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

Yan Xi took it out and glanced at it.

A message from Leng Qingge.

[Leng Qingge: Sisters, I saw your photos from the ancient town. Where did you get that phoenix hairpin? I searched online, and you can't buy silver hairpins with that kind of craftsmanship on the market at all???]

[Leng Qingge: And that photo you posted, "mine"?? Do you know your WeChat Moments is exploding?? Almost three hundred comments!!]

[Leng Qingge: Those students in the student council have gone crazy, everyone's asking if it's an official announcement. I covered for you, saying you were just posting on your WeChat Moments because you were in a good mood.]

[Leng Qingge: But honestly, you're in such a good mood... Have you been bewitched by Li Chen?]

Yan Xi's lips curled up slightly.

She typed two words.

[Yan Xi: Shut up.]

Then lock the screen and put the phone back in your pocket.

"Who?" Li Chen asked.

"The Song of Loneliness".

"What did you say?"

"They asked me if I'd been cursed by you."

Li Chen's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

"What did you reply?"

"Shut her up."

Li Chen lowered his head and smiled.

This is Yan Xi.

The way to acknowledge feelings is never to say things like "I like him/her".

Her method was to silence all the doubters.

After finishing the meal, Li Chen paid the bill.

After taking the money, the owner said expressionlessly, "Come again if the fish is good," and turned to clear the table.

"I like this store," Yan Xi said as she left.

Why?

"No more nonsense."

Li Chen felt that this phrase could be used to describe the woman in front of him.

She is also a person who doesn't waste words.

You either like it or you don't.

No explanations, no flattery, no agonizing.

In the afternoon, the two rented a covered boat.

The boatman was a dark-skinned old man who was taciturn and only said two sentences when boarding and disembarking.

The boat sailed from the main channel into a tributary, with low stone walls and winter plum blossoms peeking out from the top of the walls on both banks.

Yan Xi leaned against the wooden frame of the cabin, took off her shoes, and tucked her feet into Li Chen's coat.

"It's cold," she said.

Li Chen pulled her feet close and held them through her socks.

Her feet were indeed cold.

He rubbed his hands together vigorously a few times, and the warmth of his palms slowly seeped in.

Yan Xi did not retract her foot.

She took out her phone and casually scrolled through her messages.

"Your dad sent you a message."

Li Chen was taken aback.

How did you know?

"Your phone screen lit up briefly, and I caught a glimpse of it."

"..."

Li Chen took out his phone.

It really was Li Mohan.

[Dad: What are you doing? Your mom's asking when you're bringing your girlfriend home for dinner.]

[Dad: Stop thinking about dates, have you even started studying for your final exams?]

[Dad: Also, don't be stingy and embarrass the Li family. Be willing to spend money on others.]

Li Chen replied with a single word.

[Li Chen: Mm.]

Then lock the screen.

"What was your dad's reaction?" Yan Xi asked.

"You're urging me to take you home."

Yan Xi's toes curled slightly in his palm.

"What's the rush?"

"That's just how he is, don't worry about it."

"I didn't care."

Yan Xi looked at the shimmering reflection on the river surface, her voice very soft.

"I just feel... meeting your parents makes me more nervous than you meeting mine."

Li Chen paused for a moment.

He never expected her to say such a thing.

Yan Xi, the woman who could manipulate events at will in the student council. The woman who declared in front of the entire school, "He is mine."

She would get nervous meeting his parents.

He tightened his grip on her foot.

"My mom is very easy to talk to."

"You already said that."

"My dad is the same, he just talks a lot."

"understood."

"Besides, my mom has wanted to meet you for a long time, she'll definitely—"

"Li Chen".

"Um?"

"If you keep talking, I'll get even more nervous."

Li Chen shut his mouth.

The boat rocked slightly.

Yan Xi's body tilted slightly with the ripples of the water, leaning towards him.

Li Chen took the opportunity to pull her into his arms.

The back of her head was pressed against his chest, and her hair brushed against his chin, making it a little itchy.

"I'll be with you then," he said.

"Like when you accompanied me to meet my parents."

Yan Xi didn't say anything.

But she reached out and grabbed his arm that was wrapped around her waist.

I applied a little force with my fingertips.

The boat passed under a stone bridge, and the light in the archway dimmed for a moment before brightening again.

Li Chen looked down and saw that Yan Xi had her eyes closed.

The shadow cast by her eyelashes fell on her cheekbone.

Her breathing was steady.

He wasn't sure if she was asleep.

The old man at the stern slowly rowed the boat.

The sounds of oars, water, and the occasional chirping of birds.

Li Chen's phone vibrated again.

He freed one hand and glanced at it.

Dormitory 302 group chat.

Wang Qiang sent a voice message. He didn't open it, but he saw Chen Mo's text reply below.

[Chen Mo: Based on the frequency with which Li Chen reads messages but doesn't reply, his current attention allocation is 99.7% for his girlfriend and 0.3% for his brothers. That 0.3% is the time he spends seeing our message pop-ups.]

[Zhao Zixuan: (Crying emoji) We don't even account for 1% of his heart.]

[Wang Qiang: (voice)]

Li Chen put his phone on silent and put it back in his pocket.

Yan Xi stirred in his arms.

"Are they causing trouble again?"

"You're not asleep?"

"no."

Yan Xi opened her eyes and looked up at his chin.

"I'm listening to your heartbeat."

Li Chen's heart visibly quickened after hearing those words.

Yan Xi sensed it.

The corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

"It's faster than before."

"..."

Li Chen took a deep breath.

"You did it on purpose."

"Um."

Yan Xi closed her eyes again, her voice carrying a hint of triumphant laziness.

I love seeing you like this.

"What?"

"Even though I'm much bolder than before, I still panic when faced with my direct approach."

She ran her fingers lightly across the back of his hand.

"So cute."

Li Chen turned his head and looked at the river.

The sky and the old houses on both banks are reflected on the water.

His face felt a little hot.

cute.

Yan Xi said he was cute.

He felt that the word coming from her mouth was more lethal than any weapon.

The boat docked at a ferry crossing.

Li Chen went down first, then reached out to help Yan Xi down.

She placed her hand on his, using it to step over the gunwale.

She didn't let go when her foot touched the stone steps.

The two of them held hands and walked up the steps of the ferry.

The sun was already setting in the west.

Golden light bathed the entire stone path, casting long shadows of the two people.

Yan Xi's shadow was shorter than Li Chen's, and it followed beside his shadow.

Li Chen looked down at the ground.

The two shadows were very close together, almost overlapping.

He suddenly remembered something.

"Xi Xi".

"Um?"

Tomorrow is the last day.

Yan Xi paused for a moment.

"Um."

"Where else do you want to go?"

Yan Xi thought for a few seconds.

"I don't want to go anywhere."

"That--"

"Just stay at the inn."

She turned her head, and the setting sun shone into her eyes, making the center of her pupils incredibly bright.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'll just stay here."

"You cook, I'll paint."

Li Chen tightened his grip on her hand.

"it is good."

Yan Xi continued walking forward.

The setting sun bathed her profile in a warm glow.

The phoenix hairpin in her hair flickered in the light.

Li Chen followed half a step behind her, watching her back.

My phone vibrated again in my pocket.

He didn't take it out.

At this moment, all the news and events in the world are unimportant.

His eyes were only on the person in front of him.

Starting today.

Every day from now on.

They only look at her.