"Sister Huan, thank you for coming in and helping me out of this predicament." Sima Chu pushed a plate of fried rice in front of Qi Huan. "I'm sorry, Sister Huan, this is all I can afford right now." After saying that, Sima Chu looked at Qi Huan with an embarrassed smile.
"I really like fried rice." Qi Huan grabbed a spoon and scooped a large spoonful of rice into her mouth.
"Sister Huan, actually..." When Sima Chu saw Qi Huan's appearance, tears streamed down his face, and he hesitated to speak.
"Xiao Chu, in my memory you're not someone who cries so easily." Qi Huan smiled at Sima Chu, handed her a tissue, and let Sima Chu wipe away her tears.
Sima Chu calmed himself down, his fried rice untouched. Finally, he spoke again, "Sister Huan, I did take that money."
After hearing Sima Chu's words, Qi Huan paused briefly in her work, then simply smiled and shook her head before continuing to eat the fried rice in front of her.
Seeing that Qi Huan remained silent, Sima Chu looked at her with suspicion. "Sister Huan, do you feel like you've been deceived?"
Qi Huan shook her head again and put down her spoon. "Xiao Chu, actually I overheard your conversation outside the classroom before I went in. Although I don't know who took the money, calling the police isn't a good idea. So I decided to play the bad guy."
"Now you know I took the money, aren't you angry?" Sima Chu glanced at Qi Huan somewhat timidly.
Qi Huan didn't answer, but just shook her head twice.
"Aren't you going to ask why I need that money?" Sima Chu pressed.
Qi Huan simply smiled and shook her head again.
"Sister Huan, thank you. However, there's something I need to make clear." After saying this, Sima Chu paused and took a bite of fried rice. "I really only took five hundred yuan, not a thousand. Because my brother is sick again, my family really has no money left."
Upon hearing this, Qi Huan's spoon froze in mid-air. "Five hundred yuan? Then the remaining five hundred yuan..." Qi Huan glanced at Sima Chu in surprise, then fell into deep thought.
Sima Chu could only shake his head helplessly. The saga of the theft officially came to an end.
Ling Zixuan's talent was not only showcased during the theft incident, but also frequently praised throughout his university life. Han Lin, a person very concerned about his image, slowly harbored jealousy towards Ling Zixuan. Meanwhile, Qi Huan remained the goddess in the eyes of her male classmates. Han Lin once boasted to his roommates that he would definitely win Qi Huan's heart. And he indeed took action.
The night before the sophomore year final exams, Han Lin somehow found out that Qi Huan would be studying in her dorm that night. As darkness fell, the girls' dormitory building was still bustling with people. The air was thick with the humidity and heat of summer, and it looked like a downpour was imminent.
Just then, Han Lin's roommates appeared downstairs at the girls' dormitory, carrying large and small bags. Many girls who knew them asked what they were doing, but the boys only said it was a secret. The bags mostly contained candles and fireworks. Taking advantage of the darkness, the boys began arranging the candles on the ground. They had a little trick up their sleeve, deliberately choosing a dimly lit spot so that no one could easily spot the patterns they were displaying. But until now, Han Lin hadn't shown up.
About half an hour later, the candles on the ground were neatly arranged. Several boys exchanged glances, each pulling a lighter from their pockets, and quickly lit all the candles. More and more people gathered around, and as the candles were lit one after another, the shape formed by the flames gradually became clear. The outer candles formed a large heart shape, and on the left half of the heart, the candles formed the character "齐" (qí, meaning "uniform" or "even"). And on the right half, naturally, was the character "欢" (huān, meaning "joy" or "happiness").
The candles formed a large circle, illuminating almost the entire open space. Gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd. Some girls even tugged at their boyfriends' sleeves, saying, "Look at that guy's boyfriend!"
After lighting the candles, the boys waved goodbye, quickly packed up their things, and left. While everyone was still admiring the candles scattered on the ground, the female protagonist soon appeared. Qi Huan was led by a strange girl to the candles. Qi Huan looked at the candles, frowned slightly, then glanced at the crowd, standing there in astonishment.
Just then, the sound of a violin rang out from behind the crowd. Everyone's attention was drawn to the music. The violinist was one of Han Lin's roommates. Most people in this university possessed unique talents, and most were at least somewhat proficient in various instruments like the sheng, xiao, qin, and dizi.
Just as everyone was still immersed in the violin music, the sound of a flute suddenly filled the air. The two talented roommates, Han Lin and his friend, blended Eastern and Western instruments perfectly. Standing by candlelight in the summer night, listening to the birdsong and cicada chirps, everyone was captivated. Only Qi Huan, upon seeing the performers, became even more serious.
The protagonist finally made his entrance. Han Lin, dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt, bow tie, dress pants, and gleaming leather shoes, braved the sweltering heat to make his grand entrance. The music was merely a prelude; Han Lin was the real star. He sang a niche English song with perfect enunciation as he slowly walked towards Qi Huan. Just as he reached Qi Huan, he finished the song. At that moment, Han Lin brought his right hand, which had been hidden behind his back, to his front, holding a large bouquet of red roses.
Han Lin knelt on one knee, held the flowers in front of Qi Huan, and said gently, "Be my girlfriend."
Qi Huan glanced at Han Lin, then at the flowers in his hand, and remained silent for a long time. The crowd could no longer contain their excitement; besides gasps of surprise, many onlookers shouted, "Say yes! Say yes!" To the uninitiated, it would seem as if Han Lin was proposing.
Qi Huan took a deep breath, then shook her head in front of everyone and said bluntly, "I refuse."
The surprise and cheers from everyone fell silent the moment Qi Huan finished speaking those few words. The violin and flute music stopped, the cheers ceased, and even the birdsong and cicada chirping seemed to have stopped. Only Han Lin remained calm and composed.
"Can you give me a reason? Are you not ready yet? I can wait." Han Lin still held up the rose, expressing his wishes gently.
Qi Huan shook her head again. "Because I don't like roses, I only like him." As she spoke, Qi Huan pointed to someone in the crowd.
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