senior
Once everyone had arrived, the shuttle bus started moving. Seeing that there was no empty seat next to Yu Xi, Meng Chou turned around and pointed to his phone.
Yu Xi immediately took out her phone from her bag, and the moment she turned on the screen, she saw a message from Meng Chou.
San Sui: [Is the senior handsome? I keep staring at him.]
Yu Xi sent him a meme of a pitiful little dog crying, and he replied immediately.
Yu Mi: [Oh, we're just admiring a handsome guy, don't be so nervous.]
San Sui: [Really? Isn't one of me enough for Little Fish?]
Seeing him ask that, Yu Xi smiled and decided to tease him. She typed a reply, while Meng Chou on the other end kept staring at the "typing" message on the screen, wondering what kind of explanation she would give him.
He admitted that his love was selfish, wishing he could lock Yu Xi up and only see him every day, so that she would no longer smile at them, and that she would only have eyes for him and only look at him.
Ideally, she would obediently put the collar around her neck, hand over the chain and key to him, and spend every day in close proximity to him.
These crazy, censored things had never once crossed his mind, but when he faced Yu Xi, he couldn't bear to leave her.
This contradiction tormented and troubled Meng Chou.
He was so afraid of losing it that he wanted to hold onto all the love tightly, but the next message Yu Xi sent made a shadow of sadness cross his eyes.
Yu Mi: [Adults don't make choices. If I could, I'd want them all. Who doesn't like handsome guys? I just made the mistake every woman makes: I just wanted to give you all a home.]
Meng Chou knew that this was just a joke the little rabbit was making to tease him, but he was the kind of person who would take a joke seriously, which was undoubtedly a blatant provocation.
[If that's really what Little Fish thinks, then I'll take you away to an island where it's just the two of us, lock you up, and make sure you only see me and stay with me every day.]
Yu Xi was surprised that he would post these things outside. Her cheeks flushed red instantly. She hurriedly turned off her phone and pretended that nothing had happened, tidying up the stray hairs by her ears.
People always seem very busy when they're in an awkward situation, and that's absolutely true.
"What are you talking about with your boyfriend? He's making our Xiaoyu blush and her heart race." Her roommate leaned closer to her and nudged her shoulder.
Yu Xi feigned composure and said, "No."
Suddenly, she realized, "How did you know I was chatting with him?"
The roommate raised his chin and nodded toward Meng Chou's seat, "Look, he's even opening his chat interface to greet us."
A sense of unease spread from her spine to her forehead. Yu Xi tilted her head slightly and saw Meng Chou holding up their chat interface triumphantly, waving in their direction.
Yu Xi hurriedly pointed to his phone, indicating that it was not turned off and the chat interface was exposed to the public.
Fortunately, the boy sitting next to him had his head resting on the seat, wearing headphones and listening to music while sleeping, and did not notice their chat history.
The scene looked like someone caught cheating; Yu Xi picked up her handbag and held it in front of her face, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground right then and there.
How could such a private matter be exposed to the public?
"Oh~, Little Fish is shy."
"I'm so full from eating dog food today."
"How wonderful! Look how Mengchou brings you bags and bags of things when you go out to play."
The three roommates were joking around, one after another. Yu Xi quickly changed the subject, put down her handbag, and decided to ignore Meng Chou.
She asked, "Why is Senior Huai En with us on camping today?"
"It seems that their class's shuttle bus was full, and since we had some empty seats here, Senior Huai En came over here."
"Why haven't you saved a seat for the top student yet?"
"He's a cool and aloof academic genius. Everyone thought he wouldn't come to the group camping trip, but he actually did."
"It's a feast for the eyes to have the opportunity to go out with handsome guys."
Ji Huaien has always been a man of few words and prefers to be alone. Aside from attending classes, he spends his time in the library, always by himself. He rejects all suitors, and his aloof and ascetic demeanor makes people want to possess him, to hold him in their hands, and to admire and play with him.
Yu Xi nodded in agreement. She didn't have much of an impression of this aloof senior, having only seen him once from afar in the library, so she was particularly curious about him.
The bus drove from the smooth asphalt road onto a slightly rugged mountain path. The scenery along the way changed from high-rise buildings to rolling hills, with lush green tea trees distributed in an orderly terraced pattern. Many tea pickers wore bamboo baskets and bent over to pick tea.
The bitter aroma of tea wafted in as Yu Xi opened the car window, and she felt the long-lost sense of freedom, embracing the evening breeze.
At this moment, the orange-red sunset hangs halfway on the hillside, bathing half the sky in crimson, and the fiery clouds spread out in patches, with golden light mixed with light purple, creating a dreamlike scene like a landscape painting.
Smoke rose from the farmhouses at the foot of the mountain, white plumes of smoke drifting out of the chimneys and meeting the sunset.
The bus passed through the village. It was only six o'clock in the evening. Unlike the bustling night market in the city, the village was quiet except for the occasional bark of a dog. A few elderly people sat on both sides of the road enjoying the cool air.
They cast curious glances at the bus as it drove by.
Yu Xi felt a special warmth in this scene, and the comfortable environment gradually relaxed her heart.
The car stopped in front of a clear meadow. A clear river flowed about 50 meters away. The professor instructed those getting off the bus, "Students, please be careful during the camping trip. Meet in front of the shuttle bus at 9:30 PM. The class monitor will take attendance and check the number of people. Don't wander too far, watch out for mosquito bites, and go to the river in groups to fetch water..."
Yu Xi listened blankly as he gave instructions over and over again until he said "Dismissed." Then she grabbed Meng Chou and ran towards the green open space ahead, taking out the tent on her own.
"Quick, we've discussed it in our dorm. They're preparing food and firewood, and I'll be in charge of setting up the tent." Yu Xi hurriedly took out the tent body and accessories, and she frantically spread out the tent and opened the tent legs.
Seeing this, Meng Chou hurried over to lend her a hand, tilting his head and asking, "Little Yu, why are you in such a hurry to set up the tent? What are you going to do later?"
Sure enough, nothing could be hidden from him.
Yu Xi took out a glass bottle and a butterfly net from her backpack and looked at him excitedly, "Of course we're going to catch fireflies! I've never seen fireflies before, but I heard there are some at the foot of this mountain."
"It's getting dark now, and I want to set up the tent as soon as possible so I can go catch fireflies."
As Meng Chou listened to her, he spotted Yu Xi, his roommate, in the crowd. Yu Xi was also in a hurry to gather firewood and wash vegetables.
The three of them were just as hurried as Yu Xi was when he put all his effort into setting up the tent. He shook his head and laughed, "Little Fish, go catch fireflies. I'll take care of things here."
"Really?" She had been waiting for Meng Chou to say this, but she was too embarrassed to ask him to stay and help her with the work directly, so she resorted to gently persuading him.
She immediately shoved the un-hammered ground spikes into his hand, got up, picked up the butterfly net and glass bottle, ran to Meng Chou's side, bent down and kissed him on the cheek, and whispered, "Then I'll leave this place to you. I'll go with them first."
She finished speaking and ran off with a laugh. Meng Chou watched her energetic figure disappear into the distance, completely unaware of the upturned corners of his mouth. He muttered to himself, "This little reward isn't enough."
A distance away, Yu Xi was only concerned with walking towards the riverbank not far away, supporting each other's arms. She didn't hear what Meng Chou said before leaving, nor did she notice the burning gaze fixed on her back. He was busy with his work, but his mind was still on her.
Fireflies are accustomed to living in clear water and are environmental indicator animals.
As night fell and the surroundings gradually darkened, tiny specks of firelight lit up the grass by the river, sometimes gathering together, sometimes scattering and flying into the air.
Looking at the fireflies dancing in the sky, one of the roommates shouted and ran away, "It's so beautiful! I've never seen so many fireflies before."
"Come take a picture!"
Yu Xi replied, "Coming."
Today, she specially wore a white strapless dress that she had prepared a long time ago. She got up early in the morning to curl her hair with a curling iron. As fireflies danced in the evening, her skirt fluttered with her graceful steps, making her look like a fairy who had fallen to earth.
"Little Fish, don't move, just like this, it's absolutely gorgeous." She picked up her camera and pressed the shutter, her movements so fast that Yu Xi didn't even have time to react. The latter ran to her side and looked down at the photos she had taken.
Her hair fluttered in the wind, and as she reached out to touch it, a firefly landed right on her fingertip. Her white dress swayed in the wind like a blooming lily.
"These photos are so beautiful, thank you Bao'er, they're really great." Yu Xi happily hugged her.
After taking a few photos, the group caught some fireflies and put them in a glass bottle. They sat by the river, enjoying the night view. A gentle breeze carried away the day's heat, and the water reflected the bright moon and twinkling stars. The chirping of crickets came from the grass. It was very quiet and indescribably pleasant.
Fish would occasionally leap out of the water to breathe, causing the group to exclaim in surprise as they followed the ripples in the water, trying to find the fish that had just jumped out.
"I've never had an experience like this before," Yu Xi remarked.
"Yes, we live in high-rise buildings made of reinforced concrete, where can we see such beautiful scenery?"
"It's so therapeutic; people should live this kind of slow-paced life."
"When I was a child, what I looked forward to most was going back to my hometown during winter and summer vacations and spending my days catching fish and shrimp. Now, it's just a childhood memory that I can never go back to."
The four were chatting leisurely when Yu Xi vaguely heard rustling sounds coming from the bushes not far behind her. She cautiously turned around and looked in the direction of the sound.
It was pitch black all around. The wind had stopped, and the grass was swaying noticeably. In the empty, boundless darkness, it seemed as if a monster might jump out at any moment.
Yu Xi tugged at the sleeve of the person next to her and whispered in her ear, "I think I heard a sound coming from the bushes behind me. Could there be something in there?"
After hearing this, her roommate slowly turned her head and looked in the direction she was looking. Sure enough, the grass was swaying slightly. She nervously swallowed, "It really seems to be moving. Could it be a small animal from the woods nearby?"
What are you two looking at?
Yu Xi pointed to the bushes and said, "There's movement."
"There's a ghost!" one of them said abruptly, turning on his flashlight and shining it on his face, rolling his eyes to scare the three of them.
"Ah—" The frightened people hurriedly pulled each other to their feet and retreated to a distance of one meter from her.
The victor laughed wildly, "Hahahaha, look how scared you guys are! There are no ghosts in this world!"
As she spoke, the sound coming from the bushes stopped, and a pair of white canvas shoes stepped out, revealing a tall and slender figure against the moonlight.
“There really is a ghost.” A person pointed tremblingly at the bushes behind her and said in a shaky voice.
She didn't believe the three of them at all, spreading her hands and saying, "That's such an old-fashioned way to scare people. How could there be a ghost behind me..."
Before she could finish speaking, she turned her head and was so frightened by the figure that appeared in the shadows that she fainted.
Yu Xi quickly stepped forward, grabbed her with one hand, and turned on the flashlight with the other, waving it at the figure. "You... don't come any closer."
"What are you all doing here?" Ji Huai'en asked, holding a bouquet of hibiscus flowers as he slowly approached the group.
After seeing who it was, Yu Xi and the others breathed a sigh of relief, patted their chests, and asked, "Senior, what are you doing here?"
"There wasn't a glimmer of light, but we heard rustling sounds over there. We thought we'd run into something, but it turned out to be you."
Ji Huaien explained unhurriedly, "I came to pick some hibiscus flowers to use for dyeing fabrics."
"Then why don't you use a light to pick them? It's so dark, how can you see them?"
Yu Xi nodded, "That's really scary."
Ji Huaien said calmly, "My phone just fell and won't turn on, so I can't use the flashlight, but I still have to pick the flowers today."
"This senior student really has the spirit to work hard and conduct research."
"Oh, I see. What a relief."
Yu Xi put her roommate's arm around her neck and led her back.
"Go back quickly." As she spoke, she heard Ji Huai'en behind her say, "Was she frightened unconscious by my sudden appearance?"
Yu Xi nodded, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "It's too dark, and then someone suddenly popped out."
"I'll carry her on my back. You hold these hibiscus flowers for me." Ji Huai'en handed the flowers to her without giving her a chance to speak, and then pulled the person next to her up with one hand, nimbly carrying her on his back.
The other two roommates even cast envious glances at the person on his back, silently saying to Yu Xi, "If I had known, I would have fainted too, and then I would have been able to have Huai En carry me."
"No, you're too heavy. Be careful not to tire your senior out."
"Get out of here."
The two of them playfully ran towards the direction of their class's campsite.
Yu Xi watched them communicate with their eyes and expressions, and roughly guessed what they were saying. She couldn't help but chuckle.
She walked side by side with Ji Huaien, turning on her flashlight to light his way. The two remained silent the whole way. Several times, Yu Xi secretly glanced at this aloof academic genius, just as his classmates said. He didn't like to talk, but he was quite responsible. He had scared someone into fainting, so he carried the person back himself.
The moonlight shone on him, the faint light highlighting his handsome profile. His high, straight nose cast a shadow, and his sword-like eyebrows were faintly visible beneath the wispy hair on his forehead. His face had a strong bone structure, as if it naturally exuded an aura of detachment and indifference.
Yu Xi unconsciously compared her height to his with her hand and exclaimed, "He's so tall!"
Then she saw a faint smile appear on Ji Huai'en's lips, which lasted only a moment.
“You smiled. I’ve never seen you smile before.”
Ji Huai'en coughed lightly and said dismissively, "Really? I've never paid attention to these things."
Yu Xi nodded. "Yes, this is the first time I've seen you smile."
"You look beautiful when you smile, you should smile more, be happier, and you'll have fewer worries."
"Hmm." Ji Huaien replied sparingly, then continued in her clear, magnetic voice, "Do you like hibiscus flowers? They can dye fabric a pinkish-purple color, a very pretty pinkish-purple."
Yu Xi looked down at the flowers she was holding. The pink and purple petals were in full bloom, and there was no reason not to like them.
"Yes, I love it. These flowers are blooming so beautifully, there's no reason not to love them."
As they were speaking, a light appeared ahead. Yu Xi looked closely and saw Meng Chou running quickly toward her.
"How are you? Did you bump into anything? I heard from your roommate that someone fainted. Are you alright?"
Yu Xi tiptoed and reached out to rub his head. "I'm fine. The one who fainted wasn't me, it was her."
She pointed to the person on Ji Huai'en's back, then pulled Meng Chou forward, saying, "I'm fine, don't worry about me."
"Luckily it was my senior who showed up, otherwise I wouldn't know how to take her back."
Meng Chou, who rushed over, then noticed that the person standing next to Yu Xi was Ji Huai'en. Yu Xi had been staring at him in the car that morning, which made Meng Chou wary of him. Now that he was at the river where Yu Xi and the others were catching fireflies, this coincidence made him even more suspicious.
"Senior, you're going to the river so late, are you going to catch fireflies too?"
Ji Huaien said without much emotion, "We're picking hibiscus flowers; we need them to dye fabric."
Immediately, Meng Chou bluntly exposed his words, "But I remember there were no hibiscus flowers by the river at all. These flowers all bloom by the roadside. Why would you be picking flowers there?"
After saying that, Yu Xi looked up at him with some confusion.
Before dusk fell, the group arrived at the riverbank. She remembered that she had never seen any flowers blooming in this area on her way here.
Why did Ji Huaien lie to her?
So, what exactly is he going to do by the river?
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