It was the beginning of a new semester, and Star Han had just arrived at school. He hadn't even settled down in the dormitory when a few early-arriving classmates entered.

"Star Han is here! You should treat us, you know? Such a big achievement, and you didn't even say a word. It's really disrespectful to your classmates," one of them said.

"Yes, yes! We never expected Star Han to be so talented. He truly hides it well. Well, appearances can be deceiving," another chimed in.

"Forget about everything else for now. Star Han must treat us all to a good meal today. Don't you all agree?" someone else added.

"Yes, yes! He won a national second prize! It's a national prize, so of course he should treat us. It's a special occasion," another classmate exclaimed.

"Yeah, we agree. Where should we go?" the discussions continued.

Star Han was completely confused. He quickly asked, "Hey, why should I treat everyone? I mean, I don't mind, but there should be a reason, right?"

"Hey, are you really clueless, or are you just pretending? Your paper won a second prize! It's a national second prize, not some school-level award. Don't tell me you didn't know. You secretly submitted your paper for the competition without even telling your classmates, and now you've won. If you don't treat us, would that be fair?" someone joked.

"I really didn't know. What paper? What second prize? I just arrived," Star Han still didn't understand what they were talking about.

"Oh, I see. You should go to the Academic Affairs Office and check. Your economics paper won a second prize in that national competition. Our school only had one winner, and that's you. Don't you think you should treat us?" another classmate explained.

"Oh," Star Han suddenly understood. When the teacher had mentioned recommending his paper for the competition, he hadn't paid much attention. There were so many economics students, so he didn't think it would come to anything. He had only agreed to avoid rejecting the teacher's proposal, without really thinking about it. But now they were saying he had won a prize, and he found it hard to believe. "What's today's date? Don't play tricks on me. What kind of mediocre paper of mine could win an award? Don't try to fool me."

"Why would we lie to you? Your achievement is a source of pride for our class. Besides, you never told us you had submitted your paper. Don't believe us? Go to the Academic Affairs Office and see for yourself," someone said, slightly annoyed.

"Alright, if it's true, I'll treat you all to a good meal tonight. Let's meet there, okay? Is that fair?" Star Han quickly agreed. "But right now, I have to register and withdraw the prize money. Let's talk about it tonight, alright?"

"Okay, we'll be waiting for you tonight. Don't forget, okay?"

"Remember, I won't have dinner until then. It's all up to you."

"Same here."

"I haven't had a good meal in a long time. Don't disappoint us."

After everyone had left, Star Han felt a mix of excitement and pride. After all, not everyone could win a national second prize. He thought to himself, "I won a second prize. I never expected this. Am I really that talented? I'm studying network technology, after all. It seems that my choice of major was indeed the right one. It appears I have some talent in economics. I should explore it further when I get the chance."

In the evening, Star Han treated all the classmates who were still on campus to a meal at a relatively upscale restaurant. It cost him several hundred yuan, and he couldn't help but feel a bit heartbroken about it. During the dinner, his classmates praised him one after another. With a few drinks in his system and hearing their words of admiration, Star Han felt a bit lightheaded.

After the start of the new semester, Star Han's reputation at school skyrocketed. After all, in an engineering-focused school, it was rare and peculiar to have someone like Star Han, who excelled in the humanities. His paper was not only announced on the campus broadcast but also published in the school magazine along with his photo. The department even promoted him extensively in their newspaper. Star Han suddenly became a newsworthy figure in the entire school. Various titles were bestowed upon him, such as "Excellent Student" and "Outstanding Communist Youth League Member." The student union even invited him to serve as the Minister of Culture. The "Literary Society" invited him to be the vice president. Even if he didn't want to, it was impossible to refuse. Star Han, who used to be inconspicuous, was now praised as someone who single-mindedly focused on studying and made silent contributions. The student union of his department even held a special meeting, urging everyone to learn from him and concentrate on their studies. They even invited him to give a speech. It made Star Han feel annoyed and disturbed. He almost lost the mood to practice his martial arts.

Star Han still went to the library as usual. His relationship with classmates remained lukewarm, neither cold nor warm. However, their attitude towards him had improved significantly compared to before. They no longer considered him aloof but rather saw it as having personality. Other than his classmates, he hardly knew anyone from other classes. However, on the way to class or to the library, people often greeted him, even though Star Han seemed to not recognize them. If he missed a class, most teachers didn't give him a hard time because they understood that he was busy with work. However, due to the many positions he held, even though he didn't actively manage most of them, there were still times when he had to handle certain tasks. So, in this semester, he was busier than before. He also visited the library less frequently than before.

On that day, Star Han went to the library again to study. Suddenly, someone stood in front of him. When he looked up, he realized it was the girl named Wang Shiyi whom he had met before. Star Han quickly said, "Oh, what a coincidence to run into you here."

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"I told you we would meet again," Shiyi said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, but I'm about to have lunch. How about this? I'll treat you. Are you willing?" Star Han was more cheerful than before.

"Of course, I can accept that. I'm also about to have lunch, so since you're treating, I won't hold back," Shiyi replied with a smile.

"I'm glad you agreed. Let's go then," Star Han said with a smile.

As they walked and talked, Shiyi said, "You know, I knew from the beginning that you were extraordinary, but I didn't expect you to be so impressive."

"What's so impressive about me? I'm not really anything special," Star Han replied wryly.

"Your paper is so well-written. Everyone knows how good your paper is," Shiyi said.

"It was just luck. If you wrote a paper, it might have won first prize," Star Han regretted writing that paper. It caused so many things to happen. If he hadn't written that paper, he would still be living carefree. He could do whatever he wanted without anyone saying anything. But now... Star Han thought that old saying was true: "Fame brings trouble."

"What are you thinking about? You seem lost in thought," Shiyi asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about what to have for lunch," Star Han quickly said.

"For lunch, it's your treat. Where do you want to go? This is our first meal together," Shiyi said as if they had been friends for years.

"Ah, you're the guest. You decide, and I'll follow. Wherever you want to go," Star Han agreed readily. After all, it wasn't embarrassing to treat a beautiful girl to a meal, especially one he liked. Although Star Han was somewhat indifferent to people, he was still an ordinary person. He hadn't reached the point of suppressing his emotions and desires.

"Okay, let's go to the school cafeteria. The food there is not too expensive, and it's good," Shiyi seemed to have already made up her mind and blurted it out.

"Alright, let's go to the third floor," Star Han was a bit surprised, but he didn't say anything. However, he already knew in his heart that this meal wouldn't be settled for just a few tens or hundreds of yuan. The school cafeteria was divided into three floors, with the prices getting higher as you went up. The third floor was the most expensive place, usually frequented by wealthy people and used for treating guests. Although Star Han had a considerable amount of money, he didn't have much left because he didn't use the prize money and didn't have much money on him at the moment. Calculating the remaining money, it could barely cover his living expenses for the remaining years of college. Star Han thought to himself that he should eat out with her less in the future, or else he would go bankrupt in no time.

"Why do we have to go to the third floor? Isn't the first floor good enough?" Shiyi asked.

Hearing her question, Star Han felt a bit embarrassed. It seemed that he had misunderstood. Star Han's fondness for Shiyi deepened unintentionally. Star Han and Shiyi arrived at the cafeteria, and of course, Shiyi took the lead in ordering. At that moment, Star Han didn't have any other thoughts because he had enough money on him. Generally speaking, although Star Han's cash didn't exceed a hundred yuan, he would always be prepared if he needed a larger amount of money. But this time, it was unexpected. However, ordering on the first floor of the cafeteria wouldn't cost more than a few tens of yuan, so Star Han wasn't worried about not being able to pay. Finally, when Shiyi finished ordering, Star Han took a look and realized that they only ordered three dishes for the two of them. Star Han couldn't help but feel touched. He ordered two more dishes. While eating, Star Han couldn't help but ask, "Do you usually order such few dishes?"

"I usually find one dish to be enough. Don't judge me based on that. We girls eat less," Shiyi said as she noticed Star Han staring at her. She seemed a bit puzzled and continued, "I usually spend two to three hundred yuan on food per month. Is that very little? Today is our first meal together, and you're treating, so it's memorable, hehe."

Star Han knew that Shiyi's family wasn't very wealthy, so she cared about these things. However, he still felt a bit sad. He thought that he spent at most five to six hundred yuan per month, while Shiyi spent even less, only two to three hundred yuan. Although Star Han knew that girls ate less, he had also heard that some girls spent over a thousand yuan on food each month. Some people didn't even earn a thousand yuan in a month! It felt a bit unfair when he thought about it. But suddenly, Star Han realized that the world was inherently unfair. Some people were rich, while others were poor. It was a natural phenomenon. He had no right to judge whether someone had money or not. It had nothing to do with him. With this in mind, he simply said, "Let's focus on our meal. Afterward, I have things to do in the afternoon."

"I have to say, you're so indifferent to me. Did I offend you?" Shiyi suddenly said. After saying that, she felt it wasn't appropriate and quickly lowered her head to eat.

Star Han didn't answer and just continued eating with his head down. The first meal between the two of them was coming to an end like this. Star Han finished eating and was about to leave when Shiyi suddenly said, "Star Han, can I borrow the book 'Ordinary World' that you bought at the bookstore last time? I've been wanting to read it for a long time."

Star Han hesitated for a moment and said, "Doesn't the school library have it?"

"I'm lazy. I don't want to borrow it from the library. Would you be willing to lend it to me? " Shiyi smiled and said.

"Okay, I'll give it to you tomorrow. Where do you want me to give it to you?" Star Han replied.

"No, I'll come to your dorm to get it."

"Alright, I'll be waiting in my room. Goodbye."

"Bye."

However, for some reason, on his way to class, Star Han remembered a line from the novel "Weicheng" by Qian Zhongshu: "Borrowing books is the beginning of a love affair. Once you borrow, you have to return. One book can serve as an excuse for two encounters, leaving no traces. This is the inevitable first step in a romantic relationship. Borrowing books... it becomes a big issue." Star Han's mood remained unsettled for a long time. It wasn't until after practicing the "Clear Mind Decree" several times that his mood began to calm down.

The next day, Shiyi did come to borrow the book, and she didn't say much. She simply borrowed the book and left. Star Han couldn't help but feel a little guilty and relieved at the same time. For some reason, he also felt a bit disappointed. However, when their classmates saw Shiyi coming to borrow a book from Star Han, they teased him for a while. Some complained that Star Han found such a beautiful girlfriend and didn't tell everyone, some wanted Star Han to share his experience, and others asked for Star Han's help in finding a beautiful girlfriend as well. They went on and on, making Star Han smile wryly. Such matters couldn't be explained, or else they would only worsen. However, amidst all this, Star Han found himself longing for it a bit.

Not long after, Shiyi returned the book. When returning it, she treated Star Han to a meal as a token of gratitude. They had the meal on the first floor of the cafeteria again. After two meals together, their relationship seemed to become much closer. Before long, in a situation where the man had feelings and the woman showed interest, they officially became a couple. Star Han liked Shiyi's elegance and beauty. Shiyi said that she was captivated by Star Han's clear and profound eyes the first time they met.