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

The lights in room 302 went out precisely at 11 o'clock.

Wang Qiang's snoring started precisely seven minutes after the lights were turned off, with a stable frequency and gradually increasing volume.

Zhao Zixuan turned to his side and pulled the blanket over his head. From Chen Mo's bed came the sound of him turning over, followed by the click of a keyboard closing.

Li Chen lay on the upper bunk.

With the phone screen at its lowest brightness, the WeChat chat window hovered over Yan Xi's profile picture.

Her latest post on WeChat Moments is still that photo of the ancient town, captioned "Mine".

The comments section has already reached the third page.

He didn't scroll down any further.

Place your phone next to your pillow and close your eyes.

I went through today's timeline in my mind.

She replied at 6:18 a.m.

The playground is five kilometers long.

Two eggs in the cafeteria.

Two hours in the library, 60-degree water, shrimp balls in the cafeteria, and the ring on the back of my hand.

He mentally went through these fragments, like organizing a folder.

Then she rolled over.

fell asleep.

At 6:15 a.m. the next morning, Li Chen's biological clock woke him up.

He moved very quietly when he got off the bunk, but the metal bunk bed still wobbled a little.

Wang Qiang rolled over, muttered "pentakill," and continued snoring.

In front of the sink, Li Chen splashed cold water on his face.

The person in the mirror had stiff hair, and the dark circles under their eyes were a little lighter than yesterday.

He smoothed his hair down and changed into a black turtleneck sweater.

I glanced at my phone before leaving the house.

Yan Xi did not send a message.

He didn't send it either.

When I arrived at the playground, the entrance to the running track was empty.

6:21.

He stood there for thirty seconds.

Yan Xi walked over from the direction of the dormitory area.

I wore a white down jacket today, and my hair was loose, hanging down over my shoulders.

The phoenix hairpin was placed above the right ear, serving as a hair clip.

He was carrying an insulated bag in his right hand.

"morning."

Li Chen went to meet him.

"What?"

Yan Xi handed him the insulated bag.

He opened it, and inside were two cups of soy milk.

It was still steaming.

"You said you'd bring it today."

"Um."

Li Chen took out a cup, unscrewed the lid, and handed it to her first.

Yan Xi took it and drank a sip.

"The one behind the cafeteria opens at six o'clock."

Li Chen took a sip of his own drink.

Thick and creamy, with the original flavor of soybeans, no sugar added.

"Aren't you adding sugar?"

"You don't like things that are too sweet."

Li Chen glanced at her.

She remembered it.

He frowned slightly when he drank sweet soy milk last time, but the movement lasted no more than half a second.

"run?"

"run."

The two stepped onto the track.

They moved in sync.

When they reached the second lap, Yan Xi spoke up.

How many classes do you have today?

"Two periods of advanced mathematics in the morning, and one period of data structures in the afternoon."

"What time will it end?"

"3:20 PM."

"My get out of class ends at 3:40."

Li Chen's pace remained unchanged.

"so?"

"So you don't need to come over today."

Li Chen turned his head and glanced at her.

Yan Xi's gaze was fixed straight ahead, her breathing steady.

"I'll wait for you at your teaching building."

Li Chen paused for a moment, then caught up again.

"Are you here to pick me up?"

"What's wrong?"

"You've never come to pick me up before."

"so?"

"So what's wrong with you today?"

Yan Xi pressed down the corner of her mouth slightly.

"You calculated that it takes twelve minutes to get from your teaching building to my teaching building."

Li Chen's heart skipped a beat.

"It takes eight minutes to get from my teaching building to your teaching building."

She quickened her pace.

"I've tested it."

Li Chen followed behind her, something exploding in his mind.

She has been tested.

From her teaching building to his teaching building.

Eight minutes.

He opened his mouth.

The person in front has already created a two-body-length gap.

He sped up to catch up.

Finished running five kilometers.

The two stopped at the edge of the track, and Yan Xi bent over and supported herself with her knees.

Li Chen took out a tissue from his pocket, pulled one out, and handed it over.

Yan Xi answered.

As she wiped her forehead, the silver bracelet on her wrist became visible.

The small pendant on the library model swayed slightly in the morning light.

"canteen?"

"Um."

The two walked towards the cafeteria.

There were more people on the street.

Li Chen reached out his hand.

This time, there was no hesitation.

He spread his fingers and directly grasped her hand.

Yan Xi's fingers curled slightly in his palm.

It was not withdrawn.

Several early-rising students were queuing up at the entrance of the cafeteria.

When they saw the two of them, some people's gazes visibly paused for a moment.

Li Chen ignored it.

Yan Xi didn't care.

The two of them walked in hand in hand.

During a break in the queue, Li Chen glanced down at his phone.

Group 302 is buzzing with messages again.

[Wang Qiang: Report, Li Shen didn't have breakfast with us again today. The sixth consecutive day.]

Zhao Zixuan: I'm used to it.

[Chen Mo: Based on data analysis from the past two weeks, Li Chen has been having breakfast with Yan Xi 100% of the time. In contrast, the frequency of having breakfast with other members of dormitory 302 has dropped to 0%. I am currently writing a paper titled "The Deconstructive Effect of Intimate Relationships on the Social Network Structure of College Students."]

[Wang Qiang: Speak like a human being.]

Chen Mo: He doesn't want us anymore.

Li Chen locked the screen.

"It's them again?"

Yan Xi's voice came from the side.

"Um."

"What did you say?"

"Tell them I don't want them anymore."

Yan Xi's lips curved into a tiny smile.

"They're right."

Li Chen glanced at her.

Yan Xi picked up her plate and walked towards the window.

You really don't need them.

She turned around.

"You only need me."

Li Chen stood still.

The heat of the cafeteria, the flow of people in line, the shouts of the aunties at the windows—all the background noise receded into the distance in that instant.

He followed.

"Could you please say things like that in a less crowded place next time?"

Why?

"Because I'm afraid I won't be able to control my expression."

Yan Xi turned her head to look at him.

"What kind of expression is that?"

Li Chen lowered his head to cover his face.

His ears were burning.

Yan Xi saw it.

She didn't say anything, but when she turned back, her shoulders trembled.

Breakfast is over.

Yan Xi had an architectural history class at 8 o'clock, and Li Chen escorted her to the entrance of the teaching building.

"You're coming to my teaching building at 3:40?"

"Um."

"I'll be waiting for you in the lobby on the first floor."

Yan Xi nodded and turned to walk inside.

I took two steps.

"Li Chen".

"Um?"

I know your class schedule better than you do.

She pushed open the glass door and went inside.

Li Chen stood at the door.

The cold January wind blew in, carrying the dampness of the melting snow.

He put his hands in his pockets.

The warmth of her fingers still lingered in my palm.