What to Do if I Am Noticed by the Straight Guy Next Door?

After a week of classes, Su Bin has started to find his rhythm. He isn’t a top student, but he is fairly conscientious when it comes to studying.

Most of the courses don’t have fixed textbooks because the professors say that published textbooks can’t keep up with the changes of the current era. Apart from some classic theories, all the financial cases are collected and prepared by the professors based on the current situation. What is taught in one class may be completely overturned in the next class… It’s both thrilling and stimulating.

In addition to freshly prepared courseware and materials, the professors also recommend reading lists to the students after each class, sometimes with a mischievous remark like, “The exam might cover some of these books!”

Su Bin couldn’t help but lament, “Ah~ I’m worried that I’ll fail!” The term “fail” appeared in Su Bin’s life dictionary for the first time…

Sun Yujie comforted him from the side, saying, “You won’t fail.”

Su Bin didn’t understand why Sun Yujie was so certain.

Sun Yujie said, “As long as you understand half of what the professor says, and then review before the exam, you’ll definitely pass. Because there are some questions on the exam that guarantee the minimum score, even idiots can answer them.”

Su Bin imagined the kind of questions Sun Yujie meant when he said “even idiots can answer them” and asked, “Are they like ‘Write about the four major research achievements in finance’?”

“No…” Sun Yujie cleared his throat and said, “It’s a question where you have to choose the photo of the course instructor.”

Su Bin: “…”

Sun Yujie looked at Su Bin, who was speechless, and said, “Don’t underestimate this question. The classmate I mentioned last time couldn’t answer it. The day after the exam, he even called me and asked if the old man who taught basic finance was the bald one… but it turns out the teacher was a woman.”

Su Bin: “Haha.”

Well… which country is known for the rumor of “easy admission and strict graduation”? How can such a dumb question stump Su Bin, who has experienced many exams!

Sun Yujie seemed to guess what Su Bin was thinking and explained, “Actually, getting a bachelor’s degree here is relatively easy. The difficult part is getting a high GPA.”

“What do you mean? Can you be more specific?” Su Bin asked.

Sun Yujie said, “In B-country’s universities, different levels of degree certificates are awarded based on students’ exam scores. In our major, passing is considered 40 points out of 100, a Second Class is above 60 points, and above 70 points is a First Class. Only those who obtain a Second Class or higher degree certificate can continue to apply for better schools for further education. A Third Class degree certificate is almost useless. Some companies in B-country see a Third Class degree certificate and basically pass on the candidate, assuming you haven’t learned much.”

“Oh, I see…” Su Bin asked in confusion, “What’s the use of a Third Class degree certificate then?”

Sun Yujie replied, “To show off.”

“…”, Sun Yujie’s remark left Su Bin speechless.

Sun Yujie continued, “But this degree certificate is useful when you bring it back to China because most Chinese people only look at the graduating school, not the degree level. If you get your English certificate authenticated in Chinese, being a ‘graduate of M University’ also sounds pretty cool… So, many people come abroad to ‘gild themselves’ for this reason.”

Su Bin silently thought, I’m here to ‘gild myself’ too… But why does it feel a bit shameful now… QAQ?

Sun Yujie continued, “Also, students here have to rate the professors every year. Some more malicious students might give the instructors bad ratings because they didn’t study well or claim the questions were beyond the scope. This is very detrimental to the professors… So, smart professors often create relatively easy questions to please the students and ensure a minimum pass rate.”

It feels somewhat similar to buyers leaving negative reviews to make things difficult for Taobao sellers.

Actually, come to think of it, tuition fees are so expensive… students are also consumers.

… But you shouldn’t leave a bad review for the professor because of your own reasons, right? Su Bin wiped away a bead of sweat.

In contrast, in China, although the university where Su Bin is studying also has a system for rating professors, Chinese people value respecting teachers and upholding moral principles. As long as the teacher isn’t too extreme, students will respect them and try to give them high ratings. Of course, we can’t ignore the psychological aspect that if everyone else gives good reviews, you wouldn’t dare to leave a bad one… Moreover, it is generally more beneficial than harmful to have a good relationship with teachers. Therefore, in China, it is common to see students and their parents flattering teachers.

“Aren’t you here for an exchange program?” Sun Yujie said, “So getting 40 points or 70 points has the same meaning!”

Sun Yujie was right. As long as Su Bin doesn’t fail any courses, he can easily transfer his credits back to China. Besides, Su Bin doesn’t plan to continue with a master’s degree, so his GPA doesn’t really matter. In that case, isn’t it… quite relaxing for him?

… Well, maybe he should still study hard. After all, the tuition fees are so expensive! -_-#

There were no classes in the afternoon, so Su Bin went to Chinatown to buy some Chinese goods. Sun Yujie went with him, and they also had a meal at a nearby Chinese restaurant.

Watching the bustling crowd of Chinese people, Su Bin had a surreal feeling as if he wasn’t abroad but in China.

So, he started talking to Sun Yujie about the topic of university canteens again. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that if there was a Chinese canteen near M University, it would definitely be popular!

“Hey, I used to think that studying finance would make money, but now that I’m actually studying it, I realize that we, ordinary people, probably won’t use those high-level theories we learn in class in our entire lives…” Sun Yujie tilted his head 45 degrees and gazed at the sky with a half-bright, half-dazed expression. “It feels like people like Cheng Ang are the ones who truly benefit from studying this major.”

Su Bin’s mouth twitched and he asked, “What does his family do?”

“He runs a group company, seems to be involved in foreign trade…”

Su Bin: “Impressive!”

Sun Yujie sighed and said in frustration, “Ah, my parents back in China are just ordinary self-employed individuals. Although we have some money, in essence, we’re just country bumpkins.”

“Hahaha, I’m the same as you…” Su Bin couldn’t help but think of his father and laughed nervously.

Sun Yujie was puzzled and asked, “Then tell me, why are we studying finance? Are we planning to start our own companies?”

“Starting a business is not that simple!” Su Bin recalled a speech given by a successful entrepreneur who was an alumni and came to his university last year. The entrepreneur said, “As an entrepreneur, you need not only extensive knowledge and experience but also a visionary perspective. Besides that, you also need the physical strength of a laborer, the endurance of a cleaner, and the mentality of a migrant worker… Only entrepreneurs themselves know the hardships of entrepreneurship. The world won’t make it any easier just because you become the boss.”

Su Bin felt that the alumnus was right. He sighed and said, “I don’t have any other reason for studying this major. I just think this field is quite popular in China, and it should be relatively easy to find a job after graduation.”

He didn’t have any ambitious career goals. His biggest dream for now was to propose to Chen Xiaotian and build a warm and happy family of their own.

Su Bin knew that this kind of thinking might be considered “immature” and looked down upon by many people, but it was his most genuine desire. “Ah, actually, life is something that’s hard to understand. Why bother thinking so much? Just be happy!”

Su Bin consoled himself and also comforted Sun Yujie.

This time, instead of going to the previous Chinese supermarket, Su Bin went to another Asia-Pacific supermarket. He found many Japanese imported food items like nori, sushi rice, and wasabi.

Su Bin picked some of them, and Sun Yujie asked, “What are you buying these for?”

“To make sushi and rice balls,” Su Bin replied. He also picked up a bottle of sushi vinegar and said, “I’ve never made them before, so I want to try it when I go back.” It was a spontaneous idea.

Sun Yujie’s eyes lit up. “You can make sushi? That’s amazing!”

Su Bin thought, what’s so amazing about making sushi? Isn’t it just cooking some rice, rolling it with seaweed, and cutting it…

“I’ll make some for you to taste if they turn out well. How about that?” Su Bin generously offered.

Sun Yujie looked at Su Bin with anticipation, making Su Bin feel like he couldn’t let him down and not make a few rolls of sushi in the evening.

With Sun Yujie’s presence this time, Su Bin didn’t get lost like a fool. After returning home, Su Bin put away the groceries and started cooking the sushi rice. He was exhausted and sat down on the sofa…

“Ouch!” Suddenly, a hard object pressed against his tailbone. Su Bin gritted his teeth and reached out to touch it. He felt a thick, old black hardcover book. Su Bin thought it might be something like the Oxford Dictionary, but when he turned it over and saw the cover, he almost dropped the book in shock… The book had a white skull imprint on the cover!

…Damn it! What kind of book is this!

Su Bin carefully read the word below the skull, “TOXICANT”?

The word looked somewhat familiar to him, so Su Bin flipped through the book, which was written in an encyclopedia-style format, but he didn’t understand the connection to the skull.

Su Bin couldn’t remember the meaning of this word on the cover. He quickly checked the electronic dictionary on his phone…

Toxicant, [noun] a poisonous substance, poison; toxin

Su Bin: “…”

So, this is a “Compendium of Poisons”? Whose the hell is this book? QAQ

Feeling a chill down his spine, Su Bin suddenly caught sight of a figure coming down the stairs, silently. It was none other than Allen!

“So, it ended up here…” Allen saw the book that Su Bin had placed on the coffee table and reached out to take it back.

Su Bin: “…Is it yours?”

“Yes.” Allen didn’t deny it and sat down next to Su Bin, holding the thick book, saying, “Let’s chat for a while.”

Su Bin: “…” (╯°□°）╯What the hell do you want to chat about!

Allen thought for a moment and said, “I remember last time you mentioned ‘West Lake’ and a ‘tower,’ and you mentioned some legendary stories. What happened next?”

Su Bin sighed and silently prayed to the heavens. Just when he was about to tell Allen the story of Bai Niangzi, Yang Chengzhe and the others returned… But he really didn’t feel like telling any random stories now. He wanted to know what Allen was up to, what he was studying, and why he was reading a book related to poison!

However, Allen took a different direction, and Su Bin had no idea how to change the topic. He could only try to visualize the “Compendium of Poisons” while recalling the “Legend of the White Snake” he had read before.

He began with the transformation of Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing into human forms. Since the names were difficult to translate, he simply referred to them as a white snake and a green snake, both of whom had lived as spirits on the mountain for a thousand years.

Allen seemed particularly interested in this story, more engaged than the last time they talked. Unfortunately, his knowledge of Chinese culture was limited, and he would occasionally ask questions that Su Bin didn’t know how to answer.

For example, when Su Bin mentioned the thousand-year-old white snake, Allen curiously asked, “What snake species can live that long?”

Su Bin was speechless and said, “I don’t know the specific snake species, but it’s just a white snake…”

Allen reluctantly accepted this explanation and asked, “What does ‘becoming a spirit’ mean? Is it a kind of magic?”

Su Bin replied, “You can understand it that way…”

It’s just a legendary story, and the plot is what matters. Don’t pay too much attention to the details, okay? TAT

“In short, the snake transformed into a beautiful woman and, on a rainy day, she met a young man selling medicine on a bridge at West Lake…” As Su Bin reached this point, he unintentionally glanced at the “TOXICANT” book in Allen’s hand and noticed dark red stains on the closed hardcover pages, resembling oxidized bloodstains… Su Bin shuddered, as his mind conjured up unpleasant associations. He made a conscious effort to focus on telling the story and not wander off into wild thoughts!

…Stumbling through, he finally finished telling the story, and his brain cells were completely drained.

Allen listened with great interest, immersed in the lingering charm of the tale. After contemplating for a while, he spoke in a melancholic tone, “The white snake was truly pitiful. She lived for a thousand years but ended up in the hands of a human. That human betrayed her, tricked her into drinking alcohol, forced her to reveal her true form, and then abandoned her to become a monk… Although the story has a happy ending, I can’t help but feel that those ‘happily ever afters’ are all fake,” a trace of sadness appeared in Allen’s eyes as he sighed, “When monsters fall in love with humans, they never have a good outcome.”

Su Bin was slightly surprised. He thought Allen was the type who wouldn’t easily show his emotions on his face, but he didn’t expect him to have such a sensitive side…

With these thoughts, he saw Allen’s eyes narrow suddenly, and he said coldly, “If I were the snake demon in that story, I would never be as kind as she was,” his gaze softened, “If I had a lover, I would bind him tightly, restrict him, not allow him to test me, and certainly not let him leave me… If he betrayed me, I would devour him, bit by bit…”

Allen looked at Su Bin and revealed a faint smile. “That way, we would be together forever.”

Su Bin: “…”

Did he just say “devour” as in eating someone like… as food? QAQ

There’s no way to communicate with someone whose values are so dark…