Noon.
It had been almost a week since he’d last been to the men’s dorm at Landa University. The moment he stepped into the hallway,
the clamor from all the different rooms surprisingly made Chen Yuan feel a sense of familiarity.
An occasional angry roar would ring out.
"Cinnabar!" "What gives you the right to lane against me?!" "The dorm’s out of chopsticks again!" A student in glasses then walked out of his room, planning to borrow chopsticks from someone else.
Chen Yuan had eaten lunch with Liu Nan. He hadn’t seen their other two roommates since classes ended, figuring they were probably together.
After lunch, he still had a class at two in the afternoon.
During this short break, Chen Yuan decided not to go back to Fengting District. The bike ride alone would take twenty minutes, and he’d definitely end up with a runny nose from the north wind.
That guy Liu Nan had planned to head back to the dorm with him, but after taking a call, he’d excitedly run off. He had a mysterious look on his face and wouldn’t say where he was going.
He just gave Chen Yuan a suggestive look before disappearing in a flash.
So, Chen Yuan had to come back to the dorm to rest by himself.
The phone in his pocket had been vibrating nonstop. Someone had sent several messages. Chen Yuan had glanced at it earlier and saw they were from Yaoyao; her messages filled the entire screen.
First, she sent a cute sticker.
Yaoyao:
"Sending a little puppy to see if you’re around.jpg"
"Miss you"
Two minutes later.
"Typo..."
"Looks like you"
"The puppy, I mean"
[Voice Message]
[Voice Message]
"..."
Just from glancing down at his phone on the walk from outside the men’s dorm, a smile had crept into Chen Yuan’s eyes. He knew Jiangg Yao was doing it on purpose—she clearly meant that she missed him but was unwilling to say it directly.
This coy back-and-forth was the infinite sweetness of being in love.
He planned to wait until he was back in the dorm to put on his headphones and listen to her voice messages. Then he could lie back on his bed and hear if Jiangg, his little ’cutesy voice’ girl, was being all soft and coquettish again.
An image of Jiangg Yao’s adorable, silly look unconsciously surfaced in Chen Yuan’s mind.
His pace quickened a little.
...
CREAK—
The moment he pushed open the dorm room door, Chen Yuan felt a distinct resistance. The floor was clearly uncleaned, with trash strewn about, making the room a bit of a mess.
A paper cup had gotten stuck in the gap under the door, causing that awful, strange noise.
’I thought the door was broken...’
Chen Yuan stepped into the room and instinctively looked up at the top bunk.
Wei Zhen was crouched on his knees on the bed. The large suitcase that was usually kept in the corner had been moved onto his bed and was propped open, revealing a narrow gap. The moment their eyes met, the shock in Wei Zhen’s was clear.
"You’re back... so soon?" Wei Zhen quickly pulled his hand out of the suitcase, a flicker of panic flashing across his face before he forced an awkward laugh. "I thought you were going to the study hall."
"Nah, I was full and wanted to rest for a bit."
Chen Yuan replied nonchalantly, his gaze shifting away from the gap in the suitcase. He thought he’d seen a piece of blue and white clothing, but it was just a glimpse; he hadn’t looked too closely.
He grabbed a random chair, pulled it out, and sat down, while on the bed, Wei Zhen quietly packed his things.
Chen Yuan took his headphones out of his pocket, put them on, stretched out his long legs into a comfortable position, and opened his chat with Jiangg Yao.
He listened to the voice messages one by one, a smile gradually spreading across his face until it was a brilliant grin. If he’d been alone in the room, he’d probably be grinning from ear to ear.
Even so, when Wei Zhen finished his packing and glanced over at him, he couldn’t help but get a strange look on his face.
’What’s with that sappy smile?’
Chen Yuan’s fingers flew across the screen as he typed, quoting Jiangg Yao’s previous message. But unlike her coyness, Chen Yuan was, for once, being direct.
His reply was completely sincere.
Perhaps listening to her voice had softened his heart.
In any relationship, there are always those unexpected moments when you suddenly find your partner especially soft and adorable, and your affection for them briefly skyrockets to a new high.
...
Chen Yuan:
"Just got back to the dorm"
"Miss you"
"And I didn’t make a typo"
Yaoyao:
"So sweet-tongued (shocked!)"
"Is this really you?"
...
Chen Yuan chuckled, exasperated. He opened his phone’s camera, found what he thought was a decent angle, and snapped a picture to send her.
...
Chen Yuan:
"Of course it’s me"
"See?"
Yaoyao:
"Ooh, is my young master trying to seduce me?"
"Hmph, I’ll admit you’re a little handsome."
"Now bring those lips over here and let big sister give you a kiss (pouty face)"
Chen Yuan:
"(pouty face)"
Yaoyao:
"(lecherous face)"
...
Far away in Fengting District, it was already noon, but Jiangg Yao still hadn’t gotten out of bed. If no one was there to manage her, she would stay in bed for a long time.
At that moment, Jiangg Yao was wrapped in a soft blanket, lying on her side and holding her phone. Her other arm was hugging a brown teddy bear.
While texting Chen Yuan, she vigorously rubbed the teddy bear’s cheeks. When she saw his reply, her legs kicked wildly under the covers, and she wriggled around like a maggot, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
...
"Bros, I’m back!"
Liu Nan burst into the dorm, startling them both. Chen Yuan nearly threw his phone.
"Why are you so loud and dramatic all the time? What’s your problem?"
"Hehe, I brought something good this time. Don’t start yelling yet. I guarantee you two will be just as excited once you hear me out."
"You say that every time," Chen Yuan said, continuing to text, completely uninterested in Liu Nan’s so-called ’good thing’.
"True. And then the thing you show us is super boring," Wei Zhen added.