C15 I Cannot Judge a Book by Its Cover!
Zhang Yurou's mouth hung open, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Yang Ling. Behind him, the onlookers' jaws had dropped so far they could have swallowed an egg whole!
"Wow, he's incredible!"
"Whoa, talk about a hidden master!"
"Hey handsome, are you a med student too? Got a girlfriend?"
"Dude, weren't you the one claiming to eat poop on a livestream at a rate of five bites per second? What's your room number? I wanna send you some gifts."
The crowd was utterly astounded, the room buzzing with excitement. Several female college students gazed at Yang Ling, their eyes sparkling with admiration.
Dr. Wang was so taken aback that his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. As a medical professional, he knew without a doubt that Yang Ling's words were spot-on.
He gaped at the composed young man, finally grasping the truth behind the old saying: Don't judge a book by its cover.
Yang Ling offered a slight smile and asked, "Well? Dr. Wang, was I correct?"
Dr. Wang's face flushed with embarrassment. As a seasoned doctor, being outdone by a layperson was a bitter pill to swallow. How could he face remaining in this place?
Sympathetic glances from the bystanders only added to his discomfort. How could he stand it?
Rising to his feet, Dr. Wang shot a glance at Zhang Yurou, who was still chatting and smiling with Yang Ling. A flash of resentment crossed his eyes, but it was fleeting.
"Ding! You've fulfilled Zhang Yurou's wish for your victory, Wish Value +1."
"Ding! You've satisfied the crowd's desire for entertainment, Wish Value +1."
"Current progress: 3/10."
"Ding! You've crushed Dr. Wang's wish for a date, Attribute Point +1."
Hearing the System's notifications, Yang Ling couldn't help but feel elated.
A single breakfast had netted him three Wish Values and an Attribute Point. What a rush!
As Dr. Wang made his exit, Yang Ling noticed the lingering stares and the few eager to approach him. Breakfast was winding down, and the typically understated Yang Ling decided it was time to leave, taking Zhang Yurou with him.
Strolling along, Zhang Yurou chirped with excitement, seemingly having forgotten all about returning home to sleep.
"Yang Ling, Yang Ling, you're so impressive. Could you teach me Traditional Chinese Medicine? I've always wanted to get my TCM license!"
Yang Ling offered a slight smile. "Teaching you isn't out of the question."
"But about the tuition fee..."
Catching Yang Ling's half-smiling gaze, Zhang Yurou's cheeks flushed with realization. In a soft voice, she said, "Turns out you're quite the rascal."
Her tone was playfully reproachful, yet there was no sign of actual anger. Instead, she exuded a girlish shyness, her head bowed as if deep in thought.
Yang Ling couldn't resist teasing her a bit more. Leaning in, he whispered, "What's on your mind? You couldn't possibly have a crush on me, could you?"
"What?" Startled by his suggestion, Zhang Yurou stumbled backward, her face growing even redder as she huffed, "I don't fall for guys younger than me!"
"Goodbye!" With that, she stormed off in the opposite direction.
Watching her retreating figure, Yang Ling chuckled and shook his head.
He had matters to attend to and didn't want to outright dismiss her, so he had provoked her on purpose, giving himself an out.
Just as he was about to walk away, Zhang Yurou came running back, phone in hand. "Your WeChat," she demanded with a huff.
With a grin, Yang Ling pulled out his phone and opened WeChat.
His phone was an ancient model, long overdue for an upgrade.
But that couldn't be helped; he had been too poor before.