Campus Ace Girl

He spoke in such a warm and gentle manner, completely different from usual.

Wang Kegui felt a bit uneasy, thinking that hanging around with his big brother like this was lowering his own standards...

But Wang Kefu didn’t feel embarrassed at all; he actually took pride in it. He chatted for quite a while before hanging up the phone, making anyone unaware think he and Lin Shuang were the old acquaintances.

About five minutes after the call ended, Lin Shuang came downstairs, still beautiful and captivating after a busy day.

Wang Kefu immediately got out of the car and opened the back door like a gentleman: "Xiao Lin, please have a seat."

Lin Shuang smiled: "Thank you."

She sat in the back seat while the Wang brothers were in the front. Wang Kefu drove to the largest entertainment venue in Jiangcheng, one of the most famous bars there, where he was familiar. Wang Kegui rarely visited, and dressed quite politely, looking somewhat out of place. On the contrary, Lin Shuang seemed very at ease.

Wang Kegui couldn’t help but ask: "Do you come often?"

Lin Shuang sat down and chuckled lightly: "Sometimes for social engagements. Don’t you come here?"

Wang Kegui paused before responding: "I rarely come."

During the conversation break, Wang Kefu had already ordered drinks and some snacks. His plump body filled the chair. He said gleefully, "Xiao Lin, I ordered some things girls like."

Lin Shuang touched her hair and smiled faintly.

Wang Kefu was quite good with words: "As long as a woman isn’t married, she’s a girl. Isn’t there a term now called ’middle-aged girl’?"

Lin Shuang held up her glass, chuckling softly: "Do you think I’ve reached middle age?"

"No, no, that’s not what I meant. Xiao Lin, don’t misunderstand," Wang Kefu quickly clarified, then nudged his brother: "Say something nice."

Wang Kegui wasn’t accustomed to this kind of talk and said flatly: "It’s not quite the same as before."

Wang Kefu sensed the sour and unpleasant tone, likely guessing that this guy was jealous.

Honestly, he was busy running around, yet this second brother still doubted him. Although Xiao Lin was indeed great, he had moral integrity—this is his brother’s woman, how could he touch her?

Wang Kefu, well-versed in the romance scene, saw his brother unable to let loose, and Lin Shuang maintaining a cool demeanor, realizing that his presence was the issue. So he calculated mentally and found a reason to leave first.

Lin Shuang assumed he was going to the restroom, and it took half an hour for her to realize: "Why hasn’t your brother returned yet?"

Wang Kegui took a sip from his glass: "He probably left."

Lin Shuang gazed at him, and when he met her eyes, he felt a bit trapped.

After a long time, he softly asked: "You haven’t married yet?"

Lin Shuang lowered her head, looking at the golden liquid in her glass, then raised her eyes with a hint of self-mockery: "Years ago I was busy with my brother’s illness, couldn’t manage. Later he passed away... and a few years back I dated someone, but it didn’t work out."

She sighed: "I’m older now, I don’t fuss over it anymore, leaving it to fate."

Wang Kegui’s voice tightened: "How did he pass away?"

"The same illness, didn’t recover." Lin Shuang couldn’t help but pull out a cigarette, light it, taking a long drag and blowing out a smoke ring: "Gone is good; he lived so many years with very few pain-free moments."

Wang Kegui fell into a long silence. After a while, he placed his hand on hers, his voice hoarse: "Don’t smoke so much."

Lin Shuang just smiled, "This is a bar, not home. If you don’t want me to smoke, what should I do?"

While speaking, her voice was softly gentle—she was clearly smoking, yet gave him a very tender feeling. Wang Kegui acknowledged his heart skipped a beat, admitting he felt enchanted.

He meant to drink water but realized it was alcohol upon sipping. He choked, somewhat embarrassingly pale and red-eared.

Lin Shuang continued to watch him, waiting for him to calm down.

The atmosphere was slightly delicate, and she said: "You’re still the same as before."

Wang Kegui murmured in agreement: "You’ve changed quite a bit."

Lin Shuang leaned closer: "So do you... like my former self or who I am now?"

Wang Kegui, pitifully just a straightforward man—not immune to women per se, yet truly has stayed loyal to Gu Xiufen after marriage, seldom indulging in nightlife; could only claim one or two unavoidable social gatherings over the decades, carelessly involved. Now confronted by the woman he once yearned for, saying this to him, how could he resist?

Instantly, Wang Kegui recalled his elder brother’s words and the billion-dollar check.

It was false to say he wasn’t moved, with the effects of alcohol, he was impulsively reckless as if young again, yearning to take this woman home and hide her away; from then on she needn’t attend events, drink, or smile insincerely at people again, returning to the Lin Shuang she once was.

But he suppressed the impulse.

He had a wife and couldn’t treat her so. If he did, how was he different from those who coveted her?

Cold sweat drenched his back, Lin Shuang unaware, seemed in a poor mood, drank quite a bit. Thankfully, she remembered where she lived, and Wang Kegui hailed a cab to get her to the hotel.

She lay down as if asleep, and he silently watched for a while, sighing and resignedly taking off her shoes, tucking her in.

Then, his phone rang; looking, it was Wang Kefu.

Wang Kefu probably found another diversion, the background noise lively; he bluntly said: "Your wife called earlier, I said you were out with me socially and might not return tonight. Don’t mess up tomorrow."

Wang Kegui was helpless: "I was just about to head back."

Wang Kefu immediately asked: "Where’d you leave Xiao Lin?"

After asking, Wang Kegui felt awkward, clearing his throat: "She went back to the hotel."

From Wang Kefu’s worldliness, he believed his brother was undoubtedly at Lin Shuang’s hotel, so he cheerfully continued: "Then you shouldn’t go back, need to take care of Xiao Lin. Besides, I’ve handled things with Gu Xiufen; going back is confessing without words... Kegui, take good care of Xiao Lin; girls alone aren’t easy, show some empathy!"

Wang Kegui listened with a flushed face, quickly hanging up.

After disconnecting, he looked at Lin Shuang.

Lin Shuang slept deeply, body curled sideways, red dress slightly hiked up, appearing a tad provocative, at least for Wang Kegui who hadn’t seen much of the world, making it hard to handle.

In a moment, he dared not look further, left the bedroom, glanced around her suite.

The suite was quite nice; considering Jiangcheng’s cost, roughly around 2000, meaning Lin Shuang’s finances were probably fine—he felt a bit reassured.

Since he couldn’t go back, he wasn’t in a hurry, simply sat for a while in the suite.