Interest? Well, that would depend on whether Zhou Cheng could collect it!

Xia Xiaolan took Zhou Cheng’s words as a joke. Since it was his birthday, she talked a few minutes longer than usual and was reluctant to hang up.

Instead, it was Zhou Cheng who was very considerate, telling her to rest early since she had been working so hard on her project in recent days.

“What’s going on today?”

Xia Xiaolan listened to the dial tone – this was the first time Zhou Cheng had ever initiated ending a call.

However, Zhou Cheng might have had other matters to attend to, so Xia Xiaolan didn’t dwell on this question for too long.

Early the next morning, she went to school as usual.

It was April 18th, with just two days until the award nomination list would be announced.

“Xia, aren’t you nervous at all?”

Daisy was distracted.

Xia Xiaolan felt that being nervous wouldn’t help matters, “The judging is naturally up to the professional judges. I understand how you feel, but being nervous won’t help.”

Look at Ning Xue, wasn’t she staying calm as usual?

Ning Xue had entered the competition alone – whether it was pressure or anticipation, she bore it all by herself, with no companions to share it with.

Sometimes Xia Xiaolan wanted to ask Ning Xue: Isn’t it cold at the mountain peak?

But given Ning Xue’s temperament, she would probably counter-ask: Why stay at the foot of the mountain with mediocre people?

Daisy looked at Ning Xue, sitting quietly, reading quietly, completely immersed in her world.

*Sigh*—

Even though it was mid-April, it felt like a snowy winter. Xia’s metaphor was apt – a flower blooming in the wind and snow atop a high mountain.

It was fine to admire from afar, but ordinary people shouldn’t try to get too close – they would get frostbite!

Ning Xue was very calm.

Jonathan didn’t seem nervous either.

Everyone seemed quite zen about the $50,000 grand prize.

Apart from separating during the competition, Ning Xue was still a member of Jonathan’s study group.

However, Xia Xiaolan always felt there was something odd about the atmosphere between Ning Xue and Heidi. Heidi wasn’t as friendly with Ning Xue as before, subtly ostracizing her.

Ning Xue entered separately – what was Heidi unhappy about?

Hadn’t this allowed Heidi to enter the competition with Jonathan?

Women, women – regardless of nationality, they all had their little thoughts.

Previously so close and going everywhere together, they could suddenly become cold… Only someone like Ning Xue, used to being a lone wolf, seemed completely unaffected.

Never mind, why should she concern herself with Ning Xue’s affairs when Ning Xue herself didn’t care?

At noon, Xia Xiaolan was planning to go to the cafeteria with Daisy and the others as usual. As she walked out of the classroom carrying her books, she saw a familiar-looking figure standing with his back to her at the end of the hallway.

A white female student seemed to be asking him out.

“Sorry, I have a girlfriend, I’m waiting for her class to end.”

No way, even the voice was so similar.

The familiar back view, and the same voice – both matched her memories. The chance of mistaking someone else was too small!

“Xia, why did you stop?”

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t bear to blink, “Daisy, sorry, you and Richard will have to go to the cafeteria without me…”

Xia Xiaolan walked over as if in a dream.

Daisy, Richard, and Lyle hadn’t yet processed what was happening.

Xia Xiaolan walked up and naturally linked arms with that person, declaring her ownership to the female student:

“You’re asking my boyfriend out?”

The girl shrugged, “So he does have a girlfriend, I thought he was joking!”

She had just tried chatting up a handsome Asian guy, but it turned out he really was waiting for his girlfriend after class – and that girlfriend was the recently popular exchange student from the School of Architecture.

The girl left very gracefully, while the person whose arm Xia Xiaolan was holding said seriously: “I was just asking for directions. She offered to show me the way and wanted to invite me to lunch, but you heard me refuse!”

Xia Xiaolan held on tighter. What a jerk – what was this, a surprise for her?

People couldn’t sprout wings and fly from China to America. They had just talked on the phone last night, and today he suddenly appeared at school – when they were on the phone last night, he must have already been in America. He had kept it completely secret, not letting slip even the slightest hint!

Xia Xiaolan’s gaze was level, able to see his neck, which seemed to have darkened a bit.

She could see his jawline.

The curve was still as handsome as ever, yet somehow seemed more resolute.

She could see his lips, and if she looked up further, she would see his whole face… Was it Zhou Cheng? Maybe she was hallucinating from lack of rest lately.

Zhou Cheng saw her head lowered slightly, her gaze dodging around, one finger restlessly poking at him.

He grabbed the mischievous hand, “Xiaolan, why won’t you look at me? Lift your head and look at me once. I haven’t been disfigured, am I that scary?”

He tilted her head up, only to find Xia Xiaolan’s eyes were closed. Zhou Cheng laughed:

“Fine, if you won’t look at me, I’ll just collect my interest myself!”

A kiss landed first on her forehead.

Moving downward from her forehead, kisses fell densely on her eyebrows, her eyes, and his lips like a pen tracing the contours of Xia Xiaolan’s features.

Finally, he kissed Xia Xiaolan’s red lips, their lips pressing together.

Xia Xiaolan’s lips were a bit cool, but Zhou Cheng’s were very warm. He shared his warmth with her, letting her feel his longing and love.

Eyes can deceive and can see illusions.

Was that kiss fake too?

Could this magma-like burning emotion be faked?

Xia Xiaolan still hadn’t opened her eyes.

She wrapped her arms around Zhou Cheng’s neck, responding to his kiss. Though it was an extremely joyful moment, a few teardrops stubbornly rolled out.

Jerk!

Zhou Cheng, you jerk!

Why did you go silent?

Why didn’t you see her off when she left for abroad?

Why, just when she had finally convinced herself to take things lightly and not demand too much from love, to let everything follow its course, did you suddenly pull this kind of surprise?

How could you be such a jerk… Fine, call it sentimental if you want. Life rarely brings someone who can make her feel sentimental. In the prime of youth, she would be as sentimental as she pleased – laugh when she wanted to laugh, cry when she wanted to cry!

While she and he were still in love, she would love a little more.

…

“Oh~ Oh, God—”

Daisy wanted to scream but was dragged away by Richard, who covered her mouth.

People with any sense knew not to interrupt at a time like this.

What’s so special about couples kissing? It could be seen everywhere on the university campus, on park benches. It would be stranger if a couple in love didn’t kiss.

However, Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng’s passionate kissing was cruel to single people.

Only after retreating outside in one breath did Richard release Daisy’s hand.

Daisy gasped for air: “They’re like they’re filming a movie! Richard, are they filming a movie? But this isn’t the Film School… God, that man must be Xia’s boyfriend, no wonder she refused when Daniel asked her out!”

Just seeing half his profile nearly took Daisy’s life!

What a sexy man!

His masculinity was about to explode!

If that Asian man looked at Daisy with the same gaze, she guessed she wouldn’t be able to handle it and would faint.

Daniel?

NO!

Compared to him, Daniel was just a charming boy.

That was a sexy man, a walking Apollo!

Richard and Lyle exchanged glances – oh no, Daisy must be under too much pressure, suddenly getting so excited that she seemed a bit crazy— Well, they had to admit, Xia’s boyfriend was very handsome, but as straight men, they couldn’t possibly react as dramatically as Daisy.