Chapter 31: A Smile That Could Charm a City, the Same Smile That Could Charm a Nation

Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The girl in white lowered her head but promptly raised it back up. Her unblinking eyes were fixed on Luo Ziling. There was a hint of mild surprise in the glint of her eyes.

She smiled. Her voice was soft as she said, “It’s alright!”

Her smile was like a blooming orchid, leaving Luo Ziling dazzled and overwhelmed.

He finally found the right phrase to describe her—a beauty that could leave a city, a nation even, spellbound.

It was true. That was the only description he could think of that properly described her charming smile.

A smile that could charm a city, the same smile that could charm a nation. Luo Ziling finally understood the true meaning of such a phrase.

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Her voice was melodious and pleasant to the ear. A clear, melodious, heavenly voice that lilted as it rose and fell.

“I didn’t startle you… did I?” asked Luo Ziling bashfully. His voice sounded unnatural and his face was flushed with the color of shame.

Seeing that he was behaving shyly, the girl smiled brightly. There was a hint of playfulness in her smile.

“You did startle me. But… I’m alright now,” she said. Her eyes were locked on Luo Ziling as she spoke.

He returned a smile that conveyed his embarrassment, scratching his head guiltily.

After the two stopped laughing and smiling, quiet fell over them.

The girl was looking at him with unblinking eyes. There was no anger in them. No feeling of caution nor anxiety. There was only an indescribable sense of calm and warmth. Luo Ziling did not avert his eyes from hers. He only smiled at her.

The two continued to look at each other without making any sound, as if they were both attracted to each other’s eyes.

Finally, they simultaneously broke into smiles. Luo Ziling’s heart beat faster at that moment. It was her smile and the kind of beauty that one could never find the words to describe. There was something swelling up inside him, something that kept growing stronger, a feeling he could not explain.

Even though Luo Ziling had never officially been in school, he believed that he had gone through enough books and study materials. Yet, somehow, he still felt guilty. Despite how long he had been studying, including all that time spent researching poetry, he still could not find the right phrase or idiom to describe the girl’s beauty and charm.

A poem came to mind, one that he could relate to.

‘There was a fine woman in the north. Her beauty was unparalleled. Her smile could break a city’s defenses. Another smile could topple an entire nation.’

That was all he could think of. Truly, it was such a shame that he could not think of a more appropriate word for her.

“I’m leaving now. Goodbye,” said the girl while Luo Ziling was still daydreaming.

Smiling, she slowly started to leave. As she walked, she held something in her hand and spun it in a half circle around Luo Ziling, looking all cute and charming.

Caught by surprise, he did not realize what she was holding. He wanted to say something just then, but words failed him. All he could do was stand there and watch her walk away.

The thing in her hand swung behind her as she left. Only then could he properly see what it was—a long flute.

“Was she here to play the flute?” he asked himself.

He did not recall hearing anything that sounded like a flute.

After taking only a few steps, she stopped and turned back. Seeing that Luo Ziling was still standing in the same spot, she cocked her head slightly and smiled before resuming her exit.

It was abrupt.

Before Luo Ziling startled her, she’d had an indescribable feeling of melancholy. Perhaps it had nothing to do with people, maybe just a hint of it; a silent passing that never crossed her mind. Yet, the same thought had been dwelling with her for several years.

Oddly enough, when Luo Ziling gave her a shock, and after the two shared a laugh and a good look at each other, the indescribable feeling of melancholy was gone. In its stead was a feeling of excitement and comfort.

The man had a smile that complemented his looks. One could even say that he was cute. That was actually the first time she had thought a man was cute.

When she turned around and smiled at him, Luo Ziling smiled back charmingly.

There was no regret. Only warmth and comfort.

He no longer wanted to venture around the lake, so he just walked ahead for a while and soon turned back.

The unparalleled beauty was gone, at least, for the day. No scenery there could pique his interest anymore.

When Luo Ziling returned to his dormitory, the others were already back.

Cao Jianhui was drinking while talking about something, while Li Fuming and Wu Longjiang were sitting on the floor listening to him.

As soon as Luo Ziling entered, Cao Jianhui shot to his feet and pulled his hands.

“Boss, today, I am discussing our campus’ top beautiful girls. I am ready to start chasing after them. Now, I need you to help me decide which of them is better, which of them is easier to score.”

At first, Luo Ziling was disinterested in the matter. He just wanted to lie in bed and think about what happened earlier. However, he had a sudden change of mind. In the end, he chose to sit next to Cao Jianhui and listen to what he was saying about Yenching University’s top beauties.

“I was just talking about last year’s top campus beauties. In two months, a new top list will be out,” said Cao Jianhui with his chest out, acting as the authority on the subject. “The old list won’t mean much now.”

Luo Ziling interrupted, “I don’t know about this list you’re talking about. Do tell me about it. The others already know. It isn’t fair! You like to talk about these sorts of things, don’t you?”

“Very well,” agreed Cao Jianhui. “Last year’s campus beauties are as follows: The first is Yang Qingying, second is Dai Shulan, third is Jian Fei, fourth is Luo Yuqing, and…”

Cao Jianhui started to get riled up as he narrated last year’s list of top campus beauties. When he was finished listing them, he went on to talk about the special points of each girl. As he got his information about the girls’ characteristics from unreliable sources, his remarks were all over the place.

Luo Ziling listened intently, but none of the descriptions matched the girl in white he met earlier. He instantly felt disappointed. Alas, there was a chance that the girl was not even a student in this campus.

When Cao Jianhui paused to drink some water, an engrossed Li Fuming asked, “Second Brother, do you have any pictures of the campus beauties?”

“No. Not yet anyway. I couldn’t get everyone’s picture but I do have a few high-res pictures of some,” said Cao Jianhui, putting down the cup he was drinking from.

He took out his phone and started to share the pictures he had obtained through unsavoury means with his fellow roommates.

“This is Jian Fei, this is Luo Yuqing…”

After going through all the pictures of the girls Cao Jianhui claimed to be the top ten Yenching University beauties, Luo Ziling felt dejected and disappointed.

“Why didn’t I ask for her name earlier…” he scolded himself.

“What say you, guys? Which one should I go after?” asked Cao Jianhui. He got solemn all of a sudden as he put down his phone. “Based on the intelligence I’ve gathered, none of these girls have boyfriends.”

“Tsk,” Li Fuming clicked his tongue, signalling his contempt. “Who do you think you are? The emperor? Do you think these girls are concubines for you to select?”

“You’re just jealous that I’m far more handsome than you are,” said Cao Jianhui.

He brushed his hands over his hair and put on a stoic expression before continuing, “I’ve got the looks. It wouldn’t be hard for me to charm even the top campus beauties. That being said, these are last year’s beauties. They are all older than me. I should try and target this year’s freshmen instead. Let’s see which students from this intake will make it into this year’s top ten list.”

Li Fuming and Wu Longjiang laughed heartily at Cao Jianhui’s bold and shameless statement.

Luo Ziling remained quiet, still thinking to himself. Who was the girl in the white dress? Who was she?