Chapter 32: Saving the Gentle Senior 08

The originally cheerful mood suddenly felt a bit stifled.

Shen Qingci tapped a few times on the screen, wanting to exit his friends' circle interface, but he slipped and liked that afternoon's post.

Panic flashed in his eyes; he quickly withdrew the like and locked his phone.

In the dormitory.

Jin Chen watched the phone steadily show 'typing...', then noticed the red dot notification on his friends' circle, and couldn't help laughing.

It was easy to guess his awkward look.

So cute.

He thought for a moment, then sent a message.

——"Senior, are you back in the dorm? I don't quite understand two knowledge points."

Shen Qingci replied quickly.

——"I'll be back right away, wait a moment."

Huh? His tone seemed a bit cold.

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

He opened his own friends' circle and looked at the content that Shen Qingci had just liked.

【0731, what do you think the reason is?】

0731 came online immediately.

【Host, why do you call him Poor Little Moon?】

Jin Chen flashed back to the content from his friends' circle three years ago.

That round, bright moon looked very much like Shen Qingci.

【Could Little Pitiful One think that you're talking about someone else with this moon?】

Jin Chen realized.

He rubbed his fingertip for a moment, then placed a video call to Shen Qingci.

Only a few seconds passed before Shen Qingci's face appeared on the screen; perhaps he was still walking to the dorm building, the background somewhat dim, only the streetlight's faint glow.

"Good evening, senior~"

Jin Chen still smiled cheerfully, a glimmer seeming to flash in his peach-blossom eyes.

"Good evening."

Shen Qingci forced out a smile, but the sourness in his heart didn't lessen in the slightest.

He took a deep breath, asked Jin Chen, his tone gentle.

"Is there something you don't understand?"

Jin Chen fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly pouted, his tone drooping.

"Never mind, senior, you should go back to the dorm and rest properly."

Seeing his state, Shen Qingci thought something had happened and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Senior looks completely unhappy; surely it's because dance practice exhausted you, otherwise why would you see me smiling so forcedly?"

In Shen Qingci's eyes, Jin Chen at that moment resembled a big dog that failed to act cute before its master, forlorn and aggrieved.

He suddenly chuckled, suppressing those inexplicable emotions.

"I'm not unhappy; I'm just thinking about things."

"Alright, then I'll ask."

Jin Chen obviously had no trouble with it; borrowing notes was just an excuse. He flipped through his notebook and found two relatively complex knowledge points.

Shen Qingci fell silent for a few seconds, as if thinking, then began to explain to him.

His tone was gentle; even explaining those dull advanced math knowledge points sounded like reciting a love poem.

Jin Chen propped his chin, smiling as he gazed at the person on the screen.

Being stared at with such fervor, Shen Qingci looked away, his cheeks warming again.

"Did you listen in?"

Jin Chen burst out laughing with a 'pfft'.

"I listened in."

He always felt Jin Chen was doing it on purpose; he pressed his lips, but the leaking smile couldn't be faked—even in the dim night road, his eyes remained bright and clear, the original unhappiness dissipating like smoke.

"Senior, you look really good when you smile."

But Jin Chen seemed to be teasing without realizing it, persisting in his teasing.

While they were talking, Shen Qingci had already walked to the dormitory entrance.

As soon as he entered, he heard Lin Le's sarcastic tone.

"Yo, the big dancer's back so late again."

Shen Qingci's eyes flashed with annoyance; he didn't want to argue with him.

The other two roommates also stayed silent.

They shared a dorm with Shen Qingci; of course they knew what kind of person he was, but they couldn't openly fall out with Lin Le, so they could only pretend not to know anything.

Seeing Shen Qingci ignore him, Lin Le grew even angrier.

He kicked the table, "Are you deaf? I'm talking to you."

Jin Chen's icy voice came from the screen.

"If senior doesn't like living in the dorm, I can arrange an apartment off-campus for you, so you don't have to share a room with all sorts of demons and monsters."

Upon hearing that, Lin Le's face changed.

"Who are you talking about!"

Shen Qingci turned their head and made eye contact with Jin Chen.

"If your emotions are unstable, go see a doctor; if your mind is dark, go to a temple; don't go crazy in the dorm."

Jin Chen's eyes turned cold, faintly containing a warning.

Jin Chen immediately sat down in their seat, placed their phone properly, and drew the curtain.

"Senior, you're so imposing."

Jin Chen's tone returned to teasing, "But I'm serious—do you want to move out and live there?"

Shen Qingci hesitated for a few moments.

Regarding the previous photo incident, Shen Qingci could still tolerate it, but seeing the camera today truly gave them the creeps.

Now, whenever Shen Qingci sees Lin Le and Qi Ze, they feel genuinely disgusted.

But if Shen Qingci moves out, they would need to take a part-time job; the money left by their father, after subtracting tuition, is already scarce.

"If you, senior, don't go, that apartment will just stay vacant, you know— the school only allows third- and fourth-year students to live off-campus."

Shen Qingci wondered, "You could rent it out to someone else."

"No way, my sense of territory is strong," Jin Chen said, lying on the desk, "As long as it's you, senior, it's fine."

Jin Chen pulled the screen a bit closer, "Do you have class tomorrow afternoon, senior? I'll take you to see the apartment, okay?"

Shen Qingci didn't think long; moving out now would indeed make them feel much more at ease.

"Okay, I have no class tomorrow afternoon."

After sitting down, Shen Qingci put on headphones; others in the dorm couldn't hear Jin Chen's voice, but they could hear Shen Qingci's voice clearly.

The two roommates exchanged a glance.

Are they going on a date?

And in Jin Chen's dormitory, Ma Bing, who had just returned from washing up, also heard that sentence.

Ma Bing exclaimed, "What are you up to? Are you going on a date!"

Jin Chen immediately started coughing, and their ears began to redden.

Shen Qingci also lowered their gaze, feeling embarrassed.

【Villain Heartthrob Value +20, total 30!】

——

The next day.

Jin Chen slept until noon before waking up.

Jin Chen stretched their long arm, picked up the phone, and glanced at the time.

Eleven thirty.

Jin Chen turned over and sent a message to Shen Qingci.

——dog waking up peeking. jpg

——"Senior, good afternoon."

No reply; they probably haven't finished class yet.

Jin Chen yawned, sat up, and went to the bed curtain.

Only Ma Bing was in the dorm; Lin Yu usually spends free time in the library when they have no class, and Qi Ze often stays out overnight.

"Morning, Ma Bro."

"Good morning, good morning, good morning! Yaoer, what do you want to eat for lunch? Let's order takeout!"

Ma Bing kept their hands on the keyboard, playing a game while asking.

Jin Chen chuckled twice and sprang agilely out of bed.

"I want to ask the senior out for a meal and, this afternoon, also take a look at the apartment."

Ma Bing let out two mournful cries, "A lonely soul has no rights!"

"To apologize, how about ordering a family bucket for Ma Bro?"

Jin Chen pulled out their phone and placed the order immediately.

Ma Bing let out a wail, finally lifted their head to look at Jin Chen, tears streaming down their face.

"Yaoer, go ahead without worry! Even if you don't come back tonight, I'll figure out a way to cover for you!"

Jin Chen chuckled and punched Ma Bing's shoulder.

"You haven't even written a single stroke of the eight characters, yet you're not coming back tonight."

Jin Chen went into the bathroom, washed up, changed into a clean white short-sleeve shirt and black long pants, tidied their hair, and left the dorm under Ma Bing's teasing gaze.