[East-Side Path Along Campus Lake — September 15, 4:05 PM]
The willow curtain parted around them.
The lake had gone gold at the far bank. A breeze came across it and lifted the edge of Xiao Yue's hood against her jaw.
Their two shadows lay long across the path ahead.
Xiao Yue had her hand back on Lin Feng's arm, leaning her body toward him.
The two of them walked along the more deeper parts of the park. As they moved deeper, they found more students, enjoying the peace and quiet nature had to offer.
Some were alone. Others were couples and a few were in groups of friends.
On one side of the path, a couple lay on a blanket, sharing earbuds. The boy lay flat with his head in the girl's lap. Off to the other side, two friends were playing chess. A groundskeeper farther down the path was raking leaves into a pile the breeze had been undoing.
None of them looked up as Lin Feng and Xiao Yue passed.
Xiao Yue's grip on Lin Feng's arm did not adjust for any of them. Then she nudged him to walk deeper into the woods, entering a small narrow path in between rows of old oak trees.
Lin Feng followed her, eyes looking around at the narrow path.
It was in a more underdeveloped side of the university campus. There were more foliage around them, some trees even had vines climbing up on them. The path made of poured concrete had transitioned into a dirt path, with dead leaves scattered everywhere.
Then, after a few minutes of walking, the path opened into a small alcove.
A wooden bench sat under two oaks whose lowest branches crossed above it. A scatter of dead leaves had fallen across the seat.
Though despite its surroundings, the bench doesn't look old. The nails on it still have a silvery metallic glint. The varnish is new. Even the wood doesn't have any signs of wear from continuous exposure to sun and rain.
Lin Feng then looked at Xiao Yue, his eyelids twitching.
Xiao Yue meanwhile nudged him to walk to the bench with her.
Then she stopped at the bench and let go of his arm. After that, she turned to face him.
She then unzipped her hoodie, removed it and laid it folded on the bench.
Her hair fell black past her shoulders. Lin Feng saw her face fully for the first time. The hood had been there every other time he had looked at her today, concealing parts of her head.
Now he can see everything.
Lin Feng had seen a lot of beauties from Earth, but now, as he stood there, his eyes were locked on her visage, as if she looked too good to be true.
Like he literally can't take his eyes away from her.
"We're here!" Xiao Yue said, opening her arms wide, as if presenting the place to him. "What do you think, Lin Feng?"
Lin Feng looked at her for a while before responding. "It looks beautiful…"
"No, Lin Feng." Xiao Yue sat on the bench. "There's nobody in here. The nearest person is around fifty meters away."
Xiao Yue then patted the other side of the bench. "In other words, no one will see us and no one can hear us."
When Lin Feng did not sit immediately, Xiao Yue patted the empty spot beside her once more.
"Well..." Lin Feng sat on his side of the bench. "Don't mind me if I do."
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[West-Side Lake Path — 4:20 PM]
"So Brother Tian, what now? Do you think they are having a board meeting already, you know?"
Zhang Yuting said, her hands clasped behind her back while facing Long Tian, her blazer and shoulder bag hung on her shoulder. The two of them were still walking on the path near the shore of the small campus lake.
Around them, more students also began to gather as the sun became less punishing, the trees providing more shade for everyone to enjoy.
Long Tian straightened his back, trying to make himself look more dignified. "I bet they are about to talk about firing three pelicans today."
Zhang Yuting held her stomach as another laugh came out of her. "Of course, of course, how come I haven't thought of that? So what's the reason this time? Layoff? Restructuring? Tough quarter?"
"Probably all of the above."
She laughed more the moment Long Tian gave his answer. She laughed so hard that a couple looked at them, only for the girl to look at Long Tian then back at her boyfriend, her face showing an expression as if saying 'why can't we be like them'.
Long Tian and Zhang Yuting continued walking along the path.
Zhang Yuting then turned around to walk beside Long Tian. "I wonder when will I have a professor who actually teaches his students rather than reading through the slides?"
"I'd say never!" he replied, his head shook in disapproval. "Do you really expect them to probably even know what they are talking about?"
"You have a point." Zhang Yuting sighed. "They are probably just there, talking, also waiting for the bell to ring, just like us students."
As they walked, in front of them, a family passed by them. A mother and father were bringing their son along with them, the father was wearing casual attire while carrying a bag. From the outside, the bag looked thin, as if the contents were long but thin.
Meanwhile, the mother, in her crisp and high-end office suit, was carrying a briefcase. It was small and compact.
"Late enrollees?" Long Tian asked.
"Maybe. Though I've heard that you need to 'lubricate the system' in order to let late enrolled students come in," Zhang Yuting answered, her tone dejected.
Long Tian's pace slowed down slightly. Zhang Yuting then turned her head slightly to look at him.
"I wonder what it's like to have a family..."
"Brother Tian…" Zhang Yuting stopped, looking at Long Tian with sadness in her face.
Seeing Zhang Yuting stop, Long Tian also stopped and gave a shrug.
"Don't worry about it Yuting… To be honest, I don't even know my parents. They said that they just found me right in the middle of a clearing butt-naked. I was still, they said, a few days old when a group of patrolmen looking for wild boars found me."
Long Tian tilted his chin up, his face shifting — curiosity and loneliness giving way to pride. "They also said they found me after a lightning dance."
Then he leaned in toward Zhang Yuting, looking as if he was about to share some conspiracy theory. "They said they found me where a massive lightning bolt last struck, the nearby bushes still black."
Zhang Yuting's eyes widened, then looked at Long Tian's face with an amazed expression. "Wow, Brother Tian, that's amazing!"
Long Tian's face brightened like a light bulb as he pulled himself back away from Zhang Yuting and continued standing proudly. "That's what they said."
The two of them were silent for a moment. Before Long Tian, Zhang Yuting stood there, looking at him as if she had finally discovered a thing many times better than sliced bread.
Then Long Tian brought his hand close to his mouth and let out a coughing sound. "Well, that's it about me," he said, his eyes turning toward the exit. Zhang Yuting also looked at where his eyes were at, her expression swiftly changing from adoration to disappointment.
Long Tian looked back at Zhang Yuting with a gentle smile. "Well, your dorm must be far away from here right? We can always walk slowly toward there while I walk you back to your place."
Zhang Yuting looked back at him, her face lighting up once more. Then she made a very eager nod, offering her hand to Long Tian. He then accepted her hand and soon, the two of them left the park.
[Zhang Yuting Affection: 70 → 72]
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[Oak Alcove — 4:25 PM]
Lin Feng sat with a relaxed expression on the bench. On his lap was a cat.
Or rather, a human-shaped cat.
Xiao Yue lay down on his lap, curled there like a cat during a rainy day. She even had her arms on her thighs, holding them in, her eyes closed.
Lin Feng was gently caressing her hair.
"This feels so nice. Just lying down on someone's lap, leaves falling down, the breeze blowing gently around us."
"Yes, it does feel nice," Lin Feng said, as his hand changed from gently caressing her hair to finger combing it, his hand reaching the end of her hair without a single loose strand.
"Lin Feng, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"You have to answer me honestly, okay?"
"Of course, I'll tell you nothing but the truth."
Xiao Yue then opened one eye and looked at Lin Feng. "I brought you to this secluded place. No one can see what we do. I can make as much noise as I want."
"Did you think I was up for more naughty things?"
Lin Feng continued finger combing Xiao Yue, his hand as steady as ever. Then he looked down at the beauty curled on his lap like a cat watching him with one eye open.
"I thought you were going to ask about Su Qingxue or why I changed so much."
Lin Feng stopped combing her hair then and lifted a finger to poke her cheek.
"And besides, I believe you have a good reason to hide in here, right? Not when you have a new bench out in the middle of nowhere. You most likely come here to spend your time alone."
"What intrigues me though is how you skipped flirtation and seduction."
Xiao Yue closed her eye, her expression shifting to that of contentment. "I'm a straightforward person. If you had indeed watched me, then you should know that already. But at the same time, I'm not also that experienced in romance. I'm sort of stupid when it comes to it."
She then opened her one eye facing Lin Feng once more and continued. "And besides, whether you like it or not, we're already a couple. And if you ever leave me… well…"
Lin Feng's hand moved back to her hair, finger combing it once more.
"Like I said, this time, I will die first before I'll ever let you—"
Xiao Yue quickly brought one hand from her thigh and to Lin Feng. She then placed two fingers on his lips, clipping them shut.
"Say something about you dying one more time and I'll sew your lips with steel wires."
Then slowly she retracted her hand and placed it back on her thigh.
"And one more thing, don't make those ridiculous homemade dishes anymore. You'd better use that time to sleep. If you want to bring me food, just a piece of sausage, rice and an egg would do."
"And about skipping flirtation, courting and seduction, are you complaining that I am moving things too fast?"
Xiao Yue opened her eye again to look at him once more.
Lin Feng stopped combing her hair again and poked her cheek once more.
"Why ask stupid things? Do I look like I'm complaining? Who doesn't want to have a beauty on their lap anyway?"
The two of them went silent for a moment. Around them the breeze continued to blow, the leaves continued to sway, beams of the afternoon sunlight illuminating Lin Feng's face, his unkempt silver hair dazzling with a metallic shine.
Xiao Yue then straightened herself, sat back on the bench beside him, stood up and walked to face him. Then she sat sideways on his lap, leaned closer to him and looked him straight in the eye.
"That's an irrational answer, Lin Feng," Xiao Yue said as she placed her arms around his neck. "But, I'm not complaining about it either."
"Isn't that also an irrational answer, Xiao Yue?"
"Like I said, I'm stupid about romance."
As Xiao Yue was sitting sideways, looking at Lin Feng, her gaze shifted toward an object that doesn't belong in her sanctuary.
A small intruder. Hovering over the canopy, the sunlight reflecting back the glass.
Xiao Yue then looked back at Lin Feng.
"Lin Feng, can you promise me?"
"Promise you what?"
Xiao Yue looked at the intruder again, hovering over there, its lens looking at her as if challenging her, daring her.
Lin Feng saw Xiao Yue looking so seriously at something behind his back. Then he let out a sigh, as if he already had an idea as to what it was.
Hearing his sigh, Xiao Yue looked back at him. Then she sighed.
"Womanizer."
Then she moved her face closer to his, slowly toward him. Seeing her make her move, Lin Feng did not move, letting her bring herself closer to him. Soon, they began to share each other's breath, inhaling each other's exhales.
But, when Xiao Yue's face was just mere millimeters away from Lin Feng's lips, she stopped.
For a moment, the two of them stayed like that.
Then she turned her head slightly, landing her kiss on the tip of his nose instead.
"I won't lose to any of them. Not to her or her," Xiao Yue said as she pulled away from Lin Feng, her gaze drifting to the shining object hidden in the canopy.
"Lose to who?"
Lin Feng asked as Xiao Yue finally stood up, looking at his face for a moment.
Then she picked up her hoodie, dusted it, wore it back and zipped it shut.
After that, she turned and looked at him. The hood was up properly again.
"She would most likely make her move tonight."
Xiao Yue began to walk.
She did not look back.
As Xiao Yue walked away, Lin Feng turned his head, finding an object hovering above the canopy. Its lens, this time, was looking at him.
It was a quadcopter drone. It was hovering at some distance away from him, far enough that the hum of its motors was almost inaudible.
Then, as if right on cue, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He then picked it up and turned on the screen.
There, he saw a message.
[Lin Weiwei: Big Brother, don't forget you promised me to have dinner tonight. Meet me at the La Maison by 7pm. I'll be waiting! :D] Received: 4:38 PM
He then typed a message.
[Lin Feng: Okay Weiwei. I'll be there.] Sent: 4:38 PM
After that, he rose from the bench and left the alcove, ignoring the drone.
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[Female Dormitory, Front Approach — 4:50 PM]
A few hundred meters away from the campus lake lies the dormitory. The path toward there was a short walk.
But both Long Tian and Zhang Yuting took more than twenty minutes to cover that distance.
They eventually arrived at the front of the female dormitory complex.
Zhang Yuting stopped at the point on the path where male students were not allowed past. She then turned towards him, her gaze locked on the ground beneath them, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I had a really nice time today."
"Me too."
Then the two of them were silent, standing just outside the gate as female students walked back and forth beside them.
Zhang Yuting's hand slowly went to her pocket, her expression appearing like she was thinking about something. Then she slowly raised her head up, looking at Long Tian's face.
Then she bit her lower lip.
"Uhm —"
She stopped. Then turned her gaze away from him.
Then, she started again.
"Would you — would you want to get coffee sometime?"
A pause.
"There's a place off-campus. Cloud Nine. I've been wanting to try it. The desserts are supposed to be very good. Maybe around two? In the afternoon? Or — not tomorrow. Wednesday? If you have time. It's okay if —"
"Yes!"
Long Tian answered quickly, grabbing her hand that was near her skirt pocket.
Zhang Yuting stopped.
"What?"
"Yes!" A pause. "Wednesday. Two o'clock. At Cloud Nine Café."
"Really?"
"Really!"
Zhang Yuting's expression u-turned from a downcast look and into joy within a span of a single heartbeat. Her face brightened up and a smile appeared on her face, her eyes closed for a moment.
"...It's a date then."
For a moment Long Tian just looked at her. She looked back.
Then he remembered.
Long Tian then let go of her hand, his gaze drifting as he began to tap his pockets. He quickly fished out his phone, looked for the messaging app and then looked back at Zhang Yuting's face.
"May I have your number then?"
Long Tian asked.
"Of course!" Zhang Yuting replied excitedly. She then let her bag slide off from her shoulder and into her elbow. With her free hand, she immediately took out her phone, tapped the screen and opened the messaging app.
"Here's my number, Brother Tian," Zhang Yuting said, angling her phone screen toward Long Tian. He then exited the messaging app and took a photo of her phone screen. Then he opened the phone app and typed her number there.
Once the number was saved, Long Tian pressed call. The phone in Zhang Yuting's hand began to vibrate.
They both looked at it. Then at each other.
Zhang Yuting smiled. Long Tian turned off the call and placed his phone back in his pocket.
"So..." Yuting put her phone back into her shoulder bag. "I'll see you by Wednesday, Brother Tian."
Long Tian smiled at her. "See you later, Yuting."
Then Zhang Yuting walked into the female dormitory complex.
A few steps in, she stopped and looked back at him. She waved. He waved back. Then, she kept walking.
After that, she stopped again. Looked back. Waved. He waved back again.
They did it three times.
Right before the bend toward her own building, Zhang Yuting picked up her phone and sent a single text.
[Zhang Yuting: Thank you very much for spending time with me, Brother Tian.] Sent: 4:50 PM
Then Zhang Yuting grinned mischievously, waved back at him, and finally disappeared from Long Tian's view.
[Zhang Yuting Affection: 72 → 73]
The system flashed at the side of Long Tian's UI.
He did not look at it.
Instead, he took out his phone and opened the messaging app. Zhang Yuting's name had appeared there, the app having registered her recently saved number.
Long Tian stayed there for a moment, looking at the screen.
A soft and genuine smile appeared on his lips as his eyes drifted toward her profile picture.
"I don't know what happened to Su Qingxue earlier. I don't know what that obstacle warning was all about." He paused as he let out a sigh of relief. "Well, in the end, everything went well."
He looked up at the path she had walked. The dormitory entrance. The bend where she had disappeared.
"As expected."
A satisfied smile spread across his face. Long Tian put his phone back in his pocket, tucked his hands into his pockets, and began to walk along the path, whistling a tune as he went.
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[End of Chapter]