After nearly two months of overcoming obstacles to meet, there was no intimacy between them, only pecks.
After enjoying a hotpot meal, they went to see a popcorn movie and then strolled around the arcade. Time flew by.
Lu Xingyan had booked a return flight for 8 a.m. the next day, so he had to skip his morning classes to spend the night in Xingcheng. Shen Xingruo knew he would be skipping class again, but seeing him rush over made her keep quiet.
However, Lu Xingyan was the type who, given an inch, wanted to make it the color of the year. When Shen Xingruo tried to wake him up at five in the morning, he didn’t budge. He clung to her, pouting, “Baby, I can’t get up.”
Shen Xingruo kissed him. “Get up, or you’ll miss your flight.”
“If I miss it, then I miss it. I’m skipping class anyway. Otherwise, I won’t go to afternoon classes either, and I’ll just go back in the evening.” He casually mentioned the excuse he had prepared the night before.
“Oh, by the way, how many classes do you have today? I’ll tag along with you. Your university’s lectures can’t be worse than ours.”
Shen Xingruo paused, suddenly remembering something.
Seeing Lu Xingyan still half-asleep, she retrieved his phone from under the pillow.
The flight booking from Beijing Capital Airport to Xingcheng Airport at 8:15 a.m ……. was canceled.
The cancellation was made at 11 p.m. the previous night when they returned to the apartment.
Shen Xingruo lost all desire to sleep. She lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling, then suddenly asked, “Lu Xingyan, what do you think are your chances of getting the exchange spot to the larger university this year?”
Lu Xingyan almost fell asleep again. Rubbing his eyes when he heard her question, he mumbled, “Huh? What?”
Frowning, he glanced at the phone between them, and suddenly he was wide awake.
He asked, unwilling to give up, “You saw it?”
Shen Xingruo didn’t say anything, but in his mind, the requiem for his plan was already playing.
“Baby, let me explain. I just thought it was too rushed to go back so early. I didn’t sleep well, and I didn’t have the energy for afternoon classes. I should sleep here and spend more time with you. Don’t you think so?”
Shen Xingruo remained silent.
After a while, she turned over and lay on her side, with her back to Lu Xingyan, saying, “Then sleep.”
Lu Xingyan paused. Who the hell could sleep at a time like this?
He hugged Shen Xingruo from behind and asked, “Are you angry because I skipped class and planned to skip more? Do you think I won’t be able to secure the exchange spot at the larger university and that I’m not ambitious enough?”
Under Shen Xingruo’s iron-fisted rule, Lu Xingyan had become extremely self-aware. He could list his faults in ascending order, reflecting on them in a profound and introspective essay.
Seeing Shen Xingruo’s lack of response, he resorted to his cheesy tactics. ” I perform quite well at school. It’s not what you imagine. I just miss you too much, especially want to see you. I’d be happy even if you scolded me.”
“You don’t know, during military training last semester, our class formed two couples, and some were dating students from other classes. Others’ relationships involved being together all day, every day. I always pretended to be uninterested and even boasted to my roommate about how distance makes the heart grow fonder, saying that being in a relationship and being together all the time would be suffocating. But deep down, I just wanted to be together every day. Please don’t be angry with me.”
This move worked.
Before long, Shen Xingruo turned back and snuggled into his arms. “I’m not angry. As long as you know.”
As Lu Xingyan breathed a sigh of relief, he mentally translated Shen Xingruo’s words as “I’ll let it go this time, since you seem to have learned your lesson. I’m too lazy to get mad now.”
Although Lu Xingyan had said so much just to appease Shen Xingruo, he also knew that time was running out, and securing the exchange spot at the larger university wouldn’t be easy. After returning to Xingcheng, he became more focused on his studies.
His grades were mediocre last semester, but this semester, he made sure to participate in every activity that offered extra credit, filling up his extracurricular points early. He also completed his assignments well and occasionally made himself noticed by his teachers. When the results of the phase exams came out, he made progress that caught his roommates’ attention.
In May, Xing University finally released the regulations for exchange students.
This year, Xing University’s College of Literature had two spots available for exchange to the larger university, along with several other spots for prestigious universities. After some inquiry, Lu Xingyan learned that most of the top students in the Chinese language program were not planning to apply to the larger university.
This was because Xing University had many spots for exchanges with foreign countries, which were more suitable for their majors. Additionally, the regulations for exchanges with foreign countries would only be released in the second half of the year. If they went to a larger university and then wanted to exchange to a foreign country, there would be a time conflict.
Lu Xingyan’s main competitors were locked within his major. And among the top students in their major was Chen Du, who happened to be their dorm mate.
Chen Du was just as unconventional as Lu Xingyan, appearing to have no literary cultivation whatsoever. His heart was entirely devoted to gaming, sometimes staying up all night playing, looking disheveled and unkempt. But miraculously, he was exceptionally suited to the traditional exam-oriented education system, consistently ranking first in their major in exams.
“What’s the point of going to the larger university? I know my level. I’m not going to embarrass our school,” Chen Du casually replied while changing his equipment.
Lu Xingyan felt relieved. “That’s thoughtful of you.”
He lazily patted Chen Du on the shoulder, then took off his headphones and unscrewed a bottle of mineral water to take a sip.
But as he drifted off in thought, water dripped from the corner of his lips, tracing down his jawline, neck, and collarbone, soaking his black hoodie a shade darker.
Suddenly snapping back to reality, he closed the water bottle, leaned over, and tapped Chen Du’s head. “Who are you calling embarrassing? You’re asking for it.”
Chen Du chuckled. “Brother Yan, I wasn’t talking about you, I swear.”
He looked genuinely concerned. “Just look at your grades. If you were to get the exchange spot to the larger university, our department would riot.”
Lu Xingyan fell silent.
Chen Du’s words were rough but sensible, and he had a keen foresight. In the final stretch of this period, Lu Xingyan had exerted all his efforts and energy into securing the exchange spot, only to find out in June when the exchange student list was released—his name wasn’t on it.
He had known the chances were slim, and for the past two months, he hadn’t dared to show any mischievous behavior in front of Shen Xingruo. But there was always this lingering feeling, this sense that, like in high school, if he worked hard at a critical moment, he should receive some miraculous reward in return.
He knew this last-minute rush wasn’t the right approach, but after tasting a bit of success twice before, he had developed a kind of inexplicable confidence, feeling like he was a cut above the rest, destined for greatness.
After the results came out, Lu Xingyan realized that reality was still a reality, and he wasn’t the chosen one standing at the center of the world calling out for love.
This realization didn’t come suddenly; it gradually dawned on him over the past month as he got to know the top students in their major.
This time, the two spots for the larger university didn’t belong to their class. One went to Chinese Language Class 1 and the other to Chinese Language Class 2.
The student from Chinese Language Class 1 was a boy who had won first prize in the Chinese Youth Poetry Competition in the first semester of his freshman year and had published his poetry collection. He had also joined the provincial Writers’ Association and was currently the vice president of the literary society at their university, ranking in the top five academically in their major.
The student from Chinese Language Class 2 was a girl who had started writing online novels in high school. She had published multiple works, some of which were already in the process of being adapted into film and television. She was actively involved in scriptwriting and was a key member of the provincial Internet Writers’ Association. Her academic performance at school was also outstanding.
With these two students securing the spots for the larger university, Lu Xingyan had nothing to say.
In early July, Shen Xingruo started her vacation.
Students at a university like theirs didn’t have months-long vacations. Most of them spent their time on various internships. Shen Xingruo applied for an internship at Star City TV station during the summer vacation.
Since the exchange student list came out, Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo hadn’t seen each other again, not because they fought, but because of the busy exam schedule.
Shen Xingruo wasn’t angry either, or at least Lu Xingyan couldn’t see any signs of anger or disappointment from her. They still exchanged messages and calls every day, but Lu Xingyan’s words became fewer and fewer. In the end, during the exam days, he simply sent a goodnight message.
When Shen Xingruo returned to Xingcheng, Lu Xingyan went to pick her up at the airport.
It had been half a month since they last saw each other, and he seemed a bit downcast but still managed to put on a happy face upon seeing her. He slung her bag over his shoulder and pushed her luggage along, saying, “I’ve made a reservation at that private kitchen you like. I even made sure they saved us some spicy fish fillet on a sizzling plate, iron plate beef, and salted eggplant cubes. You love those dishes, right? They often run out if we’re late. Oh, and the car’s ready. I’ll take you for a spin…”
But Shen Xingruo suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Lu Xingyan asked, “What’s wrong?”
She turned to face him, standing eye to eye, slightly tilting her head, then cupping his face in her hands, looking at him intently.
Lu Xingyan felt a bit uneasy under her gaze, and a vague sense of panic crept in.
Lately, he’d been avoiding long conversations with Shen Xingruo, and he often suffered from insomnia, only to dream of her telling him—
“Why do you always promise but never follow through?”
“If you can’t even secure a major exchange opportunity, what future do we have?”
“Lu Xingyan, I’m disappointed in you.”
“Let’s break up.”
Just like now, with Shen Xingruo standing before him as if the words “let’s break up” were about to slip from her lips at any moment.
He always let Shen Xingruo down, making eloquent promises that he never fulfilled.
If Shen Xingruo brought up breaking up this time, he didn’t know if he could still shamelessly cling to her, and he dared not make any more promises to her, because he realized he wasn’t favored by fate, and he didn’t possess the ability to effortlessly outshine others with just a bit of effort.
Just as he was about to intercept Shen Xingruo’s words, she tiptoed and kissed him lightly. “I missed you.”
Lu Xingyan was taken aback. “…”
“Why are you so gloomy? Aren’t you happy to see me at all?”
He couldn’t find the words and just shook his head.
“Who’s been bullying you?”
Again, he shook his head.
“Is it because of the exchange program?”
Seeing his silence, Shen Xingruo forcibly lifted the corners of his lips. “How long has it been? Can’t you handle such a small setback? So what if you have to remain a virgin for another year? If you can’t get into the program in sophomore year, work harder in junior year. If that doesn’t work, we’ll find a place closer in senior year to intern together. Besides, you can still take the postgraduate entrance exam, right?”
“Or maybe you think long-distance relationships are too exhausting, and you don’t like me anymore. In that case, isn’t it better to break up than not getting into the program in sophomore year?”
“Shen Xingruo, you’re talking nonsense. Both my body and mind are very pure!”
Lu Xingyan immediately denied it.
Being provoked like this, he didn’t know why, but he felt a bit excited. The gloominess he had felt before suddenly dissipated, and he fiercely kissed Shen Xingruo back, then put on a domineering act, pulling her close and walking ahead with a hint of awkwardness and unnaturalness in his movements.
The night breeze outside the airport carried the warmth of summer, and his chilly little heart seemed to be warmed by this warmth, slowly regaining its temperature.
At the Star Lake, Pei Yue had been waiting for a while, ready to serve dinner as soon as Shen Xingruo returned.
Seeing her daughter-in-law, she was even more enthusiastic than the beauty consultants trying to sell her cosmetics on regular days.
In just a short while, Lu Xingyan’s mind was filled with his mother’s laughter and caring words.
“Eat more, Ruoruo! This soup is specially made for you!”
“Oh, you’ve lost weight again! Lu Xingyan, are you dead? You never remind Ruoruo to eat properly?”
“Eat some more of these side dishes, they’re good for your health!”
“The cafeteria food at school can’t compare to what we cook at home.”
…
Wait, isn’t she his girlfriend?
Lu Xingyan wanted to say something, but he couldn’t get a word in edgewise. In the end, he just gave up.
Just as he was about to fulfill his role as a human-shaped air, he suddenly heard Pei Yue asking about the start date for the next semester after inquiring about the summer internship.
Shen Xingruo didn’t immediately answer but nudged him, “Lu Xingyan, when does your school start?”
Lu Xingyan was taken aback. “I’m not sure yet, probably in September, later than the freshmen.”
Only then did Shen Xingruo turn back to answer Pei Yue, “I don’t know either. Whenever he starts school is when I start.”
Pei Yue didn’t think much of it and was about to change the topic. But Lu Xingyan felt something was off. “What does my school start have to do with yours?”
Shen Xingruo, as if it were the most casual thing in the world, said while serving Pei Yue some food, “Oh, I forgot to mention, I’ll be attending Xing University for my sophomore year exchange.”
Lu Xingyan’s grip on the ribs he was picking up slipped.
Shen Xingruo picked up the rib that fell back onto the plate, put it in his bowl, and said, “I’m pursuing a double major in law starting sophomore year. Your law school at Xing University is very prestigious, ranking in the top three nationwide. Plus, they have credit exchange programs with Big University. Any problems?”
None, no problems at all! Hail to the wife!