Everyone likes to sleep in on weekends, and Fang Dongqiang is no exception. He works part-time on Saturdays and sleeps in on Sundays.
The students in the dormitory all slept until almost noon, and then had breakfast and lunch together.
Not long after Fang Dongqiang returned to his dormitory after lunch, his roommate from the next room rushed in excitedly, shouting, "Dongqiang! A female classmate is looking for you downstairs! She's quite pretty!"
"A female classmate? Who is it?"
"I don't know, he's waiting downstairs with the dorm supervisor. He doesn't look like he's from our school." His classmate leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. "Wow, when did you meet him? You kept it a secret!"
"Is it for me?" Fang Dongqiang was still a little skeptical.
"Yes, go quickly and find Fang Dongqiang in room 204." The classmate even smoothed his hair with his hand, "You need to look good when you meet a girl."
At the entrance of the dormitory building, He Xiaolei was standing under the shade of a tree with a backpack on her back. She smiled when she saw him, took out a plastic bag from her bag and handed it to him, "I bought this t-shirt for you. I saw it while shopping and thought it would suit you."
"What are you doing?" Fang Dongqiang quickly waved his hand. "I don't want to."
Their roommate upstairs was peering out the window at them. Fang Dongqiang glanced up and said, "Let's go somewhere else."
“Okay, show me around your school. Leave your clothes in your dorm room first.” He Xiaolei handed over the bag.
"Really, there's no need. You don't have to be so polite!"
"I've already bought it, and I can't return it, what should I do?"
Fang Dongqiang took the bag. "How much is it? I'll pay you."
He Xiaolei pouted, "No, it's for you."
"I can't take things from girls without a reason."
"Then, you'll take care of anything I don't know on the computer from now on. I'll feel bad asking you for help if you don't take it, and I'm afraid I'll fail my course. Please help me out."
Upon hearing this, Fang Dongqiang had no choice but to nod.
They strolled slowly along the paths on campus.
When they reached the artificial lake, there were benches nearby, and He Xiaolei said she wanted to sit for a while.
The willow trees beside the bench drooped their branches, and when the wind blew, their leaves gently swept across the water's surface.
Looking at the lake, He Xiaolei asked softly, "Dongqiang, why don't you date?"
Fang Dongqiang paused for a moment, his fingertips touching the wood grain of the bench. "There's no rule that says you have to date in college."
"I'm just curious," He Xiaolei kicked a pebble at her feet, "Is it because you haven't met someone you like?"
Fang Dongqiang gazed at the lotus leaves in the lake, his tone becoming serious. "I'm still studying, and I'm spending my family's money. I'll wait until I graduate, can earn my own money, and am financially independent before we talk about it. Not now, I can't let my girlfriend suffer with me."
He Xiaolei listened quietly, and seeing Fang Dongqiang's resolute expression, the feelings in her heart became even clearer.
She took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, "Fang Dongqiang, actually... I have quite a few feelings for you. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it now, I can wait. I'll confess to you when you're ready to talk about it."
Fang Dong turned his head sharply, his eyes wide open, clearly not expecting her to be so direct.
He Xiaolei blushed a little under his gaze, but still tilted her head back and added with a smile, "Other people call someone their fiancé before they get married, so... you can be my boyfriend for now!"
He Xiaolei came today to talk to Fang Dongqiang. She had thought a lot about it during this time. If she didn't talk to Fang Dongqiang openly, she didn't know how long she would have to wait for him to speak up. If she met other female classmates in the meantime, she would lose her chance.
"You, me." Fang Dongqiang was also stunned by He Xiaolei's sudden "title".
He thought about it seriously for a few seconds, then solemnly corrected, "No, that statement is not accurate."
"Huh?" He Xiaolei was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.
“Look,” Fang Dongqiang said, holding up his fingers and starting to explain, “a fiancé means someone who is already engaged, both parties have a clear intention to get married, and the relationship is definite. But the term ‘not dating’ has too many variables. We haven’t started dating yet, and whether we will start dating in the future, and when we will start dating, are all uncertain. This doesn’t fit the logical definition.”
He seemed to think it wasn't clear enough, so he added, "Just like when we write programs, a variable must have a clear type and an initial value; it can't be vague. The state of not having a boyfriend is like an uninitialized variable, which is logically flawed."
As He Xiaolei listened to his earnest analysis of the logical flaws in the word, his serious and honest demeanor resembling that of a good student answering questions in class, she couldn't help but giggle, laughing so hard she bent over.
"What are you laughing at? Am I wrong?" Fang Dongqiang looked at her with a puzzled expression, not understanding what he had said wrong.
"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right." He Xiaolei wiped away the tears of laughter, and looking into his earnest eyes, her affection for him grew even stronger. "What I mean is, before you're ready to date, I've already reserved this spot. Whatever you call it, I've already decided on you."
Looking at her radiant smile, then at the lotus leaves that had grown tall and graceful in the lake, Fang Dongqiang scratched his head and asked, "Am I reserved?"
Hearing him say that, He Xiaolei burst into laughter again. She thought that her "unrequited boyfriend" was a really cute STEM guy. "Yes, you're reserved, and so am I."
“No, how come…” Fang Dongqiang frowned, “I really can’t beat you law students.”
He Xiaolei sat down next to him and looked up. "This is great!" she thought. She started talking to Fang Dongqiang, jokingly saying, "We've already made reservations, so you're responsible!"
"Hmph! Try to scare me with your expertise!"
He Xiaolei stayed at their school until evening. As the sun set and dinnertime approached, the sky gradually darkened. "It's getting late, let's go to the cafeteria for dinner together? It's just that our school cafeteria doesn't have much good food."
“Okay!” He Xiaolei said happily, “I’ll try the food in your cafeteria.”
He Xiaolei said she wanted to eat something vegetarian for dinner, so she ordered one meat dish, two vegetable dishes, and a soup.
Fang Dongqiang looked at the plate, a little embarrassed, "Order a few more, it's not enough."
"No, I don't want to eat too much for dinner, I'm afraid I'll gain weight."
After dinner, it was already dark outside. Fang Dongqiang escorted He Xiaolei to the school gate, watching the passing cars, and said, "It's so late, let me take you back to school."
He Xiaolei felt a warmth in her heart, "Okay!"
They boarded the bus to He Xiaolei's school.
The bus was a bit crowded at night, and Fang Dongqiang instinctively stood protectively beside He Xiaolei, holding onto the pole behind her to prevent her from being bumped. He Xiaolei stood right in front of Fang Dongqiang's chest, smiling and biting her nails.
The car suddenly braked hard, and He Xiaolei lost her balance, her head hitting Fang Dongqiang's shoulder. Fang Dongqiang hurriedly used one hand to support her back and caught her.
He Xiaolei leaned into his arms, and Fang Dongqiang froze instantly. This was the first time he had been so close to a girl, able to smell the faint scent of shampoo in her hair. His heart started racing, pounding like a rabbit, and his face flushed slightly.
Once the car was moving smoothly, Fang Dongqiang put his hand back on the pole behind He Xiaolei.
He Xiaolei looked up at Fang Dongqiang. The two were so close that Fang Dongqiang didn't dare to meet her gaze and quickly looked out the window, pretending to look at the streetlights.
He got out of the car and walked He Xiaolei to the school gate. He Xiaolei looked at him and smiled, saying, "Thank you for today. I don't have a boyfriend yet. I'll come visit you again next Sunday?"
Looking into her bright eyes, Fang Dongqiang hesitated for a long time before finally managing to say, "Study hard!"
"Hahaha," He Xiaolei laughed again, "You sound just like my mom and dad. What boyfriend tells his girlfriend to study hard? Isn't it always 'I'll miss you'?"
"We haven't discussed it yet," Fang Dongqiang said seriously.
He Xiaolei pursed her lips, but still smiled and said, "Okay, you don't have a boyfriend yet, be careful when you go back."
"Okay, goodbye!" Fang Dongqiang turned to leave.
“Hey,” He Xiaolei pulled Fang Dongqiang back, “From now on, you can leave your clothes here, and I’ll come over on Sundays to wash them for you.”
"No need, I can wash it myself."
"What can I do for you?"
"Nothing needs to be done?"
"You only have one day off a week, but I have two. Let me do something for you!"
"Xiaolei, thank you, but really, you don't need to. I'll let you know if I need anything."
"Okay, you mustn't be shy with me, I'm your girlfriend before we started dating."
"Let's go!" Fang Dongqiang waved and turned to walk towards the bus stop, preparing to return to school.
After waiting for about ten minutes, the bus back to school slowly arrived. There were few people on this bus, so he found a seat by the window, leaned back in the seat, and let out a long sigh.
As the bus started moving, the streetlights outside the window receded one after another, casting flickering light and shadow on his face.
Fang Dongqiang closed his eyes, but his mind was filled with the scene from just now: He Xiaolei saying "I don't have a boyfriend," and his awkward, flustered reaction when she bumped into him on the bus. He couldn't help but give a self-deprecating smile.
“No boyfriend yet…” he murmured the word, but just then, Fang Yu’s image suddenly flashed through his mind.
He hadn't been unaware of his feelings for Fang Yu; his family all spoke highly of her. However, their circumstances were different—one was already in the workforce, while the other was still in school, and the next four years held too many uncertainties. Furthermore, he kept telling himself he needed to be financially independent before dating, not wanting to rely on his family's money to maintain a relationship. He thought he could see how things were after graduation, but now he felt increasingly distant from her.
He was touched by He Xiaolei's initiative and patience, but then he thought about it again. He Xiaolei came from a good family and had lived a comfortable life since childhood, while he himself was not sure what his future would be like.
Fang Dongqiang opened his eyes and looked at the fleeting night view outside the window, the neon lights of the shops, and the roadside trees.
"We'll see," he muttered to himself. With two years until graduation, he didn't plan to go home for the summer. He would work here, earning some money and gaining more practical experience with his professional knowledge.
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