Chapter 22
Afterward, Sun Yujie repeatedly apologized to Su Bin, feeling extremely guilty for getting close to him and causing him to be isolated by the Cheng Ang Group.
While Su Bin pretended not to mind and told Sun Yujie not to worry about it, he couldn’t help but feel dispirited once he returned home. After all, “playing the boss” also required a strong mental resilience and ability to withstand pressure.
At this moment, Su Bin was slumped on the couch, trying hard to meditate and clear his mind, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth to restore his vitality… Suddenly, he heard a familiar and icy voice next to his ear say, “Good afternoon.”
Recognizing the voice, Su Bin had no energy to be on guard against the person anymore. He patted the couch beside him, thinking, “Sit if you want to, talk if you want to…”
Allen sat down and spoke with his perfectly authentic British accent that could be used for recording British radio dramas, “Are you doing well?”
Su Bin raised his eyelids, thinking to himself that Allen was surprisingly perceptive this time. Earlier in the bathroom, he practically had “Move out already~ Don’t bother me” written all over his face, but Allen couldn’t understand… Truly an extraordinary British man!
“Do you need someone to talk to?” Allen arrogantly lifted his chin, adopting an expression that seemed to say, “I am a god, come and worship me,” and continued, “I can temporarily be your listener.”
Su Bin opened his mouth but suddenly remembered Yang Chengzhe’s advice—absolutely do not mention “homosexuality” in front of Allen. So he reluctantly held back the frustrating experience and said, “I’m fine”… Ah, the internal pain only grew worse.
Just as he uttered those words, Allen glanced at him with a look that clearly conveyed the meaning: interesting. (Look, look, you’re lying through your teeth. Haha)
In that instant, Su Bin fully recovered from his semi-lifeless state… Indeed, suspected vampire personnel had an incredible influence. Awkward.
Allen elegantly picked up his tea cup and took a sip of his black tea before saying, “Let’s get started.”
Su Bin replied, “…” Damn it, he even prepared his tea, and now he talks about wanting to hear me pour out my feelings. He must have come fully prepared… Let’s just chat then!
“Okay, what do you want to talk about…” Su Bin asked helplessly.
“It doesn’t matter what I want to talk about. What matters is what you want to say,” Allen replied.
Su Bin’s mind turned, and he remembered that he wanted to trap Allen with his words. So he assumed a posture and wanted to tell him about his relationship with Chen Xiaotian.
But just as he mentioned “GF,” Allen mercilessly interrupted him, saying, “I’m not good at handling relationship problems. If you have any doubts in that area, you can go ask Fly.”
Su Bin said, “…” He hadn’t said anything yet!
Allen looked at him and said, “Moreover, I’m not interested in your love life. Let’s talk about something else.”
Su Bin said, “…”
Facing Allen’s straightforwardness, Su Bin was momentarily at a loss. He had prepared a script for himself, but he finally managed to squeeze out the first question, “How old are you?” Although Su Bin knew it was impolite to ask a foreigner about their age, he really, really wanted to know!
“Um…” Allen didn’t answer directly. Instead, he mischievously set up a riddle for Su Bin, saying, “According to the Chinese zodiac, I am a snake.” As he spoke, he drew a small “s” in the air with his finger, symbolizing the movement of a snake.
Born in the Year of the Snake? Su Bin didn’t even need to guess… So Allen, just like Jin Fei, is only one year older than him!
Ah~ Su Bin suddenly understood why Allen was so interested in the story of the “White Snake” and expressed his opinions from Bai Suzhen’s perspective. It was because he, too, was a snake~ Ah!
Snake (=_=)… It always felt like a very sinister animal.
Su Bin looked at Allen, under his encouraging (?) gaze, and asked, “What is your major?”
“Pharmacy,” Allen replied.
Su Bin said, “…Damn!” No wonder he could prepare his own medications and read the “Compendium of Poisons.” It made perfect sense!
“Then…” Su Bin pondered for a moment, unable to resist, and directly asked the question he wanted to test, “Do you have a girlfriend?”
Allen glanced at him and said, “No.”
Su Bin wondered if it was his imagination, but he felt that Allen’s one glance was filled with deep meaning… As if he was implying, “You’re asking too broadly.”
Su Bin paused, feeling a bit awkward, so he changed the subject, “Where did you study before?”
Since Yang Chengzhe had mentioned that Allen received “aristocratic education,” Su Bin was curious about what British aristocratic education was like. This topic shouldn’t involve privacy or be off-putting, right? Besides, Su Bin had already shared his own educational experience from elementary school to high school.
But as Su Bin asked this question, the atmosphere seemed to grow even more off.
Allen’s mood seemed a bit down, and he fell silent for a moment before saying, “I never went to school.”
Su Bin: “…”
Allen quickly provided an explanation, “I had poor health when I was young and needed to rest at home all year round.”
Soft-hearted Su Bin, upon hearing this, instantly overflowed with sympathy… By the way, what kind of education did Yang Chengzhe mean by “aristocratic education”?
Allen smiled lightly, “So, my education from childhood to adulthood was through different private tutors who came to teach me at home.”
Su Bin: “…” It sounds a bit extraordinary…
Allen continued, “The one who taught me English was Professor Bronte from the Germanic Languages Department at the University of Cambridge. At the same time, she is an honorary veteran in the Royal English Society and has extensive research in both Old English and Modern English…” He glanced at Su Bin as if expressing, “I haven’t charged you tuition fees for correcting your English issues yet”…
Su Bin: “…” Definitely an aristocrat-_-#! Too much sympathy is unnecessary.
Allen looked at Su Bin and said, “Although that’s the case, because I never had the experience of studying with peers, I do feel a bit regretful. You mentioned earlier that in China, middle schools generally have classes with around forty to fifty students, which I find interesting.”
Su Bin: “Is that so?”
It’s interesting, but in terms of teaching quality, collective education is definitely not as high-quality as one-on-one. Moreover, the students in a class have varying levels, and there is fierce competition due to the concept that only prestigious universities lead to success, which is ingrained in Chinese students from an early age…
Where there are people, there are comparisons; where there are people, there is competition; where there are people, there is a turbulent world!
In comparison, Su Bin still envied someone like Allen, who had a group of teachers revolving around him, enjoying an emperor-like privilege~ Isn’t it amazing!
…However, it might be like what was said in “Fortress Besieged”—those inside the city want to go out, while those outside the city want to come in.
In everyone’s life, there are regrets of their own, and others’ life experiences often shine with admiration… But who knows the hardships and joys behind each person? In any case, one should maintain a “calm mind.”
“When you have the opportunity, you can come to China and take a look,” Su Bin said to Allen. “I heard from Joe that you have Chinese heritage, so you might also want to visit.”
Upon hearing this, Allen’s expression suddenly turned gloomy. “I won’t go,” he said, then picked up his cup and left without giving Su Bin any explanation.
Su Bin couldn’t quite figure it out; did he say something wrong?
Allen left without even saying hello, which is not like him. Even when he’s cold, he always manages to say ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye.’ It’s a courtesy habit deeply ingrained in him…
Su Bin felt a bit uneasy, unsure of how to resolve the situation. Moreover, the opponent had already left, leaving him with a feeling of being disconnected, like getting disconnected from a game dungeon and being the only one left… It was a faint sense of melancholy.
However, Su Bin didn’t take it too personally. After all, he had experienced Allen’s unpredictable and inconsistent behavior several times before.
After collecting himself, Su Bin got up and went back to his room. Today, his health certificate had arrived, and he could officially start looking for part-time jobs.
Su Bin retrieved the “International Student Guide” that K had given him during registration. As expected, he found information about part-time job opportunities inside. The booklet also provided some websites that announced job openings.
Su Bin logged in to the first and most formal one, the M University Student Part-Time Job Application Center.
After browsing for a while, Su Bin noticed that many of the job listings on the university website had very short durations. Most of them were one-time gigs with no future engagements, and the wages for these part-time jobs were quite low, mostly adhering to the minimum hourly wage set by the B country government.
For example, there was a job posting that read:
“The office of Professor X in the Art Department is currently in chaos (?) and needs a student from the same major to help with organizing documents and cleaning.”
Time: This Saturday, 8:00-16:00 (including a one-hour lunch break)
Interested students for this part-time job are requested to send their personal information and student ID number to the email address xxxxxx…
This job specifically required a student from the Art Department, which Su Bin didn’t qualify for.
In addition to that, there were many other listings for which Su Bin didn’t meet the requirements. For instance, the International Student Center had posted two part-time job opportunities: one as a receptionist assistant and another as a student consultant, answering calls and emails to provide information about studying abroad. Both positions required at least one year of living and studying experience in B country.
Of course, there were also some opportunities that Su Bin was eligible for, such as working as a cashier or folding clothes at large supermarkets or stores that had partnerships with the university. There were even sales positions at the L’Oreal makeup counter… However, Su Bin wasn’t particularly interested in these types of jobs. He thought he might as well work in a restaurant where at least meals would be provided.
Then there was another listing for a dog walker for a certain physics professor…
Su Bin glanced at the requirements:
Dog breed: Siberian Husky
Requirements: Current university student, gentle personality, love for small animals, preferably male, with enough arm strength to handle an excited adult Husky (Note: Dog weight is 25kg, pulling force during acceleration is approximately…) Proficiency in long-distance running, speed comparable to that of a Husky (normal speed… speed when excited…)
Su Bin was too exhausted to comment. These days, even professors at the university played around!