Chapter 74: Low-Key

“Is that girl from the film academy?”

“That’s right, I just saw her get on and then off the bus over there.”

“Who is this guy anyway? So impressive, making a girl from the film academy chase after him.”

“Yeah, she’s a future star. We should try to meet this freshman back at school. Maybe we can get to know a movie star.”

Ye Tian was talking with Cen Jinglan, while a few senior students gathered nearby whispering. Even though Huaqing University students were top scholars, they also admired beauty. While helping new students earlier, their eyes had often wandered toward the film academy’s area.

It wasn’t just their fault. Not only those senior students but also passersby around couldn’t help staring over there. Though the film academy took few students, every one of them was handsome or pretty, earning a hundred percent look-back rate.

“Sister Lan, I need to get on the bus now.”

“Xiao Ye, it really is you! Oh, I was so worried earlier! You came looking for us, didn’t you?”

Ye Tian didn’t want to stand there being watched. Just as he was about to say goodbye to Cen Jinglan, a voice from the bus interrupted him.

“Is that Aunt Chen?”

Ye Tian looked up and couldn’t help but smile. He knew he couldn’t avoid it. He said, “Aunt Chen, thank you. I’m fine. Oh, are you taking classmate Yu Ziyang to the school?”

“Yes, Huaqing University is so nice. They even have a guesthouse on campus. I plan to stay a few days before heading back.”

Hearing Ye Tian’s words, Aunt Chen couldn’t help but flaunt her pride as a Huaqing University student’s mother again, though without any ill intent. It was purely a mother’s pride in her son.

Having seen Ye Tian’s low-key manner and now witnessing Aunt Chen’s showy attitude, Cen Jinglan felt a bit embarrassed about her identity as a Shanghai woman for the first time. She hurriedly said, “Aunt Chen, he is also a Huaqing student. He might even be in the same department as your son.”

“Xiao… Xiao Ye is also a Huaqing student?”

Hearing Cen Jinglan’s words, Aunt Chen’s mouth fell open. Her originally fair face turned as red as a shrimp in boiling water.

On the train, Aunt Chen had constantly bragged about how amazing her son was, as if students who didn’t get into Huaqing weren’t good students. She never expected this quiet but likable boy to also be a Huaqing student.

Compared to her own son’s dull and socially awkward nature, Ye Tian’s maturity went without saying.

More importantly, while this teenage boy understood the word “low-key,” she had been boasting nonstop. Aunt Chen suddenly felt her over forty years of life had been wasted.

Seeing Aunt Chen’s embarrassment, Ye Tian quickly said, “Aunt Chen, I got into the Department of Architecture. Classmate Yu Ziyang is in Computer Science. That’s much harder to get into, so… I didn’t mention it…”

Having followed his Master for many years, Ye Tian understood many principles. Like in this situation: if he didn’t say those words, this woman might become resentful and hold a grudge.

Although Ye Tian wasn’t afraid of making enemies, whether in school, society, or Jianghu, having one more friend was always better than having one more enemy. A friend might not help you, but an enemy would surely seize any chance to cause you trouble.

Just like in the Three Kingdoms, when Guan Yu was defeated at Maicheng. If he hadn’t casually said that an adopted son shouldn’t be made heir, making Liu Feng resent him and refuse to send reinforcements, Guan Yu might not have died.

Later, because he didn’t send troops to rescue Guan Yu, Liu Feng was also executed by Liu Bei. So, one careless remark led to such turmoil. With Ye Tian’s temperament, he would never give anyone a reason to resent him.

“Oh, you’re such a sensible child. Here, let Auntie carry your bag. Let’s get on the bus.”

If someone else had said those words, it might have sounded like showing off. But coming from Ye Tian, it felt especially sincere. After hearing him, Aunt Chen’s expression returned to normal.

“Thank you, Auntie. I can carry it myself. Sister Lan, we’re leaving now. Come find me to hang out sometime…”

Ye Tian smiled and waved, turning to board the bus. Unexpectedly, Cen Jinglan pulled him back. “Ye Tian, this is my pager number. Page me when you have time, and I’ll show you around Beijing City…”

“Okay, goodbye, Sister Lan…” Ye Tian took the slip of paper and got on the bus. He gave a “shy” smile to those around him, then closed his eyes to rest.

It wasn’t that Ye Tian didn’t like women, nor that Cen Jinglan wasn’t beautiful. It was that Ye Tian rarely took the initiative to befriend people. In all his life, the number of people he could truly call friends didn’t exceed the fingers of one hand.

This habit of Ye Tian’s was related to his Master. When the Old Taoist was with Ye Tian, he often said that people in their line of work would basically suffer from one of the Five Flaws and Three Deficiencies.

The so-called Five Flaws and Three Deficiencies referred to “widower, widow, orphan, solitude, disability,” while the Three Deficiencies were “wealth, life, power.” The Old Taoist, having no children to care for him in old age, suffered from “solitude.”

Over the years, Ye Tian had almost fully mastered the Arcane Repository methods in his mind. He could perform various Occult Arts effortlessly, and Backlash incidents rarely occurred anymore.

But Ye Tian still couldn’t find the underlying principles that formed these Occult Arts. So he had to believe the words passed down through generations by his Master. By making fewer friends, perhaps he would harm fewer people in the future.

“No fair! How come nobody gave us their pager number?!”

After the bus drove away, anguished cries rose from the Huaqing University registration spot. Why had they gotten only cold stares after flirting all day, while this freshman got someone offering her pager number willingly?

…

“As expected of the nation’s capital. The Feng Shui and Earth Qi are rich and dense. Every building has its unique features.”

Sitting on the bus, Ye Tian observed the scenery outside the window. Even without using Geomancy, he could tell Sijiu City was extraordinary. When the Yuan and Ming dynasties entered the Central Plains and when Zhu Di established the capital, experts must have been consulted.

When the bus entered Huaqing Campus, Ye Tian’s thoughts returned to the present. Looking at the former royal gardens, now the country’s top institution of learning, Ye Tian knew he would spend five years of study here.

Since Huaqing Campus covered over six thousand acres, the departments were far apart. Each department had set up its own welcome station for new students. The bus circled the campus, dropping off new students at their respective stations.

“Perhaps my father once stopped here too…” After getting off the bus, Ye Tian silently closed his eyes. After a long while, he walked toward the welcome station set up near the sports field.