He looked up at the road ahead of the car. The traffic jams during the National Day holiday were indeed quite severe, but things had already improved a lot by now.

After greeting the driver in the front seat, he lay back in the rear and closed his eyes again.

……

Ryan Clark is currently studying at Jianghai University. He could barely be considered half a local of Jianghai, and the place he lives in now was a property his father bought years ago before the housing prices skyrocketed.

Because it was close to the school, and his parents were busy with business and living their “couple’s life” at another residence in Jianghai, only he and Grace Bolton were living there now.

Three years ago, due to certain events, Ryan Clark took a leave of absence after being admitted to Jianghai University and then disappeared into the vast crowd.

Naturally, Ryan Clark’s old man flew into a rage, but fortunately, the family had some connections. After begging everyone they could, they managed to keep Ryan Clark’s student status by registering it as a “medical leave.”

Don’t be fooled by Ryan Clark’s usual laid-back, unserious demeanor.

In fact, if you look at it seriously, back in middle and high school, he was a well-known “little prodigy.”

The reason was simple: not only did Ryan Clark have top grades at a key high school, but he was also about three years younger than the average student around him.

So, although he couldn’t compare to those “real prodigies” who entered the Chinese Academy of Sciences at eleven or twelve, when fifteen-year-old Ryan Clark took the college entrance exam and was admitted to Jianghai University, it still caused quite a stir among his relatives and friends.

At that time, Ryan Clark’s father, Eric Clark, was beaming with pride, hosting a grand banquet for guests and even giving Ryan Clark a big red envelope with a flourish.

Then, the next day, when he woke up…

Ryan Clark was gone.

……

Lying in the car, dozing with his eyes half-closed, Ryan Clark absentmindedly recalled these past events.

After a while, the taxi slowed down and finally stopped in front of an internet café.

Ryan Clark paid the fare and opened the car door.

The three people hanging out at the entrance immediately brightened up when they saw Ryan Clark, and greeted him with smiles.

---

Chapter 2: Grand and Proud—What Can You Do About It!

A rather honest-looking young man saw Ryan Clark and immediately called out in delight, “The wanderer is here!”

In an instant, the people coming and going from the internet café all glanced over, some intentionally, some not, clearly curious about who could have such a bizarre nickname these days.

This was Ryan Clark’s roommate, David Brooks, from Henan. He was the oldest in the dorm, with an honest and simple appearance—though that was only on the surface. Inside, he was quite the closet show-off. Ryan Clark remembered that on the very first day in the dorm, this guy started scouring websites, exchanging torrents, sharing tips, and within just a week of school had made friends with countless “movie buffs” in the dorms along the hallway.

At this moment, Ryan Clark, just out of the car, stumbled a bit at being called out.

He quickly walked over and hooked his arm around David Brooks’s neck. “There are so many people here, give me a little face, will you?”

Next to them, a boy with slicked-back hair and a hair clip grinned and said, “Exactly, it’s not easy being Second Bro.”

After speaking, he looked over Ryan Clark’s messy hair and clicked his tongue in amazement, “Second Bro, this hairstyle… are you going for the decadent look?”

This slightly handsome, slick-looking guy was the youngest in Ryan Clark’s dorm, Brian Carter.

He was from Yuqing Mountain City, and his nickname was “Mantou” (Steamed Bun).

Because when he first introduced himself in the dorm, everyone exchanged contact info, and as soon as his name was entered, all three of their input methods auto-corrected it to “冉馒头,” so “Mantou” became his nickname.

The last tall and burly guy was the one who had called Ryan Clark over—Henry Cooper.

Obviously, although his name means “Not Too Strong,” his appearance was quite the opposite… he was anything but not strong!

This guy’s personality was the straightforward, outspoken type.

Usually, people like this can easily offend others, but once you get to know him, he’s actually easy to get along with. Plus, he’s loyal and righteous, so he’s well-liked in the dorm and even the whole class. Since the start of school, whether it was organizing class events or dorm gaming sessions, he was always the one to take the lead.

……

Seeing the late-arriving Ryan Clark, Henry Cooper slapped him on the shoulder and said impatiently, “Stop dawdling, I swear you’re the most finicky guy in the whole dorm. It’s just a holiday and you had to go home for National Day.”

“Come on!” Ryan Clark quickly waved his hand. “I was stuck in traffic, okay? Besides, my house is nearby—if I don’t go home for the holiday, what else would I do?”

Brian Carter, standing to the side, grinned and said, “Third Bro, that’s where you rough guys don’t get it. Second Bro was busy going home for a date during the holiday—maybe he’s hiding a beauty at home.”

“Get out of here, stop talking nonsense!” Ryan Clark waved his hand in annoyance.

As soon as Brian Carter mentioned “hiding a beauty,” he thought of Grace Bolton.

That little girl was certainly “delicate”—but it was more like tsundere…