Chapter 54: Are You Taking Advantage of Me?

Dorm 209.

“I just saw Song Yao running down the stairs in a hurry,” Deng Lin said, returning from washing clothes.

“Yesterday, a senior added me and chatted for ages—he actually thought Song Yao lived in our dorm and wanted her contact info,” Yuan Xiaoye complained.

“Song Yao is beautiful; even I, as a girl, felt a little stirred up, let alone the guys.”

Deng Lin thought it was normal, then turned to Dong Shan, who was still typing, “Shanshan, still chatting with Xu Zhengyang?”

“Yeah, they said they’re almost at the dorm,” Dong Shan put down her phone.

“Something going on?” Deng Lin poked Dong Shan teasingly.

Dong Shan blushed slightly. “No way~ We’re just chatting casually.”

“See? I gave you the chance.”

Read! {

Deng Lin held up both hands in an X. “Sorry, taken! My boyfriend is Professor Du!”

“Not bad. Maybe it’ll work out,” Xu Qingzhou leaned lazily back in his chair, enjoying the cool breeze blowing off the lake.

“Hey, Dongni, you like Xu Qingzhou?” Deng Lin also asked with a smile.

“I brought you some snacks, so you won’t get reported to your parents,” Xu Qingzhou handed her the cake.

During their chat, the couple beside them progressed quickly—they changed position, the girl now riding the boy.

Indecent.

“So there really is something going on. Looks like you might be the first in our dorm to get a boyfriend,” Yuan Xiaoye teased from the side.

Xu Qingzhou saw it. Song Yao saw it too. Even the wet, sucking sound of their kissing reached them.

Song Yao spoke, then realized she was one step behind him. She quickened her pace, caught up, and muttered, “Xu Qingzhou, can’t you walk slower?”

Seeing Xu Qingzhou, Song Yao stopped. She remembered she was supposed to be angry—this was too forward. She smoothed her hair, walked over, and looked at him with a touch of pride: “Why are you here?”

Song Yao’s forehead darkened with lines. She realized she’d been moved too soon. She slapped his hand away. “No money. No life either!”

Summer, especially outside the girls’ dorm, was full of legs everywhere—very pleasing to the eye.

“You’re insincere. Isn’t it your fault for making me wait so long, then getting photographed?”

Xu Qingzhou smiled and slowed his pace. Since graduating high school, he’d mostly been a lone wolf, walking with a breeze in his step—a habit that occasionally slipped out.

Song Yao opened the cake box, scooped up a spoonful with delight. It was just an ordinary cake, yet she ate it as if it were the finest delicacy on earth.

“Pretty, right?”

Song Yao pretended nothing had happened. Xu Qingzhou raised his hand to remind her: “Are you taking advantage of me?”

Song Yao stiffened. Her heart pounded uncontrollably. They were so close she could feel his warmth.

Xu Qingzhou had been running all day and was tired. “Alright, delivered. I’m heading back.”

Xu Qingzhou muttered a sour curse under his breath. “Let’s go back.”

“Xu Qingzhou’s a decent guy. More stable than Xu Zhengyang and the others,” Deng Lin thought for a moment and commented.

Saying she liked a guy after meeting him once felt fake, but deep down, she did have a soft spot for Xu Qingzhou.

“Oh~ Linlin, you’re smitten too?!”

“Huh?” Song Yao turned to look at him.

!.

The two reached the lakeside path and prepared to part ways.

“I saw your photo on the confession wall today.” “Good of you to remember your old classmate,” Song Yao felt deeply moved. Holding the small cake, all her earlier grievances vanished.

Song Yao had never lived on campus before. This was her first time in a dorm with multiple roommates. She’d spent the afternoon touring the school. “It’s harmonious. Everyone in our dorm is nice. You’ve met two already. The third? Well, her personality is kind of like Jiahui—outgoing, but she doesn’t like anime.”

“Wait,” Xu Qingzhou called out to Song Yao, stepped closer, and stood before her.

After taking a bite of cake, she asked: “How was your dorm’s social event?”

“Fine.”

The lakeside was lively: new students taking photos, Kaoyan ers muttering scriptures from law books, couples hugging and kissing—like the pair not far from them.

Below the dorm building.

Xu Qingzhou fell silent for a long while. “Where’d your aloofness go?”

“You’re leaving already?” Song Yao didn’t want him to go.

The alarm lifted. Song Yao nodded and carefully scooped more cake.

Walking along the stone path, Xu Qingzhou asked: “By the way, how are you getting along with your dorm mates?”

Xu Qingzhou didn’t understand—until they sat on the bench and the couple ten meters away reluctantly stopped. Only then did he realize: they were fighting over the seat.

Although she said that, she wasn’t jealous. Of the dorm, only Xu Zhengyang was decent. Xu Qingzhou? Good-looking, but messy—came out for gatherings without even shaving.

Seeing Xu Qingzhou glance at passing girls, Song Yao grew annoyed. So what if they had legs? She had legs too—pale and long! She decided to leave this place. “Back to the dorm’s too boring. Let’s sit by the lake?”

“Oh, sure,” Song Yao nodded quickly, closing the half-eaten cake. So even university girls were this hungry, not just guys.

Xu Qingzhou stood under the red security booth holding the cake. Soon, he saw a girl in a white dress running out.

But Song Yao didn’t show the embarrassment he expected. Instead, she extended her pale hand. “Then take it back.”

Xu Qingzhou slapped his forehead. “Right! I almost forgot. This cake costs twenty yuan. Cash or WeChat?”

“My boyfriend? No—that’s my husband!” Yuan Xiaoye retorted.

Kong Xian was too ugly. Zhai Ziqiang was too dull.

“My husband!”

“Close call. Almost lost it,” Song Yao casually released Xu Qingzhou’s hand and exhaled.

Facing everyone’s teasing, Dong Shan smiled and shook her head, glancing at Liang Dongni. “Not necessarily. I think Dongni’s pretty interested in Xu Qingzhou.”

Xu Qingzhou nodded. It was still early. He could spare some time with her—but talking right outside the girls’ dorm was too conspicuous.

“My boyfriend!”

Liang Dongni’s face flushed slightly. “No way. I just talk to him because he sits right across from me.”

Most importantly, a bunch of straight guys, no gentlemanly manners at all—nowhere near her boyfriend standards.

Xu Qingzhou knew she misunderstood. He smirked. “Not me. My roommate.”

But when Xu Qingzhou slowed down, Song Yao’s face tensed. She grabbed his arm and sprinted ahead. “Hurry up, hurry up!”

He… wouldn’t be… reaching for me, would he?!

I still have cake in my mouth! What do I do? Should I dodge?!

Just as Song Yao was torn inside, she saw Xu Qingzhou place his hand on top of her head, measuring, then said firmly: “You’re lying about your height. You’re definitely not 168.”

Song Yao’s mind was filled with a giant question mark.

(End of Chapter)