Another Possibility
Another Possibility
In early September, on the first day of enrollment at Ningchuan University, Yan Zhen fell in love at first sight with a man named Chen Huaixu.
The origin of the matter is simple.
Yan Zhen's brother, Yan Zhao, is a graduate student at Ningchuan University. Seeing that his sister is about to become a freshman, he took on the responsibility of taking care of her at Yan's mother's behest. On the first day of school, he asked a roommate to help Yan Zhen move her luggage.
That roommate was Chen Huaixu.
He was tall, wearing a black T-shirt and trousers, standing tall and straight. He had beautiful features, but a cold expression and didn't like to talk. He would occasionally respond to Yan Zhao with an "um" and never even glanced at Yan Zhen.
But even so, next to the tree with slightly yellow leaves downstairs of the dormitory building, the freshmen around were sweating profusely as they carried things up and down the stairs. In the absence of any romantic atmosphere, Yan Zhen's heart was instantly struck, beating wildly out of control, and he was even half a beat late in opening his mouth to greet them.
Realizing her own loss of composure, she immediately turned sideways to hide her overly naked gaze, lowered her head and touched her cheek, which was burning hot.
The late summer heat still lingered. She lived on the third floor, and two boys carried her heavy suitcase up the dormitory stairs. Their T-shirts were soaked with sweat, leaving large dark marks on the back.
Yan Zhen followed empty-handed, staring blankly at Chen Huaixu's profile and the ends of his black hair, which were slightly damp with sweat. She pursed her lips with a blush and said, "How about I help?"
"No," Chen Huaixu replied briefly, switching the suitcase to his other hand. "It's very hot. You don't need to climb the stairs with me. Just wait in the dormitory."
When facing someone you like, you are always at a loss at first. Yan Zhen followed him, but couldn't find any topics to talk about. She had no choice but to return to the dormitory in disappointment, racking her brains to think about how to start the conversation next.
When they finished moving, she finally thought of something to say. She took out a tissue to wipe their sweat and handed it to Yan Zhao and Chen Huaixu, saying, "Thank you for your hard work. How about I treat you to a cup of coffee?"
"Thank you, but I won't go." Chen Huaixu replied politely and said to Yan Zhao, "I'm going back to the dormitory to take a shower and change clothes. I have to go to the tutor's office later."
Yan Zhao nodded, and Chen Huaixu turned and walked out the door. Yan Zhen didn't want him to leave so early, so she subconsciously called him. He paused, tilted his head slightly, and looked at her calmly with his inky black eyes.
Her heart beat faster.
Yan Zhen held her phone, her palms sweating with nervousness. She walked forward, cleared her throat, and tried to find an excuse: "Add WeChat. When you're free, I'll invite you in private and thank you properly."
Chen Huaixu's eyes swept over her red ears, then glanced at Yan Zhao, who shrugged his shoulders, looking clueless. He thought for a moment and decided it would be better to explain clearly and not raise unnecessary expectations. "No need, it's just a small favor."
After saying that, he turned around swiftly and quickly disappeared from Yan Zhen's sight.
Yan Zhao dragged a chair over and sat down casually. The dormitory hallway was cramped, and he had nowhere to rest his long legs, so he could only cross them. He casually picked up the small doll Yan Zhen had brought and played with it carefully.
He raised his head and saw his sister still standing there, staring blankly at the direction Chen Huaixu left. He leaned forward, gently pulled the end of her hair, and said, "Are you stupid?"
Yan Zhen, who had been lost in thought, was brought back to consciousness by this. He turned around and asked directly, "Brother, does he have a girlfriend?"
Yan Zhao found it a little funny and replied, "You just met him for the first time and don't know anything about him except his name, and you want to pursue him?"
"Yes," Yan Zhen said confidently, "Is there any problem?"
Yan Zhao put the doll back on the table and said slowly, "He doesn't have a girlfriend."
Yan Zhen's eyes suddenly lit up.
"But I advise you to give up as soon as possible. There are many girls chasing after him, but none of them succeeded." Yan Zhao looked at her and said, "You probably aren't his type either."
Yan Zhen had never failed to get what she wanted since she was a child. When she heard Yan Zhao's words, a feeling of unwillingness to accept the outcome instantly surged in her heart.
"I've decided. I'm going to win over Chen Huaixu." She raised her chin and declared slowly and clearly, "Just wait and see."
The first days of school were the busiest. With all the ceremonies, activities, and lectures, Yan Zhen was completely overwhelmed. Finally, two weeks later, she finally got to see Chen Huaixu again as she had hoped.
This time, to celebrate winning the award in the business competition, Yan Zhao and Chen Huaixu went out for dinner and also invited Yan Zhen and their friend Lu Jingxuan from a different major.
It was almost evening when four people walked out of the school gate and headed towards the commercial street in the dim light.
Yan Zhen spent an hour getting dressed today, wearing a white off-the-shoulder dress with a cinch waist and small high heels. Because she was so formal, her roommates even teased her that she was going on a date.
It doesn't make any difference, she thought with some joy.
Although there were only four of them, Yan Zhao still booked a private room. Yan Zhen chose the seat next to Chen Huaixu and slowly sat down, holding the hem of her skirt.
She sprayed perfume, the scent wasn't strong, but rather light and refreshing, slowly spreading through the air around her. For a moment, Chen Huaixu's nose was filled with her fragrance.
He never liked being exposed to unfamiliar smells, but this time he didn't say anything. He just held the turntable and turned the menu in front of Yan Zhen, saying politely, "Order."
Yan Zhen took it, lowered her head and flipped through the menu, seemingly asking casually if everyone had any food taboos, and then made a mental note of Chen Huaixu's preferences.
She swore that she had never been so attentive to Yan Zhao.
The waiter first brought two bottles of wine, and Yan Zhen also asked for a drink. Chen Huaixu stood up, poured a little into her high-heeled glass, and handed it to her.
Yan Zhen was concentrating on looking at the menu. She reached out to take it but accidentally touched his slender fingers.
She was stunned for a moment.
The touching skin generated a tingling electric current that flowed along the fingertips and quickly spread throughout the body.
She shrank back as if she had been electrocuted, even her ears turned red. It seemed as if her fingertips still had the touch of his skin, hot as fire, repeatedly burning her sanity.
She hid her hand under the table, covered the small piece of skin that had just touched him with her palm, and then began to regret it.
If only we could stay a little longer.
During the dinner, Chen Huaixu got up to go to the bathroom.
Lu Jingxuan noticed that Yan Zhen's eyes were glued to Chen Huaixu's back. He raised his wine glass to his lips and jokingly said, "Does he have any money on him? You keep staring at him."
Yan Zhen said very bluntly: "I want to pursue him."
"Poof——" Lu Jingxuan, who was drinking, spat out the wine.
Yan Zhao moved his chair aside in disdain, pulled out a few tissues and threw them to him, saying, "Can you be a little more capable?"
Lu Jingxuan wiped his mouth and said incredulously, "Sister, have you drunk too much? How many times have you met?"
"Today is the second time." Yan Zhen answered honestly.
Lu Jingxuan said earnestly, "Brother, let me advise you. Chen Huaixu is a heartless bastard. Don't be fooled by his appearance. Countless beautiful girls have been driven to tears by his icy appearance. We have all the good men we can't get. He doesn't deserve it."
"I'm different." Yan Zhen retorted.
"What's the difference?"
Yan Zhen hesitated for a long time without being able to explain clearly. Then, anxiously slamming the table, he stood up and raised his voice: "Believe it or not, one month. Give me one month, and I will definitely take down Chen Huaixu!"
Yan Zhao didn't say anything, just looked at her and smiled.
"Really?" A cold voice sounded behind him. Yan Zhen turned around in shock and saw Chen Huaixu coming back for some unknown reason and appearing behind him.
He looked at her calmly: "Then I'll wait and see."
Since her true feelings were heard by the person herself, Yan Zhen simply gave up and started chasing the person without any concealment.
During the public class on Monday, the students in the classroom keenly noticed that there was a beautiful woman sitting next to Chen Huaixu whom they had never seen before.
There were whispers all around, but Yan Zhen didn't care.
Chen Huaixu asked: "Where did you get my class schedule?"
"It's not yours, it's my brother's." Yan Zhen smiled slyly, "He just happened to tell me which classes he took with you."
"That's perfect," he said calmly, pushing the notebook on the table in front of her. "Since you're his sister, you can take notes for him in this class."
"Ah?" Yan Zhen didn't react for a moment and looked around, "Where's my brother?"
"I skipped class and went on a date." Chen Huaixu glanced at her indifferently, "He's your brother, you don't even care whether he comes or not?"
Yan Zhen muttered: "I don't care about him, I'm here for you."
Chen Huaixu pretended not to hear, took out the computer from his bag, turned it on, and his handsome face was reflected on the screen.
At this moment, a boy suddenly rushed over, hooked his arm around his neck, looked at Yan Zhen, and asked him, "What's going on? Girlfriend?"
"Sister Yan Zhao."
"Oh." The boy suddenly realized. Just as his gossipy heart was gone, he heard Yan Zhen say seriously: "I'm not your girlfriend yet, but I will work hard."
The sound was not loud, but it was enough to quiet the classroom.
Everyone was shocked.
"I..." The boy was shocked and stopped the curse words on his lips in time, "Beautiful girl is so fierce."
The bell rang at the perfect time, and the professor entered the classroom. Everyone turned their gazes away, preparing for class.
Yan Zhen couldn't understand the graduate class at all. She held the pen but didn't write a word. She just secretly looked at Chen Huaixu's profile as he listened to the class attentively.
He caught her restless and burning gaze and tapped lightly on the notebook with his fingertips, signaling her to take notes.
Soon, Yan Zhen wrote a note and handed it over.
He glanced at it and saw three words written on it: I don’t understand.
It also comes with a cute crying expression.
Chen Huaixu glanced at the author of the note and found that she was looking at him with the same pitiful eyes.
Her beautiful eyes sparkled with light, her red lips were slightly pursed, and her cheeks were white and soft.
No wonder all the boys' eyes in the classroom were glued to her.
Chen Huaixu withdrew his gaze, held the pen, uncapped it, and closed it again.
The crisp sound of "click, click" was heard, and I wondered if it was trying to cover up someone's disturbed thoughts.
When the class was over, Yan Zhen quickly rushed out of the classroom and returned five minutes later. Chen Huaixu thought for a long time and said patiently again: "Yan Zhen, your time is precious and should not be wasted on things like this-"
"Here you go!" She panted softly, beads of sweat hanging on her forehead, but her eyes were bright. "I was too sleepy this morning. I just ordered two cups of coffee when get out of class was about to end. This one is yours."
Chen Huaixu's words were blocked by her.
Yan Zhen was completely oblivious and continued to take things out of the bag, saying, "Have you had breakfast? I just bought some bread. I don't know what kind you like, but I bought them all based on my taste. I'm sure you'll like them!"
Seeing him looking at her with cold eyes without saying a word, she slowed down her movements and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Chen Huaixu felt a sense of powerlessness, like beating cotton. "I've had breakfast."
"Oh..." She dragged out the last syllable and lowered her voice, with obvious disappointment. "Would you like some coffee?"
That tone...she was like a kitten drenched in rain.
He didn't refuse, he just said, "Put it there."
The disappointment was swept away, and Yan Zhen immediately became happy. She raised her eyebrows and said, "If you like it, I will buy it for you every day."
"No," he said ruthlessly, "You don't need to do such meaningless things. Besides, you don't like early morning classes and you were dozing off just now."
"Although I don't like early morning classes, I like you." Yan Zhen blurted out without thinking, and then said confidently, "I got up because I wanted to see you."
The words were so powerful that the surroundings fell silent again.
Chen Huaixu raised his eyes and looked at her, without saying anything for a long time.
It was not until the bell for the second class rang that he sat up straight, still looking at the podium as if nothing had happened. Although his calm voice was mixed in with the noise, Yan Zhen still caught it.
He whispered two words: "Really?"
Over the next week or so, Yan Zhen came almost every other day.
Most graduate classes were scheduled in the evening, which happened to be the same time as her major classes. Whenever she was free, she would rush over to accompany Chen Huaixu to class, rain or shine.
He tried to persuade her at first, but later gave up completely, as if he was used to the little tail sticking around him, and accepted all kinds of stares from his classmates without any emotion.
Anyway, she was just in a whim and would not be able to hold on sooner or later.
Chen Huaixu thought so.
It was pitch black outside the window and the classroom was quiet, with only the sound of his fingers tapping on the keyboard.
Yan Zhen felt a little sleepy, lying on the table, her cheeks pressed flat, and asked him softly, "It's 9 o'clock, the teaching building is about to be cleared, when will you finish?"
"You can leave if you're tired."
"No." She was a little stubborn. "There's a club event going on recently, and there's a road leading back to the dormitory that's been decorated with really beautiful colored lights. I want to go there with you."
"Then what?"
"Um?"
Chen Huaixu stopped and turned to look at her. The light illuminated his profile, making the lines of his face clear. "Let's go together, and then what?"
Yan Zhen met his gaze, her heart beating fast and her cheeks flushed. She said, "Don't you think it's romantic? In that kind of situation, maybe you'd fall in love with me."
"No." Chen Huaixu turned off the computer, stuffed it into his bag, stood up quickly, and looked back at her, "Are you going?"
"Where are you going?" Yan Zhen stood up in a daze.
"Look at the lanterns," he said, shouldering his bag, as he walked out the door with long legs, not even looking back. "I'll shatter your unscientific fantasy."
What Yan Zhen was talking about was actually a path lined with two rows of trees. The branches were covered with small bulbs of various colors. From a distance, the scene was colorful, like a scene from a fairy tale.
It's beautiful without so many people.
The short road was crowded with students coming and going, taking photos, taking walks, and it was very lively, completely lacking the kind of heart-warming quiet night atmosphere that Yan Zhen had imagined.
Seeing her stop, Chen Huaixu looked frustrated and asked, "Are you going to leave?"
"Let's go!" She forced herself to cheer up. "Since we're here."
Colorful lights flickered and connected above our heads like a colorful galaxy.
The two walked along the road, always keeping a fist's distance from each other, without saying a word. The noise and laughter around them seemed unable to melt the coldness between them.
Yan Zhen's attention was not focused, and she was bumped by someone coming towards her in a daze. Her body was unstable and she bumped into Chen Huaixu.
When she realized what was happening, she immediately apologized: "I didn't mean to do that. I was just bumped into by someone."
Chen Huaixu said: "Don't look at me, look at the road."
She blinked and said, "How do you know I'm looking at you?"
He withdrew his gaze and stopped talking. However, Yan Zhen was as excited as if he had discovered a new world, and the depression he had just felt disappeared.
The distance between the two of them was suddenly shortened by this. She did not move away. Instead, she leaned against his shoulder and reached out to quietly grab his sleeve.
Chen Huaixu stopped walking.
"There are too many people here. I'm afraid we'll get separated." She bit her lip and said coquettishly, "Just let me hold your hand for a while..."
Chen Huaixu said calmly: "This is a small road, it's not the point where we get lost."
Yan Zhen said unreasonably, "I don't care. If you don't let me hold your hand, I won't let you go."
Chen Huaixu: "..."
He compromised and let her pull his sleeve, and the two of them continued to walk forward.
But for Yan Zhen, this is just the beginning.
After walking a few steps, she loosened his sleeves and reached out to hold his hand.
When their palms touched, they felt a strange warm touch. Chen Huaixu frowned and was about to struggle free, but found that his whole arm was held by her.
"There are a lot of people watching," she said. "Give me some face and don't push me away, or I won't be able to face anyone tomorrow."
The combination of handsome men and beautiful women was very eye-catching. Chen Huaixu glanced around and saw many people looking at him, curious about the relationship between the two people.
He moved his lips, glanced at the end of the path ahead, and didn't refuse.
"I like you so much." Yan Zhen hugged his arms contentedly, her cheek against his shoulder. "It would be great if you could hug me and kiss me."
Chen Huaixu was silent for a moment, then pulled his arm out. Meeting her feignedly aggrieved gaze, he placed his hand against her forehead and softly said in the darkness, "Yan Zhen, don't push your luck."
The library is crowded on weekends.
Chen Huaixu was sitting by the window, typing on the keyboard. He heard lazy footsteps beside him. He raised his eyes and saw a pink corner of clothes.
He raised his wrist to check the time: 10:30 AM.
Last night, Yan Zhen asked him about his weekend plans, and he honestly replied that he was going to hang out in the library. She then insisted on coming too and asked him to save a seat for her.
The seat was occupied, but the person arrived late.
Yan Zhen sat down across from him and yawned softly. It was obvious that she had just gotten up, and her eyes were tired.
Chen Huaixu reached out and took back the book that was reserved for her.
Yan Zhen glanced at him, lowered her head, and sent him a WeChat message: Brother, you look so handsome today! I like it so much!
She just likes her own face, Chen Huaixu thought expressionlessly.
At noon, people began to leave the library for lunch, and the calm and solemn atmosphere began to relax a little. Yan Zhen hadn't eaten breakfast and was feeling hungry. She bombarded Chen Huaixu with indiscriminate messages on WeChat, finally making him resigned himself to his fate and shut down his computer to accompany her to lunch.
The two of them walked out of the library, the sun shining brightly. A crowd had gathered at the entrance, huddled around a few tables. Next to the parasols stood a promotional banner. As they approached, they discovered that students were holding a charity sale, selling simple cat and dog merchandise. The proceeds would go to rescuing stray animals on campus.
Yan Zhen stopped to look curiously, and Chen Huaixu also stopped.
"Let's buy some too to show our support," she said.
Since it was charity work anyway, Chen Huaixu had no objection. He looked around the table and his eyes unconsciously fell on a pink cat hairpin.
The student at the stall noticed his gaze, picked up the hairpin with a smile and said, "Handsome boy, you are very picky. The color of this hairpin is exactly the same as the color of your girlfriend's skirt."
Only then did he realize that what he had just been thinking about was Yan Zhen.
She loves to act like a spoiled brat, is very clingy, a bit arrogant and spoiled, and when she gets angry, she's like a kitten with its fur frizzled. Especially since she was wearing a pink dress today.
"Really?" Yan Zhen looked at her skirt and said generously, "How many do you have in stock? I want them all."
Chen Huaixu wanted to clarify, but she distracted him completely. He said, "Even if you want to buy more for charity, you can buy other kinds. There's no need to buy just this one. We're not doing wholesale."
"No, I want this, all of it," Yan Zhen said in a light voice, "because you picked it."
Chen Huaixu: "..."
The salesperson's eyes changed when he looked at Chen Huaixu, as if saying that he was so stingy even when giving gifts that the girl had to pay for it herself.
He accepted his fate and took out his phone: "Please pack it up, how much?"
After dinner, Chen Huaixu wanted to go back to the library, but Yan Zhen was unwilling. She took him for a walk by the artificial lake next to the library on the pretext of "digesting the food".
The autumn breeze in the afternoon was very comfortable. Chen Huaixu looked at her flying hair and stopped.
"Yan Zhen, I have something to tell you."
"Um?"
"After spending time together, you should know what kind of person I am. I have plans for every stage of my life, and I will achieve them one goal at a time. I will never stop for anyone, nor will I easily change for anyone." He paused. "But falling in love, spending energy maintaining a relationship that could end at any time, was not part of my plan from the beginning."
Yan Zhen said "Oh".
But if it were you, maybe I could give it a try.
But just as he was about to say it, he swallowed it back.
Promises cannot be made lightly and irresponsibly, otherwise it would be disrespectful to her and a violation of one's own principles.
During the time he spent with her, he found that she had indeed lowered his bottom line little by little. He did not feel annoyed when she pestered him all day long. Even when she pretended to be pitiful and said that her feet hurt and she couldn't walk because of high heels, he would compromise and ride his bicycle to give her a ride. Even if she hugged his waist from behind, he did not ask her to get off the bike.
Whenever a girl pursued him in the past, he always politely rejected her and kept his distance from her. He never indulged her like this.
Chen Huaixu felt that he needed some time to think carefully and then give her a positive, serious and responsible answer.
"But actually..."
"I see."
The two spoke almost at the same time, and Chen Huaixu looked at her in surprise. Yan Zhen said, "Actually, I'm here to admit defeat today."
Chen Huaixu: "What?"
She sighed and said, "My brother talked to me the other day, and I think what he said really makes sense. Although I fell in love with you at first sight and I really like your face, when I think about it carefully, our personalities are very different. We won't be happy even if we are together."
She raised the bag in her hand and said, "I'm sorry to bother you during this time. Consider this a souvenir. I will treasure it."
Chasing someone is too tiring, and she has always been short-lived. Once her enthusiasm and patience are exhausted, she will give up without any regrets.
There are so many boys anyway, she will always meet the next one who impresses her.
That night, Chen Huaixu did not sleep all night.
He lay in bed, tossing and turning for a long time, still unable to figure it out. He opened his phone and stared at the screen in a daze, and unknowingly clicked on the search:
What is the psychology behind giving up on a relationship easily?
Highly upvoted answer: It means you don’t like it that much either.
Hurt by these words, Chen Huaixu turned off the screen with a cold face, suppressed his emotions, got out of bed, walked to the other side of the dormitory, and lifted Yan Zhao's quilt.
Yan Zhao, who was sleeping soundly, was startled by the coldness on his body. When he opened his eyes and saw the person standing at the head of the bed, he almost fainted from anger. He lost his temper and said, "Chen Huaixu, you are sleepwalking in the middle of the night?!"
Chen Huaixu grabbed his collar and pulled him off the bed, saying, "What did you and Yan Zhen talk about?"
Facing that cold face, Yan Zhao asked in confusion: "What are you crazy about?"
"Either I drink with you or I beat you up. Your choice."
Yan Zhao kicked him and said, "Get lost."
"Okay, then I'll send a message to Shen Ciyin now and tell her that you've skipped classes to visit her many times."
Shen Ciyin was in the school next door and didn't know their class schedule very well, so she was often fooled by Yan Zhao in a few words. But she was always serious, and if she knew that Yan Zhao was skipping classes to find her, she would definitely not allow him to do so again.
Yan Zhao's only weakness was Chen Ciyin. He never expected that his good brother would betray him, so he immediately snatched the phone from Chen Huaixu's hand and said, "Get the wine."
Since then, Yan Zhen really never appeared again.
Not only are the teaching buildings for the undergraduate and graduate schools not in the same place, but even the dormitories are far apart and they don't use the same cafeteria.
It was as if she had completely disappeared from his world.
He hasn't seen her for a long time.
This was clearly the result he expected, but when she really stopped coming, he felt something was wrong.
During class, no one would idly draw in the corner of his notebook; no one would flirt with him or call his name in that coquettish and lazy tone; no one would go to great lengths to hold his hand or kiss him secretly...
They agreed to win him over in a month, but now, only twenty days have passed and she has lost her enthusiasm and given up.
She came and went freely, loved passionately, and withdrew decisively, but she left him in this relationship and he couldn't get out of it.
Those sweet words turned out to be lies.
Chen Huaixu thought expressionlessly until his thoughts were brought back by his classmates: "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Yan Zhen recently? Hasn't she been following you all the time? What? Is she not pursuing you anymore?"
The cafeteria was noisy and crowded with people.
"They're just cutting their losses. Such a pretty girl, there's no shortage of suitors. Who can stand facing that icy face every day? Even I would give up."
"That's right." The classmate sighed softly, "Alas, another innocent name has been added to Chen Huaixu's list of girls' heart-slaying foes."
Chen Huaixu remained silent until he heard someone exclaim, "Speak of Cao Cao, Cao Cao appears. Is that Yan Zhen?"
Everyone turned around and saw a slender and beautiful figure walking into the cafeteria side by side with a boy.
Yan Zhen was so beautiful that she could be noticed in a crowd. At the moment, she was smiling and talking to the boy next to her, and they seemed to be in a very harmonious relationship.
"I know that guy. He's also a freshman, and he's mixed-race. He's really good at sports. I've seen him a few times in the club."
The boy and Yan Zhen stopped in front of a window together. He said something, and Yan Zhen laughed so hard that her eyebrows curved and her beautiful eyes flashed with little lights.
"You know what, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, they're quite a match."
"Snap!" A crisp sound was heard.
The discussion paused, and the students across from him glanced over. Chen Huaixu put down his chopsticks expressionlessly and stood up with his plate.
"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going?"
"I'm full, let's go."
"Are you full?" His classmates looked at his almost untouched plate in disbelief. "You haven't eaten a single bite, and you're telling me you're full?"
Chen Huaixu didn't say anything else, turned around with a cold face, and was obviously in a bad mood.
Only a few students were left looking at each other in bewilderment.
Yan Zhen didn't expect to meet Chen Huaixu in the library.
As always, he looked focused, leaning back in his chair, his fingers casually resting on the keyboard, as if he was thinking about something.
As if he realized someone was looking at him, he subconsciously turned his head and met Yan Zhen's gaze.
In just a second, his usually cold gaze suddenly became hot.
Yan Zhen hurriedly turned her head, and Alex happened to walk to the table with two cups of coffee. He placed one of the cups in front of her and said, "Here, your favorite."
Yan Zhen smiled at him and said, "Thank you."
"It's okay, it's my pleasure." Alex sat down across from her and scratched his head shyly. "I'm really sorry to bother you with the group work during this period."
The professor assigned the two of them to a group in an elective course and asked them to write a report on a specific topic. Since neither of them had much research experience in the area, they agreed to work together to research and discuss the topic. They would spend the entire day in the library, only going to the cafeteria to eat together.
Alex is occasionally shy, but most of the time he is very talkative and humorous, and he quickly became familiar with Yan Zhen.
The two of them studied quietly for a while, and then Yan Zhen got up and went to the bathroom.
When she came out, she saw Chen Huaixu standing against the wall not far away. She didn't know how long he had been waiting there.
Noticing her, his eyes shot straight over to her. Yan Zhen pretended not to notice and walked slowly past him, politely greeting him, "Senior, what a coincidence."
I was so unfamiliar with him that I didn't even call him "Brother Huaixu".
A huge sense of loss came over him, and Chen Huaixu stood up and suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Yan Zhen was a little surprised, and the next second he pulled her and she staggered to the side.
The atmosphere in the library was quiet. Yan Zhen was afraid of making a scene and attracting attention, so she followed him, gently pried his hand, and whispered in annoyance, "Where are you going?"
Chen Huaixu took her into the emergency passage. The empty stairwell was silent, with only the two of them.
They looked at each other in silence.
Yan Zhen said: "If there is nothing else, I will leave first."
"You and him," Chen Huaixu paused for a moment, and asked this question reluctantly, "are you together?"
Yan Zhen was surprised by his guess, but quickly realized what was going on. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why should I tell you?"
Seeing that she didn't deny it, Chen Huaixu's voice turned cold and he only said four words: "Break up with him."
"You are such a weird person. Why do you care about my love life?" Yan Zhen looked at him without showing any weakness.
"You said you liked me," he looked at her, "was that all fake?"
"Yes, I used to like you very much, but I've already said that we are not suitable."
He took another step forward, pushing her to the corner and enveloping her in his arms.
He lowered his head and looked at her, saying, "How do you know it's not suitable if you don't try it?"
Yan Zhen tried to avoid him, but was caught by him.
Chen Huaixu lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.
She had never expected Chen Huaixu to do such a thing. She was stunned for a moment, bit her lip and pushed him, saying, "What are you doing? You're a hooligan!"
"It's a matter of reciprocity," Chen Huaixu said calmly, "Didn't you do the same to me?"
Her cheeks quickly burned, and she said, "You...you're not drunk?"
Last time at the KTV, Yan Zhen asked Yan Zhao to get Chen Huaixu drunk, then kicked everyone else out and secretly kissed him in the corner of the box.
Feeling the warmth, Chen Huaixu opened his eyes, his dark pupils a little blurry due to the alcohol.
Yan Zhen was startled by his sudden gaze and wanted to escape guiltily, but she found that he didn't move and just looked at her quietly.
Getting bolder, she leaned in and kissed him again.
His eyelashes trembled, but his breathing remained steady.
She straddled his legs, grabbed his arms and wrapped them around her waist, cupped his face, and kissed him again.
Taking advantage of the fact that he was drunk, she did whatever she wanted and even seemed to be taking advantage of him.
Yan Zhen felt that her behavior was immoral, but so what? If he rejected her, she would stop. If he was really angry, she would apologize.
Chen Huaixu lowered his eyes and looked at her, his breathing rising and falling. After a while, he slowly took the initiative.
The two of them kissed for almost ten minutes in the box that day.
When he finally came out, Yan Zhen had a look of satisfaction on his face, and even his steps seemed to be floating.
No one mentioned it again later, and she thought he was completely drunk that day.
But I didn't expect that he actually remembered it.
"I can't drink that badly. Most of the time I just pretend to drink for them to see."
During the time when he was abandoned by Yan Zhen, Chen Huaixu repeatedly recalled that lingering kiss, and every time he wondered why he didn't push her away at that time.
He wasn't drunk, but he used the illusion of being drunk to hypnotize himself. His heart had already sunk, and he just let it out completely through the alcohol.
He had already been attracted to her, but he just refused to admit it.
He was about to kiss her again, but Yan Zhen dodged and said, "You...you...how did you become like this!"
"It means you don't know me well enough."
He is a strong person at heart. No matter how indifferent he appears on the outside, the desire for control in his heart cannot be erased.
He always appears calm and indifferent to others, but that's simply because many things have nothing to do with him.
But Yan Zhen was different. He wanted to possess her.
The kiss came again, and Yan Zhen deliberately provoked him, "Chen Huaixu, you are kissing someone else's girlfriend."
Hearing this, he became even angrier and pinched the back of her neck, holding the back of her head with his palm and forcing her head back.
His learning ability is really strong. He was still unfamiliar with it last time, and today is only the second time, and already... Yan Zhen thought in a daze.
Until the vibration of the cell phone broke the passionate kiss.
Yan Zhen took it out of her pocket and took a look at it. Alex's name caught her eye. She probably saw that she had been gone for too long, so she greeted her with concern.
Chen Huaixu lowered his eyes and watched her slide off the call. He replied on WeChat, his finger resting on her earlobe, and asked in a low voice: "When are we breaking up? Is this afternoon okay?"
Yan Zhen glared at him and said, "Look at you, you are so morally corrupt that you actually want to interfere with other people's feelings."
He didn't say anything.
She snorted, still holding a grudge: "Anyway, falling in love is not within your current plans, so what if I break up with you?"
"What if I say I'm willing to change for you?"
Yan Zhen looked away, pulled her hand away from his, and said, "If you are willing to change, do I have to accept it?"
"No," he loosened his grip on her, "You have the right to choose."
Although he gave in verbally, she could clearly see in his eyes that he was determined to win.
The situation has completely reversed.
If it was Yan Zhen who was around Chen Huaixu all day long before, then now it was Chen Huaixu who appeared beside her from time to time. He didn't cling to her, but his presence was very strong.
When no one was around, she would occasionally pester him and kiss him. When the two of them were inseparable, she would tease him about his lack of status.
When he got upset, she would kiss him again, coax him, and promise him that she would break up with Alex as soon as possible.
Chen Huaixu vaguely felt that something was wrong.
One night, Yan Zhao held his phone, waved it at Chen Huaixu, and said, "Zhenzhen is running at night on the playground next to the undergraduate dormitory building. She wants me to accompany her, otherwise you..."
Chen Huaixu didn't say a word, stood up, put on his coat, zipped it up to the top, turned around and walked out the door.
The playground was bustling with people gathering in groups of twos and threes. Chen Huaixu made his way through the crowd and finally found Yan Zhen.
She was doing warm-up exercises, chatting and laughing with Alex.
Seeing that it was Chen Huaixu and not Yan Zhao, Yan Zhen was not surprised at all. He pulled him over and introduced him to them: "This is my brother's friend, also a graduate student, Chen Huaixu."
She then turned to Chen Huaixu and said, "This is my classmate Alex."
It's "classmate", not "boyfriend".
During this time, Chen Huaixu had been by Yan Zhen's side, and he gradually noticed that Alex's appearances were rare. Even when they did see each other, they were very polite to each other, without any intimacy between lovers.
He was so blinded by love that he lost his basic judgment. It was not until tonight that he had time to figure out the truth of the matter.
Alex wasn't her boyfriend at all.
He had misunderstood at the time, so she just went along with it, watching him get jealous and angry during this time.
Yan Zhen looked at him proudly, like a proud kitten with its tail raised, her beautiful eyes full of cunning.
So, this was all intentional.
She deliberately gave up pursuing him, watched him get jealous, watched him lose control, and waited for him to lose control and take the initiative to find her.
She succeeded. He was at her mercy, his heart in her hands, at her mercy.
Alex left early because of something. Chen Huaixu looked at her for a long time and suddenly laughed out loud.
Yan Zhen didn't understand what was going on, so she poked his cheek and said, "Are you furious?"
He took her fingertips and kissed them on his lips.
"Yan Zhen," he said slowly, "I like you."
There were many people running on the playground at night. Music was playing on the podium, lingering in the night air.
Yan Zhen's slightly red ears were hidden in the pitch-black night. She crossed her arms and said, "My ears aren't working well. I didn't hear what you just said."
Upon hearing this, Chen Huaixu turned around, walked up to the podium, and asked the person controlling the sound for a microphone.
The music stopped abruptly, and the people on the playground slowed down their pace, looking over with puzzled eyes.
The autumn night wind was cool and slowly blew his hair.
Yan Zhen originally wanted to hear Chen Huaixu say it a few more times, but she didn't expect him to be so bold.
He has never been a sociable person, and he doesn't like crowds or showing up in public, but now, for her, he is surrounded by everyone's gaze.
She stood in the audience, looked up at him, her heart seemed to be beating out of her chest.
"I'm sorry to take up a minute of your time," a pleasant voice slowly came out from the speakers. "I have something to say, and I'd like to ask the students present to bear witness on my behalf."
People on the playground gradually gathered around.
Chen Huaixu lowered his head and looked at her intently in the crowd, saying, "Yan Zhen, I like you."
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