Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

"Where to next?" Yan Xi asked.

"I'll take you somewhere." Li Chen took her hand and led her through a maze of turns into a deeper alley.

At the end of the alley is an inconspicuous wooden door.

Li Chen pushed open the door, and a rich aroma of tea wafted out.

Inside was a small courtyard with an old osmanthus tree in the center, and several bamboo tables and chairs under the tree.

An elderly man dressed in a blue cloth robe was boiling water and making tea. His movements were unhurried and full of Zen.

"This is 'Wangyanju,' a teahouse run by the most knowledgeable tea person in town." Li Chen pulled Yan Xi to sit down by the window. "The owner has a strange temper; he only serves three tables of guests a day."

Yan Xi looked around.

It's very quiet here; you can hardly hear the noise of tourists outside.

The only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the wind and the bubbling of boiling water on the stove.

It is indeed a quiet and peaceful place.

Li Chen and the boss had obviously communicated beforehand.

Soon, a pot of freshly brewed "Jin Jun Mei" tea and several plates of exquisite tea snacks were served.

Li Chen picked up the purple clay teapot and poured a cup of tea for Yan Xi.

The amber-colored tea liquor swayed gently in the white porcelain cup, releasing a mellow aroma.

"Try it."

Yan Xi picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

The tea soup is warm, sweet, and leaves a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.

"Excellent tea," she exclaimed sincerely.

The two sat facing each other, drinking tea and eating snacks, without saying a word.

Outside the window, there are small bridges and flowing water, and ordinary houses.

Inside the window, the aroma of tea wafts through the air, a scene of tranquility and peace.

Yan Xi suddenly felt that it would be nice if time could stand still at this moment.

"What are you thinking about?" Li Chen's voice broke the silence.

"I'm wondering how many more surprises you have that I don't know about." Yan Xi put down her teacup and looked at him.

From cooking to martial arts to programming, and now to our understanding of these traditional cultures.

This man is like a treasure trove that can never be fully explored.

Just when you think you've seen everything about him, he always manages to show you a completely new side of himself around the next corner.

"You'll gradually understand later," Li Chen smiled and poured her another cup of tea.

Just then, Li Chen's phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw that it was the WeChat group for dormitory 302.

Wang Qiang posted a photo of a lonely plate of fried rice in the cafeteria.

The caption reads: "First day without Lao San. I miss him, I miss him, I still miss him. Even the cafeteria lady asked me, 'Why didn't that handsome young man come today?'"

Below, Zhao Zixuan replied with a "+1".

Chen Mo calmly analyzed, "According to the 'dependency theory' in social psychology, we have already developed a habitual dependence on the third child. I suggest activating the highest level emergency plan: order takeout."

Li Chen couldn't help but laugh out loud as he looked at the chat history of these few clowns.

"What are you laughing at?" Yan Xi asked curiously as she leaned closer to look.

When she saw Wang Qiang's bitter and resentful face and that pitiful fried rice, she couldn't help but smile.

"Your roommates are all very interesting," she said.

"A bunch of bad friends." Li Chen said this, but felt a warmth in his heart.

Yan Xi looked at the smile on his face, her eyes flickered slightly.

She took out her phone and took a picture of Li Chen and the scenery outside the window.

In the photo, Li Chen is looking down at his phone and smiling. The lines of his profile appear particularly soft in the sunlight, while the background behind him is the tranquil scenery of an ancient town.

She didn't edit the photo; she simply opened her WeChat Moments and edited the text.

[Yan Xi: Mine.]

Two simple words, paired with that photo, were sent out.

No one was blocked.

Almost the instant she successfully sent the message, her WeChat Moments exploded.

The first person to like the post was Leng Qingge, who commented: "Ahhhhh! Xixi, you've finally publicly shown your affection! This photo is so touching!"

The second person to like this post was the student council vice president, who commented: "(Shocked face) President, what are you doing...?"

Below is a long list of likes and comments.

Everyone at Linjiang University who had added her on WeChat was completely stunned by this bombshell.

Li Chen's phone also started vibrating wildly.

Wang Qiang made a voice call directly.

Li Chen glanced at Yan Xi, who raised an eyebrow at him, signaling him to take the call.

"Feed?"

"Holy crap! Third brother! Quick, look at your senior's WeChat Moments! Go look now!" Wang Qiang's pig-like screams came from the other end of the phone.

"I saw it." Li Chen's tone was very calm.

"You're still so calm after seeing this?!" Wang Qiang couldn't believe it. "Senior, this is an official announcement! She used your photo! And even added the word 'mine'! Ahhhhh, I'm going crazy! This is too sweet!"

Li Chen could imagine that on the other end of the phone, Wang Qiang and Zhao Zixuan were rolling around on the bed, clutching their phones.

He hung up the phone and looked at Yan Xi.

"Satisfied?"

"Hmm." Yan Xi put down her phone, picked up her teacup, and slowly took a sip.

"The markings need to be more obvious to scare away those blind flies."

Her tone was as domineering as ever.

Li Chen looked at her, his heart melting completely.

He knew that she was responding to him.

In response to his words in the silver jewelry store, "I want a keepsake for my beloved."

She used this most high-profile method to announce it to the world.

He is hers.

It belongs only to her.

Night falls.

The two returned to "Listening to the Rain Pavilion".

While Li Chen went to take a shower, Yan Xi stood on the terrace, looking at the lights of thousands of homes reflected on the river and a cold crescent moon in the sky.

She reached out and gently stroked the phoenix hairpin in her hair.

The evening breeze lifted her long hair, her clothes fluttering, making her look like a fairy from a painting.

When Li Chen finished showering and came out, this was the scene he saw.

His breathing paused for a moment.

"What are you looking at?" He walked over and hugged her from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Let's enjoy the scenery," Yan Xi said softly, nestled against his warm chest.

"Me too," Li Chen whispered in her ear as he lowered his head.

"My scenery is right here in my arms."

Yan Xi's body stiffened for a moment, and her ears quickly turned a blush.

This man is getting better and better at saying sweet nothings these days.

"Are you cold?" Li Chen tightened his arms around him.

"It's not cold."

With him around, even the coldest night feels warm.

The two stood on the terrace for a long time.

It wasn't until late at night that Li Chen picked her up and carried her into the room.

He gently placed her on the soft bed and covered her with a blanket.

Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and quietly looked at her.

"Li Chen," Yan Xi suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"Let's release river lanterns tomorrow."

"I heard from the innkeeper that if you release a river lantern in Nanxi, your wish will come true."

"Okay." Li-Chen nodded.

What is your wish?

Yan Xi looked at him, her eyes sparkling in the darkness.

She didn't say anything, but simply reached out her hand to him.

Li Chen took her hand.

Her palms were warm.

"My wish..." she whispered, "is to be able to release a river lantern with you every year."

Her voice was soft, yet it struck Li Chen's heart like a small hammer.

Li Chen leaned down and placed a devout kiss on her forehead.

Your wish will definitely come true.

"I promise."