Bai Sichan successfully arrived in the classroom one minute before her Java teacher, narrowly avoiding the disaster of losing her regular marks.
This was a basic major course, and four classes from the same major attended together. Because of the Java teacher’s reputation, the students had arrived early.
Zhu Xinghao was sitting in the second-to-last row. When she saw Bai Sichan, she stood up and waved.
After getting out of Yang Zhili’s car, Bai Sichan had rushed straight here. She had barely had time to say a few words to him along the way.
When he kept asking questions, she only told him that she had gotten carried away while having fun, stayed out past the dormitory curfew, and had booked a room by herself to rest.
The classroom was on the fifth floor, and the weather was hot.
After running all the way there, Bai Sichan had tiny beads of sweat covering her forehead. Her cheeks and ears were red.
Her fair skin had a lovely pink glow, making her look full of youthful energy.
She walked toward Zhu Xinghao.
The moment Bai Sichan entered, most of the boys in the classroom looked up, and their conversations became noticeably quieter.
She was wearing a cream-yellow dress that showed her fair arms and legs.
Her beauty was clean and pure.
The “first-love look” was popular these days, and Bai Sichan happened to have exactly that kind of appearance.
She had charming eyes and cherry-red lips, making people instinctively want to protect her.
Some people’s beauty was bold and sharp.
Bai Sichan’s beauty was the kind that made people naturally like her. There was nothing aggressive about it.
A University was mainly known for science and engineering majors, so there were already far more male students than female students.
The School of Information and Electronics was even more extreme.
The university forum had once conducted a survey and found that the male-to-female ratio in that school was 8:1, earning it fourth place on the list of “Too Many Monks, Too Little Food.”
The first place went to the School of Naval Engineering, which had a male-to-female ratio of 212:0.
From the moment Bai Sichan entered university, quite a few male classmates had secretly become interested in her.
After spending three years in high school with very little opportunity for romance, many of them were now eager to find a girlfriend.
Unfortunately, despite all the attention, Bai Sichan remained unmoved.
She politely rejected every person who pursued her.
Her usual rejection was very straightforward:
“Sorry, you’re not my type.”
No one knew what kind of person Bai Sichan actually liked.
After two years, she had practically become the untouchable beauty of the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering department.
The beautiful and seemingly unreachable Bai Sichan sat beside Zhu Xinghao and sighed.
“I’m exhausted.”
Zhu Xinghao pushed a bag toward her.
“Meilin asked me to bring this to you. You’re already grown up, yet you still keep forgetting things…”
“Thank you, Xingxing!”
The class bell rang.
The Java teacher entered the classroom exactly on time.
The room immediately fell silent.
Once the teacher became absorbed in his lecture, Zhu Xinghao quietly asked Bai Sichan,
“Where did you go last night? Meilin said she saw you pulling a man away and leaving her alone at the bar.”
“…Why don’t I remember that?”
Bai Sichan lowered her voice.
“I don’t remember.”
That was the truth.
After drinking that glass of alcohol, she had completely blacked out.
Zhu Xinghao stared at her in shock.
“Then last night, you…”
Bai Sichan looked miserable.
“I spent the night with a man.”
Zhu Xinghao was silent for a long time.
Then she gave Bai Sichan a thumbs-up.
Impressive.
Usually, Bai Sichan looked like such a quiet and well-behaved girl.
She really had shocked everyone when she finally decided to do something unexpected.
After joking around, Zhu Xinghao was still worried about her friend’s health.
“Did you take precautions? Was he safe? What did he look like?”
Bai Sichan said,
“You’ve seen him. The man I hired to register the marriage with me.”
Zhu Xinghao immediately remembered that handsome face she had only caught a brief glimpse of.
She nodded.
“Well, at least he looked pretty good.”
After a pause, she added,
“No, wait. Sichan, this happened so suddenly. I need some time to process it.”
Bai Sichan also needed some time to process it.
How had things really gone that far?
But since it had already happened, regretting it would not change anything.
Bai Sichan originally wanted to take out He Shenglian’s business card and call him so she could quickly get her jade pendant back.
Then she thought about it again.
He had left in such a hurry that morning. He probably had important work to deal with.
If she called him at that time and one of his clients happened to find out, wouldn’t that be awkward?
So Bai Sichan silently put the business card away again.
Zhu Xinghao said,
“You really acted impulsively. Meilin said the whole thing about getting extra credits from a marriage certificate was only a joke, yet you actually went and registered one.”
Bai Sichan answered seriously,
“I asked Li Shiqing. He said a marriage certificate also counts as a nationally recognized certificate and gives two extra points.”
Li Shiqing was the class Communist Youth League secretary. He was responsible for recording and submitting certificates, calculating credits, keeping statistics, and ranking students.
“…Luckily, you told someone who doesn’t think too much.”
Zhu Xinghao sighed helplessly.
“If you had told someone with a big mouth, everyone would already know that the beauty of the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering department had suddenly gotten married.”
That afternoon, they only had one Java class.
That evening was the annual Mathematics and Science Culture Festival opening ceremony, held in the university’s sports and cultural center.
The school dance club, guitar club, and many other organizations would be participating.
Zhu Xinghao loved lively events, so naturally she planned to attend.
Bai Sichan, on the other hand, was a homebody.
If she had no classes, she could easily stay in the dormitory for three or four days without going anywhere.
Especially now.
Bai Sichan had never drunk alcohol before.
She had no idea why her tolerance was so low. One small glass had been enough to make her completely drunk.
She felt that she had already paid a big enough price for the experience.
From now on, she absolutely refused to touch alcohol again.
As soon as she returned to the dormitory, a light rain began to fall outside.
Bai Sichan lay on her bed and took a nap.
When she woke up, she sleepily took out her phone and ordered food.
Less than half an hour later, the delivery driver called and asked her to come downstairs to pick it up.
Bai Sichan thought she was only going downstairs for a moment, so she did not bother changing out of her sleepwear.
But when she got downstairs, she discovered that the food had spilled.
The delivery driver repeatedly apologized and insisted on compensating her.
Bai Sichan shook her head.
“It’s fine. I can still eat it.”
The delivery driver had other orders waiting, so after thanking her, he quickly rode away.
Bai Sichan actually had no desire to eat it anymore.
She had ordered hot-and-sour rice noodles, but most of the soup had spilled.
The plastic wrap had probably not been sealed properly, because even the delivery bag was soaked.
After walking a few steps, she threw the noodles into a large trash can.
She checked her pocket.
Fortunately, she had brought her campus meal card.
The rain was not heavy.
Bai Sichan wondered whether she should go to the first cafeteria and buy something or return to the dormitory and order another meal.
While she was hesitating, she suddenly saw a familiar figure walking along the road ahead.
A body like a male model.
He was holding a large black umbrella with twenty-four ribs, and his fingers wrapped around the handle were long and pale.
Bai Sichan’s eyelid twitched.
She called out,
“He… He Shenglian!”
The man stopped.
The large black umbrella lifted slightly, revealing his handsome face.
His expression was calm and indifferent.
It really was him.
He Shenglian smiled slightly.
“Miss Bai.”
Bai Sichan quickly walked over and stood in front of him, staring at him in disbelief.
“Did you come here looking for me?”
Had he really chased her all the way to the university just to collect the money?
He Shenglian stepped forward and moved the large umbrella over her head, shielding the girl from the fine rain.
“No. I’m here for work.”
The moment she heard the words “for work,” Bai Sichan’s expression changed.
“That sounds really difficult.”
She sighed sympathetically.
“Are you waiting for… a client?”
Facing her sympathetic gaze, He Shenglian expressionlessly nodded.
He lowered his eyes and looked at Bai Sichan.
Her body looked especially thin beneath her sleepwear, with slender arms and legs. A few delicate toes were visible from her slippers, and she was still holding her campus card.
He Shenglian calmly asked,
“Miss Bai, do you know where the cafeteria is? I seem to have gotten lost.”
The main roads of A University formed a large circle with only gentle curves.
People often thought they were walking straight, only to realize they had somehow changed direction.
Getting lost at A University was completely normal.
Bai Sichan had no reason to doubt him.
Her eyes immediately brightened.
“I’m going to the cafeteria too. I can take you there.”
He Shenglian smiled.
“Thank you, Miss Bai.”
Bai Sichan felt that he was far too polite.
Maybe it was simply a habit from his profession.
But she was not used to him calling her “Miss Bai.”
“Just call me Sichan.”
A University’s central campus had four cafeterias.
The first cafeteria was the closest to them.
On the way, they passed through a small grove of locust trees. A narrow stone path had been built through it, but the surface was uneven.
Since it was raining, small puddles had formed along the path.
Bai Sichan was wearing slippers, so she carefully avoided the water as she walked.
A couple holding an umbrella passed them.
Suddenly, the boy sneezed loudly.
Bai Sichan was startled and stepped directly into a puddle.
Dirty water splashed everywhere, landing on He Shenglian’s trousers.
Bai Sichan immediately apologized.
“I’m sorry!”
“It’s fine.”
He Shenglian looked at Bai Sichan’s exposed pale arms and legs.
Because her skin was so fair, the faint lines of her veins were almost visible.
His throat moved slightly.
He took the coat hanging over his arm and handed it to her.
“Put this on first. Don’t catch a cold.”
“…Thank you.”
Bai Sichan had originally wanted to refuse, but a cold breeze blew past and she shivered.
So she accepted it.
The coat still carried his body heat and a faint fragrance.
It smelled a little like citrus and a little like rosemary.
But the coat was far too large for Bai Sichan.
When she wore it, it nearly covered her hips, making her look like a child who had secretly put on an adult’s clothes.
It was unbearably cute.
He Shenglian looked away and did not dare stare for too long.
When they arrived at the first cafeteria, Bai Sichan was just about to say goodbye when He Shenglian calmly asked,
“Sichan, could you recommend something for me?”
Bai Sichan’s heartbeat skipped.
Most people simply called her by her name.
But somehow, when he said it, even so naturally, her heart reacted strangely.
Maybe it was because his voice sounded so good.
“The flower-clam noodles on the second floor are pretty good, but I don’t know if you like the spicy pepper flavor. The spicy dry pot is also good, but it’s a little oily. There’s also a place on the third floor that serves stir-fried dishes, and that’s pretty good too…”
After recommending several options, Bai Sichan asked,
“Which one do you like?”
He did not answer.
Instead, he asked,
“What do you want to eat today?”
Bai Sichan thought about it.
“Flower-clam noodles.”
The weather was cold, and she wanted a steaming bowl of noodles.
He Shenglian nodded.
“Then let’s have flower-clam noodles.”
The first cafeteria at A University was not open to outsiders.
Bai Sichan took out her campus card and paid for his noodles.
She had originally planned to take the food back with her, but the noodles were easy to spill.
After thinking about it for a while, she decided to eat there.
It was not mealtime, so the cafeteria was relatively empty.
Bai Sichan was hungry after going so long without food, so she immediately lowered her head and began eating.
Halfway through the meal, He Shenglian’s phone rang.
While dropping the empty clam shells onto a napkin, Bai Sichan thought that perhaps one of his clients was calling.
She kept her head lowered.
He Shenglian lifted the phone to his ear.
It was his assistant.
The assistant sounded anxious.
“Sir, where are you right now? The opening ceremony is about to begin.”
He Shenglian answered briefly,
“I’ll be there soon.”
Bai Sichan froze while eating her noodles.
If she had not heard wrong…
That had been a man’s voice, right?
Did He Shenglian also meet male clients?
She secretly glanced at him.
He happened to notice.
He Shenglian put down his phone and explained,
“Sorry, I have something to—”
“Go, go,” Bai Sichan said. “Work is more important.”
He Shenglian smiled.
“Call me if you need anything.”
Bai Sichan smiled too.
He picked up his tray and walked toward the area where used dishes were collected before going downstairs through the outside staircase.
Unable to suppress her curiosity, Bai Sichan stood by the window and looked outside.
She saw a man standing at the entrance of the cafeteria.
He was holding another large black umbrella.
He Shenglian slowly walked beneath it.
Bai Sichan touched her chest as her heart began pounding wildly.
Oh my goodness.
Mr. He really does have both male and female clients!
Meanwhile, He Shenglian was deep in thought.
Why did he feel that the girl had looked at him strangely before he left?
Was it sympathy?
And why had there seemed to be a little…
maternal affection in her eyes?