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

Li Chen spent the entire afternoon in the library.

Li Chen closed the nearly worn-out advanced mathematics book, feeling like he had lost half his life in this jumble of code.

Yan Xi, standing beside him, looked refreshed. She slowly and deliberately stuffed "Architectural Structure Selection" into her bag, her movements as elegant as if she were packing up spoils of war.

Stepping out of the library, the night was thick.

The late autumn wind is unreasonable; it sneaks in through your collar.

Yan Xi paused slightly and glanced at him sideways.

My gaze lingered on the thin collar of his T-shirt for two seconds.

Li Chen subconsciously straightened his chest and raised his head, keeping his back ramrod straight.

A freshman's dignity would never allow him to complain about being cold in front of girls, even if he already had goosebumps.

"Youth is wonderful."

Yan Xi dropped a sentence out of the blue, pulled her cardigan tighter, and continued walking forward.

His tone was flat, making it impossible to tell whether it was a compliment or a joke.

Li Chen has taken the route back to his dormitory three times in the past two days.

The first two times it was heading to the execution ground, but this time... it felt like I was stepping on cotton.

There was a half-body distance between the two.

This distance is very subtle.

Occasionally, the back of his hand would brush against her sleeve with the swing of his arm, and each slight friction felt like a flick on Li Chen's taut nerves.

His mind was a complete mess.

From the morning soy milk to the warmth of holding hands in the library, and then to the domineering "boyfriend's meal card" in the cafeteria.

Every frame was relentlessly attacking his defenses of reason.

Is this what love is?

How do you deal with this female devil who makes him do homework one second and snatches his meal card the next?

"arrive."

A cold voice interrupted his internal monologue.

Downstairs at Building 7.

The huge sycamore tree had lush branches and leaves that cut the light from the streetlights into fragmented pieces.

Yan Xi stood in the shadow of the steps and turned around.

Li Chen stopped, put his hands in his pockets, and his palms were sweaty.

"Then...you go up."

According to standard procedure, at this point, they should say goodnight to each other and then go home.

But Yan Xi didn't move.

She stood on a higher step, her line of sight level with his.

In the dim light, those cat-like eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, brazenly scanning his face.

From the brow bone, it glides down the bridge of the nose.

Finally, the image focuses on his lips.

Li Chen's throat tightened, and his Adam's apple involuntarily slid up and down.

The surrounding noise seemed to have been sucked out of the vacuum.

Even the most oblivious person would instinctively react if such a stunningly beautiful woman stared at their lips.

What is she trying to do?!

This atmosphere, this look in their eyes...

Li Chen felt the blood rush to his head in an instant, and his ears burned intensely.

He instinctively tried to take his hand out of his pocket, but it froze in mid-air, unsure of what to do with it.

Yan Xi moved.

She took half a step forward.

The remaining safe distance instantly vanished.

A cool, woody scent wafted over him, dominating his sense of smell.

too close.

He was so close that he could see the reflection of the streetlights in her pupils, so close that her warm breath brushed against his chin, sending a shiver of pleasure through him.

Li Chen's brain completely shut down.

Instinct triumphed over reason.

His eyelashes trembled violently from nervousness, and then he slowly closed his eyes.

one second.

two seconds.

The expected soft and warm touch did not disappoint.

A very faint "click" sound came from above.

Immediately afterwards, my scalp was gently tugged.

Li Chen suddenly opened his eyes.

Yan Xi held a withered sycamore leaf in her hand, pinching the stem between two fingers, and waved it in front of him.

There's something in my hair.

His tone was flat, even carrying a hint of innocence.

"..."

A deathly silence.

An overwhelming sense of embarrassment overwhelmed Li Chen on the spot, like a mudslide.

What is he doing?

Close your eyes? Look up? Pout?

Someone was just kindly helping him pick a leaf, and he actually thought they wanted a kiss?

Holy crap!!

The scene of social death...

Li Chen felt his face burning. If there were a crack in the ground right now, he would definitely crawl into it without hesitation, even if it was a sewer.

"I... um... I got some sand in my eye just now."

The excuse is so rotten it's outrageous.

Li Chen's eyes darted around, and he didn't dare to look at Yan Xi's face at all.

"oh--"

Yan Xi dragged out the last syllable and casually tossed the withered leaf into the grass.

She didn't expose him.

But they did not retreat.

Instead, it moved an inch closer.

This time, it's really been applied.

With nowhere left to retreat, Li Chen's back pressed against the cold tiles of the flower bed.

Yan Xi slightly tiptoed.

The warm air brushed against his earlobe, the voice was low, with a hint of languor and hoarseness as if he had just woken up, like a small hook scratching hard on Li Chen's heart.

"Junior Brother Li Chen."

"What are you thinking about? Why are you in such a hurry?"

boom--

Li Chen's whole body stiffened, and he even forgot to breathe.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Yan Xi's lips curled into a wicked smile.

"Maybe next time."

After saying that, she didn't give Li Chen any time to react. She landed on her heels, turned around, and her hair swung in a beautiful arc.

"Go to bed early. See you at the usual place at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

She waved to Li Chen with her back to him, swiped her card and entered the dormitory building, her back view as dashing as a female hooligan who had just finished harassing an innocent man.

Even after that figure disappeared around the corner, Li Chen remained rooted to the spot like a wooden stake.

next time?

When is the next time?

And... will you really kiss me next time?

Li Chen raised his hand to cover his face; his palm was burning hot.

This woman definitely did it on purpose!

First they give you a sweet date, then a stick, and finally they hang a radish in front of you and let it dangle.

They're making a fool of him!

But what's most infuriating is...

This donkey of a man actually seemed to be looking forward to that "next time".

The vibration of his phone in his pocket pulled him back to reality.

It's that damn group 302 again.

Why are these three bastards like ghosts, never leaving us?

They probably didn't install a surveillance camera on him!

These three beasts could actually do something like that.

[Wang Qiang]: @Brother Li Chen, I saw it all! Just now downstairs, the way you closed your eyes...tsk tsk tsk, so devout!

[Zhao Zixuan]: I saw it too! Yan Xi's tiptoeing move was absolutely killer! Old Li, you're something else, already preparing to offer yourself up the very next day?

[Chen Mo]: Based on my observation, the contact duration was 0, and the distance was negative. Conclusion: No kiss occurred. Lao Li's current psychological state is likely: unsatisfied and extremely ashamed.

Li Chen stared at the screen, typing through gritted teeth.

[Li Chen]: Are you guys just bored out of your minds?

[Wang Qiang]: Don't get angry! Tell me quickly, how does it feel? Does it smell good?

Li Chen did not reply.

He looked up at the lights on the third floor of Building 7. The night breeze blew by, but it couldn't dispel the heat on his body.

I don't know if it smells good or not.

But he knew he was truly doomed this time.

And it was headfirst, completely upside down.

……

Female dormitory 303.

Yan Xi pushed open the door and went in. Her roommates were gathered together watching a TV series. When they saw her come back, they all greeted her.

"XiXi's back? How did the battle go today?"

"good."

Yan Xi casually agreed, walked to the table, and put her bag down.

She pulled the stolen campus card out of her pocket.

The photo shows Li Chen looking just like when he first enrolled in school, with a buzz cut and clear eyes that reveal a touch of naivety.

Yan Xi stared at the photo for a while, her fingers gently tracing the boy's eyebrows and eyes in the picture.

The image of him downstairs with his eyes tightly closed and his eyelashes fluttering flashed through my mind.

Like a frightened puppy, both timid and expectant.

"puff."

She couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Her best friend, Leng Qingge, turned around with a strange look on her face: "Xixi, what are you laughing at? It's creepy."

"It's nothing."

Yan Xi tucked her campus card into the thick textbook, closed the book, as if she were locking someone up in her own territory as well.

"Found a... rather cute prey."

She picked up her phone and opened the chat window with the black cat avatar.

With a tap of my finger, I sent a voice message.

The voice regained its lazy tone.

Goodnight, remember to dream of me.

After sending the message, she tossed her phone onto the bed, grabbed a change of clothes, and went into the bathroom.

In the mirror, that face, usually as cold and aloof as frost, was now tinged with a faint blush.

Especially the roots of the ears.

He became incredibly famous.