The people around them were stunned, their eyes practically popping out of their sockets. Many gazes were fixed on Ji Yu.
Ji Yu, on the other hand, looked like he'd been ripped off, as if Qin Chuan had stolen his woman.
Qin Chuan hadn't expected Luo Hua to be so direct; given the large number of people around, he knew she wouldn't act this way.
Fortunately, Luo Hua didn't like the environment either, and pulled Qin Chuan away, deciding to skip the welcoming activities altogether.
Qin Chuan and Luo Hua left, but the scene was still witnessed by many, including the stunned Ji Yu.
A figure not far away was also watching. She stood in a rather inconspicuous spot, and despite the chaos, many people noticed her.
It was Zhao Han.
She didn't know how she felt, but she knew she wasn't in a particularly good mood, though she didn't know why.
She could easily tell that Qin Chuan and Luo Hua knew each other, and their relationship seemed quite close. After all, for Luo Hua to throw herself at her in public was something she hadn't imagined before.
Luo Hua's reputation at Chu Zhou Academy was immense, even surpassing some of the elders. Not only was she breathtakingly beautiful, but her talent and strength were also terrifying; she was a legendary figure at Chu Zhou Academy.
The surrounding area was in an uproar, with many people no longer paying attention to the welcoming activities. They were now discussing Qin Chuan and cursing him.
"The Goddess Luo Hua and that unknown young man have an extraordinary relationship."
Now, if you said Qin Chuan and the Goddess Luo Hua were just ordinary friends, probably no one would believe it.
"This young man is Qin Chuan, a freshman this year. He supposedly doesn't have any powerful background, but he's connected to Jiang Ranran."
"Zhao Hao said he's just from a small town. Who would have thought he'd be connected to the Goddess of Falling Flowers? Now that's great, with the Goddess of Falling Flowers protecting him, who dares to touch him?"
"Holy crap, so he's a gigolo!"
"So what? Don't you want to be a gigolo like that?"
"Yes, I really do. If I could be one for even a day, I'd die happy."
"That's it! Just thinking about it makes me so envious. To be a gigolo to this extent is truly impressive. How many men would be envious and jealous of him?"
"My world has collapsed. I never thought a gigolo could achieve this. This would infuriate those self-righteous gigolos."
"You only see the surface, not the underlying reality. Do you know this young man can fight Zhao Han to a standstill?"
"Even so, he still can't beat the Goddess of Falling Flowers. That's what a gigolo is—a freeloader."
"..."
There was another person who wanted to kill Qin Chuan: Zhao Hao.
He thought his ambiguous relationship with Jiang Ranran was the biggest hurt he could inflict on Qin Chuan. He had previously been wary of Qin Chuan, fearing that Jiang Ranran and Qin Chuan might actually become close.
Before, he and Jiang Ranran were very affectionate, making him feel superior to Qin Chuan because he knew Jiang Ranran's family planned to arrange a marriage between them.
The thought excited him, giving him an indescribable sense of superiority over Qin Chuan, as if he had stolen Qin Chuan's woman.
What was fought for, what was stolen, seemed much better.
At this moment, a beautiful girl stood beside Zhao Hao. She was a popular figure in the class, from a good family, and had always wanted to marry into the Zhao family.
This beautiful girl was named Tian Xin, the apple of the Tian family's eye. She had long since set her sights on Zhao Hao.
Tian Xin was quite pretty, and pretty girls disliked other beautiful women the most, because in their eyes, they were inferior.
Tian Xin also considered herself extraordinary, but compared to Luo Hua, she knew that ten of her own couldn't compare, so naturally she disliked Luo Hua.
"Do you think we should tell that crazy young master about this? Everyone knows he said Luo Hua was his chosen woman," Tian Xin said.
Zhao Hao nodded with a smile.
...
Qin Chuan and Luo Hua left the crowd and stopped in a grove of trees at Chuzhou Academy. It was quiet, with meadows and a lake—beautiful.
This was the Mandarin Duck Lake of Chuzhou Academy.
This grove was called Mandarin Duck Grove. As soon as it got dark, many men and women would come into this grove. Of course, there were also people during the day, but relatively fewer.
At night, it was really lively. There was an unwritten rule that only couples could enter.
Stopping, Luo Hua looked at Qin Chuan and reached out to touch his hair, but she didn't ask anything, only a slight worry on her face.
She and Qin Chuan had been separated for too long.
Qin Chuan hugged her tightly. Although they hadn't officially defined their relationship, when only one of them could survive,
she didn't hesitate to give herself to Qin Chuan, even offering herself to him. But it was just a kiss, some touching, nothing more.
But their hearts were almost completely connected. Later, Qin Chuan went to Luohua City, but he never saw her again after that.
Qin Chuan felt a little guilty, but there was no need for that. After all, everyone's fate is different, especially since they met here. Nothing else needed to be said.
Because being able to meet here meant that both of them had endured countless hardships and twists and turns over the years to get to where they were today.
"I miss you so much, so much. Just two days ago, I was thinking about you, planning to see you as soon as I got back. I heard someone mention the Goddess of Luohua, and it reminded me of you, but I just couldn't believe that this Goddess of Luohua was you," Qin Chuan said softly, his arm around her slender waist.
"Qin Chuan, I miss you too. I think about you every day, but you didn't come. I thought I'd never see you again. Do you know how happy I was by what you said before…"
Luohua's beautiful eyes reddened as she looked at Qin Chuan, a stunning smile on her face. Her hands unconsciously gripped Qin Chuan's clothes tightly, as if afraid he would disappear.
"How have you been these past years?" Qin Chuan asked softly.
"Okay, very good. I'll miss you. Today is the happiest day I've had in years. Countless scenes from my dreams have come true." Luo Hua looked at Qin Chuan happily.
Qin Chuan could only hold her tightly, saying nothing, nor needing to say anything. Now, it was simply their hearts drawing closer.
Gradually, their hearts calmed down. Qin Chuan actually wanted to do something, but perhaps because they had been separated for so long, and because they hadn't actually developed a very intimate relationship, he couldn't do anything for the time being.
"How long have you been at Chu Zhou Academy?" Qin Chuan asked curiously.
"Five years! Perhaps I'll be leaving soon." Luo Hua said, a hint of sadness in her voice.