Chapter 2: Peacock on Display — He Posted a Hot Selfie

Shang Shixu stared at the "tractor going up a mountain" line on his screen and fell silent for a few seconds.

Expressionless, he steered the conversation back on track.

Lie: [What do you love about me?]

Nice2MeetYou: [Your family background, your talent, the fact that you're handsome — there's no reason not to love you!]

Lie: [Have you seen me?]

Jiang Wan hesitated.

She hadn't. Neither had Gu Manning, for that matter.

All Gu Manning's father had managed to dig up was Shang Shixu's Facebook account.

And the account was spotlessly clean — not a single photo anywhere.

His profile picture was a blurry side profile in a baseball cap.

The style was somewhere between abstract art and wishful thinking. Every facial feature was pure imagination.

Jiang Wan typed:

Nice2MeetYou: [Haven't seen you, but your profile pic screams handsome!]

Flattery worked whether it was true or not. That was her philosophy.

After sending it, she glanced at the time on her phone.

Nice2MeetYou: [Babe, I'm off to class~]

She pocketed her phone and went to the mirror to check her outfit.

Sakura-pink knit cardigan over a cream camisole, paired with high-waisted light-wash flared pants and low-heeled white leather flats.

Flawless complexion, killer proportions.

Soft waves of long hair, with a thin braid on each side drawn back to meet at the nape of her neck.

A small, delicate face with bright almond eyes and two dimples that appeared the moment she smiled.

A fresh spring makeup look added just a hint of allure to her fair skin.

Outfit, makeup — all good.

Check complete. Jiang Wan grabbed her bag and headed out.

On the other end, Shang Shixu read the message and didn't reply.

He set his phone face-down on the sofa and tipped his head back, eyes closed.

The music thundered in his ears.

But somehow, a line floated unbidden into his mind:

"My love for you is like a tractor going up a mountain — loud and passionate."

...What was wrong with him.

Pei Heyun came back from the dance floor, dropped into the sofa, and snapped his fingers in front of Shang Shixu's face.

"It's ten. Let's go — we've got class tomorrow."

Shang Shixu opened his eyes and suddenly said, "Wait. Take a photo of me."

"What?"

Pei Heyun thought he'd misheard. "You hate having your picture taken."

In the past, getting Shang Shixu to agree to a photo was harder than scaling the sky.

This was a first in recorded history — him voluntarily uttering the words "take a photo."

Pei Heyun pressed the back of his hand to Shang Shixu's forehead.

"You don't have a fever?"

"Xu-ge, are you ——"

"Cut the crap." Shang Shixu kicked him.

Then held out his phone.

Pei Heyun caught it with a grin, struck a professional photographer's pose, circled around to the front, and fired off a

rapid burst of shots. Click. Click. Click.

"Alright, alright — at least twenty. That should be plenty."

He handed the phone back and, at the risk of being silenced permanently, craned his neck to peek at what Shang Shixu was

doing.

Curiosity was about to burst him open.

Shang Shixu scrolled through the album, picked the one with the best angle and the most killer vibe, and posted it

directly to his Facebook feed.

No caption. Just one devastatingly handsome close-up, sitting there like a challenge.

Pei Heyun's eyes narrowed. He smelled gossip.

"Bro. Something's up with you~"

"As far as I know, your Facebook is only used for contacting professors and company execs — plus one young woman named

Gu Manning."

"You post a selfie... and it's not for her to see?"

He leaned in closer, getting more excited by the second. "Hey. You're interested in her, aren't you?"

"I distinctly recall someone calling her a toad dreaming of swan meat a month ago~"

Shang Shixu shot him a cold glare and walked out.

Pei Heyun scrambled after him, mouth still running.

"Hit the nail on the head, didn't I?"

"This Gu Manning really has something — making your iron tree bloom."

Before he could finish, an arm reached over and locked around his neck in a headlock.

Pei Heyun: "Uh... bro... bro, I was wrong..."

Shang Shixu had him in a headlock, his voice even.

"You think I'd look twice at her?"

"Run your mouth again and I'll cut out your tongue."

He let go. Pei Heyun clutched his neck and went completely still.

Still, sure. But internally, he was roasting Shang Shixu at full volume:

Not interested? Then what was that photo about?

And instead of sending it to her directly, you post it publicly?

No hidden agenda? Who's buying that.

A meme popped into Pei Heyun's head: a peacock, spreading its tail feathers wide.

S University.

Morning classes ended. Jiang Wan and her roommate Zhou Feiyan wandered into the cafeteria.

She'd just sat down with a plate of braised chicken when a clean-cut young man approached from the side.

He was gripping the strap of his crossbody bag, clearly nervous.

"Hi."

"I'm Mu Zikun from the Law School. Could I get your WeChat?"

Jiang Wan looked up and offered a polite smile. "Sorry, I don't date."

The guy's expression stiffened. "...That's okay, I just wanted to be friends."

A blatant lie, and they both knew it.

This clearly wasn't Jiang Wan's first time handling this kind of situation.

She kept her polite smile, voice gentle but firm: "I'm sorry."

The light dimmed in his eyes. "Sorry for bothering you."

He walked away quickly.

Zhou Feiyan watched him go, then switched into tease mode.

"Wanwan, are you seriously telling me you don't know who Mu Zikun is?"

"He's not just a top student at the Law School — his parents are entrepreneurs. Total rich second-gen. You're not even

giving him a chance? What's your type?"

Jiang Wan picked up a piece of potato, soft and perfectly stewed. "I don't have a type."

She popped the potato into her mouth.

Zhou Feiyan shoveled a bite of rice and pressed on. "No type is fine — just pick a quality guy and try it out."

"Feelings can grow over time."

Jiang Wan swallowed and didn't waver. "No. I'm not interested in dating."

"Then what are you interested in?"

"Making money."

Jiang Wan looked at her, bright eyes sharp and clear. "Right now, the only thing I'm interested in is making money."

Zhou Feiyan rolled her eyes. "You, you, you — stubborn as a mule."

"With your face and body, finding a rich guy who'd worship the ground you walk on would be effortless."

"Why work this hard?"

In Zhou Feiyan's eyes, Jiang Wan was sitting on a goldmine and refusing to spend a dime.

Jiang Wan set down the fish tofu she'd just picked up. Her tone turned uncharacteristically serious.

"Xiao Yan, it's not stubbornness. It's not pride, either. I just know what I want."

"I'm not dating because I haven't met anyone I like. I'd rather have nothing than settle for less."

Zhou Feiyan's expression shifted, chastened. She bit her chopstick and nodded.

"Got it. I won't bring it up again."

Lunch wrapped up past noon.

On the way back to the dorm, they passed a full row of peach trees in bloom, pink-and-white petals swaying gently in the

spring breeze.

Jiang Wan snapped a photo, planning to send it to Shang Shixu.

Over the past month, whether he replied or not, she'd gotten into the habit of sharing little moments from her day with

him.

She opened Facebook and suddenly realized — it was past eleven at night in Boston.

He was probably asleep.

Just as she was about to close the app, Jiang Wan noticed a new notification.

He had a new post.

A post?

She tapped in curiously.

The next second, a crystal-clear close-up of his face filled her screen without warning.

Jiang Wan froze.