She wasn’t a beauty, but she had a certain charm that beauties often lacked—a delicate, exquisite face, a small pimple just forming on her left forehead, and a thick, shiny black braid wrapped around her neck, the tip resting on her shoulder. Her expression was timid, her eyes especially large and bright. Dressed in a light-colored top and dark pants, she looked a bit frail overall… Shawn Lawrence’s hand, holding out the résumé, froze in midair. No matter how you looked at her, she brought to mind that song: “In the village, there’s a girl named Xiaofang, with a pair of beautiful big eyes, and a thick, long braid.” As soon as the song popped into his head, Shawn Lawrence thought to himself, there are plenty of beauties in the city now—flirty, coquettish, and open—but this kind of city-girl look with a country-girl vibe was actually quite rare. At that thought, Shawn Lawrence’s eyes lit up again, his tongue slid around his lips with a soft hiss, as if he’d discovered new prey.

Just as he was about to strike up a conversation, something unexpected happened… Hmph! The girl, facing those two shining eyes, snorted heavily through her nose, snatched her résumé back, shot him a fierce glare, and then turned on her heel and walked away.

Stunned, huh? Pretty girls are hard to pick up, but even the not-so-pretty ones aren’t necessarily easy. Shawn Lawrence had let a bit of his true nature slip, and the girl ignored him completely.

But the angrier she got, the more attractive she seemed. The way she twisted her body as she turned, the swing of her thick braid, the sway of her narrow waist and wide hips, her graceful curves drew Shawn Lawrence’s eyes, making them dart back and forth. In just a few steps, she was about to disappear into the crowd like a little sprite.

Shawn Lawrence was momentarily dazed, calling out, “Hey, hey… wait, wait!” He shouted as he ran, quickly stepping forward and stretching out his arms to block the girl’s path. She warily took a step back. Shawn Lawrence had planned to play the gentleman and apologize politely, but when he saw her expression—part aggrieved, part angry, and even a little embarrassed—he hesitated, realizing an apology wouldn’t win her over. So he tried a different approach and, pointing at her, said unexpectedly:

“I know you.”

“Nonsense, I don’t know you at all.”

Of course she didn’t. The girl was a hundred percent certain, glaring at him and taking another step back, arms crossed, résumé clutched to her chest—a textbook defensive posture against a creep.

Now what? There were plenty of big-chested, empty-headed girls, but this one clearly wasn’t that type. Besides, she hadn’t liked him from the first glance. Those beautiful, expressive eyes glared at Shawn Lawrence with anger, as if she wished she could burn a hole right through the guy who’d stepped on her foot and didn’t even apologize.

But no matter how sharp a woman’s gaze, it couldn’t pierce a man’s thick skin. Besides, her angry voice was so clear and bright that Shawn Lawrence was instantly delighted. Not only was he not scared off, he even stepped closer, really acting as if he knew this girl…

Chapter 06: Senior and Junior, Always Together

Shawn Lawrence really knew this girl!?

Of course not—he’d never seen her before. But at that moment, his radiant, old-friend smile and honest, dignified face didn’t look fake at all.

Shawn Lawrence spoke to the underclassman with genuine sincerity: “I really do know you. You’re a senior, majoring in Marketing, here looking for an internship, right?”

The girl was momentarily stunned, her eyes wide as if trying to place Shawn Lawrence, but she really couldn’t remember him.

He’d guessed right. Shawn Lawrence immediately put on a serious face and continued, “Really, I know you. Your Marketing major’s big lecture is on the third floor of the teaching building.”

Huh? The girl froze again, startled and incredulous, but unable not to believe him. She stared at this brash stranger in surprise, but he looked so ordinary—so unremarkable that you couldn’t pick out a single distinguishing feature. He wasn’t tall, handsome, or dashing. At school, he’d definitely be one of those people you’d overlook. She looked him over again and again but still couldn’t remember him, and in the process, forgot she’d meant to walk away.

“Zhongzhou University, your name is Emily Thompson. Right? I really am your schoolmate, from the Chinese Department.”

Shawn Lawrence added, trying hard to play the role of a delighted schoolmate reunion, grinning as he tried to get closer—ideally, to get her phone number and take things from there. Ever since he’d graduated, lost his job, and been dumped, he’d spent two years learning a hard truth: girls out in society are tough to fool; campus girls are much easier, especially ones like this, just out of school and not yet in the workforce.

One was openly excited, the other stunned. As the girl stood there in a daze, Shawn Lawrence’s slightly scheming smile made her instantly wary. She glanced at Shawn Lawrence, then slowly looked down at the résumé she was still clutching to her chest. Suddenly, she realized where he’d gotten all that information. With a snort, she quickly hid the résumé behind her back and turned to leave again.

Well, the world changes fast—even campus girls aren’t so easy to fool anymore.

Shawn Lawrence slapped his forehead in regret, thinking he shouldn’t have said her name outright. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been exposed so quickly. He’d just glanced at the résumé and remembered the name “Emily Thompson”—neither too common nor too unique—but hadn’t expected this little trick to be seen through by a clever girl.

As the girl walked off, swinging her arm, Shawn Lawrence stubbornly chased after her. After a year and a half in this place, he’d grown thick-skinned—what’s a rejection or two? He chased after her, explaining nonstop: