Door of Luck and Fortune

At the entrance of Jiangzhou University, Ning Xiaocheng held a silver snowflake-shaped hairpin in his hand, feeling somewhat feverish inside. It had been a long time since he had seen Mu Wan, and right after he delivered money and another hairpin to his sister, without even having time for a meal with her, he arrived at Jiangzhou University.

Ning Xiaocheng didn't have to wait long before he saw Tian Muwan come out. Tian Muwan was still beautiful, walking towards him with scarcely a trace of worldly vulgarity. Pride welled up in Ning Xiaocheng's heart; this beautiful woman would become his wife. At that moment, he even felt grateful for the disaster, for without the mountain flood, he might never have had the chance to meet Tian Muwan.

"Are you looking for me?" Tian Muwan's indifferent words made Ning Xiaocheng swallow the name 'Mu Wan' that nearly slipped from his lips—he felt that something was off about Mu Wan today.

"This hairpin is for you..." Ning Xiaocheng originally intended to say he was giving her the hairpin and then invite her out to eat. But as the words reached his lips, he only got halfway through; he sensed a change in Mu Wan.

Tian Muwan calmly accepted the hairpin from Ning Xiaocheng, without even a glance, then asked again, "Is there something else?"

"I was hoping to invite you for a meal..."

Before Ning Xiaocheng could finish his sentence, he saw a blue sports car pull up next to him and Tian Muwan.

"Mu Wan," a young man, reeking of a strange perfume, got out of the car and eagerly called out.

Ning Xiaocheng frowned; he detested that scent. The idea of a man dousing himself in such a strong perfume was unbearable to him. And he recognized this young man—he was Mu Wan's boyfriend, introduced by her family, named Zha Zhiyi.

"Zhiyi..."

Tian Muwan's response made Ning Xiaocheng's frown deepen. Previously, when this Zha Zhiyi called her 'Mu Wan', Mu Wan would always respond coldly, "Mu Wan is not for you to call, show some respect."

But today, Mu Wan seemed off.

Apparently not expecting Tian Muwan to treat him warmly and without saying 'Mu Wan is not for you to call,' Zha Zhiyi was overjoyed and hurried over to say, "Mu Wan, are you free today? I'd like to invite you to dinner."

To Zha Zhiyi's surprise, Tian Muwan didn't decline this time; instead, she nodded and said, "I happen to be free today, let's go together."

Zha Zhiyi, overwhelmed with delight, almost forgot his own name. Just as he started to speak, he heard Tian Muwan say again, "Zhiyi, could you hold this for me?"

After speaking, Tian Muwan handed the hairpin Ning Xiaocheng gave her, to Zha Zhiyi's hands.

"What's this?" Zha Zhiyi took the hairpin and asked subconsciously.

"Oh, this is what Ning Xiaocheng just gave me. I have nowhere to put it," Tian Muwan said casually, as if the hairpin she could easily wear on her head was of no concern to her.

"Ah..." Zha Zhiyi, after hearing Tian Muwan's words, trembled, and the hairpin dropped, rolling perfectly into the gap of the drain cover.

Zha Zhiyi seemed not to have expected the hairpin to fall into the drain and, annoyed, said, "I'm sorry, Mu Wan, I was careless. I'll buy you a better one later."

What Zha Zhiyi didn't expect once again was that Mu Wan simply nodded, "Let it be if it's lost, buy me one when you have time, let's go."

Ning Xiaocheng's face turned somewhat pale; he was well aware that Zha Zhiyi had done it on purpose. What made him even more depressed was Mu Wan's attitude; it had been only half a month since he had last seen her—how could she have changed so much? In his memory, Mu Wan was never like this.

"Mu Wan, I would like to have a word with you." Seeing Tian Muwan about to leave, Ning Xiaocheng spoke up again.

Tian Muwan seemed to know what Ning Xiaocheng wanted to say, as she turned her head and softly said to him, "Ning Xiaocheng, I know what you want to say. But I'm about to graduate and can't keep playing around. You must know there's too much difference between us; it's impossible for us to be together. I was naive before, but I understand now. I hope you won't come looking for me anymore. It's for the best for both of us."

Having said that, Tian Muwan didn't bother with Ning Xiaocheng any longer and walked straight to the blue sports car, opened the door, and sat down inside.

Watching the blue sports car emit a puff of white smoke and disappear without a trace, Ning Xiaocheng felt his heart bleeding. He didn't understand why Mu Wan had become like this; this was completely different from the Mu Wan he remembered.

Are all women so fickle? Although he came from a poor background, he had never felt unworthy of Mu Wan, and she had never disregarded his dignity like this.

"Xiaocheng, what are you standing here for?" A crisp voice interrupted Ning Xiaocheng, who was still lost in bewilderment.

Ning Xiaocheng's face was still somewhat pale as he looked up and saw a short-haired and delicate girl. He said instinctively, "Ji Yun..."

"I saw what happened just now, Xiaocheng. Let things take their course. Mu Wan's family is extraordinary. Open your eyes to the fact that someone more suitable for you might be right beside you," Ji Yun said with a gentle tone, as soothing as clouds drifting in from the horizon, comforting Ning Xiaocheng.

As if he hadn't heard Ji Yun's words, Ning Xiaocheng just stared dazedly at the drain where the hairpin had fallen and took a while to respond, finally saying to Ji Yun, "Thank you, I'm leaving now."

"Wait, Xiaocheng, let me walk with you," Ji Yun suddenly stepped forward, her gaze turning somewhat fervent as she looked at Ning Xiaocheng.

Ning Xiaocheng shook his head and, without saying another word, turned and quickly melted into the street, disappearing into the crowd.

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Watching Ning Xiaocheng's receding figure, Ji Yun bit her lip and said in a voice so low not even she could hear, "Ning Xiaocheng, I like you more than Tian Muwan does."

She was Tian Muwan's best friend, yet she felt she understood Ning Xiaocheng even better than Tian Muwan did. He was the most outstanding man she had ever met, without exception. Ning Xiaocheng had a resilient and optimistic nature, seemingly unfazed by any difficulty.

It was because she knew Ning Xiaocheng that she tried every possible way to understand him more deeply. She found out that ever since high school, Ning Xiaocheng had hardly taken his textbooks seriously, yet he was admitted to university. Once in university, he hardly looked at his textbooks or attended classes, but he never failed. According to her investigations, Ning Xiaocheng never cheated on his exams, always flipping through the books for an hour or two before the test, as if reading a novel.

Even so, Ning Xiaocheng never failed any courses, including some science and engineering subjects that required more than just rote memorization. After saving time from studying, he almost always went to work. The money he and his sister used for school was all earned from his jobs.

The conclusion Ji Yun reached was that Ning Xiaocheng not only had a photographic memory but also had exceptional comprehension skills, which could even be described as a special ability.

The only pity was that Ning Xiaocheng didn't know how to make money; with his abilities, he certainly didn't need to toil at a construction site. But later, Ji Yun felt she might have guessed wrong, Ning Xiaocheng wasn't incapable of making money; it seemed he intentionally didn't want others to know about his abilities.

As Ji Yun came to know more about Ning Xiaocheng, her heart became increasingly filled with his presence. Even though Tian Muwan was her best friend, she was determined to take Ning Xiaocheng for herself. It was her idea for Tian Muwan to investigate Ning Xiaocheng's family.

...

"Let's get off here," Tian Muwan's words caught the still-excited Zha Zhiyi off guard.

"We haven't reached the restaurant..." Zha Zhiyi said subconsciously, but still stopped the car; he didn't dare to offend Tian Muwan.

Tian Muwan opened the car door and said, "My family called and asked me to come back immediately."

As he watched Tian Muwan walk away, Zha Zhiyi suddenly felt tricked; he hadn't heard Tian Muwan answer any phone calls. Even though he knew he had been played, he still didn't dare to hold any resentment towards Tian Muwan.

...

Ning Xiaocheng stopped. He realized he had unconsciously walked onto an overpass, which was a car lane. He shook his head and decided to look for Mu Wan again tomorrow to clarify why she acted that way. If Mu Wan was really as heartless as she claimed, then there was no need for him to stay in this city anymore.

His sister was about to graduate and no longer needed his care. If it weren't for Mu Wan and his sister, Ning Ruolan, he would have left this place long ago.

Just as Ning Xiaocheng turned around, a thick, blinding yellow light shot towards him. Even with Ning Xiaocheng's quick reflexes, he couldn't determine what the yellow light was before it hit him. As he lost consciousness, he seemed to sense an ancient and time-worn presence.

...

Tian Muwan sat in her dorm room somewhat distracted. She picked up the phone then put it down, repeating this multiple times. Ning Xiaocheng had deeply disappointed her, but now that he had truly vanished from her sight, she realized she couldn't forget this man who was often covered in dust.

After repeating this a few times, Tian Muwan sighed and finally decided to not contact Ning Xiaocheng anymore and even planned to delete his dorm's phone number.

But at that moment, her cellphone rang.

Tian Muwan answered the call, and a crisp yet somewhat cautious voice came through, "Is this Sister Mu Wan? I'm Ning Xiaocheng's sister, Ning Ruolan. I want to ask about my brother...."

...

Ten minutes later, Tian Muwan arrived at an off-campus café, where she saw a somewhat anxious Ning Ruolan.

"Is it you?" Tian Muwan recognized Ning Ruolan; wasn't she the girl who was with Ning Xiaocheng last time?

Ning Ruolan had never met Tian Muwan, but as soon as Tian Muwan walked in, she knew that this woman must be Tian Muwan; only such a woman could be worthy of her brother.

"I am Ning Xiaocheng's sister, Ning Ruolan, Sister Mu Wan. My brother has been out of touch and hasn't returned to the dormitory. Do you know where he is?" Ning Ruolan didn't have the mood to chat about anything else and opened with questions about her brother's whereabouts.

Tian Muwan hadn't yet grasped the meaning of Ning Ruolan's words and instinctively asked, "Isn't Ning Xiaocheng's sister supposed to be farming at home? How could it be you...?"

Ning Ruolan frowned and said, "My brother and I are both in Jiangzhou. I have to study; how could I have time to go back and farm?"

Tian Muwan's face changed, and she immediately had some clarity. She was very intelligent, and connecting Ji Yun's words and actions, she already had a vague understanding.

"This is not good..." Tian Muwan instantly thought of the evening she parted ways with Ning Xiaocheng and a piece of news about a meteorite shattering an overpass. It was originally unrelated to Ning Xiaocheng, but at that moment, her mind flashed with the image of a forlorn Ning Xiaocheng standing on the overpass.

Seeing Tian Muwan rush out desperately, Ning Ruolan's face also changed, clearly guessing that her brother might have encountered trouble.

(A new week begins, and as the author, I request votes and favorites for support. Without recommendations, let's charge to the list ourselves to win a spot! The first scene from the text will be posted on my WeChat "eslw26" twenty minutes later, so please follow.)

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