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

The next morning, Li Chen woke up to a deafening clap of thunder.

No, that wasn't thunder.

It was Wang Qiang's snoring sound, comparable to that of an industrial-grade electric drill.

The sound seemed to possess armor-piercing properties, ignoring the dual physical defenses of earplugs and blankets, and precisely penetrating Li Chen's eardrums.

He opened his eyes, staring at the upper bunk, his mind blank.

A few seconds later, memories of last night flooded back like a tidal wave.

[Kitten peeking out.gif]

[Kitten nodding.gif]

[Kitten applying a face mask.gif]

And that last sentence...

Goodnight, boyfriend.

Li Chen couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

He picked up his phone, opened the pinned chat window, and looked at the emojis from last night over and over again three times, his smile growing increasingly silly.

This contrast is so adorable!

It's more effective than any stimulant.

He felt like he was energized, able to run ten kilometers on the track in one go, and then casually throw Wang Qiang, the source of the noise, out the window.

Li Chen quietly climbed out of bed, washed up, and changed his clothes.

Throughout the entire process, the smile on his face never disappeared.

As he passed by Wang Qiang's bedside, he even took pity on the fat man and picked up the blanket that had been kicked to the ground, then covered his round belly with it.

Stepping out of the dormitory building, the cold morning wind hit me in the face.

Li Chen took a deep breath and felt that even the air was sweet.

He ran to the playground and started stretching his legs to warm up.

Not long after, that familiar figure arrived as promised.

Today, Yan Xi returned to her usual cool and aloof sportswear, with a high ponytail and bare face, looking like a cedar tree standing tall in the morning mist.

However, when she saw Li Chen, a hint of an unconcealed smile appeared in her cat-like eyes, which always carried a touch of aloofness.

That smile was like a pebble thrown into a lake, rippling gently across her cool and aloof demeanor.

"morning."

She ran to his side, her pace naturally synchronized with his.

"morning."

Li Chen followed, looking at her profile which was much gentler than usual, and felt a tickle in his heart.

He deliberately lagged behind by half a step, leaned close to her ear, and lowered his voice.

"Senior, did you dream about a kitten last night?"

Yan Xi paused noticeably.

An unnatural blush quickly spread from her fair neck to her ears.

She turned her head abruptly and glared at Li Chen.

His eyes, lacking their usual sharpness, now held a hint of embarrassment and anger, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Don't mention this again!"

She warned him in a stern, low voice.

"Which matter?"

Li Chen pretended to be confused, blinking innocently, "I just had a dream. I dreamt of a cat that could send emojis on its phone. It was pretty cute."

Yan Xi gritted her teeth in anger at his shameless behavior.

I don't know what got into me last night, but I actually found it funny to tease him with those childish emojis.

Looking back now, it was practically a public execution.

"Li Chen!"

She gritted her teeth and called his name.

"arrive."

"Shut up, run."

After Yan Xi finished speaking, she ignored him and sped up, as if venting her frustration.

As Li Chen watched her retreating figure, which clearly showed signs of embarrassment and annoyance, the corners of his mouth widened into an even wider grin.

He quickly caught up with her and walked alongside her.

The morning light pierced through the thin mist, casting long shadows of the two people as they chased and intertwined on the rubber track.

After running five kilometers, the two of them were covered in a light sweat.

When we arrived at the second canteen, it was already getting crowded.

Since the "domineering wife protection" scene at last night's welcome party went viral on the forum, Li Chen's fame has become no less than that of any other prominent figure at Linjiang University.

The moment he and Yan Xi stepped into the cafeteria, they were like two magnets, instantly drawing all eyes to them.

Envy, jealousy, curiosity, amazement...

Various gazes intertwined to form an invisible net, enveloping the two of them.

"Holy crap, that's Li Chen? He's even more handsome in person than in photos!"

"Isn't that Senior Yan Xi next to him? My goodness, these two standing together are like a scene from a novel come to life!"

"I'm so jealous! When will I ever have a boyfriend this handsome, and get to be carried in his arms like a princess..."

"Wake up, first look at who his girlfriend is."

The murmurs weren't loud, but they were clear enough to reach my ears.

Li Chen was used to it, but Yan Xi frowned almost imperceptibly.

She didn't like being treated like a monkey.

Li Chen noticed her displeasure.

Before Yan Xi could even speak, he had already expertly swiped his card and ordered breakfast for two.

He sat down opposite Yan Xi with his plate in hand, then picked up a steaming hot tea egg, peeled it clean in no time, and placed it steadily on Yan Xi's plate.

The entire movement was fluid and natural, as if it had been done hundreds of times before.

Yan Xi stared blankly at the smooth egg on the plate for a moment.

She looked up and met Li Chen's smiling eyes.

Why are you looking at me?

Li Chen asked matter-of-factly, "Don't you like eating the eggs I peel?"

The surrounding chatter seemed to subside, replaced by a collective gasp of astonishment.

Yan Xi's slight displeasure vanished when she saw his smug look as he seemed to be saying "Praise me!"

She gave a soft hum, picked up a spoon, and cut the egg in half.

"You're smart to know what's good for you."

That haughty little look was absolutely adorable in Li Chen's eyes.

He couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

It feels like this unattainable beauty has become more and more down-to-earth and... more and more addictive after I pulled her down from her pedestal.

Breakfast was eaten in this eerie atmosphere of being the center of attention.

Li Chen could even sense that several girls not far away were pretending to watch a drama on their phones, but were actually taking pictures of him secretly.

He couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

As long as the woman beside him is happy, he'd accept being watched, or even dancing in the center of the cafeteria.

After finishing their meal, the two walked out of the cafeteria one after the other.

The sun was shining brightly, its warmth comforting me.

"Do you have classes this afternoon?" Yan Xi asked.

"The last period is physical education class."

"Um."

Yan Xi nodded, took a card out of her bag, and handed it to him. "This is a supplementary card for the gym next to the school. I had Leng Qingge get it for you. Here you go."

"Gym?"

Li Chen was taken aback.

"Didn't you complain about how noisy those guys in your dorm were?"

Yan Xi glanced at him and said, "If you have nowhere else to go, just stay there. The environment is alright."

"There's a swimming pool and a boxing ring; that should suit your taste."

Li Chen looked at the card in his hand and fell silent.

This woman always arranges everything in such an unintentional way.

"Thank you, senior."

"A verbal thank you?" Yan Xi raised an eyebrow.

"Then... payment in kind?"

Li Chen asked tentatively.

Yan Xi's face flushed red instantly.

She glared at Li Chen fiercely, turned around and left, leaving behind a sentence.

"Dream on!"

Watching her flee in disarray, Li Chen lowered his head and smiled.

The shy senior student also has a unique charm.