Chapter 100: My Affairs Are None of His Concern

Zhang Shen, who had been silent for a long time, finally couldn’t help but caution, “Wang Ying, I hope you’ll think it over carefully.” After all, in Zhang Shen’s view, Meng Ran wasn’t a bad person at heart, but in some ways he was somewhat sleazy; deep down, Zhang Shen hoped Wang Ying would weigh her decision seriously.

“My business is none of your concern.”

At that moment, Zhang Shen’s well-intentioned warning seemed utterly worthless in Wang Ying’s eyes. Beside them, Ye Qiong had intended to comfort Wang Ying further, but seeing her current demeanor, she swallowed her words and stayed quiet.

...

“Zhang Shen, what are you all doing?” The awkward silence in the air was broken by Hao Lei’s voice as she approached.

Looking at these four familiar faces, Hao Lei couldn’t help but wonder why Meng Ran had gotten mixed up in the situation. Still, she didn’t see it as the main issue needing attention.

“The four of you, go in and take your exam first. Whatever else there is, we’ll talk after you’re done.”

The slightly commanding tone in Hao Lei’s words left Zhang Shen and the others with no choice but to enter the classroom.

“Next, as usual, we’ll do a random quiz.”

With that, Hao Lei began to distribute the test papers. Although Wang Ying and Zhang Shen were still seated together, they were like strangers, cold and distant.

The observant Hao Lei naturally noticed this subtle change.

She came over to Wang Ying and whispered, “Xiao Ying, do your best!”

As their homeroom teacher, Hao Lei knew well that Wang Ying didn’t care much for the medical major, and today she seemed especially distracted. With graduation exams looming, Hao Lei felt compelled to show extra concern.

“A six-year-old child with mild anemia, the diagnostic range for Hb is...”

“To determine whether a newborn is experiencing asphyxia and the severity, choose after birth...”

“The standard for judging the weight in simple obesity is...”

Zhang Shen muttered the questions under his breath, feeling utterly lost; these topics were completely different from what he had learned from his mentor. Faced with such unfamiliar questions, Zhang Shen wondered if his medical knowledge was simply too old-fashioned, unable to keep pace with the times.

He glanced at Wang Ying beside him. Her small hands were flying across the test paper, answering swiftly and confidently. Zhang Shen’s curiosity turned to surprise.

He had always heard Wang Ying wasn’t skilled in this subject, yet what he saw today was clearly at odds with her reputation.

“Zhang Shen, stop looking around.”

Just as Zhang Shen continued to sneak peeks at Wang Ying’s test, Hao Lei’s words made him feel utterly exposed. Wang Ying turned to him, her expression full of disdain.

Realizing Wang Ying’s anger, Zhang Shen hurriedly pulled his head back and focused on his own answers.

Time slipped away, minute by minute. Zhang Shen faced the test paper as if blind, unable to do anything. In the end, he was forced to randomly mark ABCD for the multiple-choice questions, while the fill-in-the-blank and short-answer sections he could only leave blank—he simply couldn’t make anything up.

Finally, the bell rang. For the first time, Zhang Shen felt that forty minutes could drag on longer than an entire day. After handing in his paper, he had planned to go to the cafeteria with Meng Ran, but to his surprise, Wang Ying had already walked over to Meng Ran, whispering something; the two soon vanished from the classroom together.

Zhang Shen realized that the chubby Meng Ran had lucked out this time—he himself would have to get used to being alone. But then it occurred to him: if he was by himself, there must be someone else who was single as well. In that case, perhaps he hadn’t lost out after all.

So Zhang Shen went to the cafeteria alone, then returned directly to the dormitory.

Lying on his bed, Zhang Shen idly scrolled through his phone, still unsure if the confusion from the morning’s exam was addling his mind. Soon, he drifted off into a muddled sleep.

When Zhang Shen next awoke, the afternoon alarm was ringing. He noticed Meng Ran’s bed was still in the same chaotic state as it had been in the morning.

“Damn, that guy hasn’t come back all afternoon.”

Just as Zhang Shen exclaimed in surprise, his phone rang.

“Who would call me right after I wake up?” was Zhang Shen’s first thought. But seeing the caller ID, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

“Hello! Miss Ye, what brings you to call me?”

To Zhang Shen, Ye Qiong always found a way to criticize him when they met. Why would she go out of her way to call him now?

“Zhang Shen, I don’t have time to joke with you. I’m telling you, Xiao Ying hasn’t come back all afternoon. Do you think something could have happened?”

From Ye Qiong’s anxious tone, Zhang Shen knew she was serious. But...

“Zhang Shen, are you listening? Has that chubby guy in your dorm come back?”

Seeing Zhang Shen hesitate, Ye Qiong grew even more impatient.

“You mean Meng Ran? He hasn’t come back either.”

As soon as Zhang Shen said it, he realized—these two young people had fallen in love rather quickly.

“You’re saying Meng Ran hasn’t come back either?”

“That’s right!”

Ye Qiong shouted on the other end, “This is bad! We’d better go look for them right away.”

Hearing Ye Qiong’s words, Zhang Shen hesitated. Wang Ying had made her attitude toward him crystal clear; going out of his way to meddle in her private affairs felt like throwing himself at someone who didn’t care for him.

“Maybe I shouldn’t go...”

Before Zhang Shen could finish his excuse, Ye Qiong cut him off.

“What are you saying? Xiao Ying liked you once, and now all we’re asking is that you help look for her. Besides, you two are still desk partners!”

Truthfully, Zhang Shen’s greatest wish was for Wang Ying to understand his explanation—nothing else mattered. If she truly felt Meng Ran was someone worth trusting, he would sincerely wish her well.

“Fine. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

“Okay!”

Soon, the two met up, and this time, they didn’t bicker as usual.

“Where to?”

Zhang Shen asked proactively.

“The park!”

In Ye Qiong’s view, the park was the best place to start. Besides, it had only been an afternoon—surely they hadn’t gone off campus. With another class approaching, and based on Ye Qiong’s understanding of Wang Ying, she wouldn’t choose to be late or skip class without reason.

“Alright, let’s split up.”

Thus, Zhang Shen and Ye Qiong carried out a thorough search of the park. With class about to start, there weren’t many people around, so they quickly scouted the area—but as expected, they didn’t spot Meng Ran or Wang Ying anywhere.

“Where could those two have gone?”

It was indeed a pressing question before Ye Qiong and Zhang Shen.