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

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Take it out.

Group 302.

[Wang Qiang: Li Shen, did you get your scarf back?]

[Zhao Zixuan: Asking this kind of question shows you didn't see what just happened.]

[Wang Qiang: What live stream???]

[Zhao Zixuan: At the entrance of the architecture department. She personally put the fence around his neck.]

[Wang Qiang: Holy crap, you were there???]

[Zhao Zixuan: Just passing by. I only glanced at it. Just one glance.]

[Chen Mo: The ownership of the scarf has changed hands a second time. The first time was from Li Chen to Yan Xi (marking behavior), and the second time was from Yan Xi to Li Chen (feedback marking). It is worth noting that during the second transfer, the scarf had absorbed the other party's body temperature and scent molecules, making its information density far higher than the first time.]

[Wang Qiang: Speak like a human being!!!]

[Chen Mo: The scarf smells like her; he's sniffing it.]

Li Chen locked the screen.

He was indeed smelling it.

……

In the afternoon data structures class, Li Chen sat in the third row by the window.

The notebook was turned to a blank page, and the pen cap was unscrewed.

Professor Liu is explaining the rotation operations of red-black trees on the podium.

Li Chen drew a tree on the paper with his pen.

He paused for a moment, then turned the page to the next page.

Wang Qiang, who was standing nearby, came over.

"What did you just draw?"

"Red and Black Tree".

"Does a red and black tree look like that?"

"Variation".

Wang Qiang's gaze lingered on his neck for three seconds.

"Your scarf."

"Um."

"You were wearing that dark gray one when you went out this morning."

"Yes."

"Yan Xi took it at noon."

"Um."

"And now it's back."

"Um."

"But the method of connection has changed."

Li Chen glanced down at the scarf.

Indeed, Yan Xi's approach is different from his own.

His habit was to wrap the knot around his neck one and a half times and tuck the end to the left side. When she tied it for him, she wrapped it around his neck once and tucked the end into the center of his collar.

"When did your observation skills become so sharp?"

"I'm not good at observation, I'm just bored."

Wang Qiang tapped his fingers twice on the table.

"Li Chen".

"Um."

Have you noticed a problem?

"What?"

"Everything about you right now is being influenced by her."

Li Chen's pen stopped on the paper.

"She tied the scarf for you, she gave you the bracelet, your wallpaper is her picture, and even the comments in your code are now in Chinese."

Wang Qiang's tone was unexpectedly serious.

"In three months, she might even dictate the color of your underwear."

A serious expression should not last more than ten seconds.

Li Chen flicked his forehead with the cap of his pen.

How much of your class did you listen to today?

Three percent.

"Which three percent?"

"When Professor Liu came in, he said 'Hello, students,' and I heard those three words clearly."

Zhao Zixuan, sitting in the back row, leaned over.

"Can you two be quiet for a second? I'm listening to the lesson."

Wang Qiang turned around and glanced at him.

A notebook was spread out in front of Zhao Zixuan.

There's a Porsche painted on it.

"What kind of class were you taking?"

"Car Modification Course"

"This is a data structure."

"Really?" Zhao Zixuan glanced down at the blackboard. "Then I might have gone to the wrong classroom—mentally."

Chen Mo sat on the far right and did not participate in the conversation.

He was taking notes.

I really am keeping a record.

But in addition to the standard data structure knowledge points, there was also a column of handwritten small words in the blank space on the left side of his notebook.

Li Chen glanced at it.

[14:02 — Li Chen paints a sycamore tree, seemingly a conditioned reflex association; the trigger is presumably the view outside the window.]

[14:04 — Wang Qiang figured out how Li Chen tied his scarf, but Li Chen showed no defensive reaction. This abnormal state indicates that his psychological defenses have shifted from "concealing details of the relationship" to "tacitly acknowledging its existence."]

[14:06 - Pen cap snaps back, force approximately 2N, sentiment indicators are normal to slightly positive.]

"Chen Mo."

"Um."

"What are you writing down?"

Class notes.

"What about the column on the left?"

Chen Mo covered the blank space on the left with his hand.

"Extracurricular Notes"

Li Chen reached out and pulled his notebook over.

I looked at it for three seconds.

Then I returned it.

Are you writing a paper?

"Just jotting things down."

"Record what?"

"Your behavioral data."

Li Chen leaned back in his chair.

"What do you plan to do with this data?"

Chen Mo pushed up his glasses.

"I have a research report to submit at the end of the semester for a course called 'Social Psychology'."

The topic is "An Analysis of Nonverbal Communication Patterns in Intimate Relationships".

"You're using me as a sample?"

"You are the only valid sample in my life."

Chen Mo's tone was very sincere.

"Both Wang Qiang and Zhao Zixuan are single, so there isn't enough data to support that."

Wang Qiang lay face down on the table.

"Chen Mo, could you please stop repeating my single status in academic terms? Every time you repeat it, it hurts me more."

Zhao Zixuan handed over a pack of tissues from the back row.

"Wipe it off, your tears are about to fall onto my drawing."

"I didn't cry."

Your voice is trembling.

The phone lit up briefly on the desktop.

Li Chen picked it up and glanced at it.

News about Yan Xi.

[Yan Xi: get out of class is over?]

[Li Chen: Not yet, forty minutes to go.]

[Yan Xi: Are you listening to the lecture?]

He glanced at the densely packed formulas on the blackboard.

I glanced at my blank notebook again.

[Li Chen: I'm listening.]

Ten seconds later.

[Yan Xi: Liar. Wang Qiang posted a picture of your notebook on his WeChat Moments fourteen minutes ago. There was nothing written on it.]

Li Chen turned to look at Wang Qiang.

Wang Qiang was looking down at his phone, a strange smile playing on his lips.

"Did you take a picture of my laptop without my permission?"

Wang Qiang looked up, his expression innocent.

"I took a panoramic photo of the desktop."

What caption did you use for your WeChat Moments post?

Wang Qiang handed over the phone.

There is a photograph on the screen.

The center of the composition is Li Chen's blank notebook, with half of a dark gray scarf peeking out from the right side.

Caption: [Love makes people regress. The evidence is conclusive. @厉辰]

The comments below.

Leng Qingge: Hahahahahaha, he really didn't write anything?

Wang Qiang replied to Leng Qingge: If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that even the God of War would have this day.

Leng Qingge: Sister Xi has already seen it (doge emoji)

Li Chen returned the phone to Wang Qiang.

"Deleted."

"Why should I? This is freedom of the press."

"If you don't delete this, you won't get any Haidilao tonight."

Wang Qiang's finger stopped on the screen.

"Are you treating?"

"It's my treat."

"I'll delete it then. But I want double the amount of shrimp paste."

"One serving."

"One and a half servings."

"make a deal."

Wang Qiang edited his WeChat Moments, changing the picture to a photo of stir-fried green beans from the cafeteria.

The caption was changed to "[Today's desert canteen]".

Li Chen glanced back at his phone.

Yan Xi posted another message.

[Yan Xi: Pick me up after class. Fifth floor.]

[Li Chen: Okay.]

[Yan Xi: Tie your scarf securely, don't let it loose.]

He subconsciously touched the scarf around his neck.

It's not loose.