Junior, Were You Really That Hardcore?

Luo Lianqing froze for a moment. "I don't have a boyfriend..."

Her senior looked unconvinced. Lowering her voice, she asked with some excitement, "It couldn't be a student in your class, could it?"

For some reason, Luo Lianqing suddenly felt a little guilty, and Wen Ce's face flashed through her mind.

But she still wore a smile. "No, they're making things up."

"But didn't someone say they saw you buying, you know, those things?" Her senior waggled her eyebrows at Luo Lianqing.

Luo Lianqing had been back in China for over a year, but she still couldn't understand why Chinese people always seemed to find things related to sex so difficult to talk about.

Take her senior, for example. She was already in her twenties, yet she still seemed too embarrassed to say "human-offspring death bags" out loud.

Luo Lianqing sighed. "But buying those things doesn't mean you have to use them with someone else."

Just then, their advisor came in.

Her senior was left standing there, looking utterly shocked.

Junior, were you really that hardcore?

How would you even use one by yourself?

Her senior's face instantly turned red. Luoluo really did live up to having studied abroad.

Knowing Wen Ce was coming back today, Luo Lianqing actually really wanted to ask when he would return, but she felt that would make her seem too eager.

So she kept holding herself back from asking.

She just hadn't expected to see Wen Ce at their first class meeting in ages.

When she saw Wen Ce sitting beside Lin Fan, she even zoned out for a moment.

Wen Ce genuinely hadn't known there was a class meeting. It was only when Lin Fan asked why he wasn't there yet, and where he had been all this time since he hadn't come to class, that he found out.

When Lin Fan asked the teachers, they had only said he was on leave.

His words were full of concern.

So Wen Ce came straight to campus. He could see Luo Lianqing at the class meeting, too.

He just hadn't expected Zhou Chi to stop him as soon as he arrived.

"Why won't you accept my friend request?" Zhou Chi asked, sounding a little displeased.

Wen Ce lied with his eyes wide open. "Maybe I didn't see it."

Zhou Chi: ...

"Do I look like an idiot? You rejected it twice."

Wen Ce looked amazed. "Oh, so you're not? Rejecting it twice means I don't want to add you. Wasn't that obvious enough?"

"Seriously, have you ever been beaten up in your life?" Zhou Chi asked through somewhat gritted teeth, his face turning green and white.

Lin Fan saw this scene the moment he entered the classroom and immediately rushed over with a smile. "Hey, hey, hey, we're all classmates. Let's talk this out."

After saying that, he gave Zhou Chi a wary glance.

With Little Wen's reserved personality, he definitely wouldn't start trouble.

On the other hand, he had heard Zhou Chi going around telling everyone he was heartbroken. Surely he wasn't taking it out on Little Wen?

Zhou Chi was utterly speechless. He slapped the flyer onto the desk in front of Wen Ce. "I just wanted to ask whether you'd join in. Take a look yourself. Come find me if you're interested. I'm only one person short."

With that, he left Wen Ce alone and went over to his roommates.

He figured this wasn't a small sum of money. All they had to do was play a ball game. Surely no one would turn it down?

Wen Ce, however, crumpled up the flyer without even looking at it.

Lin Fan couldn't make sense of what was happening. "What's going on, Little Wen?"

Wen Ce shook his head. "No idea."

Then he found a seat and sat down.

Liu Shumu arrived a little later and sat beside them too.

Only Wang Meng sat alone in the back.

When Qin Yanran arrived and saw Wen Ce, she froze for a moment, but still walked over. "Wen Ce, you're back?"

Wen Ce nodded without answering.

She couldn't help asking another question. "You were on leave for so long this time. Did something happen at home?"

There was some concern in her voice.

Wen Ce glanced at her, then shook his head. "Nothing."

Qin Yanran clearly wanted to say more, but it was already time, and almost everyone in the class had arrived.

The classroom's front door was pushed open from outside, and Luo Lianqing's voice drifted in.

She was smiling at someone outside, saying something.

Qin Yanran noticed Wen Ce's gaze shift away from her and toward the door.

Her eyes dimmed a little, and in the end, she turned around.

Her roommate beside her stole a glance at Wen Ce, then looked at the dejected Qin Yanran and reached out to pat her shoulder.

Actually, she didn't know what Qin Yanran liked about Wen Ce. Although he looked quite refined, he wasn't particularly handsome. He wasn't even as good-looking as Zhou Chi.

As she was thinking this, Luo Lianqing had already walked in. "All right, quiet down..."

Her voice suddenly stopped, and she stared in a certain direction, a little dazed.

Wen Ce met her eyes across more than half the classroom, then saw a delighted smile flash through her eyes, very briefly.

But he still caught it, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help lifting a little.

So this was what it felt like to like someone. They clearly hadn't seen each other for only nine days, yet seeing her made him miss her so much.

Luo Lianqing came back to her senses. "Quiet down. We're having a class meeting. It'll be quick. Nothing major has happened lately, so cooperate, everyone..."

The smile on her lips softened, and it hadn't left her face since she saw Wen Ce.

Lin Fan even muttered quietly, "Teacher Luo seems especially gentle today. She's still so pretty."

Liu Shumu rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest. At least Zhou Chi dares to pursue her. All you do is mutter."

"Haven't you seen that even Zhou Chi can't win her over? I heard he went to her office to confess a couple of days ago. Failed again."

Wen Ce: ... Why hasn't this Zhou Chi given up yet? Next time, I might as well not spare his computer either.

When Luo Lianqing said it would be quick, she really meant it.

The entire class meeting took thirty minutes at most.

It was mainly because the semester was ending, and they would start their theses and internships next semester.

After she finished speaking, Luo Lianqing smiled and said, "All right, that's everything. Meeting dismissed."

"Teacher, when is campus recruitment..."

"Oh, right, Teacher..."

Although Luo Lianqing really wanted to message Wen Ce immediately, several girls stopped her.

Over by Wen Ce, Zhou Chi came over again. "So, what do you think? If we win the money, we'll split it evenly. Everyone gets at least twenty thousand. It's just one ball game..."

Wen Ce raised his eyes to him. "Not interested."

Zhou Chi clicked his tongue. He glanced at the people around them and lowered his voice. "I've really given up on... Why are you so stubborn? Who hasn't pursued a girl before? I know she likes you."

That last sentence successfully caught Wen Ce's attention. Was Zhou Chi saying Luo Lianqing liked him?

"How could you tell?" He raised an eyebrow at Zhou Chi.

Zhou Chi let out an "Huh?" and looked utterly bewildered. "No, I..."

"Wen Ce, come outside for a chat?" Wang Meng's voice interrupted their conversation.

Wen Ce frowned and turned toward Wang Meng. "What do we have to talk about?"

Wang Meng sneered. "Scared?"

Wen Ce simply found him baffling.

Lin Fan clicked his tongue. "What's with you, Wang Meng? You've been so passive-aggressive lately."

Zhou Chi wasn't interested in their business and merely reminded Wen Ce, "Give it some more thought. Who passes up money? Accept my friend request!"

That last sentence came through somewhat gritted teeth.