The cafeteria was quiet, though not empty. As one of China’s top universities, there were still quite a few people eating breakfast at this hour. Students kept trickling in, pushing aside the curtain at the entrance. Upon entering, they couldn’t help but notice the handsome young man and a beautiful young woman sitting in the corner, both exuding an air of cool detachment. Some mused to themselves that A University truly lived up to its reputation – not only did the studious types wake up early, but even the couples were so competitive as to arrive at this hour.
Xu Zhi ignored him, lowering her head to take a sip of porridge. “Fine, you’ve said your two sentences. Now you can shut up.”
Chen Luzhou didn’t say a word, sitting there lazily. He insistently nodded at the egg in her vinegar dish, gesturing for her to eat it.
“You’re just having a glass of milk?” Xu Zhi looked at him impassively. “I’ll allow you one more sentence.”
Chen Luzhou took a sip of milk and smiled. “I already ate. I got up at four to wait for someone. Did you think I could wait on an empty stomach? Everything else is fine, but I really can’t handle being hungry. When I’m hungry, I tend to say unpleasant things.”
Indeed, Chen Luzhou had gotten up at four, or more precisely, at three-thirty. Not wanting to disturb his roommates, he moved a hundred times slower than usual, tiptoeing around with unprecedented caution. Having just landed yesterday, he was immediately called to the counselor’s office upon arrival at school, busy with getting his student card and textbooks. Their class counselor was a senior student from the graduate program, not much older than them. When Chen Luzhou went to the office, he happened to run into the counselor and several class representatives discussing the basketball tournament. As soon as he entered, tall and handsome, the class representatives set their sights on him, insisting he participate in the basketball tournament. To save time, Chen Luzhou filled out the registration form. Soon after, several friend requests popped up on his WeChat – all from the female class representatives he had just met.
By the time he found his dormitory and was about to drop off his things to go find Xu Zhi, he overheard a male voice from the neighboring bed talking on the phone: “So Xu Zhi finally went to get her card? Alright, let’s eat together later then.” Chen Luzhou casually asked a couple of questions and learned that the person on the other end was Xu Zhi’s roommate, and they were in an ambiguous relationship, not quite boyfriend and girlfriend yet. He then asked for a copy of their department’s class schedule.
The roommate was puzzled, asking why he wanted it. Chen Luzhou made up an excuse on the spot, saying he was considering transferring majors in his sophomore year. The roommate immediately poured cold water on the idea, saying he should give up on that thought. There were too many academic elites at this school, and those who wanted to transfer majors had already started studying intensively from the first month.
How could he think of transferring after being absent for over a month? Chen Luzhou sighed and said, “Alright, I was being presumptuous.” But as the roommate was leaving, he still handed over the Architecture Department’s class schedule.
Having traveled a long way, Chen Luzhou had planned to eat, go back for a shower, and then go find Xu Zhi. However, he ran into Li Ke at the cafeteria. Li Ke was so shocked that his features seemed to enlarge, and he dropped his chopsticks on the table. At that moment, Chen Luzhou belatedly realized that if even Li Ke had such a reaction, Xu Zhi might have trouble accepting his sudden appearance. He had thought his arrival would be a pleasant surprise for her, but now it might turn into a shock. Before he could figure out how to approach her, they bumped into each other at the cafeteria. In that instant, he truly thought that anything would be fine, even if Xu Zhi said she wanted to sleep with him irresponsibly.
…
After a long silence, Chen Luzhou watched her eat while sipping his milk and idly spinning his phone in his palm. Xu Zhi felt like her eyes were playing tricks on her. For some reason, he seemed to exude an air of smugness, as if everything was under his control. This inexplicably irritated her. “Is toying with me that amusing?” she asked.
He coughed once and said seriously, “No, there was an unexpected situation.”
“When did you fill out your college application?”
“I applied during the second round of additional admissions. We encountered a shooting incident while abroad, and my mom changed her mind, agreeing to let me stay in China. But my dad didn’t agree at the time, so they kept putting it off. Originally, we planned to wait for my dad to agree and I would retake the exam next year. But when we opened A University’s official website, we found out there were additional admissions this year due to some students withdrawing. Two majors hadn’t filled their quotas – one was the Electrical Engineering Experimental Class, and the other was the Humanities and Sciences Experimental Class. I didn’t think much of it at the time, feeling it was fate, so I applied for additional admission with a ‘let’s give it a try’ attitude.”
In fact, at a science and engineering-focused institution like A University, the Humanities and Sciences Experimental Class wasn’t considered a popular or prestigious major. It fell under the broader category of liberal arts majors, with students choosing specific directions like literature, philosophy, or natural sciences in their sophomore year. When Chen Luzhou filled out his application, he thought that if worse came to worst, he could transfer to another major in his sophomore year.
Xu Zhi looked at him, her spoon stirring the half-finished porridge listlessly. “Then why did you come so late?”
Chen Luzhou took a sip of milk and said, “Something came up at home. I’ll tell you about it later, okay? It’s complicated to explain. The point is, I’m here now. I didn’t contact you during this time because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep it from you, but in the end, I wasn’t sure if I could come at all.”
Seeing his sincere expression, Xu Zhi just said, “Oh. So the Humanities and Sciences Experimental Class lets you choose your specific direction in sophomore year. What do you plan to study?”
“I haven’t decided yet. If it were you, what would you hope I’d choose?”
Xu Zhi lowered her head, intending to finish the remaining porridge. Hearing this, she suddenly looked up, meeting his clear, innocent eyes. “Huh?”
“I might transfer majors or pursue a double degree in my sophomore year. I looked at your department’s class schedule; it’s quite packed,” Chen Luzhou sighed, then said temptingly, “How about I transfer to Business Administration in my sophomore year, or get a double degree in it?”
When Chen Luzhou applied for additional admission, he had already decided to either transfer to Business Administration or pursue a double degree.
Coincidentally, Xu Zhi was also thinking of minoring in Business Administration. However, there’s a difference between a minor and a double degree – a minor only earns credits, while a double degree is a full-time program. Business Administration and Computer Science were among A University’s most popular majors during those years. Each year, these two majors had the most students wanting to transfer in, but also the fewest available spots. They were considered the hardest majors to transfer into in the entire school unless one’s academic ranking was at least in the top 1% of their current major.
“That’s quite presumptuous,” Xu Zhi said. “First, catch up on the month of classes you’ve missed. I’m worried you might fail Professor Wang’s course. Today’s class will probably sound like gibberish to you.”
The cafeteria chairs were round stools without backs. Chen Luzhou was sitting sideways, drinking his milk. As he was about to finish, he prepared to stand up and throw the empty carton in the trash bin near the door. So, half of his body was turned towards the garbage bin. Hearing her words, he turned his head to look at her, still lazily spinning his phone in his hand, and smiled meaningfully, “Looks like you’ve got my class schedule too.”
Xu Zhi couldn’t be bothered to respond. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you done drinking?”
“Mm,” Chen Luzhou stood up, effortlessly picking up her tray with one hand. “Are we going straight to class or back to the dorm first?”
Xu Zhi remained seated, looking up at him with interest. She suddenly asked, “For Professor Wang’s class later, are you going to sit with your roommate?”
Chen Luzhou held her used tray in one hand, the other hand casually in his pocket. His jacket sleeve was half rolled up at the elbow, revealing those familiar, slightly protruding veins. He looked down at her, pleasantly surprised, and asked teasingly, “What, you want to sit with me?”
“Mm,” Xu Zhi nodded seriously, her face straight but with a hint of a smile in her eyes. “I mainly want to see what the academic god of our No. 1 High School looks like when he’s listening to gibberish in Professor Wang’s class.”
Chen Luzhou truly felt her schadenfreude, or perhaps not exactly schadenfreude, but she looked quite pleased. He put the tray in the return area and glanced at her helplessly. “…Fine.”
Professor Wang’s course was Advanced Mathematics. Compared to other departments, the Advanced Mathematics for the Humanities and Sciences Experimental Class and the Architecture Department were relatively simple. But even the simplest course material was new, and even though Chen Luzhou had once won first prize in a mathematics competition, entering university meant that yesterday’s achievements were truly a thing of the past. Moreover, having missed a month of classes, today’s material was completely foreign to him.
There were only two classes in the morning, with Professor Wang’s class being the second one. Xu Zhi had probably never looked forward to Professor Wang’s class so much before. Even Xu Gongzhu noticed her excitement and asked, “What’s going on? Did you take some stimulants?”
Xu Zhi just smiled and said, “No,” then continued to take notes, imagining Chen Luzhou’s bewildered face later. The thought alone made her smile, and her lips remained curled up. However, her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.
Cr: Thought about it seriously. I was too impulsive earlier. Let’s sit separately later. I can’t afford to lose face.
Xu Zhi: Chen Luzhou, you’re no fun.
Cr: It’s my first time going to class. Professor Wang will probably call on me. If he’s feeling particularly vicious, he might ask me a few questions. You’ll be a cold bystander, watching me die without help.
Xu Zhi: You have too little faith in our revolutionary friendship. If I know the answer, I’ll tell you.
Cr: Alright.
Just as Xu Zhi put down her phone, Xu Gongzhu, while taking notes, excitedly told Liu Yisi, “Professor Wang’s class is next. I’m telling you, I saw that guy in the cafeteria and he’s handsome. Want to bet some girls will go ask for his WeChat?”
“I know,” Liu Yisi said. “Zhao Tianqi also said a handsome guy came to their dorm, but he didn’t exaggerate as much as you.”
“Zhao Tianqi is just jealous,” Xu Gongzhu suddenly sighed. “Poor handsome guy, coming a month late and being so good-looking. He might be ostracized by the guys in his dorm.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Zhao Tianqi isn’t that kind of person.”
“Is that so? Then why haven’t you two made it official yet?” Xu Gongzhu asked pointedly.
Liu Yisi, still taking notes, said hurriedly, her pen tearing through the paper, “He’s brought it up. I’m the one who hasn’t agreed.”
Xu Gongzhu had told her several times before, but Liu Yisi never believed her. Zhao Tianqi was a player who had captured many hearts by singing a song during military training. At first, Xu Gongzhu had a good impression of him, but after hearing some rumors, she had been subtly warning Liu Yisi. Now she was getting anxious and decided to be blunt: “Liu Yisi, I did see Zhao Tianqi eating with another girl in the cafeteria that day.”
Liu Yisi remained silent.
Xu Zhi had to intervene with a neutral comment, “Alright, Xu Gongzhu, we’re in class.”
Xu Gongzhu pouted. When class finally ended, Liu Yisi packed up and left without waiting for them. Xu Zhi looked helplessly at Xu Gongzhu, who pouted again. “I just don’t want her to be deceived.”
Xu Zhi had washed her hair after breakfast and hadn’t tied it up. She had slightly wavy hair with many baby hairs, which made her hairline look full even when she wore her hair in a high ponytail. Now, with her hair down, it framed her face, making it look round and taut. She was wearing a cardigan over a camisole and wide-leg pants, her figure slender and tall, yet proportionate.
As she packed up her things, she said without looking up, “I know, but sometimes changing the way you say things might make them easier for others to accept. Let me give you an inappropriate analogy: if you know someone is from a poor family and you see a hole in their clothes, it’s better to wait until they take off the clothes and secretly mend it for them, rather than pulling out a needle and thread to fix it right in front of them.”
Xu Zhi usually didn’t like discussing these things with her roommates, but after a month or so, she had mostly figured out their personalities. They didn’t have bad intentions, but Xu Gongzhu was very straightforward and a bit willful, often speaking without considering others’ feelings. Liu Yisi, on the other hand, was more reserved and tended to keep things to herself, not speaking up. As a result, Liu Yisi was often reduced to tears by Xu Gongzhu. The senior student, Du, was the peacemaker, getting along with everyone but not forming deep connections.
After this small incident, Liu Yisi cried outside for a while. When Professor Wang arrived, she still refused to enter the classroom. Xu Zhi had no choice but to ask Professor Wang for half a class period off, saying she had menstrual cramps and needed to go to the infirmary. It took her half a class to persuade Liu Yisi to come back.
Professor Wang’s class was a large lecture, with two classes together, nearly a hundred students. So when Xu Zhi walked in halfway through, she found that even a top-tier handsome guy was hard to spot in the sea of heads filling the tiered lecture hall. Just as she was about to say, “Chen Luzhou, you’re not all that,” her eyes betrayed her and landed on that handsome, cool face. Damn, Chen Luzhou, listening to gibberish while sitting in the front row.
Chen Luzhou happened to be looking at her too, arms folded as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes pointed to the empty seat next to him.
Xu Zhi crouched as she walked over, instinctively covering her chest with her hand as she was wearing a cardigan over a camisole. As soon as she sat down, Chen Luzhou, still with his arms folded, glanced at her and asked casually while looking at Professor Wang, “Where did you go?”
Xu Zhi opened her book, pretending to listen attentively. She made sincere eye contact with Professor Wang, smiling with a “you’re teaching so well, I understand everything” expression while gritting her teeth and saying to Chen Luzhou, “I heard your roommate Zhao Tianqi is a player?”
Probably because she had been making such enthusiastic eye contact with Professor Wang, he immediately picked up on the signal. With a “this student shows promise” look, he tapped on the multi-functional blackboard and said kindly to Xu Zhi, “It seems someone knows how to do this. That girl in the front row, in the corner, why don’t you come up and solve this calculus problem using the method I just explained?”
Xu Zhi’s smile froze on her face. “…”
Wait, didn’t you see me just come in?
“He had just turned around to write on the board when you came in,” Chen Luzhou picked up his pen, speaking while lowering his head, laughing uncontrollably. The smugness in his eyes was enough to make one want to hit him, yet he looked dashing and carefree. Then he wrote an answer in his notebook, drew a checkmark, and said with a smile, “Based on our revolutionary friendship, I’ll give you the answer. You can work out the process yourself when you go up.”
Xu Zhi: “…”
You dog.
Author’s Note:
Xu Zhi: How does he know this?
P.S.: Writing the interactions between these two is surprisingly challenging. I often end up rewriting each chapter at least twice; today, I wrote this chapter three times and made several changes in many places. That’s why updates might be a bit delayed sometimes, so you can generally expect them around nine o’clock. After nine, feel free to refresh!
(Just a reminder, this story is a light, everyday romance about two people in a relationship. There’s nothing particularly special about it, just a sweet little tale.)
(I’ve noticed some questions about advanced math in the sciences. The architecture program is unique; it covers the basics of advanced mathematics that are similar to those in the humanities. A senior of mine studied architecture and law together, and while architecture is considered a science, it falls under the category of design. My setting here is fictional, so some elements are made up. Please don’t relate this to real-life academic institutions.)