Chen Jin had attended university in another city. When he was young and reckless, he grew tired of everything familiar and wanted a fresh start, so he and a few friends decided to study abroad in America or England. But Chen Jin, influenced by his grandfather's patriotic education, had no fondness for the Western powers, so when it came time to fill out his college applications, he boldly chose a prestigious university in a northern city in China.
When the admission notice arrived, his mother saw it and immediately started tearing up, worried that the cold weather would harm him. His grandfather, in a typical old-fashioned way, scolded him, saying, "You might as well go to Moscow, then!"
Chen Zui laughed mischievously, "Bro, as long as you don't bring back a red-haired foreign wife, I'll be fine. I'm worried I won't be able to communicate with her."
His father, however, gave him an approving nod. "It's good to experience life."
When Chen Jin arrived at university, he kept a low profile for a while.
No one here knew who his family was, and no one treated him differently because of his background. Even the canteen lady wouldn't give him extra food. But he was happy with that. He felt free, like a little colt that had run out of its stable, eagerly breathing in the air of freedom. During the day, he rode his second-hand bicycle, bought for only a few dozen yuan, between the classrooms, dormitory, and canteen. In the evenings, he would either play computer games before bed, or hang out with his roommates playing cards, or sometimes, engage in a couple of rounds of chess with his buddy from the top bunk.
The dormitory had four large iron bunk beds, and eight people lived there, each from a different part of the country. Half of them came from rural backgrounds, and one was a scholarship student from a particularly poor family. They were all different from the people Chen Jin had been around before—simple, honest, and direct. In their cramped room, you could hear a mix of dialects and the smell of feet wafted in the air. It was so crowded that every movement would bump into someone. At first, Chen Jin found it uncomfortable, but as a man with strong adaptability, he adjusted to this chaotic and crowded life within a month.
On weekends, he would play basketball on the sports field or occasionally visit the library. The unfamiliar city still had an attractive charm to him.
However, at eighteen or nineteen, that age was full of hormones, a time when desire often ruled. H University was a university with a heavy focus on engineering, and there were fewer girls than boys, especially in the communication engineering department, where the girls were even rarer. Even the least attractive girls were treated like princesses by the inexperienced boys.
Chen Jin had seen his fair share of women—pure, innocent ones, seductive ones, and everything in between. None of them moved his heart. The girls here were all so inexperienced and naive. But after playing basketball for a few months, exploring H City and nearby cultural sites, he realized that his body still had more energy than he knew what to do with. And thus, an idea formed.
It wasn't surprising. He was at that age, a half-grown man with a lack of restraint, full of impulses. H University, with its unbalanced gender ratio, still had women. It wasn't like a Shaolin temple where there were no women. Even if there weren't any at his school, there were other schools nearby. Men feared only that they didn't want it enough; if they did, women were never hard to find.
It was then that he noticed her.
She was the history department's campus beauty, named He Lin. A classical beauty with long straight hair, a heart-shaped face, big eyes that curved into two crescent moons when she smiled, and cherry-red lips with two cute dimples.
Chen Jin and He Lin's first meeting had a somewhat romantic twist to it.
The first time was during military training. A girl, still sleepy and confused, couldn't find her class and accidentally joined Chen Jin's class for a run. As the class leader, Chen Jin counted the heads and pulled her out, causing her to be scolded by the instructor and laughed at by everyone in the field.
The second time was a few days later at the welcome party. Chen Jin's roommates, bored and with nothing to do, dragged him to the history department's event. He was with a bunch of guys, and someone suggested, "Why not go? It might be refreshing."
He Lin was dancing the peacock dance on stage, and her graceful movements and seductive figure captivated the guys. After the performance, she went backstage to remove her makeup, when a tall guy blocked her way. Upon realizing it was a familiar face, the guy asked straight away, "Can you give me your number?"
"Why would I give it to you?"
"Because my roommate wants to know."
So, He Lin gave him her dorm phone number in exchange for his name.
Later on, things became more ordinary. The male and female dormitories held a social event, and at first, it was another guy who had his eye on He Lin, but in the end, Chen Jin got the chance, as he had let go of his previous aloofness.
Chen Jin and He Lin began dating, but it wasn't what he had expected. He Lin, though seemingly bold, was actually very conservative. It took a week for them to hold hands, a month to kiss, and at that pace, it seemed like it would take a year for her to sleep with him.
Chen Jin was frustrated. He had considered switching to someone else, but He Lin had her own charm. She was reluctant to give herself up easily, but she was generous with small gestures like holding hands and kissing. She was also very good at being affectionate, which catered to Chen Jin's deep-rooted need to feel in control. She was beautiful, and having her by his side satisfied his vanity.
He Lin was a literature student, and she had a refined air about her. She could recite poems by Xu Zhimo, Xie Mu Rong, and even Cang Yang Jiacuo. She wrote those beautiful verses in delicate handwriting, slipping them between the pages of Chen Jin's books, giving him little surprises now and then, while earning the envy of his male classmates.
So, for half a year, Chen Jin remained a herbivore, sated by spiritual nourishment while restraining his physical urges.
The key reason he didn't pursue others was that He Lin said she loved him. Love—such a sacred word. Although he had never believed in love, curiosity was another matter.
As an engineering student, Chen Jin often frequented the laboratory and had a strong analytical mind. He was eager to understand how love worked, as if it were a scientific experiment. He wanted to know what kind of result it would produce.
Towards the end of their freshman year, seven months and fifteen days into their relationship, Chen Jin's experiment came to an unexpected conclusion. He Lin, with red eyes, came to him and said, "Let's break up."
Chen Jin was stunned. He felt as though his script had been stolen. He hadn't planned on saying anything himself.
"Why?"
"I've fallen in love with someone else."
"Who?"
"You don't know him."
And so, He Lin left, and Chen Jin concluded his experiment: love was highly unstable.
Chen Jin faced heartbreak. His roommates dragged him to a small restaurant to comfort him. He was confused; he hadn't shown any outward signs of sadness. Why did they think he needed comforting? It was only when the oldest roommate spoke that it made sense: "If even Old Six is getting dumped, then do we still have a chance?"
The group sighed, drinking.
The third roommate, a fiery youth, spat as he ranted, "These women are so materialistic! They only care about money, not love. As soon as they see a house or car, everything else is irrelevant."
"Exactly. That guy Zhang... what's so special about him? He looks like a toad, and yet he has a rich dad. These days, toads get to eat swan meat, while we fine young men can't even get a sparrow."
Chen Jin looked up and asked, "Who's this Zhang guy?"
"The one who's been cheating on you!" the fourth roommate slurred.
Chen Jin stood up abruptly, startling everyone.
"You guys keep drinking. This round's on me. I've got something to do."
He threw his wallet on the table, stormed out of the small restaurant, leaving the others to stare at each other in confusion. When they rushed outside, they found he was already gone.
Chen Jin arrived at the girls' dormitory and waited for a while. Eventually, he saw He Lin walking towards him, holding hands with a guy who was only slightly taller than her. In the dim light, Chen Jin could see that the guy had a rough, scarred face. He sneered. Had he lost someone like that?
The couple stopped downstairs, unwilling to part, hugging and kissing. Chen Jin didn't need to watch any longer. He turned away, disgusted. The mouth he had kissed was now being devoured by a toad. What did that make him?
After a long kiss, the guy finally walked away, glancing back several times. He Lin stood there, staring at his retreating figure, her face full of longing.
Just as she was about to turn around, Chen Jin stepped out of the shadows. Seeing him, He Lin froze, as if wanting to run, but her feet didn't move.
Chen Jin, his voice cold as ice, asked, "Did you sleep with him?"
He Lin trembled at the question. Under the weak streetlights, he could still see her pale face.
"Don't make me ask again," Chen Jin added, his voice sharp and full of menace. His demeanor was fierce now, and though he was only a young man, his anger was palpable.
He Lin, an eighteen-year-old girl, had never experienced such a force. She was intimidated, biting her lip, and faintly nodded.
Chen Jin's voice grew colder: "I remember you said you wanted to break up with me this morning."
He Lin was terrified. She thought he would yell at her or slap her, but instead, he turned and walked away.