Chapter 6: The Alt Account

"Marshall (1989) posits that the core characteristic of abnormal sexual preference behavior is the inability to successfully establish intimate emotional connections with adults. These individuals are often lonely, insecure, and isolated from others..." (Note 1)

"You look like you've been drugged with aphrodisiacs."

Zhou Anning sat down beside Jiang Ying.

This Abnormal Psychology course was a specialized class for the psychology department, but it was also an elective open to other majors. Thanks to its provocative name, it was highly sought after; by the time Jiang Ying arrived, only seats in the back row remained.

The teaching assistant had already projected the slides onto the large screen. Today’s topic was sexual preference disorders, and the attendance was higher than usual.

In the large lecture hall, which could accommodate a hundred people, the podium looked like a tiny speck in the distance. Before the lecture began, the room was filled with noise, and no one paid any attention to their conversation.

Zhou Anning added, "Every time you come back from Lu Zhixi’s place, you look like you’ve been soaking in aphrodisiacs for three days and three nights."

"No, stop talking nonsense."

Jiang Ying lowered her head, recalling what had happened in the bathroom yesterday, and felt a wave of heat burning across her face.

After she had accidentally caught Lu Zhixi in that state in the bathroom, he had remained remarkably calm, using a warm towel to wipe the fluid off her instep just as he always did.

Then, he held her ankle.

And let her step on him.

"I am not talking nonsense."

Zhou Anning leaned into her ear.

Jiang Ying jumped, quickly refocusing, but her friend continued:

"My eyes are as sharp as the Monkey King’s Fiery Eyes. I really don't know what kind of love potion Lu Zhixi has fed you; there is definitely something wrong with that guy."

Ever since she learned that Jiang Ying was dating Lu Zhixi, a wealthy socialite, Zhou Anning had been on high alert. It wasn't that she had a vendetta against Lu Zhixi specifically; she was just targeting all rich young men.

That was all thanks to her ex-boyfriend.

Her ex had also been at Hua University, a senior in the finance department. They had met in a table tennis class.

The guy was very enthusiastic. At first, he taught Zhou Anning how to play table tennis; later, he taught her how to kiss. Before they reached the "sleeping together" stage, Zhou Anning discovered his phone contained a list of hookups that she couldn't even count on both hands, neatly categorized by location throughout the city, with clear, unmistakable notes.

When they broke up, Zhou Anning cried until her eyes were swollen. Perhaps feeling a shred of guilt, her ex-boyfriend transferred her a "breakup fee."

However, every single one of the 206 bones in Zhou Anning’s body was made of diamond—she was incredibly tough. Not only did she refuse the money, but she also stormed up to him and tore him a new one in front of the students and faculty of his department.

It was a long, blistering speech without a single profanity, yet every word was cutting.

The look on her ex-boyfriend’s face was spectacular. He finally left her with two parting remarks:

"First, I did have hookups, but I didn't cheat while I was seeing you."

"Second, who the hell do you think you are? Dating you was a disaster."

If Jiang Ying hadn't been there to pull her back, she suspected Zhou Anning would have kicked that guy to death.

After that, the ex-boyfriend’s reputation at Hua University became notorious. He never lacked female companionship, but it was said he never dated classmates again. He only looked for soft-spoken, pliable girls. When people asked why, he’d say, "Why would I want to serve an ancestor just to get scolded?"

***

Ever since she recovered from that heartbreak, Zhou Anning had been clear-headed. Although she constantly dissed the "rich second generation" types, she had once had a heart-to-heart with Jiang Ying.

Hua University was a magical place.

To outsiders, it was just two words: "Prestigious School."

But anyone who had lived behind these campus walls knew that the school was filled with all sorts of people.

Top students from ordinary families, impoverished students receiving financial aid, wealthy scions with power and influence, and students from elite, intellectual families all lived on the same land, ate face-to-face in the same cafeteria, and attended classes in the same buildings.

This beautiful campus gave the illusion that everyone was just a fellow student, no different from one another.

But that wasn't the case.

"There is a wall between us and them," Zhou Anning said.

Even among the wealthy, the differences between individuals were astonishing.

The "second generation" couldn't compare to the third or fourth; new money couldn't compare to old money. Having a company that was drowning in debt was completely different from having personal accounts with hundreds of millions in liquid assets.

And there were differences among these young masters and misses, too. Those who spent their days debauched in luxury were just wealthy wastrels. But the ones who truly studied hard and planned their lives? You not only had to borrow their homework while in school, but after graduation, you’d become a cog in their companies, thanking them for letting you earn a living.

"Regardless of whether these young masters are capable or not, there are countless women lining up to fawn over them. They don't care about sincerity; they just want to indulge themselves, like paying for a service or tipping a waiter."

"If you actually marry one of them, you have to guard against them keeping mistresses. If you work, you’re exhausted, and you definitely won't be as good at providing emotional value as certain other professional groups. If you don't work, you just end up popping out kids—no, that’s called 'breeding'—and your whole life becomes tied to his."

Having moved past her own emotional trauma, Zhou Anning's thoughts were terrifyingly sharp. "Tell me, has Lu Zhixi ever offered you money? Do you really think he's dating you seriously?"

Jiang Ying sighed and said, "Anning, I think you're being a bit too sensitive. I know that unequal relationships often occur among the wealthy, but Zhixi and I are just a normal couple. I’ve never taken his money."

Zhou Anning looked at her with concern and sighed as well. "Fine, I trust your judgment. I hope he really is a good person and treats you well. But if anything happens, you must tell me. I’ll go and punch that pretty face of his. If we can't have it, we’ll destroy it."

Zhou Anning’s father owned a boxing gym. She had practiced since she was a child; although she wasn't a professional athlete, she could certainly hold her own.

Jiang Ying laughed out loud. "Don't worry, I'm not stupid."

"No, you have no backbone at all. You look easy to fool." Zhou Anning shook her head.

The bell rang, and the classroom went quiet.

Three hours of lectures were exhausting. It was nearly six o'clock, and the students were tired and hungry. But when the professor announced that the final exam would be an open-book test, a cheer erupted throughout the room.

With finals approaching, exams and major assignments were piling up. Zhou Anning had a group presentation for an evening class, so she bought bread and a drink at the campus store and headed off to prepare.

Jiang Ying didn't have evening classes, but since she was staying on campus over the summer to join Professor Lin's research team, she had signed up to be a volunteer for the stray cat association she’d seen recruiting that morning. She was going to familiarize herself with the feeding routine tonight.

She was the first to arrive at the stray cat association headquarters.

"Headquarters" was actually just a basement in an old campus building. The decor was sparse, with donated cat food and canned goods stacked in the corners, along with some scratching posts and toys. The association had received donations from on and off campus for years, all used for neutering, feeding, and treating injured cats. Their finances barely broke even, and because it was a student-run organization, they didn't even have a proper office.

The person in charge was a senior graduate student, and the student working with Jiang Ying for the summer feeding was a sophomore from the physics department.

The three of them met for the first time, introduced themselves, and then grabbed buckets of cat food and a map marked with stray cat hotspots to familiarize themselves with the route.

After Jiang Ying poured some food in a corner at the edge of the lawn, a chubby white cat jumped out immediately.

"When it first appeared on campus, it ran into a history lecture and tried to chase the professor off the podium. It was eventually forcibly subdued by the TA and removed from the room. That class was studying the First Anglo-Dutch War, specifically the part where the Netherlands was defeated by England, so the history students named it 'Holland'."

Shang Yiming, the senior, said.

Jiang Ying stroked Holland’s head. "Senior, why does it seem a bit afraid of you?"

Shang Yiming pushed up her glasses. "I was that teaching assistant."

Holland seemed to remember its old grudge and let out a yowl at Shang Yiming.

It was friendly and very fat. Zheng Jinping, the sophomore, grabbed it by the armpits and lifted it up.

Holland’s back legs remained firmly planted on the ground while its body stretched upward; the whole cat was pulled long.

Zheng Jinping remarked, "Why is this cat like a piece of pulled noodle?"

Jiang Ying burst into laughter and took a photo to post on her private social media account: "Holland Ramen."

The photo included the student’s hand, but it looked awkward to edit it out, so she just posted it as it was.

Once she returned to the dorm after feeding the cats, a video call from Lu Zhixi popped up, asking what she was busy with tonight.

He must have just gotten home from playing tennis, as beads of sweat were still visible on his high-bridged nose.

The screen was close, and his amber eyes watched her through the display.

Jiang Ying sent him the photo of Holland and mentioned she had been feeding the cats. Lu Zhixi asked who she had gone with, his tone carrying a hint of interrogation.

She didn't pay it much mind and explained briefly. Unexpectedly, Lu Zhixi frowned. "Your research is already busy, and you just finished your part-time job. Why take on something extra?"

"Many students are going home for the summer, so there aren't enough people to feed the cats. Since I'm on campus, I thought I could use the time to take a walk."

"Then you’ll have less time to spend with me during the summer."

Jiang Ying was stunned; she hadn't expected him to say that. Even though he was voicing an objection, she felt a surge of happiness in her heart.

She explained that the feeding schedule was arranged for the two days she would be living on campus, so it wouldn't affect their time together. But Lu Zhixi said, "I was hoping you would move in with me for the summer."

Jiang Ying had mandatory group meetings two days a week during the summer from the afternoon until night, but the feeding times were at 9:00 AM and 10:00 PM daily. If not for the cat feeding, moving in with Lu Zhixi for the summer would have been convenient. Now that she had committed to this work, the schedule was a bit tight.

If he had brought this up earlier, she certainly would have skipped the volunteer work, but since it was a done deal, she couldn't back out now.

Jiang Ying said apologetically, "The list is already finalized. I'll discuss it with you next time. I won't have any professional courses next semester, so I can move in with you then."

On the other side of the screen, Lu Zhixi’s expression stalled for a moment when she mentioned next semester. He lowered his eyes and said, "Okay."

Jiang Ying sensed his silence. "Zhixi, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing," he smiled. "I just think two months of summer is a long time, and it’s a pity I won't be able to see you every day."

Hearing him say that, Jiang Ying’s heart melted; she wished she could fly to him right now and give him a kiss.