Chapter 52

"Once wanted to conquer the whole world, only to look back and realize…"

"This world is filled with bits and pieces of you."

Shen Li listened intently to Zhao Zhouyuan singing; many people's attention was also on her, and some who knew the song sang along.

The atmosphere was pushed to a climax.

"Is it that good?" A voice suddenly came from beside her ear.

Shen Li reacted, and when she turned her head, she bumped into Xie Qin's gaze; she didn't know when he had sat over.

With his legs crossed, half-turned, his hand supporting his head, his gaze was fixed on her.

In a short while, somehow, only she and Xie Qin were left in this corner.

"I think… it's very good; if she participated in a competition, she could probably win an award."

"Is that so?" He responded lazily, his tone so light it seemed he didn't care, "Didn't notice, what is she singing?"

"You can see for yourself if you look at the screen."

A light syllable escaped Xie Qin's throat, crisp and clear: "Not looking."

Shen Li: "…"

"I think…" His voice suddenly slowed down, the trailing note dragging out a bit of lazy lingering affection, and that eye-catching face leaned in without warning. Xie Qin lowered his eyes, taking in her appearance, "…you look better than her."

Shen Li quickly went through it in her brain and praised him back: "You're also very handsome."

"You admit it?"

Shen Li was confused: "Admit what?"

Xie Qin: "That I'm handsome!"

Shen Li felt that when she said he was handsome, he seemed very proud.

"I'm just giving an objective evaluation; you are indeed very handsome, there's nothing bad about admitting it. Otherwise… there wouldn't be so many girls who like you."

Xie Qin looked into her eyes, the smile in his eyes deepening, his voice dropping low: "Then… do you… like…"

…

They left at eight-thirty.

A group of people took the elevator downstairs, and it filled up quickly, so Shen Li had to wait for the next one.

She kept her eyes lowered, quiet and still.

When the elevator door closed, Xie Qin stood beside her and pressed the button for downstairs, "Sleepy?"

Shen Li was slow to react, then nodded: "Mm."

Suddenly remembering she was still wearing his jacket, she pulled the zipper down to take it off, "Your jacket… I forgot to return it."

Xie Qin looked down at Shen Li, who only reached his chest, with a slanted gaze: "I'm a person who has a bit of a germaphobia; clothes worn by others need to be washed."

Shen Li understood what he meant.

"Then I… will help you wash it clean."

"If it doesn't rain tomorrow, it should be dry in one night."

Xie Qin curled his lips: "The jacket is expensive, remember to hand-wash it."

Shen Li raised her head slightly, met his gaze, pursed her lips, and nodded to tell him, "Mm, I will help you hand-wash it clean."

Seeing the sleepiness in her eyes, she looked like she was truly tired.

"So listless, what time did you go to sleep last night."

She had slept for less than four hours last night before waking up; she couldn't sleep and had stayed up until now.

"Stop staying up late; if you stay up late too much, your brain will get stupid."

Shen Li: "You're talking to me… last time you didn't sleep all night."

Xie Qin watched her eyes narrow, "Still bringing that up? You want me to remember again how hurtful you were? If you bring it up again… I might not be so easy to talk to."

Actually, when he said this, Shen Li didn't feel afraid at all, and it didn't have much of a deterrent effect.

Alright.

She had indeed said something a bit too much.

She reorganized her words in her mind, thinking about how not to make him remember what happened that day again.

Shen Li: "I just wanted to tell you that you should also stay up late less; it's not good for your health."

Xie Qin chuckled: "…Get in the elevator."

"Oh."

After going downstairs to the first floor, the sky was already completely dark.

It was still raining outside, not very heavily, and many people were hiding from the rain outside the mall entrance.

Xie Qin: "Zip up the jacket; this jacket is a private custom, pure cotton!"

Private custom…

Sounds expensive.

Shen Li lowered her head and silently zipped it up.

Xie Qin withdrew his gaze and took his phone out of his pocket, not sure who he was messaging.

It was mid-October, and the temperature difference between day and night was still quite large.

It was still very hot in the morning, but the temperature would drop a lot at night, and… it was still raining.

When the cold air got in, it would be very cold.

"Xie Qin, are you cold?"

Shen Li saw that he was only wearing a pair of gray trousers and a black short-sleeved shirt, his entire arm showing smooth, muscular lines; he actually had a very good physique.

Last time he lifted his shirt, Shen Li saw his abs.

He was also fairer than most boys.

A cold white.

Xie Qin was messaging Xu Zhouyuan, asking where he had driven the car.

Hearing the soft, slightly sleepy voice beside him, he turned his gaze, looking at her with interest: "You're talking quite a lot now."

"If you're sleepy, talk less and save some energy to go back and sleep."

He told her again: "Xu Zhouyuan is driving back, he'll be here in a moment."

Shen Li's voice was flat, and her tone didn't reveal much emotion: "I'm afraid you're cold; after all, I'm wearing your jacket. I only got a little rain on me today, and I shower every day, so I'm not dirty. If you feel cold, tell me, and I can return the jacket to you. I'll still help you wash it clean later."

Xie Qin chuckled, his tone mixed with a bit of playfulness: "It's just being sleepy; I don't know, I thought you were drunk."

"Usually… I don't see you caring about me this much."

"What, was that cold attitude toward me before all just an act?"

His eyes narrowed again, and he seemed to have figured something out, giving an enlightened "Ah."

"I see it now; you're playing hard to get, trying your best to get my attention."

"Shen Li, your methods are quite clever."

"Fine! I'll count it as you succeeding."

"Satisfied now?"

Shen Li raised her eyes, met those eyes that were so sure of their self-analysis, and said: "I didn't want to attract your attention."

"Because… you were fierce to me when school started."

"I really didn't want to talk to you."

Damn!

With this old account suddenly being brought up, Xie Qin couldn't find a way to respond.

"You're… quite the grudge-holder."

At this moment, seeing the rain getting heavier.

Fortunately, Xu Zhouyuan arrived in time and drove the car over, parking it where it wouldn't get rained on.

Knowing it would rain, Xie Qin had asked Xu Zhouyuan to go back and drive the car over first.

There were still classmates in the class who hadn't left, and one by one, they looked at Shen Li with a bit of envy as she got into the car.

How miserable, still having to wait for the rain to stop.

The car door closed.

Another girl, seeing Zhao Zhouyuan still there, asked her: "Class Monitor, I remember you and Shen Li are in the same dorm, right? Why didn't she call you to get in the car together?"

"Yeah, aren't you two usually quite close? Did you have a falling out with her?"

The raindrops falling from the top of the building splashed up, making the tips of her shoes a bit wet. Asked this, her heart tightened, but she pretended to be indifferent and said: "No, you're overthinking it."

"Shen Li is clearly aloof; it's normal that she doesn't hang out with you. After all… people who are pretty have a bit of a temper. It's not something we can handle. Otherwise… we'd all be able to get a ride in Xie Qin's car."

The one speaking was from the girls' dorm next to theirs.

When Zhao Zhouyuan went to check the dorms, she had gotten to know them back and forth.

They guessed on their own, and the sense of inferiority that ignited in her heart hurt her.

"Xie Qin's car is quite expensive, right."

"I searched it, this Mercedes costs over 800,000."

"Damn, really? What does his family do to be able to afford such an expensive car."

"Who knows…"

The rain pattered on the roof of the car like a lullaby.

Because it was a one-way street here, they had to take a detour.

There were many commercial companies near the university, and some white-collar workers were just getting off work and hailing taxis at this hour.

So the road was a bit congested.

It would take about ten minutes to get to the dorm.

Since they didn't have umbrellas, it was better than getting rained on.

Shen Li sat in the car, her eyelids heavy.

But as soon as she closed her eyes, her brain and heart couldn't calm down.

…

"…Not getting this recommendation quota is because she didn't put in enough effort in her studies and lacked the ability."

"Your father, sister, and I aren't home. You're taking the college entrance exam by yourself; remember to set an alarm, and don't forget to bring your ID and admission ticket. After you finish the exam… we'll be back in two days."

"How old are you, and you already want a phone. Just use your father's old-people phone for now; we'll talk about a new phone after you graduate high school."

"Stop faking illness with me, you want to suspend your studies? I've led so many classes, how did you end up with depression."

"If you really have depression, why don't you go jump off a building?"

"I've just spoiled you too much, to be able to tell such lies…"