After class that afternoon, Wen Chu planned to return to the dormitory and tidy herself up a little.
According to her spoiled-girlfriend persona, if she was going to such an expensive restaurant, she should be extremely excited and dress up beautifully for the occasion.
The moment Xia Yaoyao and the others learned she was going on a date, they became incredibly excited.
Especially Li Yue, the Lolita fashion enthusiast of the dormitory.
After looking through Wen Chu’s wardrobe from top to bottom, she shook her head in pain.
“ChuChu! You’re going on a date wearing these?”
“No, no, no!”
“Nothing in this closet is suitable for dating!”
Xia Yaoyao also came over and pinched Wen Chu’s cheek.
“Exactly! A guy like Senior Xi has probably seen every kind of beauty already.”
“And we’re going out for a pretty dinner, so our ChuChu has to look stunning too.”
“Let’s blind him with beauty!”
Surrounded by two roommates, Wen Chu’s social anxiety immediately wanted her to retreat into a corner.
But they were simply too enthusiastic.
Since she was terrible at refusing people, she could only ask weakly:
“T-Then what should I do?”
“Leave it to us!”
Li Yue patted her chest proudly.
Then she dug deep into her closet and pulled out a black velvet Lolita dress she had never worn.
The dress had a classic dollhouse-princess style.
Elegant and simple lines.
The velvet fabric shimmered with understated luxury.
Delicate lace decorated the collar and sleeves.
A small bow adorned the back of the waist.
“Try this!”
Li Yue immediately shoved the dress into Wen Chu’s arms.
“You’re so fair. Black will look amazing on you!”
“With the right makeup and hairstyle, you’ll look like a little princess who escaped from a castle!”
“But…”
Holding the luxurious yet dramatic dress, Wen Chu looked helpless.
It was completely different from her usual comfortable and casual style.
And…
Wearing Lolita fashion to a French restaurant?
Wasn’t that a little too eye-catching?
“No buts!”
Li Yue had already taken out her makeup kit.
“Hurry! We don’t have much time!”
“Yaoyao, help her change. I’ll work on the makeup!”
Under the combined assault of her overenthusiastic roommates, Wen Chu became a human doll.
She was pressed into a chair and thoroughly transformed.
Xia Yaoyao helped her into the black velvet dress.
Unexpectedly, it fit perfectly.
The fitted waist emphasized her slender figure.
The knee-length skirt revealed her graceful calves.
The girl in the mirror had skin as white as snow.
Her black hair flowed softly over her shoulders.
Her delicate features looked like a porcelain doll displayed in a shop window.
Only the timid confusion in her eyes contrasted sharply with the elegance of the outfit, creating a strangely charming effect.
“Perfect!”
Li Yue snapped her fingers.
“It’s exactly this contrast!”
“Amazing!”
Then she began applying makeup.
Lightly shaped brows.
Soft red lips.
Her naturally round almond-shaped eyes were carefully emphasized.
Every eyelash was separated perfectly.
A touch of light brown eyeshadow softened the corners of her eyes, adding a hazy sense of gentleness.
“So pretty!”
Li Yue’s eyes lit up.
“ChuChu is way too beautiful!”
“Senior Xi is definitely going to be captivated!”
Wen Chu thought:
No, he won’t.
Male leads belong to the heroine.
Xia Yaoyao nodded enthusiastically.
“So cute!”
“But ChuChu, protect yourself.”
“Don’t let Senior Xi lure you straight into a hotel.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?!”
Wen Chu’s face instantly turned bright red.
“We’re just joking!”
Xia Yaoyao laughed and patted her shoulder.
“Our ChuChu is so innocent. Senior Xi definitely wouldn’t have the heart to bully you too much.”
At that moment, Zhou Rui finally returned to the dormitory.
The sight of the soft and adorable Wen Chu genuinely surprised her.
After hearing the story, she became even more excited.
“Come on!”
“Let’s make a video together.”
“To commemorate ChuChu’s second date!”
So the four roommates filmed a short video together.
“I-I’m leaving now!”
Before leaving, Wen Chu suddenly remembered Xi Liye’s scarf.
She had forgotten to return it before they parted last time.
So she stuffed it into her bag, planning to give it back when she saw him.
The evening breeze cooled her flushed cheeks a little.
Lowering her head, she hurried toward the black car waiting in the night.
As for a coat, she ultimately chose to wear her cream-colored sherpa jacket over the dress.
After all, wearing only the dress would be too cold.
Today, Xi Liye had driven over to pick her up.
From a distance, she could already see him waiting outside the car.
The night wind was chilly.
Wen Chu tightened her coat and walked toward him.
The soft glow of the streetlights illuminated his figure.
The light outlined his tall frame with a long shadow.
The breeze lifted a few strands of hair from his forehead and stirred the edges of his open coat.
He seemed to have been waiting for some time.
Yet there was no trace of impatience on his face.
He simply watched her approach.
As the distance between them closed, Wen Chu got a clearer look at his outfit.
Underneath his coat was a black turtleneck sweater.
It made him appear less formal and more casually elegant.
The high-quality overcoat added an air of maturity and steadiness.
“Good evening.”
She stopped in front of him.
Her voice drifted slightly in the night wind.
Xi Liye nodded.
“Good evening.”
Wen Chu immediately entered spoiled-girlfriend mode.
She spun around in place.
“How do I look today?”
Xi Liye’s gaze settled on her.
He had noticed her the moment she appeared.
She looked beautiful.
Several students passing by had unconsciously glanced in her direction.
“You look beautiful.”
He spoke slowly.
Wen Chu frowned in dissatisfaction.
“That compliment sounds so perfunctory.”
A faint smile appeared in Xi Liye’s eyes.
“Then how should I compliment you?”
Wen Chu ignored him.
Xi Liye reached out and gently touched her hair.
“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
“Is that better?”
Watching Wen Chu become embarrassed, amusement flashed through his eyes.
“Get in.”
“It’s cold outside.”
Xi Liye opened the passenger-side door for her.
After climbing into the car, Wen Chu breathed warm air onto her cold hands.
The interior remained quiet for a few seconds.
Xi Liye turned on the heater.
“Am I the first girl to sit in your passenger seat?”
Wen Chu remembered one of those classic relationship questions she had seen online.
Curiosity got the better of her.
“No.”
Xi Liye answered.
Wen Chu immediately became excited.
Then she followed up without hesitation.
“Then who was the first girl?”
Xi Liye’s hand paused briefly on the steering wheel.
The overhead light outlined the delicate curve of her profile.
She was looking up at him, clearly preparing to interrogate him.
He suddenly remembered her red frozen hands yesterday morning.
And the way she had demanded compliments just now.
“My mother.”
He looked ahead.
His voice remained calm.
The expression of accusation Wen Chu had carefully prepared instantly froze.
“…Huh?”
That answer was completely unexpected.
The next question she had prepared died in her throat.
“When I got my driver’s license and drove for the first time, she sat in the passenger seat.”
He explained briefly.
Wen Chu was completely speechless.
“Then besides your mother?”
She refused to give up.
“No one.”
“Only you.”
“Oh…”
“Oh.”
“Good. At least you know your place.”
For some reason, she suddenly felt guilty.
Like a kitten whose neck had been gently grabbed.
All her earlier confidence instantly disappeared.
In the original novel…
His mother had already passed away.
Later, his father remarried and had another son.
Wen Chu wanted to slap herself.
Why had she asked such a stupid question?
Xi Liye seemed to sense her guilt.
The smile in his eyes deepened slightly.
“Put on your seatbelt.”
“Oh.”
Wen Chu obediently fastened it.
The car smoothly left campus and merged into the city traffic.
The moment she got out of the car, she regretted everything.
The parking lot was still some distance away from the restaurant.
They had to walk.
The problem was—
There were a lot of people.
It was nighttime in the busiest district of the city.
Couples.
Friends.
Families.
People everywhere.
The noise.
The bright shop displays.
The endless stream of cars.
Everything made Wen Chu’s scalp tingle with anxiety.
The winter wind hit her head-on.
Carrying the unique dry chill of the city, it instantly pierced through her seemingly thick sherpa jacket.
She instinctively shrank her neck and buried her face deeper into her scarf.
Yet the cold still slipped through her sleeves and collar.
Following beside Xi Liye, she unconsciously slowed down.
Partly to use his tall frame as a shield from surrounding gazes.
Partly because her fear of crowds was overwhelming her spoiled-girlfriend ambitions.
After walking a short distance, Xi Liye noticed that the person beside him had fallen behind.
He stopped.
Then turned around.