Tang Bowen could not believe it. He rubbed his eyes and took a closer look.
Was that not his younger cousin brother, Tang Hao?
The realization had given him a shock.
They were at Z University: Province Z’s best university and one of the top-ranked colleges in Huaxia. That younger cousin brother of his was expelled when he was in his second year of high school. There was no chance that he could have enrolled in college, so why was he there?
The young woman next to him noticed how stunned he looked and asked, “What’s wrong, Bowen?”
“I just saw someone I know!” He replied.
Then, he walked toward Tang Hao and said loudly, “Hey! Isn’t this Younger Cousin Brother? Why are you here?”
The tone of his voice and his expression were somewhat mocking.
He was not very fond of Tang Hao. His younger cousin brother had better academic results than him in elementary school and junior high. The other villagers had always compared them.
Because of that, he hated Tang Hao since they were kids.
Now that he was a student of Z University and an academic elite with a bright future, Tang Hao had messed up his life. He did not even have a high school diploma. That meant that he could only find menial work and live hand to mouth.
In Tang Bowen’s eyes, his younger cousin brother was useless.
He assumed an air of superiority when he looked at Tang Hao.
“Younger cousin brother? So he’s a relative of yours!” The young woman exclaimed. “Is he a student of Z University too? I’ve never heard you mention him before.”
Tang Bowen chuckled and said, “How can he be a student here? He didn’t even graduate high school!”
“What?” The young woman was surprised.
“He was a hooligan in high school and was expelled for fighting. He doesn’t even have the qualifications to take the entrance exam.” Tang Bowen mocked.
The young woman furrowed her brows. Her gaze upon Tang Hao was filled with condescension.
The two other couples were also looking at him with a similar sentiment.
They felt superior as students of Z University and looked down upon hooligans of their age who were uneducated and picked fights.
Tang Bowen continued, “His family is from the mountain village and has always been poor, while my family has moved into Provincial City.”
The people frowned when they heard that, and they looked even more condescending than ever.
“So, he’s a poor kid from a mountain village!”
“And he’s a hooligan too!” They mumbled among themselves.
They confirmed their suspicions as they examined Tang Hao’s appearance.
“Look at his plain and shabby clothes! And that phone in his hands too. Oh my god! It’s already an antique and he’s still using it!” A young woman whispered and looked at him with disgust.
“Bowen, I didn’t expect that you have a relative like that,” one of the boys said.
“Bowen, I’ve heard that those relatives from mountain villages are hard to handle. Don’t tell me he’s here to ask you for money!” Another boy said.
“I don’t think so. I think he’s just here to pretend that he’s a student of Z University since it’s impossible for him to enroll here anyway!” Tang Bowen mocked.
“That’s right! How can he be enrolled here?”
The people became arrogant as they spoke.
Their voices might be soft, but Tang Hao heard it all.
He was impassive, though he smirked in his heart. His Cousin Brother was still as loathsome as ever! His attitude was the same as his aunt.
Tang Bowen continued walking and stopped in front of Tang Hao.
“Why are you here in Provincial City, Younger Cousin Brother?” Tang Hao said sarcastically.
Tang Hao lifted his head and glanced at him. “I’m here for some business!” He replied calmly.
“Oh!” Tang Bowen replied, then continued, “What have you been doing lately? Are you still delivering packages like before?”
“Nah, I quit my job a long time ago. I’m self-employed now,” Tang Hao replied.
“Oohhhh,” Tang Bowen said again. He dragged the syllable and sounded disdainful.
‘Self-employed? Doesn’t that just mean that you’re jobless? You don’t even have a high school graduating certificate and your family is poor. What else can you do?’ He thought.
“How long have you been here, Younger Cousin Brother? Have you been around the campus? You must be envious, right? Z University is one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. I think even you should know that.”
“Yup, I went around once. It doesn’t look bad indeed!” Tang Hao replied.
“Isn’t that so!” Tang Bowen said, “You should come here more often! Right, Younger Cousin Brother, since you’re here, how about I treat you to a cup of coffee?
“This is Provincial City. It’s different from where you come from. The coffee here is expensive and I’m afraid you can’t afford it,” he said pretentiously.
Tang Hao grinned curiously. “Why, Cousin Brother, are you rich now?”
Tang Bowen’s eyes flashed with panic when their eyes met. “Isn’t that so? My family isn’t as poor as yours. A cup of coffee here is nothing to me.”
Tang Hao surveyed his clothes. “Tsk tsk! Your clothes must be expensive too!”
Tang Bowen was immediately angry. “What do you mean, Tang Hao? Are you envious?”
The young girl next to him furrowed his brows and said disdainfully. “How can you speak to your cousin brother like that? It’s OK if you’d rather reject Bowen’s kind offer for buying you coffee, but why are you taunting him? People from mountain villages are all like you; uncivilized and unmannered.”
“That’s right, how low-uncouth!” Another girl said.
“Hey, kid, since you’re not from Z University, who are you trying to fool? Do you think you deserve to sit here? Get lost from my face now!”
“That’s right! Go away! Not everyone can step into Z University.” Two boys started yelling at him.
Tang Bowen smirked when he saw the scene. His eyes flashed with satisfaction.
“Whatever. My younger cousin brother is a petty person. He’s just envious of me; you don’t have to mind him,” he said pretentiously.
Tang Hao chuckled. “Why, isn’t Z University for everyone?”
“Of course. This is Z University. You can’t expect to find common rabble here.” One of the boys spoke mockingly.
“You don’t own the place. Why do you care if I’m waiting for someone here?” Tang Hao said coldly.
“You…” That boy was immediately angry. His eyes bulged as he glared at Tang Hao.
“Whatever. There’s no point in talking sense to trash like him. Let’s go sit over there,” Tang Bowen said. He led the group to another corner of the cafe and sat down.
Tang Hao could not be bothered with them. He continued waiting.
About ten minutes later, a commotion was heard from outside the cafe.
A beautiful figure appeared at the entrance.