Chapter 46 Fame
“Holy crap!”
“Is that for real?”
“Is that the Freshman who bet he could make a ten-fold profit on stocks in one semester?”
“They say he invested 500,000, and by yesterday, he’d already had three daily limit hits!”
“He must have some family money! To invest that much.”
“His classmates say his family background is average. Could he have won the lottery?”
“That must be it.”
A thin classmate standing nearby chimed in.
“Someone in his class who went to high school with him said he’s just a regular kid from the countryside.”
“So it really is him!”
A female student also said:
“I’d heard his name before, but I didn’t expect him to be so handsome and so daring in person!”
“That move was just too impressive!”
Someone else nearby remarked:
“First, he shocked the whole department with his bet,”
“Now, he’s played the hero to save the campus belle. Is this Freshman about to become a legend?”
“Among the freshmen, he’s definitely the most famous one now!”
The party, which was already lively, was pushed to an unprecedented small climax because of this incident!
Everyone’s eyes were focused on Lin Chen,
filled with curiosity, amazement, envy, and jealousy.
Chen Qian was also slightly stunned,
then she smiled as if she had just realized something,
her tone teasing, but her eyes very gentle:
“I didn’t expect you to be Lin Chen, junior. I’ve heard classmates mention you before.”
“At this rate,”
“it won’t be long before you’re even more famous than I am, the campus belle.”
“You’re too kind, senior.”
Lin Chen smiled faintly, his tone calm,
“It was just a small favor. I’m glad you’re alright, senior.”
“Regardless, I still want to thank you.”
Chen Qian looked at him earnestly,
the gratitude in her eyes undisguised.
Afterward, she took a deep breath, composed herself,
flashed a professional smile at the crowd,
and picked up the microphone to continue hosting:
“Alright everyone, that was just a small interlude,”
“don’t worry, I’m fine.”
“Next, let’s move on to the dance segment everyone has been looking forward to!”
Her voice carried through the microphone across the venue,
the previous panic gradually dissipated, replaced by anticipation.
“First, let’s start with the Bunny Hop!”
“Everyone, quickly line up. Students in the back, put your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you, and let’s move!”
Upbeat music instantly filled the air,
and the students at the venue immediately boiled over with excitement,
running to the center of the auditorium to line up.
Hundreds of people quickly formed several long human chains,
and following the rhythm of the music, they danced in unison,
with laughter echoing throughout the hall.
Lin Chen looked at the lively scene before him,
and just as he was about to retreat to the side to rest for a bit,
he was pulled over by a few roommates.
“Brother Chen! You’re amazing!”
The fourth eldest, Zhang Peng, patted his shoulder with a look of admiration,
“That move just now was simply too cool!”
“I almost wanted to kneel to you!”
“You said it!”
The third eldest, Wu Gang, also leaned in, grinning and winking,
“Saving the campus belle is one thing, but you also exposed your identity,”
“now the whole school knows you!”
“Brother Chen, you’re about to take off!”
The second eldest, Li Lei, also joked with a smile:
“It’s a pity Xia Sisters didn’t come,”
“otherwise, seeing you playing the hero like that, who knows how moved they would have been.”
“If they had come, there would definitely have been a crowd fighting to invite them to dance.”
Lin Chen smiled and waved his hand:
“You guys go have fun first,”
“I’ll watch from the side. I used a bit too much force in that quick rescue,”
“I’ll rest for a moment and join in when the time is right.”
It was indeed too much force; it was a conditioned reflex.
The only reason it was "too much" was because of the intense battle he’d had with two beauties during the day.
Besides, he had actually already invited Xia Sisters.
He had originally intended to use the dance party as an opportunity to dance with them and get closer.
But unfortunately,
when he left Li Sisi’s courtyard in the afternoon, Xia Wanrou sent him a message,
saying that both sisters were on their periods today and weren’t feeling well,
so they wouldn’t come to join the fun.
Thinking of this, Lin Chen felt a slight sense of regret.
The others didn’t force him, patted his shoulder, and rushed into the dance floor:
“Alright then, Brother Chen, get some rest. We’re heading in!”
The music for the Bunny Hop gradually faded,
and the melodious, soothing rhythm of a waltz slowly began to play.
Chen Qian’s sweet voice came over again:
“Alright, the Bunny Hop is over!”
“Next is the final segment of the night,”
“Ballroom dancing!”
“Everyone can invite their desired partners to the floor to dance,”
“the boys should be proactive!”
The music became gentle and lingering,
and many male students immediately gathered their courage,
walking towards the girls they admired.
Pairs of men and women walked onto the dance floor hand in hand,
dancing gracefully to the melody, the scene warm and romantic.
The crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall refracted shards of flowing light,
and the melodious waltz melody intertwined with the scent of perfume and rustling clothes, overflowing into every corner.
Lin Chen leaned against a pillar, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his cuffs,
his gaze sweeping casually across the dance floor when it happened to land on his classmate, Wang Hao.
At this moment, Wang Hao was wrapped in a flashy designer outfit,
stepping with full confidence in his limited-edition leather shoes,
his arm affectionately draped around a girl with exquisite makeup.
His steps were slightly clumsy, but he was deliberately trying to act elegant, dancing a ballroom dance that was far from standard.
The corner of his eye was constantly scanning the crowd, as if he were deliberately looking for an audience to show off his “glory,”
having clearly calculated this vanity in his heart.
He could finally hold his head high in front of Lin Chen.
Perhaps Lin Chen’s gaze was too calm and lacked any envy, which instead caused Wang Hao to catch it instantly.
He turned his head sharply, his line of sight locking precisely onto Lin Chen,
the corners of his mouth immediately pulling into a showy and piercing smile,
the smugness and provocation in his eyes almost overflowing.
It was as if he were saying, “Look, I’m better than you.”
Without waiting for Lin Chen to speak, Wang Hao let go of his dance partner’s hand,
and sauntered over to him, deliberately puffing out his chest,
making the designer logo on his clothes more conspicuous, his tone thick with unhidden boasting:
“Lin Chen, see that?”
“As soon as I entered the floor, a beautiful girl took the initiative to ask me to dance. It’s much better than you standing there all by yourself.”
Lin Chen raised his eyes, his expression indifferent, not a ripple of emotion in his heart.
He had no interest in this kind of competitive spectacle,
and he disdained to fight Wang Hao for such meaningless vanity,
so he just pulled the corners of his mouth faintly and didn’t respond.
Seeing his indifferent attitude, Wang Hao felt a surge of frustration in his heart.
Just as he was about to mock him a few more times, his gaze drifted involuntarily toward the sofa in the corner of the banquet hall.
Chen Qian, sitting there, instantly eclipsed all the girls on the dance floor.
As the school’s recognized campus belle, Chen Qian was wearing a light white dress today,
her long hair loosely pinned up, her brows and eyes clear and shallow, sitting quietly,
her whole person seemingly shrouded in a layer of distant halo, completely out of place with the surrounding noise.
There were many beauties on the dance floor, but none could be like her,
capturing the attention of half the boys with just a profile.
Wang Hao felt an itch in his heart; if he could invite Chen Qian to dance, that would be true glory,
and Lin Chen would surely be envious then.
But just as he took two steps forward, he saw several boys approaching her one after another.
There were handsome school hunks, and Second-generation rich kids covered in designer brands just like him, all full of confidence.
“Chen Qian, may I have this dance?”
The school hunk smiled and extended his right hand, his tone carrying a hint of cautious flattery.
Chen Qian looked up, her gaze sweeping over him calmly,
she shook her head gently, her voice clear and soft but carrying an unarguable aloofness:
“Sorry, I don’t want to dance for the moment.”