The library was quiet, with the two of them huddled at a corner table, not daring to speak too loudly. Lu Jiaheng looked both annoyed and helpless, with a hint of indulgence. Chu Zhi sat sideways looking at him, leaning against the window frame by the window, her bright eyes watching him.
Without warning, she suddenly leaned forward, reaching up to hook her finger on the frame of his glasses, slowly pulling them down.
Lu Jiaheng looked down at her curious face so close to his: “What are you doing?”
Chu Zhi pulled off his glasses and put them on her own face, turning to look at him with a serious expression. One arm resting on the table, she gently tapped the table edge with her other hand’s index finger: “Student Lu, why are you chatting with other students during study time? Hurry up and finish your problems, or the teacher will punish you!”
Lu Jiaheng’s almond eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her with an unreadable expression, then suddenly curved his lips into a smile.
Their chairs were already close together, and he moved even closer to her, pushing aside the test paper in front of him and reaching for her Introduction to Communication textbook, standing it up.
With the open book standing in front of them, Lu Jiaheng held it with one hand while his other hand cupped the back of her head, pulling her close as he leaned in.
Their breaths mingled as he chuckled softly before capturing her lips.
Chu Zhi’s eyes widened, and the slightly oversized glasses slipped down her nose.
He gently bit her lower lip, loosening his hand on the back of her head to reach forward and remove the glasses, casually placing them on the table.
Without pausing, his tongue traced the outline of her lips, carefully mapping their shape.
The entire library was warm and silent, with the heat from the radiator behind her warming her back.
The two of them hid at their corner table, behind the book, secretly exchanging something a bit wet.
Why did he always like places like this?
Chu Zhi blushed with embarrassment as she felt his soft tongue exploring, her breathing becoming unsteady. After a while, she came to her senses and, afraid of being discovered, nervously pushed against him slightly, making a soft “mmph” sound in weak protest.
Lu Jiaheng loosened his grip slightly, his voice deep as their irregular breaths intertwined, his words tinged with ambiguity: “Teacher, you need to be quiet…”
At that form of address, her whole body tensed, the corners of her wet eyes turning red.
Her breath was sweet and soft, like cotton candy, like apple blossoms, like ice-cold coconut soda on a summer beach.
Lu Jiaheng’s fingertips brushed through the soft hair by her ears, his lips and tongue pausing before giving her lip one final hard bite.
Tears immediately sprang to Chu Zhi’s eyes from the pain, and she swallowed back the sound that almost escaped her throat.
Lu Jiaheng pulled back, leaning away to create some distance, lowering the book and looking down at her.
This bite wasn’t actually as hard as the last time, but it still hurt quite a bit. Chu Zhi raised her hand to check if her lip was bleeding, gently touching it. Her fair fingertip came away with a bit of clear fluid, but no blood.
Lu Jiaheng raised his hand to wipe away a bit of saliva from the corner of her mouth, but Chu Zhi smacked his hand away.
She glared at him through teary eyes, her fierce expression made alluring and pitiful by her wet eyes and red-rimmed gaze: “You bit me again!”
Lu Jiaheng looked like a satisfied wolf after a good meal, eyes narrowed contentedly as he licked his wet lips: “Couldn’t help it.”
Chu Zhi rubbed her sore lips, glaring at him without any kindness. A few seconds later, she grabbed her chair with both hands and scooted away a bit, then a bit more, creating some distance between them, before pulling her book back to continue reading.
It was already 8:30 PM, and after his disruption, Chu Zhi couldn’t focus on reading anymore. Lu Jiaheng had also stopped working on problems and was now propping his head up with one hand, watching her from the side.
Chu Zhi pretended to read for about seven or eight minutes, feeling uncomfortable all over, before finally giving up and leaning back: “I’m done studying for today.”
Lu Jiaheng’s lips curved up pleasantly: “Alright, let’s go for a walk then.”
Chu Zhi stuffed her books into her bag: “I need to go back to the dorm to shower.”
“…”
Lu Jiaheng’s lips drooped unhappily, as if his metaphorical ears had drooped too, transforming from a big bad wolf into a sad puppy: “Oh.”
After Qingming Festival came Guyu.
As the cold wave ended and temperatures began to rise, the girls shed their down jackets and thick cotton pants for pretty spring coats and jackets.
Gu Han had started dating, a literary young man from the neighboring Literature College named Chen Xingchen. He was handsome and refined, his personality completely opposite to Gu Han’s – like they were from the South and North Poles, creating a stark contrast.
According to Gu Han, they met and got to know each other during a department activity. Perhaps opposites attract – though Gu Han appeared quite casual in personality, she was actually quite sensitive and artistic inside, as evident from her daily study of tarot cards and astrology.
So when Chen Xingchen composed a long poem on the spot in front of everyone, displaying his otherworldly temperament and extraordinary talent, Gu Han fell in love at first sight.
Two months later, Gu Han transformed from a hot-tempered, cursing tomboy into a gentle soul who spent her days cooking in the dorm and buying props for food photography on Taobao – she and Chen Xingchen had fallen in love.
Though after another month, she reverted back to her hot-tempered, cursing tomboy self.
The day Gu Han officially started dating, Chen Xingchen treated her dormmates to dinner, along with his roommates.
Eight people had dinner together, then went to KTV afterward. Lin Tong and Gu Han roared through “Princess” and “Love You Even After Death,” and when it was the boys’ turn, they delivered an emotional rendition of Li Yugang’s “Along the River During Qingming Festival.”
Chu Zhi thought Chinese Language and Literature majors were truly peculiar creatures, infected with artistic bacteria from head to toe. She wouldn’t be surprised if they recited love poems while circling the school garden in heavy rain.
She imagined Lu Jiaheng singing “Along the River During Qingming Festival” and was so startled she dropped the watermelon from her fork, her whole body shuddering.
As the days passed, Chu Zhi became increasingly anxious and sensitive, turning completely into a clingy rice cake. She dragged him to the library every day, or brought her books to his place, strongly insisting they study together.
Though it usually ended with Chu Zhi sleeping sweetly on the coffee table while Lu Jiaheng read beside her. Occasionally the young girl would seem to dream of something unpleasant, slightly furrowing her brow and making soft whimpering sounds.
Lu Jiaheng would turn his head, lean down to gently kiss her forehead, and raise his hand to pat her back, softly soothing her.
Then, as if sensing his presence in her sleep, the little girl would curl up against him like a small animal, her soft body gradually pressing closer, nuzzling closer and closer until her head was nestled in his arms, hugging his arm or waist as she continued sleeping.
At these times, she would curl her lips in satisfaction, forming two shallow dimples that seemed filled with sweet wine and honey, making one want to taste them, take a sip.
And drown in them.
Countless times, Lu Jiaheng thought desperately that he might as well give up everything else, go nowhere else, just stay by her side, accompany her tears, watch her smile.
He hoped that in all her future days, he could be there by her side.
Even a moment’s separation was unbearable.
And they would be apart for almost two years.
Two years, 730 days, 17,520 hours, 1,051,200 minutes, 63,072,000 seconds.
Lu Jiaheng sighed softly, pushing away the book in front of him, his dark eyes deep as he quietly watched her.
As if sensing something, Chu Zhi’s small face wrinkled slightly, and she drowsily opened her eyes.
The little girl rubbed her eyes, her voice slightly hoarse from just waking up: “What time is it? I need to go home.”
Lu Jiaheng lowered his eyes slightly: “It’s still early, sleep a bit more.”
“No more sleeping, or I won’t be able to sleep tonight,” Chu Zhi sat up straight, propping herself up on the carpet, “Did you study well?”
“Chu Chu,” he suddenly called her.
Chu Zhi made a soft “mm” sound.
Lu Jiaheng leaned closer, pulling her back into his arms: “Can I not leave?”
Chu Zhi froze.
She was stunned for about half a minute, then pushed him away: “Why?” She tilted her head, “Did you not get in?”
Lu Jiaheng sat on the carpet leaning against the side of the sofa, his long eyelashes lowered, his voice deep and very low: “I don’t want to leave you.”
After speaking, he suddenly looked up at her, as if waiting for something.
Just one word from her.
Just two syllables, and he would throw everything aside, abandon everything to stay for her.
Chu Zhi’s eyes stung.
She wanted so badly to tell him that she didn’t want to part either.
She didn’t want to leave him or let him go, and had countless times selfishly wanted to tell him “Don’t go for your master’s degree! I can support you anyway.”
Chu Zhi widened her eyes, not daring to blink, desperately pushing down the ache in her eye sockets.
Until she couldn’t hold it anymore, she quickly lowered her eyes, head down: “It’s just two years,” she calculated the days for him for the countless time, “Look, I’ll be studying too, and by the time you come back I’ll be about to graduate. Then we can go to companies together, commute together, we can work at the same company, or ones that are close to each other, so we can eat together, and in the evening we can go home together—”
She was imagining their beautiful future, speaking naturally, then stopped suddenly, her ears gradually turning red.
She raised her hand, habitually pinching her earlobe, her voice very small: “I meant going home together just because we’re heading the same way.”
Lu Jiaheng curved his lips, tilting his head very innocently: “What else did you think I meant?”
“…”
Chu Zhi grabbed a cushion from the sofa beside her and smacked it into his face, “I’m going home!”
Since meeting Chu Zhi, Lu Jiaheng’s handsome face had been hit countless times, and he was already used to it. Very skillfully, he raised his arm to catch the incoming pillow and tossed it aside, watching her struggle to get up.
She stood while he sat, and Chu Zhi looked down at him slightly: “Lu Jiaheng, I won’t come to see you off when you leave.”
He looked at her quietly for a while before making a soft sound of agreement.
“If girls there ask for your contact information, you’re not allowed to give it.”
“Mm.”
“And you’re not allowed to hang out with female classmates.”
“Mm.”
“And don’t keep running back home for no reason.”
“Mm.”
Chu Zhi thought for a moment, then asked tentatively: “But you’ll still come back during breaks, right?”
Seeing the little girl’s careful expression, Lu Jiaheng chuckled: “No, I won’t come back during breaks.”
Chu Zhi paused, quietly pouting, her cheeks puffed up as she said glumly: “Oh…”
Lu Jiaheng pondered for a moment before suggesting: “If you come to visit me, we can save on one plane ticket.”
Chu Zhi blinked, calculating seriously: “No we can’t, you coming back and returning is two tickets, and me going to visit you and coming back is also two tickets, it’s the same.”
Lu Jiaheng bent one leg, resting his hand on his knee, his lips curving as he said slowly: “Do you think if you came, I’d let you leave?”
Chu Zhi: “…”
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