University extra (2)
After ripping off Xu Jianing at the cafeteria, Wen Sheng let out a satisfied burp and, like a lord, ordered, "Little Xu, take me back to my dorm."
Xu Jianing hummed in agreement and casually slung her bag over her shoulder.
She was waiting for him to lead the way to where the bicycles were parked, but instead he took her hand and led her towards the school path.
“I don’t remember the bicycle being there,” she reminded her.
"No rush, let me show you around the campus to help you digest your food." Xu Jianing led her deeper into the campus.
This route wasn't something he came up with on a whim; it was planned long ago. He considered which route was the shortest, which had the best scenery, which was less crowded, and which was best for a clandestine kiss or a public one.
These were routes he had walked countless times on his own during his freshman year of college, writing them down in his notebook and constantly drawing lines to modify them—routes unique to the two of them.
During my freshman year, when I walked through this campus alone, I often thought: if she were with me, I would definitely take her along this path and then kiss her.
This time, I finally got what I wanted.
After being kissed, Wen Sheng instinctively looked around, afraid someone would see her. Fortunately, there were few people on the road, and tall sycamore trees provided shade.
“This road has a name, Lovers’ Road,” Xu Jianing suddenly said.
Lovers' Road?
"Hmm." He nodded, and said in a serious tone, "There's a legend at the Capital University that every couple who walks this road has to kiss before they can pass."
At this point, he stopped, leaned down slightly, his cheek level with her lips, a smile playing on his lips, and pointed with his finger.
Wen Sheng's alarm went off. He took a half step back, ready to turn and run, but his hand was firmly held by the other party.
"Why are you running?" Xu Jianing chuckled softly.
Wen Sheng gave up resisting.
She actually enjoyed kissing him because he always made her feel very comfortable, giving her a tingling and numb sensation each time, but she always felt a little resentful.
Why is it that he always strikes first?!
She used her free hand to gently turn Xu Jianing's head back to its normal position, then gave him a hard kiss on the lips.
"Pop—"
A crisp sound.
Xu Jianing nodded in satisfaction. Just when he thought she would lower her head in embarrassment and was about to coax her, she suddenly pushed him hard, sending him to the side of the sycamore tree.
The leaves rustled down, and he was forced to lean against the tree trunk. Before he could react, she stepped closer, grabbed his shirt, and forcefully pulled him down.
Then he leaned in and kissed her fiercely.
This time, it was Xu Jianing's turn to be stunned; she hadn't expected her to turn the tables so quickly.
Xu Jianing let her run wild, relaxed her body, and took the opportunity to reach out and put her arm around her waist, pulling her closer, tacitly allowing her to take the lead.
"How was it! My skills weren't bad, were they?" Wen Sheng asked, panting, with her head tilted back.
Xu Jianing slowly raised his hand and touched a spot on his neck, rubbing the red mark repeatedly, and sincerely said, "Hmm, very impressive."
Wen Sheng followed his movement and looked over, only to find that she had involuntarily left a faint red mark on his fair skin.
Her face flushed instantly, and she frantically waved her hands, explaining, "I...I didn't mean to."
Xu Jianing raised an eyebrow, slowly straightened her collar, and sighed dramatically: "Yeah, I know... but if others saw this, they would probably think I was bullied and the other party wasn't taking responsibility."
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What's with this act of a respectable young man having his innocence stolen? Is this reasonable?
Wen Sheng took a half step back, crossed her arms, speechless that she had become the villain who started something and then abandoned it.
"Xu Jianing, stop pretending!" She couldn't take it anymore and glared at him with her hands on her hips.
"I wasn't faking it. The marks on my neck are real; they're evidence."
He still looked like a virtuous young man who had been robbed, and after speaking, he pinched the mark with his hand to make it more obvious.
Wen Sheng laughed, speechless. "Fine, then you can leave a mark on my neck too, and we'll be even."
Xu Jianing was leaning against the tree, pretending to be well-behaved, but her eyes lit up when she heard those words.
"So I can do it too?!"
Before she could answer, he leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Then I won't be polite."
*
Capital University, occupying thousands of acres in the heart of the city where land is incredibly valuable, boasts a long history. Its east and west gates are several miles apart. The campus roads are straight and wide, lined with sycamore and willow trees, providing lush green shade in summer and turning golden hues in autumn.
“This is the Science Building,” Xu Jianing pointed to a row of red brick buildings in front of him and introduced, “The laboratories are all inside, and the equipment is very complete. Every night, this building is the last to turn off its lights.”
He turned around, wanting to take Wen Sheng's hand, but she snorted, put her hands in her pockets, raised her chin, and walked beside him, sulking the whole time.
Xu Jianing's outstretched hand fell to nothing, and he could only awkwardly withdraw it, returning to his role as a tour guide.
“The School of Foreign Languages is over there,” he said, pointing to a gray-white teaching building not far away. “Your English major teachers are very strict, especially for the interpreting exam, where the failure rate is very high.”
Is it really that exaggerated?
"Yes, and you have a lot of impromptu speeches and presentations. The teachers like to call on students randomly, so there's no time to prepare. The classes are all taught in English."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Wen Sheng interrupted him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "How did you know I applied for English? I don't remember telling you."
Xu Jianing said calmly, "Didn't you tell me after the English speech contest that you wanted to major in English?"
"Did I say that?" She frowned as she tried to recall, but it had been so long ago. The speech contest was in her first year of high school, and she only remembered that they said the city's high school also had a locust tree.
Wen Sheng glanced at him, feeling that something was off, but his affirmative answer made her feel guilty, wondering if she had forgotten.
“Then I might have actually said it…” she muttered to herself.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jianing's smile vanished in an instant, quickly returning to its cool and indifferent demeanor.
Actually, he had asked friends and senior students to help him find out after he saw her report yesterday. He memorized her department, course schedule, and classroom address.
After receiving her class schedule last night, he even copied it down with paper and pen, carefully studying which class was in which building, and when she was most likely to be too busy, marking "Do not disturb" in red; if she didn't have time to go to the cafeteria for meals, he marked "Bring her food" in blue; if he had free time, he would write it down and create opportunities to bump into her.
After all, he had already used this move very skillfully when he was in the warehouse.
They walked further in until they reached the library. Of course, Xu Jianing still didn't manage to hold Wen Sheng's hand.
The library stands majestically on the central axis of the campus, with a gilded school emblem hanging above its main entrance. Several students carrying backpacks went in, while others came out carrying thick stacks of books.
"This is the largest library in the school. It has five floors and a million books. The third floor has the most complete collection of foreign language materials. You'll probably be going here every day from now on."
He paused, then added, "Actually, there are several branch libraries on campus. The science and engineering branch library is next to the building we just saw, and it mainly houses scientific journals and research papers; the literature and history branch library is closest to your foreign language college, and it has a relatively complete collection of classic books and reference books; there is also a small but exquisite art branch library, which has a nice environment and is often used by people to study."
“Then I’ll go to the branch library near the Foreign Languages Institute often!” Wen Sheng said happily.
"Yes, but the third floor of this main building has the most foreign language materials, so I guess I'll have to come here to find the documents."
Looking up at the solemn and majestic building, Wen Sheng exclaimed, "It's so big..."
Heavy stone pillars, an old-fashioned wooden door, a lamp with a green lampshade, and a dark red table.
She could even imagine herself sitting at a long table by the window, with an Oxford dictionary open beside her, and across from her... probably sitting the person in front of her again.
"It is quite big, but during finals week, you can't find a single seat. Many people sit on the floor to study. Although I have never stayed up all night to study, my roommate often gets up at five in the morning to queue up for a seat."
"This is quite far from the dormitory, isn't it? It takes half an hour to walk here?" Wen Sheng found it somewhat unbelievable.
"Pretty much. So they have to get up at four or five in the morning, bring their water bottles or books, put them on the table to reserve a seat, and then go back to the cafeteria for breakfast. If they come late, they can only sit on the floor in the corridor," Xu Jianing said.
"And what about you? Do you also have to get up early to reserve a seat during finals week?" Wen Sheng asked curiously.
"I won't be here during finals week."
"Huh? Why? Are you so confident that you don't need to study anymore?"
“I needed to study. But everyone went to the library then, so the dorm was empty. It was much quieter to be alone than here, and I could spread out my books and take up two tables,” Xu Jianing explained.
"I still prefer studying in the library. I feel sleepy as soon as I see a bed." Wen Sheng shook her head, feeling that her study style was completely different from his and that she couldn't blindly follow his lead.
"Then I'll go too."
She looked up in surprise: "Huh? Didn't you think there were too many people?"
“Things are different now. Now I have a mission, and occupying two positions is my mission.”
Wen Sheng: "..."
"And I also have a bicycle," Xu Jianing continued, adding to the temptation. "I can also pick you up from get out of class and take you to the library every day."
Wen Sheng rolled her eyes at him and said in a low voice, "Xu Jianing, you are not allowed to come to see me often at school. You should keep a low profile and it would be best if... it would be best if you pretended not to know me."
"Sure," he readily agreed without the slightest hesitation.
She was taken aback, not expecting him to agree so readily, and looked at him suspiciously: "Really?"
"Well, from now on, we're strangers. We'll keep to ourselves and not interfere with each other," Xu Jianing said with a smile.
Wen Sheng felt like he had shot himself in the foot, and as he was about to find a way to back down, he suddenly heard him say:
"Could I, a stranger, give you a ride back to your dorm every morning and evening? Could I save you a seat? Could I buy you plum juice at the cafeteria?"
As he spoke, he moved closer and, taking advantage of her inattention, pulled her hand out of her pocket and took it.
"Strangers can hold hands and kiss, right?"
"Who wants to kiss a stranger?!" Wen Sheng tried to shake off his hand, but couldn't break free.
Xu Jianing laughed and said, "Then let's quickly upgrade our relationship, otherwise I'll really become a stranger who takes advantage of you. No, it's you, the stranger, who takes advantage of me."
He touched the red mark on his neck and deliberately tilted his head so that the other person could see it more clearly.
"Now only I have evidence, and you don't. There's nothing I can do about it; who told you to run away so fast just now? You didn't give me a chance."
Wen Sheng: "..."
She thought to herself, this must be the embodiment of "hitting the target from behind".
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