Xu Zhilin blocked the doorway, not letting the woman outside enter. Instead, he walked outside himself and closed the door behind him.

Jiang Ling: ????

Did he just leave her alone in the house?

Xu Zhilin was half a head taller than the woman. The motion sensor lights in the hallway illuminated, and he looked down at her.

The woman had just curiously turned to peek inside when Xu Zhilin directly closed the door. She blinked and said suggestively, “Is this a bad time at your place?”

Xu Zhilin pushed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, leaned against the wall, and asked lazily, “Did you fight with my brother-in-law?”

The woman didn’t answer, looking at him suggestively instead. “Is that the girl who was in your car when you came to see me off at the airport last time? Is it, is it her?”

Xu Zhilin smiled and leaned back. “Yes.”

“Girlfriend?”

“Not yet.”

“What does she do? How did you meet?” the woman asked curiously.

Xu Zhilin answered briefly, “Still doing her Master’s.”

The woman frowned. “Xu Zhilin, are you even human anymore?”

“She’s not my student,” Xu Zhilin said, folding his arms across his chest. He tilted his head back slightly and put down his phone. “It’s not convenient for you to crash here. I’ve booked a hotel and will call a car to take you there.”

After a while, Xu Zhilin returned inside. Jiang Ling had already packed her bag and was ready to leave.

He leaned against the door blocking her way, reaching out to grab her wrist, but Jiang Ling shook him off immediately.

Quite the temper.

The young woman was clearly angry, somewhat bristling, her hand tightly gripping the strap of her backpack. She looked like she might swing it at him any second.

“I’m going back,” she said coldly.

Xu Zhilin complied easily: “I’ll take you.”

“No.” Jiang Ling didn’t look at him and spoke quickly, “I don’t need you to take me. I’ll get a taxi myself.”

Xu Zhilin didn’t speak, nor did he move. He just stood there without budging, leaning against the door. Jiang Ling stood in front of him with her head down for a while, realizing he had no intention of moving aside, so she looked up at him.

Xu Zhilin looked at her and said, “That was my sister.”

Jiang Ling: ???

He added, “My biological sister, who grew up abroad since childhood.”

Jiang Ling: “…”

Jiang Ling suddenly felt a bit guilty, along with the fear of having revealed her secret innermost thoughts. Her previous reaction had completely exposed what was in her heart.

Xu Zhilin was certainly a clever man. He just stood there at the door, watching her lose her temper, waiting for her to expose herself, catching her inner feelings, and only then casually offering an explanation.

So devious.

She stood there stunned for a moment.

The summer night here wasn’t as stuffy as in China; it was quite cool. The window was open a crack, and the wind blew in, carrying the curtains with it.

Yet Jiang Ling felt her body temperature rising bit by bit.

She looked up at Xu Zhilin, aware that her face was probably a bit red now, but she didn’t avert her gaze. She blinked slowly and asked in a low voice, “Last time at the airport, was that your sister too?”

Xu Zhilin: “Mm.”

“She grew up abroad, so she’s used to kissing your cheek?”

“No.”

Indeed, Xu Zhilin’s sister’s mannerisms were all foreign habits, but Xu Zhilin had never liked her cheek kisses since childhood. The two wouldn’t greet each other that way, and that day was just a staged gesture.

Xu Zhilin paused, lowered his gaze, and suddenly smiled. “She did it on purpose.”

Jiang Ling didn’t understand: “Huh?”

“She saw someone in my car that day and wanted to see if you would get jealous.”

“…”

Jiang Ling recalled her reaction—when Xu Zhilin got into the car, she had called him “Professor Xu” with a smile that masked her sarcasm.

Bulls. Eye.

Jiang Ling had to give it to him. The old fox deserved the title.

“Oh.” Jiang Ling nodded with forced composure, went back to the dining table, and sat down, then looked up and changed the subject. “So where’s your sister now?”

“Booked her a hotel,” said Xu Zhilin.

After speaking, he went to the kitchen again, and soon came out with a plate of fruit which he placed in front of Jiang Ling, sitting down beside her.

Seeing she didn’t move, he took a fork, stabbed a piece, and tried to feed her. Jiang Ling wouldn’t let him feed her, instead taking the fork from his hand, and after eating, placing the fork back beside the fruit plate.

The two were quiet for a moment.

In this regard, Xu Zhilin was many years older than her and much more composed, neither rushing nor pressuring, giving her plenty of time to think things through.

After a while, Jiang Ling closed her eyes briefly and reached out to grab Xu Zhilin’s wrist.

The next second, Xu Zhilin held her hand and leaned down to kiss her.

Given what happened that night, they should have kissed before, but this was their first kiss in a sober state—clear sensations and warmth, obvious changes in heart rate, and the approaching scent of the man.

Their first encounter after reuniting had been too absurd. Jiang Ling was quite uncertain; after all, she used to be like a little fangirl secretly following him around, taking photos, and now Xu Zhilin was inexplicably saying he wanted to pursue her. It gave her a sense of insecurity, similar to the nervousness of approaching home.

Confused and hesitant.

But what this kiss meant, Jiang Ling understood clearly.

She parted her lips slightly, allowing Xu Zhilin to lean in and display an aggressiveness in her mouth that he didn’t usually show.

The two were originally sitting shoulder to shoulder at the dining table, but this kissing position was a bit awkward. Jiang Ling’s back was uncomfortably pressed against the chair, making her shoulder blades hurt.

So she slowly raised her arms around Xu Zhilin’s waist, leaning forward slightly.

Xu Zhilin noticed her movement, paused, and then kissed her more deeply.

Jiang Ling had dated two boyfriends in college and considered her kissing skills quite good, but she was completely outmatched by Xu Zhilin. This man wasn’t just intellectually superior—his kissing technique was also top-notch.

Jiang Ling was dazed from the kiss, her back once again pressed against the chair. After a good while, Xu Zhilin finally pulled back a bit, and Jiang Ling slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing Xu Zhilin so close, she quickly closed them again.

Xu Zhilin laughed at her reaction and leaned in to kiss her lips again.

When the breath so close to her finally receded, Jiang Ling cautiously opened her eyes. Xu Zhilin had already sat back, and she rubbed her burning face, stretched out her leg, and gently kicked his left leg. “Say something.”

“Hmm?” Xu Zhilin replied calmly, “Say what?”

“…” Jiang Ling pursed her lips, took a deep breath, fierce in appearance but weak inside. “You know what!”

Xu Zhilin looked at her without speaking.

Jiang Ling kept her head down, waiting. After about half a minute, though it felt like half an hour to her, she was practically fuming at Xu Zhilin. She stood up with a “whoosh” and said coldly, “I’m going home.”

She had just taken a step forward when Xu Zhilin caught her wrist. He smiled, “Angry again?”

She replied awkwardly, “I’m not angry about anything.”

Xu Zhilin would certainly know what Jiang Ling wanted him to say. He stood up, bent down, and embraced her with both arms, lowering his chin: “I like you, Jiang Ling. Be my girlfriend.”

She was stunned.

It was strange—they had gone straight to bed when they were strangers, and now they had shared a long kiss before the formal confession.

But just like that, they confirmed their relationship.

After lingering in the room for a while longer, Xu Zhilin took Jiang Ling home.

As soon as she entered the apartment, Jiang Ling excitedly announced to her three roommates that she and Xu Zhilin were together. Apart from He Nan, who was more familiar with their progress, the other two roommates had exaggerated reactions to the news.

Jiang Ling collapsed to the side, tickled by their reactions. He Nan also laughed and turned to tap her shoulder, saying, “Your self-control is pretty good. I thought you’d jump at the chance as soon as Professor Xu said he wanted to pursue you.”

Jiang Ling hit her with a pillow: “Get lost.”

The day after they established their relationship, Xu Zhilin had to attend a seminar in another city. Jiang Ling needed to stay at school to continue her classes, and she was also busy with various deadlines piling up.

Jiang Ling was busy all day, only taking a break in the evening. Just as she came out of the bathroom, she received a video call from Xu Zhilin.

Was this guy doing it on purpose??

He always called at the exact moment she had just removed her makeup.

But Jiang Ling did want to video chat with him, so she checked herself in the mirror, applied a light-tinted lip balm, and made sure nothing looked odd before answering the call.

Xu Zhilin had already returned to his hotel.

Looking at the girl on the screen, he appeared unusually dazed.

Jiang Ling was wearing a silver silk shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing the curves of her collarbone, her skin fair and delicate. She wasn’t wearing makeup, but her lips were a glossy light pink.

His breathing slowed as he stared at the screen for a while, then asked, “What are you doing?”

“Just finished my assignment.”

Xu Zhilin smiled, “All done?”

“Not yet.”

“A lot?”

“Mm.” Jiang Ling clicked her tongue twice, shaking her head, making her ponytail sway. “You professors are all too harsh.”

Xu Zhilin leaned against the headboard and laughed heartily.

“By the way,” he suddenly said, “My friends want to have dinner with you—the ones you met at the archery range. But if you don’t want to go, I can just turn them down.”

Jiang Ling paused, looking up: “Will you go with me?”

“Of course,” his voice was soft in the darkness. “After I finish here.”

“I’ll go,” Jiang Ling agreed, then asked, “When will you be done?”

Xu Zhilin curved his lips: “In two days.”

Xu Zhilin returned two days later.

Although they hadn’t seen each other in a day, they had chatted comfortably, seemingly dissolving all the previous awkwardness and uneasiness.

The news that the math department’s heartthrob, Professor Xu, was no longer single spread throughout the campus. His partner was a Chinese literature graduate student from a neighboring school, which made Jiang Ling briefly famous.

On the day Xu Zhilin returned, she went to the airport to pick him up.

Seeing the man pushing his suitcase emerging from the crowd, Jiang Ling excitedly waved at him vigorously.

Xu Zhilin raised his hand to touch her face: “You came to pick me up? So obedient.”

Jiang Ling tilted her head, smiling with curved eyes, asking, “Did you miss me?”

“I did,” Xu Zhilin said, taking the bag from her hand and placing it on the suitcase as they walked out together. “Did you finish your assignments?”

Jiang Ling waved her hand: “Don’t ask such boring questions.”

Just as they sat in the car, Jiang Ling’s phone rang. It was her mother.

Jiang Ling cheerfully answered, her voice uplifted: “Hello?”

On the other end, Jiang’s mother laughed upon hearing her voice: “My, you sound happy!”

“It’s alright,” Jiang Ling said with a smile. “What’s up?”

“Can’t I call you if there’s nothing specific? The National Day holiday is coming soon. Do you have many classes? Are you coming home?” her mother asked.

“We don’t get time off for National Day here. I don’t have time to come back. Anyway, I’ll be back in a few months for Christmas,” Jiang Ling said with a smile. “Don’t miss me too much.”

Afterwards, Jiang’s mother probably gave a few reminders about studying. Xu Zhilin watched the young woman in the passenger seat nodding and shaking her head like a little monk chanting sutras, her mouth automatically responding with “yes, yes, yes.”

In the evening, they were to have dinner with Xu Zhilin’s friends.

Jiang Ling had met them before at the archery range; everyone was easy to get along with. This gathering was entirely to celebrate Xu Zhilin finally being off the market. Originally, he was the only single one left in their group—they watched him maintain his abstinent, cold appearance every day, but unexpectedly, after one wild night, he’d fallen for someone.

The dinner spot was near the school.

Naturally, with men gathered together, alcohol was inevitable.

Xu Zhilin and Jiang Ling encountered traffic from the airport, and by the time they arrived at the entrance, everyone else was already there, raising their hands to wave at them.

Now that they met again with a changed relationship, Jiang Ling was slightly tense, but Xu Zhilin was at ease, holding her hand as they walked inside and sat in the corner.

As soon as she sat down, the sofa beside her sank as well. Xu Zhilin sat very close to her.

Watching them pour drinks, Xu Zhilin leaned closer to Jiang Ling’s ear, his arm casually draped over her shoulder, his warm breath hitting her ear: “Do you want to drink?”

Jiang Ling looked at the various drinks in their hands and nodded slightly: “A little.”

Xu Zhilin chuckled, not opposing her drinking, and straightened up to reach for a bottle, pouring half a glass for Jiang Ling.

Someone nearby noticed and immediately said, “That’s not right! How can you give our Jiang Ling that water-like drink? The alcohol content in this is practically negligible.”

Xu Zhilin raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the face of the person opposite, unmoved: “She has class tomorrow.”

Someone else snorted: “So you do know she’s still a student!”

They all chatted and ate together. Most of the time, Jiang Ling just listened to them talk. Xu Zhilin’s friends were quite different from him—they were all very talkative, humorous, and witty, as if each person had a bellyful of interesting stories to share.

Time passed imperceptibly, and it was almost midnight when everyone got up to leave.

Xu Zhilin returned after paying the bill to find Jiang Ling leaning against a wooden carved rack, covering her mouth as she yawned.

He walked over, supporting her, and asked softly, “Tired?”

Jiang Ling nodded with drowsy eyes, making a sound of agreement.

They called for a designated driver and waited in the car. After a while, she remembered to take out her phone from her bag—it was out of battery. Xu Zhilin connected it to the car’s USB port for her.

After a while, it turned on, and several messages popped up.

He Nan: Baby, you don’t have to come back tonight if you don’t want to.

Followed by a leering emoji.

He Nan: So you’re not coming back???

He Nan: It’s 11 o’clock, my baby has grown up!

He Nan: Wishing you [censored].

He Nan: I’m turning off the living room lights and locking the door. Bye-bye.

Jiang Ling: “…”

Xu Zhilin, who saw it all: “…”

“Uh…” Jiang Ling was silent.

Xu Zhilin said, “Come to my place. If you go back now, you’ll wake up your roommate.”

Jiang Ling slowly turned her head to look at him.

“I’m not being disrespectful as your teacher,” Xu Zhilin said, as if guessing what she wanted to say, and sighed. “There’s a guest room. You can sleep in the guest room for one night, and I’ll take you to class tomorrow.”

When the designated driver arrived, they drove directly to Xu Zhilin’s place.

At the moment Jiang Ling entered the door, she suddenly remembered something: “Ah!”

“What’s wrong?”

She was almost crying: “I haven’t finished an assignment that’s due tomorrow morning. I forgot…”

“Is the assignment still at your apartment?”

“No, I can do it on a computer.”

“Then I have one here. You can use my computer.”

Jiang Ling was truly impressed with Xu Zhilin. Indeed, dating a professor was different—in such situations, wouldn’t a normal boyfriend comfort her and suggest asking the teacher for an extension? Or even offer to do it for her?

But this man quickly set up a laptop for her to work independently.

Xu Zhilin opened the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of milk.

Jiang Ling watched him pouring milk for her, and although she wasn’t drunk earlier, she felt a softness in her heart and couldn’t help leaning over to kiss him.

“Baby, don’t you still have an assignment to do?” Xu Zhilin said hoarsely, though his actions contradicted his words as he bent down to actively kiss her.

When they separated, Xu Zhilin still maintained his bent posture. Some milk had spilled, forming a wet spot on the table.

He stayed very close to her, smiled, and asked, “Are you still going to do your assignment?”

Jiang Ling closed her eyes, pushed him back, and ran her hand through her hair: “Yes.”