Chapter 221: Asking Xie Dingyuan, Is She Beautiful?
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Xie Dingyuan followed Shen Qiannan’s gaze.
The next second, he froze.
Although it was just a back view, he recognized Jiang Fuyue at a glance.
His gaze then fell on Zhong Ziang, and a hint of coldness emerged, before sweeping over the two boys.
“Youth is truly wonderful…” Shen Qiannan rubbed his chin, sighing to himself, “A beautiful and talented girl like Little Junior Sister wouldn’t lack admirers wherever she goes. Even an old man like me can’t help but feel a stir…”
Xie Dingyuan’s eyes sharpened. “You’re feeling stirred?”
Shen Qiannan chuckled. “I feel stirred by beautiful girls.”
“…”
“Cough! It’s appreciation of beauty and pursuit of excellence, you know?” Shen Qiannan explained.
Xie Dingyuan remained expressionless. “I don’t understand.”
“Tsk, let me ask you a question then. Is Jiang Fuyue beautiful?”
The man furrowed his brows instinctively.
“Seriously?” Shen Qiannan’s expression turned strange. “It’s such a simple question, and you still need to think about it?!”
“If I don’t think, is my brain just a decoration?” the man said disdainfully.
Shen Qiannan became anxious. “What’s there to think about? Beauty is just one word, end of story!”
Xie Dingyuan remained serious. “It’s not rigorous enough.”
“My god… Do you need such rigor in matters of aesthetics? Beauty and ugliness are things you can distinguish at a glance, not something for research or study!”
Xie Dingyuan still gazed in that direction, his eyes profound and his expression stern.
Hearing this, he replied calmly, “Everything has its criteria for judgment, including beauty and ugliness.”
“Everyone has different standards of beauty, how do you explain that?”
From Xie Dingyuan’s perspective, he could see exactly half of Jiang Fuyue’s face.
The girl had fair skin, radiant under the sunlight, like porcelain, clear and translucent.
Her ponytail was tied behind her head, swaying gently with each step she took.
At the moment, she was talking to the boy on her right, tilting her neck gracefully, her brows furrowed, and a smile playing on her lips.
Xie Dingyuan said, “Personal aesthetic standards vary, but there are also common points, which are standards. Do you agree?”
Shen Qiannan sneered. “You’re making it sound like an academic exchange… Alright, let me rephrase it. Is Jiang Fuyue the type of beauty that falls within the common standards?”
Xie Dingyuan’s tone was indifferent. “Before that, you need to give me a standard.”
But who in the world could actually come up with such a set of standards?
So, this question is fundamentally unanswerable!
Shen Qiannan suddenly realized. “Fine, you’re playing with me!”
“It’s because your question is too boring.”
“Is it so difficult for you to praise someone for being beautiful? Old Xie,” he patted his brother’s shoulder, speaking solemnly, “you can’t be like this. We should be more tolerant when it comes to things and people that please the eye, and not hesitate to praise them.”
Xie Dingyuan said, “Whether someone is beautiful or not, and whether I praise them or not, are two unrelated matters.”
Shen Qiannan choked. “…Forget it, you continue being your steel-straight guy, living a lonely life that no one can save.”
Xie Dingyuan frowned. “What do you mean? Steel-straight guy? Lonely life?”
Shen Qiannan thought he was questioning, but upon closer inspection, he realized that the man’s eyes were genuinely filled with confusion and bewilderment.
“Uh! Don’t tell me you don’t know what these two terms specifically mean?”
“I should know?” Xie Dingyuan asked seriously.
Shen Qiannan’s mouth twitched: No, you shouldn’t, it’s me who doesn’t deserve it!
Xie Dingyuan simply took out his phone, opened the browser, and typed into the search bar —
What does “steel-straight man” mean?
Soon, the results appeared, and he scanned them roughly, clicking on one at random.
The first sentence read: “Straight men that have always been the target of ridicule.”
Xie Dingyuan: “?”
With a cold face, he continued reading.
“The difference between a normal straight man and a steel-straight man lies in the following seven points.”
The first three points were about appearance, clothing, and hairstyle. A straight man is sloppy, a steel-straight man is extremely sloppy.
Xie Dingyuan admitted to himself that although he didn’t care much about his appearance, he always kept himself neat and tidy, and never bordered on “sloppy.”
Indeed, that Shen Qiannan’s word couldn’t be trusted at all.
Just about to close the webpage, suddenly, “Look at this…”
Shen Qiannan pointed below, “Isn’t this talking about you? Hahaha…”
Xie Dingyuan frowned and looked —
“About taking selfies”
Normal straight man: Nostrils facing the camera, take the shot and it’s good, refuses editing.
Steel-straight man: Selfies? Boring.
“About girls doing makeup”
Normal straight man: How come it’s not done yet?
Steel-straight man: Is there a difference before and after?
“When girlfriend is sick”
Normal straight man: Fever of 40 degrees? Drink more hot water.
Steel-straight man: Is it that serious?!
…
Xie Dingyuan maintained a cold expression throughout.
Shen Qiannan said, “Hahaha… I think about being sick, if it’s you, you would probably say: The rise in body temperature caused by fever can mobilize more lymphocytes to enter the lymphatic circulation, participating in the immune response… Hahaha…”
“Shut up!” Veins bulged on the man’s forehead.
“The meaning of ‘lone life’,” Xie Dingyuan basically understood after reading it.
Because the last sentence of the article was: “Straight men without girlfriends, steel-straight men lead solitary lives.”
“Drive.”
“Ah?” The driver was stunned for a moment, then quickly started the engine.
Shen Qiannan couldn’t hold it anymore, clutching his stomach, leaning back on the seat, “Hahaha… Old Xie, do you admit it now?”
“If you laugh again, you’ll roll off the car.”
“Haha… no, no, let me tell you, you can’t do this… we’ve been brothers for so many years… haha… you can’t… haha… you can’t be so… haha… so un… haha… unkind…”
Xie Dingyuan ordered the driver coldly, “Stop the car.”
Creak —
The car stopped, and Shen Qiannan, knowing his temperament well, quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
“Mmm mmm mmm —” I’m not laughing anymore.
The Mercedes-Benz resumed its journey.
Two minutes later, Shen Qiannan burst out laughing again.
The driver broke out in cold sweat, almost unable to hold the steering wheel steady. Mr. Shen’s courage… is truly remarkable!
Xie Dingyuan raised his hand to massage his throbbing temples, turned his head, his eyes cold as a blade, enunciating each word, “Shen… Qian… Nan!”
He quickly pressed his lips tightly, and the laughter stopped abruptly, but his cheeks turned red from stifling it.
But when a person wants to laugh, they can’t control it at all, yet Shen Qiannan was pressing his lips so tightly that in the end it turned into —
“Poopoo poo poop… poopoopoop…”
Xie Dingyuan: “?” What kind of fool is this?
The driver: “!” I’m secretly trembling in fear.
Shen Qiannan: “Poopoopoo… poo poo…”
Meanwhile, Jiang Fuyue’s group finished eating, split the bill, and prepared to return to school.
However, Zhong Ziang lingered and refused to leave, sticking to Jiang Fuyue like a loyal dog, his intentions not concealed.
“Let them go back first, you’re not in a hurry, let’s take a walk!”
Lin Shumo sneered: “Forget your friends for a beauty.”
Ling Xuan frowned tightly, “It’s late, isn’t it inappropriate?”
Zhong Ziang checked his watch, “Late? It’s only half past six, the sky isn’t even dark yet,” then reached out to grab Jiang Fuyue’s sleeve, but didn’t touch her skin, “It’s the best time to watch the sunset at this hour. I know there’s a park behind Q University with a great view and it’s cool. It’s the best spot for sightseeing! Really! Let’s go, let’s go!”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t really want to go back to the dorm so early.
Plus, her stomach was still full, and she preferred to take a walk to aid digestion.
“Alright.” She nodded in agreement.
Zhong Ziang’s eyes lit up, somewhat surprised by the favor.
“I know a shortcut, it’ll be quick to get there, but there’s quite a lot of weeds. You should be careful with your skirt, don’t cut your legs.”
“In that case, I’ll walk in front, and you follow behind, stepping on my footprints.”
Considerate, thoughtful, meticulous.
Where was the slightest bit of frivolity? He seemed every inch the gentleman.
Lin Shumo seemed to be seeing a ghost: Was this Zhong Ziang?
He glanced again at Jiang Fuyue’s back, his gaze growing deeper, “Tsk…”
Suddenly, Ling Xuan spoke up, “It’s still early, there’s nothing urgent to go back for. I also want to see the sunset, why don’t we all go together?”
Jiang Fuyue had no objections.
Lin Shumo readily agreed.
Meanwhile, Zhong Ziang’s face had already turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
Ling Xuan smiled, “Classmate Zhong, let’s go. You lead the way, and we’ll follow behind.”
Zhong Ziang: “?” What the h*ll?
He tried to signal to Lin Shumo again, but unfortunately, it seemed like the latter didn’t catch it.
He intensified his efforts to wink at him, hoping his good friend would be more perceptive and take the troublemaker Ling Xuan away, giving him and Jiang Fuyue a chance to be alone.
Unfortunately, the usually sharp-minded Lin Shumo seemed to suddenly malfunction and just couldn’t understand his hints.
Zhong Ziang felt like crying: Alas! Why is life so difficult for me!
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