Chapter Twelve: Misunderstandings

The dorm supervisor had kindly made a call for them, so Kang Ge thanked her, then pulled Yan Xue along to wait at the open area outside the dormitory building. This way, they wouldn’t block the entrance for students coming and going, and being a bit farther away made it easier to talk.

After they’d walked some distance, Yan Xue raised her thumb discreetly at Kang Ge, signaling her approval.

“That was quite the move—you really played the brother-in-law part to perfection,” she said quietly, turning her head toward him.

Kang Ge shot her a smug look. “Of course. My acting is absolutely natural.”

Yan Xue had seen people who were extremely self-absorbed on the inside, yet outwardly pretended to be modest and polite. But Kang Ge’s straightforward acceptance of praise was a first for her.

“So you had this all planned since we got here? You never intended to contact anyone else through the counselor, did you?” she asked.

“That’s right. If we have to go through the counselor as a formality, we can do it tomorrow when she’s at work—no need to drag her here on a weekend, especially since she’s unlikely to provide any useful information. After all, Xu Wenrui’s good reputation was carefully cultivated. Even when the dorm supervisor caught him bringing his girlfriend into the dorm to do laundry, she chose to forgive him and not report it. That alone shows he knows how to conduct himself around others.

No matter how young or relatable the counselor may be, once she’s in that position, her stance is different. You can’t expect Xu Wenrui to treat her like one of his peers. Even if you ask the counselor, you won’t learn anything surprising—it’s no different than chatting with his aunts. If you want to find out about the side of him that’s not the model student, you have to talk to those classmates who don’t like him much.”

Yan Xue thought it over and found Kang Ge’s logic sound. Everyone had experienced school life, and there were always one or two people who wore different faces for teachers and classmates.

Still, she sensed something else in Kang Ge’s words. “Why are you so sure Xu Wenrui rubs his classmates the wrong way? Is it because people who act like model students in front of teachers are generally unpopular among their peers?”

Kang Ge waved his hand dismissively. “That’s what the dorm supervisor just told us! Didn’t she say that when Xu Wenrui sneaked his girlfriend into the dorm, it was someone from another room who overheard a girl’s voice and reported it to her?

I don’t know how you girls handle things, but for us guys, unless we really can’t stand someone, we’d just turn a blind eye to something like that—as long as it’s not too outrageous. We’re all in our twenties, not elementary schoolers running to tattle on one another.”

As they whispered to each other, about ten minutes later, a tall, skinny guy emerged from the dormitory, glancing around as he walked outside—clearly searching for someone.

Soon, he spotted Kang Ge, who was holding a large bag of fruit, and Yan Xue standing beside him. Matching the description given by the dorm supervisor, he hesitantly approached them.

“Are you here to see Xu Wenrui?” the tall, skinny boy called out before he reached them.

“You must be one of Xu Wenrui’s close roommates, right?” Kang Ge had already noticed the tall boy and, now that his identity was confirmed, smiled and responded with a question of his own.

“No, I’m just from the next room over, helping out. Give me the stuff—I’ll take it to his dorm,” the boy said impatiently, stretching out his hand, clearly uninterested in conversation.

“No rush. It’s late—have you eaten yet? If not, why don’t we get something together?” Kang Ge acted as though he didn’t notice the boy’s coldness, warmly inviting him.

“No, thanks. I’m not hungry,” the boy replied, rolling his eyes and reaching for the bag.

“No hurry. Even if you’re not hungry, we could still grab a drink and chat,” Kang Ge said, handing the fruit to Yan Xue and stepping forward, draping his arm over the boy’s shoulder—making it clear he wasn’t letting him leave so easily.

“What’s your problem? I’m warning you, don’t try anything! There are police patrolling our campus. If you do, I’ll call them!” The boy froze immediately at Kang Ge’s gesture, clearly nervous.

Kang Ge hooked his arm around the boy, pulled out his credentials from his pocket, and flashed them in front of him. “What a coincidence—I’m exactly the person you’d call for help. Since fate brought us together, we definitely need to have a talk!”

The boy was stunned, looking at Kang Ge with a mix of surprise and skepticism, then glanced at Yan Xue. After a moment’s hesitation, he reluctantly followed them without further resistance.

The three of them exited through a side gate of K University, and under the boy’s guidance, found a nearby café. Perhaps due to its proximity to the university, the café was designed with privacy in mind, divided into many small rooms, each labeled as “Self-study Room No. X.”

Familiar with the place, the boy asked the staff to find them a “study room.” Inside the small suite, there was a solid wood table and four wooden chairs. Unlike other cafés, this one had desk lamps for eye protection on each table.

Once seated, Kang Ge generously ordered three drinks and sent the server away.

At that point, the boy reached out again. “Let me see your credentials—I didn’t get a good look earlier!”

“Here, take a good look!” Kang Ge replied readily, handing over his ID for inspection, while teasing him, “You’re pretty trusting, aren’t you? You didn’t even check my card properly and just followed us. Weren’t you worried I was just carrying a fake?”

“I was a bit concerned at first, but when I saw she was with you, I figured it had to be something else,” the boy said, nodding toward Yan Xue. “Who brings along a frail-looking girl to cause trouble? That would only get in the way!”

Yan Xue’s expression didn’t change at all. If she’d heard this a few years ago, she might have been irritated, feeling looked down upon. Now, though, she’d grown accustomed—almost numb—to such assumptions. That’s just how the world works; appearances are deceiving, and she looked too harmless, even a bit delicate, to blame strangers for jumping to conclusions.

Kang Ge, however, couldn’t help laughing at the boy’s comment. He retrieved his credentials, wiping away an imaginary tear of amusement. “Brother, it’s not good to judge people by appearances! If this so-called ‘frail’ young lady wanted to put you down, she could do it in a matter of seconds.”

The boy stared at Kang Ge, clearly incredulous, and even Yan Xue, usually so composed, was a little surprised.

Among the four “Golden Flowers” of the W City Criminal Police Team, making it into the force required not only excellent exam results but also unique strengths. Xia Qing was sharp and adaptable; Ren Yaya was calm and meticulous; Ning Shuyi, widely read though not physically outstanding, was jokingly called “the Wang Yuyan of the police force” for her theoretical knowledge.

As for Yan Xue, unless you knew her, it was hard to imagine that her scores in the five police physical events topped all the women—and even left many of the men in her year in awe. Before graduation, some male classmates had challenged her and lost miserably in combat exams, which made Yan Xue briefly famous.

But apart from her peers, few knew about this. Even her colleagues only knew she had excellent assessment scores; there had been no opportunity to witness her combat prowess.

So now, hearing Kang Ge speak with such certainty, Yan Xue herself was a bit puzzled. Given Kang Ge’s penchant for joking around, she couldn’t tell whether he’d heard about her reputation or was simply bluffing to shut the boy up.