Chapter 193: Return

After saying goodbye to Auntie Ping, the two returned to the car and prepared to head back to school.

The black Audi sped along the road like a galloping black steed, heading toward University Town.

“Brother Feng, that… Auntie Ping and Uncle Ming, are they your…”

Inside the car, the young girl had been watching the road ahead, but she suddenly thought of something. she peeked at Qin Nanfeng, her words trailing off.

In fact, she had questions while they were at the restaurant. After all, from a purely physical standpoint, the young man did not share many similarities with Auntie Ping or Uncle Ming.

Then there were the rumors circulating at Tianbei University about him being the heir to some company, plus the company where he actually worked…

This inevitably led Lin Xinyuan to speculate.

Catching a glimpse of her expression, Qin Nanfeng kept his eyes on the road. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke.

“They aren’t my relatives…”

Qin Nanfeng’s eyes grew heavy, as if he were sinking into a memory.

It was during that snowy winter when he had impulsively left home. Carrying only the remaining pocket money on his card, he had come to the urban village to start his business.

His company had started just like that, in a small residential room, progressing step by step to its current state.

During that time, he was lucky enough to meet that kind couple.

Because almost all his capital had been invested in his first game, they were the ones who helped him through his most difficult period when he was at his lowest.

Before long, his thoughts faded, and a smile played on Qin Nanfeng’s lips. “Even though they aren’t real relatives, Auntie Ping and the others treat me very well. In my heart, they are no different from family.”

Lin Xinyuan was stunned for a moment, then nodded silently. “I see…”

Although the young man did not elaborate on his history with Auntie Ping, for him to hold such sincerity toward people who were once strangers, the story must be quite long.

She could feel that sincere emotion from the young man’s expression and the way he interacted with them.

It was only then that she realized why, ever since she met Qin Nanfeng, she had never seen him contact his family. It seemed something must have happened to him.

‘What has Brother Feng… actually been through?’

‘Is it some runaway rich young master script where he had a falling out with his family?’

‘I really want… to understand Brother Feng…’

The young girl’s mind began to whirl as she started overthinking again. For some reason, as she stared at Qin Nanfeng, her gaze gradually turned into one of heartache.

It was as if the young man had endured the eighty-one tribulations just to obtain the sacred scriptures, a tale of unspeakable hardships and suffering.

Qin Nanfeng naturally noticed Lin Xinyuan’s gaze. He could not help but find it amusing, knowing this girl was starting to imagine all sorts of nonsense again.

However, he did not speak. He simply let Lin Xinyuan look at him, while some dark thoughts stirred in his heart.

‘Xinyuan is so cute…’

‘I should act pitiful more often in the future…’

‘Maybe one day she’ll see me as so pitiful that she’ll take the initiative to…’

‘Just thinking about it makes me look forward to it… Tsk…’

The Fulai Restaurant was located on the outskirts of the urban village, not far from the school.

When they passed a supermarket along the way, they got out to buy some daily necessities.

This was at Lin Xinyuan’s request. After all, items in the small campus shops were much more expensive than those outside.

Even though she had more and more disposable income as the success of her novel grew, she was still reluctant to spend money unnecessarily, preferring to save whenever possible.

Seeing her frugal nature, Qin Nanfeng felt the young girl was extremely virtuous, already considering their future.

However, if Lin Xinyuan knew what he was thinking, she would likely only say ‘you’re overthinking it’ with a flushed face.

Before they knew it, the car arrived at Tianbei University.

It was the start of the semester, but because the universities in University Town staggered their opening dates, the roads remained relatively clear.

Many people were arriving at the various gates of Tianbei University, and quite a few students were driving onto campus.

After showing their school QR codes and having their temperatures checked, Lin Xinyuan and Qin Nanfeng were allowed through.

Since Lin Xinyuan’s mother had already communicated with the school and completed the relevant personal information correction procedures, she only needed to go to the dormitory to check in.

Physiologically speaking, Lin Xinyuan was now completely a girl, so she was naturally assigned to a female dormitory.

Qin Nanfeng originally wanted to drive the car directly to the front of her dormitory building for convenience, as it would save a lot of effort, but Lin Xinyuan refused after a brief thought.

With everything that had happened last semester, her identity was already quite sensitive.

Even though nearly half a year had passed and people on campus might have mostly forgotten, she did not want to attract attention or cause any new waves.

Obviously, driving there would be too high-profile. Although it was convenient, Lin Xinyuan feared the stares and rumors of others more.

Qin Nanfeng was helpless but did not refuse. He drove directly to the underground garage to park and then came out to help Lin Xinyuan move her luggage.

As for his own luggage, it was just one suitcase, so there was no rush.

Even while wearing masks, Lin Xinyuan and Qin Nanfeng still had a high rate of turning heads.

Along the way, many eyes lingered on them, though most people were just curious.

Some had already recognized the young man and were wondering who the slender girl beside him was. Some even took photos on the sly, preparing to post them on the online forums later.

The two of them naturally noticed. Qin Nanfeng had expected it and did not care, but Lin Xinyuan could not help but feel a bit flustered.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

The young girl followed closely by Qin Nanfeng’s side. Hearing his words, which sounded like a promise, her anxiety seemed to melt away like snow, and her emotions stabilized instantly.

‘That’s right… Brother Feng is here!’

‘And… why not take this chance to tell those jerks…’

‘Brother Feng is mine. No one else can touch him…’

‘Hmph!’

Thinking this, Lin Xinyuan unconsciously remembered Wu Xiaoyue, the girl who had caused her to end up in the infirmary last semester.

That shameless woman had actually dared to approach him and confess back then.

‘Luckily she’s gone…’

At the thought of this, a wave of annoyance rose in Lin Xinyuan’s heart, but it only made her more determined.

They entered the dormitory building smoothly.

Because it was the start of the semester, the facial recognition gate was not active and was left wide open.

Coupled with Qin Nanfeng’s image as a boyfriend helping a girl move her luggage, the dormitory manager downstairs did not stop them.

Instead, seeing that even their masks could not hide their good looks, the woman greeted them warmly and offered a few compliments, making Lin Xinyuan feel embarrassed as her face heated up.

Fortunately, she was wearing a mask, which kept her from being so shy that she might have run away.

Lin Xinyuan took the opportunity to check into the dormitory with the property manager. The woman found nothing strange about it and immediately took out the registration form to record the information.

Due to the impact of the pandemic, the school had strictly prohibited off-campus living. Consequently, many people who lived off-campus, or who had intended to, were forced to return. There were quite a few people checking in for the new semester today.

Those who had lived off-campus felt frustrated, but the students who already lived in dorms felt even worse.

In order to accommodate these returning students, the school had even opened a new dormitory building ahead of schedule.

The environment in the new dormitory was clearly a grade higher than the old one, so many people were envious of those who got to move in.

The young girl was one of those envied individuals.

However, due to her special situation, the school had to ask the other residents of the dormitory for their opinions before she could move in.

Although she had learned through Teacher Qi that she would only have two roommates besides herself…

Lin Xinyuan did not know what the new roommates’ personalities would be like or if they would get along, so she was inevitably nervous.

But once she remembered they had agreed to accept her, she figured things couldn’t be too bad. Her mood relaxed slightly.

“What are you thinking about?”

The young girl had finished the procedures, recorded her facial data, and received her keys. They were ready to go upstairs.

While waiting for the elevator, seeing that her expression seemed off again, Qin Nanfeng smiled and began to tease her. “Is it because I won’t be sleeping with you anymore? Are you afraid, Xinyuan?”

“I am not!”

Her apricot eyes widened as she gave him a harmless glare. Then, Lin Xinyuan looked worried. “I was thinking… will they be… hard to get along with?”

“It’s fine. Worst-case scenario, you can come back to 308 and sleep in the same bed as me.”

“Stupid Brother Feng, get lost!” Lin Xinyuan scolded softly, feeling beyond speechless.

Her ears burned, and she looked around guiltily, terrified that someone might have overheard him.

“Then I’m leaving. I won’t help you with your luggage anymore.”

Qin Nanfeng looked at the girl with a playful, teasing glint in his eyes.

Lin Xinyuan felt even more flustered and annoyed, but she suppressed her temper and timidly backed down. “Um… you… you should stay for now…”

“Tsk…”