Which way to go is the road?

The party didn't end until 1:30 a.m., and since not only were the school dormitory doors closed, but the main gates were also closed, these college students decided to stay overnight off-campus.

Dong Lu, Zhang Chu, and Qian Luomei went to live in the rooftop attic. Bai Xue was going to her uncle's house. Zhang Fang's house was in Yandu, so it goes without saying. Lao You decided to return to the long-lost basement.

The most bizarre ones were Tian Hai and Du Xinpeng. They actually asked to stay on the first floor of "Shuiyunjian" under the guise of being the protectors of three beautiful women. However, they were already past sleepiness and wanted to have one last party in the internet cafe—all night long.

Xiang Fei took Bai Xue to her uncle's house. After hailing a taxi, Bai Xue told him the address, which surprised Xiang Fei.

"Is your uncle near our basement?"

"Yes, we're staying at the business hotel right next to you?" Bai Xue said, her eyes lowered and her cheeks flushed.

It was the same hotel, the same room.

Without a word, Bai Xue went into the bathroom, where the showerhead washed her smooth skin, the water flowing over her waist.

Xiang Fei lay in bed watching TV, but the sound of running water was making him restless. He tried to calm his racing heart, but he couldn't control himself. Seeing a drinking cup, he got out of bed and boiled a kettle of water. The crackling sound of the electric kettle boiling water dispelled the temptation; the plot of the TV series was much more attractive.

The sound of running water stopped abruptly, and Bai Xue emerged from the bathroom, wrapped only in a bath towel. Her captivating beauty needs no further description.

"You should go wash up too!"

Xiang Fei practically jumped out of bed, rushed into the bathroom, quickly rinsed himself off, wrapped himself in a towel, and came out.

Only the corridor lights remained on, and the television was silent.

Starting the next day, Bai Xue, Lao You, and the others began their intense preparation for the exam. No matter how relaxed they were usually, they always had to hone their skills before the exam. Most students were counting on these less than half a month to master the essential knowledge for the semester and complete the required credits.

To put it bluntly, which might invite criticism, perhaps another midterm exam would solidify their knowledge.

Dong Lu and Bai Xue stayed in their dorm room studying. They didn't want to go to the library or classroom; the oppressive atmosphere there made them very uncomfortable. As Dong Lu put it, "People who feel stressed have hormonal imbalances. As long as you concentrate and memorize diligently, it doesn't matter where you study!"

Zhang Fang has been unable to contact Dong Lu for two consecutive days, ignoring her text messages and not answering her calls!

At first, he was also stubborn. It was also the end of the semester, so he studied hard for a day. But there was still no news the next day, so he couldn't hold back anymore!

Zhang Fang called Bai Xue, trying to reach Dong Lu indirectly, but she still refused to answer. He felt awkward and upset. He thought there was nothing he couldn't say openly and frankly, even if Dong Lu beat or scolded him, or slapped him a couple of times, it would be better than a cold war.

Back in the day, there was always a way to find the person you wanted to see on a university campus—wait in front of the dormitory at mealtimes. Most daily life didn't require leaving the dormitory, but people still need to eat. With the widespread availability of food delivery services in recent years, this method may be becoming outdated.

As soon as Dong Lu and Bai Xue stepped out of the dormitory, they saw Zhang Fang waiting outside. Bai Xue tactfully walked ahead, leaving the two of them staring at each other.

"Let's go outside. I'll treat you to lunch today!"

"I don't want to go!" Dong Lu avoided Zhang Fang's gaze, looking at the clothesline outside the dormitory door. "I want to finish eating early in the cafeteria and study!"

Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Fang grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the school gate. Dong Lu initially resisted, but she couldn't overcome Zhang Fang's strength and was dragged along by him.

At a Western fast food restaurant outside the school gate, Zhang Fang ordered a Coke for himself, a coffee for Dong Lu, and a bunch of other random snacks.

"You really want to sing that much? You really want to be a star?" Zhang Fang took a sip of cola, letting the cool sensation melt away the pent-up anger in his heart.

Dong Lu poured milk into her coffee, added two sugar cubes, and stirred it slowly with a spoon: "I want to sing, I love to sing, but I've never thought about becoming a star!"

Zhang Fang was puzzled by the answer and put down his Coke cup: "Why are you reacting so strongly? I just turned down a music director on your behalf. If you didn't want to be a star, wouldn't you have to turn them down anyway?"

"My strong reaction isn't because you rejected that music director, but because of your selfishness and domineering attitude!"

"I admit I'm domineering; I've been like this since I was little. Don't you girls like domineering men? As for selfishness, I don't think I'm that selfish. I spoke up for you because I was looking out for you!"

"I admit, many girls like domineering CEO types or those rude guys, but I don't. To put it nicely, it's called domineering; to put it bluntly, it's selfish, disrespectful, and imposing one's own ideas and beliefs on others!"

"How did I impose my own ideas and opinions on you? The reason I did this was because I care about you! I'm doing it for your own good!"

"Stop talking so high and mighty. Just because you're saying it's 'for my own good,' does that give you the right to make decisions for me? Does that mean you can reject other people's kindness without even asking my opinion? And how rude of you! Is this what you call 'for my own good'? It's 'for your own good'! Because you know your family can't accept people in the entertainment industry, you want to mold me into the kind of person you want me to be!"

"I'm doing this for the sake of our relationship's future! If I were an irresponsible man who just wanted to have fun, would I be thinking so much? I'm just paving the way for our future, doing the necessary work for you to meet my family!"

"All you think about is what kind of daughter-in-law your family needs, what kind of girlfriend you need, but have you ever thought about what kind of love I need, what kind of boyfriend I need, what kind of future I need! If I choose you as my boyfriend, do I have to pretend to be someone else, reprogram myself according to your ideas, and become a completely different person?"

"We can't just date forever, can we? We have to meet each other's parents, start a family, and make some changes for our relationship, can't we?" There was a hint of pleading in Zhang Fang's voice!

Dong Lu gradually calmed down: "I'm willing to make some changes for love, but I won't change myself just to become someone's wife. I will always be myself!"

"Okay! I apologize. I oversimplified things. I promise I'll consider your feelings in everything I do from now on and won't make any decisions for you without my consent!"

Zhang Fang picked up those slender, fair fingers and gently stroked them, like petting a kitten. The "kitten" closed its eyes happily, a long-lost smile appearing on its face.