Chapter 21: The Tumult of University Life

Chapter Twenty-One: Universities Are Full of Turmoil

After leaving the Deity's domain, Shen Ce sought out Shui Linglong to discuss his plan for relocating his shop. Shui Linglong was quite intrigued by this proposal, yet she decided to wait and see—she would have someone else manage her shop in Lingshui City for the time being. If the shop at the Deity's base could indeed save her the monthly fees and turn a handsome profit, then she would devote herself to the business there wholeheartedly.

Shen Ce fully agreed with Shui Linglong’s approach. After all, his partnership with Han Qishao was a spur-of-the-moment decision; whether it would truly work remained to be seen. After their conversation, Shen Ce logged off to rest, only to be surprised by a long list of missed calls on his phone—all from the same name: Qin Song.

Qin Song was Shen Ce’s only true friend. They had been classmates from high school through university. At first, they barely knew each other, but fate had it that both were admitted to the prestigious S University in Hua Country, and even assigned to the same dormitory.

Familiarity bred friendship, which was something remarkable for Shen Ce, whose personality could never escape the words aloof and solitary. Even in online games he was thus, let alone in real life. All his life, he’d lived as though on a private island, barely connected to the world around him.

This disposition was tied to his origins—Shen Ce was an orphan, never knowing what it was like to have parents by his side. The director of the orphanage raised him, the first person to offer warmth, but even she could not draw him out of his shell.

His gaze calm, Shen Ce picked up his phone and, after dialing a familiar number, a distant, ethereal female voice filled the quiet room. The night’s faint starlight spilled across the floor-to-ceiling window, making the song seem as if it drifted from another world—mysterious and profound.

“Hey, Shen Ce, you rascal! Are you gaming yourself into oblivion again? How dare you ignore my calls?” The voice on the other end was loud and boisterous, not unlike that girl Qingqing from "Heaven’s Dominion."

Shen Ce’s lips curved slightly at Qin Song’s words. In truth, they seldom contacted each other, and it was almost always Qin Song who called—each time, scolding him as usual. He remembered when they first became friends, Qin Song had been wary and cautious around him. He didn’t know when that had changed.

“Qin Song, I just logged off. What did you need?” Shen Ce’s tone was as calm and detached as ever, but with an undercurrent of helplessness. Qin Song knew well he was a professional gamer and spent most of his time online, yet he nagged him each time as if it were a great offense.

“Yeah, I guessed as much. So busy gaming—Shen Ce, have you really never considered a regular nine-to-five job?” Qin Song’s voice, too, carried a hint of resignation.

“Not at the moment.” Shen Ce’s answer was as even and indifferent as ever.

“Well, I won’t worry about you anymore. I just wanted to tell you—the class is having a gathering tomorrow at the Shengfeng Grand Hotel. Almost everyone will be there. You’ve been holed up in your games for too long; why not come along?” There was a coaxing note to Qin Song’s voice. Having a total homebody for a best friend, it was always a struggle to get him outdoors.

Shen Ce’s eyes darkened. “Is it for high school or university?” If it was the latter, he had no interest in attending.

“University,” Qin Song replied quickly. “You skipped the last one too—everyone was disappointed. Come this time, all right? Feifei and I will be there. The three of us together—wouldn’t that be nice? Forget the others; even the three of us haven’t seen each other in ages.”

Shen Ce hesitated for a moment, then agreed. Feifei’s real name was Xie Fei, a bright and forthright girl, and Qin Song’s girlfriend since their sophomore year. Both families had met, and marriage was on the horizon. Shen Ce was only waiting for the day to attend their wedding.

In fact, Shen Ce and Xie Fei shared another history—before she dated Qin Song, Shen Ce and Xie Fei had been a couple.

She was the only girl Shen Ce had ever dated; their relationship was serendipitous. Freshmen then, full-immersion games were not yet mature; keyboard-based online games still dominated the market. Xie Fei’s character became Shen Ce’s disciple in-game, and soon rumors spread on campus about their romance. One day, Xie Fei suggested they try dating, and amid the hearsay, they turned pretense into reality.

In the end, it was Xie Fei who initiated the breakup. Shen Ce still remembered—it was winter, and she stood beneath the bare gardenia tree, proud-faced yet with tears glistening in her eyes, saying, “Let’s break up.”

Her voice was calm, her reason simple and direct: she felt Shen Ce invested more energy in games than in her, something she could not accept. They thus reverted to their original relationship.

At the time, Xie Fei didn’t know about Shen Ce’s family circumstances, nor that his gaming was not for entertainment. In keyboard-based games, he made money power-leveling for others, sometimes earning two or three thousand a month—enough to cover tuition and living expenses, with a little left over.

But the reason Shen Ce was reluctant to attend the reunion was not Xie Fei, nor any awkwardness at seeing her with his best friend. He genuinely believed Xie Fei and Qin Song were well matched. When Xie Fei and Qin Song first got together, Qin Song felt guilty, but Shen Ce reassured him; there was no awkwardness among the three.

Shen Ce’s reluctance stemmed entirely from the prospect of seeing another woman—Su Yitong. Once Shen Ce’s pursuer, once Qin Song’s goddess, Su Yitong had been publicly rejected by Shen Ce, and her reaction caused a campus uproar. Rumors swirled that Shen Ce was two-timing, and later, even uglier stories circulated. Shen Ce eventually uncovered Su Yitong as the instigator, a revelation that left him with feelings too complex to name.

Taciturn and unapproachable, Shen Ce had always attracted attention from a young age—a fascination that only grew as he matured. With striking looks and a naturally cool demeanor, he drew the gaze of countless “appearance-obsessed” admirers, his coldness only making others more curious.

As Xie Fei and Qin Song once agreed, people felt compelled to tear away Shen Ce’s calm exterior, eager to glimpse the mysteries beneath.

For Shen Ce, the subject of such curiosity, it was a torment. In games, he would deliberately tone down his avatar’s attractiveness by twenty percent, and sure enough, the unwanted scrutiny ceased.

Su Yitong, too, was among the most successful of these “explorers.” When they first entered university, Shen Ce’s appearance caused only a minor stir—he was too reclusive for many to know him. But after winning an international student programming competition, someone posted about it on the school forum, complete with a candid photo of Shen Ce walking. The angle was artfully chosen, making him appear almost ethereal, while everyone else became mere background.

Shen Ce thus became the undisputed campus heartthrob.

By then, he and Qin Song were close friends. Qin Song often spoke of his goddess, Su Yitong, who also happened to play the same game as Shen Ce. Qin Song asked him to mentor her. Shen Ce never imagined Su Yitong harbored feelings for him—he thought she was just another disciple, like Xie Fei.

That was, until one day Su Yitong confessed her feelings to him in front of everyone. Amid the jeers and laughter, Shen Ce was stunned for two seconds before he calmly refused. Su Yitong accused him of playing with her emotions, insisting he behaved differently in the game. Shen Ce had no idea what she meant. Tearfully, she recounted all the small things Shen Ce had done for her in-game—helping her level, buying her equipment. Exasperated, Shen Ce replied that he treated Xie Fei the same way—wasn’t that what all mentors did?

Su Yitong, on the verge of tears, hands trembling, gave him a shove before running out of the classroom. Before leaving, she delivered a bombshell, accusing Shen Ce of deliberately hiding the truth and toying with two girls at once—calling him a scoundrel.

Public opinion shifted instantly from urging Shen Ce to accept her, to denouncing him as a jerk. Shen Ce’s face darkened, and he was about to leave when Xie Fei stopped him. She explained that they had recently started dating but hadn’t wanted to make it public, not wanting to hurt Su Yitong.

After a while, the crowd calmed down. Shen Ce knew Xie Fei was helping him out, and the two of them, having started dating for appearances’ sake, eventually broke up amicably. They remained friends.

Shen Ce thought that would be the end of it, but Su Yitong’s talent for fabrication far exceeded his expectations.