Chapter 17

Chen Fan looked towards the door.

There stood a slender youth with a single-shoulder bag. He had a fringe that slightly covered his eyes, and he was exceptionally handsome.

"Come in quickly."

Xue Hanzhi, who rarely smiled, actually showed a hint of a smile.

This was her prized student, who had won medals for her in various national math competitions and was a seed candidate for guaranteed admission to Huqing University. The entire school treated him like a treasure, let alone for a little tardiness.

The handsome youth walked past the front desk, and almost all the girls' eyes were fixed on him. It was as if the fans of a future Korean idol group had seen their idol.

Chang Wen, who had been listless and uninterested when he introduced himself, suddenly perked up. Her beautiful eyes looked at the youth with a hint of admiration.

"This guy is not only handsome but also has excellent academic performance, always ranking first in the school. He has won so many math competition medals that he can't even count them. The key is that he never studies except during class. He plays Dota in the internet cafe all night before exams, but he still ranks in the top three in the city the next day. He's definitely a genius with an off-the-charts IQ," Jiang Tanqiu said with a tinge of jealousy.

"And he's also the forward of the school basketball team. Our school's cheerleading squad is full of beautiful girls, all of whom are there for him and Yang Chao."

After saying this, Jiang Tanqiu sighed, "Fortunately, he likes Xu Xiaohua, otherwise, countless girls would throw themselves at him."

Chen Fan smiled upon hearing this.

Seeing that Chen Fan didn't seem to care, Jiang Tanqiu looked at him and said, "You don't seem to think much of Si Yingxia?"

Chen Fan replied indifferently, "Is that so? I really don't see anything special about him."

In his previous life, Si Yingxia was undoubtedly the most envied person in Class 9 of Grade 3 and even in the entire Changqing Ivy High School. Even he had been envious at the time. But in this life, Si Yingxia was no different from the masses in his eyes, and he was far less important than Jiang Tanqiu.

"Come on, you're really putting on a show," Jiang Tanqiu was taken aback. "I don't like him either, but he is indeed impressive."

Chen Fan smiled faintly and didn't respond.

Jiang Tanqiu frowned, feeling that his desk partner was a bit arrogant.

...

Thus, Chen Fan's senior year officially began.

As a transfer student, he was very low-key, and few classmates bothered with him. Only the class president, Chang Wen, who found him honest, often asked him to sweep the floor or move things.

The students at Changqing Ivy High School were not like those in ordinary high schools, who studied until eleven at night during their senior year. They generally came from well-off families and had many more options for the future, such as studying abroad or attending private universities. Therefore, not many of them studied diligently, and Jiang Tanqiu often left early, probably to go to nightclubs.

That evening, after cleaning the classroom, Chen Fan walked home along the road by Yanhui Lake. Unexpectedly, halfway through, he heard a faint cry for help.

"What's going on?" Chen Fan frowned and quickly rushed towards the reeds by Yanhui Lake.

Parting the reeds, he saw a man in his thirties, wearing old camouflage work clothes, tightly covering a woman's mouth. The woman was disheveled, and her two long, white legs were struggling desperately.

"Stop!" Chen Fan shouted.

The man in his thirties, surprised that someone had come, quickly released the woman and fled in a panic.

Chen Fan snorted coldly, and with a flick of his foot, a pebble shot out like a bullet, instantly hitting the man's back after traveling several dozen meters.

"Ahh!" The man screamed, rolled on the ground, and then struggled to get up, hunching over and running away.

Chen Fan didn't bother to chase him.

His last kick contained true strength. If an ordinary person was hit, their internal organs would certainly rupture. Even if the man went to the hospital and managed to save his life, he would spend the rest of his life bedridden.

"Are you okay?" Chen Fan walked over with his hands in his pockets.

Upon closer inspection, he found that the woman, who had been dragged into the reeds, was about 27 or 28 years old, very beautiful, and wearing heavy makeup. She was dressed in a short red skirt, typical of a nightclub girl.

'A woman walking alone at night, dressed so provocatively, no wonder that man had evil intentions,' Chen Fan shook his head.

The woman gradually calmed down after being rescued. Chen Fan helped her up. Under the streetlight, the woman noticed that Chen Fan was very young and wearing a school uniform. She said gratefully, "If it weren't for you, little classmate, I would probably have been... "

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.

"It's okay, sister, don't think too much. Isn't everything fine now?" Chen Fan comforted her.

The two stood by the roadside and chatted for a while.

Chen Fan learned that the woman's name was Chen Ying, and she was not the nightclub girl he had assumed. She was the owner of a bar, and her appearance was due to work needs. She usually drove herself, but tonight she had drunk too much and couldn't get a taxi. Thinking that her home, 'Lakeside Community,' was only a ten-minute walk, she decided to walk back, only to encounter this incident.

Chen Ying appeared calm on the surface, but she was still trembling with fear inside.

If it weren't for this Changqing Ivy High School student, she would have been violated. Although she ran a bar, she was still very particular about such matters.

Thinking of this, her gratitude towards Chen Fan grew even stronger, especially when she learned that he also lived in 'Lakeside Community.'

"We live in the same community, and you share the same surname as me, Chen. You saved me tonight; this is fate," Chen Ying blinked her big eyes, feeling even more connected to Chen Fan.

The two walked towards Lakeside Community, and as Chen Ying gradually calmed down, her usual keen observation skills returned.

"Chen Fan is a Changqing Ivy student, yet he walks home. Which Changqing Ivy student doesn't have a car to pick them up, or take a taxi or school bus? If not, how much does an electric scooter cost? And his clothes are very simple, so his family's financial situation is probably not good."

Seeing Chen Fan now, she thought of her own past when she had gone to a strange city to work alone, and she felt a surge of sympathy.

At the entrance to the community, as they were about to part ways, Chen Ying hesitated for a moment and said, "Chen Fan, have you ever thought about getting a part-time job?"

"Part-time job?" Chen Fan was taken aback.

"Yes, I have a bar called Coco in the university town, which is very close to your school. If you can work there for two or three hours after class, I can pay you the regular salary of a waiter, 3,000 yuan a month plus tips," Chen Ying said cautiously, clearly afraid of hurting the sensitive self-esteem of a 17-year-old.

"About this?" Chen Fan was hesitant.

His recent expenses were indeed high, buying Chinese medicine for cultivation and refining elixirs for Old Wei, leaving him short on pocket money. But 3,000 yuan a month was just a drop in the bucket.

Although in 2007 in Chuzhou, this was a good salary, and he only had to work for two or three hours a day. It was clear that Chen Ying had good intentions.

Seeing his hesitation, Chen Ying quickly added, "Don't worry, it's a clean bar, not like the bars in the city center. It's mainly for college students, and the environment is very clean. After what happened tonight, I don't dare to go home alone anymore. You can help me by coming back with me."

Facing Chen Ying's clear gaze, Chen Fan nodded.

"Okay, thank you, Ying Sister."

"Remember to come to work tomorrow. The Coco Bar on the university town's bar street. Just look for me when you get there." Chen Ying beamed upon hearing his agreement, gave him a few more instructions, and then reluctantly left.