Chapter 323: Respective Encounters

"That’s very impressive, a top student in the eight-year program." A hint of admiration flashed in Chu Yunfan’s eyes. He pulled a well-made card from the brochures in his hand and passed it to her. "This is a recruitment notice for the Student Council’s Practice Department. We often organize things like free community clinics and health seminars, which are perfect for medical students looking to gain experience. If you’re interested, you can come check out our recruitment drive next week."

His demeanor was open and natural, his words filled with enthusiasm for his department’s activities. It was hard to dislike him.

"Okay, thank you, senior. I’ll keep an eye out for it." Su Yuqing took the card and responded politely.

"You’re welcome. I’ll let you wait for your roommates. I’m going to go check on things over there." Chu Yunfan smiled, made a natural exit, and turned to walk away. He resumed his conversations with other freshmen, his every move poised and appropriate, showing a perfect sense of boundaries.

Su Yuqing looked at the recruitment card in her hand. It was very well-designed.

She had a good impression of the enthusiastic and straightforward senior. ’University life really is full of all sorts of opportunities and interesting people,’ she thought.

She put the card away and continued waiting for her roommates, not thinking much of the brief encounter.

As was his habit, Chen Mo went for a jog around the residence hall area to familiarize himself with the surrounding paths.

On his way back, he passed a bulletin board near the Student Life Center and saw a few people gathered there, seemingly looking at some notice.

He got a little closer and saw a young woman standing in front of a large poster, saying something to two other students next to her who looked like student officers.

She was tall and poised, her hair tied back in a neat ponytail. The simple sportswear she wore did little to conceal her exceptional presence.

She was standing sideways to Chen Mo, tapping a finger against the poster as she clearly laid out the work:

"...The volunteer schedule for the opening ceremony needs to be finalized here, with every task assigned to a specific person. It’d be best to attach a simplified route map so volunteers can get their bearings quickly. Also, make sure the notice to the heads of each college is sent out ahead of time..."

Her voice was clear and steady, her speech unhurried but perfectly organized, carrying an air of unquestionable certainty and efficiency.

The students around her were listening intently, nodding and taking notes from time to time.

Chen Mo’s gaze skimmed the poster—it was a notice about preparations for the opening ceremony.

Just as he was about to leave, the young woman apparently finished giving instructions and turned around.

Her features were striking and elegant. Though she wore no makeup, she had a naturally dashing air. Her gaze was sharp, and she exuded an aura of confidence and competence.

When she saw Chen Mo, her gaze lingered on him for a moment.

Chen Mo was keenly aware of her appraising gaze. It held no malice; rather, it was the quick assessment of an unfamiliar element in her surroundings, backed by the characteristic perceptiveness of a leader.

Their eyes met briefly. Out of politeness, Chen Mo gave a slight nod.

The young woman returned his gesture with a slight nod of her own. Her expression didn’t change much, but deep in her eyes, a faint look that seemed to say, ’Duly noted,’ flickered for an instant.

Immediately after, she said to the student officers beside her, "Let’s leave it at that for now. Get in touch if any problems arise." Then, with a composed stride, she headed toward the administration building, her figure soon vanishing into the morning light.

"Who was that senior just now? So beautiful and cool!" one girl exclaimed, her expression full of adoration as she looked in the direction the other had gone.

"That’s the Student Council President, Qin Xue. She’s a third-year forensic medicine major. I heard she can face the most gruesome corpses without batting an eye. She’s a total legend," a guy who had also been reading the notice whispered, his voice filled with admiration.

Hearing this, Chen Mo looked again in the direction she had left.

’The Student Council President? Her presence is indeed extraordinary.’

He didn’t dwell on it, simply thinking, ’University really does bring together all sorts of outstanding people.’

He withdrew his gaze, checked the time, and figured the three lazybones in his dorm room should be getting up soon. He immediately turned and headed back toward his dorm.

In the first light of dawn, the campus was gradually awakening, filled with infinite possibilities.

Tiny ripples were already beginning to spread, though at that moment, no one could know if these chance encounters would one day stir up much larger waves.

When Chen Mo returned, he happened to see Su Yuqing waiting downstairs.

They smiled at each other and chatted for a bit. Once Su Yuqing’s roommates had all come downstairs, Chen Mo headed back into his residence hall.

"My, my, aren’t you two lovebirds sweet. Being all lovey-dovey downstairs so early in the morning. I’m so jealous!" Lin Xiaoxiao immediately teased Su Yuqing.

"We just happened to run into each other," Su Yuqing protested weakly, her face flushing red.

Zhou Yue and Zhao Ya smiled at each other but didn’t continue to tease Su Yuqing. Instead, they planned their first destination.

Naturally, the first stop for the four of them was the cafeteria.

Zhou Yue proved to be the ultimate guide, leading them straight to the food stall with the best reputation.

After the four of them had ordered their food and sat down with their trays, Su Yuqing suddenly seemed to remember something. She took out the recruitment card Chu Yunfan had given her and told them about meeting him.

Originally, she wanted to see if the other three were interested in the student council or anything like that.

But she didn’t expect the topic to go off the rails so quickly, with the focus of their discussion shifting to Chu Yunfan himself.

"Way to go, Yuqing! A senior hit on you on your very first day, and a student council member at that!" Lin Xiaoxiao winked, nudging Su Yuqing with her shoulder.

"He wasn’t hitting on me. He was just doing his job, helping new students," Su Yuqing protested quietly, her face flushing slightly as she subconsciously tried to keep the topic from escalating.

Zhou Yue took a bite of her crispy scallion pancake and said, her words a bit muffled, "I’d heard about Chu Yunfan even before I got here. He’s pretty famous in our college. Good family, handsome, great grades, and super capable. On top of all that, I hear he’s a real stand-up guy—no messy rumors or scandals. He’s the ’ideal type’ for a lot of the girls. He seems to be super busy all the time, though, focused on his studies and student council work. I’m surprised to see him doing basic orientation stuff today."

Hearing Zhou Yue’s description, Su Yuqing took a small sip of her soy milk and added softly, "He did seem very pleasant. He didn’t make you feel pressured at all."

"Don’t go falling for another guy, or I’ll tell Chen Mo! He’s so handsome, I’ve been practically drooling over him," Lin Xiaoxiao joked.

"Of course not. I was just saying that the senior seems like a nice person. If you guys are interested in the Student Council, you could give it a try." Su Yuqing shook her head with a smile. After clarifying her reason for mentioning Chu Yunfan, she quickly changed the subject. "Where should we go after we finish eating?"

"The library! I hear the view from the top floor is amazing!" With the change in topic, Lin Xiaoxiao’s attention was, as expected, immediately captured.

The four girls immediately forgot all about the Student Council, laughing and chatting as they started planning the rest of their route.