Song reclined the seat back a bit, breathing in the subtle fragrance of the beautician, and scanned his surroundings curiously.

This was a typical old-style residential complex. It wasn't very large, consisting mostly of 6-story buildings without elevators.

The buildings were somewhat aged, and the greenery, facilities, and property management were quite subpar.

Electric scooters, bicycles, and motor vehicles were parked in a messy fashion throughout the complex.

Of course, there were some advantages: it was within the urban area, convenient for transportation, surrounded by mature amenities, and was in a good school district.

A 100-square-meter two-bedroom apartment could be picked up for about 1.5 million yuan.

Tang Song's gaze drifted slightly. His parents' greatest expectation for him once was to buy a house in Yancheng.

To settle down, marry, and have children.

With his salary level and family circumstances, if everything went smoothly, he could buy a second-hand apartment in an old complex like this around the age of 30.

A 30% down payment, using a provident fund loan.

If his family's situation allowed, he might even get a car, just like Brother Guo.

Of course, that was assuming no accidents occurred.

Such as: a major illness for himself or a family member, unemployment, getting a girlfriend, loans not being repaid, stocks, funds...

His family background meant he had no capacity to absorb risk. Any setback would delay his dream of homeownership for a long time.

For instance, during his senior year of university, his father lost his job, his mother was suddenly hospitalized with pneumonia, and the family was buried in debt.

He had no choice but to abandon his dream of applying for a postgraduate degree at Imperial University.

He sent out resumes, interned, worked hard, and secured a permanent position, taking on the heavy burden of his family.

It was during those hardest days that the game *God's Growth Plan* appeared on his computer, becoming an important way for him to vent his frustrations and release stress.

In the three years since graduation, he had worked hard, taken on freelance gigs, and lived frugally to help his family clear their debts, even saving over 40,000 yuan for himself.

His mother's health had fully recovered, and his father's hardware store in town was gradually getting back on track.

Of course, the distance between him and his "white moonlight" had grown wider and wider.

After facing reality, he stopped struggling, left the capital, and returned to Yancheng.

He found a decent job, stayed close to his parents to make caretaking easier, and the housing prices were affordable enough that he could buy something if he worked hard.

Just when he thought he would live a quiet, ordinary life, the game became reality, the system descended, and his life underwent a 180-degree reversal.

To this day, he still worried this might be a fleeting dream, so the first thing he did every morning was smile and then open the system interface to take a look.

*Ding-dong, ding-dong—*

The phone rang suddenly, breaking the quiet atmosphere inside the car.

"Mm." Zhao Yaqian slowly opened her eyes.

Her face showed a moment of grogginess before she immediately cleared her head. She hurriedly pulled her phone from her bag and answered.

"Hello, Tingzi."

"I'm..." Zhao Yaqian glanced at the scenery outside the window, "I'm downstairs. I'll be up in a moment!"

"Okay, okay, I know."

"I know, I really know!" Zhao Yaqian stole a glance at Tang Song, "Bye."

She hung up.

Tang Song gathered his thoughts and explained, "You looked like you were sleeping so soundly just now, I didn't want to disturb you."

"Thanks, Brother Song." Zhao Yaqian turned her body to look at Tang Song's face. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "My room is a bit messy, and my other roommate is there, she..."

Tang Song raised his right hand and smiled. "I know. It's been a long day. Go back and get some good sleep. I won't come up and disturb you."

Zhao Yaqian let out a sigh of relief. She grabbed her bag and pulled the door handle. "Then I'll head up first. Be careful on the road, Brother Song. Remember to message me when you get home."

With a *click*, the door was pushed open. Zhao Yaqian waved with a smile, "Bye~"

"Wait a second."

Tang Song got out of the car and called out to the departing Zhao Yaqian.

He opened the trunk and packed the leftover fruit, snacks, and drinks into a large bag.

"I've been trying to lose weight lately, so I won't be eating these. I'll have to trouble Teacher Zhao to help me finish them."

Zhao Yaqian was stunned and hurriedly waved her hands. "You spent all the money today, I already feel bad enough as it is. How can I take more?"

"Just take it. I bought them for you anyway." Tang Song handed the bag directly toward her.

As their fingers lightly brushed, a tingling sensation traveled through them.

Zhao Yaqian's face flushed, but she didn't refuse further. She carefully took the bag and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Brother Song!"

"Bye~" Tang Song waved to her and climbed back into the driver's seat.

With a *thud*, the door closed, and the window rolled down again, revealing his smiling face.

Under the dim light, the 19-year-old beautician suddenly felt that this programmer friend of hers was actually quite handsome!

If she helped him manage his skin, he would be a total heartthrob!

"Bye~, please be very careful on the road." Zhao Yaqian said her farewell once more and turned to enter the building.

*Thump!* A heavy footstep sounded, and the motion-sensor light in the hallway lit up.

(End of Chapter)