In the two days Chu Zhi stayed at home, she returned to school on Sunday evening. Of her three roommates, two were from out of town and stayed at school over weekends, while Xue Niannan was local and had already returned in the afternoon, bringing a set of mahjong tiles with her. When Chu Zhi entered, the three were sitting cross-legged on foam mats playing three-player mahjong. As soon as they saw her, Lin Tong started patting the small square table: “My Zhi, come quick! We’ve been waiting for you!”
Chu Zhi held the curry chicken she brought from home over the small IKEA table and paused. The three immediately let out a cry and happily pushed aside the mahjong tiles to make room for the supreme curry chicken. Food was the most important thing of all, especially meat.
Mrs. Deng’s curry chicken was heavenly – the chicken was tender and juicy, with golden thick curry sauce flowing with each bite. The four girls ate until they had hiccups, with a pile of chicken bones collecting in the trash bin as they sprawled on the foam mats to chat.
Xue Niannan suddenly made an “ah” sound, as if remembering something, and said, “Oh right, Chu Zhi, about that pink water bottle—”
Chu Zhi was leaning against the chair leg playing with her phone and made an “mm?” sound without looking up.
Xue Niannan grabbed the table leg and sat up: “Today when I was delivering documents to the student council, I saw him near the gymnasium.”
Chu Zhi paused, but before she could speak, Lin Tong bounced up excitedly: “Did he ask you to give Zhi a love letter?”
Xue Niannan shook her head and said, “He didn’t see me. He was arguing with someone, quite fiercely. I think it was his father, something about their family having some event last night that he didn’t attend.”
Chu Zhi was stunned. The character in her phone game died, and she raised her head: “Last night?”
Xue Niannan nodded.
Chu Zhi wrinkled her nose.
He was with her last night.
They had finally bought clothes, and because there was still some price difference between that piece and his expensive hoodie, Chu Zhi had also treated him to dinner. He hadn’t mentioned anything about having family matters that evening.
He must have forgotten.
She exited the game and opened her contacts, looking at the entry saved as “Lu Gege,” feeling a bit hesitant.
Thinking about it, she decided against asking. It seemed awkward to question him about such things.
Chu Zhi stood up, washed the lunch box that had contained the curry chicken, packed it away, and went to take a shower. While she was blow-drying her hair, Lin Tong brought her phone over, saying she had a call.
Chu Zhi took it, turned off the hair dryer, and answered with a “hello.” As the bathroom door closed again, her voice echoed slightly in the empty space.
On the other end, a certain mysterious Mr. Lu asked, “Want some ice cream?”
Chu Zhi: “…”
She lowered her phone to check the time – 7:30.
Putting it back to her ear, she asked, “Right now?”
“Mm,” he said lazily, “I bought two, can’t finish them.”
Chu Zhi was wearing her pajamas, her hair still dripping wet. While using one hand to sweep her hair to the side and squeeze the ends with a towel, she said, “Then give it to your roommate. I won’t come down, I just showered—”
Before she could finish, he cut her off: “Hurry up, it’s going to melt. Which building is your dorm?”
Chu Zhi: “…”
“Hmm?”
“…Building Three.”
“Alright, I’ll be there in five minutes.”
Chu Zhi: “??”
She hung up and stared at her phone screen in confusion, then looked at herself in the mirror – hair disheveled, wearing a white dress, looking like a madwoman.
What was wrong with this guy! He’s starting to make decisions on his own!
Chu Zhi couldn’t be bothered to dry her hair properly anymore. She grabbed the hair dryer and blasted hot air at her head in a frenzy, then went out, threw on a long sweater jacket, and put on her panda slippers, ready to go downstairs.
Gu Han saw her and casually asked, “Little darling, where are you going?”
Chu Zhi tugged at her half-wet bangs: “Senior Lu called me down to get ice cream.”
“Who’s Senior Lu? When did you get to know another Senior Lu? Resistance leads to severe punishment, confession leads to leniency1.”
“Pink water bottle,” Chu Zhi said concisely.
Lin Tong had a look of sudden realization.
But Gu Han was horrified: “You’re going to meet a handsome guy looking like this?”
Chu Zhi looked down at her carelessly thrown-on red plaid sweater and slippers, feeling it might indeed be inappropriate.
Lin Tong stroked her chin and chuckled: “Actually, this is fine. Our Zhi looks good in anything. Just button up the coat, don’t give him too much too soon.”
“…”
Chu Zhi decisively turned back, went to her closet, opened it, and changed into a sweater and jeans before going down.
She didn’t waste much time. When she got downstairs, Lu Jiaheng was already waiting. At 7:30, the area around the dormitory was still lively, and since this was the girls’ dormitory area, a tall man standing there was particularly eye-catching.
But he was eye-catching anywhere. Even just shopping, girls would come up asking for his contact information, like a flashy moth, completely ignorant of the concept of being low-key.
While mentally picturing the bizarre image of a moth with a man’s face fluttering among flowers, flying left and right, scaring away all the bees in the flower bed, she walked over and said honestly, “Senior Lu.”
Senior Lu lowered his eyes: “Just call me by my name.”
Chu Zhi: “…”
What name, Lu Gege?
She secretly, stealthily, and imperceptibly rolled her eyes, thinking he hadn’t seen it, but then heard him suddenly laugh.
Chu Zhi looked up again.
The man raised his eyebrows at her, his tone lazy: “Think my name is ugly?”
Chu Zhi quickly shook her head: “No, no.”
I don’t even know what your name is.
“Then say my name.”
Chu Zhi: “…”
“Say it.”
“…”
He licked his lips and smiled, suddenly bending down.
Their distance shortened in an instant. The dim yellow light from the dormitory cast a gentle color on his somewhat cold and aloof features, his eyelashes tinged with a soft brown.
He leaned down to look at her directly, lowering his voice deliberately until it was deep and magnetic, with a soft breath at the end: “Little Zhizi, say it once for gege to hear, and gege will treat you to ice cream.”
Chu Zhi stared blankly at his face so close to hers, her eyes widening slightly.
Lu Jiaheng didn’t move, even leaning forward a bit more, his nasal tone muffled: “Hmm? Say it.”
The distance was so close that Chu Zhi could feel his faint breath and smell his pleasant scent.
Such a direct, bare, extremely aggressive approach.
She finally slowly reacted, and three seconds later, her fair face turned completely red.
Lu Jiaheng had been staring at her the whole time, and suddenly started laughing.
His laughter was low and slow, his peach blossom eyes curved, unlike his usual cold and careless fake smiles. This time it carried genuine pleasure.
The young girl felt she was being made fun of, and now even her neck turned red.
She took a small step straight back, putting a little distance between them, her red face scrunched up, her bright deer-like eyes glaring at him.
The man was still laughing, hand propped on his leg as he lowered his head slightly, his bangs falling forward, long eyelashes trembling.
Chu Zhi was embarrassed and angry, raising her hand to push him forcefully, but couldn’t move him.
She was so angry she slapped his forehead directly: “How can you be like this!”
Author’s Note: Everyone stand up, applaud, and celebrate that our Brother Heng finally successfully flirted once, everyone sit down.
- This is a common phrase in mandarin; “?????????” (t?n bái cóng ku?n, kàng jù cóng yán). It means if you resist, the punishment will be harsh. If you confess, they’ll go easy on you. ↩︎
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