Chapter 9

Over ten minutes later, Yu Xuan finally received a reply from Zhou Zhenyao.

“Z.Y.: Okay.”

…

After a comfortable afternoon nap, Yu Xuan planned to head out and collect her campus ID card.

The auditorium was swarming with people, with freshmen from various departments lining up in long queues. Yu Xuan stood in her college’s line, quickly received her card, and turned to walk toward the exit.

At that exact moment, her gaze collided head-on with someone in front of her.

The man had a refined, upright posture. Though dressed casually, he couldn’t hide an air of nobility. Between his superior height and his handsome, delicate features, he was a massive attention magnet.

Yu Xuan’s heart skipped a beat.

Cui Enyu.

Back in her second year of high school, he had transferred to her school as a visiting student for a period of time. Rumor had it he was the son of a high-ranking official; later, he had quietly transferred away.

Back then, the rumors were fantastical, but no one knew exactly who that “big figure” was; they only knew that everything Cui Enyu owned was incredibly expensive.

She hadn’t expected him to be a student at A-University as well. The world really was small.

Yu Xuan had liked him well enough, though it wasn’t exactly love. He was just very handsome, and she had wanted to attract a handsome guy’s attention—nothing more.

That was why she had rejected him.

In their high school, there was an unwritten rule: if a couple started dating, the boy would wear his girlfriend’s hair tie on his wrist as a sign that he was “taken.” Cui Enyu had once asked her for a hair tie in a back alley after school.

“In your dreams.”

That had been Yu Xuan’s answer to him.

Now, across the surging crowd, their eyes met, and they both recognized each other.

Cui Enyu felt a sudden, inexplicable tightness in his chest. After a year apart, this girl was as outstandingly beautiful as ever. Soft as water and charming to the bone, she was drawing the gazes of many around her.

Back then, she was clearly the one who sent the signals first! She was always looking at him, looking at him constantly, until he was flustered and distracted! It reached the point where he subconsciously started caring about her.

He had thought it was a tacit understanding, so he had taken the initiative to ask for her hair tie, assuming she would blush and agree.

The result?

In your dreams!

Cui Enyu considered himself a man of character. Having been pampered since childhood, humbling himself once was already his limit. This time, he was determined not to be the first one to say hello.

However…

Yu Xuan only gave Cui Enyu a single glance. Without breaking her stride, she walked toward the door until they brushed past each other.

Cui Enyu was nearly laughed out of sheer irritation. He spun around.

“Yu Xuan!”

Yu Xuan looked a bit surprised. “You still recognize me?”

“…Yeah.”

Forgetting others was normal, but he would recognize the person who rejected him even if she turned to ash.

On the surface, Cui Enyu maintained a forced, natural smile. “What a coincidence that you got into A-University too. We’re old classmates; let’s add each other on WeChat so we can look out for each other if anything happens.”

Yu Xuan didn’t mind and generously offered her QR code. With a “beep,” the contact was added, and the two of them bid each other farewell.

At seven in the evening, Yu Xuan arrived punctually at the restaurant she had reserved.

This place had a good reputation in Shanghai—upper-middle-class with an elegant environment. While the prices weren’t cheap, they weren’t outrageous. Zhou Zhenyao had given her so much money recently that it was more than enough.

The waiter led her to the private room door and gently pushed it open. Yu Xuan froze slightly.

Zhou Zhenyao was already there. He was sitting by the window with his back to the door. Hearing it open, he turned around. That face, which Yu Xuan had studied repeatedly in photos, was even more impactful under real-world lighting. Just sitting there, doing nothing, he was incredibly magnetic.

A flicker of surprise crossed Zhou Zhenyao’s heart.

The girl’s real appearance was completely different from what he had speculated. Her skin was so fair it was almost translucent, and her lip color was a natural, vivid pink. She wore a simple dress that only served to emphasize her slender frame.

She was so small; it felt like he could wrap her firmly in his arms with a single hand.

With so many seats to choose from at the round table, Yu Xuan chose to sit right next to him.

“You came so early.”

Zhou Zhenyao suppressed the unfamiliar emotions in his heart and pushed the menu toward her.

“Mm. Finished my work early today, so I came ahead.”

Yu Xuan couldn’t help but look up at him. The real-life Zhou Zhenyao was even better looking than in photos; that overbearing aura almost made her legs feel weak.

Zhao Zhao really was something else to land him. But a top-tier man like this belonged to her.

A clear thought flashed through her mind… I want to kiss him today. I want to exchange fluids with him.

Yu Xuan’s mind wasn’t on the food at all. She casually ordered a few signature dishes and handed the menu back to the waiter. Then, she simply propped her chin on her hand and stared at Zhou Zhenyao without blinking, a faint smile on her lips.

She just watched him quietly, saying nothing.

Zhou Zhenyao was used to being watched, but it was usually with awe, flattery, or caution. He had never experienced such a… pure and bold gaze. This look tickled his heart slightly, making him feel uncharacteristically uneasy.

“What are you looking at?” he finally couldn’t help but ask.

Yu Xuan’s eyes curved. “Looking at you, Senior. You’re very handsome.”

Zhou Zhenyao’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked away and took a sip from his water glass, not responding. Fortunately, she didn’t call him “Yao Yao” again, or he would have been even more uncomfortable.

Once the food was finally served, Yu Xuan didn’t pick up her chopsticks. Instead, as if suddenly remembering something, she asked, “Senior, don’t you need to take a photo?”

Zhou Zhenyao looked up, somewhat confused. “Take a photo of what?”

“You know, taking a photo before eating to report in to your girlfriend. I see a lot of guys do that.”

“We don’t have that habit.”

Between him and Jin Zhaolu, there truly was no such formal reporting. When they weren’t together, they were both quite free.

“Oh…” Yu Xuan blossomed into a sweet smile. “Then you can report in to a friend too. Senior, you can take a photo and show me.”

“Why?” he asked, puzzled.

Yu Xuan’s voice suddenly turned low and soft. “I just…”

“I want to talk to you. I want to know what you’re doing, what you’re eating…”

Zhou Zhenyao’s hand holding the teacup paused. This girl, under the guise of being a “friend,” was performing the acts of crossing boundaries. He had always known her intentions.

But… he didn’t seem to mind much. He had even tacitly allowed these transgressions time and time again.

Just when Yu Xuan thought he would refuse, he picked up the phone resting to the side and took a casual photo of the spread of dishes on the table. Then, his fingers tapped on the screen.

The phone Yu Xuan had placed on the table vibrated lightly. She looked down to see the photo Zhou Zhenyao had just sent in their WeChat chat. It was accompanied by a single word:

“Z.Y.: Reporting.”

Yu Xuan pursed her lips and smiled, showing a pair of pear dimples—a secret little bit of sweetness shared between them.

Zhou Zhenyao put down his phone, deliberately avoiding her gaze. This meal had suddenly become thick and syrupy.