Chapter 684: Could They Really Be Together?

August 30, Wednesday.

Second day of military training.

The political work teams for Humanities Classes One through Four were officially formed last night and began operations today.

Li Luo was selected by Xu Youyu to join the political work team as a copywriter.

At nine a. m., after three hours of military training, Li Luo and Song Sijie, the Youth League secretary of Humanities Class One, were called out of formation by Xu Youyu and sent to the office provided by the College of Humanities, entering their political work team duties.

"The new members of the political work team are primarily divided into the following departments," said counselor Jian Chun, standing on the podium addressing the students in the classroom temporarily serving as an office, "First, the Photography Team, responsible for capturing and recording photo and video materials needed during military training."

"Second, the Interview Team, responsible for conducting targeted interviews with new students, instructors, and others during military training to provide content materials."

"Third, the Copywriting Team, responsible for organizing and writing copy using the above materials."

"Specific workflows will be guided and followed up by the class assistants."

"Today is our first day of work; our task is simply to become familiar with our roles and procedures."

After speaking, Jian Chun went on to introduce the projects assigned to the eight class assistants from the four classes.

Among them, Xu Youyu was assigned to oversee the Copywriting Team that Li Luo belonged to.

"We have three copywriting teams total," Xu Youyu told Li Luo and the other two students, "Our group is primarily responsible for personality interviews."

"The workload is fairly light—each of you just needs to write two personality interview drafts per day based on the materials provided by the Interview Team."

"Each draft should be around eight hundred words and will be published on our school's official WeChat accounts and departmental websites."

As he spoke, Xu Youyu pulled out his phone, added the QQ accounts of the other two copywriting team members, then created a new QQ group and invited all three of them into it.

After posting several copies of articles he had written last year when he first joined the political work team, Xu Youyu continued, "Take a look at these templates first; just follow this format when writing."

The two girls working with Li Luo nodded obediently, too intimidated to even breathe loudly in Xu Youyu's presence.

After all, Xu Youyu had once been president of his high school student union; when he focused seriously on work, his aura was undeniably imposing.

In contrast, Li Luo was far more casual.

Knowing what Xu Youyu had revealed last night, Li Luo found the man's current aura completely nonexistent.

"I knew it," came a familiar voice from beside him.

Li Luo turned to see Xu Yinghuan pulling Ren Zheng over to greet them.

"I told you so—once the senior became a class assistant, you'd definitely end up in the political work team," Xu Yinghuan said with a grin.

"That's not fair," Li Luo protested, "I joined out of a sincere desire to contribute to the school, not because I had some ulterior motive, as you're implying."

"You know exactly what your real motive is," Ren Zheng retorted.

Since her breakup with Fang Chen, her speech had grown far more biting than before.

Li Luo chose not to provoke her and instead asked, "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm on the Interview Team," Xu Yinghuan pointed to herself, then to Ren Zheng, "She's on the Photography Team—we're paired up with our class assistant and will go out for interviews."

"I see," Li Luo nodded, then asked curiously, "What about Jun Ge? Did he join the political work team in his college?"

"What could he possibly join?" Xu Yinghuan rolled her eyes, "I tried getting him to sign up, but he said he had no talent for this kind of thing and didn't want to bother the class assistant."

"Typical of him."

"Tch," Xu Yinghuan looked annoyed, "I was hoping that once we joined the political work team, we'd have free time to hang out—I could've dragged him around campus."

"Hmph. Lovers," Ren Zheng sneered, "What's so great about campus to walk around?"

"Hey, don't talk like that," Xu Yinghuan hugged Ren Zheng playfully, "You're speaking so definitively now, but what if you meet your true love someday? What'll you do then?"

"I'll never date again," Ren Zheng declared firmly, tossing her head, "Love is all fake—it vanishes in an instant. You'll understand once you've experienced it."

"Sigh…" Xu Yinghuan sighed and shrugged helplessly at Li Luo.

Li Luo chuckled and shook his head, not particularly bothered.

After chatting for a while, Xu Yinghuan and Ren Zheng were called away by their class assistant.

Li Luo glanced at Xu Youyu and asked, "Since we don't have any materials yet this morning, can I take some free time?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Uh… I'm going to find my two cousins," Li Luo winked at Xu Youyu.

"Heh," Xu Youyu leaned close to Li Luo's ear, slipped in a quick bite before anyone noticed, then whispered, "You actually dare say that? You're in my copywriting team and already thinking of sneaking out?"

"But you said we could have free time when we weren't busy."

"Free time means after you've finished today's work," Xu Youyu crossed his arms, "You haven't done anything yet."

"Then what's today's task?"

"Write interview drafts."

"But the other teams haven't finished their interviews yet."

"Then wait."

"Can I write them myself?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like this," Li Luo spread a sheet of paper on the desk, picked up a pen, and began writing fluidly.

Soon, two fabricated interview drafts about ordinary students were completed.

One about student Wen Zexuan, one about student Cheng Xin.

"Here, if you need more, I can write another."

Xu Youyu took the paper from Li Luo, glanced at it, and his mouth twitched.

Admittedly, the content followed exactly the template Xu Youyu had just given.

Without accompanying photos or actual interview material, Xu Youyu might have believed these were real interview drafts.

"Your fabrication won't work."

"I'll just call Yinghuan right now and have her interview my two roommates," Li Luo chuckled, "Tell them to say exactly what I wrote."

Xu Youyu stared at him in disbelief, finally waving her hand impatiently. "Alright, alright, get out already."

"Aye-aye, Assistant Class Teacher, long live!" Li Luo sprang to his feet, and as he passed Xu Youyu, he whispered softly by her ear, "Once you get your military training uniform, Instructor Li will give you special attention."

Hearing this, Xu Youyu rolled her eyes at him, then could only watch as the guy slipped out of the classroom.

"Where's he off to?" Jian Chun also noticed Li Luo's movements and walked over to ask.

"Where else?" Xu Youyu sighed. "Going to spread his favors around."

Jian Chun: "... You're not even angry when he says that right in front of you?" "Auntie, if I got upset over stuff like this, I wouldn't be with him this long," Xu Youyu smiled. "But don't worry—his uncle definitely loves only you."

Jian Chun chuckled bitterly and rubbed her forehead. "I just don't understand what young people are thinking these days."

"You're not that much older than us."

"It's mainly that I can't understand you," Jian Chun shook her head. "Eventually your parents will find out—what then?"

"Well..." Xu Youyu seemed troubled, then tilted her head and grinned. "Why not just make it a done deal?"

"... You're serious?"

"Cough... Just joking."

After leaving the Administration Building of the College of Literature, Li Luo strolled toward Lin Xiu Feng's milk tea shop, sending the draft he'd just written to Xu Yinghuan along the way.

He'd already written it—might as well use it.

Since it only needed to be published as an article, there was hardly any need for real interviews.

Just go to the location, bring Wen Zexuan and Cheng Xin, take a few photos, and call it done.

So when Li Luo arrived at Lin Xiu Feng's, ordered seven milk teas, he soon saw Xu Yinghuan arrive at the shop as well.

"What are you doing here? Finished your work?" Li Luo asked curiously.

"Yep, thanks to someone," Xu Yinghuan chuckled, walked up to the counter, and said to Lin Xiu Feng, "Uncle, could I get four milk teas, please?"

"Oh?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Taking milk tea to your little sweetheart?"

"What? Can't I?" Xu Yinghuan shot him a look, then glanced at the two bags of milk tea he'd just received. "Some people are going to visit their childhood friend and their desk partner at the same time?"

"Obviously." Li Luo, being old friends with Xu Yinghuan, didn't hide anything. "Want to wait for me?"

"Sure, let's go see Chanxi and Xinyan~" Xu Yinghuan smiled brightly.

Soon, Lin Xiu Feng finished the drinks and handed them to Xu Yinghuan. Li Luo led her through the West Gate into Qianjiang University's campus, and they quickly reached the West Field.

All the freshmen from Zhu College were training here—three or four hundred people scattered across the entire field, making the space look quite spacious.

"Where are Xinyan and the others?" Xu Yinghuan walked beside Li Luo, tiptoeing to peer around.

"Just follow me." Li Luo strode toward the formation where Ying Chanxi was, soon locating Zhu College Class One, then reached the edge and waved to Ying Chanxi inside the formation.

At that moment, Xu Yinghuan also spotted Ying Chanxi and Qiao Xinyan, and enthusiastically waved to them.

They were lucky—just as they stopped, the overall drill instructor blew the whistle to announce a break.

Hearing the whistle, Ying Chanxi immediately ran over toward Li Luo.

Qiao Xinyan followed closely behind, moving slowly and calmly, seemingly unenthusiastic.

But Xu Yinghuan was delighted, stepping forward to hug Qiao Xinyan.

"Here, for you and your roommates," Li Luo handed Ying Chanxi the four milk teas, telling her to distribute them.

Lin Zhixia and Jiang Lai walked over, took the cold milk teas from Ying Chanxi, and thanked Li Luo.

"Your boyfriend is so nice to you," Jiang Lai teased Ying Chanxi. "Even during military training, he sneaks out to bring you milk tea."

Ying Chanxi smiled sweetly, hugging Li Luo's arm affectionately.

Just that gesture made Li Luo instantly feel countless eyes turning toward him.

Many of the boys looked stunned, as if they couldn't believe their eyes.

Li Luo chuckled, unashamedly raising his hand to ruffle Ying Chanxi's hair.

Around his own roommates and classmates, he could still be discreet and restrained.

But here, with Chanxi and the others, Li Luo had no reservations.

Dog food should be scattered generously—otherwise some people wouldn't know their place.

Ying Chanxi seemed to realize this too. As Li Luo prepared to leave, she grabbed him, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the cheek in front of everyone.

"You go ahead and be busy," Ying Chanxi's cheeks flushed red; she lowered her head, staring at her toes, feeling her whole body burn. "We'll be done resting soon."

"Alright." Li Luo was enjoying the surrounding stares. Seeing Ying Chanxi's shy, adorable expression, he couldn't resist, reached out, pinched her chin, and kissed her. "I'm off."

Ying Chanxi froze in place, stunned by his public kiss.

A kiss on the cheek was one thing—but now he'd kissed her lips. Her face burned crimson, scorching hot; she dared not look at anyone around her.

"Eww~" Jiang Lai hugged her arms, shivering dramatically with laughter. "So affectionate—half the boys in class will have broken hearts."

Lin Zhixia said nothing, but her gaze fell on the remaining bag of milk tea in Li Luo's hand: "Who's this bag for?"

"Probably his roommate," Ying Chanxi thought. Yan Zhusheng was too far away—Li Luo wouldn't go all the way to deliver milk tea. She'd checked earlier; there were only three cups inside, so it must be for his own roommates.

If it were for Yan Zhusheng and her roommate, he'd have bought four.

Ying Chanxi silently praised her own cleverness, then happily savored the milk tea in her hand.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After dropping Xu Yinghuan off at the East Field and watching her hand the milk tea to Zhao Rongjun's formation, Li Luo saw Zhao Rongjun blush furiously as he took it from her, the two looking affectionate—and he smiled in satisfaction.

Then he turned and left, went to his dorm, got in his car, and sped across the river.

After arriving at the Music College, he bought a bottle of iced water at the convenience store, then carried his three milk teas and quickly found Yan Zhusheng's formation.

But he didn't see Yan Zhusheng or Shen Zhaoyin.

"Where are they? Gone to the bathroom?"

"No no, they went to join the choir," Cheng Jin took one of the milk teas from Li Luo and hurriedly said. "It's in the nearest building—fourth floor, choir room."

"Oh, I see." Li Luo nodded and handed the iced water to Su Wei. "You said you were trying to lose weight, so I didn't buy you a milk tea."

"Thank you." Su Wei smiled as she took it. "No wonder you're Chongran—you're so thoughtful."

"I'll be off then." Li Luo waved at the two and walked toward the nearest building.

Meanwhile, over by Cheng Jinyan and Su Wei, a curious classmate edged closer and whispered, "Is that Chongran? No way! It's really him?"

"Yeah."

"Here to see Yan Zhusheng?"

"Obviously."

"Hey, do you think they're actually together?"

"Cough… You're imagining things. They're just really good friends." Cheng Jinyan remembered her promise and immediately frowned, answering firmly—living up to the name her parents gave her.