Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

Yan Xi's heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something.

It's both sour and soft.

She remembered that he had spent the whole afternoon playing games with his roommates, and then waited for her here for so long in the evening.

That fool.

She stood up, walked to him, and slowly squatted down.

She reached out, wanting to smooth his slightly furrowed brow.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch his skin, she stopped.

She simply looked at him quietly, her gaze so tender it could melt hearts.

Outside the window, the evening breeze rustled through the treetops.

In the office, time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.

Finally, her fingertips touched the ground.

Gently, I touched his forehead.

Li Chen's eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

What came into view was Yan Xi's face, so close to mine, bathed in a soft glow.

He was momentarily lost in thought.

"Awake?" Yan Xi's voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.

"Hmm." Li Chen sat up straight, rubbing his stiff neck. "Did I fall asleep?"

"What do you think?" Yan Xi stood up, returned to her seat, and slowly tidied up the documents on her desk.

Li Chen glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 10:30.

He actually slept for more than half an hour.

A sense of embarrassment welled up inside me.

He said he was coming to keep her company, but he fell asleep first.

"I'm sorry," he said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Apologize for what?" Yan Xi neatly arranged the last document, looked up at him, and said, "Apologize for letting me admire your sleeping face for over half an hour?"

Li Chen was momentarily speechless after hearing her words.

He anticipated several possible reactions from her: blame, teasing, or simply ignoring him.

The only thing I didn't expect was this kind of... straightforward yet flirtatious praise.

"Does it look good?" he asked instinctively.

"Not bad." Yan Xi's lips curled into a slight smile. "You're a little better behaved than when you were dominating the game this afternoon."

Li Chen was taken aback.

How did you know I was playing video games this afternoon?

"Wang Qiang from your dorm posted something on his WeChat Moments." Yan Xi took out her phone and opened a photo.

In the photo, four people from dormitory 302 are gathered around a computer. On the screen is a huge "Victory" logo. Wang Qiang is excitedly making a peace sign, while Li Chen sits in the middle, looking focused.

The caption read: "Fifteen consecutive wins with Li Shen! Awesome!"

Li Chen: "..."

He vowed that he would sew Wang Qiang's mouth shut when he got back.

"Having fun?" Yan Xi put down her phone, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"It's...it's alright." Li Chen said somewhat guiltily.

He wondered if Yan Xi would mind that he hadn't contacted her all afternoon and had gone to play games.

Yan Xi looked at him, who seemed to have done something wrong and was waiting for judgment, and suddenly found it a little funny.

This man, who is capable of everything outside, always reveals this soft and helpless side in front of her.

This is his weakness.

It was also her favorite place.

"Any plans for New Year's Day?" she suddenly changed the subject.

"New Year's Day?" Li Chen thought for a moment. The New Year's Day holiday is three days long.

"I haven't decided yet, I'll leave it to you."

"Hmm." Yan Xi nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

She stood up and picked up the trench coat from the back of the chair.

"I've made up my mind."

"Decid what?"

"Let's go on a trip." Her tone wasn't one of discussion, but rather of notification.

Li Chen looked at her.

Under the lights, she put on her trench coat, fastened her belt, and reverted to her aloof and detached queen-like demeanor.

But he knew that beneath that hard shell lay a heart yearning for companionship.

"Okay." Li Chen stood up, took the bag from her hand, and asked, "Where to?"

"I haven't decided yet. Do you have any suggestions?" Yan Xi said as she walked towards the door.

Li Chen followed behind her, several plans flashing through his mind.

An island? Too cliché.

Big cities? Too noisy.

Famous mountains and rivers? Too many people during the holidays.

He anticipated Yan Xi's preferences.

She likes quiet places and things with a sense of design and historical significance.

A place suddenly popped into his mind.

"Let's go to Nanxi Ancient Town," Li Chen said.

Yan Xi stopped and turned to look at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Nanxi Ancient Town, a Jiangnan water town that has not yet been fully commercialized, is famous for its well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty architecture and unique floating market.

It's a beautiful place, but also quite remote.

It's not a popular destination that couples typically choose for travel.

"Why there?" she asked.

"It's an intuition," Li Chen smiled. "I feel you'll like it."

Yan Xi looked at his confident smile and remained silent for a few seconds.

"You can make the strategy guide."

"no problem."

"You book the hotel."

"certainly."

You can arrange the itinerary.

"Leave it to me," Li Chen readily agreed.

He no longer wanted to passively accept her arrangements; he wanted to take the initiative to create a perfect trip for her.

Yan Xi raised an eyebrow at his overbearing manner.

"There is only one requirement."

"What?"

"No mistakes are allowed, just let me have fun."

"What if I do it?" Li Chen asked rhetorically.

Yan Xi leaned closer to him, stood on tiptoe, and whispered something in his ear.

"You've done it, there'll be a reward when you get back."

After saying that, she turned around, leaving him with a graceful silhouette.

Li Chen stood there, feeling the lingering warmth and tingling sensation in his ear, and smiled helplessly.

This woman always has a way of instantly energizing him.

The two walked out of the student activity center and strolled side by side along the quiet campus path.

The cool evening breeze dispelled Li Chen's last trace of sleepiness.

"You can go back now, I'll drop you off here." Yan Xi stopped at the intersection below the girls' dormitory.

"I'll watch you go in," Li Chen insisted.

Yan Xi didn't say anything more and turned to walk towards the dormitory.

Li Chen stood there, watching her figure disappear into the lights at the building entrance, before turning and leaving.

Back in dormitory 302, Wang Qiang and Zhao Zixuan were already lying in bed playing on their phones, while Chen Mo was still reading downstairs.

"Third brother, you're finally back!" Wang Qiang sat up abruptly. "Did you finish your sweet time with your senior?"

"Get lost." Li Chen took off his coat and threw it on the chair.

"So, so, how did it go? Did your senior get angry when she saw my post on WeChat Moments?" Wang Qiang leaned over, looking gossipy.

Li Chen glanced at him sideways.

What do you think?

"If she were angry, you definitely wouldn't be back now," Zhao Zixuan said leisurely from the bed. "So, not only is she not angry, something must have happened between you two."