Chapter 52: A Clever Mix-Up

As the horse riding lesson was coming to an end, a male voice calling out the name "Chang Chi" resonated from the side of the riding arena. The arena was enclosed by a wooden fence, and non-students were not allowed to enter at will. Hearing the call, Chang Chi looked towards the source and saw an unfamiliar face. Chang Chi was usually reserved, and interactions with the opposite sex were even rarer; the boy calling her was also accompanied by a group of friends for moral support. Fei Qing, seeing the scene, also joined in the teasing, urging Chang Chi to go over and check it out. Hang Yishao merely observed quietly from the side. The stares of dozens of people, along with those of the horses, were all fixated on Chang Chi. Feeling both awkward and embarrassed, she thought being pursued was a good thing, so she shyly made her way over. Standing outside the arena, trying to make a good impression, was none other than Wang Ziqian, whom Su Ziceng had previously fooled. After obtaining the phone number, he tried contacting it several times but had received no response from "Chang Chi." Knowing that today was Friday and hearing that first-year students from the management department at Daoquan University had a horse riding lesson here, he, encouraged by his friends, decided to invite "Chang Chi" to a movie over the weekend. As the person approached him, the clamor suddenly quieted down. Chang Chi glanced at Wang Ziqian, who kept staring straight behind her until she got closer, his voice getting softer and finally turning into a muffled whine as he awkwardly tried to say something. "You are not Chang Chi," Wang Ziqian said oddly, looking at Chang Chi dressed in a Daoquan University jockey suit. The girl he fancied was supposedly lively and pretty. When did she become a cold iceberg? Wanting to clear the air, Wang Ziqian even recited the pager number "Chang Chi" had given him. Not giving up, he described, "Are there others named Chang Chi? Long hair, about 1.65 meters tall, with bright double-lidded eyes. At the corner of her mouth, there is a beautiful mole, and when she smiles, she has lovely dimples." A few people who knew Su Ziceng in the arena immediately caught on. Fei Qing struggled to hold his laughter, his hand holding the horse suspiciously shaking. Hang Yishao pursed his lips, giving Wang Ziqian a careful look. Pello, who was summarizing points on walking the horses, also paused, curling the corners of his mouth slightly. "I am Chang Chi," Chang Chi said in a low voice, knowing in her heart that she was being tossed around by Su Ziceng. In front of so many people, it was really not appropriate for her to make a fuss, so she could only suppress her frustration, retreating back under everyone’s watchful eyes dejectedly. Wang Ziqian felt a bit disappointed, guessing that the girl who pretended to be "Chang Chi" had deceived him, but he was still not willing to let go, continuing to ask, "Then do you know the girl I am talking about? What’s her name? Which department is she from?" In the empty riding arena, Wang Ziqian’s questions echoed loudly. Chang Chi thought for a moment. Su Ziceng didn’t want to be bothered, just casually pushing people to her. She simply wouldn’t let Su Ziceng get her way. Deng Jiani stood next to Hang Yishao, seeing him holding the horse reins, his face showing a hesitancy to speak. "She is called Su Ziceng; her pager number is..." Just as Chang Chi was about to clarify, a neigh interrupted her; the horse held by Hang Yishao raised its hooves, stirring up a flurry of noise and dust. "Chang, the class is over; please take the horses back to the stable," Pello timely intervened in their conversation from the side. Chang Chi looked displeasedly at the young teacher. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, she saw a pair of eyes, hidden behind cold glasses, emitting a warning. Chang Chi glanced only once before she guiltily lowered her head; those eyes were even more intimidating than Su Qingzhang’s. The teacher, who previously seemed bathed in sunshine at Kelly Women’s College, suddenly seemed like a different person. "Unrelated students, please leave the racecourse." Pello gestured for the students to orderly exit the racecourse, while Wang Ziqian and others could only watch helplessly as they left the field. Fei Qing handed the horse over to Chang Chi, dissatisfied that her role was cut short and they had to wrap up. "Isn't Su Ziceng doing well? Just at the start of the term, and she is already quite popular. I remember in the past no boy dared to fancy her." Fei Qing also remembered when she first met Su Ziceng as a child, she had a boyish haircut, only to grow it long later when she found out Hang Yishao liked pulling girls’ long hair. Once, a few boys in the class, itching for action, followed to pull her hair, and the result was a severe beating by people she brought, even more boldly claiming her hair could only be touched by Hang Yishao. From then on, boys around her no longer dared to entertain thoughts about her, including Fei Qing, who dared not offend her carelessly. "It’s pretty rare; she has never been popular with men," said Hang Yishao with a mix of pride and mockery. Looking back at the unimpressive Wang Ziqian, when he turned back, he met the gaze of that Kelly Women’s College teacher. Their eyes briefly met, then both looked away. Su Ziceng’s popularity with men? Is it not good or can it not be good? Pello remembered that dazzling figure, akin to a rose at the Eve Ball, and the vivid lady spitting sunflower seeds amidst the flowers in the pergola. Su Ziceng herself was like an unpolished wild rose; with a little grooming, her fragrance could be utterly soul-stirring. It seems such elaborate grooming required his personal touch. The sunset burned the sky; in the air, a rising scent of rose fragrance began to stir. When Su Ziceng left school, it was still early. Thinking of seeing Chang Chi’s cold face again when the driver came to pick her up, relieved that the French exam was over, she and Chang Mei could share grievances and take revenge, no longer needing to endure Chang Chi. The school buses heading to various zones were parked at the gate; the majority of students were still in class, but Su Ziceng took the bus to Zone 3, planning to check it out later, and along the way buy some wine to go see Pello at Admiration; she promised Pello she’d treat him to drinks and decided it was more appropriate to bring the wine directly to Sister Mu’s place than to go out to eat and drink. In the shopping street of Zone 3, as usual, each store was displaying their new products. Su Ziceng, planning to buy wine at the Wine Shop, had no interest in examining each item one by one. Moreover, under the influence of Sister Mu, she had gradually understood that stacking all high brands on oneself doesn’t necessarily enhance dressing taste, so she only casually visited a few of her favorite brands, including Chanel, which had helped her pass the French exam. The sales assistant at Chanel, seeing Su Ziceng, who hadn’t visited in several months, quickly came up warmly to introduce this year’s new seasonal items. Su Ziceng glanced over them, familiar with styles from over a decade, and found this year’s designs unappealing. She picked and chose and finally settled on a classic white polka-dot dress; little did she know...