Urban Leisure: Returning to University as a Model Student

Chapter 8 How Old-Fashioned!

Of course, Zhou Shanxuan, who held the upper hand in this interaction, wouldn’t be foolish enough to openly express his grudge against Chen Jiahua. He had plenty of patience and methods to make life miserable for this young man before him.

“Alright, I understand, young man,” Zhou said, his voice measured. “Your case will need to be discussed in a meeting. Why don’t you sit over there and wait for a while?”

Zhou Shanxuan was an expert at using bureaucratic procedures to stall and frustrate people, and this time was no exception. Chen Jiahua, hearing this, couldn’t exactly argue, so he stood still for a moment before glancing around and finally sitting down on a small sofa.

Zhou remained comfortably seated at his desk, projecting an air of unbothered authority. Sometimes he would take a phone call, laughing heartily while chatting with friends. Other times, he examined his tea cup from different angles or scribbled something in a black notebook—whether it was important or not was anyone’s guess. Eventually, he pushed the notebook aside and leaned back, pretending to nap.

Watching Zhou, Li Ting, the young counselor, sighed softly and got up from her desk. Walking quietly over to Chen Jiahua, she whispered, “Chen Jiahua, right? Are you here to process your re-enrollment? I think you should head back for now. There’s no way this will be resolved today.”

She had wanted to say, You probably won’t succeed at all, but there was no way she could be so blunt about such a harsh truth.

Chen Jiahua was a little surprised. This counselor has good memory and sharp hearing, he thought. Twenty minutes earlier, he had briefly introduced himself to Zhou, and yet this woman had taken note of his name and situation.

He also knew very well that Zhou was deliberately stalling him, dragging things out as a petty display of power.

People like Zhou were everywhere—petty bureaucrats who enjoyed using their limited authority to manipulate others, relishing the sense of control and satisfaction it brought.

But with no leverage to fight back, Chen Jiahua could only smile wryly and ask, “Counselor, you’re saying I really can’t get this done today?”

Something about the unfamiliar but respectful way he addressed her as “counselor” pricked at Li Ting’s heart. It wasn’t anger exactly, but a mix of frustration and disappointment. She thought back to the rumors from a few years ago—how this bold, confident, and striking young man had supposedly liked her.

She still remembered the fluttery feeling she’d had when she first heard about it, the quiet joy that filled her heart. Even the clouds that day had seemed softer, like cotton candy.

But now, he was calling her “counselor,” acting as if he had no memory of her at all.

Do I have something on my face? Or is my zipper down?

Chen Jiahua, for his part, was puzzled. The young counselor kept throwing strange glances his way, even pausing at the door to look back at him. What’s going on with her?

Finally, unable to sit idle any longer, Chen Jiahua stood up and briskly approached Zhou.

“Director Zhou,” he began, “can you please clarify the steps I need to take? If you could outline the specific process, I’ll go handle it myself.”

Zhou looked up at him with a raised brow, his shoulders stiffening slightly. Then, he raised his voice, feigning indignation.

“

What do you think you’re doing? Don’t you have any manners? Can’t you see I’m busy? I told you already—your case needs to go through a meeting. Go home and wait for notification.”

Chen Jiahua clenched his fists silently. He knew exactly what was going on. Zhou was either taking out his frustrations on him or holding a grudge from some past incident.

Back in his student days, Chen Jiahua had been bold and outspoken, often crossing paths with people in authority. It wasn’t out of the question that he might have offended Zhou directly or indirectly at some point.

Without another word, Chen Jiahua turned and walked toward the door, his expression neutral. But as his figure disappeared out the door, Zhou couldn’t help but smirk triumphantly. Picking up the landline on his desk, he called his brother, Zhou Kangwei, to gleefully recount the encounter.

To his surprise, Kangwei wasn’t satisfied. “Brother, this might feel satisfying for now, but it’s just a short-term win,” he said.

Zhou’s eyes lit up at his brother’s implication. “Are you saying…?”

“Bring him back in. Let him think he’s getting what he wants. Then, make his life a living hell. You could assign him some dead-end lab project or have some female student accuse him of harassment. Wouldn’t that be more satisfying?”

Slamming a glass onto the table, Kangwei added venomously, “One strike isn’t enough. Make him regret even thinking about re-enrolling.”

Zhou laughed heartily. “Oh, little brother, you’ve still got that spark! Alright then, let’s see how long he can hold out. If he thinks I’m just stalling, he’s got another thing coming. I’ll keep you updated.”

The brothers continued scheming, their voices dripping with malice.

Outside the office, Chen Jiahua had caught up to Li Ting, who was walking leisurely down the hall.

“Chen Jiahua, how did it go?” she asked. Her voice was calm and refined, her light blue pleated skirt fluttering slightly as she turned to adjust her glasses. The summer sun streaming through the windows seemed to highlight her elegance.

Chen Jiahua hesitated for a moment. Why does she look so familiar? He just couldn’t place her.

“Director Zhou didn’t say much. Just told me to wait for notification,” he replied. Then, as if grasping at straws, he added, “Counselor, what should I do?”

Seriously, Chen Jiahua? Do you really not remember me, or are you just pretending?

Li Ting felt a surge of frustration. From childhood, she had always been the one admired and pursued. In elementary school, her desk was stuffed with love letters and chocolates. She had only recently started to feel something for this bold, brash boy—only for him to suddenly drop out.

Now, years later, she had stayed on at the university as a faculty member—a prestigious position requiring at least a master’s degree. By all accounts, she was an accomplished woman. Yet here he was, calling her

“Counselor” like they’d never met.

“I suggest you think of other ways to approach this. I’ll also look into it for you,” Li Ting finally said.

Chen Jiahua beamed. “Thank you so much! What’s your name, Counselor?”

“My surname is Li,” she replied, forcing herself to stay composed.

“Thank you, Miss Li!” Chen Jiahua exclaimed. “I know a great place that serves yellow braised chicken rice near campus. Let me treat you sometime!”

Li Ting shot him a sharp look and muttered under her breath, “Chen Jiahua, is this outdated pickup line your idea of flirting?”

Out loud, she said curtly, “No need, but… thanks.”