The campus was bustling with noise.
Song Qiuyu’s gaze was fixed on Jiang Xiao, her steps unconsciously slowing down, and then her eyes fell to his hands.
In Jiang Xiao’s hand was… a cup of hot Milk Tea.
Hmm?
A sudden question popped into Song Qiuyu’s mind: Was this Milk Tea for himself, or did he buy it just for her?
“Want some Milk Tea?”
Jiang Xiao lifted the hot Milk Tea high in his hand.
Song Qiuyu stopped, a bit stunned, a bit amused, and in the end, left with a few traces of confusion beneath her feigned silence.
She had always envied the protagonists of campus web novels who’d have a cool upperclassman beauty deliver them Milk Tea.
Now, it was finally her turn to be the main character—
Only, their roles were completely reversed!
Is this right?
The girl bringing her water had already come up beside her, but after pursing her lips and hesitating for a second, she still politely declined.
“Sorry, my Roommate is already bringing me water!”
With that, she quickly hurried towards the person holding the Milk Tea, her small hand raised slightly above her head as she waved to him.
But as she neared, she suddenly remembered her whole body was covered in sweat and instinctively kept some distance.
She didn’t really want him to smell her.
“Here.”
Jiang Xiao took the initiative to step half a pace closer, a faint smile on his lips.
“Don’t come too close, I’m all sweaty right now.”
Song Qiuyu frowned.
As she spoke, she reached out and took the Milk Tea, pretending to be casual as she said, “How much was this Milk Tea? I’ll transfer you the money.”
“No need. Think of it as thanks for looking after me lately, and an early celebration for winning the Scholarship.”
Jiang Xiao gently shook his head.
Song Qiuyu looked at how Jiang Xiao didn’t mind her sweaty state at all, falling silent. Hearing his words, her expression became a little odd.
In the next second, Jiang Xiao suddenly leaned in closer to her collar and sniffed a few times, quite seriously.
Immediately, Song Qiuyu’s whole body stiffened, gripping the Milk Tea tighter, wanting to take a few steps back to put some distance between them.
“Besides, there’s no unpleasant sweat smell—only a really nice scent.”
Jiang Xiao’s voice was low.
After he spoke, the tips of his ears flushed slightly red.
As Jiang Xiao’s warm breath brushed against her bare skin at her collar, Song Qiuyu couldn’t help but feel a surge of heat rising inside her, her heart both tingling and itchy, making her uncomfortable.
A bit of that warmth even drifted into her ears, making her ear tips tingle and dampen.
Jiang Xiao’s words were way too ambiguous—if anyone else saw or heard this, things could get awkward!
As if her hearing had suddenly been amplified, she could clearly catch the conversation among classmates behind her:
“Jiang Xiao didn’t need to take the test, right? Did he come just to see Song Qiuyu, and even brought Milk Tea?”
“So jealous, he’s so good to his Roommate, imagine how much he’d spoil his girlfriend.”
“But aren’t they standing a bit too close?”
“Put away your BL goggles! Song Qiuyu has said it so many times, they’re just classmates, Roommates, and friends. Totally innocent!”
“Exactly, these two handsome guys are too good to waste!”
“Friendship between boys is so nice, I’m so jealous.”
[Thankfully, there’s always some great scholar to speak for me!]
Song Qiuyu’s heart pounded, her breath caught, and she lowered her eyes to look at the person with his face pressed close to her neck.
Seeing that he seemed to be blushing too, her own expression grew a little awkward.
This guy is hopeless—no wonder he’s been tossing her used, sweaty tissues so cheerfully these past days.
She was really afraid he’d suddenly blurt out something like “I really like you” or “So spicy” next!
“But you’re so damp, you might get sick. Go home, take a shower, and have a good rest.”
With that, Jiang Xiao straightened up from her collar and turned to walk ahead.
“Okay.”
Song Qiuyu pressed her lips tightly to the straw, sipping her Milk Tea as she followed, her body temperature gradually rising.
“By the way, when did you get here?”
Unable to bear the weird atmosphere, Song Qiuyu searched for something to say.
“From the very beginning.”
Jiang Xiao glanced at her sleeve, already wet with sweat, and pulled out some tissues, handing her two sheets.
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
Taking the tissue, Song Qiuyu wiped at her sweat while drinking her Milk Tea.
“Wasn’t convenient.”
Jiang Xiao thought for a moment.
“Hm?”
Song Qiuyu frowned, trying to recall what happened during the physical test.
At that time, other classmates had kept making teasing comments like “So spicy,” “Great waist,” and “Such long legs.”
So Jiang Xiao heard all of that.
“But it seems you’re going to be even more popular starting today.”
Jiang Xiao smiled.
“Then I should thank you, Jiang Xiao!”
Song Qiuyu lowered her head, lifted her shirt hem, and snuck a glance at her own toned, faintly visible Abs Exposed Line.
Of course, Jiang Xiao saw that too.
Along with her slender, easily graspable waist.
His mind buzzed instantly, thinking this person beside him could be so oblivious sometimes, even though she knew what he felt about her, yet still did things like this.
“Thanks to your help lately, I’ve even managed to get Abs Exposed Line. I was a total standout today!”
As she spoke, the girl’s fair little hand brushed lightly over her Abs Exposed Line, her pale skin exuding a warm, subtle fragrance.
“If I keep practicing, maybe I’ll get abs too.”
[She pinched the soft flesh at her waist, just the right amount—not too much, not too little—and said as much.]
Jiang Xiao froze, his mind thunderstruck, rationality threatening to snap completely.
Just then, their two Roommates, Xie Zhuran and Lin An, walked over carrying Mineral Water.
“Jiang? Jiang, weren’t you exempt from the test? Why’d you come anyway?”
Xie Zhuran immediately spotted the most eye-catching Jiang Xiao on the campus, looking utterly shocked.
Then he noticed the Milk Tea in Song Qiuyu’s hand and looked even more unsettled: “Woah, Song, where’d you get Milk Tea from?”
Song Qiuyu was still in a daze, and just then the shirt hem she’d lifted was quickly pulled back down by the person beside her.
Leaving her startled.
Huh?
“Isn’t it obvious? Jiang brought it for Qiuyu, of course.”
Saying this, Lin An glanced at the Mineral Water they’d especially brought for Song Qiuyu, hesitating a bit.
Since she already had Milk Tea, did she still need Mineral Water?
“Is that Mineral Water for me?”
Song Qiuyu spotted it immediately and reached out for her Mineral Water.
“Thanks! Who paid? I’ll transfer you the money later.”
“Don’t you already have Jiang’s Milk Tea? You still want Mineral Water?”
Xie Zhuran was exasperated.
Jiang Xiao stared at Song Qiuyu, saying nothing.
“I’m not a child, I’m not picking—I want both!”
Song Qiuyu replied righteously.
Taking the Mineral Water from Lin An, she chatted with the two Roommates for a while.
Finally, they agreed to study at the Library together that night, and then she took her leave.
“Give me the Mineral Water, I’ll carry it for you.” Jiang Xiao’s voice was a bit lower than usual.
“Sure.”
Without thinking, Song Qiuyu handed him the Mineral Water, and kept holding her Milk Tea in both hands, happily savoring its flavor.
After returning to her rental apartment and showering, she sat comfortably on the sofa, her face beaming with happiness.
She sat for a while, then turned her head to see the person beside her, brow lowered in concentration as he carefully cored apples for her.
“I can do it myself!”
“You’re free anyway, and it’s good practice for my arms and fingers. You relax, let me do it.”
Jiang Xiao paused, turned to look at the girl sitting cross-legged beside him, her long bare legs folded and her feet dangling loosely.
She wore a loose red crewneck sweatshirt, her skin outside still tinged with that After-Bath Fragrance, hair dripping crystalline droplets that clung to her cheeks, swaying with each breath.
No matter how he looked at her, she was as beautiful as a painting.
“Why are you zoning out all of a sudden?”
Song Qiuyu blinked, tilting her head.
“Because you’re beautiful.”
Jiang Xiao looked into her eyes.
“Just keep coring the apple, stop talking.”
Song Qiuyu was stunned, watching his Adam’s apple bob up and down, her breath quickening as she hurriedly looked away, turning her face the other way.
“And stop looking at me.”
The bare foot closest to him kicked his thigh a few times.
Jiang Xiao just smiled silently.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the little foot pressed against his left thigh—those round toes and soft sole pressed tightly to the seam of his jeans, making him fall silent.
Was it accidental? Or on purpose?
He found it hard not to be moved by such an impactful sight.
“Uh…”
Song Qiuyu secretly glanced back, caught sight of this ambiguous scene, and her pupils widened.
“Even if you won’t believe it, I really just wanted to kick you. Where it landed, even I didn’t know.”
“I believe you.” “Good, then.”
She retracted her foot from Jiang Xiao’s thigh and, pretending to be calm, opened her Douyin author backstage.
Seeing a surge in readers urging updates and the steadily climbing numbers these days, her smile grew more and more content.
Just as she was about to share this joy with him, she turned to find that although he was still coring apples, he was clearly absent-minded.
“What’s wrong, Jiang Xiao?”
Song Qiuyu’s heart skipped a beat.
Jiang Xiao turned to face her concerned expression and said seriously, “Didn’t you notice I’m jealous?”
“?”
Song Qiuyu stared blankly at Jiang Xiao, not immediately understanding, but after a moment’s thought, it suddenly became clear.
She glanced at the bottle of Mineral Water on the table, and a certain, self-satisfied guess popped into her mind.