Wen Chu shot her a look that said, “You know how it is.”
She hadn’t expected the “accompanying your partner to class” trend to finally blow its way onto Xi Liye.
On the podium, the professor had already begun the lecture. Xi Liye pulled out a thick medical textbook and began reading slowly, though the corners of his eyes reflexively swept toward Wen Chu beside him.
Wen Chu felt like she was sitting on a bed of nails. The Male Lead’s presence was far too potent; she could even smell the clean, crisp scent emanating from him. A forty-five-minute class had never felt so eternal.
To soothe her panic, Wen Chu lowered her head to play with her phone. She opened a green reading app and aimlessly flipped through a novel, her eyes glued to the screen, though she didn’t process a single word.
What she didn’t know was that beside her, while Xi Liye appeared to be reading, his fingertips were unconsciously and lightly stroking the edge of the page.
She’s playing on her phone. While I’m here accompanying her to class.
Why is it that when I’m right next to her, her attention isn’t on me at all?
Didn’t Qin Yu say she acts spoiled to get attention because she cares about me?
Then why, now that I am sitting right here, has she… turned her gaze away?
Xi Liye’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He shifted his body slightly, leaning a fraction closer toward her. He didn’t look at her directly; instead, a well-defined hand reached out in front of her and picked up the black gel pen she had left lying on the desk.
Wen Chu: “…?”
Male Lead, didn’t you bring your own pen? Why use mine?
She stole a glance from her peripheral vision. She saw Xi Liye take the pen and begin sketching casually in the white margins of his medical book. The tip of the pen glided across the paper, making a very fine rustling sound.
With a few strokes, the outline of a round, chibi-style kitten emerged on the page. The kitten was curled up, its head buried in its paws, revealing only a pair of round, slightly timid eyes. Its ears were droopy, and its tail was tightly coiled around its body.
The form was vivid—and strangely familiar.
Wen Chu leaned over to stare at the chibi cat on his medical book, her pupils dilating slightly. This… isn’t this the “Cat-Worm” emoji I sent to Xi Liye before?
Only when Xi Liye saw Wen Chu’s attention return to him did his brow finally relax. He watched her as she leaned in close to see his drawing.
Her attention is back on me.
After finishing the final stroke, he placed the pen gently back by her hand. Xi Liye leaned back against the chair again and flipped through his medical book as if everything that had just happened was a mere hallucination. All that remained was that cute, cowardly little cat on the title page of his textbook.
Meanwhile, Xia Yaoyao, sitting to the side, was rolling her eyes so hard they almost hit the ceiling.
She hadn’t expected the dynamic between these two to be like this. Chu Chu, you big dummy, you really got lured in just because Xi Liye drew a picture? You leaned over so foolishly to look! This is clearly a man’s tactic to grab your attention, sister! Where are the eight hundred scheming minds you usually have when gaming? Did the dogs eat them?!
But she could also understand. After all, Wen Chu was a total novice at dating. It was normal she couldn’t see through these tricks. A novice just leaving the starting village encountering a high-level Incubus…
Well, Chu Chu is certainly eating well, at least.
That evening, back at his apartment, Xi Liye had just taken off his coat and placed a glass on the counter when his phone rang in the silent living room.
It was Qin Yu. He answered and put it on speaker while walking to the kitchen to pour water.
“Whoa, Old Xi, you’re the man!” Qin Yu’s blustering voice exploded from the receiver, filled with undisguised excitement and gossip. “Actually going to class with Wen Chu? You’re a natural at this, brother!”
Xi Liye’s hand, reaching for his water glass, paused for a split second. “How do you know?”
“How do I know?” Qin Yu chuckled slyly. “The posts about you two on the H-Uni campus forum are blowing up right now! Wait, I’ll send you the link immediately!”
Xi Liye didn’t say a word; he took a sip of water. His phone soon vibrated with a link from Qin Yu.
He clicked it. The title was exactly as Qin Yu described, and the main post featured several photos that were clearly candids. The angles were a bit awkward and the quality average, but they were more than enough to identify him and Wen Chu.
One was a profile shot of him walking into the back door of the classroom. Another was of Wen Chu leaning in slightly to watch him draw. The photographer had a good eye; the lighting and atmosphere in that moment felt like a scene from an idol drama.
The comments below had already stacked into the hundreds:
1L: Holy crap! It really is Xi Liye! Doesn’t he never attend these kinds of classes?
2L: Who’s the girl next to him? So pretty! Is that the girlfriend people were talking about on the forum before?
3L: Replying to above, it’s her! Wen Chu from CS. Someone caught them in the cafeteria before!
…
15L: Spread the word: Xi Liye is flirting with a junior in class. Morality is truly in decline.
18L: Shocking debut.
23L: Damn, I feel like that guy actually has a thing for that girl.
42L: Replying to 23L: They’re a damn couple.
23L: Oh, why didn’t you say so sooner?
58L: Is the cold academic god really like this in private? Using a medical book to draw and attract his girlfriend’s attention? This contrast… I’m shipping this so hard!
77L: Keep the shipping brain in check, people. Maybe he was just bored and doodling.
89L: Doodling because you’re bored looks that focused? And makes the girlfriend stare that intently?
99L: Exactly. Don’t lie to yourselves, brothers.
Xi Liye’s finger slid slowly across the screen as he calmly browsed the messages.
“See that?” Qin Yu’s voice popped up again, sounding proud as if taking credit. “Not bad, Old Xi! Looks like the secret manual I gave you is working wonders. Your flirting skills are growing!”
Xi Liye interrupted Qin Yu’s rambling: “No.”
“Huh? No what?”
“I didn’t use that book.” Xi Liye walked to the living room and sat on the sofa. “It was just… natural.”
Naturally buying breakfast, naturally accompanying her to the classroom, and naturally wanting to draw that cat.
Qin Yu choked on the other end, clearly not believing him. “Give it a rest! ‘Natural’? How could it be that coincidental? You definitely studied my treasure in secret, just admit it!”
Xi Liye didn’t bother arguing with him.
“But Old Xi,” Qin Yu’s tone turned a bit more serious. “The forum thing—while it’s stoking the fires for you two, you should be careful. Fame brings trouble. Wen Chu seems like a simple girl; don’t let her get affected by all this messy gossip. Also, the Xi family’s side…”
“I know,” Xi Liye replied curtly, his voice devoid of emotion.
“Fine, fine, you ‘know’ again.” Qin Yu paused, then resumed his teasing. “Anyway… next time you do something ‘natural,’ remember to share your insights. I’m curious as hell!”
Xi Liye hung up immediately. He tossed his phone onto the sofa, leaned back, and closed his eyes. In his mind, however, the candid photos and heated discussions from the forum surfaced clearly.
In the eyes of others, they were now a recognized couple. An unfamiliar feeling bubbled in his chest. He didn’t like being scrutinized, nor did he care for others’ opinions. But now, thinking that the center of these discussions included Wen Chu, and that she might see them and be troubled…
He suddenly cared.
Sitting up, he grabbed his phone again and found Wen Chu’s avatar on WeChat. The last message was the “Goodbye” emoji she sent after he’d walked her back to the dorm. His finger hovered over the screen before he typed:
L.Ye: Did you see the forum post?
Sent. He waited. About a minute later, Wen Chu replied.
Chu Chu Hide-and-Seek: …Just saw it. Yaoyao just sent it to me. [Face_Palm]
Chu Chu Hide-and-Seek: There are so many people…
Even through the screen, he could sense her awkwardness.
L.Ye: Do you mind?
This time, she replied very quickly.
Chu Chu Hide-and-Seek: Huh? Mind what?
Chu Chu Hide-and-Seek: It’s okay… after all, there was a precedent before. [Aged_Smoking_Meme.jpg]
Chu Chu Hide-and-Seek: It’s just that dating you really offers zero privacy, Classmate Xi. [Pointing_Finger.jpg]
On the surface, she was acting calm, even teasing him. But only Wen Chu knew that at this moment, she wanted to travel back in time to the second she’d asked the Male Lead to go to class with her and sew her own mouth shut!
Who could understand the impact this had on her? She was already socially anxious, yet she found herself on the campus forum’s “Hot Posts” list every other week. Can we please stop bullying this ‘elderly’ twenty-year-old!
Wen Chu buried her face deep into her pillow and let out a silent scream.
I’m never seeing you again, Old Me! You embarrassing, self-sabotaging fool!