Padded Fraud

The next afternoon.

Jiang Liu rode a shared bike, leisurely pedaling forward with a post-meal ice cream in hand.

It was already 7:10 PM.

Even if he hurried, he was still a few minutes late—but since he was already late, another five minutes didn’t matter much.

As he rode, Jiang Liu kept scanning the scenery on both sides.

Entering the campus, a strange mix of tranquility and noise welled up in his heart.

This time of evening was lively—bands practicing, skateboarders from clubs showing off tricks, couples whispering sweet nothings by the artificial lake...

Wait, why are those two kissing?

Jiang Liu stood nearby like an amused onlooker, grinning.

Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air.

How nice—chaotic yet peaceful.

After ten days in the hospital and the ordeal of losing his memory, Jiang Liu’s perspective had shifted quickly.

There’s a saying: "The closer you are to death, the more you understand the meaning of survival." Right now, Jiang Liu felt it rang true.

So everything felt new to him.

The kissing couple seemed to notice they were being watched. The boy stormed over, his face burning with anger.

But when he reached Jiang Liu, his expression suddenly changed.

"Liu? You’re back!"

"Of course. Once I recovered, I came back."

"What was wrong with you, anyway? You never replied to any of my texts."

"Just some injuries from a car accident."

The guy was Lu Xiao, Jiang Liu’s roommate.

But since Jiang Liu was always busy with off-campus gigs, they were friendly without being close buddies.

Jiang Liu didn’t mention his amnesia or anything else. Before, his focus hadn’t been on campus life.

Aside from showing up for classes, he was rarely around.

"Then why rush back to school instead of resting at home? Oh, I get it!"

Lu Xiao was puzzled at first, but after a moment, it clicked.

"You’re here because of the confession, right?"

"Who’s confessing to me? Do I have another girlfriend now?"

Jiang Liu’s eyes widened. Can’t blame him for overreacting—anything related to romance set him off these days.

"Who’s confessing to you? It’s Li Shenyu! Everyone knows you two are close."

...

"Li Shenyu, this is the first time I’ve mustered the courage to confess to you. I believe my sincerity will move you!"

Ma Fei, his hair slicked back with gel, stood at the center of a heart-shaped ring of candles, the flickering flames reflecting in his eyes.

Slowly roasting his so-called sincerity.

But his preparations weren’t limited to cheap candles—the kind you could buy a whole box of for a hundred bucks.

Behind him sat a car—a BMW Z4. Not exactly a luxury supercar, but flashy enough to impress on campus.

He opened the passenger door and pulled out a massive bouquet of roses—though they were just a decoy.

Hidden beneath them was a small box.

Yep, the cliché diamond ring.

Unoriginal, but expensive.

Ma Fei gathered his courage and stepped toward Li Shenyu, who stood frozen in place.

He’d dated plenty of girls, but none had ever made him feel like this.

His words tangled in his throat.

"Li Shenyu, I know you’re not like those shallow girls. You don’t care about material things, but I just wanted to give you everything I have."

Ma Fei lifted his gaze to Li Shenyu’s face.

In that moment, he felt every awkward word was worth it.

She was stunning.

Li Shenyu’s striking features dominated her face, enhanced by light makeup for her outing. Her platinum-blonde hair cascaded along her cheeks.

She wore a tailored blazer over a black miniskirt, thigh-high socks, and black-and-gold loafers. At 168 cm, her proportions were unreal—her fair skin glowing against the dark outfit, especially under the dormitory’s streetlamp. The harsh light turned the deep blacks into the perfect backdrop.

White and gold shimmered across her frame.

Just then, Li Shenyu tilted her head under the light, her platinum bangs slipping to one side as she glanced impatiently into the distance.

Ethereal, really.

If only she’d keep her mouth shut.

"Who told you I’m not materialistic?"

"I—"

Ma Fei stared, mesmerized.

But her response threw him off.

What kind of girl says that?

"Rumor has it you’re always hanging out with Jiang... whatever from the Management Department. People even saw him treating you to KFC—just a kids’ meal."

"Kids’ meals aren’t free?"

"I—"

Watching Ma Fei stammer, Li Shenyu rolled her eyes and decided not to waste her breath.

Boring.

"Stop chasing me. I don’t like you. And clean this up—the janitors work hard enough."

"Can’t you give me a chance?"

"I’m a very materialistic woman. We’re not compatible."

A blunt rejection.

Ma Fei expected it, but the crowd’s stares made him desperate.

He couldn’t walk away empty-handed!

"At least give me your WeChat! Even if we don’t date now, being friends could—"

"Do I have to spell it out? Buddy!"

Li Shenyu knew half-measures wouldn’t cut it. She took a deep breath.

"You’re ruining my date plans! I finally put on makeup today to take cute pics with my boyfriend. So scram before my jealous man shows up, okay?"

The word "boyfriend" hit Ma Fei like a punch to the gut.

Boyfriend? Since when?

Normally, a rejected suitor would slink away, clown emoji hovering overhead.

But Ma Fei wasn’t normal:

"Fine, but... who is he?"

His tone was painfully earnest.

Li Shenyu sighed. She’d expected this.

Mentioning his name would only invite more prying.

"Jiang Liu. You already knew."

"Jiang Liu? Your boyfriend is Jiang Liu?..."

"Leave. Or I’ll have the dorm supervisor plaster your face on the bulletin board."

Li Shenyu cut him off, anticipating his next words.

"One last question, then I’ll go. What does Jiang Liu even give you?"

Ma Fei’s eyes were bloodshot. No one knew how much courage this confession had cost him.

Countless failures before him had become campus gossip.

"Because he buys me kids’ meals at KFC."

"Huh?"

Not just Ma Fei—the entire crowd was baffled.

Were the toys that good?

Since when did a kids’ meal win hearts?

"I don’t get it."

"You're not just bad, you're also dumb. I already told you I'm a materialistic woman. Go figure out the rest when you're feeling emo on NetEase Cloud at night."

Li Shenyu said this with a radiant expression, her eyes sparkling.

Because in the distance, someone was slowly approaching.

It’s just that the shared bike was moving way too sluggishly.

But it didn’t matter—Li Shenyu was fast!

She always lived by the principle: If you’re slow, I’ll be fast.

The distance between two people is always fixed. If one moves slowly, the other speeds up; if he lags, she hurries.

Eventually, they’ll both reach the destination together.

Li Shenyu was about to break into a jog—

But the moment she stepped off the stairs, a pile of candles at the dorm entrance blocked her path.

The surrounding crowd had formed a tight circle, leaving no way through.

"Ma Fei, right?! I’m reporting you to the dorm supervisor!"

She gritted her teeth, fuming.

Just then, the shared bike rolled to a stop in front of her. Jiang Liu had already heard from his roommate what was happening.

Honestly, he’d only come to spectate.

Feeling all eyes on him, he realized his arrival probably meant the show was over.

Time to move on to the next scene.

He didn’t even glance at Ma Fei.

"Hop on, beautiful."

"Do you know how late you are?!" Li Shenyu struck a pose, hands on her hips like a swan ready for battle.

"I admit I’m late. Just tell me how to make it up to you," Jiang Liu replied flatly.

But the onlookers—including Ma Fei—were far from calm.

Parking a shared bike next to a BMW Z4 was a serious blow to one’s street cred, yet no one underestimated Jiang Liu.

This rumored boyfriend of Li Shenyu had always flown under the radar, never making waves on campus.

Who knew? Maybe he was a low-key rich heir.

These days, wealthy heirs weren’t stupid—they knew how to keep a low profile.

After all, Li Shenyu had openly admitted she was a materialistic woman.

Whispers rippled through the crowd:

"Ohhh, I get it! This is just their usual couple banter. 'Compensation' means splurging—makeup, bags, cash transfers, maybe even buying her a car!"

"Dude, I think you nailed it!"

With the dorm building being a high-traffic zone, the murmurs spread unchecked.

Ma Fei’s eyes were glued to the scene, wide with disbelief.

Yet, the couple carried on their little compensation game as if no one else existed.

Li Shenyu pressed two fingers to her temple, pretending to brainstorm. After a long pause, she suddenly opened her eyes:

"Hehe, thought I was struggling to come up with something? Fooled you! I already knew what I wanted."

"Then spit it out."

"Twenty minutes late equals two extra hours with me. And tonight, treat me to—"

"Denied. I’m busy tonight. Here’s an ice cream for now—we’ll talk on the way."

Jiang Liu pulled a popsicle from an insulated bag, unwrapped it, and stuffed it into Li Shenyu’s mouth to shut down any further negotiation about the two hours.

"Jiang Liu, you’re so sneaky! Giving me ice cream just to test if I can handle cold stuff, huh? Planning to devour me tonight?!"

"Give it back if you don’t want it."

"No! Though if it’s for xǐ luck, I might not refuse."

"Xǐ luck?"

"You know, like in those period dramas—where a rich merchant’s terminally ill son gets a new bride to 'ward off misfortune'?"

"Your brain’s just a dumpster for dirty thoughts, huh?"

Jiang Liu stared at Li Shenyu’s dead-serious expression, momentarily speechless.

Some people were born absurd, their talent for nonsense unmatched by mere mortals.

"You still haven’t complimented my hair! I sneaked out to dye it last night!"

Jiang Liu had noticed. Platinum blonde wasn’t unusual—just required a lot of bleaching.

But to him, it meant something.

Because golden hair was one of his preferences—not just yellow, but gold.

Had he really confessed this to Li Shenyu before?

Damn, Jiang Liu, no shame at all!

"I actually told you about this?"

Li Shenyu had been waiting for this question. She shook her head rapidly, then straightened her posture.

When a woman struck this pose, it was either to measure height or flaunt certain assets.

Jiang Liu’s gaze swept over her, instantly noticing today’s Li Shenyu was… different.

The proportions had changed.

No wonder she was wearing that oversized blazer!

"Li Shenyu, you little cheat—you’re padding, aren’t you?!"