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

The owner of the guesthouse was a man in his fifties.

Wearing a faded blue cotton coat.

He has a kind and gentle appearance.

I glanced at their parked car a couple of times, but didn't say anything.

"Second-floor ocean view room. The bedding was just changed yesterday. Hot water is available 24 hours a day."

Li Chen took the key.

"Thanks."

The boss glanced at Yan Xi, then at Li Chen.

"You two are—"

"My boyfriend." Yan Xi's voice came from behind Li Chen. Calm. Unquestionable.

The boss's expression changed slightly. It was as if he was saying, "This kid's got a lucky life." But he just chuckled twice and pointed to the stairs.

"Go upstairs. The kettle is on the table. I roasted the tea myself."

The second floor.

The room wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy, and the wooden floorboards creaked underfoot.

A large bed with white sheets.

The pillow was a buckwheat pillow, as mentioned in the travel guide. The curtains were drawn back, facing directly at the sea.

balcony.

A cement floor, a low table, and two rattan chairs.

The railings are made of wood. Some of the paint is peeling off.

Yan Xi pushed open the glass door to the balcony.

The sea breeze rushed in.

She walked to the railing, placed her hands on the wooden railing, her hair was blown up, and the end of the phoenix hairpin glittered in the sunlight.

Li Chen stood at the balcony doorway.

I watched her back as she walked away.

A black turtleneck sweater, a low ponytail, a defined waistline, and a straight back.

The sound of the waves echoed repeatedly not far below.

Yan Xi turned her head.

"What are you doing standing there?"

"It's up to you."

"Have you seen enough?"

"no."

Yan Xi's gaze lingered on his face for two seconds.

Then she turned back and continued looking at the sea.

But she moved half a step to the side.

There was enough space for an arm's width on the railing.

Li Chen walked over and stood beside her, placing his hands on the railing as well.

The two people were five centimeters apart.

The light from the sea spread out before them.

The fishing boats in the distance remained motionless, and the sky began to shift from grayish-blue to warmer hues.

My phone vibrated.

Group 302.

[Wang Qiang: Have we arrived yet? Are they alive?]

[Zhao Zixuan: Don't rush me. They're looking at the sea. Why are you spoiling their fun?]

【陈默：根据出发时间与导航预估到达时间推算，他们应在十一分钟前抵达。厉辰未及时报平安的原因有三种可能：1.信号差；2.在卸行李；3.在看颜曦。概率分布——1: 5%2: 15% 3: 80%。】

[Wang Qiang: The third one. Definitely the third one.]

Li Chen did not reply.

He put his phone back in his pocket.

Yan Xi's voice came from the side. It was half a octave lower. It was slightly dispersed by the wind.

"Li Chen".

"Um."

"Your travel guide says it's a five-minute walk from the rocky beach. Sunset is at 17:12 PM."

"right."

"What time is it now?"

Li Chen glanced at his watch.

3:07.

"There are two hours in between."

"Hmm. You want to rest for a bit first?"

Yan Xi did not answer.

Her left hand left the railing.

Her fingers hooked around Li Chen's little finger.

The impact wasn't significant, but it was clear.

"Let's go for a walk first."

……

The roads in the fishing village are narrow, paved with gravel. Two people walking side by side would just fill the entire road.

Yan Xi walked on the left, the side closest to the wall.

Li Chen walked on the right side, the side closest to the driveway.

This position requires no prior coordination. It's always like this when we walk. Li Chen is on the outside. Blocking people. Blocking cars. Blocking the wind.

They weren't holding hands.

But Yan Xi's arm would occasionally brush against his sleeve. She neither deliberately moved closer nor deliberately avoided him.

The fishing village is small.

A dozen or so stone houses.

The roof was covered with tiles and bricks.

Fishing nets were drying at the entrance.

The air was filled with the smell of the sea and the smoke from burning firewood.

A yellow dog ran out of the alley. It glanced at them, wagged its tail, and ran away again.

Yan Xi's gaze followed the dog for three seconds.

Do you like dogs?

"dislike."

"So you only looked at it for three seconds."

"I'm observing its gait. The angle of force exerted by its hind legs is asymmetrical. It might have a hip joint problem."

Li Chen remained silent for a moment.

"Is your architectural perspective something you were born with or something you acquired later?"

What do you think?

"I think you used to analyze frame rates when you watched cartoons as a kid."

Yan Xi's lips twitched slightly.

"Frame rate is not under the jurisdiction of the architecture department; that's your computer science department's business."

At the end of the road was an open space.

The gravel ground turned into sand.

Then the sand turned into reefs.

Rocky beach.

This isn't one of those rocky beaches in tourist areas with paved paths and railings. This is the real, pristine, untouched rocky beach.

Large and small black rocks stretch from the shore into the sea. Their surfaces are rough. Dark green seaweed grows in some of the cracks.

The tide had receded halfway. Some shallow puddles remained between the rocks. Small crabs were crawling in the puddles.

Li Chen squatted down and glanced at the water level in the puddle.

"The tide is receding."

He checked his phone. Hmm. The low point today was 4 PM. It's 3:20 now. It's receding. Safe.

"Can we go outside?"

Yan Xi has already stepped onto the first reef.

I stepped on the rough rock surface with my shoe sole to check the traction. Then I stepped onto the second rock.

Li Chen followed her, walking a step ahead of her.

It's not blocking the way. It's stepping on it in advance.

He stepped on each rock first to make sure it wasn't slippery, then took a half step back to let Yan Xi pass.

Yan Xi noticed it.

"You're testing the waters for me."

"The rocks are covered with seaweed. They're slippery when you step on them."

"What if you slip?"

"I'm not afraid of falling."

Yan Xi stopped a step and looked at him.

"You weigh thirty kilograms more than me. The impact of your fall is equivalent to mine—"

"Don't bother calculating it."

Li Chen extended his hand.

Palms facing up.

Yan Xi glanced at his hand.

three seconds.

She put her hand on it.

Li Chen grasped it. The grip was just right. Not too tight, but steady.

The two walked out, stepping on the rocks.

Walk to a place 30 meters from the shore.

A particularly large reef.

The surface is flat. It can seat two people.

Li Chen went up first.

The surface was confirmed to be dry.

Then pull Yan Xi up.

The two people sat on the rocks.

Facing the sea.

This height is just right.

The view extends beyond the row of low reefs to the sea surface.

The seawater wasn't blue. It was a grayish-green, with a murky texture. The waves weren't big. They rolled in one layer at a time, breaking into white foam against the ridges of the rocks.

The wind is blowing from the front. It's cold.