Flirting Under Favor (GL) - Chapter 3
With the New Year festivities over, time flew by. As soon as spring began, the start of the new semester was just around the corner. Mu Fan also returned to work after the holiday break. Due to her mother’s passing, a huge backlog of work had piled up, and she was now incredibly busy, like a machine, trying to catch up.
Wang Lin said goodbye to her reluctant grandparents and mother and boarded the train back to S City. Wang Lin didn’t live in a dorm; Lin Jia had rented an apartment for her near the school, hired a housekeeper to take care of her daily needs, and even arranged for two bodyguards.
The weather was still chilly, but the peach and plum trees downstairs from Wang Lin’s apartment were already covered in buds, waiting for a few more spring breezes to burst into bloom. When she got into her car, she messaged Mu Fan to tell her she was on her way, but she hadn’t received a reply yet. Mu Fan seemed to be quite busy.
That evening, Mu Fan finally messaged her back.
Mu Fan: “Have you arrived?”
Wang Lin replied, “Yes, I got here this afternoon. Which dorm are you in? I’ll come find you tomorrow.”
Mu Fan: “I don’t live in a dorm. I have something to do tomorrow and won’t be on campus. You can give it to Yu Sheng in Building 3, Room 211. She’s my friend.”
Wang Lin: “Oh, what a coincidence, I don’t live in a dorm either.”
Wang Lin: “Okay, I’ll give it to your friend tomorrow.”
Mu Fan: “Sounds good.”
Wang Lin: “Good night.”
Mu Fan: “Good night.”
The next day, after her morning classes, Wang Lin found Room 211 in Building 3. The door was ajar, and there was only one person inside.
“Hello, is Yu Sheng here?” Wang Lin asked politely from the doorway.
The person making their bed turned around. She was small and slender with two energetic pigtails, looking very lively and clever. She walked over. “No, she’s not. What do you need her for?”
Wang Lin held out Mu Fan’s student ID card and said, “It’s Mu Fan’s student ID. She asked me to give it to Yu Sheng.”
The short girl looked at the card in Wang Lin’s hand and took it. She examined it carefully, then held the card in her hands like a fangirl. “Mu Fan was this pretty before, too!” She rubbed the student ID against her face like a puppy. “Gotta get some of that academic genius aura.” Her expressions and exaggerated movements were a real eye-opener for Wang Lin.
Wang Lin was a little confused, finding it all very strange.
The short girl glanced proudly at Wang Lin. “First-year, right?”
“Yes,” Wang Lin nodded.
“No wonder you don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?”
The short girl held the student ID up to Wang Lin and pointed at the photo. “Do you know her? Mu Fan is a legend in our whole School of Economics and Management. She’s a mystery—never comes to class, always disappears, but she gets first place on every exam and receives all kinds of scholarships.” The short girl gritted her teeth as she spoke. “Why, why do I attend every single class and study so hard, but I still fail every time?” She continued her fangirling. “Sigh, and she’s so pretty too. She’s really my goddess.”
“She doesn’t come to class? Don’t the teachers care?” Wang Lin asked. F University was very strict about attendance, yet this short girl was saying Mu Fan never went to class.
“How can the teachers care when she’s first place on every exam by a huge margin? Oh well, I guess academic geniuses get some special treatment. Mu Fan almost never comes to school.”
Wang Lin understood. No wonder Mu Fan didn’t live in a dorm and said she wasn’t coming to school today.
“What does she do if she doesn’t go to class?”
“She works,” the short girl said. “I heard she’s been working at a big company for over a year.” After saying this, a look of immense admiration reappeared on her face. After admiring her for a while, she said to Wang Lin, “I’ll hold onto the card for now. I’ll give it to Yu Sheng when she gets back.”
After hearing the short girl’s introduction, along with her genuine and unfeigned admiration, Wang Lin didn’t doubt the truth of what she said and became curious herself.
Wang Lin suddenly snatched the card from the other girl’s hand. “Never mind, I’ll give it to her myself.” Then she turned and walked away.
The short girl said from behind her, “She’ll be back in a bit; just wait!” She thought Wang Lin meant she would give it to Yu Sheng herself, but Wang Lin actually meant she would give it to Mu Fan herself.
What kind of person was Mu Fan?
She was pretty, an academic genius, capable, and now worked at a big company. This image seemed very tough and impressive, but Wang Lin remembered their first meeting, when Mu Fan seemed so vulnerable.
This contrast sparked a strong curiosity in Wang Lin. She wanted to meet her, to get closer.
Back at her apartment, she messaged Mu Fan: “I want to see you.” The message was simple and direct. After sending it, Wang Lin was startled by her own boldness. She didn’t expect to be so blunt; she should have at least built up to it.
She checked the time, guessing from experience that Mu Fan would likely reply in the evening. She threw her phone aside and took out her textbooks to preview the subjects she would be taking this semester.
In the evening, Mu Fan replied as expected: “Huh? You want to see me?”
Wang Lin: “Yes.”
Mu Fan: “Pfft, why would you want to see me? There’s nothing special about me.”
Wang Lin: “I went to find Yu Sheng today, but she wasn’t there. It was someone else. That person got so excited when she saw your student ID and said she wanted to get some of your academic genius aura. LOL.”
Mu Fan: “That must have been Fan Beibei. Was she a small girl? Did you give her the card?”
Wang Lin: “No. Probably. She was indeed small. She said you’re a genius and that you also work. I… I think you’re really amazing.”
Mu Fan: “So that’s why you want to see me?”
Wang Lin: “Yes.”
Wang Lin: “No, not really.”
Wang Lin: “Emmmmm.”
Wang Lin: “I’m just a little curious about you. I hope you don’t mind. If not, I’ll give the card to your friend tomorrow.”
Mu Fan: “Actually, I’m not what you all imagine me to be.”
Amid the clinking of glasses, people kept pouring wine into Mu Fan’s glass. Today was the completion day for their entire project team. After several months of hard work, the project was finally finished, and everyone was very happy to go out and celebrate. But Mu Fan didn’t really like these kinds of gatherings, especially being forced to drink. While others were still on campus dreaming about the future, she had already stepped into the mire of society.
Wang Lin: “?”
Mu Fan held her phone in her right hand and a glass of wine in her left, swirling it. The surroundings were noisy and chaotic, but she looked at her phone, shutting everything else out.
She didn’t want to explain.
Mu Fan: “Everyone has a side that others don’t know.”
Wang Lin remembered Mu Fan’s teary eyes that day, and she felt a sense of understanding.
Mu Fan: “I happen to be free tomorrow. I’ll come to school to find you.”
Wang Lin: “Okay.”
She didn’t care what side of Mu Fan was hidden from others; what mattered was that she had agreed to meet. Wang Lin was a little excited. She bounced off her bed and ran to her closet, pulling open the doors.
What should she wear tomorrow?
Her closet was full of clothes, all bought by Lin Jia, a dazzling array of styles and brands. Wang Lin was at a loss, experiencing a dilemma over an outfit for the first time. She took one out and held it up to herself, then threw it back. She took another one out and threw it back. After trying on and discarding half the clothes in her closet, she finally made a choice.
She decided she should dress in a gentle, cute, and girlish way. It had to be simple and…
After trying things on for a long time, she was finally satisfied. She carefully placed the clothes she would wear tomorrow to the side and spent a lot of time putting the huge pile of clothes she had taken out back into the closet. By the time she was done, it was dinner time. After eating, Wang Lin previewed her textbooks, took a shower, and lay in bed. She picked up her phone to send Mu Fan a message before closing her eyes.
“Good night.”
The next day.
Wang Lin had a very regular sleep schedule. Her internal clock woke her up before her alarm even went off. The first thing she did was grab her phone to see if Mu Fan had replied.
There were two messages. One was from last night.
“Good night.”
The other was from this morning.
“Morning.”
“Morning,” Wang Lin replied. Then she scrambled out of bed, got dressed and washed up, ate the breakfast the housekeeper had prepared for her, packed the textbooks for her classes today, and went downstairs to drive her small Mercedes to school.
Her bodyguards usually drove her, but she felt it was too high-profile and a little awkward, so she drove herself. Although driving a luxury Mercedes wasn’t exactly low-key, at least she was doing it herself. Wang Lin didn’t want to be waited on for everything. In fact, she rarely drove to school; she lived very close and usually walked. But today, she was meeting Mu Fan, and she thought it was better to be a bit more presentable.
After driving to school, Wang Lin messaged Mu Fan again to update her on her class schedule.
“I don’t have class this afternoon.”
All morning, Wang Lin’s mind was consumed by the thought of meeting Mu Fan. She didn’t pay much attention in class and was distracted, even being called on by her teacher. During the break, she checked her phone. Mu Fan had replied “Okay” first, then suggested they meet at the Shadow Tower Bridge in the afternoon.
Wang Lin naturally had no objections and happily agreed. She didn’t listen to a single word of her next classes.
Finally, the bell for the end of class rang. Her good friend had planned to have lunch with her, but as soon as the bell rang, Wang Lin grabbed her bag and ran out of the classroom. She shouted, “Another time!” as she vanished in the blink of an eye.