Chapter 49: Pfft, Scumbag!

They agreed to meet at the Yanan Cafeteria near the Jingda Library.

When Xu Qingzhou arrived, Song Yao was standing under a tree, wearing a sleeveless dress that revealed two smooth, fair legs, paired with a pair of white sneakers.

A light breeze stirred a few strands of hair at her forehead, and she patiently tucked them behind her ear.

Huh~ campus girl vibe, kinda charming.

Wait.

Xu Qingzhou shook his head, quelling that dangerous thought—what charm or not, he’d sealed his heart shut in his past life; nothing could shake his Dao heart.

Song Yao was beautiful, yes, but her expression was cold, radiating an air of utter detachment.

After eating, they went straight to the library.

Read!

Xu Qingzhou opened his umbrella to shield himself from the scorching sun—it felt much better. “Fine, then you’ll just have to suffer a bit. You’ll get sunburned during military training anyway; consider this early practice.” Then, before Song Yao’s stunned gaze, he turned and walked off toward Weiming Lake alone.

Xu Qingzhou continued teasing her, even holding out the umbrella handle toward her as if he were already leaving.

Xu Qingzhou knew this place inside out; Song Yao found everything new and fascinating.

They exited the library at exactly 1 p.m. The sun overhead was brutal. When Song Yao said she wanted to go to Weiming Lake, Xu Qingzhou couldn’t take it anymore. “How about we go another time?”

“Then forget it.”

Leaving a girl—especially such a beautiful girl—under the blazing sun while holding an umbrella for himself? Was that even human?

He noticed several nearby boys shifting restlessly, pretending to chat with friends while secretly stealing glances at Song Yao.

“Scumbag.”

As they spoke, they moved with the crowd into the first floor of the cafeteria.

Xu Qingzhou smirked.

Xu Qingzhou touched his arm—there was a clear tooth mark. Ignoring the pain, he pulled Song Yao away.

She was truly hurt. Even if he didn’t like her, she was still a girl. Besides, he’d promised her parents he’d look after her on campus—and now he was just worried about finding a girlfriend and wanted to abandon her here.

“Romance? Ha. Even dogs don’t bother with it—it only slows down my progress in contributing to scientific research.”

“Couldn’t you have shown up a little earlier?” she complained as he approached, her face sour. She’d been standing here five minutes and already been asked for her contact info three times.

“Would a curse make you believe me?”

He’d already seen two gossips pulling out their phones—if they didn’t leave soon, they’d end up on the campus confession wall and be publicly condemned.

Xu Qingzhou took it, eyeing the tiny sunshade—no bigger than his palm—with disdain. “Just one?”

Song Yao pulled out a sunshade from her bag and waved it in her hand, as if she’d anticipated this exact scenario.

Song Yao spotted Xu Qingzhou from afar and waved.

Song Yao squeezed under his umbrella and glared at him. “Were you trying to be intentional?”

Two passing girls looked at Xu Qingzhou with clear disgust.

“Really?”

“Hey! You’re actually biting?!” Xu Qingzhou was startled, tried to pull away, but feared hurting her. “One isn’t enough?” Song Yao glared.

Song Yao was furious—she grabbed his hand holding the umbrella and bit down hard.

Her anger had mostly subsided by now. She stopped gripping his hand and asked weakly, “Xu Qingzhou, are you really planning to date someone?”

“Don’t call me Big Sister!” Song Yao punched him, thinking: if any other guy had taken a girl out, he’d have arrived early. This guy complains about everything—he deserves to be single.

Around Weiming Lake there was plenty to see: the Bell Pavilion, Crane Bridge, the statue of Cai Yuanpei—all here, packed with people, ninety percent of them freshmen.

“Xu Qingzhou, I’m going to bite you to death!”

“Eat.”

“Xu Qingzhou!”

“So this was a conspiracy that started right after high school graduation?” Xu Qingzhou was startled.

“That’s a real problem. How about this—you go alone. Walk straight down this path and you’ll reach Weiming Lake.”

“Why suddenly invite me to eat?” Xu Qingzhou asked, curious yet suspicious. “Are you plotting something?”

“Is there anything you want to eat?” Song Yao scanned the menu, found it too much trouble, and handed the choice to Xu Qingzhou.

Two other passing boys looked at him with disdain and envy, lamenting that such a beautiful girl was wasted on this good-for-nothing.

“Fine.” Song Yao nodded.

“Are you going to eat or not?”

Xu Qingzhou had only meant to joke—but Song Yao’s reaction was so intense.

Watching the once-cold goddess suddenly smile and banter, countless onlookers nearby felt their hearts shatter.

!.

“Big Sister, we agreed on 11:45—it’s only 11:35 now.”

Song Yao suddenly looked up, expression utterly incredulous—this guy was thinking about THAT?

Xu Qingzhou thought for a moment, originally planning to recommend braised pork, but seeing the crowd, said: “Spicy hot pot—you up for it?”

After venting, Song Yao looked up, her eyes red from anger and hurt. “Who told you to leave me behind?!”

“Xu Qingzhou, what filthy thoughts are in your head?!”

“Men and women must maintain propriety. If people misunderstand us, how am I ever going to find a girlfriend?” Xu Qingzhou said lazily.

Song Yao gave Xu Qingzhou a scornful look before saying: “You took me out to eat right after high school graduation. Isn’t it normal for me to return the favor?”

Upperclassmen knew every inch of this place and had lost interest in these sights—especially on a day like this. Even going downstairs to pick up takeout felt like losing half your life.

As they walked, their arms kept bumping. She finally looped one arm through his, pulled out her phone, and snapped pictures nonstop whenever she saw something interesting—Xu Qingzhou was now nothing but a human umbrella holder.

They were so close that Xu Qingzhou spent the entire afternoon immersed in a sweet, intoxicating scent.

Only at 3 p.m. did Song Yao finally issue the dismissal order. They parted by Weiming Lake and returned to their dorms separately.

(End of Chapter)