Just as Chen Yuzhe was still staring at the girl in a daze, someone suddenly whacked him on the head.

"Hey! What’re you spacing out about?" Jiang Xiaoyao snapped, rapping his skull hard with a rolled-up flyer. She planted her hands on her hips, sweat glistening on her forehead and neck. "We’re swamped here, and you’re daydreaming? Get over here and help!"

"Oh." Chen Yuzhe mumbled lowly.

She’d clearly been working hard under the scorching sun, sweating through her heavy cosplay outfit.

*Not my problem.* Chen Yuzhe looked away.

"There are some freshmen stuck at the back—I’ll take them registration forms."

"Fine," Jiang Xiaoyao agreed readily. "Just don’t stand around. Pitch in properly."

*You’re having too much fun—I won’t steal your spotlight.* Chen Yuzhe gave a noncommittal hum and jogged back to his spot.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said, flashing a warm smile the moment he arrived—as quick as a Sichuan opera face-change artist.

"It’s fine," the girl murmured, giving a slight nod.

"Fill this form here: name, gender, age, department, major, class, and contact info." He handed her the sheet and pen, then thoughtfully dragged over a tall stool so she could write while leaning slightly. "The ‘reason for joining’ section? Just scribble something simple—like why you like anime clubs."

The girl accepted the pen without a flicker of emotion, bent over the stool, and began writing.

Chen Yuzhe seized the chance to observe.

*Xinyu Shi.*

*Shi?* An uncommon surname. But "Xinyu" was ordinary enough—*after fresh rain in empty mountains*, as the poem went.

*Nineteen. Standard freshman age.*

*Philosophy major… Wait, what?* His eyes widened.

Most wouldn’t grasp why that shocked him. Philosophy was a ghost-town major—what normal college kid spent free time pondering cosmic truths with dead sages? Job prospects were bleak, entrance scores stayed deceptively high, and classes often couldn’t scrape together half a dozen students.

Plus… philosophy majors usually joined literature clubs. The anime club had *never* had one.

A girl like this was rarer than a giant panda on campus.

Her contact section had three fields: phone, QQ, WeChat. Xinyu filled only her phone number, leaving the rest blank.

*Huh.* That puzzled him too.

People’s comfort with strangers showed in how they shared contacts. Most gave QQ or WeChat freely—social apps felt safer. Phone numbers? More personal. Earlier sign-ups either filled all three fields, skipped one app they didn’t use, or—especially the shy ones—left the phone number blank.

But *only* giving a phone number? Almost unheard of.

For the "reason for joining," she paused briefly, then scribbled two lines about being an "anime fan" before handing back the form.

"All filled out?" Chen Yuzhe skimmed it without lingering, then beamed up at her. "Perfect. We’ll contact you about club activities soon. Would you like to stay and check out our booth, or—"

"No need." She shook her head lightly. "I’ll head back if that’s all."

"Take care, then. We’ll be in touch."

As he watched Xinyu walk away, a strange glint flickered in Chen Yuzhe’s eyes.

…*Interesting.*

*Really interesting.*

This girl, Xinyu Shi, was different.

Too calm. Not a trace of nervousness, awkwardness, or any flicker of emotion. Quiet as still water in a deep pond.

She reminded him of a Klondike bar—what secrets hid beneath that plain, unassuming chocolate shell?

For a moment, Chen Yuzhe felt dizzy. He hadn’t felt this way in years.

A voice whispered in his head:

*Get close to her. Uncover her secrets.*

*Then.*

*Ruin her.*

—

—

*Yes.*

*Ruin her.*

*You thought I’d say ‘confess’ or ‘chase her’?*

*Joke’s on you. Never.*

*Beautiful things exist only to be shattered.*

*Even quiet girls are human. Ordinary college students.*

*She’ll have crushes. Hormones. Get flustered by sudden romance.*

*She’ll meet scumbags—guys who treat love like a game.*

*What if she pours her heart into someone… only to be tossed aside like trash? What face would she make then?*

*Crying alone in some hidden corner, hugging herself?*

Just imagining it thrilled him.

*Damn… I’m getting worked up.*

Haven’t felt this driven in ages.

Can’t wait to start.

But Chen Yuzhe knew better than to rush. Love manipulation wasn’t simple—it wove complex psychological nudges and suggestions. You didn’t force scripts; you let things flow, then steer at perfect moments.

Those moments were rare. Patience was key. And patience? That was his specialty.

Besides—he hadn’t even picked the guy yet.

Han Cheng would’ve been ideal: handsome, easygoing, perfect for charming an innocent freshman.

But Chen Yuzhe hesitated. They knew each other too well. Manipulating friends backfired—you’d just be watching Han Cheng show off his flirting skills.

That lack of control? Unacceptable.

*No rush. It’s early days.*

Freshmen had just arrived. Plenty of eligible guys out there.

Anyway—she’d joined the anime club. Like a rabbit hopping straight into the tiger’s den.

Plenty of time. No hurry.

—

—

Xinyu’s visit lifted Chen Yuzhe’s mood. He practically skipped back, humming under his breath.

Near the booth, he forced himself to sober up—no need for Jiang Xiaoyao’s scolding.

Then his steps froze.

Jiang Xiaoyao was chatting and laughing with a freshman.

And this freshman?

A certified 90+ point god.

Nearly six-foot-three, with sharp, mature features that screamed *not a clueless newbie*. Broad shoulders tapered to a lean waist—*dressed thin, undressed muscular*, the kind whose collarbones could hold goldfish. Flawless face, no dyed hair or piercings, radiating clean-cut charm. And the cherry on top—

A whisper of CK ONE cologne. A Justly casual shirt. A Doxa watch peeking from under his sleeve.

*Holy crap. My yearly food budget’s cheaper than his watch.* A walking trust fund baby. Chen Yuzhe’s jaw dropped.

No scoring needed. This guy was max stats beyond theory.

The kind no girl could resist.

Jiang Xiaoyao had dropped her usual fake-sweet act, speaking with genuine grace. *She’s serious about this one.*

Of course. Hitting jackpot during club recruitment? Jiang Xiaoyao wouldn’t let him slip away.

The guy checked his watch casually, flashed an apologetic smile—he had to leave. Jiang Xiaoyao looked disappointed but turned to Chen Yuzhe with a sugary voice:

"Yuzhe, grab an application form for our new member, please? Thanks~"

*Ugh.* Chen Yuzhe shuddered. *Stick to yelling at me—that’s more normal.*

"Coming," he called, grabbing a form.

Jiang Xiaoyao beamed at the freshman. "This is Chen Yuzhe, the *only* guy in our year’s anime club. With you joining, we’ll finally have some masculine energy!" She turned to Chen Yuzhe. "This is Gu Chengjin, a freshman from Business School. He needs to report to the student union next. After he fills the form, take him there, okay?"

Chen Yuzhe raised an eyebrow.

*Seriously? Since when does Jiang Xiaoyao pass up alone time with a hot rich freshman?*

"Club recruitment isn’t over—I can’t leave," she pouted, looking pitiful.

*Cut the act. It doesn’t work on me.* Chen Yuzhe looked away, smiling at the freshman. "I’m Chen Yuzhe. Since Senior Jiang’s busy, I’ll escort you to the student union right after this."

The guy shook his hand warmly, teeth gleaming. "Gu Chengjin. Thanks, Senior."