Qin Guan was exhausted both physically and mentally. He slumped down on the backseat of Sister Xue's car, closing his eyes to rest his mind.
Sister Xue gave Qin Guan mental guidance lessons while she drove, "This is common for models. Since you've decided to engage in modeling, you have to act professionally. If you're asked to do a naked photoshoot, what will you do?"
Qin Guan jumped up at this. His head hit the roof of the car, and he cried out and slumped back down.
Ma.s.saging the lump on his head, he mumbled, "I'll refuse. You can say no to things like that, Sister Xue."
Sister Xue was exasperated. Qin Guan was not living up to her expectations. "Even if you get to perform on a T show for a top designer? Even if you're representing a famous brand? Even if you've been invited by the most renowned fas.h.i.+on magazine in the world? Will you still say no?"
Qin Guan lay back on his seat and laughed. "Stop dreaming, Sister Xue. Neither riches nor honors will lead me astray. Neither poverty nor humbleness can make me deny my principles. I, Qin Guan, would rather have my head broken than take off my clothes."
Sister Xue sneered from the driver's seat, "You brave man. Givenchy models earn six million dollars annually. It just so happens that the suit you wore for your first exhibition was Givenchy."
Qin Guan was silent for such a long time that Sister Xue thought he had fallen asleep.
Suddenly, his voice sounded from the backseat, "Well, can I at least keep my underwear on?"
Sister Xue burst into laughter. You are considering the possibility.
"Of course not. First, they will pay no attention to your poor sense of shame, and second, it would be hard for you to even get the chance. Asian models are not very compet.i.tive. Plus, you are a male model. I already feel sorry for you."
Qin Guan, on the other side, was filled with a fighting will. "You never know if you don't try. Sister Xue, I have decided to sign a contract with you so you don't starve."
The car had just arrived at the entrance of the university. Sister Xue stopped, lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring at Qin Guan. "Thank you for your mercy, Master Qin. What Professor Li and I told you meant nothing to you. You just made the decision because I told you about the six million dollars."
Qin Guan lowered his head in shame. He pushed the door open to get out before he turned around and said, "Have the contract ready the next time I go to Professor Li's. Please, I need your support in the future."
Sister Xue shook her head helplessly. Suddenly, she thought of something. She smirked slightly and drove away.
Qin Guan lay in his bed for a long time as his roommates returned one by one.
Mu Lejiang dragged him out of his bed. Lying on Qin Guan's bed, he called Ayimina as usual.
Qin Guan was hurt deeply. He pulled up his colourful underwear, which Mu Lejiang had pulled down, and poured his heart out to w.a.n.g Lei angrily.
"Look at that guy. He's on the phone for more than an hour every day. It's a waste of resources. Their colleges are not that far from each other. Why don't they meet and have dinner instead?"
w.a.n.g Lei was reading a book. He cast a supercilious look over his gla.s.ses as he answered, "Speak out if you're jealous. I won't laugh at you."
Qin Guan's mouth dropped open. "Cong Nianwei and I never made such long calls. On the weekend, she always goes to the library. We've been a couple for almost half a year now, but all I can do is hold her hand."
Qin Guan got more and more gloomy. Suddenly, the door was pushed open hard, and their eldest brother rushed into the dormitory. He saw a nearly-naked Qin Guan, with a lonely pair of underwear hanging from his hips.
Pointing at Qin Guan, Ye Dong said, "Don't dress like that in broad daylight. It's harmful to society's morals."
Then he took a waistcoat from Qin Guan's bed and threw it at him. "Put it on at once. It's not nice to appear like that before girls."
Qin Guan was just putting on the waistcoat when the door was pushed open again and several girls entered.
They all watched the s.e.xy scene. A boy with a good figure was facing away from them as he put on a black waistcoat. His shaped back and smooth waistline made them lick their lips.
Qin Guan got dressed properly and turned around. The girls shouted in low, surprised voices, "Qin Guan!"
"Actually, Qin Guan lives in this dormitory."
"Who is Qin Guan?"
"Don't you know him? He's the renowned school hunk of our university."
They kept talking while they scanned Qin Guan from head to toe.
The close-fitting cotton black waistcoat outlined Qin Guan's chest and abdomen. Of course, they automatically missed his bright green underwear.
Suddenly, Yang Jing entered the room and told the girls, "Why are you standing? Sit wherever you like." It was she and Ye Dong that had brought them.
Mu Lejiang couldn't lie on the bed anymore. He said something to Ayimina and hung up the phone in a rush.
The girls were in the same dormitory as Yang Jing. Ye Dong had invited them to have dinner and dance at the college ball.
Li Jie was glad because he was the best dancer among his roommates. Although Qin Guan is widely accepted as the most handsome guy in our dormitory, I'm the Prince of the Ball.
Li Jie was quite good at social dancing. Besides the standard waltz, he also knew a little cha-cha and rumba. He was renowned in the small b.a.l.l.s of the Capital University of Finance and Economics.
They waited until Liu Xiaoyang returned before they headed out of campus in a formidable formation to have dinner.
There was a family-run Sichuan restaurant across the road, so they decided to try it. They occupied the largest table at the corner of the restaurant.
Before the girls could say anything, the boys gave a long list of dishes, including fish filets in hot chili sauce, Chongqing style boiled blood curd, stewed bean curd with minced pork and pepper sauce, dry-fried green beans, and many others.
When the dishes had all been served, their behaviour got even worse. Except for Yang Jing, all the other girls had forgotten all about eating. They just watched the noisy boys around the table, who were quarrelling with each other and fighting heatedly over food.
Qin Guan, who was usually very dapper, had rolled his sleeves up. For fear that soup would drip on his s.h.i.+rt, he had left the b.u.t.tons on his chest unfastened. With one foot planted on his chair, he bent down to grab some food.
It was true that distance made the heart grow fonder.
The girls' rosy image of Qin Guan was smashed by reality in an instant.
The dinner had disappointed them. They were cheris.h.i.+ng the memory of withered love as they watched the boys, their spirits dropping really low.
When they finally finished dinner and got to the ball, the first song had already been played.
The girls were sitting together in groups of two or three. Any boy wanting to dance had to go up to them and ask them.