Chapter 15: I Have Insider Information About the Interview

Returning to the classroom just as the dismissal bell rang, Lu Mingfei entered through the back door, intending to pack up the manga and small toys he had stashed in his drawer and leave quietly.

However, the senior student from the back row who had glared at him earlier now approached with some companions. He reached out, attempting to hook his arm around Lu Mingfei’s neck, as if ready to lead him to a secluded corner for some serious discussion.

Lu Mingfei, looking at this classmate who once teamed up with him in internet cafes for gaming but now seemed to be separated by an invisible wall, took a step back to dodge the reaching arm. In his usual casual tone, he made his trademark sarcastic remark:

“Why can’t you just say what you want outright? Pulling and hooking me around in public, people might think we’re about to have a fencing match.”

It was the first break on a Monday, a prime time when everyone was drowsy from spring fatigue, and the classroom was relatively quiet. His comment drew the attention of many.

Suddenly, the back row transformed from a public setting into a stage under the watchful eyes of everyone.

The three school beauties, Zhao Menghua and his followers, were all looking over in their direction.

“Hey, you little punk,” the senior from the back row said, mimicking a husky dog’s finger-pointing gesture.

He knew Lu Mingfei had a sharp tongue but hadn’t expected such a lame retort.

Glancing at Chen Wenwen, who was watching curiously, he asked again, “Are you sure you want to say it out loud?”

“Say it. Say it loud!” Lu Mingfei nodded firmly, ready to end their e-sports friendship.

“Alright then, be honest. Who was that red-haired pretty girl you were skipping class with, wandering around school just now?”

The classroom fell silent.

Everyone stared at Lu Mingfei in disbelief. They couldn’t understand how this goofy, timid guy dared to skip class to accompany a girl.

If this got reported to the grade director, his parents would probably be called in to reflect for a week and write an 800-word self-criticism!

Of course, more than what punishment Lu Mingfei might face, they were more curious about which girl had lost her mind to hang out with him.

After all, this guy was not only greedy and academically poor, but also loved making lame jokes, often staring out the window during class with a silly smile, fantasizing that he was Superman saving the world.

He preferred to doze off in the back row, drooling all over his desk, embarrassing his relatives so much that they hadn’t dared to attend a parent-teacher meeting for six years.

This sort of disgrace, no better than the weeds on the school grounds—anyone could stomp on him—yet he had a pretty girl accompanying him on a truancy? Was there even any justice or law?

Moreover, everyone knew Lu Mingfei had a crush on Chen Wenwen; how could he secretly hook up with another girl behind her back?

Had he been rejected and shifted his affections elsewhere?

Many students quietly shifted their gaze to the artistic girl in the plain white long dress, curious to see how she would react.

Surprisingly, the class flower’s expression seemed off.

But her furrowed brows and pursed lips only made her look even cuter.

Opposite her, school belle Su Xiaoqiang, who had long disliked the class flower, wore a face of utter disbelief, as if suspecting Lu Mingfei was under too much pressure from the college entrance exams and had hired someone to act as his accomplice to relieve the tension.

Only Zhao Menghua caught the key point: the red-haired pretty girl looked familiar; he’d seen someone like her on his way to school before.

She wore large sunglasses and drove a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano worth five million yuan with one hand—a sight so handsome that even he, a guy, drooled.

But if she was hanging out with Lu Mingfei, she was probably a delinquent girl from some technical school. There had been incidents before where unruly youths forcibly entered school.

Under the mixed looks of suspicion and disdain, Lu Mingfei remained calm, even seeming relieved.

He stepped forward, patted the back row senior’s shoulder, and acted as if the misunderstanding was cleared up:

“Ha, I was worried for nothing—turns out you were just afraid I was dating someone.”

“Don’t worry, minors are forbidden from dating. I’m still single since birth.”

When others said this, it might have sounded exaggerated, but coming from Lu Mingfei, it was believable.

If he looked back at Chen Wenwen now, it would be like making a loyal declaration right to her face.

Yet Chen Wenwen’s mind was elsewhere.

She was wondering if the girl who had just wandered the campus with Lu Mingfei was actually his cousin’s ex-girlfriend.

Stealing someone else’s girlfriend, openly flaunting it at school, then ditching the literary club activity at night because of that unfaithful woman!

Really... never judge a book by its cover.

The artistic girl silently withdrew the “good person” card she had given Lu Mingfei earlier and resolved not to speak to him again.

“Stop changing the subject. I asked who that girl was. Who cares if you’re dating or not?”

Seeing Chen Wenwen was about to look away, the back row senior hurriedly brushed off Lu Mingfei’s hand, trying to distance himself from him to avoid any misunderstandings with the goddess.

“Oh, her? Don’t know her,” Lu Mingfei said disinterestedly, waving the leave slip in his hand.

“Just asked the head teacher for leave. The director caught me and made me work as a tour guide for some Cassel College admissions officer.”

“Cassel College?”

“Admissions officer?”

“Tour guide?”

Four voices came from the three school beauties and Zhao Menghua, who was known for preying on those nearby.

Judging by their tone, Lu Mingfei knew these few were also on the candidate list for tomorrow’s interviews.

“Lu Mingfei, you sure you’re not joking?”

Zhao Menghua stepped forward, looking down at Lu Mingfei with an imposing glare that was rare among their peers.

But Lu Mingfei, who once led his team to victory at the Bird’s Nest stadium and whose number one fan had even seen him, was not intimidated by a flashy young man showing off his background.

“I've got no time for games with you, guys,” he said in a genuine New York accent, immediately revealing his Brooklyn roots.

Zhao Menghua’s American tutor had explained the differences in state accents before, so he instantly recognized Lu Mingfei’s unmistakable East Coast American accent.

When had this guy practiced it?

Zhao remembered when Lu Mingfei took the TOEFL with him before—the speaking section was terrible, and listening was mostly guesswork.

Had he been faking it all along?

With the object of her affection caught by a single sentence, Su Xiaoqiang decisively stepped forward to draw attention.

She half-turned in her chair, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on the ordinary-looking Lu Mingfei:

“Did she tell you anything about the Cassel College interview? Like tips or questions or anything?”

“Yes, she talked a lot,” Lu Mingfei said with obvious double standards, counting off on his fingers like treasures.

“Like the interview process, the examiner’s preferences, the evaluation criteria, the speaking requirements...”

He smiled at the mixed-race beauty, then, under her eager gaze, suddenly changed tone:

“None of that.”

The unexpected tease nearly broke Su Xiaoqiang’s slender waist in half. Furious, she stood up, like an elegant yet fierce leopard pouncing:

“You little—!!!”

“I’m off now. Bye.”

Swiftly packing his things into a crumpled plastic bag, Lu Mingfei hurried out of the classroom, leaving only his mischievous laughter echoing down the corridor.