Which way to go is the road?

Qian Luomei's words made Xiang Fei feel enlightened about his love life, freeing him from psychological burdens and unnecessary concerns. However, his relationship with Bai Xue remained at a standstill for a time.

After all, many people had witnessed Bai Xue's previous actions in protecting Xiang Fei. Her heartfelt attempts to test him were met with Xiang Fei's cold treatment, leaving her feeling both wronged and disheartened. Xiang Fei certainly had his own concerns and difficulties in doing so, but how could he express them? It would be too strange to confess his feelings rashly, and his inferiority complex often came over him at this time, thus plunging him into a dilemma.

They missed each other's glances as they passed by, stubbornly watching each other disappear into the crowd, letting the regret continue to grow.

"Brother, I feel like this can't go on like this with Bai Xue! Why don't you go and admit your mistake? It's not a big deal!"

Xiang Fei shook his head, looking troubled. "To apologize, there needs to be a clear mistake, but neither Bai Xue nor I have explicitly stated our feelings. So what's wrong? The hardest part is that we can't even find a reason to say 'I'm sorry,' otherwise things would be much easier!"

"Then tell me, do you love Snow White?"

"Of course I love it!"

"That's true, Bai Xue is so pure and beautiful, who wouldn't love her!"

"She possesses something even more valuable than her outward beauty!"

"Which point?"

"Simplicity and intelligence—there are too many beautiful women in this world, especially with the rapid advancements in cosmetic surgery. As long as they're willing to spend money and know how to dress up, they'll succeed. But women often use their beauty as capital, going to any lengths to gain benefits, losing the simplicity that an ordinary person should have, and unable to settle down to enrich themselves. Even if they're sexy, fashionable, and beautiful, they're nothing more than a vase! Therefore, Bai Xue's simplicity and intelligence are more worthy of love!"

"That day, Bai Xue tested you, asking if your poems contained genuine feelings. Why didn't you say yes?"

There's a reason!

"What's the reason?"

"Children don't need to know!"

"Come on, you're just afraid people will say you stole your buddy's girlfriend, aren't you?"

"Don't talk nonsense, that's not the reason!" After saying that, Xiang Fei realized that this reason was actually not bad!

"What nonsense am I talking about? What else could it be but this reason..." Zhang Chu's words stopped abruptly, and he looked towards the revolving door again!

"It was this same expression you made last time that got me a beating. Is it Tian Hai coming again?"

Seeing Zhang Chuchong give himself a thumbs up, Xiang Fei turned around and saw that Tian Hai was there again, and he couldn't help but frown.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to fight you today!" Tian Hai plopped down on a bar stool and said casually.

"So what's up with you today?" Zhang Chu asked before Xiang Fei could respond.

"He really is a savior, protecting Xiang Fei like this. Be careful Bai Xue gets jealous when she sees this!" Tian Hai raised an eyebrow at Zhang Chu, then glanced at Xiang Fei and joked.

Xiang Fei noticed that Tian Hai's tone was different today, as if Bai Xue had nothing to do with him, and his guard gradually lowered.

"Tian Hai, what's up? You came to see me alone. To be honest, I can't think of anything else you might want besides a fight!"

"Haha, looks like you still hold a grudge! I was wrong last time, Xiang Fei, I came here today specifically to apologize!" Tian Hai coughed twice, clearing his throat. "Actually, failing to win your heart isn't your fault or Bai Xue's. Love is supposed to be mutual! I just didn't understand, and I kept bottling up my anger. Having nowhere to vent, I came to you! What does this have to do with you? You suppressed your feelings for Bai Xue to write a love poem for me, and instead of thanking you, I got into a fight with you! I'm sorry, Xiang Fei, I was wrong!"

"Oh well! We're good friends. It's normal to fight and exchange a few words when you're angry. Let's not bring it up again." Xiang Fei saw that the other party had apologized, and he wasn't a petty person.

"You have no idea how upset I've been these past few days since you ignored me. Lao You and the others have also scolded me. Looking back, I don't know what got into me! I really want to slap myself a few times." As she spoke, Tian Haizhen slapped herself, but Xiang Fei stopped her from doing so!

"Alright, I didn't just stand there letting you hit me, and I hit you pretty hard too! We're even!"

"Hehe, that's true. My injury was treated by those old geezers like Lao You. It can't compare to you, a beautiful woman providing such service. If it were me, I'd be happy even if I were badly injured!"

"How about I give you a few more rubs, and have a pretty girl apply some more medicine for you?" Xiang Fei gestured with his hand.

"Forget it, forget it!" Tian Hai exaggeratedly covered his chest with his hand, paused, and then said, "It's only a little past five o'clock, it gets dark so early. It's dinnertime. Let's go, it's on me, let's go get something to eat and drink!"

"I can't go. Xiangzi took the day off, and there are only two internet cafe managers left! One upstairs and one downstairs, they can't leave!"

"If you won't go, I will!" Zhang Chu said without any hesitation!

"Okay, we'll bring some back for you after you finish eating!"

"That works!"

Just as Tian Hai and Zhang Chu left, Dong Lu walked in from outside. Xiang Fei ignored Dong Lu and kept looking back, but he couldn't see another familiar face.

"Am I being followed by a ghost? What are you looking at?" Dong Lu turned around and asked.

"Did you come by yourself today?"

"Oh, you mean Bai Xue? She's sick and can't come today!"

"What illness?"

"I have a fever. Why is the flu so bad these days? That's why I came out to avoid catching it."

"You've hidden yourself away. Are there any other people in the dorm? Who's taking care of Bai Xue?"

"The flu isn't a serious illness! It'll pass if you just tough it out. But now that you mention it, I remember she seems to think she has a pretty high fever and asked me to buy her a thermometer! I haven't bought one yet! I haven't eaten yet either, I'll wait until I finish eating!"

"She has a fever, and you went after you finished eating, without even staying by her side to take care of her! You're acting like you don't have a friend at all!"

"Look at you, pretending to care about her! If you're so capable, why don't you go and take care of her yourself!"

"I'll go, I'll go. Which floor? What's your dorm room number?"

……

After learning the details of their dormitory from Dong Lu, Xiang Fei forgot about the internet cafe manager and hurriedly left "Shuiyunjian." Finding the bus too slow, he took a taxi directly to the school and then ran to the dormitory building. Unfamiliar with the university's dormitory regulations, Xiang Fei barged into the girls' dormitory, only to be stopped and reprimanded by the dormitory supervisor.

"What's wrong with you? This is a girls' dormitory. What are you doing barging in here, you boy? How can you be so rude? What department are you from?"

"I'm so sorry, Auntie! My friend has a high fever, and I'm so worried. She's all alone in the dorm right now. What if she doesn't take care of herself and gets pneumonia...? Auntie, please let me in!"

"Auntie? Are you a student here? What department are you in? What's your major?"

"I'm not..."

Just as Xiang Fei was about to say that he wasn't a student at this university, a hand reached out from behind and covered his mouth. Looking closely, he saw it was Dong Lu, with Bai Xue standing next to her, both wearing white down jackets and smiling broadly. Dong Lu pulled Xiang Fei to Bai Xue's side and then went forward to explain to the dormitory supervisor.

"Auntie, this is my classmate. We were just joking with him, saying his girlfriend was testing him with a fever. Who knew he'd be so reckless and disturb you? I'm so sorry, Auntie!"

"Oh, Lulu! Don't joke like that. And next time, even if you're having fun, don't drag us old folks into it! Look at the mess you've made!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Auntie, you're right. There will definitely be no next time. I won't do it again!"

"It has to be you, Lulu! If it were anyone else, I would have called the police. Who do you think you are, a grown man barging into a girls' dormitory!"

"Of course! We're such good friends, Auntie. Did you finish the seaweed mud mask I gave you last time? I still have so many left over. I'll give you another box later!"

"Don't mention it, Lao Bai wouldn't accept your things."

"It's nothing, don't be so polite! Auntie, we'll be going now, I'll bring you the face mask tomorrow."

"Alright!" The dorm supervisor suddenly grabbed Dong Lu again and asked mysteriously, "Is your classmate from the countryside? She just called me 'Auntie,' I haven't heard that in almost my entire life! It's quite a novelty!"

"Yes, we're from rural Shandong too! We're usually fine, but when we get anxious, our Shandong rural accent just comes out!"

……

While Dong Lu was explaining to the dormitory supervisor, Xiang Fei was also busy in front of Bai Xue, touching her forehead and asking about her well-being. Bai Xue didn't say anything, just smiled no matter what Xiang Fei did, cooperating by letting him care about her.

"Alright, stop being so lovey-dovey and let's go! You two have made up, but my seaweed mud mask has vanished!" Dong Lu strode ahead, her long legs carrying her, and felt a pang of heartache as she thought of her mask.

"Hey, Dong Lu, you're really something, managing to get such a good relationship with the dorm supervisor!" Xiang Fei ran up to Dong Lu and flattered her.

"Of course! Let me tell you, I'm the only student in the entire dorm who has a key to the building! You know that? Getting on good terms with the dorm supervisor has a lot of benefits, like with electricity..." Dong Lu suddenly realized halfway through her sentence, "Stop changing the subject! Don't think you can get away with just a little flattery. My seaweed mud mask is expensive; Xiang Fei, you have to compensate me!"

"How about this, I'll treat you two to a big meal, whatever you choose. I'll chip in this time!"

"Fine, you said it yourself. I'll make sure you're bankrupt!"

Five hundred meters from the school gate, they arrived at a brightly lit and bustling mala tang restaurant. As soon as they sat down, Dong Lu couldn't help but complain.

"Where's the promised feast? Bai Xue, you're really heartless when it comes to the opposite sex! I finally got a decent meal, and you turned it into hot pot! No way, give me the most expensive drink, even hot pot has to feel like a gourmet meal!..."

Bai Xue and Xiang Feiren were yelling and shouting at Dong Lu, but they just smiled at each other. When they ate, they couldn't help but put a bite or two of food on each other's plates, which made Dong Lu finish her food early and leave!

"You've finished eating so quickly? Let's go together later!" Bai Xue finally spoke up when she saw Dong Lu was about to leave.

"Fine, I don't want to be a third wheel!"

After dinner, Xiang Fei and Bai Xue took a walk together around the campus. Although it was already winter, the weather wasn't that cold. There were no flowers or moon, but the silhouettes of bare branches under the lamplight were still pleasing to the eye. They walked side by side under the streetlights, talking about trivial things. As they walked closer, their hands touched lightly and then clasped together, sending a jolt of electricity through their hearts.

"Snow White, it all feels so unreal, like a dream!"

"What's unreal? I'm right in front of you, and you're holding my hand right now, aren't you?"

"You say I have nothing to offer, I'm not handsome, I'm not a college graduate, and I'm still struggling to survive in a basement. What do you like about me?"

"Xiang Fei, weren't you always carrying around that copy of Lu Yao's 'Ordinary World' a while ago? Sun Shao-ping in it was also a migrant worker, ragged and homeless, yet Tian Xiaoxia was just as happy as him!"

"That's just a plot in a book; I never expected it to happen in real life!"

"Isn't this a reality? The plot in the book is based on reality, so why can't the story in the book happen in reality? Besides, I believe in fate; many coincidences have brought us together!"

"Many coincidences? What coincidences?"

Before working at "Shuiyunjian", did you apply for a job at GG Company?

"I went there, Lao You told you, right? It was a job application experience I'd rather forget. I was so naive back then!"

"Do you remember when you made a mess of the office and turned to leave, a girl gave you a thumbs up?"

"It seems like that's true. I was so angry I lost my mind!..." Xiang Fei's eyes suddenly lit up: "That girl wouldn't happen to be you, would she?"

"That's right, it was me! I was interning there during the summer, and I didn't like Xiao Sun and Wang Xia either. One was a scheming bitch, and the other was a snob. They had no skills but could boss people around! You really gave me a chance to vent my anger!"

"It was you! I was so angry and rushed off that I didn't really remember you."

"I remember you so well! Dong Lu had already told me about what happened on the train, but I couldn't get in touch with you at all! I never expected to run into you again at Shuiyunjian. Don't let my love for games fool you; I read a lot of books in my spare time, so I also have a passion for literature. And you love writing poetry... so with so many coincidences, I've come to believe in this destiny."

Xiang Fei gently embraced Bai Xue. Their eyes met, filled with tender affection. A kiss landed lightly on their lips, and they hugged each other even tighter!

It is a beautiful winter night. All the noise has fallen silent. All the extravagance has returned to simplicity. Only two hearts beat with intoxicating notes!