A Trip to the Mall

"What? What?"

Qin Yuwen, who had been gaming, looked over when she heard the sound.

"Zhouzhou, what's going on with you? You're actually grinning at your phone? You've been acting really weird lately."

Qin Yuwen stood behind Su Baizhou, too distracted to keep playing.

"We're already juniors, Zhouzhou. Don't tell me your frozen heart is finally thawing?"

"Take a guess." Su Baizhou smiled mysteriously.

Seeing her roommate's expression, Qin Yuwen put down her phone and cried out:

"Something's up. Something's seriously up!"

With nowhere to vent her burning curiosity, Qin Yuwen was about to go crazy.

Su Baizhou ignored her and messaged Luo Ye on QQ instead.

Hotpot Lover: That's just how she is. If she accepted your friend request, it means she's willing to get to know you.

Luo Ye: Really?

Hotpot Lover: Really. I'm her roommate. I know her very well.

Every word was sincere. Not a single lie.

Soon, another message from Luo Ye came through on her WeChat.

This younger student really was innocent.

Seeing Luo Ye constantly looking down at his phone and tapping away, Liu Bingxin asked curiously, "Are you chatting with your girlfriend?"

"Huh? No."

Around other girls, Luo Ye didn't act nearly as childish. He even had a hint of heartthrob charm.

"You're so handsome, and you don't have a girlfriend?" Liu Bingxin said playfully.

Then Liu Bingxin pulled Tang Enqi over and said, "Luo Ye, I think everyone wants to fall in love. They just haven't met someone they like."

"Look at our Qiqi. She's got a great figure, she's pretty, and she gets good grades. You really don't feel anything?"

Suddenly pulled over, Tang Enqi seemed a little shy. She blinked, her pretty lashes fluttering, and lowered her head bashfully. "Luo Ye, long time no see."

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was shy. In reality, only Luo Ye knew that she was probably just as awkward as he was right now.

"Wild Kid! What's going on?!" Wang Dachui's eyes nearly popped out.

Liu Bingxin blinked. Clearly, she already knew Tang Enqi and Luo Ye knew each other.

Back in the Women's Dormitory, she'd heard Tang Enqi mention that a boy had confessed to her after the college entrance exams.

As it happened, Tang Enqi had some feelings for that boy too. She just hadn't known how to respond.

After all, she'd heard Luo Ye was an orphan and thought his family might not be well-off, so she'd spent the entire summer agonizing without reaching a decision.

But if Luo Ye showed plenty of potential in college, she could give him a chance to pursue her.

Just then, Luo Ye looked at her eyelashes and noticed something strange. He couldn't help asking:

"What's that?"

"Huh? What?" Tang Enqi asked in surprise.

Wang Dachui pulled Luo Ye aside and whispered, "Wild Kid! Don't you know what eyelid tape is?"

"What? You can stick those folds on?" Luo Ye looked astonished.

"You... hasn't any girl around you ever explained this basic stuff?"

Seeing Luo Ye's bewildered expression, Wang Dachui sighed.

"Forget it, Wild Kid. Just keep quiet for a bit. Looks like the lovely Bingxin wants to set you up with the gorgeous Tang Enqi. Watch your bro Dachui help you get to know a beauty."

"Don't."

Luo Ye hurriedly shook his head. "Don't set us up."

"What? Are you blind, Wild Kid? That's Tang Enqi, the prettiest girl among the freshmen! She's that gorgeous, and you're saying you don't want to get to know her?"

Wang Dachui was almost losing his mind. He wanted to crack Luo Ye's head open and see what was inside. How could he not even be interested in a beauty?

On Luo Ye's phone was Su Baizhou's latest message, saying she was organizing the Student Union's work logs and would talk to him later.

Still doing assignments this late. She really worked hard.

Luo Ye sent her a message, telling her that if she got tired from working, he could carry her in a game.

With guaranteed wins.

Luo Ye hadn't expected much, but she actually replied, "Sure."

That meant she liked gaming too.

Common interests. Those were important.

As for how Luo Ye had learned that principle...

It was the older student, "Qin Yuwen," who had told him.

She'd said that to get to know a girl, he first needed to find something they had in common. As Su Baizhou's roommate, she often saw her gaming in their room.

She'd also said Su Baizhou always played solo, kept losing, and had nobody to play with.

That was why Luo Ye had offered to carry her and guarantee wins.

Thank you, "Qin Yuwen," for all this invaluable intel.

In the Women's Dormitory, Qin Yuwen suddenly sneezed while gaming. "Weird. Has someone been thinking about me lately? Why do I keep sneezing?"

Soon, the word "Defeat" appeared in large letters on her phone screen.

Another loss!!

Qin Yuwen wanted to smash her phone.

Watching her fume, Su Baizhou asked, "Wenwen, want to play a game in a bit?"

"You're going to carry me?" Qin Yuwen looked at her with sparkling eyes.

"No. My account got banned. If you're not playing, lend me yours."

"Of course, my invincible booster!"

Qin Yuwen had been on a losing streak all day.

There was no reason to turn down free boosting.

Meanwhile, Luo Ye and the others walked out of the mall carrying bags of all sizes.

Wang Dachui and Li Haoyang both looked pained.

Dinner at the mall that evening had cost five hundred yuan, and shopping with the two girls had cost another five hundred.

Naturally, the two boys had paid, and they'd volunteered to do it.

When taking beautiful girls out, there was no way they'd let the girls pay.

As for Luo Ye, he'd only paid his share of dinner. The other purchases at the mall had nothing to do with him. After all, he wasn't trying to win either girl over.

He just didn't quite understand why Wang Dachui and Li Haoyang looked like they'd eaten shit.

Wasn't it only a few hundred yuan?

Although he'd grown up at his aunt's house, she and her husband ran a company in Beijing.

That financial foundation was what had allowed them to raise Gu Mingxuan into someone with multiple doctorates at such a young age.

Luo Ye's parents had died young, sacrificing their lives in the line of duty as police officers. They had always been a source of pride for the whole family.

His grandfather had treasured the orphaned Luo Ye, and his aunt's family had treated him like their own son.

So although Luo Ye had lost his parents as a child, he'd never lacked love, nor did he come from a poor family.

Besides, the novels he wrote earned money too, so he hardly ever asked his family for living expenses.

They returned to campus.

The three boys walked the two girls back to the Women's Dormitory.

Along the way, Tang Enqi kept drifting to Luo Ye's side and sneaking looks at his phone screen, seemingly curious about who he was chatting with.

Outside the Women's Dormitory, Tang Enqi and Liu Bingxin warmly said goodbye. The latter even called out, "Remember to bring the other handsome guy from your room next time!"

"No problem!"

"Leave it to me!"

Li Haoyang and Wang Dachui made their promises with boundless enthusiasm.

Luo Ye stared at them in bewilderment.

Dachui, is this the emotional intelligence you wanted to teach me?

I might not understand this stuff, but even I can tell you're being led around by the nose.

The two girls receded into the distance until they disappeared completely.

Wang Dachui slung an arm around Luo Ye's shoulders and grinned. "Well? Learn anything?"

"Sorry."

Luo Ye pushed him away and said coldly, "I'm not learning that. I'm not being a simp."

"What did you say? Getting full of yourself, Wild Kid?"

Wang Dachui said angrily, "How can you find true love if you don't have the courage to be a simp?"

Li Haoyang looked at him in shock.

How had he gotten this carried away with simping?